MOUNTIE AT THE THRESHOLD

A “DUE SOUTH” RAINBOW BRIDGE STORY

by Paul E. Jamison

 

“I swear, Benny, if I’d known how this bowling alley thing was gonna go over, I would’ve quit the force a long time ago.”

 

“Ah.  I take it that business has been going well.”

 

Ray Vecchio smiled at his friend.  “Business has been going very well.  Oh, not too good at first – no surprise – but it’s picked up.  We’re getting a lot of regulars, really loyal ones, and get this – we’re forming our own league pretty soon.”

 

Benton Fraser nodded and replied, “Well, I would say that the formation of your own bowling league is a strong indicator of success right there.  It sounds like you’ve done well for yourself in Florida, Ray.  I’m quite proud of you.”

 

“Thanks, Benny.”  The two men continued to stroll down the street.  It was that rarest of Chicago days, a peaceful one.  The temperature was mild, the air seemed fresh and the sky was halfway clear.  Even the city traffic seemed quieter this morning.  Ray liked Florida, but it was good to come back to Chicago once in awhile, especially when it was like this.

 

He’d missed seeing his friend.  Constable Benton Fraser of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police could drive a guy up the wall sometimes – well, most of the time, really – but he was a good one to have on your side.  And he was a nice guy – Ray had to remind himself sometimes how valuable a nice guy could be.

 

He’d even missed the wolf, too.  Diefenbaker happily trotted along ahead of them, checking out any hamburger wrapper he came across.  Poor critter – he still had the junk-food habit.

 

When they reached Ray Vecchio’s Riviera, getting in and driving away wasn’t a high priority; leaning on the top and chatting seemed much more important.

 

“The thing is, Benny, in Florida the bowling alley business is pretty competitive.  Not like here, with the mob’s fingers in everything, but competitive like Free Enterprise is supposed to be.  That means that if you wanna do better than the rest of the alleys, you gotta have an edge – you gotta have something they don’t.”

 

“I see.  And what would be your alley’s edge, Ray?”

 

Ray smiled. “For us, it’s the restaurant.  Most bowling places just have a greasy spoon or a fast-food joint tacked on.  Not us; we wanted class.  Our restaurant is Italian.”

 

“Ahh.”  Ray liked that “Ahh”.  It wasn’t the usual Benton Fraser “Ahh” that tended to irritate his friends.  It was an “Ahh” that said “I’ve eaten at Mama Vecchio’s dining room table dozens of times so I associate Italian with a good meal.”

 

Ray went on. “Believe me, Benny, that was a real smart move.  We hired the best Italian cooks we could find, and it shows.  We’re getting to be a popular place to eat.  The dining critic in the local newspaper loved us.”

 

“Considering that you’re your Mother’s son, the food has to be good.”

 

“Welll… I don’t think anyone can cook as good as Ma does.”  He grinned.  “But our boys have come pretty close.”

 

“Well, I’ll have to judge that for myself sometime.  Changing the subject, Ray, how is married life treating you?”

 

“Married life is wonderful, Benny.  The business does even better with a partner to help me.  You ask me, I think Stella likes being hitched to a bowling-alley owner a lot more than she would to a cop.”

 

“Well, she has had experience with the latter, Ray.”

 

“Oops, you’re right! I forgot about – Yikes!  Here he is now!  We better deep-six the subject, Benny!”

 

“Understood.”

 

A black GTO pulled up at this point, and Stan Kowalski – Constable Fraser’s current partner and Stella Vecchio’s former husband – leaned out the window and said, “Hey, Frase!  Hey, Vecchio!  How’s it goin’?”

 

Fraser smiled and replied, “Hello, Ray – er, Stan.  We’re hanging off here and – ah – enjoying the gift of gab.”

 

Stan Kowalski replied, “That’s ‘hanging out’, Fraser.”

 

“Oh, right – hanging out.  Sorry.”

 

“I like the ‘gift of gab’ thing, though.  Nice way of phrasing it.”

 

“Thank you – what are you doing out, Stan?  Police business?”

 

“Right you are, Frase.  I’m on stakeout, sorta. Remember that armed robbery perp we’d been tracking?’

 

“You’d mentioned him, yes.  Do you think that you’ve found him?”

 

“We’ve had our eyes on this one guy for awhile, and we’re 99 ⁴⁴/₁₀₀% sure that it’s him.  The DA’s office thinks that it finally has enough to pull him in.  They’re drawing up an arrest warrant even as we speak, and I’m going over to watch him, to make sure he stays put until they come with the papers to get him.”

 

“I see. And if he tries to leave, what will you do?”

 

“I’ll jump off that bridge when I come to it.  You two want to come along?  I could use the company.”

 

Fraser said, “Well, I’d be happy to.”  He looked over at Ray Vecchio.  “How about it, Ray?”

 

Ray smiled and said, “Thanks, but no thanks.  I’m not a cop anymore.  You guys go on and do your duty.”

 

Kowalski said, “Suit yourself.  See ya later.”  Fraser let Diefenbaker in the back of the GTO and climbed into the front.  He and Kowalski waved as they drove away.

 

Ray waved after them and got into the Riv.  He started her up and watched as the GTO moved down the street.  He sat perfectly still for a good fraction of a second.

 

“Ah, who am I kiddin’?”  Ray put the car in gear and pulled out into traffic.  He kept his eye on the other car.  The GTO wasn’t very far ahead; that’s Chicago traffic for you.

 

 

“I’m a bit surprised, Stan.  Normally you drive faster than this.”

 

“Well, it’s like this, Frase.  Have you noticed that we’re being followed by a classic automotive product?”

 

“You mean Ray’s Buick Riviera?  Oh, of course.”

 

“Well, I figure that if we go too fast, he’ll lose us.”

 

“Good point.”

 

 

It was a small house in a pleasant, quiet neighborhood.  Just down the street, two cars were parked side-by-side.

 

From the passenger’s seat in the GTO, someone was softly saying, “It’s just that breaking the law like this bothers me.  Double parking is illegal, isn’t it?”

 

Two identical sighs came from the driver’s seats of both cars.

 

Fraser went on.  “If we, as law enforcement officers, are this disrespectful of city ordinances, what kind of example do we set for the citizens?”

 

Ray Vecchio and Stan Kowalski both gave the Mountie that look.

 

“All right, think about this – won’t the alleged perpetrator’s suspicions be aroused if he sees two cars double-parked this close to his house?”

 

Ray answered with an insightful “Uh…”  Suddenly the Mountie was being practical; that was always awkward.

 

Stan replied, “I wouldn’t sweat it.  This guy hasn’t been paying attention to anything outside the house since we got here.  We should be okay.”

