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### Andrea Lepri

### The hands of Leo

www.quellidized.it

The hands of Leo

# Copyright © 2012 Zerounoundici Edizioni

# ISBN: 978-88-6307-464-2

# Cover: Image furnished by the author

#

#

# 

# Chapter 1. Leo looks at the TV

Out it was dark I crush, the bells of the church had played for a long time and from under to the door of entry a good perfume of something entered to eat; the neighbors had just started to quarrel and to smash flat. Therefore they were about to start the Looney Tunes! Courses to camp me on the couch in the hope that you/they gave Cat Silvestre, mine preferred, and I started to crush at random the keys of the remote control in the difficult attempt to regulate the volume. I was correct asking me because devil remote controls and relative keys had to do them so small when Steve entered, and punctually the same scene repeated him that developed him in every pluvius evening. The wet sole of its shoes slipped on the parquet, him lost the footstep and it stumbled in the carpet to end straight against the cristalliera it posts in an angle of the entry, by now for a long time deprived of knickknacks. This started to stagger and Steve engaged a sort of struggle Greek-Roman to succeed in holding her/it standing. My friend Steve was an inspector of police and was indeed a good police officer, the best with which I/you had worked and to will to be sincere until after all the only one. But for how much on the job it was perspicacious and precise, definite and careful, in the private life it was a real landslide. It was messy and distracted, and more timid, and probably it was really for this that to the age of trentasette years you/he/she had not succeeded in building a serious and lasting relationship with one his similar yet.

After having taken back from the clash with the cristalliera, Steve it cursed a couple of times rubbing himself/herself/itself strong a knee and beating the earth foot for the pain and the anger, then it launched the worn-out and rotten raincoat on the clothes-stand keeping on chewing some curse-word. Finally, as every evening, he allowed to fall in armchair with the braccias that dangled over the arms and the head reclined back to the. Closed the eyes for some instant, apparently looking for an instant of peace. It considered us. It reopened the eyes and it quadrated me serious, it got up and it came to get away the remote control, regardless of my occhiatacces, then it threw again him in armchair. It lowered the volume that I had just succeeded in regulating after so much work and it started to speak. Aware than it attended me I resigned telling me that I was victim of a real injustice; one works all day long, malpagato, a little appreciated, even maltreated often and without certain perspectives for the future and for the pension. You put there at the end of the day yourself on the couch, calm, without disturbing anybody. Without pretensions, hoping only to succeed in seeing a damned cartoon in holy peace. and instead no! You are forced to sip you the chatters of your companion of job, that it has the accursed vice to never disconnect the plug. For the truth it is not that it very often did him/it, but when it behaved in that way I detested him/it.

«I regret to have left only you, but I was busy. Soon we will have to go to sentir to sing a birdie» it said while its look illuminated him, and I have never understood because he liked so much to express him in that character way of police film of fourth grade category. My despite I rotated of a few the head, trying not to lose sight the television, and I looked under it of in on faking me party.

«Is this way! We are near» it added excited after having nodded for a long time in the attempt to make to raise my curiosity up to the level of watch.

I kept on looking in the blink of an eye at it, distractedly, but only for an instant. Immediately after my eyes, irresistibly attracted, they rotated for again placing him on the screen. Cat Silvestre was hardly stuck out by the eaves, and you/he/she had made him/it that tantinos of too much that you/he/she had been enough to make to fall him/it from the roof of a building tall twenty-six floors.

Chapter 2. The disappointment of love

«Hey, I tell you» it called me to the attention my companion back, and I returned to look at starting him/it to feel me irritated.

If I could not have the audio I wanted at least to taste me with the eyes the fall of the gattaccio. When it raised again him senseless, with the veined eyes of red and the birdies that fluttered around his head, for then immediately later to crumble himself/herself/themselves in thousand pieces, me spanciavo from the laughters.

«I have had a new contact» it continued Steve with the eyes that shone of satisfaction, «soon we will have an appointment with a confidante. It will give us some concrete tests, so we will finally succeed in making to stop of circular extra money inside the district of police. Will we send home so many of those corrupt agents that will have to make a new contest, will there be otherwise more police squad that police officers. hey, but I give you want to listen to me or no?»

More and more cross I definitely brought the look on him, by now you/they were flowing the titles of tail. Me stiracchiai and I mentally got ready me to the best to listen to him/it, I lifted even the canopy ears, dopodiché - I had already decided - I would have made a beautiful nap. But my companion, by now offended by my behavior, he/she let me lose. It lengthened back an arm to the and it pressed a key of the answering machine systematized on a mobiletto to his/her shoulders, inserting the vivavoce.

"Steve treasure, when you come to find his/her mother? They are weeks that you don't make yourself feel. Tell me the day before, so I prepare you the eggplants to the parmigiana, that you like. ah, has bought you three pairs of underpantses, of those beautiful comfortable. and then remembered of."

My companion premises another button.

"Steve, is Paul. Well, are you I always live? Remembered that tomorrow evening we have the revenge of the tournament of vials. And you are assembled, after the figuraccia of the other time we have to crush. This time we have to humiliate all of them, or the whole district will take around us up to the pension."

Steve crushed a few other times the button to make to flow faster the ribbon, ignoring the messages that didn't interest him. Of sudden a voice of woman was heard.

"I am me, Mara" it told persuasive tone" I wanted to thank you for the flowers. You/he/she has been very kind indeed on your behalf to remember my birthday. You/they have been a pleasure for me, seriously, nevertheless I gather the occasion to specify a thing; in the last three months, to more resumptions, have delivered a whole greenhouse to my house. Have devoted me sixteen mock to the radio, have brought me to see fourteen sunsets and twenty-one film of love, and to end has prepared me four aphrodisiac suppers. but to go over really doesn't speak! It looks, that I am not Heidi. I am almost forty years old, you would have at least can give me a kiss. However I have need to reflect for some, therefore please look not for me. The wills I give me long live me."

Steve blushed and looked me amazed without saying nothing. Me embarrassed I turned him an expression of circumstance as to say" Be', not to worry you, is so many others of it." Meanwhile I wondered me because the relationships between men and women are often so difficult. The human beings are the only kind to the world in which two elements of opposite sex, to build a relationship, has to satisfy a lot of rules: indeed it is necessary that they are reciprocally found pleasant from the aesthetical point of view, and then that has a dialogue and the same tastes in fact of cinema and music, of pastimes and readings, and of culture. Besides they have to find the respective pleasant families, not to speak then of the breath, of the look or of the color of the eyes and the hair. or of the job and of the account in the bank, even if these elements often have to different weight. However every rule has its exceptions, so sometimes understands that someone, to embark himself/herself/themselves in a sentimental history, sufficiently finds interesting also the only checking account, or an anatomical detail. And to think that all the other races that populate the thick planet are satisfied of an odor or of a color!

# Chapter 3. The contact

Its expression was made indeed sad and I discovered to be of it really been sorry, few times I had seen him so embittered. While the ribbon of the reception office kept on flowing reporting him banal messages, Steve he/she took the wallet and it threw out a photo and a pair of letters all crease ones. It looked in silence the photo for some instant, it quickly flowed then the letters because by now it knew her to memory. It smelled her, then he/she rolled up her and it made the gesture to throw her street, but it considered us. It went to the piece of furniture of the stay, it inserted a key in the patch of a drawer and it opened him/it. I called him/it" the drawer of the lost occasions." It overflowed of photo, letters, keyring, perfumed, musical and phosphorescent rag dolls, tickets of cinema and discos, postcards, plush and gadget you launch. With a sigh it threw you inside photo and letters, then it closed again him/it with a hot tempered push and in that precise instant he made road in me the awareness of what it waited me: at least two hours of exasperated outlet, with so much of synthesis of all the sentimental histories, you ever start or died on to be born, of the last twenty-nine years of his/her life. or from when it had to venir eight of it on. And to think that almost all the women of the district of police stravedevano for him, that taken as it was from the job not even if it realized of it. If rather than to always think and only to complete his/her own duty was looked around at some, you/he/she would surely have found a fiancée. I looked for a more comfortable position to prepare to listen to me and I tried to assume a careful expression and partecipe. Was my companion and I didn't want to also disappoint him/it me!

«Possible that from the first time in which.» you/he/she had just started to say walking before and back for the stay, when it jammed.

Runs toward the answering machine, that meanwhile you/he/she had kept on pitting messages on messages, riavvolse the last and it did him/it depart again.

«There are» it said a hoarse voice «the type is prepared to collaborate, but he/she wants a beautiful po' of money. The appointment is at nine o'clock of to the old industrial zone tonight, in front of the only vacant shed. It tries to be punctual and you come alone above all and unarmed, or that takes the flight and we doesn't track him/it down more.»

Steve looked at the clock to wall and jolted. Raced to the clothes-stand and takings the raincoat, that meanwhile you/he/she had produced a puddle of water on the floor, then it turned him to look me serious. My goodness, the whole world was conspiring against me; no cartoonses and no nap! I gone down by the couch and I followed reluctantly it.

# Chapter 4. To the shed

Fortunately you/he/she had stopped raining. In fact Steve had the vice to want everything to be repaired by itself, so his convertible, in a distant evening of June, you/he/she had definitely become cabriolet. It was the only one that in that colds and rainy days of end February drove holding a narrow umbrella among the legs, keeping on repeating that the reparation of the automatic canopy would have asked for a pair of its salaries. The problem was that as it punctually overcame a certain speed the umbrella he upset or it flew away; with what was spending in umbrellas you/he/she would have been able to repurchase him the automobile all whole.

«My goodness, we have arrived late» he/she ascertained my friend when we were in front of the shed.

The air was fizzy and had an intense and bitter odor, as of oil. A man was waiting us in front of the gate, he wore a black coat with the raised again collar and a strata hat wide, that gotten heavy by the rain they reverted of side up to almost entirely hide him the face. It held the hands sunk in the pockets, Steve went down from the auto to reach him and me I followed him/it.

«Where the birdie is?» he/she asked Steve.

«You/he/she has already entered» the Bogy man answered.

«You/he/she has said that the time doesn't see to make himself/herself/themselves a beautiful cantata, but I had told you to come alone» it observed severe pointing out me with a sign of the head.

I immediately recognized his/her voice, it was the same that had left the message in reception office and I deduced of it that therefore probably the Bogy man was one colleague of ours. Steve looked me lifting the eyebrows and tightened him in the shoulders, I returned in auto with sad footstep. The man opened the heavy flowing gate that gave access to the courtyard of the store, as soon as they were inside you/he/she hastened to close again him/it. I didn't like at all that type, and that situation still less. If Steve had a defect, you/he/she was in itself the too trust and in certain cases also in the others, thing strange datum the work that did. Also I had a pair of it, of defects; the first one was that contrarily of Steve I never trusted anybody, the second it was that I hated to have put aside. Hardly the footsteps on the gravel over the gate were distant, I jumped down again from the auto and I started to turn around the structure to the search of a small opening that allowed me to guard them. I had almost completed the turn of the building and I had just stayed to pee for the third time - he/she is never known, at times in the places it happens to owe to return us - when suddenly the volumes of the voices started to climb, sign that a violent discussion was in progress. Definite to quickly finish the turn looking for another entry, Steve you/he/she could need me. Unfortunately the stradina that followed the perimeter of the shed brusquely interrupted him in a blind alley. The voices were heard more and more strong and agitated, by now they were almost of the cries. I rotated the head and I straightened the ears to understand better what you/they said.

«But what happens? Does go crazy by chance, or does it perhaps deal with a joke? What do you want to do with that gun? Put her/it street, you/he/she could depart you a hit» you/he/she was saying worried my friend.

«You have to tell me who the other informers are!»

«But thing you want to do, do you want to shoot me?»

«If force me I will shoot you eccome, can be certain of it! Have I told you that you have to tell me all the names, and then you have to stop involving you in things that don't concern you, have you understood? This matter is too greater than you!» insistette the Bogy man.

«Okay, okay, has understood» Steve answered for earning time «I will tell you everything and I will deliver you the documents that I have picked up. But you put away now the gun and we go out, if my companion sees you threaten you/he/she will become me aggressive.»

«And you that kind of sack of fleas calls him/it companion?» it replied in disdainful tone the Bogy man doing me. it is the houses to say him/it - to become furious.

«However for me it is all right, but first you have to succeed in convincing me that the lesson you have learned. And then they are still there a pair of things to clarify» concluded.

# Chapter 5. The situation falls

I started to cross the road to bashful racing faster than I was able. During the walk around the building I had noticed a finestrone set very aloft. Under, set to the wall, there were some scatolonis stacked on which I would have been able to try to climb me. Without thinking twice of us I launched me and I started to jump of scatolone in scatolone to arrive on top of the mountain. I almost immediately realized me that they were empty, and who knows because it returned me to mind Cat Silvestre. Sticking out me and fighting for not losing the balance, to risk to fall down because the pluvius damp cardboards had already started to surrender under to my weight, I succeeded in throwing the look over the glass door. Under the bleak light of a neon, the Bogy man was holding under draught Steve giving me the shoulders. My friend saw me and a lightning of hope crossed its blue eyes.

«Go, Leo! You now go» it shouted me with the whole breath that had.

The other one hesitated and it turned him to look at himself/herself/themselves the shoulders, Steve it took advantage of that instant of his of indecision to jump I set him and they started to fight rolling himself/herself/itself on the slippery floor. I remained to look, incapable to decide on the to make himself/herself/themselves and meanwhile I kept on debating not to fall under me of from the mountain of cardboard. The Bogy man succeeded in striking my companion with a heading to the chin, Steve you/he/she loosened the taking, senseless, and the atro took advantage to wriggle out himself/herself/themselves of it. It raised the dose sferrandogli a fist to the stomach, then it threw him to dive on the gun that had slipped away him of hand.

«Accursed meddler, is you her wanted» you/he/she howled with contempt toward Steve lifting the tense arm to take the aim.

Steve meanwhile you/he/she had gotten up and you/he/she had started to race to zig-zag toward a big machinery, to the desperate search of a shelter. The situation was serious, moreover from a moment to the other the scatolonis would definitely have surrendered. That was my last occasion to try to help my friend. Banished every hesitation, I picked up me to detach the jump. The first hit of gun exploded while impattavo against the window, its echo played again so much strong to cover the noise of the glasses that you/they went to splinters. Deafened, with an acute hiss planted in the ears, I saw the second fiammella go out of the reed of the gun really while I was placing the legs on the floor. Feeling the first hit Steve to explode had instinctively lowered the head and you/he/she was stopped. While it was slowly turning him with the lifted hands it was stricken in full breast. The impact with the bullet hurled back it to the and when its back touched earth something it went out out of a pocket of its raincoat, a small quadrated object and shining it slipped along the smooth and oily floor up to fall in a loophole. I took no interest me some Bogy man, that was racing now toward the front door with the intention to melt her/it to him, to race from my companion.

«Take him/it Leo. You take that carcass» Steve told me in a whisper.

Courses fast as I had never done in my life but the other one was useless it was out already and you/he/she had closed again the gate. I succeeded only in seeing, from a small opening, the man that salivates in car. It departed in reverse to go out of the parking lot and it bumped a lamp-post, later it gave immediately a beautiful sgasata, it grafted her/it before and it got further in hurry lifting a rain of gravel.

# Chapter 6. Steve's death

I sadly returned from my friend. It was spread out to belly earth in above with the head turned of side and the folded up knees. It panted. I licked his hand. It slowly rotated the head, then with an inhuman effort he/she succeeded in lifting an arm to caress me behind the ear, as it always did. Its hand was very cold that gave me a shiver. I closed the eyes. Suffered an idea I lengthened me to insert the face in the pocket of the raincoat, to the search of the cellular phone.

«It is useless, I have forgotten him to house.» it murmured him with to grimace of regret realizing my intentions. I sent forth a desperate yelp.

«My friend I am sorry. The fears that is ended indeed this time.» it added looking me with shiny eyes.

Reading the resignation in his/her eyes I understood that there was not more nothing to be done. I crouched me to his/her side, the nearest possible to try to give him some heat. After few instants he was shaken from a hit of cough, then another and another anchor.

«I am sorry» it whispered a last time, closed forever then the eyes.

An abysmal silence remained, ever felt before, interrupted only by the whistle of rare gusts of cold air that you/they entered from the broken finestrone. They took around the sharp odor of the shot dust, that mixed to that of the blood of my companion it was nauseating, but I didn't get further me. Would not have left at all only it to the world! He was there, close to me, immovable. It was there, yet there was not anymore. It ignored me.

"Is not correct" I thought" cannot leave me so, had made a pact! Always together, up to the end."

You/he/she had been our sentence scaramantica, you/he/she had repeated her every time before entering action. Two words, an occhiolino, and then street, together toward the danger. Those words meant that if it owed something ugly to happen - it was one of the possibilities, gives the work that we did, and we were aware of it - we had to go together. And instead no. After years of friendship left me so, left only me! And the worse it was that the guilt was also my, if I/you had been more careful, more definite, the things would perhaps have gone otherwise. Had had too trust instead in him, had waited too much to jump through that accursed window!

A memory attacked me of sudden giving me a slim thread of hope. During the weeks of training, when I was few more than a pup, it often brought me to play in the country. We rolled there on the grass, absorbed in the lukewarm and perfumed air and surrounded by to flutter incessant of the colored butterflies. We made the struggle, then of hit him he pretended dead. What a fear, the first times! Terrorized me I licked him the face, I shook him/it with the leg, and he immediately went off later standing laughing as a crazy person. I knew that it was useless, but I tried the same.

"No, is not a joke!" I thought desperate.

# Chapter 7. The liberation

The following morning, called by the owners of the shed next to cause of mine to bark and of my continuous yelps, some colleagues came to see what you/he/she was happened and they found us there. I had tried for the whole night to recover the small object that was gone out of the pocket of the raincoat of Steve, but there had been no anything to do. I could come to touch him/it with the leg, but to grab I would have had to have him/it the fingers. I had tried to dig a hole with the solo result to break me the fingernails against the floor of cement; I had also tried to pick him/it up with the mouth but unfortunately my face didn't enter the crack in the floor because it was too tightened. I had insisted the same, more times, stubborn as not never, and at the end I was given me a beautiful cut as soon as above the nose. Then I tried in all the possible ways to attract the attention of the agents for their mostrar that object, but after having consoled me to turn for few minutes they answered to mine to bark saying that they didn't have time to play. as if at that time The hads felt like putting to play me. They took to devote himself/herself/themselves to their occupations and they didn't lend me more interest. The scientific one, the photographers and the journalists arrived, and Steve was brought away on board of a grey van.

«Head, that we do of it of him?» he/she asked an agent pointing out me.

The Head lowered and the face took me among the hands.

«Poor Leo. The don'ts succeed really to imagine how much hard must have been for you. to see him kill the companion in front of the eyes! See to bring away it in a coffin of metal. and moreover cannot speak, otherwise the assassin would have the counted hours! My goodness! Hand him/it to house of Steve and you take his/her things. For some it will be with us to the plant, we will see if someone will want to adopt him/it.»

Feeling that you/they would have brought me home the my moral it lifted him of a few, in fact on the answering machine there was recorded the voice of the assassin. I would have done so that someone he/she listened to him, I would have made him understand that that recorded was the voice of the bastard that my friend had murdered. I was certain that you/he/she would not have been difficult, but I just gone down by the auto I warned again the odor of the shot dust and the oil. Without doubt the assassin had been there, of certain to look for the documents of which spoke Steve and to cancel the message in reception office! In fact the inspection that took place in the apartment of my friend, to the search of something that could make light on the last hours of life of Steve, it didn't give some fruit. For all of my life I had often desired to have the hands, even also an only time, also only for one day. I was firmly convinced that the hands were one of the few real differences between me and a man. I had always wondered how many things I would have been able to do, if I/you had had her. More give futile - but also amusing - type to make to rotate a cat in the air holding him/it for the tail, for then to open the fingers and to see to fly away it, or to throw me stones, pine-cones, batons and balls for my account, for then to run after her and to bring me her. But I would have been able to also use to make her useful things, besides I would have had the mastery of the refrigerator and the television, and I would have been able to open alone me the door when the needs escaped me and to throw myself a cover I set when I was cold. That time I was me to so intensely desire him/it as I had never done. If for a some miracle had been possible, also only for five minutes, would have been able to recover the mysterious object that Steve had lost for putting the assassin with the shoulders to the wall! I was only instead an useless dog, with four useless zampacce. I fell in a state of deep depression and mistakes the three following days extended on an impromptu kennel in the room of attended of the district, with the face supported on the anterior legs, without eating neither to lift the look. I sometimes rotated the ears without moving me, when I felt that someone pointed out me or it pronounced my name or that of my companion.

# Chapter 8. To the funeral

"I won't grow fond anymore me to anybody, and I don't want anymore any human being to my side! You give him everything yourself, you protect him the house and you make him play his/her children - and unfortunately the preferred game of his/her/their children with the dogs is that to continually grab on, with all of their strength, to their ears and their tail - the bushels nearby you make him company, and you console him/it when it needs comfort. And this, to compensate you, allows only all of a sudden suddenly yourself. and then you should new start relationship with another dark or people, to look for again the equilibriums and to earn you the respect. To learn words, intonation of the voice and new habits, and to face again a lot of annoying things, as for instance that to fight with the other dogs of the district where you will go to live only for having an angolino whether to make your needs. Then your new companion decides even to go to vacations, or of sudden an allergy comes him, or simply a child is born him, and then you/he/she gives you a beautiful kick in the tail.

And then Steve was special! I would never find another friend as him, not even if I looked for him/it for the whole life. My goodness, if only had been more definite. the remorses will accompany me for the whole life! And how much it gnaws me not to be able to do more nothing for him. I am certain that the fallen object in the grit is a lot of main point, but I/you/they has not succeeded in recovering him/it and alone I will never succeed there. What will I do from tomorrow? Perhaps, if indeed took me with itself someone of the plant. but no, is better of no! This life I am fed up with. I am tired of uniforms and shoot-outs, pursuits and blank nights. I could do the stray one, at least until I won't have the clearest ideas, after all I know how to get by her/it and of sure I would not starve."

These were my reflections, while to the head of the funeral procession I was accompanying my friend to the last abode. We walked in silence, absorbed in the perfumes in the autumn, and I was not very sure that my tears were due to the fresh air that stung me the nostrils. Have you ever seen a funeral that respects him without rain? No, true? In fact, altroché if rained! There was a damned wind that detached yellow leaves and marches from the branches of the trees to send her to amusement, while the breath condensed him in cloudlets. On the lawn, you dresses in dark suits and with the open umbrella, there was a myriad of people. In many they were alternated in front of over-the-counter close to the hole for something, the words were always different but the meaning was always the same, and I was fed up indeed. I didn't have intention to be to look at the coffin lower in the pit, you/he/she would have been too much cruel. I had turned for going and I had already crossed a street piece when unexpectedly a voice recalled my attention. I straightened the ears, I turned me and I returned on my footsteps.

«In front of tragedies as this he often asks if.» you/he/she was falsely telling the Bogy hand touched tone.

«. and therefore, we of the Scientific one, have decided.»

I listened with attention to be sure that mine was not only an impression.

«. and this is certainly the best way to honor the memory hand of that.»

Was really he, was the carcass that had shot him and, as had thought since the beginning, was a police officer! What face toasts, he/she wore even the same coat and the same hat, and even it also had with itself the same gun with which you/he/she had killed him/it.

Chapter 9. The attack to the Bogy man

I didn't need to reflect for a long time on the to make himself/herself/themselves, in an instant everything the blood had been climbed me to the head for the anger. I didn't have very to choose; gives my condition of dog I didn't have the voice to report him/it, neither tantomeno of the hands to search him/it, therefore what could do was to try to send to make him/it company to my friend! I taken runs after her/it, with the legs that labored to make taking on the mud, I purchased the maximum speed of which I was able until joint next to over-the-counter I jumped. I went beyond her in flight, immediately after trentacinque kilos to the speed of forty hourly kilometers fell on the assassin that ruined in the pit, and when it touched the fund with the shoulders I was him above. I looked him/it at an instant with the open teeth and I gave him a growl, that meant": I have pecked at You, accursed. Meanwhile to you I think it me. Then, when will be in the aldilà, will also see her/it to you with Steve!"

While the agreements assembled him on the eyelash of the hole in a dismayed shouting, to see what was happening, I snapped at him/it to the neck. But with mine immense surprise, rather than to find soft meat, my teeth banged against something of solid. I threw back me disorientated. Lost an instant of too much in the search of another weak point, and before I/you could retry us something of very hard \- the shovel of the pecks at, I suppose - it got depressed with violence on my poor head almost killing me. I knocked down to earth with the wide apart legs. When I reopened the eyes the head it ached me of ugly and I immediately realized me that the legs had tied me, besides I also wore now a beautiful muzzle. The assassin looked me mocking, but I realized that you/he/she was still frightened.

«Who knows that you/he/she has taken him» the Head told his perplexed chin scratching himself/herself/itself.

«Fortune that yesterday have had that tamponamentos! If I/you had not had the collarino for the hit of whip, to this time.» it added.

"But which tamponamento?" would have liked to shout" over that an assassin are an accursed liar! Have beaten against a lamp-post while were escaping!"

But my despite, what I succeeded in doing was to address him an appalling growl and to look at him/it more in with hostility that was able.

«This however it changes the things. I understand that I/you/he/she am stunned for the death of his/her master» it told the Bogy man tall voice to make himself/herself/themselves also feel from the others, pretending himself/herself/itself comprehensive «but you/he/she is shown dangerous.»

«I don't have him with him» it added serious «but to leave him/it free, to my opinion, it is too much risky.»

«Mhhh. unfortunately The fears that you macaws right» the Head responded.

«Thing you propose to do?» he/she asked then him.

Without answering, the other tightened him in the shoulders and it lowered the eyes to look at himself/herself/themselves the dirty shoes of mud, falsely embarrassed.

«You, is unfortunately right» concluded the Head showing himself/herself/itself of accord with the tacit answer of the other. Then it bent him on me and me said a pair of friendly pacches.

«Believe me Leo, is sorry me. regrets seriously me! In a few hours I lose two of mine best investigators» it announced touched, and it seemed indeed me deeply been sorry.

"As two agents? I am alive!" I did for asking considering me us on, he got up and with the hand it made sign to an agent to draw near, these it came to his/her presence and it put on on the careful ones.

«Commands, Mr. Captain.»

«Hands you him from the veterinarian» it told him in an ear, and in to hear those words I felt me to freeze.

# «You excuse Captain, have I understood well?» he/she asked incredulous the agent, the other one nodded with a printed sad expression in face. Meanwhile, not seen, the assassin was crushing me of intention the tail with the heel to make me a spite, looking me of sbieco with a taut smile.

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# Chapter 10. From the veterinarian

Two colleagues, puffing for the work, they transported me to braccia through the room of attended tied up and gagged as the worse one of the criminals. The other present animals turned me timid compassionate and embarrassed looks. The agents spoke in a low voice with the secretary of the doctor, then they brought me in a small clinic and they abandoned me on a bunk. In attended that the veterinarian arrived, the two remained to my side. They kept on looking I am sorry and to give me some paccas.

«But thing devil is picked up you, so to the sudden one?» it reproached me the most elderly of the two looking me compassionate, with the shiny eyes.

«Among all the present people to the ceremony you had to attach really the more bastard? Poor Leo, that dishonorable end» it added softly caressing me the back, that I instinctively bent when its hand arrived near to the tail. Then it dissuaded the look, he/she didn't want to make to see me that it was about to start crying.

«I am also sorry it, but by now the omelet you/he/she is done. And then who knows, even of there it will find again Steve» it said the other so much to encourage him/it.

«Yes, you are perhaps right you, are better perhaps so.»

A guy entered. It was tall, he/she wore a candid white uniform and it had two thin baffettis. Its teeth were some leaning ones and the expression of the face, under to the thick and astute greyish hair as you fence, it was difficult to decipher.

«You can go, I will occupy of it me» it said dry to the agents.

«Doctor, begs me.»

«Is calm, it won't suffer.»

The two turned me a last look, then they greeted the veterinarian and they went out. The doctor turned a couple of times around the bunk and observed for a long time me, holding a closed fist leaned under to the chin and the knuckle of the finger index nibbling every now and then himself/herself/itself.

«It is a sin. he, is really to since» it said.

"You do your job to the quick one, please" I thought, but he kept on studying me perplexed. A thigh lifted me.

«We see if you have the tattoo» it said in a low voice, almost in confidential tone.

"No, No tattoo. I wanted a piercing but Steve has forbidden me him! Before idiot, do you want to make me that accursed puncture? My friend is waiting me" I thought between me and me doing the hard one in the attempt to exorcize the fear for my imminent end.

He opened the metallic locker systematized in an angle of the room and it threw out some tools. It carefully visited me.

«You are perfect. no, The cannots kill you I know!» it said after a piece.

I looked at him/it incredulous, it seemed that it had really intention to pardon me. If had not been tied up would be jumped him I set for licking him the whole face two or three times! You went to the desk, taken the telephone and it composed a number.

«I am me. Yes, do I know him/it that you/he/she is spent some time. by chance you always treat them the dogs? No, it is not of race. It is a half-caste, but it is a beautiful beast however.»

"To who have said beast? Have considered us, if I were free rather than three lick I would give you two lick and a bite!"

