Theodore & The 7 Layers of Space, Book 1: Brick & Bird

Chapter 35: Dog Obstacles

Often, there are things in our way in this world. Physical objects block our path, the time of day doesn't suit our purpose, a voice inside tells us we'd better not try. At times, it is wise to heed these obstacles, at other times to circumvent them, and still others to wait for them to move along or change.

But sometimes we must push through such things, move them aside, and overcome them. Much of life and living it is deciding when to go around and when to go through.

For Theodore and Terrycloth Green, there wasn't much of an option aside from pushing through.

***

They'd spent the better part of the morning climbing down some jagged hills and making it a point not to talk to one another. Their angry grunts said enough.

They stood a ways from the mouth of a naturally formed tunnel that cut through a wide green hill, staring at a giant sleeping dog who filled it completely. As we've already met several abnormally large creatures in Gup, perhaps 'giant sleeping dog' or 'enormous slumbering canine' aren't big enough phrases here. Its head was the size of a comfortable three-bedroom/two bathroom house, and it's shining body, if fully uncurled, would likely have stretched the better part of two miles.

"I'm guessing that is not a train," Theodore said.

"Definitely not a train," Terrycloth Green agreed, consulting a weathered little spiral notebook that Theodore had never seen.

From the big dog's perspective, it was an understandably comfortable spot – tucked snugly into a dark ravine with a nice window for the sun to peak in. The hill sloped down to meet the crevice, serving as a kind of doorway opening to the path that lead to green pastures that skirted The Faroff Wild.

"We clearly can't climb around it. What if we back-track a bit?" Theodore asked.

"Any backtracking would take weeks," Terrycloth Green responded in the particular manner of someone who had long ago made those calculations.

"How did Professor Hero get through? And how is he expecting us to?"

Terrycloth Green turned pages ferociously. "Professor Hero knows how to move fast when he needs to. Getting you through alive is why I'm here. Shut up for a minute," he said. While Theodore wouldn't dare admit it, hearing him revert to his impatient self was oddly comforting.

"The Professor has a way with indigenous creatures and populations," The Buddy Bot chimed in from his perch, strapped to Theodore's back. "If it's an organism that doesn't rely on traditional feelings or communications skills, he's good." Theodore was reminded again of The Magician Detective's proclivities. "He'll have made his way through this obstacle more quickly unencumbered, and it is precisely why he went ahead to ready The Over-dwellers. He is the only humanoid creature that lives on the surface of Gup since its Calamity."

"Bully for him," Terrycloth Green muttered, still studying his notebook, "I guess you're not counting the weird Traveler who used to live in the nearby Temple?"

"Last I checked, you'd moved out. Besides and as you know, The Temple is not exactly a part of Gup, you are quite safe inside barring unforeseen calculated betrayals." The Buddy Bot paused, some gears clicking in the back of his head, "Professor Hero is a precise man. I am certain that he calculated that some combination of our skills can and would be able to efficiently outmaneuver the problem, otherwise he would have given us express instructions. Unless of course he died while trying to come back to us, but I see no evidence to support that possibility. Efficiency is second only to data collection when it comes to The Professor."

"Well we need to hunker past this dog. It looks like she's sleeping pretty soundly. Maybe we can just quietly squeeze?" Theodore suggested.

"Not so much. We're about as far away as we can be. She'll smell us first. Listen, here's the deal: see that little mound down there?" Terrycloth Green gestured to a pile at the foot of the hill. "That's dung. First, we cover ourselves in that. Buddy Bot, can you function as a recording and pitch modified playback device?"