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I tired to be casual on my way back to my home though ever fiber in my body wanted me to bound over there in two giant leaps

My mind was a maze of confused thought and emotions. Fear, anger, confusion. I wanted to lash out which scared me. Dr Stevenson had cautioned and trained me, if you will, to avoid that at all costs. Instinct can be hard for me to fight.

"Just stay calm, Jason," Dr Stevenson said in my ear

I nodded slightly. Dr Stevenson could read my emotions from a long distance off.

I finally made my way into my "room" and sat down with a sigh. All of this had come up way too quickly.

Dr. Stevenson walked out of the house, my mother close behind him. He gestured to me and I winced. He wanted me to pick him up and lift him up to my level. There was a platform there and stairs but he was clearly in a hurry.

"Dr Stevenson..."

"Just pick me up, Jason. You're not going to hurt me."

I put my hand down for him to climb into, trying to keep it from trembling. He clambered aboard and I carefully lifted him up to the platform and he stepped off. My mother made her way up the stairs, knowing my aversion to picking people up, especially her.

"Thank you, Jason. Alright, I've been talking to David and he's not totally certain of what is going on either. Whoever did this is high up enough that they got it past without him being informed or taking notice."

"That's reassuring!"

Dr. Stevenson laughed. "Yes, very." He sighed. "Jason, I need to you play along with this until I can figure out what's happening and what to do about it. It could just be classic government interference and short sightedness."

"There's something wrong. I can tell."

"That's my fear as well, but you need to pretend like everything is fine."

"Yes, sir"

"They're not going to hurt him, are they?" my mother said, trying to keep the tremors out of her voice. I cold tell she was thinking of those first few weeks and how things had gone. I remember those times in nightmares.

"No, no, I don't think they will. There are laws against that and...well quite frankly I think they need him for something and they're not going to damage him."

"They had best not," I rumbled.

"Easy."

"You always say that like I'm supposed to be completely calm when things are being decided for me and shifted around without asking me for even the simplest of input! Everyone seems to forget that I'm a person, that I was a human being, and that even has big and fierce as I seem to be, I fear! Everyone pushes buttons and expect me to react however their data says I should!"

Dr Stevenson winced and stepped back. "I'm sorry, Jason. I don't mean to."

I suddenly realized that I had thrown him in with the rest. "I know you don't, sir, and you have never done so, not by intent. It's just hard with all that goes on and you're telling me just to go with it."

"It's the best I can come up with for now."

"I know."

"Should...should we try to escape? Take him someplace else?" my mom ventured.

"Only as a last resort. There's no hiding him. The only options we would have would be taking him out of the country and that would be Canada or Mexico, neither of which are a short trip. Mexico has no laws and Canada is still debating things though they seem to have accepted what's gone on."

"You're right. I just...I just don't want to see him hurt anymore," mom said, her lip trembling.

Dr Stevenson gave her a hug. "We're going to protect him as best we can, Mrs Clarke."

"I know."

"I'll be fine, Mom," I said trying to reassure her and even reassure myself. Sometimes I think this has been harder on her than on me.

"I know, Jason, I know," she said, smiling bravely.

Dr Stevenson glanced at his watch. "You have a bit of time before Grant shows up. Try to relax as much as you can and I'm going to go see David. Make sure your transceiver is on and in private mode. I'll make sure David secures his as well."

"Yes, Sir."

He leaned out and I put my head close so he could scratch my nose. "Be strong, Jason."

"I'll try, sir."

He made his way down the stairs to his bike and rode off towards the board's building where David worked. I sighed and looked at my mother. "Well this is exiting," I said, forcing my ears up.

"I'd rather things be boring if this is excitement!"

"You and me both."

"I need to go pick up some things for dinner. Your father will be back tomorrow and I'd better have something nice made or I'll never hear the end of it."

I chuckled quietly. "Oh yes, he'll go on and on about not being loved. Best to get it done right."

She hesitated. "I'll stay here with you, if you like."

I shook my head. "I'm a grown up giant tiger, mom. I'll be fine."

She laughed and stroked the fur on my cheeks a few times, then headed down to go to the store.

I carefully laid myself out on the mat they had constructed as my bed. There was no real cushion to it, not that I really needed much. Looking up at the sky I took a few deep breaths to calm myself and consider what was going on.

Dr Stevenson said Grant wanted me for something. I couldn't think of what that could be. There were cranes, bulldozers, and other things that would probably be more efficient that I was at moving dirt and heavy things about. I am fairly strong, but I get tired where a machine does not

Perhaps it was something too delicate for a machine to do.

Or too risky for a human, machine or otherwise.

I closed my eyes and tried to relax, my thoughts still troubled.

"Just stay calm, no matter what he says," Dr Stevenson said in my ear as I waited next to the "meeting room" where Grant was to meet with me.

"I'll try."

