Death And Transfiguration

Arthur rides on towards Waterfall Gully.

He hasn't noticed the absence of Farky.

He arrives at the base of the waterfall.

Gets off his bicycle.

Stares into the pool.

Imagines himself at the bottom.

Pale and gelatinous, decomposing. Becoming one with the mud.

He is pleased with the image.

It is necessary for us to know this, in order to understand that Arthur does not have a plan for exporting Farky to the Netherlands by means illegitimate.

Arthur trusts in the charmed life. His own.

So now he is riding back from Waterfall Gully, carefree except that it's way past his lunch time.

But what's this on the road?

......

To know what it is before Arthur finds out we must travel back in time slightly. How thrilling.

Five... four... three... two... one.

Here we are! Back at when Farky disappeared into the undergrowth, believing his life was in danger.

Or at the very worst, his teeth would be going to Holland without him.

Yipes, how that would hurt.

It hardly bears thinking.

Farky is lying next to a blackberry bush. It is scratchy, and leafless.

The creek trickles somewhere behind.

This is the moment.

His Omniscient Teeth speak directly to Farky. They say:

Hello dear. I know you think you're in trouble. But trust me. Trust us. Trust yourself. Think, little Farky. Think yourself into the divine consciousness. Think of the possibility latent in the void. What I am, you are. And while you're doing that, have a think about talking. But later.

So when Arthur rides by, thinking of nothing but what he might have for lunch  ( a burger?), what he sees in the road looks like nothing so much as

DEAD DOG.

......

Apart from the morbidity, it looks just like Farky.

Arthur stops, kicks him gently.

Lucky. Or that would have been painful.

Ouf! Farky has morphed into stone.

Arthur supposes that he ought to move Farky, for the sake of road safety.

He bends down to pick up stone Farky.

But immediately Farky opens one eye and says clearly in English with no trace of an accent:

Farky-Om-Farky. I am.