 

“Well, we had no idea that it would be okay to park like this until after we parked like this, so…”

 

“Hey, wait, something’s happening.”

 

“Ah, he’s just opening a window.  He can’t see us from here, Frase, so don’t worry.”

 

The Mountie didn’t answer. “Hey, Benny, something wrong?”

 

Fraser frowned, “When he opened the window, I could smell – something.  I’m not sure what it is, but there’s something wrong in that house –”

 

“Ooof!  Hey, what –!  Fraser, what’s your wolf doing!?”

 

Diefenbaker pushed forward on Stan’s seat and squeezed out of the open window.  In a flash he was out of the car and running for the house.

 

“Aw, no – you crazy –!  He’s heading for the window!  He’ll ruin everything for us!  After him!”

 

Instantly Kowalski and Fraser were out of the GTO and running for the house.  The detective pulled out his gun and headed for the door, while the Mountie sped for the open window after Diefenbaker.  Ray Vecchio reached for his car radio to call for backup –

 

– and his hand scrabbled over the dashboard; there wasn’t a radio there.  Oh, yeah, that’s right.  I’m not a cop anymore.  I’m just a guy who owns a bowling alley in Florida.  Now that he thought about it, there had been several times that he’d reached into his jacket to check his gun that he didn’t have anymore, either.

 

Ray leaned back in his seat and sighed.  Just as well.  I’m a married man, and I got no business risking my life when those two are more than able to take care of themselves.

 

When the shot rang out and somebody screamed, he was out of his car and running for the front door.  Reaching in his jacket for his gun…

 

 

Diefenbaker knew the smell of cats.  Since he’d come to this city, he’d become quite familiar with cats, and – though he would be reluctant to admit it – he enjoyed playing with their young.  When the human in the house had opened the window, he had smelled the young of cats.  He had also smelled other smells, and they had been far more disturbing.  Pain and fear.  And death.  There had been young cats in that house, and they had been hurt and had been very afraid.  He had to go to them; maybe he could help.

 

When he jumped through the window, he saw where the smell was coming from.  There were young cats there, but he couldn’t help them now.  Somebody had done something terrible to them; was it this human?

 

The human heard him and turned around to look.  The human smelled of death and fear – the death and fear of other creatures.  The wolf looked into the human’s face, and he saw –

 

The human picked up something; it was one of the noisy gun things humans used a lot.  Diefenbaker could have jumped on the human and knocked the gun away – he could have barked – he could have done something.  But he had seen the human’s eyes, and he could do nothing.

 

Fraser came through the window just as the man pulled the trigger.  It was too late.  Fraser screamed “NOOOO!!!” and it seemed to drown out all other sounds in the world.

 

It was then that the front door was kicked open, and Stan jumped in, gun raised, and shouted, “Chicago Police!  Freeze!”  The suspect was faced with two targets, and he wasn’t sure which to shoot first.  Hesitation was his undoing.  Stan aimed and fired, and the man’s hand couldn’t hold a gun anymore.

 

Ray ran through the front door, and saw Stan covering some creepy-looking guy, while Fraser was bending over – Aw, no, not Dief. Not again.

 

Stan turned to Ray and rapped out, “I’ve got the perp covered!  Take the wolf to the hospital!”

 

Fraser picked up Diefenbaker and followed Ray as they both ran out the door.

 

 

It was hours later that Stan Kowalski pulled into the parking lot at the animal hospital.  By good luck, there was an empty space right next to Vecchio’s Riviera.  He got out of his GTO and stood next to the Riv for a few moments.  There wasn’t any point in rushing in; he’d have heard something at the station before now.

 

What was this – Vecchio’s fourth Riviera?  Where did the guy find so many Rivs in such excellent condition?  Maybe there’s a Riviera owner’s club on the Internet or something.  It was in terrific shape, of course.  Stan knew how much of a fanatic Ray was about the condition of his car; Fraser had told him about the cigarette lighter.  Getting coffee stains on the upholstery would probably send Vecchio into hysterics.

 

Stan looked in the back seat.  There were stains on the upholstery, but they weren’t coffee.  Diefenbaker had been bleeding.  Ray hadn’t thought twice about taking him to the hospital and letting him bleed on the seats; sometimes you have to reset your priorities.

 

The Riviera’s doors were unlocked; they’d been in a hurry.  Stan locked the car, and went into the hospital.

 

 

“Can I help you, sir?”

“Yeah, there was a gunshot victim that came in earlier.  Name of Diefenbaker? – Don’t ask me how to spell it.”

“Oh, yes, the dog – beautiful animal.  He’s in Room 27, down that hall.  The men that brought him in are with him right now.”

“Thanks – oh, yeah, he’s a wolf, actually.”

 

 

Ray Vecchio looked up as Stan entered the room.  He smiled and said, “Finally got through all the fun part, huh?”

 

Stan looked around the room.  It was lot like an Intensive Care Unit in a hospital for humans.  Diefenbaker lay on a small bed, which looked comfortable enough to Stan that he wouldn’t mind sleeping in it himself.  Dief’s right side was covered with a large bandage, and he was attached to two IVs and an oxygen mask.  There didn’t seem to be any fancy beeping monitors that you saw all the time in people hospitals on TV, though; did they have such stuff for animals?

 

Constable Fraser sat next to the bed; he didn’t look up or say anything.  He just watched Diefenbaker.  Both he and the wolf looked so fragile.

 

Stan nodded and replied, “Yeah.  The FBI was doing most of the paperwork, but there was still a lot I had to do.  Lieutenant Welsh got me out of there as soon as he could; he figured that I’d want to be here.”

 

“Yeah, Welsh is good about that.  This is a dumb question, I know, but are they pretty sure that they’ve got the right guy?”

 

“Oh, yes.  They won’t come out and really say it, but they’re positive.  Turns out that bank robbery wasn’t half of it.  The guy’s a real psycho.  It was probably only a matter of time before he got into serial murders.  The things he – those kittens – that’s a strong sign right there.”

 

“Yeah, fits the profile.”  Ray looked at Stan.  The two of them hadn’t gotten along very well after they’d first met.  No surprise there.  Stan Kowalski had masqueraded as Ray Vecchio while the real Ray Vecchio had gone undercover in the Mob. A year or so of that would give you identity problems, especially when the real Ray Vecchio shows up wanting his old life back.  And Fraser and Stan had driven Ray’s previous Riviera into Lake Michigan; true, it had been on fire at the time, but that hadn’t made things any less awkward.  And then there was the matter of Kowalski’s ex-wife Stella – who was now Mrs. Ray Vecchio.

