Erastus: Replacing a lost story

2011-07-25T00:49:01Z

Replacing a lost story

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{{title|name= Serving the Sentence - Part 3/14|author=Erastus Centaur|user=Erastus}}

In her slow, plodding walk, the mare made her way down the ravine. David
was hungry, but had nothing with him to eat. After twenty minutes by
his watch, the mouth of the ravine appeared. Beyond it was an empty
rolling plain.

Shortly after the horse stepped into the plain, a man came riding up
up to David and the horse, shouting as he came. He was obviously a
local, though dressed a bit fancier than most of the local men with
his horse decked out with similarly fancy trappings. This one
definitely had a saddle, not like the one David was riding. David
didn't understand what the man said as it was all in Mongolian.

As the man got close, David decided it would be better to be on the
ground. He managed to slide off the horse's back, but didn't nail
the landing and ended up on his butt. Ah well, he was off. He got to
his feet to face the man as he set the radio back on his head.

Much to his surprise, the man didn't approach David. He got off his
own mount and faced the horse that David had ridden. It sounded as
though the man was gearing up for a mighty argument with hands
gesturing wildly and an aggressive stance. But with a horse?

Much more to David's surprise, the horse talked back! It was a
sweet, rich feminine voice that seemed to manage the Mongolian
language effortlessly. A horse that talks? Whatever she was saying,
she said it with as much vigor and volume as the man. She pawed at
the ground as if to emphasize a point or two and her ears went back
and her tail swished wildly. If David hadn't been hearing the voice
come out of a horse's mouth, he could easily have imagined the two
were husband and wife in the moment before the dishes started
flying.

David's radio crackled. Amos was saying, "... there? David! Come in
please! Are you there?"

As soon as Amos took a breath, David said, "I'm here."

"Good to hear you. What's your GPS?"

"Hold on." David pulled his locator out of its holder and read off
the coordinates.

"Got it," said Amos. "We're still above the escarpment. There is a
road nearby that will get us down. We should be there in a few
moments. What's all that racket?"

"You're just going to say that I'm now hearing things. You know, a
bump on the head? You might as well wait and see for yourself."

The man turned to face David, though he stayed near the horses. He
began to sing. After a moment, David decided it wasn't quite
singing, it didn't exactly have a melody. It seemed somewhere
between song and chant. What is this? Am I trapped in some kind of
Mongolian musical? The man won his argument and now gets to sing
about it?

It became almost hilarious as it appeared the horse wasn't quite
done arguing and kept interrupting the song. The man would have to
break off singing to answer her.

David heard the jeep approach and turned to see it come along the
face of the escarpment. He waved and turned back to the singer.

The jeep pulled up alongside. Piet was driving this time. "Come on,
David. Hop in."

David leaned over to peer in. "Hi guys. Glad you found me. This is
incredible," he said, waving towards the man and horse. "That horse
can talk!"

"Sure it can," said Jack. "You've obviously been out in the sun way
too long, not to mention delusional from a head wound. Get in the
jeep."

"No, no. The horse really spoke!"

"Come on David," said Zane with exasperation, "the sooner we get you
in the car, the sooner you can get treated."

"I keep telling you I'm fine!" David backed up when he saw Zane's
hand come toward the window. They'd have to get out of the jeep now.

"That does it!" Piet yelled as he shut off the motor and yanked off
his seatbelt. A moment later, Piet was standing beside the jeep with
his mouth hanging open as he stared at the horse.

The horse really was talking! Actually arguing. Right there, just a
couple meters in front of the jeep. The man's song had been
interrupted again. It soon resumed.

Now that the engine was off the others could hear it too. Amos and
Jack got out of the far side of the jeep to listen and Zane came up
beside Piet. All four mouths hung open.

"See? I told you I was fine!" said David.

"We're still gonna get your head checked," said Amos, absently.

They listened for a few minutes. "Anybody have an idea what the
words mean?" asked Zane.

"The only one that knows Mongolian is Chaz," said Piet.

They listened for another moment. "Just think kid. You get to hear a
real slice of Mongolian culture." said Amos.

"It's kinda neat," said David. "I wish I knew what it meant. I
wonder why no one heard of Mongolian talking horses before."

"Is that all you have to say?" asked Jack. "It's kinda neat?
Your brain has truly been fried. This is a talking ''horse''! Start
talking to agents! Get them on David Letterman as a Stupid Pet
Trick! Fool kid." Jack muttered several profanities.

"We need to be getting back to camp," said Piet. "Rose will have
lunch ready soon. Her food is so much better hot than it is cold."

"And leave a Talking Horse meal-ticket just standing there? Where's
your phone?"

"It's not going to be that simple," said Piet. "What agent is going
to take your word for it? Besides, you can call from camp."

"We at least have to take a picture of this guy so we can find him
again. Then we can get Chaz here to talk about coming to America."

