Buddy shut up so he could hear what the director was saying to the dad.

"Timmy approaches the house from the barn, where he's been hiding. The key to making the scene work, you understand, is how convincingly Timmy slinks up on Harry."

"Did you hear it?" Buddy said. "You slink."

[image]ntwan nosed around the cleanest barn he'd ever seen. No hay or horses, no interesting smells. You dummy, Antwan said to himself. It doesn't smell right 'cause it's a movie barn, not a real one. the cleanest barn he'd ever seen. No hay or horses, no interesting smells. You dummy, Antwan said to himself. It doesn't smell right 'cause it's a movie barn, not a real one.

He padded over to the dad standing in the big open doorway, the dad looking out at the film crew standing around in the yard with nothing to do. Antwan stepped outside and the dad said, "Timmy? . . . Stay."

The dad seemed to Antwan like a man with a simple mind. He threw "stay" and "sit" at you all the time, so you wouldn't forget who was boss. Antwan had stopped on the command. Now he thought, Don't make me sit. Please. He heard, "Here, fella. That's a good fella"-one he knew from hanging with Buddy-and walked back to the barn.

"All you have to do is go across the yard to the house," the dad said, sweeping his arm out and pointing. "You know what I mean when I say house house?" Pointing again. "You go to house. There."

Antwan had no idea what the dad was talking about. He didn't hear the word he was supposed to listen for.

But now he was beginning to catch a different smell as the dad said, "I think you're gonna be a big movie star just like Buddy. You do this one right, producers will be breaking down the door to sign you up."

It was the same smell that had clung to Swifty last night. The dad was lying.

Saying now, "Harry will come out in the yard and play with you-you know, like he wants to keep you, give you a nice home."

What was going on here? It sounded like the dad was telling him what to do, but at the same time lying. It didn't make sense.

Now the dad put both of his hands on Antwan's back and began telling him something. Antwan heard the word "slink"-there it was, Antwan sure of it-the dad pushing down with one hand as he said it and pointing to the house with the other.

The smell was gone, so what the dad was saying now must be true. He wanted Antwan to slink across the yard to the house. That's what the pointing was about. Well, he could do that, no problem. He could even give the dad a cool, coyote-style slink, belly almost brushing the ground, but decided to save it. Antwan hunched down about halfway, slunk a few steps out of the barn, and the dad freaked.

"I did it! I got you to understand me!"

He looked out at the yard, at the director telling something to his crew and the crew laughing.

"I did it!" the dad yelled. "I got Timmy to slink!"

The director looked over. He said, "Good for you. Is Timmy ready?"

"Ready," The dad said.

"My AD will give you the cue."

The dad hunched down close to Antwan. He said, "Timmy, I know you can do it. I see you becoming a bigger star than Buddy ever was."

Antwan sniffed. The smell was back.

The AD said through his bullhorn, "Action!"

The dad gave Antwan a pat and a push, said "Slink," and sent Antwan out into the yard.

[image]uddy stood with the crew watching Antwan come slinking out of the barn, almost crawling, like a coyote sneaking up on game. You can do that, Buddy said to himself. And felt his heart beating. He heard the director say, "Beautiful. That, people, is how to slink. I can't believe Daddy got Timmy to do that." He raised his voice then to say, "Harry? . . . He comes almost to the porch before you go out to meet him. Right?" the crew watching Antwan come slinking out of the barn, almost crawling, like a coyote sneaking up on game. You can do that, Buddy said to himself. And felt his heart beating. He heard the director say, "Beautiful. That, people, is how to slink. I can't believe Daddy got Timmy to do that." He raised his voice then to say, "Harry? . . . He comes almost to the porch before you go out to meet him. Right?"

The dude director in his leather jacket and lavender scarf was sipping from a plastic bottle of water now.

