Lakhoni (29 page)

Lakhoni
raised his stick and fixed the dog he had trained somewhat with a firm look.
The dog barked and motioned as if to jump for the stick. When the boys were
close enough, Lakhoni said, “Come.” He made sure his voice carried over the
panting, whuffling, and barking dogs.

The
dog he had worked with, a wide splotch of dark brown that started on its back
but circled its stomach just behind its front legs setting it apart, huffed and
loped to Lakhoni’s side. It stood on its back legs, trying for the stick.

“No,”
Lakhoni said, keeping the stick away and pointing to the ground at his feet.
“Come.” He glanced at the other milling dogs and the boys who had now stopped
and were watching the spectacle.

The
dog crouched slightly and eyed Lakhoni intently, waiting.

Lakhoni
threw the stick to the left, arching it over the dogs and aiming so that it
would fly near the three dog-tenders. The slightly trained dog burst into
motion, leaping through and over the milling pack of dogs. They appeared to
decide it was a game and they followed the first dog as it chased after the
stick. In moments, the dog fighting to keep hold of the stick as the other dogs
tried to wrest it from his mouth, the milling pack of energy had circled
Lakhoni again, barks ascending into the sky and echoing off the hills. The
stick fell wetly to the ground near his feet.

Lakhoni
picked it up. “Come,” Lakhoni said, deliberately looking toward the three
watching boys. He pointed to the ground again and looked toward the animal he
was already thinking of as ‘his’ dog. It bounced over, panting loudly, eyes
fixed on the stick again. Now Lakhoni looked at the other dogs, trying to catch
their eyes. “Come,” he said louder, more firmly, pointing at the ground again
and raising the stick. It took only a few seconds, although it felt like hours.
Three of the dogs joined Lakhoni’s animal, all poised and ready to run for the
stick, but otherwise still.

Keeping
his movements deliberate, his eyes on his dog, Lakhoni bent his arm back and
launched the stick. His dog bolted first, followed immediately by the other
three that had been poised to play. The other dogs joined in, barking loudly
and pelting after the stick. Seizing the moment, Lakhoni addressed the other
boys, moving closer to them. “Hello.”

“Who
are you?” This came from the tallest of the boys, who Lakhoni guessed was also
the oldest.

“My
name’s Lakhoni.”

The
tall boy turned to the other two, who both shrugged. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m
going to the city to look for work,” Lakhoni said. He had decided to keep
things as simple as possible. He wouldn’t volunteer any information or
insinuate his intentions at all. This had to be the dog-tenders’ idea.

“Where’d
you come from?” This came from one of the shorter boys.

Lakhoni
gestured vaguely behind him, glancing at the dogs who were returning noisily,
each trying to get at the stick that his dog had retrieved. “My village. But I
left.”

By
this time, Lakhoni and the others were surrounded by the dogs and Lakhoni’s dog
had dropped the stick to the ground. Lakhoni grabbed the stick and did the same
as before, waiting for more dogs to settle. He flung the stick again and off
the dogs ran.

“How’d
you do that?” The other brother, the one who hadn’t spoken before, watched the
dogs running as he spoke.

“Do
what?” Lakhoni asked.

“That,”
the boy pointed at the pack of dogs with his chin. “Make ‘em heedja.”

Lakhoni
wondered if the boy was speaking a different language. He tried to keep the
confusion off his face, but was sure he failed somewhat. “Make them what?”

“Heedja.
Do what’cha want.”

Understanding
dawned. “Oh.” He chose his words carefully. “Came across that one,” he pointed
at his dog, who now held the stick and was loping toward the group of boys
again, “back that way. He looked like he wanted to play.” He kept his eyes
averted from the taller boy, not wanting to reveal his hope and intentions.

“Well
these are the king’s dogs,” the tall boy said. “You shouldn’t be here.”

“Oh.
I didn’t know that,” Lakhoni said, knowing the lie was necessary. The noisy,
chaotic pack swarmed around the boys, the stick dropped at Lakhoni’s feet
again. He picked it up and held it toward the three boys. “Sorry.”

The
first brother who had spoken took the stick and, glancing quickly at the taller
boy then meeting his brother’s look for a long moment, shrugged. He held the
stick up and said, “Come.” The dogs ignored the command and barked, leaping for
the stick. Lakhoni’s dog came over to rub his head against Lakhoni’s thigh.
“Come!” the boy tried again.

Nothing
changed.

The
boy grimaced and threw the stick. The dogs shot after it.

Lakhoni
hid his elation. Nobody had taught these boys how to show a dog that you were
in charge.

“What’m
I doing different?” the brother who had thrown the stick asked.

“I
don’t know,” Lakhoni said. He had to be careful to not push too hard or fast.

The
boy hadn’t thrown the stick very far, so the dogs were already back. A
different dog held the stick this time, but it dropped the stick at Lakhoni’s
feet, just like Lakhoni’s dog had done. Lakhoni picked up the stick, thinking
fast.
Should I teach them or just make it look like I have some kind of
magic?

He
raised the stick, pointed to the ground and said, “Come,” firmly. He stayed in
that position, trying to seize the attention of each dog. “Come,” he repeated.
This time his dog and five others obeyed, settling near him in expectant
postures. Lakhoni looked at the boys. “I grew up with a dog.” He threw the
stick, this time as hard as he could, wanting more time to talk.

The
tall boy looked at him, suspicion evident on his face. “Well, you shouldn’t be
here. These are the king’s dogs.”

The
brothers exchanged a look. “Cho,” the first brother said, tapping the taller
boy on his arm. “He’s looking for work.” He raised his brows pointedly.

As
hope flooded him, Lakhoni carefully kept his face free of emotion, turning to
wait for the dogs to return.