 

Still, Kowalski was a good cop.  Ray had seen the citations and heard the stories, and he was impressed.  The guy’s heart was in the right place.  Truth to tell, Ray was starting to like Stan. It helped a lot that they had a mutual friend.

 

Ray looked at the wolf stretched out on the bed.  Two mutual friends, actually.

 

Kowalski asked, “How is Dief?”

 

“He was pretty bad when we brought him in.  He’d lost a lot of blood.  But they were able to get the slug out and patch up all the damage.  The vet said his chances are fifty-fifty.  He’s in a coma right now, though; no idea when he’ll snap out of it.  They’re not sure what else they can do.”

 

Kowalski didn’t say anything.  Ray knew that look in his eyes.  You see a lot of bad stuff when you’re a cop – stuff far worse than this – and you learn to keep it all at a distance.  But once in awhile, a case comes along that gets under your armor, and you suffer.  Kowalski seemed to be taking this one hard.  Ray asked, “You okay?”

 

Stan sighed and said, “It’s the kittens.  Did you see what that creep had done?”

 

“No, I didn’t have time to look.”

 

“Count your blessings.  I had plenty of time waiting for backup, and I tried not to look, believe me.  Then the Feds came, and they had to lay the kittens out and take photos.  For evidence.”

 

“Aw, man…”

 

“Oh, yeah, it was hard.  Real hard.  And I’ll tell you something.  You know what FBI agents are like?  No soul, all emotions surgically removed?  I think this even got to them.  When I was leaving, there was this one guy, typical Federal ‘droid, dark glasses and everything.  Sitting out on the front steps.  Watching a kid playing with his puppy next door.  And the Fed was crying.”

 

Stan sighed.  “I don’t blame him one bit.  I kept it in best I could, but after I left I thought about my own furkids and just lost it.  Had to pull over.”

 

Ray’s opinion of Kowalski went up a couple of notches.  The good guys cry about little animals.  He asked, “You have cats too?”

 

“Not now, and they’re weren’t kittens.  But close enough.  I had a couple of ferrets a few years back.  Ferrets make pretty good kitten substitutes.”

 

“Oh, really?”  Opening up like this had to be good.  “Playful critters, are they?”

 

Stan remembered and smiled. “Oh, yeah, they were real smart about getting into things, and anything that wasn’t nailed down was a toy.  They were both sweethearts.  I named them Marge and Gower.”

 

For the first time since Stan had entered the room, Fraser turned around and spoke.  “Named after Marge and Gower Champion, the dancing couple from films, no doubt.  Would I be right in guessing, Stan, that your ferrets wardanced quite a bit?”

 

Surprisingly, Stan grinned wide.  “Oh, yes, you better believe it.  They danced like maniacs any chance they got.  When I let them out in the morning.  When I got home in the evening.  When I got out the treats.  I’d be playing with them on the bed and they’d get into it so much that they’d dance right off the edge and land on the floor; and they’d still be dancing like nothing happened.  They were dancing fools.”

 

Ray said, “Excuse me, but wardance?  Would somebody enlighten me as to what that might be?”

 

Fraser replied, “It’s a wild dance that ferrets do when they’re happy or excited.  It’s also an invitation to play.  A better name would probably be ‘Dance of Joy’.”

 

Stan said, “Oh, yeah, they’d invite me to play, all right.  I’d be walking around barefoot, and they’d attack my toes.  Then they’d dance away and look at me.  They wanted me to play this game called ‘Chase the Ferret’.”

 

Stan’s smile slowly faded away as he remembered more.  He shook his head and said softly, “I was at work when my landlord came into my apartment and laid down some rat poison.  He didn’t bother to tell me.  I let Marge and Gower out when I got home, and – and they got into the stuff.  When I found them later, it was – “ He sighed. “– It was too late for Marge; she was a tiny thing.  Gower was still alive, but just barely; he couldn’t lift his head up or anything.

 

“I jumped into the car and rushed him to the animal hospital – for all I know it may have been this place.  But he – we didn’t get there in time.

 

“I haven’t talked about this in years.  This was all before I met Stella; I never told her about Marge and Gower. I can’t help feeling that I’d let them down somehow.  Maybe I could have prevented it if I’d been more careful. They depended on me for everything, and I couldn’t save them.”

 

Stan didn’t say anything more; he just looked at the floor.  Ray looked over at Fraser; the Mountie was gently stroking Diefenbaker’s fur.

 

Ray had never been much of a pet person.  He got along with the wolf, but he wouldn’t have said that they were close.  Now, however, looking at the pain these two fine men were suffering, he was beginning to realize just how strong the bond could be between a human and an animal.

 

Was this how Francesca felt when her hamster drowned when they were kids?  It had been an accident – he really hadn’t known that hamsters couldn’t swim – and he’d apologized.  But he hadn’t known how bad the hurt must have been for her.  Oh, Frannie, I’m so sorry.

 

Nobody said anything for several minutes, each man trying to deal with thoughts of sadness and loss.

 

It was Fraser who broke the silence.  “Diefenbaker isn’t there.”

 

“Aw, no – Benny – is he – ?”

 

“No, Ray, he’s not dead.  At least his body isn’t.  But his – spirit, if you will – is someplace else.  That’s not a good way of explaining it, but it’s the best I can do.”

 

Stan asked, “How can you tell this, Frase?  Are you psychic or something?”

 

Fraser thought for a second, then replied, “‘Psychic’ is probably not the word I would choose, but it’s something like that.  From the evidence, I do believe that I’m sensitive to unusual phenomena.  Talking with my Father in the recent past is a good example.”

 

“Uh – your Father?  Isn’t he dead?”

 

“Yes, he is, Stan.  But not long after I first came to Chicago, his ghost appeared to me, and we talked quite regularly until we brought in the man who murdered my Mother.  Once that was done, my Dad – went away.”  Fraser looked at his two friends. “I know that it sounds fantastic, and I don’t expect you to believe me.  But I swear that it’s true.”

 

To Fraser’s surprise, Ray smiled and nodded.  Then he said, “I believe you, Benny.  You and your old man?”  He pointed at himself.  “Me and mine, too.”

 

“Really?  That’s a remarkable coincidence.  Though now that I think of it, that explains some peculiar conversations that we had when we were in Canada that time.”

 

Stan said, “Well, as for me – didn’t somebody say something once about how you should believe six impossible things before breakfast?  Guys who talk to their Dads’ ghosts – that sounds easy enough to handle.  I’ve seen a lot weirder.

 

“The question I’ve got now is this – you know Dief isn’t here.  What can we do about it?”

