Silent night, holy night
All is calm, and all is bright
Round yon Virgin Mother and Child
Holy infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace
Silent night, holy night
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon Virgin Mother and Child
Holy infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace
Peg cleared her throat when she finished, feeling very out of her element. That didn't dampen the excitement of The Major however.
"Yes! Yes! Bravo, my girl I think that you are finally starting to get it."
'It', being the suggestions that he had recently approached her with...
"Instead of all that swaying and waltzing that's oh so tiring, why don't you try remaining perfectly still and presentable?"
"No need for all those unnecessary additives between lyrics, the people pay for a song and that is all we are obliged to give."
"The songs you sing are enjoyable no doubt and this is coming from a dog without much knowledge in music, but don't you think that something more in line with the classics would help better build the foundation that you are laying?"
She had been skeptical of every last one of them, but had done her best in at least trying to entertain them. The first few attempts at trying to sit still on stage had been a pain to say the least, for no matter how much she willed herself to remain seated, she usually always somehow found a way to begin moving to the rhythm of whatever was being sung, or hummed, or even whistled during rehearsals. The solution? Why it was merely to have Randall poke her sharply on the shoulder whenever her concentration broke.
The same was partially true for Cliff and Rick, who without the ability to add on to what she always did, had to begin singing in time with her. It could be any number of things that they could do wrong, (singing in the wrong key, dragging, timing being off) that could spoil an entire session. In the case of one of their most recent rehearsals, Cliff had been keeping up fairly well, while Rick had mistaken what should have been in the key of E for something that believed to be in the key of G. Despite her reassurances that all was well and that they could have simply started from the top, Cliff had been plenty miffed. Accusations flew, insults crossed and they eventually both stormed off, before reconciling later that evening. The solution? Have Randall also poke them sharply on their shoulders before a spat could break out.
The adjustment of what she sang had been the hardest to adapt to. The Major's songs tended to be on the...lighter side of things. She would have preferred the term boring, but did not wish to come off as rude. In any case, the songs that he deemed most fit for her voice, usually led her to yawns and tired eyes very quickly. Not in the way that a lullaby might, but rather simply because she had no interest in singing them at all. She'd done her best in convincing him to at least let her sing some of her own material, but he could never be budged. The solution to her protests? Randall, again.
It was with a somewhat worrying frown that she had first began to take note of the way that her friend turned manager had been doing his best to sidle up to The Major. Usually, he did it in more than one way as well: following the older dog wherever he went, repeating commands as though he were a parrot, insisting that The Major had the right view of things and could not say or do any wrong. Cliff and Rick had noticed it as well, but did not share her concern, taking the opportunity instead to tease Randall with it anytime they got into an argument. Teacher's pet and Little birdie' had become common insults during any sort of banter. She wasn't worried enough to bring it up with him yet though.
"It's only The Major. How bad of an influence could that be?"
The worst that he had suggested up 'til that point had come just the day before.
"I know that you've always been headstrong and that you have your own style and what not, but don't you think that, at least this once, it might pay off for the audience to see both your eyes, to really give them a chance to connect and get to know you. The real you! Peg, the dog that they all love to watch."
As usual, she had protested, arguing that the idea was stupid and a waste of time and as such, the strands of fur which usually covered her right eye were soon pinned sloppily against the side of her face by the slobber from every dog who had deemed themselves capable of the task, with only her father ultimately proving to be useful.
"Now we just push full steam ahead and this more, shall we say, 'festive' show will be a great success."
Cliff cleared his throat, "Major I don't believe that it'll be Christmas for several months more."
"Everyone celebrates early Clifford, it's all in the way that the world has changed."
"You, uh, you're sure about this Major? That you know I've gotta put on this whole new image and all?"
"You don't trust me?"
"It's not that I don't trust you," she quickly interjected, still unable to take a joke. "It's just that, well, to be completely honest with you and earnest in every way possible, it's just that I feel a little stupid doing all this."
"You can say that again," Rick laughed, earning a glare from the smaller dog.