Buddy wondered why humans were so thirsty, almost everyone you saw carrying a bottle of water. He noticed Harry Dean standing now, leaning on the cane against his hip, and remembered Antwan saying, "Isn't that Harry Dean Stanton?" Buddy realized now that instead of feeling sorry for himself he should've perked up and said, "You bet it is. Watch him, the man is whatever part he plays. Like the white hunter in Buddy on Safari. Buddy on Safari."

But, can he scare a dog that's really a coyote?

Harry Dean was off the porch now.

Antwan was still slinking and-Buddy would bet-get-ting that soulful look in his eyes. Buddy thinking, I'll never have to do that again, beg for treats.

He had made up his mind, he was through with humans. You couldn't trust them.

He saw Harry Dean holding the cane just below its curved handle, away from his side. Now he stepped out to meet Antwan slinking toward him. Harry Dean said, "I told you to stay away from here. Now git!"

Buddy said, "Uh-oh," and saw it happen before he could do anything. Saw Antwan stand and shoot his tail straight out. Saw Harry Dean swing the cane at Antwan as he lunged, clamped his jaws on the bib overalls and Harry Dean stumbled, fell to the ground with Antwan on top of him, Antwan tearing the overalls apart with terrible snarls, Harry Dean yelling, "Get him off me!"

The AD called through his bullhorn, "Cut!"

And Buddy with the crew behind him ran out to save Harry Dean, Buddy shouting through Antwan's fierce snarls, "Stop it! He wasn't trying to hit you!" Antwan looked up at him, confused, and now Buddy told him, "Run-get out of here. I'll meet you on the hill, later."

Without a word, Antwan took off to run through the make-believe streets of the studio.

[image]uddy watched Harry Dean standing now trying to hold his overalls together as the director came over and asked if he was okay. Buddy didn't see any scratches or bites on him. Harry Dean was calm saying, "I thought Timmy was supposed to run when I yelled at him." standing now trying to hold his overalls together as the director came over and asked if he was okay. Buddy didn't see any scratches or bites on him. Harry Dean was calm saying, "I thought Timmy was supposed to run when I yelled at him."

"He was, was," the director said, and gave the dad a dirty look.

The dad said, "I don't know what came over him. Timmy's never done that before."

"We become friends in the third act," Harry Dean said, "after he saves my life. Why don't we stay with Buddy? That's what he's known for, isn't it, saving lives?"

Buddy wanted to jump up and lick his face. But then remembered, he was through a.s.sociating with humans.

"I'll work it out. Either get another dog," the director said, "or another writer."

TWELVE.

[image]uddy hopped out of the SUV and fol- of the SUV and fol-Blowed the dad to the patio where the mom was sitting with a cold beverage. Miss Betty left her side to join Buddy in the yard. They both listened as the dad said: "Well. It was a complete disaster."

"Whatever happened," the mom said, "and I have an idea what you're going to tell me, I can top it. How much do you want to bet?"

Here was the dad, ready to describe the disastrous scene at the studio, and he stopped, curious. "What are you talking about?"

"For the past two weeks," the mom said, "we've had a coyote in the house. The vet called to say he reported Timmy to Animal Control. He took some hair samples when he was here and they tested positive. Timmy's a coyote. He probably ate the real Timmy to get that collar. You have to give him credit," the mom said, "he's a smart rascal."

The dad could not accept this, even though he believed it must be true, having seen Timmy in action. He said, "The dog would have to have been as large as ...our Timmy to wear that size collar. And you think our Timmy ate him?"

The mom said, "I think our Timmy can do anything he wants. And you know what else I think? I think Buddy and Betty and Timmy talk to each other."

Buddy and Miss Betty immediately looked down at the ground and began sniffing around.

The dad put on an expression that meant he was being patient and understanding and said, "Uh-huh, that's interesting. But would you mind if we stayed on the vet? He called Animal Control?"

"The fink," Buddy said to Miss Betty.

"And they're coming over," the mom said, "soon. And I think he mentioned the police."

"For what?"

"To pick up Timmy."