 

Fraser replied, “I’m going to go after him.”

 

For a few moments there was stunned silence.  Then Ray said, “Let me see if I understand you, Benny – you’re going to follow your wolf’s spirit wherever-it-went using some kind of astral projection?  And I’m sure ‘astral projection’ isn’t the correct term.”

 

“Actually, Ray, that’s an excellent way of putting it.  And, yes, that’s what I intend to do.”

 

“Is this as dangerous as it sounds? And if it is – and I’m certain it is; you’re good at finding dangerous things to do – are you sure you want to let your spirit go traveling off like that?”

 

“There most likely is some risk involved, yes. And there is no question that I will do it.

 

“This is Diefenbaker, Ray.  He means a lot to me.  I’ll do whatever I can for him, or for anyone that I care about.”

 

Ray sighed and nodded.  “Yeah, that’s the Benton Fraser I know.  I’d always heard people say that they’d give their right arms for their friends – but you’re the first person I’ve ever met that would really do it.”

 

Ray looked down at Diefenbaker. “You sure that there’s nothing that we can say to make you change your mind?”

 

“Not a thing, Ray.”

 

“Didn’t think so.  What makes you so sure that you can do this astral projection thing, anyway?”

 

“Because he’s done it before.”  Stan continued, “Or at least he’s done something like it.  You thinking of playing dead like you did when we caught that mob boss?”

 

“Yes, I am.”  Fraser said to Ray, “I don’t know if I discussed that particular case with you.  I infiltrated a funeral parlor by masquerading as a corpse.  Using Inuit meditation techniques, I slowed down my heart and went into a trance-like state which closely mimicked death.  I did have an out-of-body experience during that trance, so it stands to reason that the same thing would happen again.  I’m hoping that this time I can control it enough that I can search for Diefenbaker’s spirit.”

 

Stan said, “Wherever that may be.  Are you sure you can find him, Frase?  Will you know where to look when you’re – uh – over there?”

 

“I don’t know.  I can only try it and see.”

 

Ray asked, “When do you want to do this, Benny?”

 

“Right now is as good a time as any.”  Fraser leaned back in his chair.  He looked at his friends and said, “I do want to ask a favor.”

 

Ray and Stan both said, “Anything.”

 

“While I’m – gone – I want someone to look after me.  I don’t want my body disturbed.  Stan, I can’t ask you to stay – you’re on duty…”

 

Stan leaned against the door in a very definite way and said, “I’m staying.  All there is to it, pal.  And of course, nobody comes in.”

 

Ray said, “You know I’m not going anywhere either.”

 

Fraser nodded.  “I appreciate that.  Thank you both.”

 

“Just one thing, Benny – come back to us.”

 

“I’ll do my best.  All right, this will take about fifteen minutes, more or less.”  He sat up straight, closed his eyes and began to breathe deeply and slowly.

 

Fraser hadn’t said anything about requiring silence, but Ray and Stan both went completely still as they watched him.  It occurred to Ray to wonder how they were going to know when he was off astral projecting; would he look any different than he did now?

 

But they could tell.  After an unmeasured amount of time, Fraser let out a deep sigh, he head fell on his chest and his body went limp.  It was all Ray could do to keep from jumping up and checking to see if he was okay.

 

The two men said nothing.  Finally Stan broke the silence by softly saying, “Somebody really ought to have gone with him.”

 

Ray nodded and replied, “Yeah.  Maybe we should’ve paid more attention to all those Inuit stories.”

 

 

Fraser looked around.  He didn’t actually remember opening his eyes, but logically he must have, since he recalled closing them in the hospital room.  Of course he had been sitting then and he was standing now, so logic may not hold.

 

He was standing in the middle of a beautiful grassy meadow; off in the distance were some trees that had obviously never felt the developer’s axe.  Fraser breathed in – the air was clean and fresh, in a way that Chicago could never be.  He breathed in deeper and decided that it was even cleaner than the air in the remote parts of his beloved Canadian wilderness.

 

He looked up in the sky and was not surprised to see that it was a deep blue with only a few wisps of cloud.  The rainbow did surprise him, though.  One didn’t normally see rainbows that close, certainly not from this angle.  It almost looked solid.

 

“I tell ya, Sam, that’s what we need around here – a police force.  With uniforms like what he’s wearing and the whole nine yards.”

 

Fraser looked around.  He didn’t see anyone nearby that could have spoken.  Except for two ferrets that were coming his way across the grass.  It couldn’t have been them, of course.

 

But it was.  One of them, a Dark-Eyed White, said, “But Murph, nobody does anything bad around here!  We don’t need a police force if nobody commits any crimes!”

 

The other ferret answered – and it had been him that spoke at first – “True, true.  But I would love a chance to wear a red uniform like that!  It is seriously cool!”

 

The two ferrets arrived at Fraser’s feet and stood up on their hind legs.  Murphy, a handsome Sable, said to Fraser, “Hello there, sir!  My name is Murphy and my cohort here is Sammy!  We have the honor of welcoming you to the Rainbow Bridge!”

 

Fraser smiled and replied, “How do you do, Murphy – Sammy.  “I am –” I am talking to a ferret!  “– Constable Benton Fraser of the Royal Canadian Mounted –” Granted, he spoke to me first. “– Mounted Police.”  He resisted the urge to explain how he first came to Chicago on the trail of his Father’s killers; that really didn’t need exploring at this juncture!  “Am I correct in assuming that this overhead is the Rainbow Bridge?”

 

“You got it.  Beautiful, isn’t it?”

 

“Indeed it is.  It wouldn’t happen to be the fabled bridge of Norse mythology that leads to Asgard, would it?”

 

Murphy replied, “The bridge guarded by Heimdall?  Nope. Not the same one.”  Then he cocked his head to one side.  “At least I don’t think it is.  I’m not sure where the Powers That Be got it from.  Maybe They bought it off the old Norse gods at a reduced price.  It would’ve saved Them a lot of work, getting a ready-made Bridge and all.  There’s never been any Norseman around here guarding it, though.

 

“Actually, the Rainbow Bridge does lead to Heaven.  Whether it’s the Christian Heaven, or Pagan or Wiccan, or the Happy Hunting Grounds, or whatever afterlife the Inuit believe in, I don’t know. But I do know that it’s a place that all good people go to in the end.  And that’s all that matters.”

 

“Ah.  Well, I hope I don’t give offense by asking, but could you tell me what the significance of this place is?  And why are you gentlemen – pardon me, gentleferrets – here?”

 

Sammy replied, “No offense taken at all.  Basically, I guess you could call this place under the Bridge a waiting area for animals.

