Huh?
"Huh?" My mouth echoed my thoughts, my voice sounding annoyingly confused and helpless.
Then, I looked at the Frogsloth's face. Not just looked, but really saw. Wanted to understand.
I saw... defensiveness, in the position of his arms, in the set of his eyes. His privacy is being threatened.
I saw... anger. At us? It seemed different than anger. Perhaps a better word was - resentment. But why? I wondered.
Intermingled with everything, there was a sorrow, deep and ancient, in his eyes.
They will never change. Suddenly, his expression was as clear as ice. The words came almost unbidden into my brain. Woah.
Suddenly, it seemed a lot harder to imagine him doing away with us. Though there was no logical reason for such a belief, there it was.
Then, realizing I was 'zoning out' on the Frogsloth, I snapped back to the present. Beside me, Lieutenant's eyes were bugged out a little, but he was keeping a brave face.
"So that's it, huh?" His voice held defiance, but it wavered. His fear was palpable. "You take us in here, tell us everything, and then just - what? Make us 'disappear'?" He made air quotes with his claws.
The Frogsloth's brow wrinkled for a moment. He followed my gaze to the weapons on the wall. Then....
He started laughing!
Lieutenant and I sat on the edge of the couch cushions and stared at each other. Both of us were bug-eyed by then.
Once the Frogsloth had finished laughing, we both gathered our courage and said simultaneously;
"So - " I began, haltingly.
"You're not gonna - " Lieutenant continued.
"Uhm...."
"Kill us?" Lieutenant spat out.
Yipes. Once he said it, the reality hit me that we had either made a very silly mistake, or a very dangerous one.
(DXplorergirl)
Dear Diary,
The Frogsloth - I mean Walter - finished laughing, and looked at us with barely-contained amusement shining from his eyes.
"Kill you? Why, my dear young Jammers, I wouldn't harm a - " He stopped for a second and considered the expression he was about to use. "Lizard," he finished.
I choked, and suppressed an ill-timed snicker.
"But... well, with what you said about the reporter...." I offered a sheepish shrug and a curious glance.
Walter leaned forward in his chair.
"That young Kangaroo was camped out in this swamp for many a day, in the firm belief that the Frogsloth made his home here. He paid special attention to this fallen tree, seeing traces of habitation about the area. It took me a good two weeks holed up inside, sneaking out at night to eat, to convince him that no one lived here.
"And let me tell you," he added with a half-smile, "I got very tired of twiddling my thumbs and drinking swampweed tea."
Lieutenant looked up at this.
"So why didn't you come out?"
The Frogsloth raised his eyebrows.
"And let him discover me?"
"Yes."
The Frogsloth leaned back in his chair, steepling his claws as Lieutenant spoke again.
"You've hidden here so long, while the whole world should have known the truth.You've got to come out and show them."
"What I have to do, young sir, is no business of yours."
"And that's another thing," Lieutenant added, getting more aggravated. "You're always calling everybody 'young Jammers'." He made air quotes again."Just because you're old doesn't mean you're always right!"
The Frogsloth arched an eyebrow. I cringed. Sheezsh.... Way to tick him off, buddy.
"The topic of whether or not I am always right is not one I wish to argue. The simple fact is, I have a right to my own life and my own choices, just as you do.
"You chose to come and look for me, and you have found me. I chose to come to this swamp, and I choose to stay here."
"You don't have that choice!" Lieutenant hopped up from the couch. "You mean too much to Jamaa! You owe it to everyone to show us the truth!"
The Frogsloth's response was made in a voice as cold as ice.
"I do have the power of choice. Case in point; I choose to get up," he said, matching the action to the word. "I choose to walk to the door. I choose to open it. I choose to terminate this interview, and wish you a very good-day, and pleasant travels back to wherever it is you came from."
Dear Diary, at this, my heart dropped.
(DXplorergirl)
:O
ReplyDelete*KTB
Will they find Walter again??? O: Lieutenant and his big mouth.. XD
ReplyDeleteBTW this is tox7 and i cant make post's like my sis can
ReplyDeleteja983 but I can comment so here is some stuff from the bible!!
And I am hoping that I can post like ja983
so here it is. and I hope every body sees this plz post
this at the spot when you first come in this blog.
And this is a story from the bible!! I hope you like it
AND TRY TO TELL PPL NOT TO CELABRATE HAL!
Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. 2 And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and cheats with them.”
3 So he told them this parable: d“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine fin the open country, and ggo after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, hhe lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for iI have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
The Parable of the Lost Coin
“Or what woman, having ten silver coins,1 if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
The Parable of the Prodigal Son
And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me mthe share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided nhis property between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.
“But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.” And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants,‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.
“Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’ But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.