Guy--Part Forty-Nine

Splog # 201

Forty-Nine

 As Guy seated himself on the carpet of grass, Splog cleared his throat as though he were getting ready to say something important. Guy found himself sitting on a pebble and rooted around with his hand and pulled it from under him. He pulled his hand back to toss it when Splog abruptly said,

 "Wait!"

 Guy's hand froze where it was and Splog said,

 "You never know, it might be good for you."

 Guy lowered his hand with the pebble in it and waited for what would happen next.

 "Guy, this is all - "

 Splog stopped abruptly. Guy just sat and tossed the pebble from one hand to another.

 "I was hoping that you and the others - "

 Guy held still at the mention of others.

 "I wanted to - I was trying to - "

 Guy wondered what Splog was having such difficulty in saying.

 "This could be a - if we all - "

 Guy turned to look at Splog.

 Splog let out a long sigh and fell back prone on the ground.

 "Guy, what do you think of this place?"

 Guy looked around.

 "I like being in the woods," he responded uncertainly, not sure what exactly Splog was asking.

 "Well, not just here but, I mean, everywhere you've been since we met. Do you like being in this land? Are you enjoying yourself? Would you rather go home? Do you miss your folks? Do you want to finish your quest?..."

 There was a rustling in the trees and Guy looked towards the sound. A horse appeared at the edge of the clearing directly across from the spot he and Splog were occupying. It turned its head both ways as though looking for something and then emerged completely into the clearing. It glanced at Guy for a moment and then lowered its head and began to crop the grass. Guy's gaze roamed over the animal, appreciating its sleekness, its power and its serenity. The horse was a dark color with light patches here and there and a white spot on its forehead. He hoped he would have an opportunity to attempt riding it.

 "What do you think, Guy?"

 "I miss Mum and Dad a little," Guy offered after thinking for a few moments. "I hope they're not worried about me. But I'd like to do the quest. Bugs is funny and sometimes I'm not sure if he's upset with me. But being underwater is great! And that stuff he gave me to eat is good. Do you know he has a long name that you have to put the accent in the right place and he made a poem out of it. He made a poem out of my name and it had a giraffe 'cause that starts with G like Guy..."

 Guy thought again for a time.

 "But I don't know what I'm supposed to do or where we're going..."

 The horse looked up and to Guy's left. Guy turned his head in that direction just as a sheep ambled into the clearing. It came in just where the other elements of the parade had entered and Guy wondered if it was starting up again. But as soon as it was in the clearing, it did exactly as the horse had done. it looked to Guy for a quick moment and then lowered its head and began to graze.

 Guy tried to think of what else to say to Splog.

 "The parade was quite something. And all those places with the bugs and the animals. But what's happening? I was in the water and then I'm in all sorts of different places. Bugs might be worried about me. But if I'm not there, how can Bugs..."

 "Bugs will be all right," Splog said, still lying prone on the grass. "So I guess you didn't mind coming here?"

 "This was the best parade I've ever seen. The snake! And the Tiger! It was great!"
 "But you didn't mind coming with me? And then going with Bugs?"

 "No. Bugs is funny. And he says poems. For a minute, I thought I was gonna drown. I guess I'm not in a dream, am I?"

 "Would you like to be?"

 "Gee, the things that are happening can't really happen..."

 Guy heard movement behind him and turned to see a monkey scurry into the clearing. His mouth dropped open. The monkey was carrying a fish in its hands. A live fish! Guy could see it squirming. Splog sat up, took his hat off and tossed it in front of the monkey so it landed upside down. The monkey proceeded to drop the fish into the hat. Guy stood up to look in the hat and slowly, from an unknown source, the hat filled with water. Splog got up, picked up the hat, which didn't seem to leak, walked over to the spot where the parade had exited the clearing and placed the hat on the ground.