XIX – WUFF!!! Crowded Roman

Dear Journal:

Wild happenings the other day. I woke up at my usual time, got dressed, and went out to breakfast. The staff was distributing food as usual, and Mutt One was sitting at the table awaiting his turn.

Every time a slab of meat went by, he would follow it’s course with rapt interest, his jowls flapping each time he quickly turned his head. Mutt Two was along side of me as I entered the room and, seeing her brother at the feeding spot, wuffed loudly and trotted over to get her share. It should be mentioned that the mutts had their own taster to prevent the ‘accident’ that had happened to me. Since I was there with both mutts present, they could both take in the buffet at the same time. Once my mutts had grabbed their share, I picked up my morning repast of fruit, bread, and some wine (all previously sampled for lethal substances), and went over to my favorite morning chair to listen to the staff gossip.

Caeser was really in it up to his patrician neck. After the disaster in Partha, Caeser had ordered the Legions home to deal with the problem at Ravenna. The generals started out for Rome, but at such a slow pace that they would arrive in about two years. Caeser was livid. He pointedly demanded the army speed it up and get home, and was ignored. The generals cited that they could move no faster because they had to train recruits on the march. Caeser did want more than one legion to show up, didn’t he?

Fearless leader subsided into furious sullen silence, but everyone around him could tell he was plotting. And so it was that Caeser was caught in a trap of his own creation. He had the armies, but they wouldn’t, or couldn’t, come home in time to save him. Little Brother had a full sized invasion force aimed at Rome, and Caeser could do nothing about it. So much for the political arena.

Later that morning, the Lady arrived with yet another little surprise. Huffing, snorting, and rumbling behind her was a black mutt obviously related to my mutts. One and Two saw the newcomer and went wild. They rushed over, wuffing excitedly, and practically bowled the black one over. More loud wuffs were followed by frenetic play as they got reaquainted.

The Lady had brought number Three (as she became known) to give to me as well. Apparently the puppy had missed her kin, and had been in a miserable, moping state since One and Two’s departure. Anyway, the Lady hated to break up a set, and the mutts appeared to be much happier reunited.

Great! I now had three mammoths to feed. Well, it didn’t really matter so long as they were happy. Turns out that number Three had a talent for intimidation which would come in handy later that same day.

Chapter XX

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