Balook by Piers Anthony

Author:Piers Anthony [Anthony, Piers]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi, pdf
Tags: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Fiction, General, Animals, Genetic engineering, Human-animal relationships, Teenage boys, Fossil, Prehistoric Animals
ISBN: 9780441003983
Publisher: Ace
Published: 1990-01-01T06:00:00+00:00

Balook

Thor dreamed of Barbara Hartford. Only she wasn't

called that any more. She was Barbara Hartford

Nemmen, in a lovely bridal gown, smiling, saying

"C'mon, let's swim!"

He woke, shaking with the realization: he loved her.

He wanted to marry her. Perhaps he always had,

since their first meeting, when he had seen how well

she understood about Balook. He just hadn't been

able to admit it, so had cut himself off from her as

well as from Balook. He found it hard, now, to

imagine how he could have been guilty of such

colossal folly.

But as his head cleared, the passion faded. They

were too young, really, to marry—and Barb had

shown no such inclination. She worked with him

because she had to, to get the rhinos moved to the

Eastern Project site. She was civil because it was

better than being bitter. But love? Why should he

fool himself!

He wished there were some way to make it up to

her, so that they could start again, all-the-way fresh,

so that romance would be possible instead of mere

friendship. Then, abruptly, his lost notion of the

prior night returned. The freak zoo—

Balook stumbled. Alarmed, Thor called out. "Hey,

Balook—you okay?" It was still dark, so Thor couldn't see the wound. But now he realized that the animal had stopped eating, and was moving slowly. The skin of the neck felt hot against Thor's face.

He lifted his head, alarmed. The infection, the loss of blood—they had gotten to Balook!

No, maybe the rhino was just tired, ready to lie down and sleep. Of course his body was hot; it was always hot in late day and early evening, because of his mechanism of temperature modulation. It was practically impossible to tell when he was running an abnormal fever, because he so often ran normal fevers. Still, an infection-fever could not be ruled out. It might not be detectable at skin-surface, but could be ravaging the vital inner organs.

Balook often slept standing, but this time it might be better lying down. "Sure, Balook; I'll get off!"

He scrambled along the back and slid down the tail and stood aside. Balook kneeled, then lay. That was all, thank God!

Thor walked around to Balook's head, patted his nose, and leaned against the big jaw. He settled down, braced against the monstrous head, one arm half encircling an ear, providing what comfort he could. In that position they slept the rest of the night.

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