Tony was sitting watching Winston and Eve playing golf with Paddy. Marcel sat beside him, keeping score on a nearby বৃক্ষ trunk. He felt tired, as always. He also felt hungry. It didn't help that he was sitting পরবর্তি to one of the only forbidden birds in the park. "Hey, Marcel."
"Hmm?"
"Mind if I go get somthing to eat? I'm starving."
"If আপনি are not in the game, আপনি may do as আপনি wish." A ball sailed over his head. "Paddy, the hole is over there."
"Whoops." Paddy ব্যক্ত "Silly me."
Tony smiled and began his descent. Retirement was great. He got to sit in hot springs to relax, while his son did all the work for him. Garth was amazing at managing the pack. His ration system was brilliant. And he protected it as well to. A fight never broke out when Garth was around. He left the alpha's section of the পাহাড় and entered the omega's, just above the খাবার pile. That was when he walked into the red নেকড়ে holding the notebook.
"Sorry!"
"You will be. This damn disk!"
"What?"
"It goes dislocated every time I bend down অথবা fall over! Drives me nuts!"
Chris helped him up.
"Chris," he said, offering his hand. Tony shook it.
"Tony," he said. "You must be that new guy. That was one crazy stunt আপনি pulled off yesterday, আপনি know. Could've got yourself killed. Still, we've collected in the dead carabou now. Enough খাবার to last us all winter! Garth's put some away."
Chris had been a member of the pack for three days.
"So you're Garth's dad?"
"Yes."
"Ah. He's good at shouting."
Tony laughed. "Well, i'll be seeing you, Chris."
Chris waved and dissapeared into his den.
ROMbot was following Chris's footprints through the forest. He'd decided to bring the Darren with him, just so Chris could turn it off.
"Hey, rom, look."
ROMbot looked. Chris's footprints had changed. Instead of feet, he now saw paws. He put two and two together and got three.
"They've taken him!"
"I like the light, Chris," Saltey said, turning it on and off. "How long does it last?"
"Forever." Chris ব্যক্ত simply. "It runs on AC."
He was making some adjustments to the electronics when suddenly there was a commotion outside.
"WHAT HAVE আপনি DONE WITH HIM!?!"
"What?!" Garth's voice boomed.
"YOU'VE EATEN HIM, HAVEN'T YOU, আপনি STUPID LITTLE-"
Garth pinned the robot. "Why don't আপনি finish that scentence?"
Chris came out of the den. ROMbot could speak wolf. That would simplify things. "Hey, garth! Let the stupid thing go, he's mine. I built him." He laughed. "He thinks আপনি ate me."
Garth let go of the robot. It launched itself at Chris. "Who are you?"
"It's me, Chris!" the red নেকড়ে said.
"Prove it."
"You're a dick."
"I'll accept that. What happened to you?"
"Long story, i'll tell আপনি later. What did আপনি do with darren?"
ROMbot ব্যক্ত nothing.
"What did আপনি do TO darren?"
"I left him in a বৃক্ষ somwhere. Couldn't stand another word."
"He's your brother!"
"Sadly."
Chris dragged rombot into the den. "I don't know how, but for some reason i'm a wolf. Don't mention that I was ever a human to anyone, you'll just get us killed. Be discreet."
"Discreet is my middle name." ROMbot ব্যক্ত confidently.
"Go get darren."
ROMbot flew off. Chris looked at Garth. He was very angry. He growled at Chris. Chris looked away. "Sorry, guys." he said.
An ঘন্টা later, Humphrey, Kate, Lilly and Garth were knocking on the door. "I'm- oh, it's you."
"Your little robot pulled some crazy shit there, chris." Humphrey was not smiling. "We're not going to let him off for doing that to Garth."
"No, no." Chris said. "Of course not. Come in."
"Don't slouch, Saltey." Kate said. "What are আপনি smirking at, chris?"
"Nothing." Chris said. "What do আপনি suppose I should do with him?"
"Who?" Saltey asked. "And why are all the head alphas in here?"
"There's been an incident-" Garth began.
"My robot thought Garth had eaten me and gave Garth a hard time. We're deciding what to do with him."
"Who, Garth?"
"Don't be dense, Mooch." Kate said. "The robot."
"I say we pull it's arms off and beat it up with the fizzing ends." Lilly suggested.
"You have your mother in you, lilly." Humphrey said.
"I'll just put him in a box for an hour. It's the same thing I do when he breaks my stuff. He's terrified of the dark."