"Well if it stupidity that brings entertainment, then it is stupidity which you must bring. Entertainment is your job after all. Now you three rehearse as long as you feel is necessary and remember, no dancing, no additives, no crass songs and keep that hair in place, it's starting to fall down again. I'll just find- ah Randall!" Even he seemed surprised at the way Randall had so suddenly appeared. "Keep an eye out, alright?"
"You got it Major."
Satisfied, he walked off leaving Randall to take over.
"You really gonna sit there and watch us like we need babysitting?"
Randall merely shrugged, "You heard what The Major said."
"Oh listen to the little birdie' over here," Rick couldn't help but tease.
"Cliff!" she yelled under her breath. "Get him under control, I'll take care of this."
"You guys done already?" he asked when Peg walked off the stage and towards him.
"Not exactly."
"Oh, taking a water break then?"
"Randall, we need to talk."
"Oh no," Randall's eyes widened, "I'm not being sacked...am I?"
"What?"
"Are you...lowering the axe?"
"What does that even mean?"
"Peg, am I being...fired?"
She sighed tiredly, but offered up a reassuring smile in any case, "No Randall, you're not being fired alright. I would never fire you."
He allowed himself to relax, "Okay then, still got my place. What did you want to talk about then?"
"I figured that now seemed to be the right time to have a discussion in regards to," she paused, searching for the right words, "your admiration for The Major. What precisely is it that you see in him that makes you so much of a fan?"
His tail swayed slowly across the ground as he thought, "Well it is true that I admire him."
"Uh huh."
"And I guess that you could just say that to me, he's everything that a true leader should be."
"Right."
"And really, I just want to do better for you and, don't tell them I told you this, but for Cliff and Rick too and even for your father. I- when I first took this job on I was pretty clueless about it all and really I was just going with the flow, seeing what felt right, what seemed right, but it never felt like I was doing enough. As a manager and as a friend, I just felt like I was letting ya'll down and it really hurt. Now that we're with with The Major, why we've got a shelter and plenty of food and really I just want to learn so that I can be better for you...for all of you."
Peg bit her lip. Before they had started talking, she had planned on calling him a filthy boot licker that needed to get his head out of his behind, but seeing the look on her friend's face and considering the sincerity of his words, her own words were much more polite."
"Thank you Randall, I appreciate what you do for us."
He nodded his head gratefully and she felt even guiltier than before.
"We'll uh, we'll get back to practicing now."
"You old blood-sucking leach you!"
The Major was not taken aback by this. He knew by then that living under the same roof as Charlie meant that dealing with his mood and outbursts was as normal as normal could be. He supposed that when he turned around, the smaller dog would launch into a tangent about some minor issue or inconvenience that Peg faced while she performed. Such was the way of life.
"I know an insincere phony when I see one and that is exactly what you are Major, it's all you'll ever be."
"Charlie," he acknowledged him with a nod. "A pleasure to see you as well. Now if you're done with the insults, perhaps I could be of some assistance with whatever problem it is that you're facing."
"You're full of horse dung. Now tell me Major, why is it that everything is flying as smoothly as a white dove out of church and then suddenly having to deal with all these changes you been making?"
"Changes?"
"The no dance rule, the thing with Cliff and Rick, the change in songs, her hair, you know what I'm talking about."
"Ah, those changes. Well, what is there to say in all honesty, I am an advisor, I advise your daughter and what I am doing now is advising her on how best to present herself when more than half the town knows about her."
"I don't like any of it. It's all clearly making her unhappy."
"Such is the way of the show business, not everyone can be happy all the time, but everyone can prosper all the time. Really, if you ask me, I'd say that all of this is for the better for Peg."
"I know what's best for my daughter!" Charlie spat. "And this whole thing, this new image you're trying to project onto her, this ain't it."
"I understand that you're as worried for her as everyone else, but-"
"I'm worried about her well-being. You, you're just worried that one day you'll squeeze her dry and have no more juice left to drink from."
