NFTF: Max III

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"Maxwell."

YOU! YOU! YOUYOUYOUYOUYOUYOUYOU!
You smell strong! I LOVE YOU!
Leap in air. Turn in air.
You smell old! I LOVE YOU!
Land, leap again. Turn again.
Stop. Look. 
Your fur: white.
Old like Raider.
I LOVE YOU!
Give kisses! Give kisses to YOU!

"Who is a good boy? Yes. Yes. You are such a good boy. Oh, kisses. Yes. Drool in my beard. Thanks so much. Some scratches? Yes? You love having Dog Loves? Yes. I love you so, Maxwell. I have been gone so long. Lifetimes within lifetimes. And my time is short. Now settle. Good, settle stay. Good."

Treat? Treat? 
Lick dog chops.
Treat?
Hands mean treat.
I love you. 
Eyes mean treat.
I love you.
So hungry. 
I am Max.
I wait.
I am good.
I wait.
I love you.
So hungry.

"I see you licking your chops. I think I have something for you. Ah-ah-ah, stay. Good boy."

More than treat! I LOVE YOU!

"I said stay!"

I stay. Yes. I love you stay.
I good boy stay. Lick dog chops stay.
Drool. Can't help it. Drool. 
Love. 
Drool.

"I'm sorry this has taken so long, Mister Jizzjowls. I -- aaaugh, wow, I'm -- much older than the last time you saw me. Right? Hold on there, Mister, I need to unfold this bowl and pour the food. Have you ... where the hell did I put the food ... ah. Here. Okay. Now. Have you been a good boy? Listening for Mommy?"

MOMMY?!
Lick chops. Wag wag wag.
I LOVE MOMMY!
Drool. Wag wag.
IS MOMMY HERE?!
Shift feet. Wag.
MOMMY?!?!
Drool. Wag-wag-wag-wag-wag!
Lick chops.

"Sorry. No, she's not here. Not close by. But soon, Max. Soon. Keep listening. When she calls, you will know. And you must go to her, no matter what she says. Okay. I'm setting your food here, you stay. Aaaugh, my knees ... okay ..."

Eyes wide. Ears up. I watch you.
Now is proof: I good boy stay.
I love you.
I earn my food.
I stay. Yes.
Now is proof.
Yes. 
Drool.
I good boy stay.
Yes. Love.
Drool.
Lick dog chops.
Drool.
Shift legs. Yes.
Drool.
I wait. I wait.
Long time.
Drool.
I wait.
Loooong tiiiiime.
Drool.

Wait.

Yes.

I am Max.

I love You.

Drool.

"Good boy, Max, get your dinner!"

Leap! To food!
Yum-so-crunchy!
Gomf gomf gomf crunchy!
Crunch crunch crunch yum yum.
Oh so tasty.
I love You.
I love food.
You bring food.
I LOOOOVE YOU!
Eat yum crunch gomf yum eating good yum ...

"Soon the fire will crest the hills to the East. Eruptions of gas mains in the last houses still standing in the hills of Danville and San Ramon. When the fireball lights the eastern sky, Max, that is when you must be ready. That is when Mommy will call."

Gomf gomf I love Mommy.
Gomf Gomf I good boy wait.
Food good. Almost gone.
Lick dog chops. 
More food?

"That's all there is. You'd better eat it up, Mister Stinks-a-lot."

Gomf gomf gomf yum.
Lick bowl for morsels: one morsel. Good.
Two morsels! Yum! 
Gomf. Gomf.
Lick bowl.
Crumbs.
Lick bowl. Yum. 
Lick chops.

Thirsty.

"Here's water. Wait -- ah-ah -- let me ... there. Drink up. Good boy."

Water.
Oh.
Yes.
So delicious.

"Take your time. I have more water. Special things in water for Mister Maxwell. I just need to mark these trees. Clockwise."

Look at water. 
Smell water.
Good smell. Plant smell.
You drink?

"Keep drinking, Mister. No, no need to follow me: you stay and drink. It's all for you. Something special, something from long ago and far away. See? I'm just circling the trees. Drink up. Good boy."

Water is good!
Lick dog chops.
Drool.
Sated.

"You sure you're done?"

I love You.

"Oh, kisses. Yes. Pffaw, wow, thanks for that -- Jesus --"

Fart.

"Okay. Go potty."

You go potty?

"Go ahead. I trust you. I'm just going to sit here. It's nice to just sit, these days."

Peeing. Trees. Peeing here. Long pee. Nice.

"Yes, feed the trees. They need it. They've been here a long time. Not visible from the freeway, Max. Not that that means much to you. But this Tor, these trees. Sigils. Blocking. This Redwood, that Ash: an entire Druidic alphabet, an unintentional Entmoot, and nobody knows."

Potty now.
Was peeing there.
Now squatting here.
Glance at you.
Ahhh ...
Good.
Ahhh ...
I good boy go potty.
Bury. Bury. Potty bury.
YAY! Time to run.

"What I wouldn't give for half your energy, Mister Stinks."

I run this way!
Play?
I run that way?
PLAY?!
I give you kisses.

"Okay. Yes."

I LOVE YOU.

"What a good smoochface."

I run this way.
PLAY?!

"Shhh, Max, no no, settle. Settle. Sit. Lie down. Settle. Good. Stay."

I run that way. 
You play now.
I need play.

"I'm sorry I was gone so long, I didn't mean to just pop out like that, Max, STAY."

Yes. I stay.
I good boy stay.

"Listen to me."

Kisses.

"Listen to me: you must stay here. I have marked the trees. Do not pass that boundary. Trees are marked. Do not pass. Do not pass marked trees until I come for you, or until you hear Mommy call for you."

I love you.
Kisses.

"Now ... hold still ... [click, jingle] ... there. This will keep me tuned to you, like an anchor."

Jingle jingle I have new jingle!

"I will always, always, always come back for you, my boy."

You.
New jingle. Good.
I love You.
Good new jingle help good boy Maxwell.
I sit stay.

"I love you so. I do."

I good boy lie down stay.
You? You stay.
Head on lap.
SIGH.
You.
I love You.

"I'm sorry I have to go now, I'm so sorry I have to leave you and Mommy like this."

Eyes only: look right, look left.
SIGH.
Roll onto back.
Tummy, please. For scratching?
Ooohhh yes good I love You.

"But I promise, I will come back. I promise."

Good. 
Scratching Loves. 
You.

"Mommy has an anchor, you have an anchor, and I must set sail beyond the sunset and the baths of all the Western stars, until I ... until I can ... oh shit, here it goes -- so dizzy -- be good, Max."

SIGH.
Sleepy times.

"Be good for Mommy. Listen for her call and go to her if you hear her voice."

Mommy?
I love Mommy.
... I love You ...
Snore.

"Listen for Mommy and ask her to sing for you, she sings like an angel --"

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