"Good idea," Lilly said. "Mabye have spikes on the inside. And have it near the শীর্ষ of the পাহাড় so we can hear it screaming."
"Yeah... well, i'll get a বাক্স ready."
Once Chris had handed a screaming বাক্স to Kate to carry home, he settled on the bed.
"Did আপনি hear lilly, there? She used to be so shy!" Saltey had spoken.
"Indeed. Mooch, would আপনি mind getting some খাবার with this Extra Rations permit garth gave me?"
"With pleasure."
Chris handed over a rock with the letters RP scratched into it, as well as the Garth's signiture.
"Thanks."
Chris leaned back. He'd set up some of his stuff in the cave. So far, him and his বন্ধু had one working light, a darren to মুষ্ট্যাঘাত if they became annoyed, A ডেস্ক for Chris to work at, and some pillows.
"Aren't we supposed to be howling now?"
"No. The only howls omegas are allowed to go to is the moonlight howl and the full moon howl."
"Oh. আপনি fancy trying your luck, Saltey?"
"No, i'm not going out now. Even if I did score, they're bound to see what I look like when the sun comes up."
Chris laughed.
"No, what about a game.." -he pulled a large box out of his bag- "Of chess!"
"I wondered what the things in that box were. They were quite crunchy."
There was a long silence.
"We can still play with a few peices missing, Can't we?"
"I suppose so." Chris set the box down. "Right, who do আপনি want to be?"
"I'd like to be my brother. Can-Do is awsome."
"Can-Do's your brother?"
"Yes."
"Interesting. But I mean which team do আপনি want to be on."
"The alphas."
Chris's palm hit his face.
"Black? অথবা white?"
"Oh. White, please."
"Right.. আপনি win, there are no black peices left!"
Just then, Mooch came back with the food.
"These steaks are weird shapes." he said.
"Hey, Chris," Saltey said. "How about we use the meat peices as the missing parts?"
"Good idea. I'll set this up."
"I hope ROMbot doesn't fowlmouth the alphas again."
"Don't worry about him. Discreet is his middle name."
Chris rummaged about in his backpack and pulled out a pot of somthing.
"What's this cress doing in here?"
"That's not cress." came darren's voice. "It's that yougurt আপনি started when আপনি were 2."
"You could've told me. Might as well finish it."
Saltey messed with the meat, trying to get them to resemble the white peices.
"This doesn't taste like আপেল and peach." Chris said.
"You're disgusting." darren said.
"Right." Chris said, pulling a bottle of ketchup out of his bag. "This can be the king. Well, it has to be the king, doesn't it? I mean, it's ketchup."
"How's this for a tower?" Saltey asked.
"Good. Put it there."
They began to assemble the rest using various organs from unfortunate carabou and things from Chris's bag.
"Right then, all set. A little unconventional, but most of it's fresh." Chris ব্যক্ত "The winner gets to eat the pieces that are made of food."
"Somthing's missing." Saltey said. "I know! খাবার and drink!"
"Good idea. Put all the leftovers on a plate and pour us some কমলা juice."
"Put all the blah on a blah and pour us some blah?"
"Yes please. I'm not a vegetarian, but কমলা রস is quite nice with meat. No, not that Saltey, that's industrial floor cleaner."
"What's it doing in here?"
"Beats me. Don't forget to put a bit of salt around the rim."
"Beg আপনি pardon?" Saltey said.
Chris gave him a withering look. "Oh come on guys, I know what i'm talking about. Everyone in hollywood does it."
"I'll just put a bit of salt around the edge of the glass if it's all the same to you," Saltey ব্যক্ত sarcasticly. "Right, there আপনি go, skip, and the very best of luck to you, and I mean that very very sincerely."
"Oh, one আরো thing. As it's a special- do আপনি think we should dim the lights?"
"Well, আপনি haven't built a dimmer. Should I use the hammer?"
"No, no, we'll cope. Now, as it's a special occasion and we have invented a new drink, what do আপনি think we should name it?"
"How about the bloody...awful?" darren asked.
"Yes. The bloody awful. Ready?"
"Ye- oh, one আরো thing. How do আপনি actualy play chess?"
Chris blinked. "You don't know how to play chess?"
"Well... no."
[Five hours later...]
"Now, how does the racehorse সরানো again?"
"It's not a racehorse, it's a knight."
"Well, where's the knight?"
"He must have fallen off."
"Not much of a knight then, is it?"
"Are we going to play this অথবা not?"
"And that one's called a rook?"