"His aggression has grown ten fold since the last time we spoke!" The Major thought in the aftermath of his words. It was certainly an interesting phenomena to watch, the love and protection that a father felt toward his daughter. That was in essence what made negotiating with Charlie so difficult. Nothing about business and the necessary measures that had to be undertaken ever stuck with him. It all just flew in one ear and then left through the other. There was certainly a world out there, where without him as the filter, the tobacco would be much easier to access. Much more dangerous and spontaneous as well, but easier to access all the same.
In uncertain terms, The Major definitely held a respect for Charlie. He seemed the true definition of selfless, a characteristic he had personally strived to achieve for a long time, before coming to the realization that selflessness meant putting absolutely everything and everyone before you. It was to allow others to feed off of you, rather than the other way around, something The Major couldn't allow. It just wasn't how the world worked.
"If you are so worried about her well-being, then you might be interested in knowing that everything I'm doing is precisely for that. Her well-being."
"The look on her face says otherwise."
"Again, show business," he cleared his throat before continuing. "Is it so difficult to believe that I, who helped usher and introduce your merry crew into my home, would have nothing but the best intentions for you and your daughter?"
"You have too large a stake in all this, best intentions ain't never gonna be at the forefront of your mind."
"It is true yes. All that you've said in regards to the business and the leaching is true, but even if Peg were nothing more than an asset, nothing more than a payday for my masters, do you really think I would let such an asset face the wrath of depreciation? No I would keep her as healthy and happy as you ever would."
"So you admit it then, she is just a money-maker to you?"
"My, my, that's a bad habit of yours', putting words into the mouths of others. No, as much as you may be loathed to admit it, Peg has in recent times become something more, much more, we are the picture of interdependence, her and I."
As Charlie growled at his words, The Major allowed himself again to think, "I am being foolish aren't I? How can I say I am not when I believed for so long, for too long, that he could possibly be selfless? No, not even he, not even this white-furred dog with his big eyes and his bushy mustache, who loves his daughter like no other. Not even he is selfless, when he too lives off of his daughter. They are a picture of interdependence as well. Just not the perfect one."
He stood and began to make for the door, "If you truly believe that I somehow intend on hurting your daughter, or that I have nothing but bad intentions, please, feel free to take her and the others and travel far, far away from here. The business will go on whether she is here or not. It will go on whether I am her advisor, or not. Enjoy the rest of your day Charlie. Oh and," he looked briefly over his shoulder, "I do hope that you'll be watching the show tomorrow, I'm sure Peg would love to show you her new style."
Peg wandered around the top of the hill for the umpteenth time. She had spent her entire afternoon wandering and the oranges and purples of the evening sky were at last beginning to set in. She sighed, already expecting a scolding from her father, or The Major, or maybe both for staying out so late. She scarcely cared, there were much more important things on her mind. Namely the new rules and her song and her...
She sighed again, annoyed at herself for being unable to not allow such minute things, as The Major had called them, to leave her greatly bothered. It was around then that she decided it would be best to return home, seeing as there was no use in sulking atop a hill, when at home she could sulk atop her pillows.
At the very least, her walk back was peaceful, even slightly relaxing at the way a gentle breeze blew through the air. It may have only been because she was use to seeing what congested looked like: angry humans, angrier humans with authority, screaming and constant, unrelenting buzz, but to her, the town in which they had ultimately landed, for all it's size and inhabitants felt like more of a community than an assortment of houses. It was the closest thing that had ever hearkened back to the home of her earliest days.
Nothing. Nothing could ever ruin the sense of calm.
Not even strong winds, which usually only chattered through the streets, not the rain which could only dance upon the rooftops and soothe the newborns to sleep. Not the war between the sun and the moon, whom had mutually decided that they would call for a ceasefire over that one specific town.
These were all things that she thought of as she continued to walk, not bothering to speed up even as the sun's last soldiers began to sink below the horizon. It was all just righ-
"Umph."
She went tumbling and felt her body entangled with another as they rolled across the dirty street. Both seemed confused however, as they did their best in trying to end the reaction of the action and stand up.
When all was said and done, Peg found herself laying belly down with a weight on her back. After another moment more, she heard someone scramble off and then begin to offer up multiple apologies.
"I am so, so sorry Miss. I really didn't see you there."
