Lauren--Part Seventeen

Splog # 58

Seventeen

   Lauren was finding the tale that Mason was reciting fairly interesting, though she was wondering what it all had to do with the name of the Fe-San. Then the story was interrupted by the slowing down and stopping of the train. As soon as it became evident, Mason said, "Excuse me," and got up and headed to the back of the car. Then a loud "Twelve" sounded down the aisle and all motion ceased. The door, which was about three seats away from where Lauren was sitting, rolled up and she heard the ramp slide out to the platform. She looked out the window but there wasn't anybody in sight. Only a large dog, sitting exactly in front of where the ramp had come to rest. The dog's coat was either cream colored with large chocolate brown splotches or else it was chocolate brown and the splotches were cream colored.

   Mason came back up the aisle,  something in his hand. She watched as he placed it in the dog's mouth. It looked like a leather bag. Then the dog loped towards the rear of the train and jumped over the tracks passing out of sight. Lauren moved across the aisle to look out the window but it was too dark for her to see anything. Then she heard Mason coming back and turned to him, hoping he would tell her about what had just happened.

   "Let's see," he said. "I had just described the second floor view. I'm not sure I'll have time to finish before you go out."

   "But we're not even moving," Lauren said, feeling slightly disappointed.

   "Oh, Austin will be back in a moment and then we'll be off."

   "Is Austin the dog that was just here?"

   "Yep. That's Austin. I have to admit that I wasn't expecting him here at Twelve. But there he was. Do you like dogs? He'll probably come and finish the ride with us."

   "He looked awfully big," said Lauren.

   "Oh, Austin's as gentle as a puppy. But wait a minute. I better get his towel."

   Mason went up to the door and slid open a compartment beside it. As he did, Lauren heard the sound of clawed feet on marble and, moving back across the aisle, saw the dog returning to the ramp. He stopped in front of it and shook himself down. Water droplets sprayed all around him and Lauren wondered how he had gotten so wet. Then Mason came down the ramp with a big, fluffy, gray towel and started rubbing the dog down. After Mason had done his back and legs , the dog lay down and rolled over so he could dry his chest. Then Mason shook the towel out as best he could and came up the ramp with the dog at his heels. He passed Lauren, crouched over with the towel balled up in his hands and said, "Be right back." But the dog stopped at Lauren's seat and just looked at her. He was fairly large. His head rose over the seat and, if Lauren had been standing up, would have come to above her waist.

   The two of them looked at each other for a moment and then Lauren said softly, "Hello, Austin."

   She hadn't meant it as an invitation, but the dog certainly took it for one. He jumped up on the seat beside her, made two revolutions on it, and then curled his legs under himself and placed his head in her lap.

   When he had jumped onto the seat, Lauren had moved as close to the window as she could, so that, once the dog had settled down, he was in possession of quite a bit more space than she was. Lauren held herself rather stiffly for a few moments but, beginning to feel reassured by the dog's docility, she eventually    relaxed and began petting the smooth head lying on her thigh. Sometime during this adjustment, the ramp had retracted, the door had closed and the train had started moving again. The warm body of the dog and the gentle rocking of the train lulled Lauren into a doze so that when Mason came back up the aisle, having disposed of the towel, to recommence his story, he found Splog, Austin and Lauren all sleeping peacefully.

 

   "I'm sure you'll get the rest of the story as you're needing it," he said quietly to the sleeping child. "I wonder if you're one of those that Splog has spoken of."