Buster by Caleb Huett

Author:Caleb Huett [Huett, Caleb]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Published: 2021-03-21T00:00:00+00:00

The crowd exploded when Buster paused—loud enough that Pronto didn’t jump in to say anything. Everyone in the court had been surprised by Buster’s direct accusation, which was an obvious insult to the judge. Dog Court didn’t want any of us to do anything. Some were angry; some were considering the truth in his words. Dogs in both groups had seen their humans through hard times and chosen not to help them.

“Why should his humans get help, but not mine?”

“THAT STORY MADE ME SAD!!”

“He’s right. If I had been there for her … maybe things would have been different.”

“NO ONE TOLD ME THIS WAS A SAD STORY.”

“They can help themselves. What’s a human ever done for me?”

“IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER IF SLOAN COULD DO MAGIC OR SOMETHING.”

When the noise began to die down, Lasagna jumped in. “Thank you, Buster, for explaining how you got to this point. I am sure the Speaker for the Law will be ready with his counterarguments, his fury, his demands for Buster’s guilty verdict to come right away!” The corgi’s tail couldn’t help but wag—he was excited, which made Buster feel a lot better. At least one of us is, he thought.

Lasagna continued. “But I’ll save Pronto the breath and the time, because the story doesn’t end here. Buster broke the law, but the effect, the change that came about for these kids, must be taken into account. Otherwise, how do we know whether his choice was worthwhile?” Lasagna jerked his nose toward the crowd but kept his eyes on the judge. “And I have a feeling they want to hear, too.”

“Do they?” Judge Sweetie asked. She ran one claw lightly along the hood of the bumper car.

“Our society has no place for Bad Dogs!” Pronto tried to maintain his confident demeanor, but the cracks were starting to show. “Buster has told his story and confessed to his crime. If you let him continue, you’re not putting him on trial anymore—you’re putting all of Dog Law on trial. I cannot stand for that.”

The judge regarded him coolly. “Well then, I suppose, Pronto, that you will have to sit.”

Pronto’s jaw dropped in surprise. Buster’s ears twitched with just the tiniest bit of delight. Maybe I like this judge, he thought. And maybe we have a chance.

Sweetie looked back to Lasagna. “As a judge of the Court, the case is clear. Buster has violated the law, and I have no choice but to recommend he be sent to The Farm.” Well, never mind. I don’t have a chance. “However, as this is the first case of direct human communication I’ve seen in many years, I’ll admit that I’m curious.” She crossed her paws, one over the other, and bobbed her head, as if agreeing with herself. “Continue.”

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