 

“You see, Constable, when a pet – or any animal that’s known the love of a human – leaves the Other World, his or her spirit will come to this place.  They’re no longer sick or hurt, and they’re young again.  There’s plenty of food and water, and lots of friends and toys to play with.  It’s almost total Paradise.

 

“The time will come when a human will have to leave the Other World, too.  And when he does, before he crosses the Bridge to his reward, he’ll stop by here first.  He’ll be reunited with the furry creature that he loved so much – or should I say furry creatures; reunions around here can get pretty big.

 

“Then the human and all his fur children cross the Rainbow Bridge together.  And they’ll never be apart again, ever.”

 

Fraser looked up at the Rainbow Bridge again, and said softly, “I see.”  As he watched, a young lady walked upward along the curved surface of the colorful Bridge; she was surrounded by far too many cats, dogs and other animals for him to count, and they were all hopping around, as happy as could be.  Had his own Father and Mother followed the same path not so long ago, and how many sled dogs went with them?

 

Murphy said, “Somebody told me a little bit about you, Constable Fraser.  We don’t get very many people who come here prematurely.  And we get even fewer people who come here voluntarily.  I’m sure I know why you’re here, but would you be so kind as to explain it to us?”

 

“Oh, certainly.  I’m looking for a friend of mine that came here earlier today.  A wolf named Diefenbaker.  I think he came here prematurely himself.”

 

“Oh, yes, Dief!  Great guy!  He’s with some orphans over at Kodo’s Hill nursery.  We’ll take you there.”

 

“Ah. Thank you kindly.  May I offer you two a lift?”

 

“Certainly!  We’ll make better time that way.”  Fraser knelt down, and the two ferrets clambered up the sleeves of his jacket to his shoulders.

 

Sammy, on the right shoulder, said, “Murphy’s right about one thing – uniforms like this would be nice!  I like your hat, Constable!”

 

“Thank you.  Ah – may I ask what that is that you’re wearing on your head?”

 

“Oh, that – it’s a yarmulke.”

 

“A yarmulke? Does that mean that you’re Jewish?”

 

“Well… my Mommy is Jewish, so I must be, too.”

 

From Fraser’s left shoulder, Murphy said, “It tends to run in families.”

 

Fraser smiled at Sammy and said, “Well then, Shalom!”

 

Sammy said, “Ah…  you’ll have to excuse me, but I don’t really know much Yiddish.  We’d better just stick with English.”

 

“Understood.”  Murphy indicated a direction, and the Mountie set off with his two passengers.

 

Fraser said, “Murphy, you mentioned orphans earlier; what did you mean by that?”

 

The sable ferret replied, “Sammy told you about furfolks that come to the Bridge to wait for their humans.  That’s not the whole story.  Some animals come here before they’ve had the chance to know the love of a human.  They’re the orphans.  They’re usually young ones, and their lives before were short and usually unhappy.  It’s up to the rest of us here to care for them and to give them the love they’d never known.”

 

“Oh, dear.”

 

Sammy said,  “Is there something wrong, Constable Fraser?”

 

“It’s just that I have an idea who these orphans are.  It would explain why Diefenbaker came here early.  Oh, and by the way, my friends call me – ah – Benny.”

 

 

Soon they came to Kodo’s Hill; a pleasant little clearing surrounded by trees served as the nursery.  Diefenbaker was there in the middle of the clearing, and five kittens were playing around him.  How many kittens had they found in the suspect’s house?  Stan hadn’t said.  But Fraser was certain that these were the same ones.

 

One of the kittens noticed Fraser as he approached and screamed, “A human is coming!  He’s come here to hurt us!  Help us!!”  The kittens began to wail and huddled close to the wolf in fear. Murphy and Sammy jumped down and tried to give what comfort they could.

 

Yes, Fraser thought, these are the same kittens.  They’d learned what to expect from a human.

 

Murphy and Sammy each held a kitten close, and Murphy was gently shushing them and saying, “Don’t cry, little ones.  No one will hurt you here in this special place.  No one will ever hurt you again.”

 

Fraser carefully stepped closer.  It disturbed him greatly that these young ones were afraid of him.  He had to do something to show that he meant them no harm.

 

The littlest of the bunch was a pretty orange and white tabby.  She huddled next to Diefenbaker’s side and stared up at Fraser.  He smiled at her and said, “How do you do.  My name is Benton Fr– Benny.  What’s yours?”  He held his hand down to her, palm up.

 

She struck remarkably fast, and sank one of her claws into his hand.  Fraser grunted and pulled back.  There was a puncture wound in the center of his palm now, and some blood began to trickle from it.

 

All of the kittens had gone silent when this happened.  Finally one said, “Now you’ve done it.  He’s gonna be real mad at all of us.  He’ll want to kill us!”  The little orange and white tabby whimpered; her eyes were wide with fright.  Then she just kind of gave up; she shut her eyes and leaned closer to Diefenbaker.  And waited.

 

Fraser looked at his hand and said, “No, you’re wrong.  I have no wish to hurt you.  It was my fault; I shouldn’t have come on so strongly.”  He backed a little way away and sat down on the ground.  “I’m deeply sorry that I scared you.”

 

The kitten that Sammy was holding shouted, “No!  You’re lying to us!  Humans are bad!  They all want to hurt us!”

 

Sammy held the kitten closer and said, “That’s not true, child.  You’ve only known one human; not all the rest are as bad as he was.  Haven’t Murphy and I told you about my Mommy and his Daddy back home and how much they loved us?  Didn’t we tell you that almost everybody here at the Bridge was waiting for a human that they loved?

 

“Benny here is one of the kinder people.  You know all those nice things Dief was saying about his human?  Well, this is his human right here.  He followed Dief to the Bridge.”

 

One of the kittens said, “You’re Defferbakker’s Daddy?  Really?”  Fraser nodded.  The kitten looked up at the wolf and asked, “Is that true?”

 

And Diefenbaker said, quite clearly, “Yes, he is.  He’s a very good human.”  He looked over at Fraser.  “He’s always cared about me very much, and he’s very kind to everybody.”

 

Fraser didn’t know just what to say.  To actually hear Diefenbaker talk like this was astonishing.  He managed a “Thank you”.

 

The kitten looked at Fraser again and asked, “You mean you really don’t want to hurt us?”

 

Fraser replied, “I give you my word that I would never harm you or your siblings.”  The kitten didn’t look like he quite believed that; Fraser wasn’t surprised, given what he must have been through.