«Trentacinque kilos, healthy and muscular. Tall and slender. I shave white and black striped of brown, intelligent look. It was a dog police officer but it is strange, no tattoo. you/they have brought me him to suppress him/it. mah, would say as always, it is all right ten to the kilo. okay, puts to sleep him/it. I wait you tonight.»

To this point it was clear that at least momentarily my life it was safe, that same evening someone would have come to take me and I would have disappeared without leaving traces. I didn't know who would be busy of me, neither where you/they would have brought me or what my future employment would have been. Even I would have become a ciechi dog, a banal companion or a keeper of flocks or hen-pens. But didn't interest me as, what counted was that after having seen the death in does would have been alive! And even if I knew that I would not have been able to bring in life Steve, even one day I would have succeeded in avenging him/it. Even if I had not succeeded in seeing the face of the assassin, now I was able to recognize him/it from the voice and I knew whether to find him/it. But at that time I didn't want to think of us. This way, while it was injecting me a beautiful dose of valium and my eyelids they were done heavy, I looked with full eyes of thankfulness my benefactor.

# Chapter 11. To the laboratory

. benefactor to horn, if had had him/it among the legs would have tried to strangle him/it! When I opened the eyes I was me in a so short cage, low, and hold, that before to me had to be belongs to a chihuahua! It was late night, few pale reflexes almanacs penetrated to work through the stained with glass a skylight. I looked around me and in the faint light of the stanzone I realized the presence of a whole series of cages prepared in beautiful order. They entertained to their inside outlines that had to belong to various types of animals, some so strange ones that I didn't succeed in imagining to what kinds belonged. My first impression was that to have crossed the typical passage from the frying pan to the fire! I spent the rest of the night to look at the moon through the skylight asking me where devil ditches ended, but not as soon as he made day I didn't delay to understand him/it. In the cages animals of every type were imprisoned, and the worrisome thing was that not us n'era one as Mother Nature had done him! Some had some strange helmets in head connected to of the cars, someone it had some kinds of glasses, others the hair tidied up in particular way. Us n'erano also some suits, and someone seemed completely different from what would have had to be. There were even a rabbit of phosphorescent green color and a turtle without hull, so I told me that without shade of doubt I had to be ends in one of that notorious laboratories where they were made secret experiments. While I was keeping on looking around me, afflicted and rolled, I felt a noise to my shoulders. I turned me to see who pits mine" neighbor" and for a little I didn't burst into laughter; a chimpanzee completely depilated it was seized to the bars, in underpantses, and it looked me fixed. I kept on laughing for a piece, while he looked me bored holding the hands on the sides. When I calmed down me, I gave him a barked that it meant:

"Excuse, but you/he/she has been stronger than me."

"It allows to lose" he/she answered downward me with a movement of the hand from the tall one and tightening then himself/herself/itself in the shoulders" happens to everybody, when they see me for the first time."

It lengthened the hand toward of me, I handed him the leg.

"To like" we said miming us a bow with the head.

Immediately later him him stiracchiò and it started to dress him, pantaloni and shirt of jeans.

"It is so much time that you are here?" I asked with another barked.

He rotated the hand around the wrist a lot of times. Then it beat her/it on the bars scotendo the head to make to understand me that to run away was impossible, and me disappointed I crouched me with a sigh. I wondered me what you/he/she would have made Steve to my place, but for him it was different. He had been a man, an intelligent man and above all you/he/she had had the hands. What could I do, me, with my miserable legs? I immediately resigned me. Some weeks of hell during which I saw to suffer went by, and unfortunately I suffered, every type of sopruso. In name of the science, they told them.

# Chapter 12. The plan

In the clandestine laboratory where kept prisoner I was products they were experimented for improving the life of the animals, but above all treatments of beauty destined to improve its external aspect. This way, as the other forced guests, as guinea-pig I had been used for making a will toothpastes to the grasses, cosmetic, enamels for fingernails, suits and God only he/she knows what other. Had reduced worse once even me some rabbit; had made me everything blond with some beautiful striations blue night, besides I constantly had the rimmel to the eyes! The chimpanzee, victim of a definitive depilatory treatment, was pink as a child been just born. To the turtle you/they had grafted a beautiful hull in fiber of carbon ultraleggero - in fact it spun as a rocket - and electroplated gold, and now he could not calculate his/her age anymore because there were not the rhombuses anymore above. Besides, with a beautiful lifting, all those ugly wrinkles had removed from her neck and the eyes had magnified her, so much to make an owl seem her/it. If you fixed her/it a moment of too much you risked to stay hypnotized. Despite everything among us there was someone who seemed to appreciate all those cares; a" male" of pitbull from the ambiguous name it showed with boldness his/her new hair style and a kind of permanent lipstick that had applied him, you would have had to see how it wagged the tail while it was walking on the heels to avoid to wear out himself/herself/themselves the fingernails. The manager of the laboratory was a pazzoide that had given some examination to the Faculty of Veterinarian and you/he/she was convinced that the new and uncontested frontier of the profit would have been that of the beautiful and taut animal to shiny in every occasion, so you/he/she had taken in lease a crumbling building, a pair of bunglers entrusted of to retrieve the subject before, and you/he/she was given to the experimentation. Of there to few you/he/she would have ended to develop the tests that you/he/she was preset, therefore you/he/she would have launched soon on the market a complete line of innovative products for animals of every type. To that point, you/they would probably have eliminated us everybody. In fact you/they could not afford to leave around the tests of their absurdities experiments, above all of those not succeeded, as for instance that hamster to which you/they had grafted the feathers to the place of the hair and that now it spent the days trying to learn to fly. Every animal was always kept isolated by the others but the chimpanzee and I, that you/he/she called Giotto because in the leisure time you/he/she painted indeed some beautiful pictures, with the time we had tightened friendship. Somehow, hocking us day after day, we had learned to communicate. For the truth to the beginning you/he/she had not been easy, in fact for different time Giotto had been convinced that I was a" cleaning of silverware" and not" a police officer." Sees the situation, there were said that there was no time to lose and we had studied a plan for the escape, but to effect we obviously owed him/it to resolve a whole series of problems. The first one, in order of time and importance, it consisted of succeeding in opening the cages. He had the hands, you/he/she would have been able to make her/it. Then, since the door of the place that the cages entertained didn't have inside handle, we had to succeed in making the skylight reach him. You/he/she was not set very aloft, Giotto would be gone out really from there for then to reenter and to open me the door, would be run away finally to raised legs.

# Chapter 13. The preparation of the escape

For obvious motives for secretiveness the personnel of ours" beauty farm" it was, forgive me the poetic license, reduced to the bone. The Sunday, there was particularly an only person that acted from keeper, it turned with a cartellina to annotate the results of the tests, it gave us to eat, and it finally had the assignment to allow us to acquit our physiological needs. The time tightened, of there to few you/they would have finished indeed all the experiments and so we finally decided to try the escape, logically really of Sunday. From a few days a new keeper had arrived, you/he/she had to replace that of role gone to vacations. It was almost the dawn and him it had to be very tired because that night we had used thousand expedient to exhaust him/it, making to go on it and back from his/her posting in the jail. After different time that I barked and I yelped hopelessly it finally came to see what you/he/she was happening, Giotto and I noticed that as of habit held the keys in pocket with the keyring that went out dangling, to have her to brought of hand.

«Then, that devil you have tonight? Possible that not you don't succeed in being good for ten minutes following?» he/she asked bored yawning while the face rubbed him with the hands.

I lifted of side the leg back right to mime the gesture of the need keeping on howling.

«Again? And it is all right, it is all right, I have understood. Have some patience» it said, and it got further.

After few minutes it returned and it inserted in the cage the tense arm with the collar in hand; obedient as few times in my life I stuck out the neck in before and I left him/it to me to insert. He unthread the latch. Giotto made me the occhiolino, sign that was the good moment, so hardly in the cage I rotated on myself and I jumped I set to the keeper in a forgery festive impetus, wagging the tail as a crazy person. My legs got depressed on its breast pushing the back to beat him/it against the bars of the cage of Giotto. I started to give him some beautiful licks in face, not without trying deep disgust because it was full of brufoli.

«Hey, but that he/she takes you? Ah ah ah. enough, you make me the tickle, enough.»

Giotto meanwhile you/he/she had lengthened the hand and you/he/she had unthread him the keys. Its cage was the only one endowed with padlock because you/he/she would have been able to unthread the latch. It immediately individualized that with the rubberizes orange, that the padlock opened, it inserted her/it in the lock and it did her/it go off for then to throw the bunch to its feet. The keeper pushed away me and picked up her, then you/he/she turned him to suspiciously look at Giotto, that pretended now to paint. To be more believable these chased a pair of cries with his/her strident voice, did it show us the teeth as solo the monkeys then they know how to do, as to say": That you have to look? Possible that in this place he can never work in peace"?. Closed in beauty casting me against the brush that my new mecheses of mint that, I have to admit him/it, they started to like me. I responded him with a barked appalling and the keeper, struck by our strange behavior, it hissed me with a cry and a lash. Then it did for drawing near to the cage of Giotto the chin scratching himself/herself/itself, more and more perplexed. If you/he/she had decided to look better you/he/she would have noticed the open padlock, then I launched me toward the table and I started to sniff a leg of it, as in procinto to make my needs launching a desperate yelp.

«And is all right, is all right! We go, otherwise it goes to end that you do here me her.»

It picked up the leash and me I let me drive out. For the whole time that we stayed to the open one I exhausted him/it among games, sharp tugs to the leash and physiological tappe. To the reentry in the laboratory it kept on yawning, it had a closed eye and that open it was veined of red for the tiredness. I dragged him/it of strength toward my cage so that he/she closed and it went to sleep to the quick one, Giotto meanwhile it pretended to heavily snore.

Chapter 14. Giotto's escape

Not as soon as the door of the laboratory was closed, Giotto went off standing. But instead of throwing out himself/herself/themselves to open me the cage, it unthread him without hurry the jacket of the lines pajamas vertical, similar to that of a prisoner, and it started to wash him the teeth. It was to naked back in front of the mirror and it made his/her things with endless calm, and when you/he/she had ended, I don't satisfy, taken to smear himself/herself/themselves handfuls on handfuls of moisturizing cream on the face.

«Grrrr (the moment seems Yourself to make himself/herself/themselves the toilet?)» I snarled him.

Did he look me and it made to flow the hands turned verse itself same on and down a couple of times (they are months that I don't go out, won't you want at all that I/you/he/she come so?).

«Bau (soon it will make day, don't you see? There is no one minute to lose)» I answered looking at the skylight.

«All and two the hands turned verse of me, from the tall one downward, then finger index upward with the closed fist. Finally, braccia widened with the palms toward the outside (not to break, me it takes one minute. And that devil.).»

«Mhhh (Accidentaccio).»

«Bau bau (I don't see a big difference in comparison to first!)» I barked plain scotendo slowly the head when you/he/she had ended.

Giotto replied showing me the closed palm of the right hand (you Go to make you a turn!).

«Bahau ahahahu (it was only a wisecrack.).»

«Twice right hand from the lower part upward, with the turned palm toward the ceiling (I am ready, it lifts the tail that he goes!).»

Finally my accomplice went out of his/her cage and came to unthread the latch of mine. We dragged to work, trying not to make noise, the table under to the skylight. The other animals, wakened up by the confusion, they looked us perplexed. Giotto made the turn of the cages to ask that they made silence, promising them in change that out we would have done once in way of freeing them. It returned from me and it brought on the table a scatolone that you/he/she had taken from a shelf, it was one of those that contained our alimentary rations. It systematized him/it so that I/you could earn upward still some about ten centimeters. I climbed there above and in a flash it returned me to mind when I had climbed along the wall of the store. Doubts and remorses and an insane fear attacked together me to fall down, Giotto it hastened and it gave me a pacca on the back to give me courage. To that point it jumped in turn on the table and it climbed me in rump, and it puffed angry because it didn't reach the handle for a hair. It made me sign to extend more than I was able upward the face, then it climbed me on the head seizing himself/herself/itself to my face with the back hands not to fall.

«Caì. mhhh (you have inserted Me to finger in an eye).»

«Finger tense index in front of the nose with the closed fist, then closed fist, finally horizontal open hand that rotated some toward right and some toward left (not to put to now make you noise! You hold hard, I am almost there!).»

«. bau? (How you think about doing?)» I said opening wide the eyes in a question.

«Hand that points out the number one, two, three, then right thumb upward (Hold you ready, to three we jump).»

# Thanks to a contemporary hit of my backs and Giotto, these it detached a leap and he/she succeeded in grabbing the handle with a hand, seizing himself/herself/itself to the fixture with the other three. Moving himself/herself/itself as a true acrobat opened him and he/she succeeded in slipping out, and I put me in patient attended. I don't know how much time went by, I know only that seemed me an eternity and that I came even to doubt that you/they had captured him/it, or worse that you/he/she had surrendered me to decay there.

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# Chapter 15. The liberation

When by now I was starting to despair, the door opened and Giotto entered smiling with triumphant expression.

«Bau» I did looking at the clock to wall.

«Ronf. fiii. ronf. fiii (But how much have you put there? I was putting to sleep me!)» I added with the closed eyes

«Picked fingers around the thumb, hand that stirs before and back toward of him, then wide apart braccia that gets up and they lowers (But thing you are saying? Practically I have flown!).»

I stuck out the face toward the door (we Go, it is late!).

He looked him at the feet, it seemed bored.

«Baaauuuhh.? (What there is now?).»

«Hand that points out the feet (I/you/they have not gotten used to walk barefoot anymore!).»

Taken the shoes, it tied among them the laces and if it passed behind her neck so that to make him dangle her to the sides of the head. We finally went out, passing under on all four to the guardiola of the custodian that anchors put to sleep sonorously snored. You/he/she had been easy indeed, and the other animals had been good; you/they had made the typhus for us in silence, hoping that we would have been of word and we would have returned to free them. Out it started to dawn, the lamp-posts he was extinguishing one to one. The square and the lawns that surrounded the laboratory were fenced by a tall metallic net, over which there was only green country cut from an only old asphalted road. Lifting the head was still seen some star, but the dawning sun was sprouting from behind a hill dyeing of orange the sky. We were looking around us understand what pits the best direction for the escape, separating would surely have given us less in the eye but the union ago the strength, so with a look we decided to stay together. Up to that moment it was spun everything smooth, unfortunately, however, also with the whole appointment and the good possible wish, a rooster will be always a rooster. And so Bocelli, after a long internal struggle, he/she didn't succeed in holding back the instinct anymore. Besides there is also to say that it was some megalomaniac, because after the operation to the vocal chords it was anxious to exhibit his/her way voice. It started to sing" Figaro", drawn by the Barber of Seville, with the breast all swollen. Suddenly all the lights of the laboratory ignited while the other prisoners started to cackle, each in the respective language, making a country house of hell! To moments the keeper would have noticed our absence and you/he/she would be gone out to look for us. We checked again the whole enclosure in the hope that there pits a hole, a passage or something that it allowed me to go out, because me contrarily of my accomplice I would never have succeeded in climbing over the tall net. I lowered the disappointed look because there was not away apparently of exit. I made sign to Giotto to escape in hurry, to be saved himself/herself/themselves at least him. even you/he/she would have been able to go looking for reinforcements. But he made me understand that it didn't absolutely have intention to leave me there, then he/she sat to earth and he/she quickly wore the shoes.

«Bau? (And now that we do?).»

My companion was scratched the head sticking out the underlip, then you/he/she tightened in the shoulders (I don't have indeed the palest idea of it!).

# Chapter 16. The van

In the courtyard of the building, to some about ten meters of distance, the auto of the custodian was parked there. There was beside an old van, rusted and anonymous, that served for going to abduct the victims. I raced to take a big stone in the garden, then I let him/it fall to the ground beside the counter of the van. I looked at Giotto, then the stone and immediately after the car window.

«Bau! (Strength, lance the stone against the glass!).»

«Finger index that beats on the temple, arched eyebrows (But have you become crazy? Then who drives him/it that cosos?)» it replied Giotto.

«Bau bau bau bau (not to worry you, has only to do what I tell you!).»

«Finger index in vertical that ripples to the right and left, with the closed fist (Forget you him!).»

At that time the door of the laboratory opened abruptly and the keeper went out precipitately racing, you/he/she tightened among the hands a rifle loaded with bullets narcotizzanti.

«Stopped you, have you understood? Is firm there, ugly bestiacce, or I shoot you!» it shouted skipping about angry as a crazy person, still visibly drowsy.

«Bau? Bau? Grrrr! (Then that we do, we make us to take this way? I believed you I was braver!).»

Giotto looked at the custodian that had started out to take the aim with the language of. Shaken the head resigned, then it picked up the stone and it cast him/it against the glass, that went to splinters, later it used immediately my back as a staircase to climb fast inside the van and the counter opened me. I jumped on, and while Giotto closed again him/it a dart full of narcotic shattered him against the counter.

«Open right hand passed on the forehead, then shake in diagonal, with the mouth assumed as to whistle (Fiuuu, for a hair!).»

Another syringe entered through the broken car window and hammered him in the stuffing of the dashboard, as soon as above the head of Giotto. These it started to race before and back in the cabin, jumping and shouting gone crazy.

«Iiiiii iii (Soon you do something!)» it howled scotendomi for the shoulders.

The keeper, with trembling hands for the anger, you/he/she was trying to reload the rifle. I inserted under the face to the steering gear, I grabbed the electric threads with the mouth and I tore them, then I pointed out them to my companion with a musata. Fortunately also him, before ending there inside, all the telefilms circulating polizieschi was seen, from" Starsky and Hutch" to" On the roads in San Francisco!" It understood to the flight my intentions and it twisted the threads among them, making to squirt sparks. After a pair of complaints and some hit of cough the motor ignited. Giotto looked me perplexed. The keeper had just succeeded in reloading the rifle and him you/he/she was quickly approaching caring under draught.

«Finger index first toward of me, then toward of him, then to point out his/her legs and finally point of question (And now who devil drives him/it this coso? If I am to the steering wheel I don't reach the pedals!).»

I pushed down it from the seat, then I jumped on and I leaned the anterior legs on the rays of the steering gear. Another dart shattered him against the windscreen, him/it with its greenish liquid.

«Uab! Uab! (You put the reverse and parts!)» I told Giotto, these it showed me the teeth that beat (I Have a crazy funk!).

«Uab! Uab! Grrrr! (You put that damned reverse and parts, curse!).»

Giotto obeyed instantly, you/he/she geared the march and he left the friction. The van said a pair of jolts, was about to go off himself/herself/themselves. My companion crushed again the friction, as soon as in time, then resumptions to release very more softly her. The van started to slowly stir while I was steering toward right to go out of the parking place. The keeper interrupted his/her run, you/he/she allowed to fall the rifle and you/he/she was rubbed the eyes incredulous, then you/he/she started to shout.

«It is not possible. Stop you, accursed, and go down! I have said to go down.»

# Chapter 17. Finally free

From the small mirror retrovisore I saw the wall and the auto of the custodian come I meet us.

«Caì caiiì! (It brakes frenaaa!).»

Unfortunately, but even as, Giotto didn't succeed in finding in time the correct pedal, so the van banged against the auto of the custodian reducing her/it to a kind of accordion.

«Aaah» it shouted more and more strong and desperate these «you are of the assassins. My auto nuovaaa. you have destroyed my autooo.»

Did I look at Giotto in a little friendly way, snarling (But are you deaf?). He tightened him in the shoulders, then it made me a mischievous smile. I pushed the face in before.

«B b to u u. (you Put the first one and you depart plain!).»

The van stirred again. Addirizzai to the best the steering gear to aim at the gate, the keeper bent him to pick up the rifle but in the hurry you/he/she was stung with the needle narcotizzante of the bullet. Started over racing us behind, this time staggering, more and more to rilento. You stopped, it launched us behind the rifle and it fell dormant in the middle of the square.

«Baubau (you Put the second!).»

The half takings speed, but it was not enough.

«Baubaubau uuu (Third, and it accelerates!).»

We arrived I set to the gate, that tore him from the hinges, and we dragged along behind it for a piece. We quietly crossed a beautiful po' street, then Giotto suddenly braked almost making me beat a beautiful musata against the windscreen. I looked at him/it in interrogative way, he put the insane one and it threw by hand the brake, then the road pointed out me in front of us that it was long and right-hand, and in descent.

«Bau? (There is some problem?)» I asked him.

«Lifted hand open with the palm turned verse of me, then closed fist and astute index upward (it Waits for an instant!).»

I looked at him/it perplexed. Him svicolò from his/her posting and it went to open the sportellino of the vain portaoggetti of the dashboard. After having rummaged for some it threw out a hat and a pair of sunglasses and he/she wore them, then it came on the seat of guide and it pushed away me, and I made unwillingly him place because I was already imagined me with the elbow supported out of the car window and the fluttering ears to the wind. But after all if we had succeeded in running away you/he/she had been to a large extent thanks to his/her four hands and he, therefore I thought that it also deserved him the correct satisfaction. Giotto turned on the radio and with a big smile you/he/she removed by hand the brake, and the van restarted to stir. Meanwhile you/he/she had made day.

The city was seen in distance, overhung by the dawning sun, the road to be crossed was still long and the a little steep descent. I thought that with that walk we would have employed some days to arrive in center. During the journey a pair of motorists, that coming in sense contrary to ours was detained too much to look us bewildered for some instant of, you/they were ended astute in the fields. Other three or four had taken back the control to the flight and you/they were saved, it is the case to say him/it for a hair. Of sure someone of them had given the alarm, of there to few we would surely have been sought and intercepted. Been sorry, with a look of agreement we decided to abandon the mean. We started there through the fields and after few we felt a big coming and going of sirens, in distance the flashing blue were seen to cut the green of the country to all speed. Surely to that point the agents would have investigated, from the van you/they would be gone up again to the laboratory and you/they would have found and freed the other animals. Better so, we had a worry and a weight on the conscience in less.

# Chapter 18. To the farm

We reached the thresholds of the city in the late afternoon, the squeaks of the gulls that flew low and the odors typical of the rain in the air told that it was about to let loose himself/herself/themselves a beautiful storm. We had to find a shelter and above all something to be eaten, then to full belly we would have decided our future. The possibilities were not a lot of; to stay together and to make game of team - but up to when, and which would you/he/she have been able to be ours tomorrow? - or to go each for his/her own road. In the second case each of us would probably be systematized before and better, but there was an idea that kept on humming me in the head since the first moment in which, that morning, I had put the legs out of the laboratory. Now that I had Giotto to my side, of hands I had available even four of it, and everything you/he/she had also shown to know how to use well enough her. Him however, as all the artists, were a calm and sensitive type, very reserved and at all adventurous. For the truth it was also some fifone and moreover he didn't like to interfere himself/herself/themselves in the facts of the others. But if I/you had succeeded in convincing him/it, with his/her help I would have been able to surely recover the object that that accursed evening had slipped away from the pocket of Steve. I knew that they were departed only few weeks because the season was not changed, and probably it was still found in that hole in the floor because nobody knew the existence of it. When they started to fall the first heavy gocciolonis, that immediately made to perfume the country and to hiss the birds, found us near a farm to the borders of the inhabited center. I finally noticed with pleasure that my mecheses him you/they were loosening for leaving with the water. Of sudden a strange odor arrived to me, it almost certainly belonged to a rabbit. I lifted the leg anterior right while the tail was straightened in automatic, and I started to sniff the air. Giotto beat me a hand on the shoulder to tell me that you/he/she was not the moment to start playing, and you/he/she was right. We decided to insert us in the haystack of the farm, to hide us and to mend us from the rain in attends him that the storm ended and did dark. Going in the daytime around to center we would have attracted too much the attention, of certain someone would be taken he/she intrigues her/it to try to capture us. My stomach did" growl" a couple of times, simultaneously with that of Giotto. I looked at him/it.

«Mhhh (he/she knows Me that it is your turn)» I told him.

«Head that rotates toward right and then toward left, alternatively, then hand that the form of a gun imitates (I don't even think it, for today I have made to shoot I set enough!).»

I knew that it was useless to insist. I, then without saying more nothing I piled up with the leg some straw, I crouched me above a beautiful sheaf and I taken to stare at him/it with the face leaned on the spread out anterior legs in before. Sometimes he turned him to check if I was still looking at him/it for then to dissuade the embarrassed look. To the sixteenth one simultaneous" growl" of our stomacis, Giotto got up puffing and beating himself/herself/itself the palms of the hands on the thighs, as to say": Possible that touch always to do everything to me"!.

It went out with heavy footstep, dragging the feet, shortly after it was back with a string of sausages and a bottle of wine. I don't know how you/he/she had done, but the bottle was also uncorked already.

Did I look at him/it rotating some the head and lifting the canopy ears (you have done soon. but is thing that, is it wine? Do you drink him/it to you indeed? This I didn't wait me for him!).

# Did he make an expression strange type": That there is of badly"?, then it gave a pair of gulps. When you/he/she had drunk, he passed the forearm on the mouth to dry her/it and the bottle handed me from the tall one, so that I/you could also drink me.

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# Chapter 19. The melancholy ciucca

When Giotto had me I bring the bottle I had instinctively turned on the other side because I was mistrustful, in fact when I was still a police officer I had seen so so many you intoxicate to the plant that I knew very well what the effects of the alcoholic ones are. And then I found unpleasant that odor spiritato and penetrating because it entered me the nose with overbearance, therefore I was abstemious for a long time and I didn't have any intention to drink of it. Giotto looked at the few drops that were fallen to earth, you waste, and an occhiataccia launched me, however a pair they were me fallen on the nose and me I had licked her to clean me an automatic gesture. Contrarily to how much me would be expected, I found the pleasant taste, and immediately after I suffered an encouraging sense of lightness. "Even it will help who knows me to relax me," I thought.

I launched a yelp to Giotto, that handed again me after having brought the hands on the sides in sign of reproach the bottle. Already to the second gulp that red liquid from the sour and dense taste started to like me, despite a vague sense of burning to the stomach. And it was not only worth of the taste, I have to admit him/it, but above all of the feeling that started to give me. After a pair of good sausages and some other sip of wine I started to feel really well me. In truth turned me some the head and I felt me the strange language, as if was not entirely my, not do speak then of the tail that stirred as seemed to her! But, everything, I became me account that I had never been so relaxed and optimist. To that point I told me that that was the optimal situation to crush the very craved nap that I proposed me since that tragic evening, and that for acts of God I had not succeeded in granting me anymore. I found the most comfortable position and I let me cradle from the sound of the rain, that beat now on the roof of plate of the barn with a lot of more violence. Which best it lulls nanna, extended to the calduccio and done cover by the hay, while from the outside the fresh and comforting odor of the damp earth arrived? I had closed the eyes and started to heavily breathe more and more. I wanted to think about some beautiful female sample of boxer, the most affectionate race that is known, but suddenly I heard a voice shout:

«Growl, comes. it eats up her/it it is ready!»

Then my mind, against my same wish, in a lightning it raced to Steve, because name apart that was the same sentence that used him to call me when it was to eat now. I became me account than it missed me, and my despite I now felt me as hypnotized by that thought. I started to ripercorrere to bashful my life remembering all the moments beautiful mistakes with him, holding the fixed eyes to the wall of water that it kept on going down with strength shaking the plants of geranium in the vases and drawing looks for in the puddles. I remembered the first time that had picked up me from a big wicker basket, when I had as soon as few days, choosing me among the cucciolata. With the tense braccias had lifted aloft me and had turned more times on itself same, and for me had been as to climb on a merry-go-round!

«You are very beautiful» you/he/she had simply said, then you/he/she had rubbed his/her cheek against my soft fur «and you will become the greatest dog police officer that has ever existed.»

Then a lot of other memoirs were followed. The intense work of the training, even if for me was some everything as a game, the first bone - that emotion when I buried him/it! - the first pupazzetto of plush. The first arrest and a medaglietta all glimmering suspended to the collar. Be in each of those images there was always him to my side, my friend Steve! I shook off me because I had realized that I was becoming too much melancholy, so I forced me to return to think about the boxerina.

# Chapter 20. Giotto philosopher

The image of a companion that rubs the sweet his/her musetto on mine was made more and more intense, real, sign that I was entirely almost dormant. Did I tell me that it was really that of which I had need, before plunging me in a magnificent dream it stayed only me to decide the color of the mantle: white, brown, or striped? I started to think skimming through us the catalog that I had in mind, but really when I was about to decide Giotto it brought me in abrupt and sudden way to the reality with one of his typical and hateful screams. Had not even had the time to introduce me to Chantal - the boxerina, had decided to call her/it so - that this had blocked the eyes for the fear and was dissolved in an instant! I thought that Giotto brought upon really a beautiful lesson to have made to escape me the canine one; I tried to open the eyes to look him/it in with hostility and I discovered that my eyelids were heavy. With an inexpressible effort I succeeded in opening the eyes and I realized me that all stirred around me as if I/you was found me on a boat. I rotated the head toward Giotto and with immense surprise I saw that now the chimpanzees were two rather than one. I thought that Giotto had found a new friend and you/he/she had called me to introduce me him, and on the moment I tried a strong impulse of jealousy. In an instant I felt only again me.

"Now I give him a beautiful bite, to that intruder" I thought" so it leaves us alone."