“We
don’t even know him,” Cho said.

The
other brother joined in. “Falon’s right.” He exchanged a meaningful look with
his brother. “Kid’s already got half the dogs doin’ what he says.”

Lakhoni
took note of the name of the brother on Cho’s left.
Falon.

“And
you,” Cho said, scowling at Falon’s brother, “are too trusting. Both of you
are. What are you saying? That we should just adopt this stranger and take him
back to the compound? Tell Master Kalu to give him a job?”

The
other boy kicked at some grass. “I didn’t say that.”

“He
didn’t say that,” Falon cut in. “We don’t have to
tell
the master to
give him a job. But wouldn’t it be nice to have help with these stupid dogs?
Aren’t
you
tired of having to chase them so much?”

As
the dogs made it back to the boys, Cho chewed on Falon’s words. With the stick
on the ground and the dogs milling around, panting loudly, Cho fixed Lakhoni
with a hard look. “Show us.”

Lakhoni
nodded. This time, when he raised the stick, he glanced over his shoulder at
the three boys. “You have to show them that you’re not just one of them. You’re
the master.” He held the stick high and pointed at the ground again.
Can’t
tell them everything or they won’t need me.
“Come,” he said.

The
First Fathers must have wanted him to succeed. This time all ten dogs stopped
leaping around and focused on Lakhoni, tongues lolling. “Come,” he said again.
The dog he had met first settled at Lakhoni’s feet. Lakhoni stroked the dog’s
powerful head. “Simple.” He threw the stick hard.

With
the dogs pelting away, Lakhoni grinned at the three dog-tenders.
This is
going to work.
He imagined forcing his will into Cho’s head, feeling like
he already had the brothers on his side.
Nothing more I can do. This has to
work.

“Not
even the master can do that,” Falon said.

“It’s
true!” Falon’s brother said.

Cho
nodded. “But we can’t just show up with this kid.”

Lakhoni
tried not to laugh. He was at least a year older than Cho, who had to be older than
the round-faced brothers. He wished he had a suggestion for how to convince
this Master Kalu to let him work with the dog tenders.

Then
he realized what had just happened. Cho wasn’t protesting Lakhoni’s joining the
dog tenders anymore.
Finally, something is going right.

The
dogs had already brought the stick back, but the boys paid no attention to
them.

“Why
not?” Falon asked.

Lakhoni
found himself really liking Falon. He scratched a dog’s head, waiting as
patiently as he could.

After
a beat, Falon’s brother burst out laughing. “Right! Why not?”

Once
again, Cho chewed on the idea, his mouth working for a few moments. Lakhoni
clenched his jaw, fighting the urge to say something. Not that he knew what to
say, all things considered.

“Where’d
you say you came from?” Cho asked.

Lakhoni
pointed to the rolling land behind him. “A village a few days away.” He
considered saying more, maybe explaining why he left, but decided that the less
he said, the less he would have to remember.

“Why’d
you leave?” Cho asked.

He
thought fast. “There was nothing for me there. The city was the best place to
go.”

“And
you just happen to know how to work with dogs?” Cho’s voice, while not exactly
dripping with suspicion, held a note of skepticism.

“I
grew up with a dog. My father taught me,” Lakhoni said. He spread his hands,
fighting back the memories. “I’m sure I could teach you, too.”

“Well
you better have some use before you go to the city,” Falon’s brother said. “You
don’t want to wake up gone someday.”

“Shut
up, idiot!” Cho said.

“What?” The boy widened his
eyes innocently. “It’s true.”
“What’s true?” Lakhoni asked.

“Nothing,”
Cho said, making a chopping motion with his right hand.

“Come
on, Cho,” Falon called out. “Kids disappear. It’s not a secret.”

“No,”
his brother said. “
Boys
disappear. Guys like us.”

“Just
forget it!” Cho kicked a thick bunch of grass. “The point is, why don’t you
teach us now?” Cho asked.

“Cho!”
Falon smacked the taller boy’s shoulder. “The kid’s got no home. Let’s just go.”

Cho
glared at Falon, then his brother. “Okay. If you can get the dogs to follow you
back toward the city,” he tipped his head backward toward the walls of
Zyronilxa, “and do it fast, we’ll take you to Master Kalu.”

“Great!”
Lakhoni didn’t bother trying to hide his eagerness. These boys had no way of
knowing his true motivation.

Falon
handed Lakhoni the stick, now chewed and messy with dog spit. “Do you need
this?” The dogs, having flopped to the ground when the boys ignored them, sat
up tall—some of them leaping to their feet.

“Maybe.”

“Hey,”
Cho said, “I’m not promising anything here.”

“I
know,” Lakhoni said. He started toward the city, holding the stick tight to his
side. “Come,” he ordered the dogs. First his dog followed him. After a moment, two
more dogs joined in and then the entire pack was trotting after Lakhoni. Not
wanting to betray any nervousness, Lakhoni listened as the sound of ten panting
dogs surrounded him.

“See
that Balon?” Falon shouted, keeping pace with Lakhoni. “He’s magic! How’d you
do that?” This last was addressed to Lakhoni.

“Shut
up, Falon,” came his twin’s voice from behind them. “He’s not magic. Just maybe
part dog.”

Cho
snorted and, after a beat, the twins burst out laughing.

“No,”
Falon said between laughs, “
you’re
part dog.”

His
brother, apparently named Balon, just barked loudly and laughed again.

Not
how I thought I would get close to the king,
Lakhoni thought. The circumstances were strange,
but as long as the plan worked, it didn’t matter.
Two crazy twins, one angry
Cho, and ten smelly dogs. Fine by me.