Amos took several photos of the man and the two horses. The man had
stopped singing and had a wolfish grin on his face. The five of them
got back into the jeep with Zane moving over to make room for David.

As soon as David grabbed the doorframe to get into the jeep, the
Mongolian started shouting and walking towards the jeep. The horse
also stepped forward and tripped the man, sending him sprawling
against the hood and bumper. David froze halfway in, eyeing the man
carefully. The man recovered his balance and began to climb onto the
hood and began to sing again. The menace in his eyes frightened
David who quickly climbed in and shut the door.

To their amazement, the horse began to sing too! The Mongolian
turned to her and waved and shouted, but she ignored him. After a
moment, he returned his attention to the men in the jeep and his own
eerie song.

Piet started the motor, but was unsure what to do next. The
Mongolian merely knelt on the hood and sang. It wasn't really a good
idea to put the jeep in motion with the man kneeling there, but the
menace Piet saw was spooking him.

"How could this guy not feel the heat from the hood?" said Amos. "Is he that intent on his song? I don't think he's singing about the joys of Mongolia."

"Let's get out of here," said Jack. His tone implied he felt it too.

Piet didn't want to hurt the man, so started backing up slowly. The
Mongolian kept his position for a moment, then slid off. He didn't
interrupt his song. Neither did the horse.

Once the man was off, Piet gunned it. Their backward motion kicked
up sand at the Mongolian who kept right on singing.

It was obvious they were not going to be followed, so Piet spun the
jeep around and took off along the escarpment.

"Man, that was weird," said Amos. He turned so he could see Jack.
"Still want to get an agent for this guy?"

"No," was Jack's quick reply. "He's way too creepy even for me."

Amos looked over at David. "You OK kid?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Maybe that'll get some sense into that thick brain of yours," said
Jack. "Keep you from doing fool things like wandering away." Jack
continued on his tirade, to which David rolled his eyes and then
tuned out.

After Jack wound down, the conversation ran on for a few moments
about talking horses and creepy locals, then slowed to a halt. Amos
put the topographical map back across his lap and tapped their
position with a finger. It started to rain, developing quickly into
a downpour. "I thought Chaz said it wasn't going to rain today,"
muttered Piet as he turned on the wipers.

Zane glanced at David, who looked completely lost in thought. "Hey
kid, what are you thinking about?" asked Zane.

"Huh?" said David. His mind was obviously a million miles away.

"Are you sure you're OK? Not suffering from too much sun or that
bump on the head?"

"I keep saying I'm OK," said David. "Nobody listens."

"So what were you thinking about so hard?"

"Clydesdales," David said absently.

"Clydesdales?" asked Zane, surprised. "The beer commercial horses?"

"Yeah, those."

"After spending the morning on that black and brown mare, you are
thinking of Clydesdales?"

"They were my favorite horses when I was little, not that I ever got
a chance to ride one. Today was the first horse ride of my life,"
said David. "I think I got the hang of it by the time I got off."

Zane wasn't quite sure what to ask next and within a few seconds,
David looked lost in thought again. "So," said Zane. David glanced
at him. "Do you think lunch will be any good?"

"When was the last time it any good?" growled Jack.

The question didn't seem to penetrate David's brain. The zoned out
expression continued. "David?" prompted Zane. Maybe the bump had
affected his brain in spite of his protest to the contrary.

With effort, David roused himself. "I think what I like best about
Clydesdales is the shaggy hair around the hoof." David was quiet for
a second. "That and how the shaggy part is white in contrast with
the rest of the body."

It was time for another tactic, thought Zane. "David, can you tell
us anything about the ravine? Was there much water in it?"

David looked at him strangely for a moment. "Have you ever thought
about what it would be like to be a horse?"

"Can't say that I have," said Zane.

"Cut the foolishness kid, we need to know what that ravine is like!"
said Jack, his voice getting loud.

David ignored him. He didn't even roll his eyes. Zane said, "Cool it
Jack. Something strange is going on here. This isn't a good time to
hassle the kid." Zane turned back to watch David.

Amos pulled out his phone and dialed, "Ah, Rose. Amos here. I think
David is beginning to suffer from his head wound. Could you ask Lily
to be available to meet us when we drive up? Thanks, dear. Bye."

"A horse is so big and strong," said David in a dreamy voice. "It
can gallop so fast. I wonder what it would be like to be that big
and strong."

"You can get to be strong by playing a sport like a real man,' said
Jack. "A runt like you will never be big."

Zane put an edge in his voice. "I said cool it!"

Jack had a frown on his face and was ready with a comeback when
David spoke again. "Have you ever wanted to gallop into the wind
with your mane and tail flying out behind you? Just enjoy the
freedom? The exhilaration?"

David paused for a moment. Zane glared at Jack. Jack glared back but
kept his mouth shut. The wipers, even at top speed, seemed to do
little against the rain. Amos could see the concern on Piet's face
in trying to decide between hurrying for David's sake and driving
safely.