However there was something that didn't return me; the other chimpanzee was exactly dressed as Giotto, and as him you/he/she held in hand an almost empty bottle. To get up to go to verify from near he/she didn't speak really, I knew that also striving I would not even have succeeded me in straightening me on the legs. I licked me for well the anterior legs for then to rub me her more times on the eyes and I checked again. Nothing to be done, were still both there. Then I had a lightning of genius, I tried to close an eye and I finally succeeded in gathering the two chimpanzees in a solo, that was stretched to earth on a dollop of hay with the cross hands behind the head in the meantime. The rosy skin of the face, completely depilated, it made to jump his/her red hot cheeks because of the wine. Meanwhile you/he/she had stopped raining and he looked at the sky by now starry, returned clear as in an evening in summer. Started to do me some gestures, the drunkenness had made him philosopher! How many the stars but the Earth and the Sky are who has created them, et cetera. We went on to common places for some.

"If it continues so we end to speak of politics" memory that I thought.

«Thing thinks of it of the human beings?» he/she asked me instead of a line brusquely changing matter.

I looked at him/it perplexed for some instant.

«I don't know him/it! With my job I have known so many of it, and each seems to belong to a different race. But not from out, from the of inside. I am not as us. it looks at us: you will be always to monkey, as The wills be always to dog. With our merits and our defects. Them no! They becomes of time in time lion, dog, monkey, mouse, rabbit, according to the situation and of whom have of forehead. And then they always look for the answers for everything, they are obsessed from the because and they continually look for the perfection. But they will never succeed us because they don't have our ability to perceive to let us drive from the elementary things of the nature as the odors. The most greater part of them succeeds in seeing only solid and very great things.

# Chapter 21. The reflections

«This is true them to want to look for for strength the answers also irritates me! And then, because they do him/it?»

«Because I am full of fears.»

«You are perhaps right, but even if did they discover the origin of the Life and the universe thing they would do? They say to love the nature and they try everything instead to kill her/it, to destroy her/it to defend himself/herself/themselves from her. They don't do whether to cut trees for then to race to confine him in their absurd boxes of cement.»

«Already! Among a few years, to make our needs, us dogs we will have to be satisfied us with bushes built in factory, or worse of a hydrant or of a lamp-post paintings of green.»

«Was alone that! They behave as if on the planet there were only them. Every day that passes removes more and more from us space, more and more food. In a place that calls China, even they feed him of us!»

I looked him/it at stranito, as if the greatest lie of the world had told me.

«No, this is too much big! I don't believe you» I told him.

«It is so, I tell you. I have seen him to the television. They eat both the monkeys and the dogs. And then, some kill even us to get away the skin, to make himself/herself/themselves some suits.»

«I cannot believe there.» The commenteds mentally annotating that The hads to remember to never bring me me in Slope.

«But you/he/she is not ended; they cultivate the mushrooms, they raise the fishes, they are vaccinated. And instead of being to the Sun to enjoy its beneficent heat, even some good air breathing, they confine him to listen to music in of the kinds of coffins for then to go out all reddened ones of it.»

«. thing is that they I give?»

«But where have you lived till now?» he/she asked me surprised of my ignorance.

«From the, it allows to lose.» it added then seeing that The hads remained badly there.

«However it is true, you/they are making to become everything forgery, everything artificial.»

«Really this way! We live all seized to a gigantic bead of soap that you/he/she could be swept away in any moment from a sneeze of the Sun... even we am for the Sun what is a flea a small organism that belongs to a greater organism for us. Even one day will arrive of sudden a gigantic insecticide cloud, and then. for this The don'ts succeed in understanding their absurdity attachment to the things, to the objects.»

«Have said well! Also I am jealous of my bone: I hold him/it to me there, I look me at him, I sniff him/it to me. But only for some, then I eat him/it. I enjoy him/it to me! And if I bury him/it, I eat him/it after two days. I don't let him/it decay from some part without remembering where, even happy for the fact that even if it won't be mine you/he/she cannot be of any other.»

«Yes, you are right. They are really strange. The ams burdens marvelous ones of it, others The ams really of the great carcasses.»

«And indeed the strange thing is that the same person can be the most generous of the world and the next day the more egoist today. This way, apparently without motive.»

«It is really this way. I knew how much I have seen of it, turning with the circus and doing the street life, before being captured by those of the laboratory.»

«Because, their way of giving the value to the things seems yourself normal?»

«I already know him/it, what you want to say. the money.»

«Yes, really that! That colored leaflets. if there is to thing that The have never understood, it is to thing they serves him. To have of it more than they are able they make the most absurd things. They humiliate itself same and the others, some are killed among them, or they simply kills of job. And then thing does us? They use him/it to perfectly buy us useless things, or that you/they could go to take him in a wood, or they hold him/it hidden under to the mattress. At times I think that the only feeling that you/they have preserved, of all those that had when they have come to the world, a great fear is alone. Fear of everything. Of the other men, of the nature, of themselves. Otherwise he doesn't explain, because they behave in this way.»

# Chapter 22. The confessions

We stayed a few minutes in silence, each lost behind his/her own reflections. My eyelids started to make himself/herself/themselves really of lead and I hoped to succeed in dozing off me at least for a few minutes.

«But were you a dog police officer indeed?» Giotto asked me after having screamed again to recall my attention making to jump me for air for the fear.

Bored, I again tried to threateningly look at him/it, but in that state I was not very believable. Under those conditions I would not even have frightened a dwarf cat, lame, and without claws.

«Already, really this way.»

«And you were not afraid when you went in search of bad?»

«Some that I was afraid. And also my companion had of it! Had felt as changed the odor of Steve when were about to enter action, at times became unbearable! But he succeeded in giving me safety and me I gave to him some, and when the moment arrived we became an alone thing as an united man to its reflex to the mirror. It is difficult to explain, but two so different beings became of hit an animal solo. We were accomplices and you win at least how much the bad ones.»

I considered to that damned evening and I realized me whether to remember still hurt her/it. A mixture of sense of guilt, of impotence and of void they kept on oppressing me. Definite to change matter, Giotto had never told me nothing of itself.

«And you, instead? Is Qual your history?»

«As I have already told you, I worked in a circus as tamer of hens. I was well and I had a good time, I turned the world and his/her children stravedevano for me. I was a true star, I would not have been able to desire more.»

«But the hens.» it came me to ask him, but him having realized what The wanted to know it interrupted the question on to be born.

«They are not stupid as it is said.» it simply said.

«And to the laboratory as you are ended there? Do they have you pensioner?»

«Macché pension. even if for the world of show business The starteds to be vecchiotto, The wases always the best!»

«And has thing happened then?»

«A banal thing. The have fallen in love» it said looking himself/herself/itself at the shoes.

«From when to fall in love himself/herself/themselves is a banal thing? Fall in love himself/herself/themselves happens to everybody and is very beautiful! He/she thinks, I find a new love in every road, in every district. Of hit I take no interest me of my pupazzettis, of the cats, of the tennis little balls to be caught. At times even of the croccantinis and of the cartoons. but The don'ts as at all to dismiss me!»

«I know him/it, also to me had already happened. but that time was different, and The have not resigned.»

«Yes, it is all right, I also tell always it me. Every time the new chosen person is the best. You are different, beautiful, sensitive, special. nothing to whether to see with the others. But at all you/he/she will have been the queen of the monkeys!»

«It was the trapeze artist!»

«. the trapeze artist?» I asked, not convinced to have understood well.

«Yes. you would have had to see how beautiful was. When it entered scene it seemed to shine of proper light, with all that sequins I set. When I saw up there her in top, illuminated only by the eye of ox, the heart beat madly me.»

«You were in love of a woman?» I asked again him, still incredulous.

«Already. today The don'ts understand yet as is been able to happen, yet it is this way. Does it seem stupid, true?»

«No, it doesn't seem me stupid, it simply seems me impossible. What fascinating human beings exist I don't doubt him/it, that can be loved him, even; my companion was for me more than a brother. The would have given my life for him and he for me.»

«Cannot compare a male to a female! The females are sweet and they know how to conquer you, and she loved me! It cuddled me, it chose and the best food brought me, it played with me.»

«I understand you, believe me.»

«And does thing find us of then strange?»

«The physical aspect. I don't succeed in understanding how you can find attractive a woman. Everything you can say some human beings, except that they are beautiful. They have only a thing that I envy him. rather three: two hands and the word. And doesn't they realize which great treasure you/he/she has given him the nature, but is this another discourse. as you/he/she has gone to end?»

«I have tried to kiss her/it.»

«You say seriously?»

«Yes. The have seen him make thousand of times in TV, it is their way of proving him the love. An evening I have also seen that it did him/it with the tamer of lions and I have not seen us more from the jealousy, I have feared that he would have brought away me him.»

«And therefore?»

«I have told you him. That same evening has brought me the supper, then you/he/she has started to make me the usual compliments, the little darlings, the grattinis on the back.»

«And you?»

«I/you/they have been to the game for some, then I have thrown her to me and I have kissed her!»

I looked at him/it curious.

«You/he/she has started to shout as if the same making who knows thing, I have had to escape because the tamer would have killed me» concluded, then you/he/she was hissed of hit and you/he/she settled to look at the sky with melancholy air.

# «Baaau (I am sorry it, I am sorry indeed. but let's rest now us burdens, that is almost time to go)» The said after burdens instant of silence.

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# Chapter 23. To the shed

We allowed to still spend some time, each absorbed in his/her own melancholy thoughts, sign that the ciucca had not passed entirely still. The silence was broken only to be dripped some water that on top of the eaves was picked up for then reverting in a small puddle, the air you/he/she was been cold and I imagined that Giotto was regretting the beloved fur of which had been deprived. The time had come to put on in walk and me I still had that fixed nail in head, that is to recover that metallic pillbox in the shed, but I didn't know just as to do for convincing Giotto to lend me a hand. I would have minded telling him a lie, it was a good chimpanzee and it didn't deserve him/it. And then I had a dilemma; if we were free it was also and above all thanks to him, that right had to again put him/it in the troubles? Then however I thought that, considering that it was abandoned, probably the shed would have been desert and we would not have taken some risk. Definite to tell him a lie, once recovered what served me to make to pay her/it to the assassin of Steve would have explained him everything and would have found the way of doing to forgive me! This way, accomplices the residues of the alcohol, invented me a small lie, and Giotto accepted to help the object of the desire to look for me. I had told him that owed to recover a rubber bone that had been removed by me by a big dog and I wins when I was still pup. You/he/she had asked me because I wanted really that, since you/he/she could get how much I wanted of it, and I had responded him that it had an affective value, that had given me him Steve. Once resolved that small problem we would have thought about the future. We started there toward the city that by now it was late night, both laboring to walk on-line straight line. Fortune wanted us to find us to pass really from the parts of the industrial zone; I immediately recognized the roads, the factories, the malodorous chimneys. It didn't stay us that to look for our shed. As I am a provident dog and I knew not to be endowed with big memory for the places, when I approached me in some new place I never skipped to leave a signal of my passage. This way I put me to the work; after having sniffed the pees of mine similar I found again mine, and shortly after we arrived to the shed. Giotto meanwhile it looked me disgusted and it kept on complaining about himself/herself/themselves for the tiredness, the ache of feet, and above all for the circle to the head. On the railing there were still the seals of the big pieces of yellow ribbon with some black writings. My companion looked around him, then a hand beat me on the shoulder. I turned me.

«Horizontal closed fist that rotates on itself same in front of my nose, then hands open with the palms toward of me (it is closed. you/he/she cannot be entered, gives you see? What do you want to now do?).»

I made an expression of superiority and with a sign of the head I pointed out him to follow me. Sure of I went me to me on the back, looking for the scatolonis that had served me the other time to enter, but unfortunately you/they had been soaked from the storm and now you/they were reduced marcescente of brown color to a heap. The finestrone was always to its place, with the glass still broken, but that height was impossible to also be reached for Giotto. We returned in front of the principal entry.

«Bau (there is an only possibility)» I said inserting the face in the crack between wall and gate, and then pointing out the metallic guide to earth.

«Finger index turned verse of me, then to his/her temple, then it oscillates me before, finally closed fists and cross wrists (You are crazy, I don't want at all to go to the jail!)»

«Grrr.? (But jokes? Are you afraid, that the imprints take you of what?)» I answered crushing a leg in the mud to leave a track. Then I looked at him/it with the blocked eyes, scotendo slowly the head.

«Iiii iiii.? (And if someone sees us?)» churches him worried bringing himself/herself/itself the fingers index and middle of the right hand in front of the eyes.

# Chapter 24. In the shed

«Bau bau grrrr (But who want that I/you/he/she see us, here, to this time at night? I have understood, you are a fifone. it is all right, you also go, The I give halo)» The answereds annoyed inserting again the torch in the hold crack and making strength in the attempt to make to flow the heavy gate.

Giotto was immovable to look me at braccia conserte, scotendo the head, I kept on insisting making strength and I yelped for the pain. I was already given me a wound close to the right eye, the gate you/he/she had not stirred of a centimeter but me I didn't release.

«Iiii. (My goodness, is only to bone! But because you have to be so stubborn? Before, get away.)» it told Giotto angry tone.

It drew near and it threw there away me of, then removed the adhesive ribbon and it started to push the gate. Not few laboring we had succeeded in opening an enough great small opening to allow us to pass. I slipped in the courtyard and I looked at him/it.

«Bau bau! (Before, it enters that we owe riaccostare)» I called him/it looking at the door of the shed.

«Finger index that his/her own feet point out, then spread out braccia along the sides, belly inward, immovable head (I stay here, I make the pole).»

«Bau (you Have to also come you, your hands serve me)» I answered lifting me on the back legs to shake those anterior.

«Iiii. (Accidentaccio! I have told you that I don't want to enter us, there inside.)» it complained him beating an earth foot.

After a long psychological war I succeeded in convincing to enter him/it, and if had had the hands would have used the back to cleanse me the forehead! We closed again the gate and we penetrated there in the old store, that seemed me very smaller than as I remembered him/it. There was an ample space surrounded from pillars and on a side there were so many stanzettes. The sky was again covered, the little light of the lamp-posts that entered from the finestronis now all it took is for allowing us to direct well us.

«Iiii. iii» it said Giotto the hand beating himself/herself/itself on the wrist. The door pointed out me, then it made to turn the arm on itself same, turned upward, and it made a grimace (we Do soon, I want to go. I don't like this place!).

Definite then to submit again me to the my infallible nasone. I started to walk along the wall looking for a trace, hoping that the time and the job of the men had not cancelled entirely the odors. Looking for looking for, I found the exact point where Steve was fallen when you/they had shot him. There was still a chalk sketch from the faded contour that reproduced his/her figure to earth. The tears climbed me to the eyes. I stretched me in the sketch, the last place where we were greeted there, to feel its odor. To feel nearbyer it.

«Iii iii» it restarted to shout Giotto. It held upward the astute arm, and it moved the hand toward of itself (Hey, you come here!).

«Cai cai (Now it is not the moment, leave me calm!).»

«Iii iii iii» insistette so that I turned me, I looked at him/it and I saw that among the hands it tightened a bottle and a colbacco.

«Bau bau? (but where have you found them? And then you don't think about having drunk enough?)» I answered scotendo the head.

«Finger that points out the bottle, supported then on the cheek to rotate. Later, hand open with the turned palm downward that ripples from him to me (This is vodka to the banana, a true rarity, and is mine preferred! Before, it lifts the tail and you come to drink a sip of it, it is excellent).»

«Grrr (Not now. Before I have to do something very more main points!)» I said again scotendo the head and grinding the teeth.

# Chapter 25. The walkman

I rose again me to look for the buchetta in the floor and I found there exactly her where I remembered her/it. I leaned out me and I was happy to see a fleeting metallic shine, sign that the object was still to its place. I called Giotto, that drew near staggering, and I pointed out him her barking. As if they were the simplest gestures of the world, and after all for him they were him/it, the sleeve of the shirt was rolled up for not dirtying her/it and inserted the rosy arm in the hole. When he/she saw that what had thrown out was not a bone it looked me crooked, and later it started immediately to do the offended one.

«Hand that the shirt is seized, then the fondoschiena touches him (you have taken Me for the bottom!).»

«Bau bau cai (From the, don't pick her/it up. You don't imagine how much important is for me. if I/you had told your truth, fifone as you macaws you would never have helped me!).»

«Finger index turned verse of itself, then lifted to oscillate to the left from right, and false trembling. Then finger toward of me, and immediately after hand that the nose touches him and quickly gets further on-line straight line (I am not a fifone, and you are a Pinocchio!).»

«Bau? (But what is this coso? It seems a telephone, but it is some different)» I asked him looking at the mysterious object.

«Chin shutter in before, then head that sinks in the shoulders (I of these technological things don't understand a club of it. It would seem a radio.).»

We looked better at it and we made us account that had on the keys the same symbols of a VCR. Giotto fumbled us for some, then the ribbon finally started to turn in the correct verse. When I ended to listen to the recording, after having cried again, I started to jump of joy. I would have brought that object the police and them you/they would have recognized the assassin. When Giotto, that knew my history, finally understood, you/he/she forgave instantly me and a gulp of vodka offered even me to celebrate. then another and another anchor. Slowly it started to ripresentarsi in my throat the taste of the supper. Vodka was very stronger than the wine, it made me burn the stomach and it weakened me, in the turn of few minutes I restarted to see double. Suddenly we felt the noise of an auto that stopped him in front of the shed, Giotto it looked me perplexed. After few instants there was the screeching of the gate that flowed on the guide, then noise of footsteps that you/they drew near.

«Grrr (Soon you come, we have to hide us!)» I told Giotto, that had suddenly become for our adversity too much curious and brave throwing him/it to work for a sleeve. He picked up colbacco and bottle and it followed me behind a machinery, where we crouched there.

«The seals are broken, who devil has been to open the gate?» it played again the Bogy man's voice amplified by the height of the shed, meanwhile his/her footsteps he was doing more and more near.

«I don't know him/it, probably some bum looking for a shelter» a second voice responded.

«You are perhaps right. in every houses, we hold the eyes well opened and we see immediately to find that damned walkman, The wants to go to hurry.»

"How Careless, here as it calls: walkman" I thought.

«If you had immediately told me him, that existed, we would not be now here. We would have destroyed for a long time already him.»

«We are not certain of it, that exist, but when I/you/they have gone his/her home to look for the tests and the documents I have not found anything. And then I have felt to say that they want to organize another sopralluogo, it is better to give a glance and eventually to make plaza cleaning up. However, thinking well of us, when I have shot to that idiot you/he/she was seemed me to see to go out him something of the pocket. On the moment I have not given us weight, I had seen more only a twinkling and nothing. and then The wases too occupied to escape from that accursed cur.»

Giotto turned to look me perplexed, then you/he/she did an imitation of me raged and smiled. Listening to the conversation among the two I had understood that Steve had been victim of a real plot. Of hit the drunkenness dissolved him and I found me crushed by the same feeling that had tried to the funeral such a blind and obstinate fury that was afraid even of myself!

**Chapter 26.** **Giotto the hero**

For an instant I felt the whole vengeful anger of which a being can prepare to climb me in head, would have liked to shred him/it to bites! But later I wondered immediately me as Steve you/he/she would have acted. Would have told me that after all I was a police officer and that for the Bogy man a worse punishment existed, and that is to make the rest of its days spend him together with the people that had sent in what served me to send him/it in the jail I held him/it well narrow among the teeth! Smiles between me and me to the thought of as would have welcomed him/it and what treatment would have reserved him the criminals that had made to condemn! Besides, even if the drunkenness was enfeebled from my head, the same I could not say of my legs and of my fangs. I would not have been able to face him/it, and moreover I also had the duty to protect my companion, a drunk chimpanzee as a monkey. In fact Giotto, excited and confused, you/he/she continued to smaniare despite my continuous growls to try to make to be him/it good, until you/he/she bumped with the foot an iron bar that rolled on itself same doing a terrible noise.

«Thing has been?» he/she asked the Bogy man.

«I have not felt anything. Before, continuous to look for that I want here to go out of to the quick one» he/she answered I dry his/her companion.

In to hear those words Giotto started laughing; I felt like thinking that when discovered teeth and gums to that way was really ugly! He didn't realize that the situation was dangerous indeed and that the run toward the salvation passed really under to their noses. We were risking the skin and him it had a good time challenging making them capolino and launching pebbles, while me worried I had to throw him/it for the sleeve to bring him/it in the obscurity of the hideaway.

«I feel a strange odor» it said the assassin.

«That is?»

«I don't know him/it, it seems me. it seems me to feel as an odor of beast.»

«Probably you are you» it commented the other.

«You have ended with your paranoias or do you want to be here the whole night?» he/she asked then him.

I turned me toward Giotto that had shaken more and more, and I noticed that now the bottle was completely empty.

«Grrr (you Want to be lock and good person for five accursed minutes? If they see us, these recognize me and they kill us both!)» I repeated him for the nth time trying to appear more serious than I was able.

It stopped laughing at hit, as if you/he/she had suddenly returned sober. It looked me serious knitting the eyebrows, the wrinkles on his/her face they were done deep and its small watery eyes shone in the dark.

«Finger index turned verse itself same, then that it oscillates, then that it beats on the temple. It pointed out the point from where the voices came, then its hand took the form of a gun. It finally mimed a bite, and it fought the hand on the breast (I am not stupid. Are those the assassins of your friend creeds that has not understood him? You should kill them to bites. Is it the love that you had for Steve that's all? If you don't decide yourself to intervene, if you don't do anything you, will think then it me!).»

«Grrr grrr. bau? (Have told you that have to be good an instant, accursed stupid! Do these shoot us seriously. where your funk is ended?).»

Giotto mimed a shiver and was shown. Then it was pointed out the eyes and it pointed out me. It was serious. (You have given me some fifone? Have you given some fifone to me? Now I make you see me if I am a fifone!) it said starting to go out of the hideaway.

# Chapter 27. The history repeats him

«Caì cai? (No, bushels firm for love of the sky. and now thing you want to I give?)» I repeated throwing the eyes to the sky. I grabbed again then it for the shirt.

Too late!

For all answer my companion had crossed the hands on the elbows pushing them in before, then you/he/she had lowered the baricentro and you/he/she had started to toddle swinging on the feet

«Iiiii. (À. the russaaa!)» it shouted.

His/her ridicule attitude left me to the point amazed that hesitated too much an instant of. Before I succeeded in holding back him/it, taken the aim and it launched the empty bottle toward the point from which the voices originated. This crossed the stanzone rotating on itself same and passing under to the finestrone sparkled, later it fell immediately shattering himself/herself/itself to the feet of the accomplice of the Bogy man that he/she rudely cursed.

«You race there is someone» it shouted extracting the gun.

«Wuf wuf! (Thing you do. stopped, they will kill you!)» I barked, but by now Giotto you/he/she was launched to the attack racing with his/her footstep from drunk.

Its walk did him/it resemble to a mixture among a ball ovalizzato and a raw egg launched on a table. Advanced with the colbacco in head holding the tall braccias and showing the open teeth, and to end howled as a crazy person, seemed really gone out of a novel of the terror!

«Ahhh» it shouted the frightened Bogy man to death «aiutooo. there is to murderous dwarf of the KGB. it is mostruosooo!»

His/her companion was inspecting another room, feeling to shout him/it hopelessly runs worried to lean out on the threshold.

«You are really an idiot» it shouted him «you don't see him/it that it is only a stupid monkey?»

Then the Bogy man recovered the calm, you/he/she lengthened the arm and you/he/she contemplated Giotto, thing at all easy date his/her walk. I could not leave only it, you/they would have killed indeed it. With the unsteady legs because of the emotion and of the alcoholic residues I attached one run after desperate in the attempt to do what I had not succeeded in doing for Steve. Exactly as the preceding time, there was not now more time to make calculations. Holding the well narrow object in mouth I arrived once more I set to the Bogy man with all of my weight, correct an instant before it shot. The bullet passed to a millimeter from the head of its companion, that shouted petrified for then to race to shelter him in another room. While I was touching earth I warned an intense burning to the right thigh. Giotto, that feeling the explosions had suddenly returned sober, had reached a window, you/he/she had climbed in hurry and if the era dates to legs shouting as if you/he/she had had to the ribs the devil in person. I had opened mouth to say" Caì" for the pain, and in to make him/it the walkman you/he/she had slipped away. Falling, the bastard is rolled on itself same and you/he/she had shot for the second time, and you/he/she had succeeded in striking me a leg. I rose again me to work.

«Groar (you are really an accursed bastard)» I told him showing his teeth.

I was ingobbito, lowered on the ready anterior legs to go off, the hair on my back and on the neck you/he/she had become a mane. The walkman was in the center of the room, fifty-fifty road between me and him.

«Before ugly bestiaccia» he responded looking me with air of challenge «you come to take you this coso. I don't know why circulating are still, but we close once and for all now the discourse.»

I would have liked to face him/it and to do asunder it, but if only I/you had tried there I would have been too much fool because I was aware that it dealt with a clash you learn. I mentally relived that evening and I felt again me impotent. I saw that it lifted the gun to shoot again me, I picked up the energies that stayed me and I faked to go off toward right for then to launch me in an escape on the left. Out I felt once the wake of the odor left by Giotto, alcohol sweat mixture and terror, but I was not able to follow him/it because I was too much weak. I got further me the more possible until joint near a public, exhausted and painful garden, I crossed a lawn and I let me fall in a bush. I felt a lot me as empty and the leg made me an evil dog, in anymore the head it turned me as a top. Few instants after I lost the senses.

# Chapter 28. The rescue

I woke up myself because of a sudden noise of feet that you/they walked in the tall grass rustling and breaking twigs, and before I/you could make mind local a pair of hands it grabbed me for the back legs and it dragged under me out of to the hedge throwing me in the desperation.

"At the end that accursed has found me" I thought resigned.

«Hey, and you that you did there us inside? Hey, do I tell you. you macaws alive?» I felt to say from a mixed voice while a hand caressed me the face.

Making I count me that was not the voice of none of the two assassins I felt me to revive, I opened the eyes slightly reassured but he/she anchors some timorous. A tall and thin guy, with the curls all uncombed ones, held the face to few centimeters from me. It brought glasses from seen by the thick lenses a finger and also he stinked of alcohol. I deduced that in the middle of the hedge was risked for doing an it needs and you/he/she had found by chance me.

«My goodness, but you are wounded!» it said amazed.

«Caì. mmmhhiii (No, is it tomato you don't see him/it? Be on commissioner Rex's set! My goodness, but because all the idiots captain to me?).»

«You ago so much evil?» he/she asked touching me the thigh next to the wound.

«Mmhh. grrrr? (According to you?).»

«I will take care of you me, to house I have the whole material! Oh, it hoists» it said uselessly trying to lift me; under those conditions it was already so much if he/she succeeded in being standing for his/her account.

«Ok, follow me» it said accompanying the words with an ample gesture of the hand after a pair of attempts to empty, and it was started toward the road.

I felt me weak, I had lost a lot of blood. Even if I didn't believe it as I wanted to wish to be me fallen, at least for once, in good hands. And above all I hoped not to die, to this point I absolutely had to find again that bastard and to kill him/it with my same legs! The revenge is not what from animals, it is well-known, it is said that the animals follow the instinct of the moment and that they forget in hurry, but that time was too much. That accursed had combined too of it, and too much big.

"So much I will find again you, by now I have seen you to open face. I will be well hardly I will come straight to the plant of police, and we will make once and for all then the accounts". The wases thinking while The wases climbing me on the back seat of the car, and later The realizeds immediately me that there would have been no need to look for him/it; The saws the Bogy hand in distance, you/he/she was looking at verse of us while he/she was annotating something on to notepad.

My rescuer closed the counter, you/he/she made the turn of the auto and you/he/she climbed. It started and it crushed to tablet.

# "It perhaps suits me to faint again" I thought when I realized as it drove" at least I will die in the sleep."

#

#

# 
Chapter 29. The operation

When Italo started to cure the bullet to extract me, I was still in state of seed-conscience. He fumbled on my leg, he/she worked and he/she spoke, he/she spoke and he/she worked. I noticed that as soon as the drunkenness passed him it took back a tone of normal voice. Curiously, to each minute that passed, its voice became less hoarse but contemporarily it started to notch the words. Toward the end of the operation it was completely sober by now but he/she stammered in exaggerated way, you/he/she had almost become incomprehensible.

«You S-s-know, p-p-p-ppenso cheche there troo-veveremo b-b-b-beneinsieme» you/he/she had started to say.

Then, so much to change, also he had me practically told the history of his/her life, and I had been good good person of it to listen to him/it. Even if at that time the maximum one was not certain of my aspirations, in how much I would have preferred of big long to make me a beautiful sleep to take back the strengths, I was me said that that was indeed an unpaid small customs him in sign of thankfulness to have me literally saved the life.

As I had, who knows because, vaguely intuition, Italo was a private investigating scalcinato; a good person as the croccantinis but ingenue, and above all you/he/she was fresh of dismissal. I had understood him because experience had taught that when you find a drunk man, at night you can choose alone among three options,: you/he/she has just lost all the money in some biscas, you/he/she has just been left by a woman, or you/he/she has just been dismissed.

While the back leg braked me, Italo had told me that since you/he/she earned few, or you/he/she had better the vice to spend too many money in stupid way, every now and then you/he/she accepted to make some extra lavorettis besides those that the detective agency commissioned him for which he/she worked. One day a woman was introduced to his/her house and you/he/she had asked him the tests of the betrayals of his/her/their husband, promising that you/he/she would scentedly have paid him/it. He had investigated for a long time and finally, after a series of ambushes, you/he/she had brought the woman a beautiful photographic service in which her husband was cultured red-handed, in very compromising attitudes together with a blonde youth and provocative. Unfortunately for him, however, when Italo acted removed incognito from him the glasses to be able to effect some disguises, so because of his/her myopia had not realized that the unfaithful husband was really his/her employer!

