Waggit Forever Read Free Page A

There’s no point in talking with dogs who think only with their teeth.”
    â€œIs our plan too much for you, Father?” Olang askedwith a contemptuous growl. “Does it take too much courage?”
    â€œYour plan is worthless; not because it requires too much courage,” Tazar replied, “but because it requires too little common sense.”
    As the three of them moved out, Olang, Wilbur, and Whippety Will backed off as if expecting an attack at any moment. Instead, Tazar paused in front of Olang and spoke to him in a quiet but firm voice.
    â€œYou took over leadership of this team when Tashi was killed in a fight with me, even though I was not the one to put an end to him. I hoped that you had learned a lesson from that experience, that you would have realized violence only brings more violence. But no; it seems that you are Tashi’s son more than mine, and you will likely meet the same end.”
    The power and emotion of Tazar’s words left the other dogs speechless. As the Tazarians walked away, they heard Olang mutter a single word: “Pathetic!”
    Nobody talked while they made their way home. The dogs could sense the anger that Tazar was feeling. It was the first time that he had sat face-to-face with his son since that terrible day when he and Tashi, the former leader of the rival team, had fought. It wasa tragedy that had cost the lives of two dogs, Tashi himself and another called Lug, one of the Tazarians. It was also the day when Olang had abandoned his father forever. The team suspected that ever since then, Tazar had kept hoping his wayward son would eventually come to his senses and return to the group, maybe bringing the other team with him and thereby ending the hostilities that had plagued park life for as long as any dog could remember. But nothing had changed.
    Tazar was still in a dark mood when they arrived back at the pipe, and most of the dogs avoided him. They knew it was better to leave him alone when he was like this. Finally, Lowdown broke the silence. He was the only one in the team who seemed to be completely unfazed by Tazar’s fury.
    â€œThe thing is,” he said, “Olang’s plan was stupid, but it was a plan.”
    â€œI wouldn’t call it a plan,” retorted Tazar brusquely. “Plans require thought. That was just blind retaliation.”
    â€œBut my point is,” Lowdown persisted, “we don’t have anything better.”
    Tazar pierced him with a glowering stare that wouldhave made any other dog cringe and slink away.
    â€œJust because you don’t know what I intend to do,” he said, “doesn’t mean that I don’t know what I intend to do.”
    â€œI knew you’d have a plan,” said Waggit, trying to defuse a tense situation. “Tell us what it is.”
    Tazar thought for a while, and then said: “The food won’t come to us, so we must go to the food. There’s still food in the park, just not in this part of it. We must go to where it is—to the Skyline End.”
    â€œBut boss,” protested Lowdown, “the Skyline’s thick with Uprights.”
    â€œThat’s why it’s also thick with food,” said Tazar.
    â€œDoes that mean we have to move?” Gordo asked glumly. “I’ve started to like living in the pipe.”
    â€œIt’s a wonder you can get in and out, there’s so much of you,” screeched Lady Alicia, who was proud of being the slenderest dog in the team with the possible exception of Waggit.
    â€œGordo’s right,” said Gruff. “It’s okay to expect young pups to keep moving all over the park, but for us older dogs—to be honest with you, I don’t think I have the energy.”
    â€œNo,” Tazar assured them, “we don’t have to move;we just have to organize our food supply a little differently, that’s all.”
    The leader went on to explain his plan. He