David said, "Since I told you about my favorite horse, what's yours?"

"Thoroughbred," blurted Piet. He seemed surprised. A moment later,
with much more deliberateness he said, "Yeah, Thoroughbred. I hadn't
thought about it in years, but I was fascinated by race horses when
I was a kid." He paused. "Thanks for reminding me, David." Another
pause. "I think the kid is right. Galloping across the plains sounds
pretty good right now. It would sure beat being stuck in this old
jeep bouncing along on this excuse of a road and trying to see
through this rain. Chaz really missed the weather report this time."

After a long silence, Zane said, "I've been thinking about how much
I liked the stately quarter horse, the noble mount of the American
Cowboy. A real man's job." He smirked at Jack. Jack frowned back.
Zane paused for a moment. "I wonder what it would be like to be
harnessed to a stagecoach? I'd use my strength to open the prairie."

"You guys got it all wrong," said Jack. "Ain't no horse better than
the Arabian. That one has them all beat on strength, speed, and
style. Ya need a horse bred by those noble men of the desert."

Zane said, "No, Jack, you're the one that's got it all wr-" About
then, Zane saw the look in Jack's eyes. Jack didn't care if his
claims were accurate, but he was quite willing to defend his views.
Zane wasn't interested in a fight, even a verbal one.

They were all quiet for a moment, listening to the rain.

"Guys, this is really weird," said Amos. "I barely knew what a horse
was as a kid. I've hardly seen one since. I've never had a favorite
breed and don't know any of the ones you all have mentioned. I do
know the beer commercial horses, but didn't know the name. In short,
I know next to nothing about horses and don't care to learn. So why
is it ever since Piet started talking about his favorite I've had an
image of a black and white horse floating behind my eyelids? I never
knew horses were colored like that. I'm sure I've never seen one."

"You mean a zebra?" asked Piet.

"Nah, not stripes. This horse has splotches."

"Sounds like a Pinto or a Paint," said Zane.

"I've heard of a Pinto car," said Amos. "There really is a kind of
horse called Paint?"

"Sure is," said Zane.

Amos closed his eyes for a moment. "Yeah, I can see it. I see a
white horse that looks like it was splattered with a can of black
paint." He paused. "Or maybe it's the other way around." He paused
again. "But that still doesn't answer my question. I didn't know
this kind of horse exists. Why do I see it in my head?"

No one had an answer.

"We're not just talking about horses to humor David, are we?" said
Amos with a bit of alarm. After a pause, when no one commented, Amos
went on, "I wonder what it would be like to have a rider?"

"That sounds way too kinky. A real man would not let himself be
ridden," said Jack.

Amos pounced on an opportunity to tease Jack. "Maybe so, but I think
you would look great wearing leather straps." He winked at David.

Even David laughed at that one as Jack bellowed, "That's not funny!"
They laughed a bit harder when Jack got a strange expression on his
face that seemed to imply leather straps wouldn't be so bad, come to
think of it.

The laughter subsided and the jeep became quiet. Even the rain had
tapered off.

Then Jack said, "The Arabian is still the better horse."

Lily was waiting when the jeep pulled into camp. David knew it was
futile to evade her, so went to the medical tent willingly, avoiding
rain puddles along the way. The rest of those in the team followed
out of concern and were soon joined by Professor.

Lily examined David's head as she said, "So what happened that made
Amos so concerned?"

"He didn't believe me when I told him a horse found me in the ravine
and started pushing me around and then when I told him the horse
sang and also when he thought I was daydreaming about Clydesdales."

Lily glanced at Amos. He nodded. Lily said, "I understand his
concern. There aren't any bumps or scratches on your head. We had
better check reflexes." She got out a penlight to check for proper
dilation in his eyes. "Did the rest of you hear singing?"

Piet glanced at the others before daring to answer, "Yeah. Female
voice out of a horse." Jack looked like he didn't want to admit it,
but he nodded with the others.

Lily checked David's knee reflexes and a half dozen other things as
she asked, "And the daydreaming?"

David jumped in. "I don't know why they were picking on me 'cause
Piet thought pretty hard about Thoroughbreds, Amos thought about
Paints, Zane thought about quarterhorses, and Jack thinks the
Arabian is better than the others."

Amos said, "So you were paying attention, kid." David nodded.

"I don't see anything wrong," said Lily, "though you might want to
take it easy this afternoon." She turned to the other men. "If you
heard a horse sing too, I had better check you over as well." She
saw protests start to develop. "But it can wait until after lunch."

"I think," said Professor, as the group turned to go, "you had
better take a moment to tell me all about your little adventure."

Amos sighed and began to talk.

[[User:Erastus/Serving the Sentence - Part 2|Part 2]] * Part 3 *
[[User:Erastus/Serving the Sentence - Part 4|Part 4]]

User:Erastus/Serving the Sentence - Part 3 - Revision history

Erastus: Replacing a lost story