It took her a moment to reply, but she did so quickly when she realized that she was staring, "No, no, it's okay, I'm okay. I, uh, I didn't see you either."
It was when she looked closely at him again that she realized it was the way that the fur from the top of his head covered on of his eyes that had had her so intrigued. He looked just like she had, before The Major's new rules had been imparted.
"What are you- oh this? It's just a little something that fit on me after I thought about it and I'm just really, uh...so, so sorry," he was still saying, "I just- oh! Aren't you that singing dog that everyone's been buzzing about? Peg, right?"
"That would be me yes."
"Oh well yeah! Coulda' sworn that I recognized you."
She smiled and cleared her throat, unsure of what next to say.
"Hey, uhm, what are you doing out here? Pretty late wouldn't you say?"
She suppressed the scoff that came from her mouth, "I'm old enough to take care of myself."
"Yup, I was able to sniff that out yes...hey, wanna hang out?"
"Sure."
Usually, she would have kicked herself for agreeing to something like that so quickly, especially when she knew that she had somewhere to be. But when she thought of the troubles that were to be found in the place she called home, it made the prospect of following him seem much more attractive.
"Great! I know somewhere you'd love. A real, really great place."
"That sounds nice...I uh, didn't catch your name."
"My- oh yes, where are my manners? My name! I'm Robert."
"It's a pleasure to meet you Robert."
"You too."
They fell into a cold silence as they walked and Peg began to bemoan the fact that she would have to be the one to initiate a conversation. He evidently was not the type that loved to boast while she paid no attention whatsoever.
"Who did your fur like that?" she thought to ask at last.
"Well, it did always just sort of fall into place like that unless I took the care to stop it," he quickly answered and then a hint of sheepishness entered his voice. "And maybe I saw you once and thought it would look pretty good on me too."
"Honey I'm flattered," Peg answered sincerely and then thought to herself, "This one is not so bad after all." And if the way that he had slowed to allow her to easily match his pace was any indication, she might have found herself a way to spend the night. But there was time for that later, she actually wanted to know more about him. "Tell me. If you could go and see anything in the whole wide world, what would you want to see?"
He pursed his lips and let the words rest there for a while before answering, "Something bigger."
"That's it?" she asked when he didn't elaborate.
"Not just to see it, but to do it. I've always wanted to be apart of something bigger, something that really means something. Kind of like you."
"Eh, it's not as bang up as you make it out to be. I gotta deal with annoying fans, I gotta practice long enough for my legs to fall off and don't get me started on the whole thing with my voice."
"Well, I'd kill to be in your situation. Maybe we could swap places sometime?"
She snorted and was about to retort when suddenly the insides of her ears swiveled in a different direction and stayed that way, listening for the sound that they had picked up on. It was too far to say for certain, but there was certainly a hint of familiarity to it, especially given the way that it had stood out to her and not fallen into the mix of other background noises that she usually heard.
Mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm
Mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm
Peg paused, her breath hitching in the back of her throat. She knew that humming.
You better come on in my kitchen
Well, it's goin' to be rainin' outdoors
Ah, the woman I love, took from my best friend
Some joker got lucky, stole her back again
You better come on in my kitchen
It's goin' to be rainin' outdoors
She paused again. She knew that guitar.
"You okay? You, uh seem a little lost there."
She ignored him and kept on moving, ears still stuck out intently in the direction of all the singing.
Oh, she's gone, I know she won't come back
I've taken the last nickel out of her nation sack
You better come on in my kitchen
It's goin' to be rainin' outdoors
Oh, can't you hear that wind howl?
Oh, can't you hear that wind would howl?
You better come on in my kitchen
Well, it's goin' to be rainin' outdoors
She knew that voice.
Ahead of where it was all coming from, Peg was able to make out a small congregation of eleven dogs crowding around a man sitting on a dustbin. She knew his face and her shock and curiosity was quickly replaced by an elated feeling that sent her running towards him.
When a woman gets in trouble, everybody throws her down
"Hey! Ain't you Peg? Check it out fellas, Peg's here too!"