 

Diefenbaker nuzzled the little creature and said, “Even if you could be harmed here, there are too many folks around who care about you; they’d make sure it never happens.  I’ve only been here a short time and I see that already.  Murphy and Sammy are good folks.”

 

Diefenbaker looked at Fraser and said to him, “When we came to that awful place and I smelled the kittens and – the rest – I knew that they had already gone someplace else.  I didn’t know where, and I was afraid that they would be all alone, with no one to care for them.  I was thinking about that when that human used his gun thing on me.  I was so worried about these little ones that somehow my mind brought me here.  I see how that I shouldn’t have worried about them, and I’m so glad.

 

“I must have scared you – Dad – when I came here; I’m very sorry for that.  But I guess I had to do this.”

 

The wolf paused for a moment and then asked, softly, “Why did you come here, Dad?”

 

Fraser figured that Diefenbaker knew very well why.  But he guessed that Dief wasn’t asking for himself; he wanted the kittens to hear.  Fraser’s answer would be important.

 

“I had to come here, too.  Because I care about you a lot, Dief.  Because I was worried about you, myself.

 

“I came here because I love you.”

 

It had been the right thing to say.  Fraser saw the kittens begin to relax – a little bit.  Even the tiny orange and white kitten looked at him with a little less fear in her eyes.

 

The kitten in Murphy’s arms asked, “Did you catch the bad man?”

 

Fraser answered, “He was caught, yes.”

 

“Will he be punished for what he did to us?”

 

“I will make sure that he gets the punishment that he deserves.  I promise you.”

 

The kitten shivered.  “I’m still scared of him.  What if he comes here?”

 

Murphy said, “You have our word that he will never come here.  He can’t come here.  This place is denied to him – as is the place that the Bridge leads to.”

 

Fraser thought to himself, I was taught to believe that people can change.  Even the worst criminal has some good in him; the blackest soul can be redeemed.  Fraser looked at the kittens, still wary of him.  But these little ones don’t need to hear that now.

 

Murphy stroked the kitten’s head.  “In a way, it’s very sad.  Heaven is just beyond the Bridge; every animal here, and the humans that they love so much, will go there someday and will be there forever.  After you’re adopted, you kids will go there, too.  It’s wonderful to think about.  And that bad man may well have cut himself off from all of that – forever.  I know that you kids don’t think so now, but he doesn’t deserve our hate; just our pity.”

 

Something the Sable ferret had said caught Fraser’s attention.  “Excuse me, Murphy, but you just mentioned adoption.  I’m not certain I understand what you mean; can you explain it to me?”

 

“Certainly, Benny.  I don’t believe I’d said anything about it to these furkids before, and this is as good a time as any.

 

“You see, a lot of orphans come to the Bridge, and since they had no human Mommies and Daddies to love them in the old World, you’d think they could go no further.  But when a human comes through here to meet his furkids again, he or she can adopt any orphans that are here.  Those little ones will have a family then, and they’ll all go together over the Bridge.  And a human that cares about animals almost always wants more animals to love.  Lots of orphans come here, but there are never very many around at one time; the rest have already been adopted and gone on.  I’ve never known of any orphan that hasn’t found a family sooner or later.”

 

He spoke directly to the kitten.  “That’s what will happen with you, little one.  Someday a human will come here, a lady maybe.  You’ll find out that you like her, and she’ll find out that she likes you.  Then she’ll formally adopt you and take you with her over the Rainbow Bridge.”

 

One of the kittens spoke up.  “But, Unca Murphy, what if we don’t want to go to Heaven?  We like this place here just fine!  What if we don’t want –”

 

“What if you don’t want to be adopted by a human?  I know you don’t trust them right now, because one of them hurt you so bad.  You’re not ready for adoption, and you won’t be until your souls are healed.  Your pain is still fresh and it runs very deep, so healing will take a long time.  But sooner or later the hurt will be gone, and you kids will learn to laugh and play again; this place is terrific when it comes to healing.

 

“The love between a human and a fuzzy is very special.  I miss my Daddy, and Uncle Sammy misses his Mommy, and we can hardly wait until we see them again.  Look at the bond between Dief and Benny; it’s strong enough that Benny followed his wolf friend here.  You can’t get more special than that.”

 

The tiny orange and white kitten had been staring at Fraser.  Now she spoke to him for the first time, in a small, shy voice.  “I’m sorry I hurt you, mister.”

 

He smiled back at her and replied, “Oh, don’t worry about it; I’ve had far worse.  It may be that somebody needed to be feel some pain on your behalf.” Fraser examined the puncture wound in his palm.  “Perhaps I was meant to come here and suffer a little for the sins of others.”

 

Murphy said, “You’re a good man, Constable Fraser.  There are still many good deeds for you to do back in the old World.  You and Diefenbaker need to go back soon.  You can’t stay here much longer.”

 

This set up a commotion among the kittens.  They all gathered around Diefenbaker, saying things like “Don’t go!” and “Please stay with us!”  Two of them even looked over at Fraser, almost ready to beg him to stay, too.

 

Sammy knelt down and stroked one of the kittens.  He said, “That’s not possible, little ones.  It’s not their time yet.  When it is time, though, I’m positive that this is where they’ll come.  For now, though, they must go back.”

 

All of the kittens looked so sad to be losing their new friends.  One of them asked, “Will we see you again?”  Fraser wasn’t sure if he was asking Dief or himself.

 

Murphy answered.  “Nobody can tell.  It’s entirely possible that you kids will be gone by the time either one of them comes back.  And there’s only one place you can go from here.”  He pointed at the Bridge overhead.  “A very special place.  But you may still be here; all we can do is wait and see.  For now, you must say good-bye to them.”

 

Diefenbaker stood up and all the kittens gathered around him to say good-bye.  They hugged his legs and licked them with their raspy little tongues.  In turn, he licked them with his tongue; he had the decency to not make a face and spit the cat hairs out.  Fraser could have sworn that he heard the kittens make little purring noises.

 

Then the kittens all turned to Fraser; they obviously wanted to wish him good-bye, too, but he was human…  Surprisingly, it was the littlest kitten, the orange and white one, who worked up the nerve to toddle over to him.

 

Fraser smiled and leaned forward, holding out his hand to her.  This time she gently rubbed her head against his hand, and he scratched her ears.  That was enough; soon all the kittens were rubbing up against him.  And, yes, they were trying to purr.

 

The littlest one said, “Thank you for being a good human.”

 

He replied, “Thank you for trusting me.”

 

With that, Fraser stood up.  He placed his Stetson back on his head and straightened his uniform.  Diefenbaker came over to stand next to him.  Fraser gave one last smile to the kittens and said to Murphy, “Well, I suppose we start walking.  Which direction do we take?”