"Yes."
"Why, does it nest in trees?"
"No, some people call it a rook."
"Which people, blind ones?"
"Look, just put it back."
Saltey put it back.
"But the দুর্গ can move, আপনি say?"
"That's right."
"Even though it hasn't got any legs?"
"Yes..."
"And the vicar stands পরবর্তি to the queen, who moves in all directions."
"Yes."
"And they let children play this, আপনি say? I mean, it's pretty strong stuff, isn't it, Chris? Apparently if a চিংড়ি goes all the way he becomes a queen!"
"Shut Up, Saltey, and play the game!"
"Alright, alright... Hey, I know, why don't I get some alphas to watch us play?"
"Saltey."
"What."
"I've been here scince 10 o clock last night. It is now 5 in the morning. We finished off the কমলা juice, the Blackcurrent, the vinegar, the ol' spice... even the industrial floor cleaner. Mooch has actualy gone to sleep, and i'm not far from joining him. I've explained the rules of chess to আপনি 57 times, AND I'M SCREWED IF I'M GOING TO LET আপনি DELAY THE GAME ANOTHER ঘন্টা WHILE আপনি GO AND GET YOURSELF ARRESTED! OKAY?!"
"Okay..." Saltey said.
"Right." Chris picked up a peice. "King's চিংড়ি to king's চিংড়ি four." he smashed the chess clock with a paw. "Why'd আপনি have to do that?" Saltey asked, pointing at it.
"SHUT UP, IT'S YOUR MOVE!"
"Right... my move..." He concentrated. He made some clicking noises. He got up and paced around the den. He left. He came back in. He ate a left over and sat back down. "Which side am I?"
"YOU'RE BLACK! YOU'RE THOSE ONES THERE! THE ONES পরবর্তি TO YOU!"
"QUIET DOWN THERE!" came kate's voice.
"Sorry!" Chris called back.
"Alright.. My move.." Saltey said. "There's only one thing for it. Attack, attack, attack! Over the top, lads!" he moved his prawns forward. "Chaaaaaarge! Machine guns! UHUHUHUHUHU.." He picked up his king. "It's the queen's own ketchup! UHUHUHUHUHUUHUHU..Uhhuh..huh"
He cleaned the ketchup off the floor and then remembered just in time to hit the chess clock. He knocked it off the table.
"So." Chris said. "That's your move, is it?"
Then he beat him in one go.
"Hmm?"
"Mind if I go get somthing to eat? I'm starving."
"If আপনি are not in the game, আপনি may do as আপনি wish." A ball sailed over his head. "Paddy, the hole is over there."
"Whoops." Paddy ব্যক্ত "Silly me."
Tony smiled and began his descent. Retirement was great. He got to sit in hot springs to relax, while his son did all the work for him. Garth was amazing at managing the pack. His ration system was brilliant. And he protected it as well to. A fight never broke out when Garth was around. He left the alpha's section of the পাহাড় and entered the omega's, just above the খাবার pile. That was when he walked into the red নেকড়ে holding the notebook.
"Sorry!"
"You will be. This damn disk!"
"What?"
"It goes dislocated every time I bend down অথবা fall over! Drives me nuts!"
Chris helped him up.
"Chris," he said, offering his hand. Tony shook it.
"Tony," he said. "You must be that new guy. That was one crazy stunt আপনি pulled off yesterday, আপনি know. Could've got yourself killed. Still, we've collected in the dead carabou now. Enough খাবার to last us all winter! Garth's put some away."
Chris had been a member of the pack for three days.
"So you're Garth's dad?"
"Yes."
"Ah. He's good at shouting."
Tony laughed. "Well, i'll be seeing you, Chris."
Chris waved and dissapeared into his den.
ROMbot was following Chris's footprints through the forest. He'd decided to bring the Darren with him, just so Chris could turn it off.
"Hey, rom, look."
ROMbot looked. Chris's footprints had changed. Instead of feet, he now saw paws. He put two and two together and got three.
"They've taken him!"
"I like the light, Chris," Saltey said, turning it on and off. "How long does it last?"
"Forever." Chris ব্যক্ত simply. "It runs on AC."
He was making some adjustments to the electronics when suddenly there was a commotion outside.
"WHAT HAVE আপনি DONE WITH HIM!?!"
"What?!" Garth's voice boomed.
"YOU'VE EATEN HIM, HAVEN'T YOU, আপনি STUPID LITTLE-"
Garth pinned the robot. "Why don't আপনি finish that scentence?"