The rest of the history, included the drunkenness, him he is able well to imagine. At the end of the intervention it bathed me the mouth with some drop of water, because even if I had a hunger from wolf to eat he/she didn't speak really because of the anesthesia. Then a sedative administered me.

# «Or-or-or-time d-d-devidormireunpo'» it said with his/her usual avalanche of vowels and consonants; he/she took runs after her/it and it upset her to me I set everybody attached that I didn't almost understand there nothing.

#

#

# 

# Chapter 30. The new life

If I/you had been able to count I would not have had the time to reach five from when I woke up; to the third breath I started to sneeze and the shake did me bad to the sewn leg. Still stunned by the sedative, that owed to have made reaction with the wine and the vodka of the evening before, I looked around me to understand its motive. Waited for in front of me, to proper safety distance, there was a gattaccio persiano with the white hair and everything fluffy and me to the hair of the cats have always been allergic! I remember that all of a sudden of my life, a lot of time before, as all the dogs I had decided to measure my ability in to catch feline, thing at all easy date their astuteness and agility. As a cat cannot tell entirely him cat until you/he/she won't have caught a mouse or a passerotto, so a dog cannot consider entirely never him dog until you/he/she won't have picked up a cat, and so street. They are the laws of the nature. In short, after different days of ambushes and jumps, traps and run after to empty, I had finally succeeded in capturing one of it. I held him/it immovable crushing him/it to earth with the leg and him it looked me imploring and terrified at the same time. I had enjoyed the scene for a beautiful po' until, all satisfied of the good job, had given him a beautiful bite to full mouth. Result? You/he/she had come me an ugly gengivite, so I had been forced to abdicate my ossis and the croccantinis for a piece.

Now Puffi - that gattaccios it called this way - you/he/she had understood to the flight my problem and you/he/she had decided to amuse him some. More I sneezed and more him, cheered by the thing, it drew near with to do indifferent. Every sneeze risked to make to tear me the points of suture, that seemed to have been applied by a baby with the equipment of the small tailor among parenthesis. Finally, when also aware that evil I would have made to the wound I was me definite to go off for giving him a beautiful lesson, Italo it leaned out to the door and he/she invited Puffi to leave me alone. The cat launched a look of reproach to Italo and one of superiority to me, then you/he/she was started toward you/he/she brings her/it to upright tail with an infuriating slowness. I immediately understood that to live there would not have been easy, but I didn't have very to choose. At least until I/you was not recovered entirely I would have had to bear the gattaccio and his/her spites, of which as I feared it appeared prodigal. And unfortunately I didn't succeed in finding the way of giving him a beautiful curried, was too much cunning and quick while I was handicapped! This way I was forced to suffer because for a series of motives I could not go from there. The first one was that date my condition I was not self-sufficient, I knew that I would have employed a lot of time to recover. To say the truth I would have been able to also go to those conditions and to put me looking for Giotto there was around even still traces of his/her odor, but for that little that I knew him/it I was certain that I would not have more him seen again. During our imprisonment you/he/she had often repeated me that you/he/she would have liked to move himself/herself/themselves to a cold place to try to make himself/herself/themselves increase the fur, and of certain it was far now already. Besides I had another good motive to stay with Italo, and it was the more main point; doing two more two became me account that him, for how much I suspected him/it to be an incapable, you/he/she would have been able to lend me a hand to make to pay her/it to the Bogy man. I was certain that sooner or later that scoundrel would have come to look for me, I knew that type of criminal and I knew that he was of those that never release. This way, if I/you had succeeded in making to find me ready, with the support of Italo I would have been able to capture him/it.

# Chapter 31. The neighbors

Meanwhile, to face to the best the boring period of the convalescence, had taken the habit to spend those beautiful days of beginning spring in the garden of the house of Italo. This thing had different positive aspects. I was outside indeed and away from Puffi, and then I could make some splendid sleeps crouched on an old man soft mattress. At times I spent times to study ants, lizards and butterflies; since I was not able scorrazzare to catch I had to satisfy her to look me at her, so I learned above all so many new things on the ants. But above all I studied the habits of the members of mine new - and more it spent the time and more I hoped only with all myself temporary - family. I was above all incuriosito from the behaviors of Italo and from his/her relationship with his/her neighbor, that called Stefania. He/she lived in the adjacent to villa ours and also she had a beautiful garden, bordering with ours, and above all it had a canine. It dealt with a barboncina always combed and tasseled of all point, cleaning up, ordinate. Was the classical type of vain and unfriendly female, would have been the fortune of the manager of the laboratory where imprisoned had been! To skin I had not found her quite nice, but to feel less only me and to exchange four chatters I had tried a pair of approaches. These however you/they were revealed fruitless because Barbie resulted to be, as I had foreseen, enough snob. My scars and my ways some sincere ones they made me appear to his/her eyes a banal street cur, and as had thought her gave a lot of weight to the appearances. without counting then that The wases not of race! As I said, to spend the time I had started to observe the relationships between Italo and Stefania. The two gave the impression to be very attracted the one by the other, nevertheless they were both extremely timid ones. Very often you/he/she could also happen five or six times in one day, they looked for the most banal excuses to see him, to meet himself/herself/themselves to speak. An onion, a clove of garlic, a light bulb to be changed, to how many degrees it is had to wash a sweater wool out-cotton inside, and so street. Yet they kept on staying in surface because they didn't succeed in declaring himself/herself/themselves that them mutual interest. They for instance spent times to climb on a scarpiera while in foundation it flowed the sonorous column of" Ghost." How much have cried there on that films, and also Steve, that was really a sentimentalone! Or they started painting the walls of a room, or to mend the fence of the garden. They did him/it trying to physically be nearer than they were able, grazing himself/herself/itself, looking himself/herself/itself and smiling as idiots while they were being given hammered on the fingers or they inserted the feet in the bucket of the varnish. But among them didn't happen more anything.

If Italo and Stefania at least they tried us, the relationship between me and Barbie was reduced to a mutual to ignore him, also because she kept on behaving him in unfriendly way. Not that I held particularly to his/her friendship, however since we were neighbors it seemed me polite to try to build a good relationship, after all we would always have been able to make some scorrazzatas together. Besides I was certain that if had rained of that that was thundering, soon would have been forced to spend well more than a hour in the porter of the same automobile, of Sunday, direct in the country! Then I had tried to win me her in all the possible ways. I had done even her homage of my best ossis, the pulpiest but her nothing. Didn't appreciate! What an anger to see them thrown there so, on the lawn. Shortly they became some kinds of immense countries of the toys for ants. But it is not everything: she often had a good time trying to make to vex me toying with this or that dog of the other neighbors, all rigorously of race, with so much of pedigree and gilded medaglietta to the neck.

# Chapter 32. Barbie and the dobermann

Then, however, one day a fact happened that changed the papers in table; the case wanted that really in that days Barbie had one of that periods of his in which, as for magic, the females suddenly become floods of sex appeal and all the dogs of the district they fall in love. In little time in front of the gate of his/her garden an army of mine similar was formed. What gather and that scuffles, for the whole day and for the whole night, and that howls! And when Stefania brought her/it to I walk her it had a good time passing aloft to upright tail and face in the middle of them. One day however it made the error to give too confidence to a dobermann. Shortly after this, taking advantage of the absence of Stefania that had gone from Italo to ask him if you/he/she could lend her some perfumed softener to the fishing, you/he/she had jumped to legs you protect the gate and you/he/she was started definite toward Barbie. Its tonnage was at least four times that of the canine one, that seeing immediately started him/it to worried piangiucchiare.

«Hiii hiii (Thing you want?)» she whimpered withdrawing up to enter his/her wood cottage.

«Mhhhhh? Hiii! (Thing I can want according to you? They are days and days that you provoke me!).»

«Mhiii bau. (The ams sorry but you macaws wrong you, if The have done him you/he/she has been without wanting him/it.).»

«Bau bau (Lies! Till now have had a good time making to sigh me, I now want to have a good time me me! Before, you come out of there!).»

«Hiii! (You are crazy!).»

«Bau grrr bau? (What there is, I am not your type?).»

«Caì bauuu grrr (it is not as you think you. I like a lot you, but. but.).»

«Grrr grrr (Before, few histories! You come out, that show you thing he/she knows how to make a true dog!)» he responded starting to give some zampates to the wood cottage.

Continuing so, still few hits and you/he/she would have destroyed her, some like the Bad Wolf in the history of the Three Piglets. I thought that probably Barbie would be deserved a beautiful lesson, but I could not assist to a fact of the kind without intervening. I was always also a dog police officer, even if in bourgeois, so I got up me and I crossed the garden, I made to jump a pair of aces of the fence with a heading and I set out me verse of them snarling.

«Bau! Caì caì (have told You that I don't want! Leave me alone!)» you/he/she was saying Barbie.

«Waw waw Grrr grrr (And I have told you to come out of there. I cannot be here at all the whole day.)» insistette him keeping on giving zampate to the kennel.

«Bugbear bau grrr (Friend, is deaf? You/he/she has told you to leave her/it alone)» I told the dobermann beating with his face on a shoulder.

He turned him, all of its yellow and sharp dentacci showed me, then it straightened the hair on the back and it put on in position of fight.

«Waw grrr (And you who are? It turns to the wide one if you want to return home with your legs!).»

«Grrr. waw waw (Good, you have almost frightened me. Your beautiful figure you have done her, now turned and it returns from where you have come).»

He looked me sceptic, it was the biggest dog of the district and you/he/she had played her to more than an adversary, he/she didn't believe that I would have had the liver to face him/it. Surely he/she thought that I had to be an irresponsible person, or that I had to have some hidden resource. To every way, for all answer, from good braggart that was it arched the back up to almost touch the earth belly and it was picked up on itself same, ready to go off for attaching me.

# Chapter 33. The dobermann and I

Sincerely to scuffle was really the last thing of which I would have had desire and need, but to that point it seemed really that I/you could not do of it really to less because to avoid the clash would have liked rimangiarsi the words. Not that I feared that cur, I had been accustomed for a long time to face the worse criminals, more really bad and armed up to the teeth. In that situation, also in the case that defeats of it was gone out, more than some bite and some scratch I would not have risked, only that really I didn't have desire. But instead of making me my business I had wanted to make the part of the Rider that comes to save the Princess, by now I had interfered and I had to play after all my thin role.

I depressed and I put me to my it turns in position, fixing straight in the eyes my adversary to prepare me to the clash. The other dogs, completely you forget of their hormonal discharges, they were all lifted on the back legs and you/they had supported those anterior to the enclosure, to lean out to see what happened inside. Someone, that was brought behind a pair of ossis for omaggiare Barbie, had started to show them to the others to bet on the winner.

«Axeeell! Axell, ugly bestiaccia, is suffered out of there!» it played again a furious voice as soon as an instant before the Dobermann detached the leap verse of me.

A man on the fifty, thick and with the glasses, it arrived racing. It had in head a big white hat and him you/he/she was approaching with a broom in hand; it seemed proper intenzionato to use her/it. It was nearby ours, a type some strange that called Iosto and of work was a cook.

«Axell, have to stop escaping me! Do you now know him/it what it waits yourself, true? A beautiful bath waits yourself, so you learn to disobey» it told the Dobermann in tone of reproach.

My adversary made an imploring face as to say" no, the bath no". and The lookeds at him/it perplexed. Unbelievable, a so great and big dog, the terror of the district, that was afraid of the water! Him he turned verse of me to show me once more the teeth.

«Bau Grrrrrr (it doesn't end here!)» it announced with the breast all swollen for the anger. Then, without adding other, it lowered ears and tail and it escaped away.

Barbie attended until the Dobermann it was enough distant, then it went out of the wood cottage and runs from me.

«Bau bau! Au cai mhhh (" My hero! If there had not been you I don't know as you/he/she would be ended)» it said coming to rub the face against mine.

«Waw waw (I imagine very well instead him to me - I answered repressing a smile - however you are calm. Now it is everything to place).»

Says this I returned on my footsteps of it.

# Chapter 34. The confession

It was departed other time and by now I was almost entirely recovered. I walked well enough and the leg didn't hurt me, even if an ugly scar had remained me. But after all I could not complain; I would never have stopped being thankful to Italo to have saved me the life. Also Puffi - the gattaccio, for the one that didn't remember him/it \- had realized that every more day was returning in form, in fact its jokes were being made rarer and less bad, and effected for a long time naturally them more distant! On my behalf I had started to look at him/it with different eyes; despite my allergy, you/he/she was becoming more and more desirable. I often wondered me if it was worth to catch himself/herself/themselves another gengivite, also to give him a beautiful lesson. But then I told me that I had more important things to which to think; of there to few I would have had to decide whether to do for chasing the the Bogy man, considering that you/he/she was not done alive yet. I didn't know if, and above all as, to ask the help of Italo. Meanwhile from a few days I had started over looking at the Looney Tunes, really together with Puffi. I enjoyed me the mishaps suffered by Cat Silvestre spaparanzato on the couch, and to every new fall, to every new auto that invested him/it, to every new brush-up of Ettore, I turned me to intensely look at the gattaccio for then to smile him. Done he, crouch few - but always enough - distant, did it reciprocate the more smile for convenience that other, and did it assume an expression of the type later immediately": you would not do me this, it is not true"?. Meanwhile in the doubt it still got further some.

Of sudden Italo entered dragging the feet and with the shoulders bent in before, he allowed too well to fall in armchair and takings to look me in that way that I knew until. It intensely fixed me, as if you/he/she had had a weight of which to free himself/herself/themselves and it was definite to do him/it really with me.

"But because the men must always have tormented when in television there is something amusing?" I wondered me hoping that it withstood at least other five minutes, while it was keeping on fixing me without opening mouth.

Meanwhile Cat Silvestre, once more, you/he/she was hardly stuck out by the moulding that so much of too much. Puffi was covered the eyes with the legs not to assist to the ruinous fall and his/her tragic consequences: twelve plain under there was really the kennel of Ettore, the mastiff! Italo still fixed me. I and I pressed the red key of the remote control, then I turned me verse of him and I straightened the ears, and he showed me with a fleeting smile that had appreciated the gesture.

«I would Vo-vo-want really to and-and-and-be to your po-po-poposto» it started to say, and to that point every residual hope faded away. I looked at him/it resigned, twisting the head and positioning the canopy ears to show him attention, was useless to lengthen anchors the broth!

Said that I was fortunate because I didn't have to worry me about nothing, that had eats up her/it scooped out, that was enough me to have a little ball to pursue for being happy. and partly was true because us dogs macaws really this way! And then it added that it admired my spontaneity. A dog if it is hungry he/she eats, if the needs escape him it does them, if he likes a canine it immediately shows him/it to him. He had to worry himself/herself/themselves about two thousand things instead. It was also now without job, the world went badly, there was around too wickedness, the politics was a disgust, the priests were not once anymore those of, the canon tv was an injustice, the soccer players earned too much. Then it finally reached the matter Stefania. I have never understood because one, when it is confided, the more matter care of it it has to always face him/it to the last one, almost to hide him/it after having you sfiancato with thousand discounted concepts and meaningless. However at the end it told me what I already knew. It was in love of her but he/she didn't succeed in taking the initiative, it had too many doubts. Did you show him attention and it seemed at least partly to reciprocate, but up to that point? And then, was it love or only friendship? "And if I don't too physically like her? And if I like only her for the work that I do? \- this I found indeed it unlikely - And if Puffi doesn't get along with Barbie? And if it suddenly becomes vegetarian? And if in one month it dies me an uncle of America and do I have to depart"?.

Practically it made me come a big headache without besides reaching any useful conclusion despite my repeated efforts to launch him some encouraging looks.

# Chapter 35. The visit of Stefania

The next day came to find us proper Stefania, you/he/she had prepared a dessert and you/he/she had brought a piece of it to make to taste him/it. I didn't know very well our neighbor, but of a thing I was more certain: few women knew how to make the sweets as her. Few instants after his/her entry, such a good aroma to be made resuscitare the corpses had invaded the whole house!

"If I were him I would marry only her for this" I thought with the saliva about the mouth.

«Ah, that bubu. bubu. chebuonodore, deveve. devevessere exceptional dadavvero. Now vavavado to see if I have an alive. an alive. to dessert vivino» it said Italo.

«I have seen that you have saved my Barbie from that cur. You hold, you are you him really deserved» Stefania told me making me a caress, then a piece of dessert handed me that for the truth it was really microscopic.

I stayed sat to alternatively stare at the dessert and Stefania in the hope that understood and it lengthened me of it another piece.

«Eccocolo, the sasa. The knews him/it that dada burdens papartes there was!» it said Italo that reappears holding in beautiful show a bottle of Vinsanto of that fact in the house.

«Excellent» Stefania responded «we treat well today there.»

«Some that Leo is really polite» it added then «I have given him his/her piece of dessert ten minutes ago but you/he/she has not touched him yet. It evidently waits that we start all to eat.»

«Yes. yes.» Italo answered while distractedly you/he/she was trying to uncork the bottle.

You/he/she was pierced twice already a hand with the corkscrew because you/they had restarted their strange game of looks. Considering that Stefania didn't seem intenzionata to strengthen my ration decided to leave them alone, I picked up my piece of dessert and I went out for going to taste me him in garden. I gulped down the dessert in an instant, stretched dopodiché me on the belly grass in on and I started to day-dream. I had to put to sleep me, because when I opened out the eyes it was almost dark. Curious, definite to go to see what you/they were combining that two. Approaching me to the portafinestra I heard the voices just whispered, I cautiously leaned out me in stay and I found them sat on the couch, and as always near neighbors were. In front of them, on the tavolino of the living room, the dish by now clean of the dessert, a bottle of completely empty vinsanto and a fifty-fifty. They had the red cheeks and they seemed very more intimate of the usual one, and their confidence seemed increased notably. I tried to understand what they were said but they talked too much to low voice.

"You want to see that they are declared?" I thought.

# Definite of passar their neighbor to snatch even a shred of conversation but nothing, was not understood a beautiful anything! Definite not to disturb them and I thought that a big desire I would have had to make a pair of runs and four jumps, but I didn't have anybody with which to play. Considering that it was dark you/he/she could be that they were about to transmit the Looney Tunes; I threw straight toward the kitchen hoping that the red spy of the TV was power on and that the remote control was to course of leg, and I ascertained happy that was everything as I had desired. I settled me to the best on the floor and you premise the green key of the remote control, but the cartoons there were not yet. I got up me to go to take my preferred pupazzetto, in attends him you/he/she would have made me company. I looked for him/it for the whole house but I didn't find him/it, passing again in the living room notaries that now Italo and Stefania were listening" Ghost" for the nth time.

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# Chapter 36. The spites of Puffi

After uselessly having still looked for the pupazzetto some, also using the nose to try to feel its odor and to find a trace that brought me from him, returned in the kitchen because I feared that the cartoons already start. And with mine immense surprise I found my preferred pupazzetto, thrown under on the floor to the table, that seemed that it was to wait there really me.

"How strange" I thought" yet I am sure that first there was not."

However starts it initials her/it some cartoons. I stretched me to earth and I put the legs above there. After having cradled him/it for some with the eyes glued to the screen I distractedly gave him a nibbles, and later I made immediately a sneeze. Then another and another anchor, while a strange feeling appropriated instantly him of my mouth. Perplexed and worried, I got up me and I went to the interrupter to turn on the light with a musata, and when I saw the rag doll a wave of panic it appropriated him of me. That was not at all my pupazzetto, what I had just nibbled was the pupazzetto of Puffi. It was identical to mine but of another color, and I was more than some that that accursed gattaccio had replaced him of intention to make me the nth spite. Among a sneeze and the other I looked for him/it with the look and I found him/it, the scene was enjoying himself/herself/itself crouched on the table.

«Grrr Bau (This time you have exaggerated, you have done indeed her big)» I snarled him between a sneeze and the other.

# He looked me mischievous with a printed mocking smile on the face, and I didn't see us more from the anger. I detached a jump toward the table with the intention to give him a beautiful zampata, but he moved him fast as a lightning and it jumped me in rump, later it extracted immediately the claws. This way I was me terrorized in a condition of inferiority, and as every time that furbastros succeeded in rubbing me: started to scratch me above the tail, and that was perhaps the only thing that succeeded in stopping me! He/she knew well it, and every time that it was in difficulty it saved him in that way. Was stronger than me and of every other present dog on the face of the Earth! A dog can be angry as you want, but you scratch him/it above the tail. Even if at that time he/she would like to destroy you, to brake you and to reduce you in shreds, will be immovable, abducted from the pleasure that produces him that scratches. I was incapable to move me, prey of that entrancing feeling, and I didn't succeed in making a movement that allowed me to shake me him of back. I knew that from a moment to the other would have combined even more me a great spite because I knew well it, but I didn't succeed in rebelling! And so of blank point planted me the fangs in the tail and escaped away. Anxious to avenge I turned me to me to snap at him/it to my it turns, but he/she succeeded in stepping aside himself/herself/themselves for a hair. My mouth the air, the jaw went off to empty and my teeth banged the one against the others. What pain, had already a principle of gengivite! I launched me to the pursuit for all the rooms of the house, overwhelming and destroying vases, knickknacks, furniture and all of this that I found on my road. We arrived of big career in living room, Italo and Stefania now you/they were dancing and each they were lost in the eyes of the other.

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# Chapter 37. The declaration

«I have to tell you an important thing» you/he/she was saying Italo that, thanks to the whole vinsanto that you/he/she had drunk, to the moment he/she didn't stammer.

«I listen to you» she had responded.

«It has been being for the first time that I have seen you that you. that The wanted.» he delayed in attended that the correct words came out him.

«. yes?» it encouraged him/it her, that literally hung from his/her lips staring at him/it with the great eyes as hot-air balloons.

«I meant you that you to.» you/he/she was finally saying Italo, while her that he/she didn't believe in his/her own ears it stretched dark out dark and him toward of him. At that time its neck didn't have anything to envy to that of a giraffe.

«Me you to.» you/he/she was saying him, and in precise that instant The overwhelmeds them throwing on the ground them.

Puffi earned the exit. I knew that to that point I would never have succeeded in catching him/it and I stayed me to the center of the living room there. The stereo was fallen and you/he/she was extinguished, the table was inverted to earth and the bottles they rolled on the floor. Magic was enfeebled, and it was all guilt of mine. Paralysed by the sense of guilt because I knew to have combined her/it big I remained there, incapable to run away. I slowly lowered the ears, I hid the tail among the back legs and I crouched me, ready to receive the correct punishment. Italo struck by lightning me with the look, then you/he/she helped Stefania to rise again himself/herself/themselves.

«. it is everything to place?» the churches thoughtful.

«Yes, is nobody made evil luckily. by the way, thing you were saying?»

«. me? I have asked you if you are well!»

«Not now, first!»

«Thing I was saying? Excuse, but really I don't remember» embarrassed Italo the head responded scratching himself/herself/itself, while I was trying to encourage him/it with the look.

«Perhaps if you help me.» it added with the torch that caught fire for the shame.

«Certain! You were saying that since the first time that you have seen me to me to. me to.»

«You are right, now memory. here. The wases saying that since the first time that The have seen you to you to. you to.»

«. siiì?» it did her with the eyes that a city would have illuminated to the dark.

"We are there, it now tells him him" I thought satisfied.

«me you to. you to. The would have lent you the hammer, if you had asked me him.»

You looked at him/it strange.

«The hammer?»

«Yes, it is so. but you have never asked me him» it added Italo widening the braccias and hiding the head among the shoulders as if it was waited for to slap.

«You are taking around me?» Stefania asked him in resentful tone.

«No, me.»

«It is now perhaps that I go» it did her changing expression and suddenly becoming cold.

«No, it waits. me.»

«We see us» it cut short her deeply offense, got further then without turning himself/herself/themselves.

Italo looked at verse of me, now my turn had come to hide the head among the shoulders.

«If-if-if-six proproprios a draw-tratra-tratraditore» it told me looking me in the way more disappointed according to which a human being had ever looked me.

# Without adding other it was thrown on the couch scotendo the head. I stayed for some to stare at him/it, in it attests of a reconciler look, then seeing that it was useless I went desolate to kennel thinking that with a good pair of hands I would have been able to skin alive Puffi.

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Chapter 38. The application of help

# Even if in reality iniquity had been finished from the gattaccio, I kept on feeling me tremendously in guilt to have interrupted that magic moment of theirs, and above all to have done him/it as soon as the day after Italo was confided with me. To this point it didn't stay me that a thing to be done. Not that we had become really friends, but after I had saved her from the Dobermann the relationships between me and Barbie you/they were improved, we sometimes caught the sun together or we had a good time making team to chase the the lizards. Instead we played at times to make the struggle to contend us some pupazzettos of plush. Not that pits the maximum one of the life, but at least I made some motion, that never hurts. Me however I had kept on not giving her too confidence, while now she gave me the impression to stick more every day some. Making I count me that alone I would not have succeeded in making up for to the done damage, and that also lavishing me with everything myself I would never have succeeded in making to strike the spark between Italo and Stefania, I told me what time, I had never need, that Barbie gave me a leg. I knew for non direct experience, but Steve had been a good teacher, that after an event of the kind the two persons in love get further. This because after having pronounced compromising words, they are felt naked, defenseless. Then they put on on the defensive in attends him that the other face the first footstep. And often, then, to the end among the two it doesn't happen anything anymore. Us dogs we are different, we are very more forehand; if you are me on the boxes I you, if I love you I lick you the hand, if you are me indifferent I don't consider you. Simpler than this way! But the human ones no, they is complicated. Reached this point, instead of closing the eyes and to let him go to silence they start with the psychological games; if you love me I love you, rather, perhaps, but if you hate me instead I hate you, rather no I ignore you because I am you superior, and so street. Then that little that you/they had built collapses in hurry, and he/she is under buried to a mountain of non said words. This way I approached me from Barbie to bark her my application of help. Contrarily to how much I thought, because sincerely if I/you had been her I would not have seen of good eye Italo as engaged for my owner, she accepted with enthusiasm. In fact the evening before Stefania was confided with her, and you/he/she had cried for a long time because he/she didn't succeed in gathering that marvelous fruit that had to brought of hand, the love with her" to" capital. We decided to plan the correct situation to try to make to become them a couple, but the thing didn't introduce at all him in simple way. We watched them for a few days, and as the two persons in love it was predictable you/they had rather gotten further. Worried, Barbie and I - that struck by the sensibility by me shown towards the problem of our masters, it totally treated me in different way - we waited with anxiety that you/they decided to spend an evening together to effect our plan. The occasion finally arrived. That evening Italo and Stefania had decided to dine together with house of her. Barbie and I had organized all so that to the correct moment they stayed alone, to the dark, with I set less suits possible. To that point their preferred song would have departed and we finally hoped, at least one of the two you/he/she would have taken the initiative.

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# Chapter 39. The romantic cenetta

The evening starts from some and in effects you/he/she was proceeding very well. At first I had brought the aphrodisiac that Italo held hidden under to the pillow of the couch, that he is never known to Barbie. After having poured the appetizer in the glasses Stefania you/he/she had gone to end to get ready himself/herself/themselves, and my accomplice had taken advantage to add him/it to the appetizers without dirtying the tablecloth of it, easy thing at all without a good pair of hands. The mixture had started soon to make to feel its effects, in fact Italo and Stefania had begun the supper agreeably conversing, as two good friends, you apparently forget some last diplomatic accident. Meanwhile they ate and the time went by. More and more red in face, also because Barbie and I had turned on at the most the heaters, you/they had started to grow loose buttons, strings and zippers.

«What heat» they kept on alternatively repeating.

To each minute that passed the two they stuck out more him some each verse the other while their hands slowly went toward him on the tablecloth, and we ascertained encouraged that as thin to as soon as a few days before you/they had returned to lose himself/herself/themselves each in the eyes of the other. In an action of extreme courage Italo had taken the hand of Stefania and in to make the glass of the wine had upset him/it, just as to the old times! Barbie and I, hidden out we enjoyed there happy the scene. Of sudden she drew near me a too pochino and it rubbed the face against mine.

«Mmhh. (they macaws really nice, it is not true?)»

«Bau (Already. we hope both the good time, they would deserve both burdens happiness!).»

«Mmhh mhh bau. (Self-acknowledged that didn't I give you I know sensorial, to the beginning you seemed me to bullo).»

«Grrr hhììì. (I/you/they have accustomed There, it often happens me).»

To that point I started to worry me because Barbie he was doing more and more near.

«Bau? Bau.? (And you thing thinks of me?).»

«Mmhh. (The don'ts know well still you - glissai doing the human one - because you ask me him?).»

«Mmhh. (Know, The almost have the age to become mother.)» did her, and that was the answer that dark feared than everybody!

Also she was as all the others canine, when do only also yourself in four to have some friendship don't exist, when then break your boxes and stop kissing the ground where they walk then suddenly become interesting! The matter he was putting badly, I remained in silence.

«Mmhh. (The know him/it that The hads judged badly you, but The would not mind deepening our relationship. Even one day we could make some cucciolettis. What do you think of it?).»

