‘My name’s Vix,’ the tough fox told Ferdy with a sniff. ‘This is my patch. What are you doing out with a soppy pet dog?’
‘I’m not a pet!’ Mr Dog protested. ‘I’m a dog of the road.’
‘The Road of Doom,’ Ferdy added proudly. ‘He helped me to cross it.’
‘A dog that helps foxes, eh?’ Vix looked Mr Dog up and down. ‘You must want something badly if you crossed the Road of Doom for it.’
‘We’re looking for a human called Ryan,’ said Mr Dog. ‘A friend to foxes.’
‘Aha! The human guy Old Foxy Loxie was asking about?’ Vix narrowed her eyes. ‘Well, I know this Ryan character. But he’s not very friendly.’
‘He’ll be friendly to me,’ said Ferdy. ‘Can you show us where he lives?’
‘Maybe,’ said Vix. She walked up to Ferdy. ‘Say, “Please, great Vix.”’
‘Please, Vix grates!’ said Mr Dog slyly. ‘Er, is that close enough?’
Vix narrowed her eyes.
‘If you tell us where Ryan is, I’ll think you’re really great.’ Ferdy gave her a playful nip on the muzzle. ‘C’mon. Tell Ferdy!’
Vix stared at Ferdy for a few seconds. Mr Dog held his breath.
Finally, she smiled and pointed a paw. ‘Ryan lives in that box of bricks over there. Red door.’
‘Ooh! Yes! Ooh! I see his van parked outside.’ Ferdy gave her an excited lick on the ear. ‘Thanks, Vix. Come on, Mr Dog!’
Mr Dog bowed his head politely to Vix, and followed Ferdy. The brash fox had gone bounding up to the red door. He scratched at it, snuffling and yapping. ‘Ryan! Ryan, are you there?’
Mr Dog held back by the bushes at the front of the house, watching. A light came on behind the door. Ferdy pranced about impatiently. Then the door opened a little.
‘No way! I don’t believe it,’ came a man’s voice from behind the door. ‘It’s that fox again!’
‘Who?’ came a woman’s voice from inside the house.
‘The fox I used to feed,’ said Ryan. ‘I told you about him, remember? I don’t believe it… he’s come back!’
‘That’s right, Ryan!’ said Ferdy happily. ‘I knew you didn’t mean to lose me so far away!’
‘What?’ Mr Dog gasped. ‘It was Ryan who took you far away?’
‘Well, yes. He took me in his van.’ Ferdy looked sad. ‘I’m sure it was just a game. He didn’t mean to lose me… and now I’ve found my way back.’
The door opened. Ferdy beamed with happiness as a man stepped out on to the doorstep. ‘Ryan!’
Of course, Ryan couldn’t understand a word that Ferdy was saying – and it seemed he didn’t want to. ‘Go away!’ he hissed, and clapped his hands in the Ferdy’s face. ‘Scram, fox. Get out of here!’
Ferdy jumped and scurried back a few paces. ‘I… I don’t understand. Ryan… ?’
‘You’ve got me into enough trouble,’ Ryan said, shooing Ferdy away. ‘Leave me alone!’
Mr Dog watched in confusion. The man clearly knew Ferdy, so why was he acting so unkindly?
The woman that Ryan had called came to the door. ‘What are you doing? Oh!’ She dropped her voice to a whisper as she saw Ferdy. ‘Isn’t he lovely?’
Ferdy stared back at her, a hopeful look in his eyes.
‘You really used to feed this fox by hand?’ the woman went on.
‘Yes.’ Ryan looked unhappy. ‘I encouraged him to come to me. Fed him. Even let him sit on my sofa. Problem was, he expected the same treatment from my neighbours. He’d run up to them, leave a mess in their gardens, yowl outside half the night…’ He sighed. ‘The neighbours said they’d get rid of him. For his own sake I had to take him away. So I lured him into the van and drove off with him.’
‘Poor Ferdy,’ murmured Mr Dog.
‘I drove for seventy miles, took him to some woods and set him free,’ Ryan went on. ‘I know foxes have an amazing sense of direction, but I never expected he’d find his way back here.’
‘You were my friend,’ Ferdy said softly.
The woman looked at Ryan. ‘Is that why you moved away?’ she asked. ‘In case he came back?’
‘No! After I got that fox out of the way, other foxes took over his territory. The neighbours blamed me. They wanted me to pay for garden repairs and stuff… so I shifted over here.’
The woman laughed. ‘And now he’s found you anyway.’
‘Well, he can un-find me again,’ said Ryan firmly. ‘I’m not encouraging foxes any more. Go on, shoo.’ He waved his arms again. ‘Find someone else to feed you. Go!’
Ferdy turned, lowered his head and stalked away. Mr Dog went after him. Behind them, the red front door quietly closed.
‘Ferdy!’ Mr Dog called. ‘Wait. I’m sorry you came such a long way just to say goodbye.’
‘It’s not your fault,’ said Ferdy. ‘I didn’t know I was being a pest. Maybe I should have stayed far away after all…’ He sighed. ‘Trouble was, I didn’t like the woods. Everything was too quiet and wide open.’
‘That’s because you’re a city fox!’ Vix emerged from behind a nearby wheelie bin. ‘You belong here, little guy.’
‘I don’t think I belong anywhere,’ said Ferdy sadly. ‘Not here or far away.’ He looked at Mr Dog. ‘Thanks for coming with me. I’m sorry it was a waste of time. I’ll walk back with you and I’ll push the boards back against your flap in the door, so you don’t get into trouble.’
Mr Dog hesitated. He wasn’t sure it was wise for Ferdy to show his foxy face in Minnah’s neighbourhood again. But he didn’t want to say no to the poor fox after what he’d just been through.
‘I would enjoy your company,’ Mr Dog said grandly.
Vix smiled, showing her single fang. ‘Enjoy your road trip, dogs.’
‘There’ll be no more trips across the Road of Doom,’ said Mr Dog firmly. ‘This time we will find a footbridge!’