"David says that Grant seems to have turned over a new leaf. He's been putting his money into all sorts of causes for the Giants, trying to improve the situation it seems."

I snorted. "That's not very likely from all I've seen. This is the man who wanted to have all of us fur bearing giants made into warm winter clothing for starving children and food for years."

"Anyone can change, Jason."

"I suppose."

"Alright, they're coming. Just stay calm, like I said. I'm watching you and with you, even if I can't physically be there."

"Thank you sir," I said. It meant a lot to me.

the door to the balcony opened and Grant stepped out onto it, smiling at me. He looked every bit like he did in pictures and on TV. Short, stocky, white hair thinning, a cigar clamped in his mouth. He wore a white suit, cowboy boots, a cowboy hat, and even had a turquoise bolero. It was as if someone took the sterotypical Texas oil baron or cattle rancher and brought him to life.

He stumped over, right up to the edge of the balcony which is very unusual for people meeting with me, and grinned. "Well, you're even bigger up close! My names Grant, as you sure you know, and you'd be Jason Clarke."

I nodded slightly. "There's no way to mistake me for anyone else."

He laughed. "Good point! Hows your family, my boy?"

My hackles came up a bit at being called "boy" "They're fine."

"Good, good. Well lets get down to business. I didn't make billons just sitting around in idle chit chat," he said. He stepped back and held out his cigar and a man walked up and lit it for him. He clamped down on it and got it to drawing well, then gestured, the smoke curling up.

"There's a lot of opportunity out there my boy, if you know how to grab it. Lots of money to be made, lots of deals to be done, you just have to know how to look at it. There are even deals that can be made with Giants, as it were." He looked over at me.

"I'll be you're wondering just what those deals could be, aren't you?"

I tilted my head slightly. "An amusement park attraction?"

He laughed a deep belly laugh. "No, nothing of the kind! Little money to be made there in any case. No, my boy, there's money to be made collecting certain resources."

"And those would be?"

"Many things, my boy, many things."

"I fear I'm not understanding."

He grinned at me. "You're wondering why I don't just use the billions of dollars in construction equipment at my disposal, aren't you?"

"It occurred to me."

Grant walked over to the rail and leaned out a bit, puffing on his cigar. "Some things are just too delicate for machines."

I looked down and exhaled enough to ruffle his hat and clothes. He didn't even flinch. "Such as?"

He gestured with his cigar. "Many things. I'll discuss those when we get to the job site."

I rumbled softly. "I would prefer to know now."

He grinned at me and tapped the side of his head. "Too many ears around here, my boy. I'll explain when we're secure."

"Yeah, secure away from your transponder no doubt," Dr Stevenson said in my ear. "He seems to know a bit much for my taste."

"What if I'm not interested?"

He grinned all the bigger, his white teeth nearly glowing. "Well, that's your choice of course, though why you'd pass up on a few million dollar pay check for simple work is quite beyond me."

"There are things other than money."

"You're referring to my previous stance on giants?"

"That would be a major point, yes."

He flicked his cigar and took another draw. "Truth is, my boy, I'm still not all that fond of you and yours. If you took it into your head you could do a lot of damage before anyone could stop you, among others things. You're a money pit, it costs more than I care to think about to feed and clothe you, not to mention all the other things."

I grumbled. "So why are you here?"

"Because I admit I was too extreme in my views. You're all people, you were once human that's well known. As for the second part, well if I get you to working and paying your own way, then it solves that problem doens't it?"

He was making too much sense. "I suppose that it would."

He grinned. "See? I'm honest. I don't care for you all that much, at least not now. All the reports say you're actually quite nice if a bit quiet. I'm sure I'll like you once I get to know you. I'm just trying to improve a situation and make some money at the same time. "

"Always money."

"Makes the world go round, my boy. Makes the world go round."

"Tell him you'll think about it and ask if he has a contract for you to sign," Dr. Stevenson said.

"I'll need to think this over. Do you have a copy of the contract I would need to sign?"

"Of course my boy, of course! I'll send it on to Ms Pearce and you two can go over it."

"Don't mention me!" Dr Stevenson said.

I nodded. "That sounds fine."

"Good, my boy, good. Hopefully you can make a choice soon. Time is somewhat critical and you're the closest and strongest."

I nodded. "I'll give it my full attention."

He puffed on his cigar again. "Wonderful! Hope to hear from you sometime tomorrow then."

"We will see."

He grinned again and there was something behind it. "Good! Say, how's your father doing?"

"He's fine."

"Wonderful. Coming back tomorrow isn't he? Wouldn't it be great to tell him you had a new job? Sort of thing father's like to hear. Keeps people from being disappointed. Every father likes knowing his boy will be well taken care of." He smiled again. "Well, Jason, I will be seeing you tomorrow."

He turned and went back into the building before I could say another word.