"Yes, so with all that ringlets that have they come me with the hair rasta" I told me!

«Mmhh. cai bau bau (it is soon Perhaps burdens to speak of these things. and then it is not the moment, soon we have to enter action)» The cuts short to change discourse, and it was true because of there to few our plan would have gone off.

Barbie would have made to depart the music of foundation and them you/they would automatically have gotten up with the glass in hand to dance, I would have passed of there with indifferent air and I would have stamped on the interrupter of the standard to extinguish the light and to leave them to the dark. Immediately later Barbie and I would have entered scorrazzando as if we were playing, she would have bumped Italo to make to stain him/it with the content of the glass and him the shirt you/he/she would be removed, then you/they would have started over dancing. Then I would have grabbed with the teeth the edge of the carpet and I would have given him a beautiful sharp tug to make to fall them on the couch, embraced. We still stayed some in silence, with Barbie that kept on being I set me to look at the evolution of the supper. It was almost arrived the moment to put our plan into effect, when the cellular phone of Italo suddenly rang.

«Yes, certain, I am me. Yes, I have understood. ok, comes the first possible.»

It attached and it.

«Excuse, but they have me. you/they have called me for to job, The would not like to go us, but lately the things don't go very well» it informed her/it with sad expression.

Stefania lowered the eyes disappointed thinking that it was not really destiny, but then it was said that it was not correct that was so selfish.

«I understand you. not to worry you, goes also» it told him «The wills wait you.»

Chapter 40. The attack

Italo got up and approached the facing one a millimeter from that of Stefania, and you/he/she stared at her/it for a long instant in the eyes. You thought that you/he/she would finally have kissed her, instead an eyelash removed from her cheek and was started.

«Leo, with me» he/she called me, and I followed him/it happy because you/he/she had removed indeed from me from an embarrassing situation.

# Did I look at Barbie, did I lift the eyebrows as to say" That you want it stuffed?" and I set out me. While I am salivating on the auto a strange odor it suddenly made me return in mind Steve, the shed and the funeral, but unfortunately I didn't succeed in understanding its origin and I didn't have time to think for a long time of us, because I immediately had to lower me on the seat and to aim the legs not to be tossed on one side to the other of the cabin. Because of the stimulant that Barbie had poured in the glasses, and of the anger for the nth loving disappointment, Italo drove as a pilot of formula one. Had always had the vice of the sporting guide, but that evening was exaggerating and I would have liked to be able to lace me the safety belts! The asphalt was dark it was slippery because of the damp and the road in descent it quickly flowed more and more under us to the wheels. "I would like to know that scrubs there is, they are two months that don't work!" I would have told him if I/you had been able to speak his/her language. I saw the dark trees instead come I meet me and I could not do anything else other than to hope. To the exit of a curve we found us of sudden before two dazzling lighthouses, it had to be a trucks or something similar because it occupied the road for almost all his/her width. I made the only thing that I was able, and that is I crouched me and I shut the eyes, but I didn't succeed in holding I closed for a long time them because I had to see what you/he/she was happening. Italo launched a terrified and appalling cry, you/he/she brusquely steered immediately later of side while you/he/she was crushing the pedal of the brake with all the strength that had in the foot. Because of the bathed fund the auto didn't leastly slow down its run, then Italo said another decided swerve. The auto fearfully skidded of side toward the trees and Italo said a hit of controsterzo. The auto made a pair of turns on herself and started to slip of side as a skater on the ice. The lighthouses kept on coming I meet us, more and more great, but we were going out of their trajectory. The problem was that from that part there was a tall precipice. To that point Italo, showy lost, he/she left the steering wheel and it threw me I set, and I have never understood if it did him/it to protect me or to hope to fall on the soft one. In every case, when the auto plunged him in the void I had crouched on myself, and him grasped to me in such a strong embrace to get away the breath. After few fractions of according to there was the first crash, then another and another and another anchor. And a deafening noise of plates that you/they curled up, and of glasses that shattered him. The auto rolled on itself same various times then exploded, as soon as an instant after we had been hurled out of the cabin.

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# Chapter 41. The awakening

To the awakening realized to be still alive only thanks to the awful pains that attacked every single bone of my body, I also had a great headache and courage missed to open the eyes. I was ended who knows where, extended on a bed to belly in on. The silence was broken only from the monotonous humming and from the periodic beep of some machineries that I thought that they had to be connected to me. Different bandagings tightened me various parts of the body, and on the moment it seemed me strange that someone was taken so much care of me, I was only after all a dog. Definite that before opening the eyes I would have taken a small inventory, to try to realize what my conditions were and to understand if I still had some healthy part. I had to regulate the ampleness of the breath because the chest did me bad. Definite to start the inventory from the appendixes, so that to frighten me the less possible in case of negative result. I started trying to move the tail, I tried two or three times but nothing to do, I didn't feel her/it to me. I didn't feel her/it really. I shut the eyes strongest, not to risk not to even open them for mistake. I was terrorized. To mentally calm me ripercorsi all the phases of the accident to the search of a reassuring detail, but my memoirs interrupted him in the moment in which Italo and I were for impattare to the ground still embraced, after a flight of an about ten meters. After various attempts I allowed to lose, you/he/she was increasing me the headache. I taken back the analysis of my body. Even if I felt to have the bandaged head, to move a few the base of the ears would not have had to be difficult. I focused for a long time me, but it was useless. I didn't feel more even those.

"Accidentaccios, owe to have amputated me the ears and the tail. Or worse I have perhaps lost the sensibility, because I am paralyzed. No, I cannot stay in the doubt, I have to check."

At the end, after having turned to the god of the dogs all the prayers that I knew, that were really little for the truth, I did me courage and I opened the eyes. I became me account that I was me in a room of hospital and that I saw everything sfuocato. I looked before and I saw I set to my body, spread out on me, that of a man all bandaged. That's why all that pains, were crushing me! But the strange one was of it that I saw only the bust, the braccias and the legs but not the head. What had Italo and I remained inserted in the bump? Did they perhaps have us ricuciti together as two Siamese twins because detaching we would be us dead? Had you/they decided to put in sharing some vital organ even? Was I perplexed, where devil was you/he/she ended the head of Italo? And my body? What end had you/he/she made my body? I didn't feel him/it. I laboriously rotated the head and I saw a suspended mirror to the wall, really close to the bed, above the comodino. With a painful effort infinitely I succeeded in turning to stick out me to me toward the mirror. The image from the indefinite contours, reflected in the mirror, it seemed really that of the face of Italo. All bandaged, looked me with surprised expression. Encouraged because also he was alive I turned me. You/he/she would have had to be to my shoulders, instead nothing. I returned to look at the mirror and was there again! Possible that had desire to joke really at that time? I leaned out me some more to see better and I lost the balance. Don't fall I instinctively grabbed on me to the back of the bed and. The grabbeds on me? I looked at the narrow hand to the back. I felt the cold contact with the metal. I looked again at the mirror. I looked again at the hand. Incredulous, I gave her the order to open and this obeyed. I reverted of stroke on the bed, hurting me. To the limit of a hysterical crisis I detached the mirror from the wall and I brought me him in front of the face, I threw away then it while I was launching a cry of terror that woke up the whole hospital. The mirror fell to the ground and he broke.

Chapter 42. As it is dead Leo

A young nurse and trafelata it entered racing in the room, the crossbar to which the flebo was suspended and lost the balance bumped. It fell me I set of weight tearing me another cry. It had to be a first day of job, it was all sweaty and while it was murmuring words of excuse it tried to put again to place the flebo with trembling hands.

«They said that you/he/she would have slept for three days, instead accipicchia if you/he/she wakes up» it said hesitant.

It tried to understand what you/he/she had made me howl and it made back a footstep, surely I had to seem her a crazy person. I kept on looking around me, then the bandages that covered my body looked. I lifted the braccias and the riabbassavos, I opened the hands and I closed her observing her to open mouth. I finally looked at her with the blocked eyes, without saying nothing.

«Thing there is that it doesn't go?» he/she asked me seeing that despite the pains I continued to shake me.

«It itches her something? Does it need a grattatina? He/she knows, happens to all those they are found under those conditions, it is a psychological thing.»

I insisted in my experiments, worried, without answering, I confined me to send forth those that if I/you had still been in my old body you/they would have been of the yelps. The nurse saw the broken mirror to earth.

«Oh, my goodness. You look there. this will cost her seven years of troubles!»

"Badly because till now has been a walk, I started really to annoy me!" I thought.

The girl looked again at the mirror, then the bandages that covered my face, and you/he/she connected.

«Ah, here! I have now understood because it is so altered. To wake up him so, of sudden, everything bandaged as a mummy. but coop calm, he/she won't remain disfigured. at the most burdens scar will stay her, but it has to consider fortunate him however because apart burdens bruise you/he/she is practically gone out of it unharmed. He/she saw instead as that poor beast you/he/she was reduced. you/they have employed to beautiful po' to understand that it dealt with to dog. You shows up, once that you are ended to earth the whole pieces of the car they have reverted you I set. to leg was inserted in the exhaust pipes, the gear shift passed aside his head apart. Don't speak then of the.»

To those words I restarted to wag me stronger than before.

«On, I know him/it that it was him affectionate, but doesn't do this way. I was telling only him him to make her an example, to make to understand her how much fortunate has been. And then, it was only after all a dog» it did her so much to comfort me.

"As it was only a dog? Was my body, I was me! All the bandages hardly raise me I will give you a beautiful bite. rather, now that The think it, Khan strangle you, knows much now The have the hands!" I thought.

«On, doesn't do so. when it will go out he/she will buy another.»

I felt me to die. For an instant I had hoped that you/he/she was treated of a simple exchange of bodies caused by the bump, I had hoped that as me I was ended in the body of Italo he was ended in mine. To that point you/he/she would have been enough to find again him/it and to discover the way of take back us the respective bodies. but if mines were to throw, then Italo where you/he/she was ended? Surely had to be dead! I started to cry.

# «It is better perhaps if I give her a light sedative, she is too much anxious. On, you turn him» it said the nurse preparing a syringe.

#

#

#

# 

# Chapter 43. Stefania arrives

While the needle penetrated in the my new gluteo someone it knocked to the door letting the nurse, that the needle folded up tearing me another moan of pain starting.

«It is permitted?» he/she asked Stefania that had timidly leaned out on the threshold; it held a purse.

«You also arranges» the nurse answered after having finished to the best to give me the shot «I leave you alone. But does soon because soon it will collapse dormant.»

«I would have liked to come first» Stefania began after having given me a kiss on the cheek «but first I/you/they are passed from your house to take you some things. as you macaws?»

«C-c-c-ccaaìì» I answered.

"My goodness, she missed only us! And now as I do to speak?"

«Excuse, has not understood» it said approaching himself/herself/itself some to feel better.

«G-g-g-grrr.»

"Curse, has happened still. But as cabbage they do to move the language? I have to be silent!"

«Gg ggrr ggr» I insisted faking to clear me the voice.

«I have understood, for junta the cough has also come you. It doesn't care, not to strive to speak to you, dear poor man.»

I made sign of yes moving a few the head and I hoped that you/he/she had to be suffered, I absolutely had need to stay only. I didn't like that situation and I had to understand, I had to take possession and mastery of my new body and I had to hurry him/it. You sat on the bed and it started to undo the purse with an infuriating slowness. It put back some objects in the chest of drawers and in the closet, then takings a pair of glasses and it inserted them to me.

«Some is now all right?»

I nodded. I finally saw us.

«Have taken a beautiful blow, the doctor has said that are a miracolato! He doesn't explain as you have done to stay everything whole» it said.

I knew very well instead it. Italo had used my body as lifesaving mattress. And considering us, badly that I had been fortunate; I had lost my body, a beautiful almost perfect dog body for thing? Exchange him/it with that an idle private investigator, timid, myopic, and that as if was not enough also stammered! And to end, with all those bandages seemed me to be Ramsete IV, a plant of papyrus they missed only me on the chest of drawers and a solar ship parked on the Nile!

«The poor Leo, instead.» he interrupted and it started to sob «. it has taken times to find again all the pieces.» it continued, and there The restarteds to shake me.

«I know him/it, all of us am sad. I saw how it suffers Barbie. even Puffi is changed. You/he/she has started to sleep on his/her kennel and you/he/she has put on near all of his/her toys, probably for him it is a way of feeling him near.»

"I imagine him/it to me, as is sad Puffi! When the dog there is not the cats they dance! They were weeks that on my new pupazzettis, now finally that gattaccios spiteful will have them all for itself!"

«Mrs., now it has to leave to rest him/it» the nurse told him reentering.

«Yes, it is right, it is better to leave him/it some calm. I return tomorrow.»

«You need something?» it added then turning himself/herself/itself toward of me.

"Yes, they serve me a psychologist, an exorcist and a two weeks of talismen" I thought, but I shaken the head in sign of denial.

«It tries to recover in hurry.»

You stuck out verse of me and he/she again kissed me on the cheek, he/she finally left then only me.

# Chapter 44. The police

«You also come, you/he/she should be awake. No, apart that it is everything plastered, physically you/he/she has not put so bad. the problem is that you/he/she has beaten strong the head, has had to beautiful cranial trauma and it is still in is confusionale. He/she doesn't speak, to the limit it sends forth some guttural sounds, of the kinds of growls, and then it looks around him with a crazy person look and continuous to learn himself/herself/themselves the hands. And it moves her, it continually moves her. It opens her and he/she closes her, he/she takes objects and it places them, it tightens them, surprised, as if for him that pits a novelty.»

This is what the nurse was telling in a low voice to the two men that you/he/she was accompanying toward my bed. The thing that surprised me was that despite everything I had preserved my thin dog hearing, or perhaps that was simply the only merit of Italo. I thought worried that you/they had already realized of I exchange him/it of" person", I feared that a team of scientists had come for studying me. But was not so, even if the surprises were not ended!

«Thanks Miss, you/he/she can leave us alone» it told the man the nurse when they were to my bedside.

«I beg me, don't get tired him/it. it is very tried» it said the girl, then it got further.

«Mr. Italo?» he/she asked the man with a voice that seemed me to know.

I squeezed the eyes to see better it but it kept on being sfuocato, I remembered the glasses and I wore them.

«I am the Captain of the team of police, is she Mr. Italo Ristretti?» he/she asked again the Captain, showing me the enrolls, after having exchanged him a perplexed glance with his/her assistant.

I didn't believe in my eyes or, for the precision, I didn't believe in the eyes and the glasses of Italo. The Captain in person, he who on suggestion of the Bogy man had decreed my death sentence, it was in front of me there.

"The world is really small" I thought!

«You/he/she has understood the question?» he/she asked me with the kindest tone that succeeded him, and I nodded.

«Then, she is the Mr. Narrow?» he/she asked once more reading from a sheet.

I nodded again looking him/it doubtful, I wondered me what you/they could want.

«Therefore, we am here because to how much it seems her you/he/she has been victim of an attack. This, at least, it is how much it would result from the examination of the wrecks of his/her auto.»

I blocked the eyes sticking out me a few in before.

"Eccoci, seemed me strange that there was not the cheat! I don't have anchors practically taken possession of the new body that they already come to tell me that there is someone who wants to do asunder it!"

«Upsetting, it is not true? But it is really this way. the brakes of its auto had been tampered with. Does correct me if I am wrong; she in the scarp is ended up avoiding the impact with a truck, is it so?»

I made sign of yes.

«Well, that was a mean of the Officers of the Fire, and you/he/she had been made to go out following an anonymous alarm that results then unfounded.»

It made a break to leave me the time to digest the news.

«You are a private investigator?»

I nodded once more.

«He/she knew him/it that what had with itself had been a dog police officer?»

I shaken the head.

«But it is not really able not to even say yes or no?» he/she asked some angry the Captain, and I responded again shaking the head.

«Patience. now The have to still ask her to pair of important questions, even of the dog we will speak another time. Does it have enemies?» he/she asked me keeping on taking clipboard on a notepad.

"No, apart the fact that all those that lately meet want to kill me!" I thought.

I made a strange face of the type" stupid question, considering that you/they have just tried to kill me"!.

«It is already right. The wanted to say; someone particularly?»

I laboriously widened the plastered braccias"; other stupid question"!.

«Thing remembers of that evening?»

I brought the hand to the ear, miming a cornet of the telephone.

«You/he/she has received a call?»

I nodded.

«From who?»

I made another strange face"; still a stupid question"!.

«Mhhh. The have understood, The have understood» it told the Captain angry tone.

«For today enough this way. If it comes again her to mind something, you call me» it added leaving me a business card on the comodino.

«Yet, his/her look. it seems me to know him/it» The felts that it told his/her colleague while they were getting further.

When you/they had gone I started to reflect, and I didn't employ very to do two more two. The odor that Steve had remembered me as soon as before climbing in auto was that of the carcass, and that coward had not even dared face me of person! They didn't want to kill Italo, they wanted to kill really me. The carcass had tampered with the brakes, then you/he/she had called the Officers of the Fire. To that point I discovered to be really angry, but this time I was happy to make I count me that could do to less less than leave to take me from the with hostility anger and from the frenzy, because now I had available two legs, two hands and the whole time of which I had need to prepare me. By now the scoundrel it was convinced that Leo was dead and nobody would be more come to look for me, rather, to the correct moment I would have gone to look for him.

# Chapter 45. Again in house

After a week that seemed me eternal they decided to send me home, and fortunately it came to take me Stefania because otherwise I would not have known whether to arrive there. I had a big confusion in head, I was not you/he/she stick entirely taken back. I didn't know where I lived, I didn't know neither to read neither to write, and not even to express me as. It is less badly that Italo had neither relatives nor friends, otherwise you/they would have been other troubles. By now resigned to hold me the new body, I told me that I had to learn to use him/it, even if I was full of doubts and fears. In every case, despite all the ugly things that were happened me, I was sure that of there to few I would have gotten away the first satisfaction. Stefania accompanied me up to the threshold of house bringing her the borsone not to make to get tired me, taken the keys and it opened the door.

«To these I think it me» it said pointing out the borsone to show me the sack of the dirty laundry.

«For a few days you will have to think only about resting you, I leave only now immediately you» it added.

«Grroarr-g-gr-gragrazie» I answered while it was setting out toward the door.

My voice was still too much guttural to be human entirely. If I/you had known that they existed I would have hastened to frequent a course of logopedics.

You mentioned a half perplexed smile, then been closed it brings her/it to the shoulders. I was anchors tormented by the pains and I felt a big need to stretch me, but first there was a thing that absolutely had to do, dopodiché I was certain that I would have felt better! I went to sure hit because I knew that I would have found him there. In fact, as I expected me, when I entered the living room I found him/it spaparanzato on my old kennel. The gattaccio opened the eyes and him stiracchiò while I was hastening me to close again the door. Meanwhile him, from good cat, you/he/she had already started to make his/her calculations of convenience. Definite to come to rub himself/herself/themselves some, by now it was of supper almost now. You sharpened some the fingernails on my kennel, that by now you/he/she had reduced in shreds, then it got up for coming I meet me with that astute codaccia of his as a spar.

«Miaooo. (you have Finally returned. you macaws me missed I know much)» it lied.

I checked that the window and all the streets of escape were impracticable, then I crouched me. The wanted to say, The stoopeds me to welcome him/it!

«Frrr. frrr (The Have I know much need of little darlings).»

"I now think it me, not to worry you. Will see that caresses I am you to do, will remember her to you for a piece!" I thought smiling among me.

He kept on coming I meet me but there was evidently very slowly something that didn't convince him/it. I lengthened the braccias toward of him without speaking, to invite to continue him/it.

«Miaaao? (Is strange, there is something you that I don't recognize! You have a different look!).»

It was nearby more and more. As from script, after having hesitated an instant, it came to rub himself/herself/themselves against my pantalonis.

«Frrrr frr. (Then, these little darlings arrive? Now that that cur has gone, I hope that you will return to devote you some more to me!).»

I was correct to start to skin him/it alive when suddenly a sneeze escaped me. How strange, the allergy to the cats had remained me, I felt like thinking that perhaps it was psychosomatic. Puffi arrested him, it looked me incredulous and it went for to stroll back. Automatically it inflated the hair and it put on in fight order.

«Miaaao. gniaooo. (Impostor, that you have done of it of Italo?).»

«Grrr. (À. your place The would worry me for myself!)» I answered him.

Was sorry me not to be once anymore able to snarl as, but I was certain that would have understood the same the language of the signs. those that was about to leave The sets him!

«Miaow? (Because, that intentions you have?).»

«Wuf wuf. (soon you will see him/it).»

To that point a furious struggle instigated him. At first Puffi made the turn of the room two or three times to the search of a hideaway, when he/she was seen by now lost, with the shoulders to the wall, definite to face me. But this time was different, I had the hands to catch it and any tail to scratch! I grabbed a broom and I filled well well it with mazzate, then I taken a cover to capture him/it and after some attempt to void I succeeded in doing him/it imprisoned. I threw him/it on wound as a bundle and I started to give him, between a sneeze and the other, a spanking every spite that had done me.

«Wuf wuf. (This is for when you have put under me your hair to the pillow, this it is for when you have hidden me the pupazzetto. and this is for when you have made me interrupt on the most beautiful the kiss between Italo and Stefania.).»

«Miaooo. miaoooo. (Enough, The surrenders me. The swears that The won'ts I give dark him/it).»

«Grrr. (On this you Khan bet us the kennel!).»

When I was satisfied I went to the door on the back, I checked that the road was desert and after having tossed the bundle up in the air I struck him/it with a kick that made him make a flight of some meter. Satisfied, I went to stretch me on the couch. They were about to start the Looney Tunes.

# Chapter 46. Again Stefania

Cat Silvestre had just started to fall from plain cinquantasette. I was mentally preparing me to do me some fat laughters when it rang the bell. I puffed, I stopped licking me the scratches that the gattaccio had left me on the hands and I got up me to go to open. Seemed me strange that so much to change someone didn't come to break on the most beautiful! Annoyed I opened the door, and for a little a heart attack didn't come me. On the threshold there was an umanoide with the face all green that looked me fixed. I chased a desperate cry!

«Italo, is me! You are I calm» it told me grabbing me for the shoulders «I am me alone applied a mask of beauty. Put your glasses, will see that recognize me» said, and I dictate me some fool because once more had forgotten the glasses. therefore was not guilt of the spar if to the TV The saws everything sfuocato!

I went to take the glasses, I looked again at her and I breathed a sigh of relief. After what I had had to pass in the last period, to meet a Martian would have been the last thing of which I had need. But seen how were going what was lately happened me, if had happened I would not have surprised as!

«Sc-c sc-c scucusa» I succeeded in saying after being strives for a long time me to succeed in moving the language in the correct way.

«It doesn't do anything worry you. What has happened rather? I/you/they have come because I have heard a big noise, it seemed that here inside a war you/he/she was instigated. and then you/he/she is seemed me of veder to fly to lot with inside Puffi.»

Did I look at her with interrogative air and done I shake the head, as to say" you are sure? Here has not happened really nothing."

«But that whole confusion and that meows.»

I pointed out her the power on TV.

«Excuse, is right. What fool, had not thought there. Ah, that is Cat Silvestre, I have to be me confused.»

Then it noticed the mixed skeins of hair to feathers of pillow that fluttered for the room, pushed by the wind that it entered from the open door.

«But all that locks of hair from where they come? They are not hair of Puffi?» he/she asked perplexed.

«Sasa sasa sasa saràlamuta» I answered with an effort tightening me in the shoulders.

Later I started immediately to sneeze, and to every sneeze I felt me the ribs as if they were about to leave each for his/her account.

You the chin rubbed him, less and less convinced.

«Where it is now?»

«Chichi?»

«Puffi!»

To speak got tired a lot me. Remembering Giotto, I lifted the closed hand with the astute index and I did her/it rotate around the wrist, sticking out the chin in before (Boh, will be around).

«Okay, then if it is everything to place I go» you/he/she was saying embarrassed, when Barbie entered.

As he/she saw me meeting it raced me wagging the tail festive and it sniffed for a long time me. Then, of hit, it jammed and it made back some footstep.

«Grrr. bau caì (The have recognized You, what I give you I give us inside there?)» it said.

To dissimulate I drew near me and I lengthened a hand to make her a caress.

«Grrr. grrr wu wu wu wu wu (Looks that to don't tangle me to me! You stop making the idiot and you are suffered out of there, or I tear off you a leg to bites!)» and so saying the hand me.

«Barbie, but that he/she takes you? Excuse her/it, I pray you, you/he/she is never behaved so» it said Stefania taking me the hand to check the entity of the damage.

To that point I turned me and I showed the teeth to Barbie, miming him a pair of bark molts (not to risk anymore you, stupid! Do you perhaps think that I am happy about this situation?). Unfortunately, really in that instant Stefania turned him and saw me. I tried to do the indifferent one and to mime a hit of cough, but it was too late.

«Cai cai» the canine one yelped, then takings run after her/it and it escaped away.

«It is now that goes. And it will be better if you go to make you a beautiful sleep» it said more and more puzzled Stefania, and without attending the answer it was started.

«Dodo-dodo-dodormita» I repeated me, and later I cursed immediately because I had bite the language!

I had immediately understood that her" R" it was the more letter difficult to pronounce. I hastened me to close the door to be able to be some of it in peace, but I had not reached the couch that the bell rang again yet. I opened the door bored.

«But are you sure to be well?» Stefania asked me in tone sincerely worried.

I nodded.

«. yet you/he/she was seemed me of veder to fly the gat. oh, needle nothing. It allows to lose.» it said, and it went indeed this time.

# Chapter 47. To learn in hurry

Stefania had just gone I told me that I had to give me to do for learning to behave me from man, and I had to learn in hurry. I finally had the two things that I had always envied to the men and that I had always desired: the hands and the word. Definite to spend the rest of the evening in front of the television, I wanted to practice repeating me everything that that was said. A lot of words I knew her, I had only to learn to pronounce her. It was not easy at all, but once understands as it worked I began to quickly improve. As it was very fatiguing, I alternated these exercises with some attempts to learn the most banal things. I for instance had to also learn to walk erect - and to maintain the equilibrium on two only points of support was not easy - to turn me without falling, to use the hands, to make the needs, to greet, and who knows how much other things. While I was trying to understand as it opens a bottle of water I felt to scratch to the door. It was slow, I thought that Puffi had decided to reenter and so I went to open, but on the threshold there was Barbie. Fast meeting raced me and stuck me to the leg, in an unexpected demonstration of affection. I succeeded in shaking me her of back and her me he/she sat him before. He/she was immovable to look me with a loaded expression of expectations stamped on the musetto.

«Ba-Baba-Bababarbie, co-or-or-ocosa cc'è cheche no-noo-nonva?» I asked doing the indifferent one.

«Grrr. grrr bau bau (Looks, that I know much have recognized you! And Puffi has also recognized you, you/he/she has said that don't have been loyal).»

I remembered well fortunately still the language of the dogs.

«Bu bu grrr bau caì (Ah, would be me what is not loyal? When I was lessened has you/he/she combined of it of all the colors, and then if Italo and Stefania are not engaged the guilt it is alone his/her, don't you remember him/it to you?)» I answered.

«. bau. caì? (. it is not important, now. How are you ended there there inside?).»

«Wuf Wuf ronf (I swear You that I don't know him/it, I wake up so!).»

«Mhhhi. caì? (And as you think about going out of it?).»

«Bu bau cai (I don't have idea of it, I fear that I will have to stay so forever.).»

«Bu? (And Italo?).»

«Bau. uhhhh mhhhii (you/he/she has disappeared. The have told you him, The fears that The wills stay I know forever, also because The don'ts have my body anymore!).»

«Caì Wuf Buf. mhhh caì caì (But you macaws not able. you cannot I give me this, we had to make burdens pups together.)» it murmured.

«Ba-Ba-Babarbie, midis. midis. piapiace» The said for consoling her/it, even if in truth The didn'ts regret at all to be saves me from the merciless court that was doing me.

You got up and it came again to stick to my leg.

«Wuf Buf. caì caì (you cannot leave I know)» insistette.

I succeeded in shaking me her of back for the second time and I threw myself in knee, to snarl her angry.

«Bau. wuf wuf caì bau wuuuf! (But thing you believe, that I am happy to this situation? Up to few months ago I was a happy dog, everything house and job, and after all didn't care of it really nothing! Was I well, do you understand? Then everything has gone downhill, distantly are not able even to imagine what have passed! And now I am imprisoned in a body that I don't want and I don't know whether to go out of it. Do I have to learn to walk, to speak and to move the hands, to drive the auto and to make me the knot to the tie, I to do like eating, I to feel like living and to pay the taxes, and do you come to tell me that you want some pups? Am I fed up, have you understood? Stufooo!).»

Feeling me of observed hit I turned me. Stefania was immovable on the threshold to open mouth. To his/her feet there was the sack of the laundry inverted mean, that had slipped her of hand for the amazement.

«Me.» The tried to say bringing me the hand behind the head in sign of embarrassment, but The didn'ts know whether continuous to. It didn't come me to mind any good excuse that justified the fact that I was barking to his/her dog.

«Is just as I feared» whispered «goes crazy for the loss of Leo. but is not your guilt, and even if was him/it not being is not doing I know that will bring him/it in life! Is it dead, do you understand? Dead! You are not able it stuffed nothing» it added crying while it was shaking me for the shoulders, then it brought him the hands to the face, he turned and it escaped away.