Chris came out of the den. ROMbot could speak wolf. That would simplify things. "Hey, garth! Let the stupid thing go, he's mine. I built him." He laughed. "He thinks আপনি ate me."
Garth let go of the robot. It launched itself at Chris. "Who are you?"
"It's me, Chris!" the red নেকড়ে said.
"Prove it."
"You're a dick."
"I'll accept that. What happened to you?"
"Long story, i'll tell আপনি later. What did আপনি do with darren?"
ROMbot ব্যক্ত nothing.
"What did আপনি do TO darren?"
"I left him in a বৃক্ষ somwhere. Couldn't stand another word."
"He's your brother!"
"Sadly."
Chris dragged rombot into the den. "I don't know how, but for some reason i'm a wolf. Don't mention that I was ever a human to anyone, you'll just get us killed. Be discreet."
"Discreet is my middle name." ROMbot ব্যক্ত confidently.
"Go get darren."
ROMbot flew off. Chris looked at Garth. He was very angry. He growled at Chris. Chris looked away. "Sorry, guys." he said.
An ঘন্টা later, Humphrey, Kate, Lilly and Garth were knocking on the door. "I'm- oh, it's you."
"Your little robot pulled some crazy shit there, chris." Humphrey was not smiling. "We're not going to let him off for doing that to Garth."
"No, no." Chris said. "Of course not. Come in."
"Don't slouch, Saltey." Kate said. "What are আপনি smirking at, chris?"
"Nothing." Chris said. "What do আপনি suppose I should do with him?"
"Who?" Saltey asked. "And why are all the head alphas in here?"
"There's been an incident-" Garth began.
"My robot thought Garth had eaten me and gave Garth a hard time. We're deciding what to do with him."
"Who, Garth?"
"Don't be dense, Mooch." Kate said. "The robot."
"I say we pull it's arms off and beat it up with the fizzing ends." Lilly suggested.
"You have your mother in you, lilly." Humphrey said.
"I'll just put him in a box for an hour. It's the same thing I do when he breaks my stuff. He's terrified of the dark."
"Good idea," Lilly said. "Mabye have spikes on the inside. And have it near the শীর্ষ of the পাহাড় so we can hear it screaming."
"Yeah... well, i'll get a বাক্স ready."
Once Chris had handed a screaming বাক্স to Kate to carry home, he settled on the bed.
"Did আপনি hear lilly, there? She used to be so shy!" Saltey had spoken.
"Indeed. Mooch, would আপনি mind getting some খাবার with this Extra Rations permit garth gave me?"
"With pleasure."
Chris handed over a rock with the letters RP scratched into it, as well as the Garth's signiture.
"Thanks."
Chris leaned back. He'd set up some of his stuff in the cave. So far, him and his বন্ধু had one working light, a darren to মুষ্ট্যাঘাত if they became annoyed, A ডেস্ক for Chris to work at, and some pillows.
"Aren't we supposed to be howling now?"
"No. The only howls omegas are allowed to go to is the moonlight howl and the full moon howl."
"Oh. আপনি fancy trying your luck, Saltey?"
"No, i'm not going out now. Even if I did score, they're bound to see what I look like when the sun comes up."
Chris laughed.
"No, what about a game.." -he pulled a large box out of his bag- "Of chess!"
"I wondered what the things in that box were. They were quite crunchy."
There was a long silence.
"We can still play with a few peices missing, Can't we?"
"I suppose so." Chris set the box down. "Right, who do আপনি want to be?"
"I'd like to be my brother. Can-Do is awsome."
"Can-Do's your brother?"
"Yes."
"Interesting. But I mean which team do আপনি want to be on."
"The alphas."
Chris's palm hit his face.
"Black? অথবা white?"
"Oh. White, please."
"Right.. আপনি win, there are no black peices left!"
Just then, Mooch came back with the food.
"These steaks are weird shapes." he said.
"Hey, Chris," Saltey said. "How about we use the meat peices as the missing parts?"
"Good idea. I'll set this up."
"I hope ROMbot doesn't fowlmouth the alphas again."
"Don't worry about him. Discreet is his middle name."
Chris rummaged about in his backpack and pulled out a pot of somthing.
"What's this cress doing in here?"
"That's not cress." came darren's voice. "It's that yougurt আপনি started when আপনি were 2."
"You could've told me. Might as well finish it."
Saltey messed with the meat, trying to get them to resemble the white peices.
"This doesn't taste like আপেল and peach." Chris said.
