Eden Bound by Darrell Maloney

Author:Darrell Maloney [Maloney, Darrell]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-06-06T04:00:00+00:00

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Maggie was a great German shepherd. Most of the breed are. Almost all of them are faithful and friendly and protective. Very few have sour dispositions or are prone to biting. For that reason they’re great with kids and make excellent police dogs as well.

Maggie had never been a police dog. She was born in the mine, the granddaughter of Bonnie, one of the original dogs taken into the mine just before Saris 7 struck.

There wasn’t much need for a police dog in the mine, as there were no police and no criminals to capture.

Life in the mine was actually a life of leisure for the canine residents. On some days they were sought out by the children to chase a ball or a stick, or merely to be petted and praised, which they were always willing to do.

Most days, though, they had absolutely nothing to do other than chase each other and nap the hours away.

In that respect they had a lot in common with the cats.

Maggie was depressed these days, though.

She wasn’t her usual self.

She’d had a litter of puppies two weeks before. Two males and two females. They opened their eyes right on schedule and had healthy appetites. She finished weaning them just four days before.

By all accounts her pups were healthy and happy and looking forward to long and fruitful lives, first in the mine and then in the compound after the thaw came.

A lot is said about the curiosity of cats, but puppies are just as inquisitive.

All four of the pups, once they were steady on their feet, started to wander here and there and everywhere.

Oh, they always came back to their mother’s teat when they got hungry. They were at least smart enough to do that.

Then they transitioned from mother’s milk to soft food from a can which was always there waiting for them in a bowl big enough for all of them.

They no longer had to fight for the best position on their mama’s underbelly and compete for their nourishment. The bowl was always full with plenty of food for all four of them.

They could now eat at their leisure, as much or as little as they wanted.

They no longer had to be held on a short invisible leash. They could wander farther and stay gone longer.

And they began to explore the mine. Sometimes together, often in pairs, but sometimes all by themselves.

That wasn’t a problem at first, for dogs should have their freedom. It only became a problem when a pup named Lucy wandered away and never returned.

No one was worried, necessarily.

She knew where the food and water dishes were. Her sense of smell wasn’t refined as yet, but she could still smell the food from a hundred yards away or better.

And there were other sources of nourishment as well, in the event she wandered too far away from her food.

Rats had always been a problem in the far reaches of the mine, but were no match for a spry puppy with fleet feet and sharp teeth.

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