About half of them disbanded from the others to greet her. Sometimes he forgot how well-known she was and while her lesser anxiety had made that she'd started to tolerate, even enjoy some of the attention she received, it could all still be a nuisance, especially when all she wanted was to move past them all.
"Thank you all, really thank you, but I just need to-"
"Peg! Big fan, would you ever consider meeting my sister, she's got a golden voice just like yours' and..."
"I know a little mud patch a small ways from here, could you put your muddy paw on me, like an autograph or something, otherwise we could use..."
Lookin' for her good friend, none can be found
You better come on in my kitchen
"Loved your last show, but could you tell your boys to lay off the security? It's getting tough to sneak in when..."
"What's your favorite song? Mine is the..."
She struggled and struggled, but was beginning to lose hope that she would ever be seen.
Babe, it's goin' to be rainin' outdoors
Wintertime's comin', it's gon' be slow
You can't make the winter, babe, that's dry, long, so
You better come on in my kitchen, 'cause it's goin' to be rainin' outdoors
He finished on a low note and then strummed until his fingers were tired and sore, a pointless exercise, but one he did nevertheless to pass the time and overcome boredom. It was only then that he noticed a small part of his audience had moved away.
"I beg your pardon ladies and gentlemen in the back, is my singing really that rusty?"
When he looked closer, a particularly striking white caught his eye as it stood out among all the browns and blacks.
"Alright, alright!" he stood up and stepped past the dogs that still looked up at him hopefully. "Let's clear it out now, I don't wanna hear no complaints, it's all of you that are getting food from me, not the other way around."
They moved out of the way at the sound of his boots, leaving just one thing in front of him by the time he got there.
He was still for a long time and then whistled low and high, "Well I'll be darned! Is that really you girl?" he bent down and held out his arms.
Peg ran into them faster than a lapwing taking flight for the first time.
She licked the man's face all over, not caring that he tasted like alcohol and cigarettes; they were together again. He was Sebastian and she was the dog that had wandered into his home on a stormy night.
"Oh, I sure have missed ya. Always wondered where you went."
"I could say the same for you," she thought happily.
"And look how big you've grown, all strong and...covered in dog slobber," he pulled a lip back before gently wiping her face with his hand and allowing the fur once pinned to the side of her face to fall back over her eye. "Much better I'd say, I hope you aren't letting anyone change the things that you do."
It was then that she wanted nothing more than to be able to explain her grievances, to let him know how she felt. If anyone could understand the conflicts rampant in her head, it was him. Of that she was certain. In the end though, whatever she had to say came out more as whines and whimpers than intelligible words.
"Ah, don't fret. We got so much to catch up on anyways. I broke my leg a while back, but it healed up real quickly and John, well John finally kicked the bucket as some will say. Doctor said he drank himself dead, but I have a sneaking suspicion that it was something more than that. So much so that-"
"Girl! Girl!"
He stopped when he heard somebody shouting out and then looked back to the dog still in his arms, "They looking for you?"
She stiffened up and curled in tighter on herself.
"Girl!" the man finally came into his sight, accompanied by an older looking dog. "Excuse me sir, you wouldn't happen to have seen-"
Sebastian held Peg out before he could go on any further, "This your dog?"
"Indeed it is! Oh we've been so worried about her."
"Nothing to worry about," he said, while lowering Peg carefully to the ground. "We were just catching up was all."
The man stepped forward and offered a hand, "Clint. Clint Whitlock. You've done us a great service."
Sebastian took it steadily, "Just glad that I was able to help. Peg here is one of the best dogs that I've ever known."
"Peg? That's her name?"
"It's what I've always called her. You mind if I say a quick goodbye?"
"No, no of course not. Please, go ahead."
He bent down and for the last time he and Peg stared into each other's eyes. It was uncanny, the level of communication that they seemed able to establish from such a simple gesture. When she looked long and hard enough, she could have sworn that she saw all the way into his soul.
"Don't let ever let 'em change you from who you are."
Then he shook hands with Clint one last time before turning and walking away. Marching behind Clint and The Major, Peg got only one last good look at him in the moonlight, before he faded into nothingness.