Barbie the runs behind, also her crying. I hastened me to close the door. Hallucinated, I went to throw myself on the couch hoping to succeed in sleeping.

# Chapter 48. The first man day

The following morning I woke up myself of buon'ora because of the pressing need to pee. I rolled down me from the couch and me stiracchiai. Then, proceeding on all four, I went beyond the open portafinestra and I started me toward a beautiful plant, the greatest, that was systematized in an angle of the garden. I sniffed for a long time him, then I put me of side and I lifted the leg. Realize what was doing only when I warned the feeling of wet on the pajamas that had become sticky.

"My goodness, I am really a fool" I thought.

That, if he/she is thought that to the hospital I had the catheter, it was my first man pee. I succeeded in almost immediately stopping me and I got up me standing, looking around me embarrassed, then I went me toward the bath using the hands to hold the far sticky pajamas from the thighs. Schifato, removed from me the pajamas and I threw him/it to earth the most distant possible. I settled me in front of the water and I lifted the cover, and I told me that to succeed in doing I center would not be certain is easy! After a pair of attempts with relative disaster it returned once me to mind that I had seen Steve. I looked me and I realized me how naked I did even more me disgust that dressed, but I was aware that, dopotutto, that gestures would have had to do them for the rest of my days! After that experience scioccante had come the moment to handle the toilet, that until I had been dog it was everything easy. A pair of licks here and there, two scratchings to give the executive eviction to possible tenants indesiderati, and I had been ready to face the day. But now it was everything different. I arrived hesitant in front of the sink. On the shelf of the mirror there was a whole series of jars, bombolette and other mysterious objects. Was tried of lasciar to lose but I knew that however would also have had sooner or later to assume an aspect and of the human behaviors, therefore so much was worth immediately to start! I didn't have choice, but the problem was that I didn't know how to read! So I taken in hand a cilindretto with in top a rotating spazzolina and I passed him/it to me in the ears, then I found some canes from the very soft extremities, and knowing that this thing to do with the fingers is disgusting to the people I inserted her to me in the nose. Curious, I fumbled for some with a bomboletta. It went out from there some foam that he/she knew about mint, it seemed me to remember as it did Steve and me I smeared in head to give some order to the hair.

"To the beard I will think it tomorrow" I told me.

In short, after an oretta of struggles with water, soap, towels and various furnishings, I looked me at the mirror. I was a true disgust, but better of so I would never have succeeded in doing. It stayed only now me to dress me, then I would have been ready to face my first true man day, but I kept on being very worried because to learn everything was very more difficulty than I would ever be waited me, and I feared that if I/you had continued so you/they would have confined soon me in some insane asylum. Could go around at all to tell that I was the reincarnation of a dog! Stefania could be a good help, but I had the clean feeling to be me her almost entirely played. Still a pair of strangeness and he would be hidden in house until you/they had not brought away me with the shirt of strength. While I was reflecting on the to do himself/herself/themselves became me account that my stomach he was complaining of ugly for the hunger. I opened the refrigerator and all the counters of the dispensation but I found solo I void, the nothing total! Or there was not better anything to be able to grab, - as I liked it, now, that word - and to put in mouth, to chew and to swallow. Unfortunately I had always had someone who handled my feeding, so I was completely ignorant in subject of kitchen. For the truth there was some manufactured stuff, but I didn't know her/it and I was not able of to work her/it. Besides, not knowing how to read, I was not able to decipher the instructions. Besides that furbettos of Italo, always have some ready excuse with Stefania, had stopped shopping from a piece! I didn't have choice, if I wanted to survive I had to find the way of getting me of the food.

# Chapter 49. The first exit

. however it came me to mind that for anything they served me that colored leaflets - it seemed me that Giotto had called him money - that the human ones used for doing everything. They took the gasoline and they gave some colored leaflets, they took the bus and they had to give the colored leaflets to the inspector, that it gave him of it one everything white in change, very nice for the truth. They parked the auto and they put the leaflets in a speaking macchinetta, to enter the bath of the park, served even the leaflets or that shiny and hard diskettes. I knew that the most greater part of the human ones if they get them working, and Italo had been without job for a piece. I wished me that had not ended them all or would have been sold! I rummaged in all the drawers, the counters, the pockets of the suits: nothing! Then I remembered that they often held them in a black and soft container folded up in two. I went to see what was in the jacket of Italo, that I had hung to the clothes-stand, and I finally found him/it. Inside, as I had hoped, there were some that leaflets. The difficulty now came, and that is to go to buy to eat. I didn't have idea of as to do because you/they had never let me enter a shop, in fact on the door of every shop there were some poster with a drawn dog and a red line above. But the spirit of survival often furnishes unexpected resources, I knew that somehow I would have done. Pains still attacked me in a lot of parts of the body and I didn't feel like walking, unfortunately however I didn't have disposition means and even if I/you had had one I would not have known how to drive him/it of it. For scruple I went to give a glance in garage and I found an old bicycle; I thought that probably with that I would have labored less and I would have moved more quickly. I had always believed whether to be in saddle and to move the feet was not so difficult then, above all because they know how to also be him/it his/her children, but to the scene fall I had crossed really little road. I was about to abandon the idea when meeting came me really a child. Also he had a bike, but his was very smaller than mine and it was best, because it had two additional wheels that prevented him from falling. Showing him some colored leaflets was not difficult to convince to do him/it to change. I started to pedal toward the zone of the district where all the shops there were, and passing in front of the house of Stefania I noticed that she was observing me from the window. It had the braccias conserte and you/he/she was shaking the head.

# Chapter 50. The expense

From more than mezz'ora I was immovable in front of the entry of the supermarket without succeeding in finding the courage to enter, I was there and I looked with envy through the transparent glass door the people that stirred with sure footstep among the shelves. They went agile of passage in passage and they stopped every now and then him in front of the exhibitors, the more ones they chose the objects next to where suspended were some big yellow poster, others they took the things without not even staying himself/herself/themselves to look and they distractedly threw her in the cart. They patiently started then standing in line, even exchanging two chatters, loads as mules finally, went smiling. Suddenly it came me an idea. I had noticed that the human ones involved more or less all in the same way and they had more or less necessity of the same things. For instance, the suits with some beautiful coats of arms or the writings, always the same. They almost all had the tattoo, the earring, the cigarette in mouth. Almost all the women had the mecheses and I enamel him/it to the fingernails, the girls the piercing. Following the reasoning, had to be so also for eating! If I/you had taken all of this that he/she bought another person, I would have been served. As to follow a man was afraid to instigate an ugly reaction, as I saw to enter an elderly lady I put me confident to his/her ribs, you/he/she would have been enough to do what did her. The oldie had almost immediately realized, annoyed you/he/she had taken to race fast from a passage to the other to try to sow me, but I held hard. At the end I patiently put me in line, and when my turn came I gave to the cashier a beautiful po' of colored leaflets. Did they remain of it well few, and did the first man worries start there: I had to find the way of getting others, but as? When I went out of the supermarket, the oldie was firm to attend me in front of the door.

«It would make me an autograph please?» he/she asked me with a smile that made her sparkle the denture.

«I Prepre-prepre-pray?»

«It is deaf perhaps? I have asked her an autograph, it is for my little niece.»

«Scucusi but nononon ca-caca-cacapisco.»

«You look that I don't fall there. they macaws on Candid Camera, it is not true? On, self-acknowledged, so much I have recognized her: she is that of the Great Brother» insistette, I looked at her/it perplexed.

«Doesn't tell me that it is not true» it did her disappointed, more and more lost I squeezed together me in the shoulders.

«Therefore, if they are not on Candid Camera, she is only an idler that the time to pass goes around to trouble the defenseless oldies!» it said changing expression, it threw out immediately later an umbrella from the purse and it broke him/it to me on the head.

«So you learn to bring in comparison to the elderly ones» it shouted vexed, then it went.

# When I arrived home, over a big hunger I also had a big headache. I upset on the table the content of the shopping basket and I took the inventory of that that I had purchased. According to the oldie's heels I had bought a lipstick, a flour kilo, a greenish soap, two liters wine, a pair of pantyhoses of those to favor the circulation, a sponge grattaviatutto, a can of oil of seeds, of the pannolonis, an umbrella - you/he/she had evidently premeditated - of the butter and a pair of slippers. I became me account that there was no trace of stuff to eat and I let me fall in armchair despaired. To ask help to Stefania he/she didn't speak, I feared that of there to few I would be dead of hunger. But the desperation often makes to come some strokes of genius, I got up me and courses in garage, opened the small dispensation where Italo held my food and of Puffi and as I hoped I found her/it stracolma of scatolette. I chose five of it or six, then I taken a box of croccantini and I finally reentered in the house. After having fought for some with the can-opener I finally succeeded in having lunch, and everything the scatolettes they were not even bad.

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# Chapter 51. My funeral

That same afternoon they called me so that I went to take back me the body of Leo dog, and when I saw him/it was a true torment! It seemed a big, old, doll of roll ricucita thousand times.

"Poor my corpicino" I thought touched when I saw him/it, hardly holding back the tears" you were really perfect."

"Beautiful, muscular, proportionate. How much raced have done together, how much things. and instead now looks where The ams me, imprisoned in this disgust! I have to put otherwise me the glasses I don't see anything, I don't succeed in speaking, to go by bicycle, and I labor even to open a banal bottle of water. If I/you had known that it was so accursedly everything difficult, I would never have desired to have the hands."

The veterinarian that had performed the autopsy entrusted me him so that I handled the obsequieses; him to be precise used the word" to undo him of it." In an impetus of nostalgia I had thought about making to embalm him/it to always hold him/it with me, but then I considered us. A myself that it bewared me fixed of an angle of the living room you/he/she would have disturbed me not little. Was the problem: thing to do of it? I was not never sincerely me place the problem of what I would have liked that was my last abode, I had always been some that would have been somebody else to think of us in every case. And I was me instead to have to organize my same funeral and to have to prepare my last wishes besides putting her in practice. And any possibilities it seemed me inadequate. To give the body for the search? Apart that seemed me impossible because there a healthy piece had not remained, only but then to think about the fool that would have done of it had given me the shivers! To cremate he/she didn't speak him/it, and not even to throw him/it in sea because I am never was not liked the sea. If I had him/it buried in the wood there were the wild boars that could dig and to bring him/it to the light to eat him/it to him. The veterinarian had told me that as soon as there was out of town a cemetery for pets, so even if I knew that I would be practically remained without colored leaflets at the end I opted for that. At least I would have been able to bring me some flowers every time that I wanted. Has you/he/she ever happened you to bury yourselves? I suppose of no, I believe that nobody has done him. I have felt to say of famous people that to change life has staged his/her own death and his/her own funeral, or of others that have done only him to see who loved indeed him. Then I am him hidden among the crowd, to feel what people said of them, and after you/they have ended up killing indeed himself/herself/themselves. In every case you/they had to have been of the beautiful funerals, with the priest, the procession and the whole rest, even also with the gang. People that despaired him, for pain or for duty, to someone the applauses were touched even. Steve's funeral, that yes that you/he/she had to have been beautiful, while mine had been really sad: no priest, no good words, only as a dog. I leaned a they put bouquet of flowers on the heap of earth and I devoted me a pair of prayers. I didn't know whether to address to the god of the dogs or to that some men, so I consulted them both. Then I did me a beautiful discourse to the memory, remembering all the heroic deeds that I had completed when I was a dog police officer. I finally started to think with nostalgia about all the things that I would not have been able to do anymore, type to run after cats, to hide a bone, to pee on the wheel of the car of whom was me unpleasant. I cried for a long time.

# Chapter 52. Italo's ghost

I was returning afoot homeward, absorbed in the evening, and I felt me sad and only as not never. To try to throw me some on the moral one I stayed me to a newspaper kiosk and I bought a specialized magazine for dogs, then I did it covers from the butcher and I made me give the greatest bone that had. When I was still a dog, to be to crunch me a beautiful bone while I was skimming through the magazine looking at the canine ones it put me of good mood, and above all it helped me to reflect. Arrived home I wondered me as I had to do for trying to cook the bone, since I was afraid of the fire. Then it came me to mind that Italo, when it had to heat something, it put him/it in a kind of white plastic box and it turned a handle grip. So definite to try, and after different minutes of fights with that infernal gadget I threw out the bone; had come beautifully! I locked doors and windows and I threw the curtains, to avoid indiscreet looks, sat down then me on the couch with the saliva in mouth. I opened the magazine and I focused me on the photo of a beautiful female of Dalmatian, then I grabbed the bone and I did for bringing me him to the mouth.

«What you are doing? You will break me all the teeth!» a voice suddenly played again me in the ear while I was being about to bite the bone almost making me come a heart attack.

Frightened to death I jumped standing on the couch while the bone fell to the ground. I was convinced to be alone, I looked around me more times without succeeding in perceiving anybody. I let me slip on the couch thinking about having had a kind of hallucination.

«Where you look? I am here, but if you don't lower the blinds you will never see me!» insistette the voice.

Trembling for the fear gone down by the couch and I went to throw down the shutter, then I made a complete turn on myself to see who cabbage was that you/he/she was had a good time frightening me.

«Here you can now see me,» it told the voice my shoulders.

I turned me and I made back a new leap to the with the skin that him accapponava for the terror! I didn't know how could have happened but I was undoubled me, in front of me there was another me that it looked me fixed with the hands on the sides, and from his/her expression it seemed very angry. Not another Leo, another Italo! On the first ones I thought that it was my conscience, come to reproach me because I had appropriated some body of Italo.

«Compliment, are behaved well indeed you! I have picked up you from the road, I have saved you the life, I have taken care of you and I have given you a family. And you as thanks you have ruined my relationship with Stefania, you have destroyed me half house, and as if this was not enough for the first occasion you have taken possession of my body!» it blamed me.

«Mama-mama you mas-s-s-are for-prop-propriotu?»

«And who otherwise?»

I remained to look him/it incredulous for different minutes, while he kept on fixing me frowning.

«You have frightened me to death» I said after some instant, as soon as I had started over normally breathing. Because of that discharge of adrenaline I suddenly had also stopped stammering.

# «So much to clarify» I continued after having thrown a pair of respironis «I am not me that have stolen you the body; are you that have destroyed mine, and who knows because I have found here inside! And believe me, have now seen how works, was the last thing that would have liked! If only you that evening I/you had driven with greater prudence. and then where my goodness you were you outcast? Days have passed, from the accident!»

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# Chapter 53. The heaven of the dogs

«Where I was me outcast? For your guilt was ended in a stramaledetto heaven of the dogs! I saw that stuff, for a little I/you/they are not gone out crazy of it. On a great green lawn there are trees, bushes and bushes of all the kinds, put on purpose there for peeing. More before there is a white and glimmering beach, where for the whole day badminton on one side to the other of the sky batons and balls by to run after. The ground is soft, it is enough to give a zampata to find us a gigantic bone. Don't speak of the food; all it takes is thinking" I am hungry" and to lift the head to open mouth. Rains of croccantini of every form, measure and taste fall you in wish mouth. Don't starve I have had to eat to the chicken and carrots of it, to the cereals, to the milk, and then I don't even know him/it me as!»

Did you stop for taking back breath, still shocked, while to me they shone the eyes; who if you/he/she would ever be imagined him/it that a place attended me as that?

«And you/he/she is not ended here» taken back «there is then the department of the real fun. Another lawn where of everything some is: lizards, toads and country topini to be run after and to catch. And then, the cats! Million of cats! New of mint, of every ransom sex and color, so weak to seem half corpses. They look you as to say": From the, run after me. from the, on, bite me. On, before, give me a beautiful bite! Please, from the, bite me. I/you/they are affixed here for making to bite me from you"!»

«And you that you have done?»

«Taken by the anger, one have bite seriously him.»

«And as it was?»

«A disgust, a true disgust! I have kept on spitting hair for mezz'ora.»

«And then thing has happened?» I asked anxious, making I count me than I/you had been fortunate. Someone was taken intrigues her/it to make a jump in the aldilà of the dogs to my place, had seen what there was and now was telling me him for thread and for sign!

«I/you/they are run away from there racing, with the closed eyes for the desperation. When I have reopened them I have found on a long avenue planted with trees with so many small cottages in wood each of which it had before a beautiful lawn to the English. On every house there was a nameplate with on writing a name of dog, so I have found yours. There before they passed about ten dairymen, mail carriers, chiccai, knife sharpener, ombrellai, all rigorously in bicycle. Also those were all new ones of mint, they were for making to be pursued there, they went plain he/she waits for for making to be snapped at to the ankles!»

«And you?»

«I have pursued one of them and have I stopped him to make to give me some explanations. and I give you know what you/he/she has told me him?»

I shaken the head, perplexed.

«Please, bite me! Do you give, do give me a nibbles, that costs yourself?»

«I am not a dog, do you want to understand him/it? I am not an accursed dog, I am a man as you. And I have here to go from!»

«I will tell you everything, but first you have to give me a bite. A solo, also small, but have to give him/it for me» has implored me «if don't do him/it they will dismiss me, they will postpone me to the hell of those that the animals abused, and is very worse there! I have put there years to be promoted in purgatorial. The it promised you that if you give me to bite The wills tell you everything!»

I looked at Italo with interrogative expression.

«I didn't have choice. but was also to disgust that! To every way you/he/she has been of word. After I have nibbled a couple of times him you/he/she has accompanied me from the keeper, and I have employed times to explain him that there was an error. That has made a pair of phone calls, then you/he/she has sent me in the aldilà of the men, but there I have not even done in time to give a peek. The new keeper has said that my body was not dead and therefore I had to return back. I have told him that even if my body was not dead I didn't have him more, then he has taken a register and you/he/she has skimmed through him. You/he/she has told me that us n'erano some available ones, people in coma that he could not wake up anymore because the soul had definitely gone street. You/he/she has said that they hold them for every eventuality, for the cases as this. It was enough that I said yes, and immediately after I would have been in a new body.»

«And have not you accepted?»

«You/he/she has told me that at that time the available bodies were only three. one belonged to convict, one to crazy person and one to pygmy of the tropical forest. Would you have accepted?»

I shaken the head.

«And not even me. Then he is raged; you/he/she has said that they were my business, that he already had his/her problems, that to send before the hut was not easy, then that moreover its turn was already ended by a piece and he/she wanted to return him of it on its cloudlet. Without not even giving me the time to beat you/he/she has touched me with a kind of magic wand and I have found here, in this room, with you that you were about to destroy my teeth with that damned bone. stuff from crazy person» concluded to hand passing himself/herself/itself on the forehead.

# Chapter 54. Rivoglio my body!

I was senseless from the story of Italo, I realized to have the soft legs and I felt the need to take a seat. For his/her guilt you/he/she had been denied me, at least momentarily, the heaven. I looked at him/it with hate and I intended me that if one day the things had returned to place I would have remembered to give him a two weeks of bites to the calves. At that time Puffi entered tiredly dragging the legs, great locks of hair missed him in the different zones.

«Unfortunate, but that you have done him to' I am cat?»

«Nothing, has had yesterday a small discussion.»

The cat lifted the eyes and looked me. Then it looked at Italo. It looked again then at me, with an expression of the type" now he/she thinks of us him to put again to place the things." It went to sure blow toward Italo and it did for rubbing himself/herself/themselves to his/her leg, but it passed you through and it went to beat the head against the edge of a piece of furniture. You turned, it looked again us and later it sent forth immediately a terrorized meow while the few remained hair got up him to ciuffetti. You licked the legs and it rubbed him the eyes. Ascertaining that it didn't work, taken runs after her/it and it gave a heading in the wall. Still stunned it turned him to look us for the nth time. When he/she saw that we were still both there, it escaped as a lightning. From that moment we didn't see him/it anymore.

«Puffi. Puffiii. oh, my goodness» it said Italo with tired voice.

«And now that we do?» I asked him.

«And do you ask me him? You have to return me my body, and you have to immediately do him/it!»

«Apart that the palest idea I don't have on as to do, we say that I really immediately am not able.»

«And have to give him/it for me now instead! The rivoglio you have immediately understood?»

«Listen to me, is not that I am so much good in this condition! The only positive thing is that I have been saved from the traps of Barbie, for the rest your body me ago literally disgust; he/she stammers, he/she doesn't see us and he/she doesn't know how to read. he/she doesn't know how not to even go by bicycle, that you/they know him/it to be even his/her children, The don'ts understand how you macaws able tener I know much to this carcass.»

If there is a thing that has really some absurdity is veder to blush of anger a ghost, yet Italo became really red as a pepper!

«And then, if you ago so disgust, because you immediately don't return me him?»

«For two motives. The first one is that I don't know how he does, I have just told you him. The second is that before definitely going I have to do justice!»

«Of thing speaks?»

To that point I told him the whole history, to start from Steve. He listened more and more amazed, then it reached the conclusions.

«Then has been him to tamper with the brakes of the car. and then to phone me and the officers of the fire, doing I know that met there on that narrow stradina! You/he/she has seen that I always brought you with me and you/he/she has decided of it stuffed out both.»

«I already believe, that has gone really this way.»

«Accursed. really the evening that The hads found the courage, The wases to step away from to kiss Stefania.»

«We have to absolutely pick him/it up» I said serious.

«You are right. It has to pay her dear.»

# Chapter 55. The pact

«. we make to pact!» it proposed me him after having been absorbed for some instant.

«And that is?»

«I will let you use my body for some, so that you can find the way to let that guy to arrest. After all if are in this situation the guilt is his! However you have to promise me that you will use him/it with care and you won't waste him/it to me. and above all that when everything will be ended you will go of it and you will return me him without making histories.»

«It looks that it is difficult to waste this way it» I let me escape and he cast me a homicidal glance.

«Be', you were able at least to make you the laser to the eyes...» I added sketching a smile, but if you/he/she had been able, Italo would have killed me.

«I was joking only» I lied, but he kept on doing the offended one without answering.

«. it is all right, The ams there. Considering that you have proven comprehensive, I promise you that I will do the good one. The wills I give dark rather,: The wills also lend you to hand with Stefania.»

«It brakes, does it brake, what do you want to do?»

«I will conquer Stefania for you, I will do what you have never found the courage to do.»

«Forget you him» it said doing himself/herself/itself serious «what is between me and her concerns only us, every relationship needs its period of knowledge and courting.»

«This have already felt her. trusted, is not this way! Also my old master he/she thought her/it as you, and all the histories went him to end badly. To be sweet is all right, also romantic. But then the moment arrives in always which owe to take courage and you owe her.»

«But as you speak?» it interrupted me.

«Excuse, didn't want to offend anybody. I wanted to say" to conquer".»

«To every way raise him/it to you from the head, have you understood?» he/she specified him, and I nodded.

«I have not felt the answer.»

«I have told you that it is all right. Okay, leaves her/it alone. besides, apart his/her sweets, there is no anything of her that The like, The dids only it for you.»

«Well. Now he/she thinks then to as to make to arrest that carcass, and think of us in hurry. Meanwhile I will try to understand as I have to do for taking back me my body without risks.»

Says this it disappeared, and I collapsed dormant.

«Wakened up, cur sleepy-head» I felt me to shout of sudden in an ear.

I opened the eyes to work, and after a two weeks of gapes I succeeded in holding them open for more than consecutive second winds. Instinctively I looked at the clock being me tuneless that I didn't know how to read him/it.

«I am you are her. before, lifted, we macaws busy to lot of things.»

«. my goodness, but macaws the ghosts I know early?»

«The ghosts are not early, the ghosts don't sleep really. Instead you have slept of ugly, but at least you have not made damages!»

«And that you have made the whole night instead?»

«Have tried to turn on the television! I knew that suffering, to see all the material things and not to succeed in touching her, to see a remote control and not to find the way of pressing the keys.»

«And do you tell him/it really to me? They are years that I try to learn to use the remote control.»

«To every way, enough chatters. Lifted, it is the time to start.»

Bored for that levataccia I got up me and I approached me in bath, followed by Italo. I sniffed the water and I peed, then I gave a pair of beautiful you rasp to the rug.

«It is stronger than me.» The tolds Italo that looked me at esterrefatto and schifato.

# Chapter 56. Quarrels her

Following his/her instructions I filled the bathtub with lukewarm water and so much beautiful foam. I rolled for a long time there, I licked me the braccias, more times I sneezed. I played to bite the beads of soap while Italo shook the head, and when I had ended I shook me all the water of back, reducing the bath to a marsh.

«Not so, my goodness, you have to use the towel.»

I did for going out of the tub, but as I leaned the earth foot I slipped and I fell, hurting me an elbow.

«Unfortunate, it looks what you have done me» worried Italo exclaimed «to moments you broke me an arm.»

«Exaggerated» I answered rubbing me strong the elbow to attenuate the pain.

To that point I thought about having effected, under to his/her wise supervision, all the preparations to face the day, so I started me toward the room.

«And now where you go?»

«How where I go? I go to dress me!»

«With the cabbage, you now have to dry you the hair or you will make me come the cervical one. And then you have to wash yourself the teeth.»

Resigned, I taken the fon. When I extinguished him/it I had the so curly and swollen hair that I seemed an intersection between a hot-air balloon and a poodle.

«I can go to dress me, now?» I asked irritated.

«Even for dream! You still have to wash yourself the teeth and to shave you.»

«No, please. the beard no.»

«The beard yes!» insistette Italo.

«Assassin, wanted to make to die me bled!» it told then me while I was applying me the seventh bandaid.

«I had told you him that the beard was better to leave her/it!»

I went to dress me, then I approached me in the kitchen for the breakfast. I opened the dispensation and I taken a scatoletta: chicken and vegetables.

«And now that you do? Won't you want to eat that disgust at all?»

«And thing I should eat, according to you?» I answered while I was taking the can-opener.

«No, you that stuff doesn't eat her/it!»

«I don't eat her/it? I eat her eccome, also because the refrigerator and the dispensation are completely empty!»

«I have told you of no, you will make me come the colitis!»

«And do you know then what I tell you? I tell you that have broken me! It is as soon as a hour that I am awake and you have already exhausted me, you have tortured me to the point that I am not able of it more. Don't I bear you more you have understood? Do you now know what I do? I kill me.»

«You won't say seriously» Italo answered changing expression.

«You will now see him/it, if I say seriously. I do better than mine, I try to behave well me, not to waste your physical jewel from Adone, but you are never happy. Do you believe that for me is easy? Are you afraid that I/you/he/she ruin him/it to you? You will now see him/it, thing I do him to the your beautiful corpicino. I kill him/it, so I go out and I go to my heaven. and The leaves halo here you to shout, knows you will resolve halo them to you your problems» The tolds the limit of to crisis of nerves bringing me the blade of the Khan-opener to the throat.

«No, it waits please. I know him/it that I have exaggerated, but not to do so. please.»

«You have exaggerated? Don't have exaggerated, have done very worse! You have not seen how mine was reduced, of body, thanks to your sporting guide!»

He darkened him.

«I apologize you» it said after some, and it seemed sincere.

I looked at him/it serious, the blade of the can-opener you/he/she had left a red sign on the neck.

«I have apologized you, that my goodness you still want?»

Without saying more nothing I opened the scatoletta and I ate her/it to me, he turned him not to assist.

«My goodness, as soon as I return in me I have to remember to vomit me!» it commented desolate making a face schifata.

Chapter 57. The invitation to supper

It was a beautiful day, we decided to go out in garden to make the point of the situation.

«And does he start from where now?» Italo asked me.

«We have to find the assassin. We cannot go to report him/it because it is a police officer, we should give too explanations. We will identify him/it, then we will extend him a beautiful trap.»

«And as you think about doing?»

«We have to find again his/her auto. I have to give around a pair of sniffs, then we will go to the parking lot of the plant to see if there is an auto that the same odor has.»

«And then?»

«I have to know everything self? You are you the investigator!»

Says this I went out in the street, I threw myself in knee where Italo had held always parked the auto and I started to sniff the sidewalk while he looked me perplexed.

«There are here,» I was saying, when to my shoulders Stefania appeared making to start me.

«Beautiful day, eh?» it said so much to break the ice.

«Already» I answered embarrassed, slowly lifting me, then I cast a glance to Italo that started to look me crooked and to make me sign to be good.

«Good, beautiful figure you have made me do» it told me.

«What you are doing?» the girl asked me.

«I am looking for the medaglietta of Leo» I answered «I don't find her/it more.»

«Oh, I regret. The regrets indeed it. Do you want that I/you/he/she help yourself?»

«No, I thank you. I have to go to center. I will think it when I return.»

Taken by the idea to invite her/it to supper to try of ricucire some the relationship, I looked again at Italo. These it understood and shaken the head in sign of denial.

«I understand. then we see us» it said Stefania.

«Ok, sees us» I answered starting me.

«You feel.» it said her while The wases already getting further me.

I turned me verse of her while Italo shelled the eyes, more and more worried.

«. yes?» I did hesitant.

«You feel, me. oh, my goodness» it said racing The meets me and embracing me «you have made me worry I know much, The say seriously.»

«Me. The ams sorry it, The didn'ts want.»

«It doesn't do anything, it is not your guilt. What do you say about coming to supper from me, tonight?»

Meanwhile Barbie was gone out in the street and you/he/she had seen the whole scene. It started to snarl me against to open teeth.

«Bau wuf caì bau (cannot accept, is not logical! Don't try to take around Stefania or you will repent of it. And then you cannot do me this)» he/she barked.

Italo fixed me serious and kept on shaking the head.