 

Murphy replied, “Second star to the right, and straight on ‘till morning.”  He grinned.  “You’ll have to pardon me; I’ve always wanted to say that.”  Fraser thought that this ferret had a lot in common with Ray Vecchio.

 

Murphy went on.  “Seriously, I don’t think that the direction is nearly as important as the journey itself.  Just start walking any old way, and you’ll get where you need to go.”

 

“I see.  Well, it’s been good to meet you, Murphy – Sammy.  And all you little ones.”

 

Murphy said, “Thanks a lot, Benny. These kids have a lot of pain to work through, but I think your coming here is a good start on the healing process.

 

“Go now.  You’re needed elsewhere.  But you’ll be back, I’m sure.”

 

Fraser and Diefenbaker started walking in a direction that looked promising.  Just before they went over a hill, they looked back.  Murphy and Sammy had gathered the kittens together and were holding them close.  Fraser waved at them, and the ferrets and kittens waved back.

 

Fraser gave a special wave to the little orange and white kitten.  And she actually smiled at him.  Then Fraser and Diefenbaker walked over the hill, and the kittens and their guardians were lost from sight.

 

As they walked along, Diefenbaker began to talk; a talking wolf was something that Fraser still wasn’t quite used to.  Dief said, “When I jumped through the window, I could have knocked that human down – I would have tried.  But then I looked at his face, and I couldn’t do anything.  He scared me, Dad.  There was nothing behind those eyes.  I don’t think he could feel anything.”

 

Fraser replied, “I know.  It is very frightening sometimes.  It isn’t easy facing people like that.  But I chose my path a long time ago, and you chose to come with me, for some reason.  Sometimes we have to be strong.”  He then smiled and reached down to pat the wolf’s side.  “But we’re back together, and what’s important right now is going home.”

 

But the Rainbow Bridge wasn’t quite through with them yet. Fraser saw two creatures approaching.  As they came closer, he could see that they were two more ferrets, an Albino and a Champagne this time.

 

When they reached Fraser and Dief, the Albino said, “How do you do?  Am I addressing a friend of Stan Kowalski’s?”

 

“Yes, I know Mr. Kowalski. I’m Constable Benton Fraser of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and this is Diefenbaker.  How do you do?  And I have the pleasure of speaking with…?”

 

“My name is Gower, and this lovely lady is Marge.  And we have a message for you to give to our Daddy.”

 

 

It was quiet in the hospital room.  Kowalski was leaning his chair against the door, reading a book.  From what Ray could see of the cover, it had something to do with exploring.  That figured.  Benny had said that ever since they’d gone off searching for the hand of that Franklin guy, Stan had developed and interest in the history of Northern exploration.  Except that right now, it looked like Stan was having trouble reading; he hadn’t turned a page for a long time.

 

Ray didn’t even try to read.  He just sat and watched Fraser.  The Mountie was slumped back now, and he didn’t look like he was breathing at all.  He probably was – maybe – but Ray didn’t want to check.  He was afraid of what he might find.

 

Stan gave up on his book and looked over at Fraser, too.  He broke the silence by saying.  “I hate hospitals.”

 

Ray nodded and said, “Yeah.  Too many folks you work with end up in places like this.”

 

“Sometimes you end up in places like this yourself.”

 

“Tell me about it.”  Ray turned to Stan and said, “You’ve had experience with this out-of-body thing before, right?”

 

“Well, I watched him do it, for what that’s worth.”

 

“Waiting like this is driving me nuts.  I’d at least like some sort of sign.  Is there any way that we can tell when he’s coming out of it?”

 

It was right then that Fraser gasped.  His head came up, he coughed and snorted, and his eyes came open.  Stan said, “I guess that’s as good an answer as any.”

 

From over on the bed came a whimper, and Diefenbaker’s snout moved.  Ray grinned and said, “What do ya know?  He came back!  And he brought the wolf back, too!”

 

“I’ll get the vet!”  Stan opened the door and ran down the hall.  Ray got up and leaned over his friend.

 

Fraser blinked, shook his head and said, “Well…”  He looked up.  “Excuse me, but are you Ray or are you Stan?  I’m a bit confused.”

 

Whatever the man’s name was, Fraser thought, it was good to hear him laugh.

 

 

The veterinarian straightened up and took his stethoscope out of his ears.  He turned to Fraser and said, “It’s remarkable how quickly he’s come out of the coma.  He’s still very weak, and it’s too soon to say anything for certain.  But this wolf’s will to survive is quite strong.  I believe that he’ll make a full recovery.”

 

Fraser smiled, and behind him Stan and Ray whooped and gave what Americans called a “High Five”.  And Diefenbaker wagged his tail – it was a weak wag, admittedly, but no less sincere.

 

The vet smiled.  “And I just have to say this.  It does my heart good to see that this animal has three good friends that obviously care so much about him.”

 

Stan said, “He’s a good wolf, Doc!”

 

The vet stroked Dief’s side and softly continued.  “That’s three more friends this fellow has than a lot of the animals that come in here.”  He sighed.  “That’s what makes this job so hard sometimes – treating animals that don’t have anyone to love them.  Abused, abandoned – I see too many of those.”

 

Fraser said, “The orphans.”

 

“I’m sorry to say that that’s a good way to describe them, Constable – the orphans.  I try to help them; I try to show them that somebody cares.  I’m on good terms with all the rescue shelters in Chicago, and I do my best to find those animals good homes.  My house is a regular menagerie as it is.  But there are so many animals with no friends, and I can only do so much.”

 

Fraser placed a hand on the man’s shoulder and said, “I’m sure that they are aware of all that you do for them.  If they ever get the chance, I believe that they would thank you.”  And he thought to himself, When a man like this arrives at the Bridge, what a welcome he must get!

 

The vet smiled.  “Well, this isn’t a time for sadness, and I shouldn’t be a wet blanket.  This guy is still with us, and he has friends to rejoice for his good fortune.

 

“What I recommend for him now is time to rest and to heal.  I want to keep him here for a few days for observation.  It looks like he’ll recover quickly, though.

 

“And as for you three – you’ve been here all day.  You’re tired and hungry.  I prescribe a good meal and a good night’s sleep.  Go on; get out of here and find a good restaurant.”

 

Fraser leaned down to Diefenbaker and said, “I can’t go against doctor’s orders.  I’ll have to leave you on your own.  You’re in good hands, though, and you should be all right.  I will be back later.”

 

The wolf looked up at the human that meant so much to him, and his eyes said, I know you’ll be back.  You’ll always come back for me.

