Escape Pod Flash: One Trick Dog
By Bruce Boston
Read by J.C. Hutchins
Mr. Wayne was taking his daily exercise, walking Arthur around the lake in Nevley Park, when the sky darkened and a light snow began to fall. A few flakes fluttered against his cheeks. He could feel the cold through his heavy topcoat. He enjoyed the park when it was deserted, but at his age he couldn’t afford a chill. He thumbed the control in his pocket. Arthur turned left onto a bridge that would cut their return journey by a good half mile. Mr. Wayne followed.
Rated K9 for dogs at the cutting edge.
Good, somewhat creepy as well.
Brave Space Monkey has NO safety…
As a dog owner, with a small dog I run into guys that somehow equate their dog’s “toughness” into their manliness. The worst case with these guys are the young gang-banger types with their pitbull monsters. The flip-side of this is the tiny dog that the women keep in their overprices handbags.
As for me I now care for my ex-wife’s dog, all 9 lbs of him. He’s very friendly, sometimes he barks too much, but is otherwise a great dog. I’m able to bring him to work, where he sleeps in a basket (with a heating blanket)under my desk. He plays with the other small dogs at the park. He’s a good dog – I’m glad I have him.
At the moment when Mr. Wayne was asked if his dog did tricks, I remembered this story. I read this a LONG time ago in IA’s F + SF (or was it Analog?) back when I was a kid, nearly 20 years ago. Loved it then, love it now.
The ending is obvious, but no less satisfying for it. The story does such a good job depicting the old-man irritation of the main character, by the end I was itching for that young punk to get what was coming to him.
“Sic ‘em”.
Heh, heh. One trick but a good one too, eh? And old theme it was but I didn’t guess it first which counts for something. This is really good flash. And kudos to L33tminion: It was a satisfying conclusion.
Made me remember that I want to watch Grand Torino
Loved it. So satisfying.
Man, I remember reading this one waaaaaaaaaaaay back in the day.
Reminds me of the one from the Dogtales! anthology about the crazy old man with the attack dogs he’d trained to greet visitors by leaping at them and licking their faces when he used the command “Kill!”- just to scare the piss out of people.
Come to think of it, I probably read “One Trick Dog” in that same anthology.
Great! I like it
[...] Simak, Clifford D. – “Desertion” (CITY excerpt) Bruce Boston – “One Trick Dog” Bradbury, Ray – “The Emissary” Cady, Jack – “The Lady With the Blind [...]
[...] Simak, Clifford D. – “Desertion” (CITY excerpt) Bruce Boston – “One Trick Dog” Bradbury, Ray – “The Emissary” Cady, Jack – “The Lady With the Blind [...]