«Not to accept. not to give to tell her of yes.» it repeated me to the ear with to killer tone.

«Me.» The said sad looking for an excuse.

Seeing that I temporized and a negative answer waiting himself/herself/itself, Stefania darkened him. Barbie and Italo breathed a sigh of relief.

«At what time?» I asked.

Stefania gave me the brightest smile that I/you had ever seen. Barbie restarted to bark and came to give me a bite to the ankle. Italo started to jump and to beat the earth feet angry, rotten of jealousy.

«Barbie, sciocchina, that you do?» it told not Stefania a too convinced reproach.

«I wait you at nine o'clock?» he/she asked then me.

«There will be» I responded, then I started me while Italo was me to the ribs and kept on inveighing me against.

# Chapter 58. In the parking lot

«But you look, is not possible! Done take by a motion of pity you save a dog hurt by the road and thing I/you/he/she earn us? The house destroys you to catch the cat, it appropriates some remote control as if it were his, it makes you leave from your woman» it mumbled Italo, black as a spazzacamino, while we were walking toward the Plant of Police.

«It looks, that together with her" your woman" you are not there yet!» I underlined.

He launched me a homicidal look, then it continued without picking up the provocation.

«But is not everything! Then an assassin him ago a trap and for guilt his/her risks to die. You safe for a hair and him thing does? The body steals because his is not better, and it uses him/it with carelessness. And then, as if it was not enough, it also starts courting your girl!»

«I am not courting your girl, do you want to understand him/it or no? I have tried only not to disappoint her/it. Otherwise when will have recovered your body will have to look for you of it another, of fiancée! It is already enough disdained...»

«It is stuff from crazy persons. it is really stuff from crazy persons.» it confirmed to couple of times still, then it was hissed of hit and it didn't open mouth anymore until we didn't arrive in front of the Plant of Police.

«Before Mr." The know all self", that he now does?» he/she asked me.

«And do you ask him/it to me? You are you the investigator!»

«But you were not a dog police officer?»

«And then? I was not at all her Mrs. in Yellow! They told me it sniffs here, it looks there, he/she catches that and you that other, and I did what you/they ordered me.»

Italo was absorbed for some instant. He didn't like at all the idea to make to be seen crouched to sniff the wheels of the automobiles, but it didn't have other to propose.

«I am to short of ideas, let's do as have said you! Are you at least able to recognize his/her auto?»

«I think of yes.»

«Then put well you to the job.»

You does soon to say put you to the job. I looked at the great parking place, where about ten auto were parked in a mosaic of colors, and I felt me lost. I hoped that the fortune, at least for once it lent me a hand. I didn't know the model and I didn't remember the color, for a dog they are things that don't have a lot of importance. Watching out that nobody saw me I crouched me and I started to revolve me among the autos, trying to gather the odor that I looked for. With mine great surprise I discovered to be still able to recognize to what races belonged the dogs that had marked with their pee the various wheels. Naturally more than a person it caught me to sniff the wheels and to speak alone apparently so, behind the ready suggestions of Italo, I had to pit a series of unbelievable excuses. When by now I was despairing, I heard a voice and I recognized instantly her.

«You don't come tonight then? There will be to have a good time him! I saw how the masters of the places whimper when you peck at them on the fact. Provided that you leave them alone, they come to offer you the most unbelievable things» you/he/she was telling the Bogy man a colleague while they were going down the stairway that gave on the parking lot.

«I regret but tonight really I am not able, it is the birthday of my child» he/she answered him the other.

«It is all right, it will be for another time.»

The Bogy man wore the usual black coat, and as always you/he/she held the hands sunk in the pockets.

«What there is? Because you have stayed?» he/she asked Italo.

«It is there that. The assassin is that with the black coat.»

«You are sure?»

«To the one hundred percent.»

«Soon, then. Let's have to move us to see qual is his/her auto. done! We can go» it said Italo after having mentally recorded the model and the plate.

# Chapter 59. To the plant

«Now that we do?» I asked to Italo while, sat on a bench of the public park, I crunched the croccantinis that I had brought with me. He launched me occhiatacce and it shook the head disgusted, but you/he/she had understood that you/he/she could not do anything to prevent me him.

«It is simple, we give him an appointment on the place of the crime saying that we want to sell him our silence. If it is indeed him, it will come of run.»

«And then? Knowing the type, that as soon as he/she sees me it shoots me. It surprises me that with the whole love that you have for your body you want to make to make me such a risky thing.»

«It won't have the time to do nothing because they immediately will arrest him/it.»

«Ah yes? And who will the police call her/it?»

«You come with me and you do what I tell you» he responded sure of itself starting again himself/herself/itself toward the plant.

Finally, after a lot of and a lot of spent words we succeeded to it stuffed to receive from the Captain in person.

«I know her/it» it exclaimed when he/she saw me enter.

«Already. You/he/she has come to question me to the hospital.»

«Ah yes, it is true. Even if did it have all those bandages then, do I now recognize her/it. by chance it has something against me?» he/she asked then seeing that I was looking him/it in with hostility; I had not forgiven him to have straight straight me expeditious in front of the executioner yet.

«No, you excuse me. The wases absorbed.»

«To thing I owe this visit?»

«I believe to know who the assassin is.»

«Indeed? Immediately tells me him!»

«I am not able, I am certain that he/she would not believe me!»

«How you/he/she can say him/it?»

«It is one of his/her men.»

«It is right, I don't believe her» he responded looking me serious.

«Now, if he/she wants to excuse me, I am busy a lot» it added then in detached tone.

«It is the same man that has shot to Steve.»

The Captain jolted on his/her armchair as if an electric chair had become suddenly.

«What he/she knows her about Steve? Now that comes me to mind, the dog that is dead in the accident it was really that of Steve. How has you/he/she been him?»

«Steve and I were a lot of friends, I was to the funeral and I followed his/her men from the veterinarian; I told him that I lived in another city and I convinced him/it to submit me him. And as it regards the assassin of Steve, I have motive to believe that I/you/he/she am the same that you/he/she has made an attempt to my person.»

«Thing does him him to think?»

«I have told him him, Steve and I we spoke a lot.»

«It is so sure, because he/she doesn't formally report him/it?» the Captain asked me launching me a look of challenge.

«I don't have the tests.» The answereds, and The didn'ts understand because but the Captain seemed me lifted by my answer.

«If it doesn't have tests that it intends to do? I concern to the assassin, I intend» the captain still asked me.

«I will give him an appointment for tomorrow evening at nine o'clock to that same shed. And her, with his/her men, it will have to be there. And it will have to be ready, because otherwise that kills also me!»

The Captain seemed to reflect for some instant.

«Both! But if it will make me waste time, if it is a whole lie, I swear that it will pay her/it dear!»

# «You look that doing so I risk my life, does he/she believe that I/you/he/she feel like joking? But without the tests, the only way to unmask is him/it to tear live him a confession.»

#

#

# 

# Chapter 60. The preparation to the supper

«I have to recognize that you have been good» it admitted his despite Italo to half voice giving me a pacca on the shoulders; that admission was cost him quite a lot.

«You/he/she has been your worth, without your help I would not have known whether to talk to the Captain» I answered.

«Now as we do to track the assassin down?» I asked then.

«It will be enough to make a phone call. One friend of mine that works in a certain office will give us all the data of our enemy, understood his/her telephone number, so we will prepare him a beautiful scherzetto» you/he/she said him smiling.

We were crossing the principal street of the city, rich of showcases and of people to I walk.

«They serve me some that colored leaflets that exchange you among you men.»

«. thing is that it serves you?» he/she asked looking me strange.

«Some that leaflets. money, seems that I/you/he/she call.»

«You have him in the wallet, I had left each other many money» he/she answered, later it looked immediately me worried fearing my answer. I kept on looking before doing the indifferent one.

«You have spent all of my money, it is not true? And that you have done of it? They were so many!»

«I have had to make me the funeral.»

Italo restarted to get excited of ugly and to inveigh against me"; This is the drop that makes to overflow the vase", and so street.

«Before, you cannot be so selfish!» did I interrupt him/it «thing I had to do of it of my body? To leave him/it in front of the cans of the garbage? Do you think that I am liked? It is not beautiful to owe him to bury alone at all, I assure him/it to you!» I told tall voice, almost shouting, and incredibly to those words it calmed down. Meanwhile the passer-bys looked me doubtful for then to go himself/herself/themselves the finger index to the temple.

«And it is all right, you are right. after all if everything this has happened you/he/she has also been my guilt» it admitted been sorry.

«But now because you want other money? What do you have to do of it?» he/she asked then in mistrustful tone.

«I have to prepare me for the supper of tonight. for ounces trusted of me, in to couple of days it will be everything ended. Everything will return as before, it will be better rather perhaps also.»

It seemed to reflect for some instant, then it resigned and even though unwillingly it accompanied me in front of an automatic teller machine, where he/she explained whether to withdraw the money.

«I hope that you spend well them, because these are really the last.»

«Not to worry you, will see that you will thank me!»

"Or at least I hope for him/it" I added among me!

Remembering as he prepared Steve every time that it had to go to a romantic dinner I entered a shop of flowers. Adocchiai immediately a beautiful the happiness's tronchetto, a plant that it is rarely found for road and that you/he/she had always been mine" wc" preferred. It was stately, very beautiful, and it had a good odor. Faking indifference I sniffed for a long time it in memory of the beautiful gone times, and for a puff I didn't do me the pee I set. I had to race in bath and when I went out I bought some red roses a beautiful great and perfumed bunch.

«You didn't have to take her redheads, I had told you not to take her redheads» it repeated me meanwhile Italo to the ear up to the nausea «it is too much compromising. You had to take her yellow, that you/they mean friendship, then he/she will be seen.»

Then it was the time of the chocolates and here it didn't protest as, it limited him to make three times it counts her/it with the fingers to understand how many colored leaflets stayed us and later it assumed immediately a depressed expression. Unfortunately for him, however, I had not ended to make money spend him yet. I slipped me in a bookstore and I purchased a magazine of fashion and a book from the title" to Tame a ghost in few minutes." I had not learned to light granché well, but I was certain that you/he/she would have served me. Italo started to look me in suspicious way and resumptions at to complain about himself/herself/themselves, and when I entered a shop of attire his/her whinings they were done heavier. I passed from the optician and I purchased a beautiful pair of lenses to contact, and there Italo started to become angry seriously.

«So much is worth that takes her blue, I like more» I told the order.

My companion went to give two or three headings in the wall, naturally without getting results; I simply saw his/her head disappear and more times to reappear perfectly staying intact. When at the end I went out of the saloon of beauty I had been completely put again to new. I showed off proud a new hair style, an earring and a tattoo to form of" S" on the bicepses. Italo, impotent, it continued to alternate desperate weepings to invectives of every kind.

# Chapter 61. The trap

When we arrived home I watched out a lot of for not to make to see me from Stefania because I had intention to catch her/it, Italo had not calmed yet but now you/he/she limited him to hold me the face in silence. Despite I/you had tried to make to understand him that I was doing all for him, these it didn't turn me word. And it was not only for what I had done, but above all it was tremendously worried for what feared that that evening I would have combined. and it was fully unfortunately right. Would have become angry a lot of, but I was certain that one day would have thanked me!

«They are the eight less ten. What do you say about making to phone me that your friend? Do we owe soon» I used of intention the plural «to go to dinner, won't want to let your fiancée to wait?»

Italo launched me another beautiful dose of insults, then you/he/she puffed and you/he/she still got excited some to the end you/he/she was decided to make that friend of his call me. We finally had the telephone number of the assassin. I went to take a box of croccantini and I brought me her on the couch, together with the cordless and to the remote control of the television.

«Who speaks?» he/she answered hates him voice after different rings. I inserted the vivavoce.

«I am the investigator Italo Ristretti.»

«Ah yes. it seems me to have already felt your name by burdens part. Seem me some exaggerated on your behalf to define you investigator. What do you want?» he/she asked with carelessness.

"Carcass, has me almost killed and do the indifferent one. know very well it who Italo is! As is sorry me not to have that beautiful sharpened teeth of mine anymore!" I thought.

«I am looking for a buyer for some very reserved information» I told in a low voice him.

«I have neither time nor desire for these cazzates» it said bored «it is about to start my preferred program» and I wondered me if by chance also he looked at the Looney Tunes.

«Ditches in you I would not attach.»

«And because?»

«Because they are information that concern ago a certain agent of the special killed a few months in a store in the industrial zone.»

«And me that enter it?» he/she coldly answered.

«A witness has told that you enter it eccome!»

«The. the dog?» he allowed to escape perplexed.

«Yes, certain, the dog spoke! And you had to feel as it sang, if you had not killed him/it to this time you/he/she would have made a record. Do you stop saying stupidities and do answer me seriously; they interest you, these information, or do I have to look for another buyer?»

«We cannot speak on the phone of it, it is dangerous. Let's see tonight us.»

«Tonight I am busy. We see us evening at nine o'clock to that store tomorrow.»

«There will be, even if I have not anything to do with really at all it. I don't know who has put you in head those strange ideas, in every case you are careful to that that you do or you will pass a trouble!»

«If I were to your place I would worry me for myself.»

I attached and immediately after I turned on the TV. Cat Silvestre he was climbing above for an eaves that he was slowly detaching from the wall. Italo meanwhile it shook the head and he/she spoke alone.

Ettore had just ended to massacre Silvestre, that adorable oldie intervened and got further him/it with kind ways. Then it returned from Silvestre holding in hand a beautiful broom, of those that were used once, with a strong wood handle and the sorghum brush. When you/he/she had ended Silvestre you/he/she was definitely reduced to a shapeless mash. His/her little nephew, violet for the shame, it put on in head the usual envelope not to make himself/herself/themselves recognize. Then it arrived it initials her/it.

# Chapter 62. The book on the ghosts

I extinguished the TV and I started to skim through the book on the ghosts. Italo was suspended to mezz'aria, sat with the cross legs and the head among the hands as a Genius of the lamp on his/her cloudlet.

«Hey, that intentions you have?» he/she asked me anxious, seeing that I was quickly flowing the pages of the book.

«Not to make jokes or this time I swear that doesn't forgive her/it to you!» it added thoughtful, also knowing that the knife from the part of the handle I had him me.

«Nothing, was looking only if there is here the way to return you your body» I lied.

I finally reached the page that I looked for": instant magic Formulas for a ghost to make harmless." It was a series of ritual sentences that you/they used time in time to send away him/it, to hiss him/it, to make him/it visible, invisible, and so street. For each of these matters were present more than a formula, according to the duration that was wanted to get for the desired effect.

"I mind also doing him this, but it is the only mean to prevent to combine him country houses during the supper. We see if these formulas work."

I turned me toward Italo and I looked at him/it fixed, intensely, for some instant.

«But what do you do? You won't want at all.» it did him frightened.

By now you/he/she had understood my intentions and rather angry meeting was coming me. At first I turned him/it into a caterpillar, then I did him/it fatten up tremendously. I did him/it return human and I put him the chains, to get away later immediately her. Then I imprisoned him/it in a jar, later in a mirror. At the end sipped him/it.

«Biribì umtalfà the mute ghost will be!» I said.

Although Italo kept on tossing himself/herself/themselves and to move the mouth as him same shouting, was as if you/he/she did him/it from in a bell of glass. Finally in my head there was a sudden, pleasant, silence!

«Okay» I said «it works. Now you are silent, that so much I cannot feel you, and listen well to me: soon we will go to dinner from Your girl. Not that I am happy, I do him/it for you because otherwise she would stop entirely to address the word. I will do better than mine, I will try to be polite, agreeable, and kind. Nothing more. I will bring you with me because it is Your fiancée and not the mine. I will return you the voice and can give me some suggestions, but see not to break or a formula that will confine you in a can for three hundred years will recite! No jealousies, nothing cries, no mattanes. Have I made sense of?»

He responded of yes but its voice didn't arrive to me.

«I have not felt your answer» I told him in threatening tone, Italo nodded terrorized.

«Leave only now me for a few minutes, please.»

To say him/it misses I, Italo was offended. Mogio went to another room dragging the feet, if you/he/she had still had the chains you/he/she would have been perfect for a Scottish castle.

"If Giotto has succeeded there, to kiss a human, because I should not make her/it me?" I wondered me" now it is after all as if I were a man. However I have never had relationships with the women, if it is excepted the time that I stuck me to the leg of the postina from pup. but that was only to demonstration of affection and her The didn'ts even like it, only that to beautiful bone had given me. We hope that Italo if I/you/he/she don't pick her/it up as, I would be sorry. But despite what it says, if I don't do him/it me him courage will never find him/it. In every case to kiss a woman won't be at all the end of the world, and then to the limit I can always close the eyes and to think about some boxerinas. It will be better however to loosen some the inhibiting brakes, he/she is never known". The thoughts.

I went me to the mobile cafe and I spilled me a generous dose of vodka, and shortly after another. After some, even if as that was not good that had drunk together with Giotto, I started to feel me more relaxed. A formula that allowed me to always see Italo to be able him/it tender of eye recited. In the case in which, taken by the jealousy, you/he/she had started to behave him from true ghost with so much of trailing of chains, sheets that fly, puffs of icy air and quant'altro, would have reduced him/it to the impotence. I tore the most interesting pages of the book and I put her in pocket.

«You are ready?» I said going to call Italo.

I found him/it that it walked before and back in the room and it stuttered something among itself speaking of Puffi, the voice you/he/she had already returned him.

«But what have you done? You are everything red in face» he/she asked me looking better me.

«Nothing. we go that it in general is.»

# Chapter 63. To supper from Stefania

With my beautiful bunch of roses redheads and the box of chocolates in hand I played to the bell of house of Stefania. You was suffered to open sign that was impatient.

«I don't buy anything. I regret but I don't have time, I am waiting for a person» it distractedly said, then the door closed me in face.

«Stefanias, are me. The ams Italo» The said while its footsteps behind the door got further.

«You have seen what you have combined? You/he/she has not even recognized you» you/he/she was starting to grumble Italo, but the door opened again.

«But are you really you?» he/she asked me perplexed.

«Already» I said handing her roses.

«Oh, they are very beautiful indeed. thanks! Excuse but I had not recognized you. you have made indeed to beautiful change, there is no denying it.»

«If I have to be sincere also you you are well dressed so» I answered, and it was true.

Now that I looked at her/it with human eyes I found indeed her very nice. You/he/she had loosened the long blonde hair and you/he/she had put some celestial eyeshadow, that made to jump the blue of his/her eyes, besides you/he/she had removed those horrible plushes that it always brought for wearing a beautiful adherent vestitino.

«Thanks, are you a lot of gallant. and then it seems me that you don't stammer anymore, or mistake?»

«It is true, I have definitely stopped. I must have recovered because of the blow to the head that I have taken in the accident.»

«It enters, from the. It is everything hello!»

I turned me to look at Italo. You/he/she had stopped making me the grimaces and to pose himself/herself/themselves to take around me, and now it beat the earth feet vexed. I entered and I closed the door of intention, I looked at him/it curse while it was passing from the hole of the lock and I set out me smiling toward the kitchen. The table was prepared of everything point, in the air there was indeed a good odor.

«I don't see Barbie» I said.

«It is in his/her room. I have not understood because, but from a few days it behaves in strange way.»

«It perhaps feels the lack of Leo.»

«It is probable, you/they had become a lot of friends. It spends the days on his/her kennel, he/she hardly eats and it never goes out.»

On the moment I felt me a few in guilt, but then I told me that I had not been me to have created that situation.

«Now tell me of you. to thing this change is owed?» Stefania asked while it was distributing the appetizer in the dishes.

«There is not a particular motive, I have decided to put again me some in form. I have to give me to do for looking for a job, even so I will make a best impression.»

«Be', the result seems good» it commented her gently grazing me a hand with his and my despite a shiver of emotion it crossed me the back.

It was an unknown feeling but I have to admit that I liked a lot. Meanwhile Italo was launching me about ten daggers with the look.

«Even if perhaps it is not correct towards Leo, I propose a toast. After all you are recovered, at least you you have been fortunate» it proposed her pouring the wine in the glasses.

«Yes, you are right. And then I am certain that anywhere you are found now, Leo is well» I responded to encourage her/it.

«And I believe you that are well! Be you strafogando as a pig, bushels drinking the wine of that good, and moreover have served and revered ago by a girl that you the sweet eyes! But not to climb on too much you the head, because so much those looks are turned to me!» acid Italo whispered me to the ear.

The supper was proceeding very well. I had noticed that after every glass of wine, Stefania looked more always me in the same way according to which it looked at Italo up to few days before. This was a pleasure for me, it meant that he still had some hope and that I was succeeding in not ruining everything.

# Chapter 64. After supper

The supper was practically ended, Stefania had just put in the dishes two beautiful portions of dessert. Making I count me that he was approaching the moment in which I would have had to take the initiative, I breathed a big sigh. Stefania got up and went to turn on the stereo. The sonorous column of" Ghost" it started to echo in the room, just as to the old times. I thought that you/he/she could not choose a more appropriate song, sees the situation, it missed only us that threw out the clay and the spirit of Italo it took possession of me. I gulped down another glass of wine to do me courage and I got up me, I turned around the table and I took her hand to invite to dance her/it.

«But thing you are doing? This was not in the pacts!» Italo shouted me risking to break down me an eardrum. rather, to wear out himself/herself/themselves an eardrum.

«You immediately stop making the cascamorto, have you understood?» insistette.

«Excuse me, but I have need an instant of the bath» I told Stefania leaving his/her hand.

«You also go, you know where it is» she responded returning to sit some disappointed.

Just closed the door of the bath I threw out of the pocket the leaflets of the formulas.

«Thing you want to do with that sheet?» Italo told me that had followed me of run.

«I make you be silent, I had told you him not to break!»

«Not to make the carcass, has understood? You had promised that would have been only an innocent supper, now you also want instead her to make to dance.»

«Listen well to me, because I won't repeat him/it to you more» I answered bored «what you believe me or no, what I am doing I do him/it for you. If had been for me would have remained home to watch the television! Is this a performance only, and for this performance the applauses you will pick up you them all you not as soon as will you reenter in this body, have you understood? And if okay suits you, otherwise I find an excuse and I immediately return home of it, and with her you will see her/it to you you tomorrow or the day after tomorrow.»

I had to have been really convincing, because he stayed in silence for some instant. You/he/she was reflecting.

«And is it all right, do I want to give you trust. but has not to try to graze her/it, understood? You don't have not to even graze her/it with a finger or you will repent of it» it snarled me in the most threatening tone that knew, and now the hot tempered dog seemed him.

I refolded the sheets and I put them in pocket, we returned in living room and Italo it sat down on the couch to braccia conserte, vexed and jealous never. I went to the stereo and I made to leave again the song, then I returned to the table and I taken the hand of Stefania. I drove her toward the center of the room. You surrounded my neck with the braccias and it threw me some to itself, intensely looking me. I dissuaded the look and I let me drag in that girotondos, stunned by the alcohol and by the music, and I tried again unintentionally that shiver. That unknown feeling frightened me.

"I have to kiss her/it! If I don't kiss her/it now I will ruin everything and Italo it will employ three lives to find another fiancée" I told me.

However there was something that braked me. What pits fear? And of thing? Of the refusal? It didn't interest me, after all they were not my business and I was not risking anything. Yet, despite the strength with which you/he/she was embracing me, and despite it didn't wait anything else other than to be kissed, would have liked to be far thousand miles. My goodness, when I was dog it was everything easiest, this time it was everything completely different. Italo had realized that something didn't go and you/he/she looked me cross and perplexed. Now I finally understood the why of all of his/her hesitations, and also of those of Steve. Without I cared of it nothing, because I had not directly involved even, I felt the weight of the responsibility of what I would have had to do. If I/you had mistaken something the poor Italo you/he/she would not have had other occasions. I tried to put me in the cloths of my friend. I imagined as I would have been badly if I/you had been indeed a man and her the woman with whom I was in love.

# "I have to understand what it is waited for her by me and I have to do him/it, I have to succeed in doing him/it before this magic moment fades away."

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# Chapter 65. The doubts and the temptation

«Italo. Italo that you have?» he/she asked me of sudden her bringing me to the reality.

«. because?»

«The music is ended. they macaws two minutes that we turn for the dark room as two zombies!»

«Indeed?» I asked.

«Already.» she responded with his/her great blue eyes planted in mines, and of hit The worried me because The realizeds me that The found them immensely great and beautiful.

I thought about Giotto and I understood what you/he/she had pushed him to make that gesture that the career was cost him. Stefania started to push me toward the couch without saying nothing, Italo it horrified, with the blocked eyes it shouted a" nooo" with the whole breath that had. We were invested by a puff of icy air, the curtains rippled and I felt under the skin of Stefania accapponarsi to my fingers. You discarded to the last moment to go again himself/herself/themselves toward the stereo, the music he/she left again for the third time and I realized me that I had remained badly there, because for an instant I had desired that it pushed me on the couch and he/she took the initiative. Was thing happening me? I was me to think once more to Giotto, then I thought about all the suppers of Steve to which I had been present. Every time, in the full one of the magic moment, I had thought": he/she Now kisses her/it, he/she now kisses her/it". but never happened. Passed the peak the atmosphere it started to diminish, as the music. And me": kiss her/it, stupid. you macaws still in time. now kiss her/it" but nothing. Punctually, after a few days, the abandonment arrived from her/it her of turn. "Stupid, if I/you had been to your place you/he/she would not be ended so" I had always thought among me reproaching him/it, and instead to that point I was me to hesitate how much them. Unbelievable, it seemed the evening of the revelations. I was only a man few days, and in few moments I had succeeded in understanding as things of the human ones that I had not understood in so many years lived by dog to their side. I didn't believe that it was possible to feel himself/herself/themselves so involved, to desire a thing, or better, a person, so much intensely. And that sweet thawing that the stomach had taken me was a very beautiful feeling. How dog if you were hungry you ate, if you wanted to pick up a cat you had only to run after him/it, you were your desires and you, without barriers neither brakes in the mean. As when I developed some operation together with Steve. A well clear objective in the mind, then only action and reaction. The simplest principle of the physics. But I now had before a person, a person with some expectations and this preparation of the desired event, this" to play her/it to him moment for moment" was becoming indeed fascinating! I thought that probably that was the most beautiful moment of a relationship: the birth of a love, slow, as a small fire that as soon as it grows it burns the fears. For an instant road did even him in me the temptation to deny my nature.

"Who rubs some heaven of the dogs and the batons that you/they fly in the air, of the gigantic ossis and of the mail carriers to pursue" I thought.

Passing close to the table, during that infuriating dance, I had grabbed the glass and I had drunk other wine to the search of the courage but that simple action, the easiest gesture of the world, I didn't succeed in completing him/it yet. I was confused more and more, exhausted by the emotion. Now Italo was on the couch with the braccias and the left legs to go to itself same, destroyed by the suspense, as if you/he/she had fainted. What of it of him would you/he/she have been? Stefania supported the head close to mine, on my shoulder, and I felt his/her perfume. He/she remembered me the odors in the spring, it was sweet and intoxicating. I still attracted him some to me, perhaps with too strength, she made a surprised face and then an encouraging smile. Suddenly revived Italo it jolted on the couch and it put on the hands among the hair, while I felt the cheeks catch fire for the shame.

# Chapter 66. Victoria!

Stefania leaned the hands on my shoulders, later it made immediately her slip behind the neck and it threw me to itself. and he/she finally kissed me, while The wases closing the eyes terrorized and The realizeds me that The didn'ts succeed in thinking about the boxerina. We went to sit on the couch.

«Nooo. damnation, that bushels doing? You cannot do me this, you cannot do him/it.» it shouted Italo instinctively moving himself/herself/itself as if we could crush him/it. It jumped down and it started to turn around us, to climb and to go down from the couch jumping as a crazy person.

«Stefy, Stefy, that I am not me! It is an impostor, an impostor, please, Stefy, listen to me» it kept on shouting trying to attract his/her attention. Then, considering that he/she didn't succeed us, it turned him to me.

«You are a carcass, a damned carcass.» it repeated «you had made me to it promised. Had you promised him/it to me, do you understand?»

It tried to intervene himself/herself/themselves between us, to separate us. He/she also sat him on the couch and it leaned the hands on my breast, trying to push me street. Its hands crossed me.

«It is not possible» it repeated different times, then he allowed to slip down from the couch and it went to the table.

Tried to grab the bottle of the wine, and I don't believe that was for getting drunk himself/herself/themselves because was empty, simply wanted to break me her in head! Seeing that was everything useless dragged him out of the room disheartened, and to that point I felt me free to be myself, even if what myself I was, I didn't know anymore by now it! Excited and marveled by that whirlwind of feelings I smelled the hair of Stefania and I caressed them, then I touched his/her braccias, its lips, rubbed my cheeks on his. Every thing that passed under to my fingertips taken in loan was an indescribable feeling, it gave me immense joy. I would never be waited me that using the hands all those feelings you/they could be tried. We kissed again us, while every now and then I was having to fight for sending away the image of Italo from my mind.

«How beautiful» it said Stefania.

I looked at her twisting some the head, it was all uncombed and red in face.

«It was only a kiss, yet you/he/she has been very beautiful. I didn't wait me for him so. I know intense. The didn'ts I give you I know. animal, here!»

Not knowing what to answer I continued to caress her hair. After some I got up me with an excuse to go looking for Italo because I was worried for him; to cause some the drunkenness and some the emotion, felt the unsteady legs. I opened a few the door of the room of Barbie and I looked for him/it with the look. He witnessed lowered the canine one and he/she spoke to her.