 

Before they left the room, Fraser turned to Ray and Stan and said, “Both of you did so much today to help me and Diefenbaker, giving us moral support and watching over us while we were – occupied.  That means more to me than I can say.”  He placed his hands on their shoulders.  “Thank you both.”

 

Ray smiled and said, “‘Thank you’ what, Benny?”

 

“Thank you kindly.”

 

“That’s better.  And you’re welcome.”

 

 

Out in the parking lot, Stan said.  “Ya know, I kinda feel left out.  I can’t talk with my Dad’s ghost.”

 

Fraser frowned.  “I thought your Father was still alive, Stan.”

 

“H’m.  Think that may have something to do with it?”

 

“Maybe.  The subject of ghosts reminds me.  While I was at the Rainbow Bridge – I’ll explain the Bridge later – I met a couple of ferrets.  An Albino and a Champagne, specifically.”

 

Stan’s jaw dropped and he stared at Fraser.  “You saw Marge and Gower?!?”

 

“That I did, Stan.  And they asked me to give you a message.

 

“They don’t think that you let them down.  They were always happy with all that you did for them.  They loved the swinging-towel game and the bounce-on-the-bed game, and all the toys and treats that you gave them.  They were ambivalent about the baths, the ear-cleaning and the nail-trimming, but they can accept the theory behind the concept.

 

“We can’t watch our loved ones and protect them from harm twenty-four hours a day, Stan.  We can try, but we’ll never do a perfect job, and the effort will take a lot out of us.  One of the hardest lessons that we have to learn in life is that sometimes bad things happen, and we can’t prevent it.  When we say good-bye to someone special, we have to let go – not only of them, but also of our own guilt.

 

“Marge and Gower told me that after all these years, they still love their Daddy very much.  They miss you, Stan, and they look forward to seeing you again when the time comes.”

 

Stan couldn’t say anything.  He looked away and treid to swallow a lump in his throat.  When he could speak again, he said in a husky voice, “The little fuzzbutts always gave good kisses.  I miss them, too, Benny.  ”

 

“They know.”

 

Stan brushed a tear away and said, “You know, I’ve missed the pitter-patter of little feet around the apartment.  I mean, the turtle’s nice, but he’s got all the emotion of a – well, a reptile.  I need a fuzzy kid to make my life happy again.”  He smiled.  “That’s what I’ll do tomorrow – I’ll go to pet shop and check out the ferrets!”

 

“Oh, yes – that reminds me.  Gower did most of the talking, but Marge did say something.  She figured that you’d want to get some more ferrets now.  She wanted me to tell you, and I quote, ‘Older animals need love, too.’”

 

Stan said, “What, adopt some fuzzies from a shelter?”

 

“I’m sure that’s what she meant.  Ferret kits are adorable, which is why the pet shops sell them so young.  But too many people want to get rid of them when they’re older and no longer cute.  There are volunteer shelters all across the US – and in other countries, for that matter – that take in these unwanted ferrets and make them available for adoption.  An older animal is just as capable of loving a human as a young one.”

 

Stan nodded his head thoughtfully.  “Yeah, yeah.  I like that idea.  I probably wouldn’t have to experience the joys of potty- and nip-training again; an older fuzzbutt would have learned better.  And if that’s still a problem – hey, I can handle it.  Like the lady said, older animals need love, too.”  He frowned.  “And what’s all that guff about older ferrets not being cute?  Ferrets are cute all their lives!”

 

“Understood.”

 

“So, are there any of these shelters here in Chicago?”

 

“Yes, there is.  An excellent one, from what I understand.  I can get you the address and telephone number.”

 

“Do that for me, Benny.  I’ll go around and see if anyone needs a home.  And I still need to go to the pet shop for supplies.  Especially important stuff, like toys.”

 

Ray had been leaning against his Riv and listening to the conversation. He said, “Say, Kowalski, if you’re gonna go to the pet shop tomorrow, you mind if I tag along?”

 

“Sure, Ray.  Why, you looking for a furkid, too?”

 

“Someday, maybe.  But first I want to look at the hamsters.  I’m thinking a couple of them would be a nice surprise for Francesca.  It might be a good way of healing some old wounds.

 

“First things first, though.  Like the vet said, it’s been a long day and we’re all starving.  What will do us the most good now is some food.  Am I right?”

 

Stan and Fraser nodded.  “Did you have some place in mind, Ray?”

 

“Isn’t it obvious, Benny?  Mama Vecchio’s dining room table!  It’s about dinnertime and Ma won’t mind two extra guests, especially you two.  How about it – in the mood for some Italian?”

 

Neither Stan nor Fraser said anything.  But they’d both eaten in the Vecchio household before, and they were thinking about very good food.

 

Ray smiled.  “That’s settled then.  Benny, why don’t you ride with Mister GTO?  I’ll go on ahead and help Ma set the table.”

 

Fraser said, “Sounds like a plot, Ray.”

 

Stan groaned.  “Fraser!  It’s ‘sounds like a plan’!”

 

“Oh, right – plan!  Excuse me!  Sounds like a plan, Ray.”

 

“I swear, all Canadians that come here ought to be issued a phrasebook or something! – You, Vecchio!  Keep on laughing like that and you can have your Mountie back!”

 

After leaving the hospital parking lot, Stan said, “Fraser, I’ll make a deal with you – you tell me how my two kids are doing and I’ll tell you some funny fuzzbutt stories.  And I want to hear more about this Rainbow Bridge place.”

 

“Certainly.  First off, this Rainbow Bridge is not the one associated with Asgard in Norse Mythology.  As far as they know, it’s a completely different place.”

 

“Really?  No big blonde guy named Heimdall hanging around guarding it?”

 

 

THE END

 

DIVERSE DISCLAIMERS, INSTRUCTIONS AND OTHER FINE PRINT

 

No furry animals were harmed in the writing of this story.  It’s too bad one can’t say the same thing about Real Life.

 

Go and hug a ferret.  You’ll enjoy it.

 

This story is for entertainment purposes only and is not intended to infringe on copyrights held by Alliance Communications Corp., CBS and CTV or any other copyright holders of “due South”.

 

Murphy and Sammy Copyright © 2000 Paul E. Jamison

 

The Rainbow Bridge is not copyright, which is as it should be.

 

The City of Chicago is not copyright, as far as I know, but you can never tell these days.

 

Support your local shelter.  Older animals do need love.

 

 

Click here to go back to the Rainbow Bridge page.

If you want to find out more about “due South”, click here to go to William and Elyse’s due South page.

 

What are you still hanging around here for?  Why aren’t you hugging that ferret yet?  Go now – SHOO!!