 
DAVID SHATH SQUARE Chapter Nine
I lost track of time as I plodded along thinking of ways to resolve my problem. I came to my senses when I walked into an oak tree behind the machine shed where Thoreena had decked Ravin' Craven. I was close enough to the river to hear the hum of the power plant's generators and the roar of water as it spilled into the turbines and rushed over the falls. The forebay was directly behind me. Shadow sniffed the air, sensing danger on the sultry east wind that churned the forebay to whitecaps.
I sat at the base of the tree with my head in hands and contemplated a hill of black ants. I poked my finger deep into the soft earth of the hill. It swarmed suddenly with ants: some carried white eggs in their jaws, while others swarmed outward from the base like soldiers prepared to repel the enemy.
I was about to poke a second hole in the ant hill when voices interrupted my experiment. By staying close to the ground and peeking around the base of the tree, I could see my father and Myron Mann walking toward the entrance to the machine shed. Myron had his arm around my father's shoulders and they were laughing at something one of them had said.
My father was almost a head shorter than Myron and slender of build. Although his black hair was receding and age had softened his physique, he was still considered attractive by women. To see him walk close to Myron made my stomach queasy and I turned my eyes away. I heard them enter the machine shop together. When the door closed, there was silence except for the sound of the water pounding over the dam.
That's when the ants took their revenge. They swarmed up my left leg sinking their pincers into my flesh. I jumped up and began to swat and run at the same time. I ran toward the river with the idea that if dove into the water the insects would release their grip on my legs.
In my rush, I ran into Thoreena who hurried along the river path to my grandfather's house. It was like running into a brick wall. The woman is beautiful but she also has the height and strength of a linebacker. I bounced off her like a football bounces off a goal post. But then I'm two inches shorter than Thoreena and twenty pounds lighter.
I've always been accused of being skinny to the point of emaciation. My football coach said a strong wind would blow me off the field if I didn't tie myself to the bleachers.
Thoreena offered her hand and pulled me upright. I was dazed but not so dazed that I couldn't tell she had been crying. "What's wrong, Thoreena?"
"I told father about the baby and he threw me out of the house."
"He what?"
"He said I'm a tramp and a disgrace and he never wants to see me again."
The whole time Thoreena talked, I jumped and swatted at my legs because a few tenacious ants refused to release their hold. "Are you okay, Hardy? You're not going insane are you? This is bad news but we can work it out together." "I'm okay. Its just the ants I'm worried about."
"I didn't know you had aunts."
"Don't worry. I've killed them all anyway."
Thoreena was shocked.
"Hardy, you didn't have to kill your aunts."
"I know, Thoreena, but they really bothered me."
"You killed your aunts because they bothered you? Oh God, Hardy, I think this situation has made you crazier than a loon in a duck pond. I stopped and rolled up my pant leg to show Thoreena the multitude of squashed bodies that dotted my leg like black pox.
When she saw the dead ants, she began to laugh hysterically. She laughed so hard that I began to worry about her sanity.
After a few seconds, I began to laugh too. It was the kind of uncontrolled, giddy laughter that makes your stomach ache so bad that you want to stop but no matter how hard you try you can't. It was good, cleansing, if somewhat desperate, laughter. In the excitement, Shadow began to bark and leap in the air. That's how Ravin' Craven found us. He was carrying a .340 Weatherby magnum rifle and he was staggering drunk.
"Whadda we got here?" he said. "Looks like the Mutt and Jeff and big, black mutt show."
He raised his rifle to his shoulder and drew a bead on Shadow. "Nice doggie want to eat some hot lead," he said, pulling the trigger. The earth in front of Shadow erupted, spraying bits of shattered stone and sand into his eyes. Shadow yelped but still managed a angry charge at Craven who raised his rifle for a second shot.
Shadow launched himself at Craven before the drunk could steady his aim. The big dog hit Craven at chest height and knocked him down as easily as a high-powered slug fells a boar.
Craven's rifle flew out of his arms and landed a few feet behind his prostrate form. Shadow, who had taken the man's fat neck between his jaws, bit just hard enough to pierce the greasy skin with his canines. "Get off Shadow, get back," I yelled. As much as I destested Craven, I didn't want to have his death on my conscience. And I sure didn't want Shadow to be destroyed for his act of loyalty to me.
Shadow released his grip and moved away from Craven watching him intently. When Craven tried to sit up, Shadow raced back at him, jaws agape and teeth bared. I called Shadow off a second time and commanded him to heel.
