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Chapter 6: Magic Carpet Ride

Kate and Humphrey began to haul their contraband into the cave.

"Hello," Kate's voice echoed through the dark tunnel. No answer. "Hello!" She repeated as the two continued down the cave. Suddenly, they heard something. Something that was familiar to both of them. It was silver vines, or so they thought. A tune that was soft and haunting. They followed it. As the sound got louder, they noticed a light flickering around a corner. "Hello!" But there was still not answer.

"Guess we're in their territory now," Humphrey chuckled. "Come on," Kate demanded with a smile. After turning the corner, they entered into a stone room where the light was coming from. Before them spread the long shadow of the shaggy dog holding the strange stick in his hands he called a guitar. He was sitting on a rock and did not seem to take any heed to their presence. He seemed to be in a trance, his each closed, his head swaying and bumping, and his lips moving as if singing a silent song to it as he moved his left paw up and down the silver vines and his right to strum them. He held the guitar like a lover. Kate could only stare in wonder. Humphrey could only laugh to himself.

"Hey there!" sounded a voice from behind them, causing Kate and Humphrey to jump back in fright. But once they turned, they found the brown eyes of the female dog who identified herself as the leader of this pack of dogs. Music stopped.

"I'm sorry," she said kindly, though not humbly, "I didn't mean to frighten you." But before either of them could speak, the female dog turned to her side and shouted, "Boys! Come on out. We have company." She sounded off with a motherly authority. Though she could not have been much older, Kate found her to have the kind of sharp confidence as some of the elder, female alphas she had known. Then the two heard more noise and turned to find in the light--which was coming from a stick of fire prompted up in the middle of the room--another tunnel. Emerging from this tunnel was the rest of the group.

"Let me introduce you to everybody," said the female dog eagerly. First she walked over to the Afghan, who had a dark orange coat, dark red, long ears, and rusty eyes. "This is Ronnie. He's our bassist and lyricist." His face was solemn but respectful as he bowed in greeting. Then she when over to the giant Saint Bernard had patch of white and grey on his fur, his eyes obstructed by the locks of fur on his face, and his tongue tuck out in a jolly smile. "This is Reggie. He's our drummer." Then she turned to the hound with the long floppy ears, gray and white fur mixed with patches of light brown and almost gray eyes. He seemed to be the most worried of them all as he stared at the two wolves. "This is Timmy. Our vocalist, slash, saxophonist, slash, whatever else we have him do." He nodded his head nervously.

"And you're Helen?" Kate finally interjected. The female dog smiled at her, "Yes," then she turned to the dog seated on the rock. But before she could speak, "August..." Humphrey announced. Helen turned to Humphrey in pleased astonishment, "Yes." Humphrey saw the dog, August, wink at him.

Then Helen walked over to them. "And who are you?"

Kate stepped forward, "My name is Kate. And this is Humphrey."

"It is very nice to meet you," Helen bowed her head slightly, "It's nice to have friendly company again. Hot stuff out there is a real piece of work."

"Hot...? Oh, you mean Iago?"

"Yea, that meathead." The others laughed at her comment. Humphrey couldn't help but chuckle himself. "Anyway, what can we do for you two?"

Kate nodded her head to Humphrey and they stepped back and pulled the generator out of the darkness and into the room. "We hoped that this is what you were looking for." The pack of dogs faces' dropped, stunned. Then they all crowded around it. As if greeting a lost friend who had finally returned. "It's perfect," sounded Reggie, "Is full of power and it looks like it runs on solar energy." Helen turned to the two wolves, "That means that it runs on sun power, so we won't have to keep on recharging it."

"Come on. Let's bring it into the next room," ordered Timmy. And the groups seized the generator and hulled it into the passage from where they came out. The two wolves followed. August grabbed the touch with his jaws and followed them. With the light now in the room, Kate and Humphrey stared at the walls in wonder. They were decorated with pictures. They reminded them of the ones they had seen in the van when they hitchhiked with the humans on their way back to Jasper Park. They displayed pictures of tall cliffs, or maybe thin mountains, all covered with the same shiny, silver substance like the vines on the guitar. There were others the displayed humans in flamboyant outfits and playing the same kinds of instruments the dogs have before them. They also noticed five soft things, another asset they remembered the humans having in their cars. They assumed that the dogs slept on them.

The dogs scrambled to hook their black, thick vines, the ones Kate had seen on the cliff a week earlier.

"We would like to perform something for you. If that is okay," said Helen.

Kate's chest tightened.

If they're planning a getaway, now would be the time. All they would to do would be to pull the same stunt as last time--perhaps worse--and they'll be gone. And we'll be...

But when she looked over at August, his bright, green eyes seemed to capture her as he grinned. Then she looked at Helen. Her face firm with an honest smile.

"We'd love to hear you," she said. Kate did not know what it was about these two dogs they made her like and trust them. And she knew better then to trust anyone on faith alone.

"You coming, Timmy?" August called over to the reluctant hound.

"I'm tired. I think I'll sit this one out." He said this staring at Kate and Humphrey in contempt.

"Oh, come on. At least do our back up vocals."

"What are we doing?"

"Magic Carpet Ride."

Timmy sighed, "Well...fine. Just because I really like_Steppenwolf_." Neither Kate nor Humphrey knew what this meant.

Helen looked over to them. "Hey, thanks a lot for the generator." The rest of the group, who assumed their positions, echoed her thanks.

"Any time," said Humphrey, still looking at August. Helen flashed her eyes at both of them. "Are you two...uh...you know..."

"Oh, no," said Kate with a nervous smile.

"Just partners_in _crime?" chucked August. Though neither could know it, both Humphrey's and Kate felt their stomachs sink at the remark

"Everyone ready," sounded Helen. They all nodded. Then, without any introduction, August began to gently slide his paws down the vines--the strings--on his guitar. Helen joined him by pressing down the whites stones of her black platform--the keys on her keyboard. The sound was low and subtle then, like vibrations. Then the song dropped and August began singing.

"I like to dream yes, yes, right between my sound machine On a cloud of sound I drift in the night Any place it goes is right Goes far, flies near, to the stars away from here

Well, you don't know what we can find Why don't you come with me little girl On a magic carpet ride You don't know what we can see Why don't you tell your dreams to me Fantasy will set you free Close your eyes girl Look inside girl Let the sound take you away"

It was too much for Kate and Humphrey to resist and they found themselves dancing with August, who paraded around the room while he sang. Kate could not help but notice August batting his shining green eyes at her, especially when he began to sing the chorus:

"Why don't you come with me little girl on a magic carpet ride?"