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Karma whimpered again and nosed the cold hand. She flinched when Lia cried out but didn’t move from her position. Lia hadn’t said mahalo yet, so she knew the game wasn’t done. A good-dog worked hard to please her person. Treats were good and she knew treats awaited at the end of the other trail Lia meant her to follow. But this scent, this trail, this find compelled her to follow, and trumped any amount of treats. Now Karma wondered if she’d made the right choice. She’d trade them all for a smile and good-dog from Lia.
She licked her jowls and panted, but the heat made it hard to cool off. Karma’s hackles still bristled in response to the scent around the body. The clothes reeked of girl fear, but also early changes of decomposition. She’d found dead animals before. Amazing rich and enticing scents clung to the road kill Karma retrieved as treasured toys, or even rolled on to perfume herself with a dead possum’s essence. She’d been the one to find Thor when he died. But this was different. This was people.
People could stop breathing and die, too. The thought confounded Karma, and she whimpered again. She remembered when a bad man hurt Lia. If Karma hadn’t protected her, Lia might be like this dead girl. Karma didn’t want Lia to be dead! She whined at the weight of new responsibility. It was a good-dog’s job to protect her person. Protect and serve Lia.
Her brow wrinkled again when Lia shuddered. Had she done the right thing, finding the dead girl?
“Mahalo, Karma. Come away, good-dog. Yes, you’re a good girl.” Lia’s voice shook.
Leaping to her feet, Karma raced to Lia. She’d been right! Lia’s gasp just testified to her surprise. Karma filed away the experience for the future. People could die. And sometimes a good-dog knew more than people. Karma leaned against the girl’s thigh, relishing the comfort of Lia’s hands.
Lia sank to her knees, trembling and voice shaking. “Got to call the police, baby-dog. Tell them somebody died.” Karma tipped her head from side to side when Lia fumbled in a pocket for the phone she liked to talk to, and then slurped the girl’s face. That always made Lia laugh. This time it didn’t.
“Stay with me, girl, no more games. Settle down. Need us both to stay calm.” Lia poked the phone with one finger, and waited.
Karma glanced over her shoulder and then back at Lia. She wanted some water from the bottle Lia carried. But more than that, she wanted Lia to say such again. The game wasn’t finished. Maybe Lia didn’t know? People couldn’t hear all the wonderful sounds surrounding them, and missed out on delicious aromas good-dogs sniffed. Sometimes Karma felt sorry for people. Her ears twitched and nose wrinkled. Over there, in the brushy thicket only a few yards away. . . Karma could feel the other’s eyes watching them.
The game wasn’t done. Lia called Karma good-dog for finding the dead person, even though it made her upset and Karma tracked the wrong trail. Karma whined. The dead girl couldn’t be helped. The other, though, watched and waited. And Lia didn’t know. Just like ignoring the Frisbee and choosing a different trail, Karma had to decide.
Karma stood, shook herself, and bounded forward past the dead girl’s body to reach the watching stranger.
“Mai ho`opā mai ia`u! No, no!” The watching girl screamed, tried to run. With delight, Karma played the trip game to stop her. It just seemed to be the right thing to do. Then Karma assumed the platz-down position, announcing her find.
