“It’s free. Just be sure to return the book.” She took him to a computer and scanned his card, and then she scanned inside the book and handed him a slip of paper. “That tells you when you should bring it back.”
Bazel held the book with a smile and hurried out of the building before they could ask for the book back. It had started to rain, but he hurried to the house and went inside. Then he sat on the sofa, opened his book, and started learning about hobbits.
WHEN ATLASgot home, Bazel realized he hadn’t moved in hours. He had been reading, and the story had really pulled him in. And right now they were in the caves, and Bazel wanted to find out how Bilbo was going to get out.
“What have you got?”
“A book from the library. They gave me a card.” He showed it proudly because it even had his name on it. “And I got this book.” He showed it to Atlas. “And they let me take this book home.” He wondered if that was normal or if he was somehow special. When Atlas explained that anyone was allowed to takeout books, he was a little let down, but not enough to stop enjoying his book. “How was work?” He marked his place in the book with the paper they had given him and set it on the table.
“It was very busy. Evie and I worked at a couple of the warehouses and found quite a bit. It seems the man we found during our training was part of a network of people, and now every warehouse manager in town is asking to have their facility checked. So I’ve been put in charge of making up a schedule for the dogs. We will use them as training exercises over the next few weeks, but it’s going to keep Evie and me busy.”
“What about the ship?”
Atlas sat closer to him. “It is in its regular port of call, picking up its load of containers. We are letting it get here before we stop it, but the ship’s progress is being closely monitored.”
“You still not work tomorrow?” He hoped things had not changed.
“Yes. I don’t have to work, and the weather is supposed to dry up overnight, so tomorrow should be very nice. I was thinking we could pack a picnic and make an afternoon of it. There are some nice trails through the woods and around a lake. We could go swimming if you want.”
“Really?” Bazel asked. He had not done that in a long time. He tried to remember the last time he had been to the sea, and it must have been when he was a child. His family didn’t travel much. “Do I have what I need to wear?” He wasn’t sure what people here wore to the beach, but he was pretty sure he didn’t have anything.
“I have something you can wear. Don’t worry.” Atlas then asked about going out for dinner, but instead he asked if it would be okay if he just ordered food and had it delivered. Atlas looked tired, with dark circles under his eyes, and Bazel didn’t want him worn out. So they settled on the sofa again, but this time whileAtlas watched TV, Bazel let himself get carried away in the tale of Bilbo and company.
Chapter 13
“I’M READYto go,” Bazel declared as he bounced on the bed. Evie was excited, and she put her front paws on the bed to peer into his face.
“You’re both fired. That’s all I can say.” Atlas blinked and looked at the clock. It was only eight in the morning on his day off, and these two were as bright as the sun outside the window. Evie snorted like she understood him and didn’t really care.
“Oh, it too early?” Bazel asked. “Come on, Evie, we give him ten minutes and then come back.” He left the room, and Atlas wondered if he was serious or not. All he wanted was another hour of sleep. “I kidding,” Bazel said in a stage whisper after popping his head back into the doorway. “You sleep, we wait for you.”
Atlas chuckled to himself and then sighed. He couldn’t blame Bazel for being excited to get out of the house. He’d been pretty much cooped up here for weeks. Still, it was his day off, and Atlas needed some more rest. So he rolled over and closed his eyes, hoping sleep would find him again.
It did, and to his credit, Bazel let him rest and didn’t disturb him. Once he woke again, he dressed and went downstairs, finding Bazel and Evie out in the backyard, where Bazel threw a ball for Evie… again and again. It was like she had boundless energy. “Here you are.”
Bazel nodded. “I made breakfast. There’s a plate for you in the refrigerator.” Atlas had noticed that when he took his time,Bazel’s English had improved a lot. When he rushed or got flustered, it got a little broken. But that only demonstrated how smart he was and how quickly he picked things up. “We can go once you eat, yes?”
“Definitely.” He returned inside to find a plate of eggs and toast. He warmed the bread in the toaster and put the eggs in the microwave for a short time. Then he inhaled the food, his appetite kicking in. Evie came in about the time he was done. Atlas fed her, and he put together a cooler of things for them for lunch.
Then all of them piled into Atlas’s truck and he drove them up to Opossum Lake. It wasn’t very far, but it was wild, with lots of woods and plenty of hiking trails. “Do you want to eat now, or go hiking first?”
“We want to get out and have fun,” Bazel declared.
“Hiking it is.” He got Evie into her harness and lead, then opened the door and let her out. Bazel joined them. “Up that way is the dam that makes the lake. That way goes through the woods. Or we can go this way and walk around the lake.”
Bazel thought for a few seconds. “Let’s go that way first.” He pointed toward the woods, and off they went.
There’s weren’t a lot of cars in the parking area and no one hung around, so Atlas let Evie off her leash for a while. He knew she wouldn’t go far, but she needed some time to wander the same as the Bazel seemed to.
“She not run away?” Bazel asked.
“No. She won’t go where she can’t see us,” Atlas told him, and sure enough, Evie hurried back and then headed off a little way again. When he saw others ahead, he called her and put on the lead. Evie then walked right next to him the way she always did when they were at work.
It didn’t take long before they entered the thick leaf cover of the woods. The temperature cooled as they followed the path that wound between the trees. “It’s like Mirkwood.”
Atlas smiled. “I always thought so.” The path was narrow and windy, heading up the side of the bank and then back down again toward the lake. “You’re enjoying your book?”
“I like it. It’s fun, and I keep wondering what will happen next. Are there more books like that?”
