by nita dee
disclaimer: "the replacements" belong to dan santat and walt disney productions
chapter ten: for better or for worse
after k exited with the guard unit, dick daring let go of the tent flap and knelt down and started praying for his wife. he was not loud or dramatic in his prayer but his heart was earnest.
"dear lord, please take katie to your bosum and hold her there.
don't let her suffer, lord..don't let her hurt.." the big man prayed.
carter looked on as dick prayed. he really does love her, carter thought.
cooky had been trying to contact carter's modulator for some time but carter did not answer not knowing what to say to him. he had decided to wait until the execution was complete and then tell the british man who was piloting the plane the bad news.
suddenly, dick ended his prayer and jumped to his feet. his face had a different look to it and what had only moments before been a face full of grief and regret now had a determined look. dick daring looked like he did when he was going to do one of his stunts.
"carter, how fast can you take me back into the arena?" dick asked.
"fast but dick..k doesn't want us there. she wanted us to stay in this tent until..until..it is over." carter said.
"car, i'm going to be by her side during all of this. this is what they call "for better or worse.". i want her to know that i love her and that i can love her enough to let her go." dick said, mounting the motorcycle.
"but dick--what if they try to kill you?" carter asked as the motorcycle reved up.
"then i'll walk through the pearly gates of heaven with my beautiful wife." dick said with determination. he kicked the kickstand of the motorcycle and rode carter out of the tent and into the arena.
the guards had just escorted k back to the pedestal when dick and carter roared into the arena. the crowd looked on amused as once again the perceedings were interrupted by a big guy in a red, white and blue jumpsuit riding a motorcycle.
"dick..no. you were supposed to stay back in the tent." k said with a distressed tone.
dick stopped the motorcycle and the guards surrounded the machine with their swords pointed at the man.
"you are holding up the execution, daring!" the raja said in anger.
"i'm not here to do that but i do want to ask you if i can please sit next to my wife as she faces her destiny." dick said with confidence.
the raja smiled.
"you can do more than that for me. one of the guards was going to hold your wife in place but now you can do it. you can feel the life of the woman whom you've desired time and again leave her body as chakta crushes her head." the raja said.
"dick, no." k said. "this will haunt you and cause you to have nightmares.."
"katie, i'm here and i'm going to do it. i'll have one bad memory in a sea of wonderful ones." dick said. he walked over to his wife and hugged her. "i won't let you do through this alone."
"very well!" the raja said. "get into position."
k took her lying position on the straw bed with her head on the
marble pedestal and dick gently took his hands and held onto her arms.
he bent down and kissed k's bound hands.
"i don't think you know how much i love you, mrs. daring." dick said.
the trumpet signaled and the people in the arena became quiet. the mahout motioned the elephant to come closer to the pedestal where k was laying her head.
"rise!" the mahout ordered and the elephant rose his left hoof.
dick closed his eyes and held onto k tightly. her body had tensed up and she was breathing hard but otherwise was showing no outward signs of being scared.
"down!" the mahout ordered.
dick felt the breeze of the large elephant leg as it came down.
it seemed like an eternity and dick listened for the sound of
the hoof making contact with the pedestal and to feel k's body jerk.
but nothing happened.
"dick, what happened?" k asked, her voice tinged with panic.
dick opened his eyes. the elephant had placed his left hoof on the ground next to the right hoof and was standing tall. he seemed to shake his head as if to say.."no".
"he put his foot down on the ground." dick said with amazement.
"both of them?" k asked.
"all four of them." dick said.
"dick, is the elephant trying to turn me on?" k said with a giggle.
suddenly the pressure and stress of the past week exploded and k started laughing. she removed her head off the pedestal and howled with delightful laughter. dick suddenly realized how silly the whole thing was and he started laughing too. he took his wife into his arms and together they were laughing as if they were watching the newest edition of the "monkey cop" films.
raja rameen came running to the pedestal in anger.
"what is wrong with chakta?" the raja asked the mahout.
"chakta has made a decision. the woman is innocent. she will not be killed." the mahout said.
"i will have chakta shot! his job is to perform my executions."
the raja said in anger.
"no, you will not. you know the rules as well as i do. if the elephant refuses to kill the condemned then the wisdom of the elephant overrules the wisdom of humans. chakta has pardoned the woman and you must let her go free." the mahout said.
on the stage the villians watched the proceedings with interest.
"man, i just don't get these old school bad guys. kill someone with an elephant?" tiny evil said.
"ahh, the youth have no clue as usual. one of the finest things a villian can do for his adversary is kill them uniquely. but even i wouldn't have used an elephant..they are too unpredictable." master pho said.
"i gave up a lunch date with v.v. argost for this." dr. scorpius said with a whine.
back at the pedestal, k and dick daring were still laughing themselves silly and the raja was becoming more angry.
"chakta..you must perform this execution!!" the raja screamed at the elephant.
the elephant lifted his trunk and sprayed the raja with water.
"way to go, chakta!! the raja is all wet!" dick said with a howl.
"first bath he's had since prison!" k said laughing until her face was red.
the raja, realizing he was defeated, walked over to the couple and took his sword and cut k's bonds.
"the elephant has pardoned you, agent k. you are free to go."
the raja said. he then turned and went back towards the stage to
try and save face with his honored guests.
"katie--you are free!" dick said, hugging his wife with a tight bear hug.
"dick, let go..i'm going to faint." k said.
"don't faint.." dick said. he stood up and helped k to her feet.
"i've never fainted a day in my life." k said coyly. "but dear.
could you please find me something to eat and drink? i've not eaten
in a week and this past hour has been rather trying."
dick rushed around and found k some fruit and water. carter meanwhile sent a message to cooky to land the plane and expect two passengers and a motorcycle.
"i've contacted cooky and he's going to arrange for an ambulence to pick k up in london to have her injuries looked at." carter said to dick as k drank her third cup of water.
"thanks, car." dick said to the motorcycle.
"this water is divine. it's better than the champaigne we had at our wedding." k said as she took another sip.
dick reached into his pocket and pulled out the wedding band.
kneeling, he placed the ring on k's left hand.
"k, with all my love forever, dd.." dick said.
"my wedding ring. i thought i had lost it." k said.
"your mother gave it to me in london. it was in car's wreakage.
i promised your mother i'd bring it back with her beautiful daughter
wearing it." dick said with passion.
"oh dick..there is more than the elephant turning me on.."
k said. the couple went into each others arms and began kissing
passionately.
"oh good gracious!! i think i'll tell cooky that instead of
having an ambulence on standby we need a cab to the "no tell motel"
instead." carter said with an indignant tone.
k and dick were passionately making out while carter was contacting cooky. they did not notice that the mahout was leading the elephant back to his stable and when a breeze came up it lifted the costume off the elephant's rear end and exposed an encicled f brand.