"Well, seems ya liddle pricks have humiliated me a second time," said Craven, still flat on his back. "I ain' gonna forget this."
"We didn't humiliate you, you did it to yourself," said Thoreena.
I motioned to her to keep quiet because I knew from past experience how mean and unpredictable Craven could be when he had a full tank of whiskey aboard.
"Shud up, bitch," said Craven, trying to shield his crazy eyes from the sun with his forearm.
Now it was my turn to get angry.
"Don't talk to my girlfriend like that or I'll...
"Or you'll what, nose picker. Turn your doggie loose on me or maybe your girlie frien'?" Craven seemed to be enjoying the situation.
"I don't need anyone to fight my battles," I said, "Get up, Craven."
"How'd I know big, black muttso won't attack me if I get up?"
"He won't. I give you my word."
"Oh, the youn' gendleman gives his wor'. Ain't dat cute?" said Craven. "Okay, call off the mutt and your slutty girlfrien' an we'll settle this man to man."
I gave Shadow the command to sit. He was a well trained dog and I was pretty sure he would stay out of the fight. As a precaution I asked Thoreena to put an arm around his neck and restrain him.
Now that I was actually faced with the prospect of fighting Craven, I noticed my knees were shaking and all the bravado had sifted out of my body like flour through a wide sieve.
"Okay, Craven get up," I said. But Craven didn't get up. He flipped onto his stomach and reached behind him for the Weatherby. Before I could move, he had twisted around and squeezed off a shot at Shadow. This time the bullet didn't miss and I saw my dog fall limply to the ground and slide off the edge of the path into the river.
Thoreena stood in shock, her face splattered with Shadow's blood. I began to run toward her and Shadow; his body was already being carried away by the powerful current of the forebay.
I was up to my knees in water and dragging my dog's body back to shore when I heard Raven' Craven yell at Thoreena.
"Git into the wadder with your liddle boyfrien' an' his dead poochie."
Craven was standing unsteadily on the path. He had his rifle pointed at her. He moved the barrel and fired a shot into the water. "Thoreena, get down here before he kills you," I said, still holding tight to Shadow's body.
She slid down the bank and waded to where I stood in the water. Craven fired another shot between Thoreena and myself. I prayed that someone would hear and come to investigate. But I realized it was futile. Everyone in the Pointe was used to Craven's drunken shooting binges. The shots wouldn't attract anymore attention than a mosquito.
"Well now, mates," Craven said, "you're 'bout to have a liddle naud'cal 'venture." He motioned for us to move deeper into the treacherous forebay.
"You're going to kill us you goddam, drunk son of a bitch," I screamed at Craven.
"Maybe yea and maybe nay. It's up t' you, matey. Maybe ya can use dead doggie as a life boat." He laughed at this. Then fired three more shots into the water. His ammo clip was endless. "Now get the hell into the deep water and lemme see you and the tart swmmin'. You've humiliated me 'nough an' you're 'bout ta pay big."
He began to fire his rifle again like a crazed machine gunner. We didn't have to wade very far into the forebay before the powerful current lifed us off our feet and pulled us into deep water. The current dragged us relentlessly toward the back of the power plant where the water dropped down into the turbine tunnels.
"Swim!" I screamed at Thoreena. "Give it everything you've got." On shore, I could see that Craven had passed out on the path with his rifle lying across his chest.
"If you can get a foot hold, you might be able to fight your way back to shore."
I was still holding onto Shadow's body, trying to keep his head out of the water. His weight was pulling me under. "Let go of the dog, Hardy!" I heard Thoreena yell just as my head went under. I fought my way back to the surface. Thoreena had ignored my advice and was swiming toward me and Shadow. She slid an arm under my chin and began to swim backward like a life guard.
"Hardy, I can't swim with you and the dog. Let go of him!"
"No, I won't leave him," I said, still holding Shadow's head above water. "Hardy, he's dead and pretty soon we're going to be dead if we don't start swimming."
We were very close to the turbine tunnels. The only sound was of the roar of water being sucked into the greedy mouths of the tunnel openings.
I knew we were done for. I turned my head toward Thoreena and over the din of the water I yelled: "I love you, Thoreena."
She looked at me closely. "I love you too Hardy," I heard her whisper. She sounded sad.
Then the current wrapped its arms about us and swept us toward the looming black holes that seemed to empty into the bowels of the earth. to be continued...
To Chapter Eight
Copyright © 1998 David Square/Log Cabin Chronicles/3.98 |