«You/he/she has been incorrect, do you understand? Stefania is the first woman that my love reciprocates, and everything was being all right.»

«Bau caii (I know him/it, you/he/she was confided with me. The ams sorry).»

«. and then he arrives and turns my life upside-down! Does it seem you to regulate? Has the body stolen me before, has you/he/she used him to steal me that of the woman that I love then. and if you/he/she has made me make to figuraccia? Or if he liked this situation and didn't return me more my body?»

"A figuraccia?" I thought with sufficiency" next time will see if you will be better, with these miserable ones orchestrate to disposition!"

«Caiii caiii (I had immediately understood that it was not reliable. you/he/she has tried to also seduces me.)» Barbie responded.

# Considering that despite everything they seemed enough calm riaccostai the door and I returned from Stefania, I embraced him narrow hold and of there to few we collapsed dormant on the couch.

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Chapter 67. The next day

The next morning realized me that I didn't practically almost remember anything, the feelings that you/they had remained me had the characteristics of a dream. I felt me as wound in a cocoon of wadding and it seemed me that the whole world turned to the rallentatore, the head made me evil and also the eyes, because I had forgotten to remove the lenses from contact. My stomach grumbled, but I didn't dare eat the so early croccantinis. I was certain that if I were me hazardous to put only also in mouth of it one, I would also have given out the soul. Sat above the closet, Italo looked me in strange way. In his/her eyes there was a mixture of disappointment, contempt, homicidal fury, rebellion, revenge and a point of sadism. I labored to sustain his/her look.

«Now you are happy, it is not true? You have finally gotten what you wanted!» it reproached me, and I lowered the head.

«I have done him for you. If I/you had not kissed her, you would have lost her» I murmured.

«But do me the favor. you have done only him for you, to satisfy your curiosity. Did you want to know what it tries him to be men, it is not true?»

«I have done him for you, only for you» I repeated, and he/she anchors today I would not know how to say if I was lying to myself or to him.

Seeing that Stefania was still sleeping as a little angel, I covered her/it with a cover, then I left the house without making noise. Italo was as always me to the ribs and kept on shaking the head looking me serious.

«. The don'ts know what you/he/she is taken me. it is absurd. The ams sorry» The tolds ounces him house.

«It allows to lose, so much soon all this will finally be ended» it cut short with a glacial calm that surprised me.

After all to his/her words I warned however a point of fear. the fear that I/you changed mind. For the whole rest of the day it didn't turn me the word an only time and me, aware that that would have been my last man day, I used the hands more than I was able. You premise all the keys of the remote control about ten times, I opened and closed locks, washed my teeth, I got off a shutter of the closet, I did me the beard four times. I looked for in every way of holding to mind that marvelous feeling that I tried in to touch something, and to maintain intact the memory of the evening before. I hoped that you/they would have accompanied me for long time, at least if in the heaven of the dogs I/you was annoyed me I would have had something beautiful to which to think. With the evening the moment arrived to get ready himself/herself/themselves to the meeting with the Bogy man.

Italo catechized me for more than a hour on thing to do and thing to say, and above all on as to behave me in case of danger. It held too much to his/her body, especially now that I had put again him/it to him to new and that Stefania had shown to appreciate him/it. It programmed in every particular the meeting of that evening without more to make the least sign to Stefania, as if we were the greatest friends on the face of the Earth, and despite the appearances probably we were becoming him/it. For an instant you/he/she had also tried to convince not to go me us really, to the appointment: surely the assassin would have gone there, the police also. that need there was to risk this way? I explained him whether to look at him/it in the eyes while they were arresting him/it, and even, if I/you had succeeded there, to also arrange him a beautiful fist in face, would have been the correct satisfaction for what had made us pass. At the end Italo had accepted, but I was due to go down to compromises however. Not that in that situation it had some power on me, but I understood his/her state of mind and I didn't sincerely want to give him other disappointments, after all it didn't deserve him/it. This way I dressed me following his/her suggestions, and at the end I seemed a soldier in mission of war: antimissile jacket, helmet, cavigliere, knee-guards and protect-elbows, soccer player parastinchi, paradenti and shell. I don't know how, I succeeded in convincing him/it that the parachute didn't serve me!

# Chapter 68. The final clash

Did Italo also recommend me to bring me a pocket recorder, if the first time had worked because you/he/she would not have been able to also return us profit that evening?

We started there in silence, footstep after footstep, and of sudden I perceived an intense emotion, similar to a deaf pain and I lavish that the stomach twisted me and that it made me come the soft legs. I had finally arrived in front of the gate of the shed where everything how much starts, without hesitating I grabbed the handle of the front door and I did him/it flow. Smiles remembering as I was me wounded the face the last time that I had tried to open him/it, then I thought about Steve and I wondered me once more as the things you/they would have gone if I/you had also had the hands that evening.

"But so much that carcass will pay her/it" I told me.

I breathed a sigh and I entered with the power on torch to see where I put the feet, the sense of abandonment that he breathed inside the shed transmitted me anxiety.

"They are good indeed, the police officers. They are hidden so well that it doesn't feel him fly a fly" I thought while I was cautiously penetrating me to the inside.

«I beg me, you don't export and not to hurt you. And above all, if you see her/it ugly not to put to make you the hero: it turns the heels and it escapes!» he recommended Italo for the nth time, to the limit of a crisis of nerves.

To every least noise it jolted. If you/he/she had still been of meat and bones, in the five departed minutes from when we had entered the shed you/he/she would have been able to die of heart attack about ten times.

«You are calm» I whispered «I don't have any intention to end again to the hospital.»

«But what do you do, do you speak alone?» it said the Bogy man emerging me of sudden to the shoulders from behind a pillar. The reed of the the gun leaned me in the middle of the shoulder blades.

«I am right me, to make to catch you so you are only an imbecile. to visionary» it added disdainful.

Incredulous, I saw Italo whiten so much that for an instant it disappeared entirely almost.

«Possible that you have already made to rub? How investigator you are really a dog!» it shouted me disappointed.

«You/he/she can give him» I answered to the assassin ignoring Italo «but I am certain of a thing: to your place I would be careful to choose well the words.»

«Not to provoke him/it. Not do make to become rabid him/it, ask you him please» Italo implored me.

«It looks, that if he/she anchors you have not understood him, you/he/she is giving you some idiot» I answered to Italo turning myself of release verse of him.

«But thing you do, do you still speak alone? Listen well to me, imbecile, has not come here to waste time. We feel what you have to tell, then of it riparliamo» it replied him to narrow teeth turning around me and coming me before, and I saw that he/she wore once more the usual coat and the usual hat. I am be liked to throw down him all the teeth to suon of fists, so that to get away that bold smile.

«Meanwhile you are firm an instant, that I search you» it added showing well me the weapon.

«I am clean» I answered in dry tone.

«Just as I thought! Only an idiot can come here, only and unarmed, blackmail me. rather, now that The think better it two idiots! You are the second. But the other did only it for the justice, he was also more idiot of you. Before, let's put us comfortable» it said pointing out me two badly off armchairs systematized in an angle «he/she knows me that it will be a long thing. Have not I understood of thing him well still you treat but do I hope for you that is not a joke, otherwise you know him/it what will happen you, true?»

«I don't have any intention to joke. An evening, so much a long time ago, you have attracted here the investigator Steve Andreini saying that you had some information respect to a turn of corrupt police officers. and then you have done him dry.»

«Show him/it to me» it said him with a laconic smile.

«My goodness, he/she doesn't want to confess» him stizzì Italo.

«You were right to want to snap at him/it, it is really a carcass!» it added then.

«Then I am waiting,» it pursued the Bogy man shortly after.

«I don't see that hurry there is, I am not so much fool to bring here the material» I coldly answered.

«And however at the end the dog you have succeeded in killing him but the chimpanzee no» I added for disorientating him/it.

Feeling those words the carcass started, it got up of release and it came to plant me the gun in the mouth of the stomach. It held her/it well pressed, if a hit had departed him from that distance you/he/she would have killed me giubbetto or not giubbetto.

«To that play you are playing? How do you know about the chimpanzee? Before, he/she speaks. Who others knows her/it this history? You have to tell me everything and immediately, or I also kill you!»

# Chapter 69. Sensation!

Finally the Bogy man had confessed and I had what served me, unfortunately however now he was angry black and you/he/she held a gun.

«Thing has happened inside the chimpanzee and I here we know only it, I don't have intention to divide with anybody» I answered him to hard face.

Meanwhile, looking around me, I was starting to ask worries me when the cavalry would have arrived. Suddenly the echo of a noise of footsteps was heard, but contrarily to how much I expected me they were those of an only person. I turned me to see to whom belonged but the figure was stopped in the shade. Of hit I understood that the agents that had to arrest would never have arrived him/it; I was fallen in a beautiful trap. I cursed me more times because blinded by the anger toward the assassin I had completely forgotten his/her accomplice, that could not be to that point that a person.

«My goodness Head, he is showing more cunning than that that I thought» it told the Bogy man the individual seminascosto that now you/he/she had started over walking verse of us.

«I had told you him, race of idiot. Nobody would come unsecured as you/he/she has done him, if it is not sure of itself. unless is to suicidal aspirant» it said the Captain while the light of the room ran over him/it in full torch.

Just as I had thought, yet I didn't succeed in believing us yet. The accomplice of the assassin was the Captain of the police person, that scoundrel had evidently come to the hospital with the solo intent to make sure himself/herself/themselves that Italo didn't suspect the identity of whom had tried of you/he/she stuffed out.

«Compliment» whispered me to the ear Italo with trembling voice «have really had a good idea! And now that we do?»

«As you have been able to make a thing of the kind.» The said turning to the commander «you were friend of Steve. you were his/her friend.»

«And you as you can know him/it? And however in business friendship doesn't exist. I tried in all the ways to convince him/it to lasciar to lose, but he didn't want to know of it.»

I kept on looking him/it astounded, without words. I considered to all of their evenings together, to their suppers, to when you/they had gone to fish or to the game. All that moments I had also lived them me, always to their side. beside Steve. As it was possible that I/you had never realized me than it was carcass his/her commander? Then also that whole sorrow in to owe to suppress me that had shown to the cemetery, had been a performance! In reality it waited only for an excuse, and I had furnished him the pretext to make to also free himself/herself/themselves of me. And as I had been able not to recognize him/it, that evening with Giotto? I had to be drunk indeed.

«Before, we don't have time to lose» taken back the Captain «get away the antimissile jacket and deliver me the recorder.»

«Which recorder?» I asked making the Indian.

«Before, it is not time to joke anymore.»

Been sorry more for Italo that for me, I removed from me the giubbetto, then I tore the scotch that the recorder held me glued to the breast and I launched a cry of pain. Italo had assumed a suffering expression, and was not for the hair that had torn away from his/her breast! I could imagine very well thing you/he/she was thinking: you/he/she would have assisted impotent to his/her own murder.

«I regret» it said the Head «I don't know neither who you are, neither as you are ended in this history, but it is evident that to this point you are dangerous.»

«Think of us you, and do you see not to make country houses this time, have I made sense of? I wait out you» concluded then turned to the Bogy man. It inserted the recorder in pocket and it set out toward the exit.

«Not to do him/it, please. Don't do him/it, I have not anything to do with it nothing. Be him the casinista, but so much has already died! This way you will kill me, but I don't know anything.» you/he/she was shouting Italo to the head of the police accompanying him/it toward the exit.

You/he/she was going him behind footstep footstep uselessly trying to grab him/it for an arm to make to turn him/it, but these you/he/she could not feel him/it neither to see him/it. Suffered a shiver, the collar of the jacket raised again him and accelerated the footstep. The other one was comfortably still sat in armchair, and it had a had a good time sneer engraved on the face.

«Tonight I feel me particularly good because we have done soon. Do you have some desire, before dying?» he/she asked me with a smile, so much to make the funny person after having looked at the clock.

I absolutely had to make to come me an idea, you/he/she could not so stupidly end everything. Could not also win them that evening, would have been the third time that rubbed me! Italo that shook the head looked, disappointed and desperate. No, I could not leave that they killed him/it this way. As happens to all those that feel the near death, ripercorsi with the mind all of my life in an instant, from the day when I had come to the world up to the evening before, so it returned me to mind the leaflet of the magic formulas. I was sure to have he/she anchors him/it in pocket.

# "It is a folly but it is worth to try, it is our last possibility."

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# Chapter 70. The magic formulas!

«Yes, a desire I have him!» I said, and the Bogy man looked me cross, but you/he/she could not tell me of no because you/he/she went from there of his/her honor.

Perplexed and disappointed because if it didn't wait for him/it it looked me with interrogative air.

«Before, it spits.»

«I would like to say two prayers.»

«. the prayers?»

«Yes, I would like to pray. Seem me logical, since I am about to die.»

He reflected it an instant above.

«The prayers? Is that about to kill me and you instead of finding a solution you want to put to pray you? But as soon as you will be also soul you I will take you and you.» you/he/she was howling me Italo in an ear when the other one spoke.

«And is, a reasonable application seems me. But you will have to do here it in front of me. I grant you five minutes» the carcass consented.

«Okay. Thanks, thanks to you I can arrive of there with the purest soul, I am really thankful of it because.»

«Yes, yes it is all right. But now move you, that after I am busy» it interrupted me.

I brought the hand to the back pocket of the pantalonis to take the sheet of the formulas.

«Hey, it brakes. What do you have in pocket there?» the assassin told me going off in ahead with the arm armed tense verse of me.

«Calmed, you know him/it that I am unarmed. I am taking the sheet of the prayers.»

«The sheet of the prayers? But cannot you say one Father of ours as they do all the others?»

«I usually do really this way, but in a moment as this I would like to tell her in Latin. it dark is solemn!»

«In Latin? I was right me, you are everything crazy. Before, then you hurry. Three minutes stay you.»

I taken the sheet and I brought under me some to the light, I could not absolutely afford to be wrong.

«Stopped, for love of the sky! What do you want to now do? Cannot you do him/it, if you mistake a word will you condemn me for the eternity. if that kills yourself who will performances the formulates to make to return me normal?» it told me terrorized my friend, that had finally understood my intentions.

«You are silent a good time, and prepared» I answered to tall voice.

«You have him with me? Have you told me, to be silent?» he/she asked the Bogy man sticking out himself/herself/itself in before, stiff.

«No, I was telling my Alter Ego.»

«To your thing?»

«It is for the prayer, I am spiritually preparing me.»

«Ah.» it did him twisting the mouth.

«Two minutes» it added later immediately consulting again the clock.

I started to feverishly flow the sheet in the desperate search of something that could be all right. I taken to recite in a low voice the formulas, one after the other, with Italo that wagged him, it shouted, and it continually changed form and aspect: a cloud, a chest of drawers, first huge and then dwarfish, with the chains, without chains, with the teeth to point as a vampire and then toothless as an old man.

«One minute» it sentenced the assassin making to flow the hit in reed.

I dried me the sweat, I had finally succeeded in turning Italo into an appalling monster but I still had to give him the color and the audio, and above all to make him/it visible. The assassin toyed the gun passing himself/herself/itself from a hand to the other for then to aim her/it to me against closing an eye. It still had to decide whether to shoot me in head or to the heart, and with what hand. Finally smiled satisfied and the count down started.

«Ten.»

«Abubì abuorum.»

«You do soon, accidentaccio!» it said Italo.

«Nine.»

«Fastdium Italos.»

«Move you!»

«Otto.»

«Visibles.»

«Seven.»

«Vociorum.»

«You are.»

«Consistertum.»

«Five.»

«Ordinates.»

«Four. but Our Father doesn't seem me!»

«Move you damnation, or we won't make her/it!»

«Ecto. plasmon.»

«What you/they enter it the biscuits, now? Three and two.»

«Now.»

«One. we see us to the hell!» said, and shot!

# Chapter 71. The monsters arrive

Italo was materialized between me and the assassin in the precise moment in which these were pressing the trigger. I saw a fiammella go out of the reed of the gun, the bullet it went out fast and it went to beat really to the center of the forehead of Italo. In the bump the bullet curled up on himself, then it fell on the floor with a deaf noise.

«Aaahhh» it shouted Italo with an afterlife voice that it made to tremble the glasses of the windows, discharging the whole anger and the fear «you have shot indeed me, you have dared to shoot me!» it added stretching out verse of him the shapeless braccias from the long and twisted fingernails as you claw. He/she wanted to strangle him/it.

«But what devil.?!» it murmured the assassin blocking the eyes, it went off standing to escape but later it fainted immediately.

«You want to move you? What my goodness happens there? What my goodness there is this time?» he/she asked the Captain, that having heard the noises and the cries you/he/she was returning of run verse of us.

I hastened me to pick up the gun and courses to hide me behind a pillar. The Head saw its man to earth and bent him on him. It cursed and it got up of release, then its hand feverishly raced to the pocket to take the gun.

«Too late» I announced going I meet him with the flattened weapon «it supports the gun on the floor, very slowly lifted then and from him a beautiful kick.»

The Captain obeyed.

«What you want to do?» he/she asked in tone of challenge after having done what I had ordered him «he/she is seen by the face that you are an inexperienced person. An inexperienced person that will never have the courage to shoot. Before, leave immediately and nobody will come more to look for you. The give you my word.»

«Creeds indeed that I/you/he/she don't have the liver to shoot you? Do you think that after what you have done to Steve and Leo I won't kill you?» I whispered him to narrow teeth pushing him/it toward the wall.

«No, you feel. listen to me. I can give you many money.»

«It doesn't rub anything of it of your money, you have let my friend kill. Before, handcuffed to your companion.»

The Head obeyed as a little dog.

«Now return me the recorder.»

«As want, but so much is too late! I have torn the ribbon» it told me smiling.

Without making a fold I inserted a new cassette, then I turned on the recorder and I leaned him/it to earth. I pointed out him him with the gun, then I turned her/it verse of him.

«No, don't do him/it! You cannot do him/it, if you kill them you will go to the hell. and then if you shoot using even my hands The also go there me. Before in jail and then to the hell. Have you already combined of it enough, don't you believe?» it said Italo lifting himself/herself/itself from behind the armchairs where you/he/she was hidden.

«But who has spoken? Who others is?» he/she asked the Captain turning himself/herself/itself. With the jump that did when he/she saw Italo, you/he/she would have been able to win the gold medal to the Olympiads.

«Thing is that cosos? Send him/it street, I pray you. I will say everything, I will confess, I swear you him.»

After a mezz'ora I made a phone call, the agents came and they loaded them without hurry in auto to bring them street.

«A monster. no, to be infernal. The tell you that there was to monster, the confession has extorted me with the strength» it said the Captain while to hand made him lower the head to enter auto.

«Yes, yes, continuous also. So much to pretend you crazy won't serve you.» the agent told him.

I was certain that you/they would have spent different time in the jail. I submitted the recorder to the agent that seemed me the most awake, and in fact it unthread the cassette and it put her/it in a pocket and the recorder in another, to avoid that unawares pressing some key him cancelled the ribbon.

«He/she is never known.» it told me.

«They are fallen, have you told me?» it added then pointing out the noses and the swollen and red eyes of the Captain and the Bogy man behind the car window of the auto.

«Already.»

«. contemporarily?»

«It is normal, were you/they handcuffed together. strange, eh?»

«Mah, not to even say the as truth, happens often. But it accepts a suggestion; until we won't have gone away you hold the hands in pocket» it said pointing out my livid knuckles.

# Chapter 72. Time of budgets

Out I remained once to look at the agents that the gate closed and they again applied the seals, when all had gone I breathed a beautiful sigh liberatorio and I started homeward slowly me tasting me the odors of the night.

«What you would now say about making to return me normal? I am fed up with to be hidden» Italo told me, that had reached me and now you/he/she walked to my side.

Without the footstep I looked through me the pockets and later I brought immediately me the hand to the forehead in sign of carelessness.

«My goodness, I have left the sheet in the shed!»

«How, have you left the sheet in the shed?» Italo exclaimed restarting to get excited, and I has to admit that under those conditions frightened indeed!

«I joked» I said stopping under me to a lamp-post.

I taken the leaflet and I immediately started to read the formulas. Justice was done, and I was anxious to return the body to Italo at least how much him to take back him/it to him, because a heaven was waiting me with her" p" capital! In reality I would still have had two desires, and that is to be able to see a last time Giotto and Steve again, but considering that at the end the things were ended well, you/he/she would perhaps have been to ask too much to the fortune. Giotto was who knows where, but I knew that you/he/she was a type full of resources and I was certain that if you/he/she was not too often intoxicated if you/he/she would be gotten by better. Even you/he/she had already found another circus and it was at work again, and now that I understood as it was possible I wished him not to fall in love again himself/herself/themselves with a woman. As it regarded Steve, instead I was sure, that you/he/she had remained to look me and to protect me for the whole time from up there, because a person so it was not able whether to have gone to Heaven. The temporary transfer in the body of Italo had been indeed an interesting experience. Even if you/he/she had been everything completely different from as I had always day-dreamed him/it, I had realized for a long time the greatest desire that I was gone inside, since the first day that I had come to the world. I had tried what it means to have the hands and to speak. But it is also true that never as when I had found man, I had desired to return dog. To be able to speak, rather than to have to be expressed with growls and howling or with the movements of the tail, is very beautiful. Possession the hands it is a marvelous thing, to touch the things and to feel indeed her, to feel under to her fingers rather than under to that hard calluses that we have under us dogs to the legs, it is indeed an unique feeling. In short, the hands and the word are indeed special things. above all if remembers to have them, these special gifts, and above all if remember to connect them to the brain, they will serves only otherwise to make to heap of cavolate and wickedness! Moreover, if you/he/she was not happened me everything this, if I/you had remained dog, I would have been able to go out in simpler way of so many situations. But as use to say among us dogs, who has the ossis doesn't have the teeth! This is the small teaching that I/you/they have succeeded in drawing from that brief and intense experience.

# Chapter 73. The restitution

Did it still stay to resolve the greatest problem however; as to do for going out of the body of Italo and did it stuff to reenter him? I would have had to give me a deep shock, to lose conscience so that to be able to abandon the body. To that point a wise medical intervention would automatically have risucchiato the spirit of Italo. At least, this is how much you/he/she was written in the book on the ghosts to the chapter" Possessions." The problem was to succeed in finding a way that soddisfacesse the followings conditions: it didn't have to be painful for me, it didn't have to damage the body neither to leave him scars or lasting consequences, above all now that had put again him to new, and then you/he/she had to have effected where in a place the paramedics you/they could be timely. Was there finally from Stefania to face the discourse; knowing that the man that had finally succeeded in conquering had tried the suicide as soon as two days later, as would you/he/she have reacted? It would not be certain is a thing of which to go proud, would probably be fallen in depression. However Italo said that you/he/she would have thought of us him, and after all they were not my problems. We decided to stage a tried suicide in the parking lot of the hospital. Italo made me phone his usual his/her friend, that thanks to an excuse you/he/she lent me the car, and he anchors today I don't know how I succeeded in driving her/it. We studied all in the least details and we prepared there. This way, in a beautiful morning of sun, I found me sat in a closed automobile to breathe gas of I unload! We had also thought about a beautiful hammered in head, but the thing would have been too much risky. Apart the headache and the appalling feeling to suffocate, it excessively was not painful, however I tried a strange feeling. Knowing that once completed that gesture I would not have been able anymore to return dog in skin and bones, and also being conscious that I would have gone to be in a marvelous place, an unbelievable thawing gathered me. What attended me on the other side it was extraordinary certainly, according to how much Italo had told me there was all of this that a dog can desire. but The knews that they would be me missed the terrestrial things as the adrenalines and the struggle. The comparison. The to try. And I knew that they would be me missed the rain in autumn, the odor of the spring or the sea, a run together with a friend. Everything would have had a different taste, I wondered me if I am be liked that taste or if in the long run I would be annoyed me. To every way there was not that a way to discover him/it: to wait. After a beautiful po' of minutes a lot of gases and the head I had now breathed it ached me stronger. The square in front of me, over the windscreen, it rippled as a sea in storm, meanwhile my eyelids were made more and more heavy. Italo looked me anxious, fearing that the fear would have taken the upper hand and that I would not have had the determination and the courage to bring I was doing.

«You hold hard. you hold hard, not to release. He/she anchors few minutes and we will be both forever free» it encouraged me.

Now I labored to hold the open eyes and the breath you/he/she was done strenuous, to succeed in moving an arm had become a tremendously difficult thing because strengths missed me. Even if I/you had wanted him/it I would not have succeeded in returning back to throw me out of the car.

«Strength, the moment has arrived. You now have to play the horn!» it said Italo.

# I employed the few energies that you/they had remained me to lengthen the arm and to press the button. With an inhuman effort I succeeded in holding presses him for once that seemed me endless, as long as with an eye open to crack I succeeded in seeing some people dressed of white to race toward the auto. Then I lost the senses, but while I was abandoning entirely me I felt on the face a gust of fresh air.

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# Chapter 74. Have put of it of time!

«My goodness, is unbelievable. have succeeded, have succeeded! You have been great, you have been great indeed» he complimented Italo skipping about happy when I was to his/her side.

Then it looked in low and his/her expression he made brim, the men in white white uniform he was troubling around his/her body in the attempt to wake up again him/it. Of hit all was changed, I perceived the colors, the sounds and the odors in completely different way. I thought that I had only perhaps to accustom me.

«However I am not very convinced at all» I confessed to Italo looking him/it serious.

«I almost almost return back» I added pointing out his/her body and faking to plunge downward me, and he looked me aghast.

«I was joking only, possible that you never give back?» I told him smiling, but he was serious.

«Even if have upset me the life, everything this is sorry indeed me, believe me! In every case there will be someone who has put again us» it told me dark.

«You are calm, for me it is all right this way. I have given and I have received the maximum one that I was able, and I/you/they have succeeded in doing justice for Steve. I would not have known this way, whether to ask to the life» I answered touched.

Its image started to make himself/herself/themselves sfuocata and less intense, because something of powerful person was dragging away while it was looking me fixed with the shiny eyes. I looked downward, its spread out body to earth shook him. Two hits of cough. It was about to start over normally breathing. I wondered me if also to be born pits so, if coming on this world we had been forced to abandon among the tears someone to which was wanted well.

«It now goes', and you see to put again you in hurry. There is Stefania that he/she cannot wait to embrace you» I told him.

It lengthened the hand and it made me a caress really there, behind the ear, where I liked so much. Then, of sudden, all of this that surrounded him to me did dark and later I was immediately me to the center of a cloud of light, so much intense to force to close me the eyes. I don't know for how much time I remained so, immovable, without daring open the eyes. The light had returned normal, I realized of it because it didn't penetrate around under me to the eyelids but everything it didn't stir a leaf, admitted that there were any. There was an absolute and unreal silence! There was not, as I was me expected to find, a solo to bark in the air. There was no odor of cats neither of croccantini. Said a pair of earth zampate, with the eyes still closed, but I didn't feel any bone sprout from the soft ground. Did a doubt come me: and if the heaven of the dogs had never existed? If Italo a big lie had told only me to convince to return me him its body? Beautiful joke would have combined me! While still prey of the ugliest fear I was immovable that could take me, something touched me. At first timidly, then in more convinced way. I told me that I had to be goes crazy, I was sure that in the place where I was me there was not the possibility to try physical feelings. Suffered later instead another time happened! Something was touching again me, this time with greater conviction. A finger, two, three fingers. to hand! Me said two pacches on the back, then it slipped on on, up to the neck, up to the head. You stopped behind the ear. Was scratching me really behind the ear!

«You have been good indeed, at the end our friend has had what he deserved. However you have put of it of time!» a warm voice told me, that made me return to mind when I had only few days and Steve it made me fly holding me for the sides.

«And how much you have combined him some, to that poor Italo. you macaws always the usual one!» it added.

Incredulous, I opened the eyes. Steve was lowered in front of me and you/he/she was smiling. I quadrated him/it lost, I looked around then me. We were on a green lawn, rich of flowers and colored butterflies that fluttered here and there, and suddenly I started to also feel the perfumes, coolness and buonissimi. A little anymore in there was there a brook. I turned again me toward Steve and anchor I didn't believe it. I made him a pair of pretenses, then I jumped him I set and I threw on the ground him/it, I licked his face up to not to have saliva anymore. Did I open the mouth"; And you what you do here us? And me? I should be from everything other part! How much are you me missed. it is to joke? Tell me that it is not a joke, tell me that we will be together again, forever" I would have liked to say.

«Bau bau wuf» it was instead what went out me of the throat while my tail got excited frantic.

He got up and it made spallucce, smiled again then.

«I don't know him/it, don't ask me nothing. The know only that until hard suits us to enjoy her/it to us! We go, idler» he/she answered starting to walk.

I placed side by side him/it. He accelerated the footstep challenging me with the look. Me also. Him still some, me some more. At the end, we found again there once more to race as two little boys toward the Sun.

The author

Andrew Lepri was born in 1971 to Livorno and you/he/she has lived there always. As Surveyor is graduated and you/he/she has always worked, except rare exceptions as cook and pizzaiolo.

In 2004 you/he/she has published" Giudhas" with Publishing Perspective.

in 2010 you/he/she has published" Settantadue times" with 0111edizioni.

To the moment it has a lot of ideas in head and some other novel in the drawer.