"You're disgusting." darren said.
"Right." Chris said, pulling a bottle of ketchup out of his bag. "This can be the king. Well, it has to be the king, doesn't it? I mean, it's ketchup."
"How's this for a tower?" Saltey asked.
"Good. Put it there."
They began to assemble the rest using various organs from unfortunate carabou and things from Chris's bag.
"Right then, all set. A little unconventional, but most of it's fresh." Chris ব্যক্ত "The winner gets to eat the pieces that are made of food."
"Somthing's missing." Saltey said. "I know! খাবার and drink!"
"Good idea. Put all the leftovers on a plate and pour us some কমলা juice."
"Put all the blah on a blah and pour us some blah?"
"Yes please. I'm not a vegetarian, but কমলা রস is quite nice with meat. No, not that Saltey, that's industrial floor cleaner."
"What's it doing in here?"
"Beats me. Don't forget to put a bit of salt around the rim."
"Beg আপনি pardon?" Saltey said.
Chris gave him a withering look. "Oh come on guys, I know what i'm talking about. Everyone in hollywood does it."
"I'll just put a bit of salt around the edge of the glass if it's all the same to you," Saltey ব্যক্ত sarcasticly. "Right, there আপনি go, skip, and the very best of luck to you, and I mean that very very sincerely."
"Oh, one আরো thing. As it's a special- do আপনি think we should dim the lights?"
"Well, আপনি haven't built a dimmer. Should I use the hammer?"
"No, no, we'll cope. Now, as it's a special occasion and we have invented a new drink, what do আপনি think we should name it?"
"How about the bloody...awful?" darren asked.
"Yes. The bloody awful. Ready?"
"Ye- oh, one আরো thing. How do আপনি actualy play chess?"
Chris blinked. "You don't know how to play chess?"
"Well... no."
[Five hours later...]
"Now, how does the racehorse সরানো again?"
"It's not a racehorse, it's a knight."
"Well, where's the knight?"
"He must have fallen off."
"Not much of a knight then, is it?"
"Are we going to play this অথবা not?"
"And that one's called a rook?"
"Yes."
"Why, does it nest in trees?"
"No, some people call it a rook."
"Which people, blind ones?"
"Look, just put it back."
Saltey put it back.
"But the দুর্গ can move, আপনি say?"
"That's right."
"Even though it hasn't got any legs?"
"Yes..."
"And the vicar stands পরবর্তি to the queen, who moves in all directions."
"Yes."
"And they let children play this, আপনি say? I mean, it's pretty strong stuff, isn't it, Chris? Apparently if a চিংড়ি goes all the way he becomes a queen!"
"Shut Up, Saltey, and play the game!"
"Alright, alright... Hey, I know, why don't I get some alphas to watch us play?"
"Saltey."
"What."
"I've been here scince 10 o clock last night. It is now 5 in the morning. We finished off the কমলা juice, the Blackcurrent, the vinegar, the ol' spice... even the industrial floor cleaner. Mooch has actualy gone to sleep, and i'm not far from joining him. I've explained the rules of chess to আপনি 57 times, AND I'M SCREWED IF I'M GOING TO LET আপনি DELAY THE GAME ANOTHER ঘন্টা WHILE আপনি GO AND GET YOURSELF ARRESTED! OKAY?!"
"Okay..." Saltey said.
"Right." Chris picked up a peice. "King's চিংড়ি to king's চিংড়ি four." he smashed the chess clock with a paw. "Why'd আপনি have to do that?" Saltey asked, pointing at it.
"SHUT UP, IT'S YOUR MOVE!"
"Right... my move..." He concentrated. He made some clicking noises. He got up and paced around the den. He left. He came back in. He ate a left over and sat back down. "Which side am I?"
"YOU'RE BLACK! YOU'RE THOSE ONES THERE! THE ONES পরবর্তি TO YOU!"
"QUIET DOWN THERE!" came kate's voice.
"Sorry!" Chris called back.
"Alright.. My move.." Saltey said. "There's only one thing for it. Attack, attack, attack! Over the top, lads!" he moved his prawns forward. "Chaaaaaarge! Machine guns! UHUHUHUHUHU.." He picked up his king. "It's the queen's own ketchup! UHUHUHUHUHUUHUHU..Uhhuh..huh"
He cleaned the ketchup off the floor and then remembered just in time to hit the chess clock. He knocked it off the table.
"So." Chris said. "That's your move, is it?"
Then he beat him in one go.
Solen