Now the dad felt he was in control. He gestured to take in the yard. "Do you see him anywhere? Did you see him get out of the Cadillac?"

"Don't overdo it," the mom said. "Something happened at the studio and he ran away."

"Oh, now you have time to hear about it?"

"He ran away-yes or no."

The dad hesitated before saying, "Yes, he did."

"That wasn't hard, was it?" the mom said.

[image]uddy and Miss Betty went out to the back part of the yard to discuss the situation. First, though, Miss Betty said, "Did you hear her?" went out to the back part of the yard to discuss the situation. First, though, Miss Betty said, "Did you hear her?"

"She listens to us," Buddy said, "trying to pick up what we're saying. She's even tried to trick me. We're outside, she goes, 'You think it's going to rain?' And I looked up at the sky. She grinned at me and said, 'Caught you, didn't I?' All I could do then was try to look dumb."

"I know," Miss Betty said. "She seems to mention our talking to each other when she's relaxed, having one of those cold beverages. But did Antwan run away or what?"

Buddy described what happened and how he told Antwan he'd see him later.

"So he's okay," Miss Betty said.

"He's fine."

She sensed there was something else he wanted to tell her and asked, "What is it? What's bothering you?" And had to prompt him again before he said, "After Antwan left, Harry Dean Stanton said, 'Why don't we stay with Buddy?'

He thinks I'm just right for the part."

"You were in that safari picture together," Miss Betty said, "he knows your work. So you're back in?"

"It's up to the director," Buddy said. "But I don't care what he decides, the guy's a creep and I don't trust him. I'm out and I'm gonna stay out."

"Not so fast," Miss Betty said. "You'd turn down the part because you don't like the director? You'd rather lie around the house, bored, watching your old movies?"

"No more of that," Buddy said. "I've talked Antwan into taking me up the hill to meet the pack. I'm turning coyote as quick as I can."

What was Miss Betty to say, please don't? Knowing it wouldn't do any good? She said it anyway, "Please don't," and then tried an argument. "What if you can't cut it? What if you can cut it, but they don't like you? They don't care for your old-dog att.i.tude?"

"You sound like Antwan," Buddy said. "He's agreed to take me up to the pack, but says there's no way I'll ever make it as a coyote."

Miss Betty said, "Well?"

"I'm gonna show him he's wrong."

There were tears in Miss Betty's big dark eyes as she said, "Buddy, you don't know how to live in the wild, you're in show business."

He gave her a knowing smile. "That's why I believe I can pull it off, become one of them. I'm through with humans.

You know what they'll do now, don't you? Get a posse together and go after Antwan."

He paused, looking into Miss Betty's sorrowful eyes. "Honey, if I don't find him in time, they'll hunt Antwan down and kill him."

[image]hey kept a coyote in the house? Living with in the house? Living with them? With little children? I don't believe it."

Most people didn't at first. But now the story was all over the Hollywood Hills and neighbors were calling and coming over to find out if it was true.

"Timmy was with us a couple of weeks," the dad said. "We were positive he was some kind of dog. He never gave us any trouble."

"Timmy loved peanut b.u.t.ter cookies," the mom said. "He'd hop right up on the kitchen table and wag his tail."

Neighbors began saying, "I guess it's possible." There were all kinds of stories about coyotes living at least close close to people. to people.

"We had one had dug under our garage and was living there, with pups."

"They know when the trash is picked up, so they come the night before, hang out in the bushes."

"That's a fact, they watch us take the trash out, like we're waiters serving them their dinner."

No one believed Timmy had carried off Buddy, the German shepherd was bigger than the coyote. "And he's a tough old fella," the dad said.

But there were plenty of stories about coyotes carrying off small dogs and precious cats, even a c.o.c.katoo. "Climbed up to the balcony of our condo and s.n.a.t.c.hed Kathy right off her perch."

"I was walking Lotus, our little Lhasa Apso, on a leash. A coyote came along and carried off my baby."

"Blow air horns at 'em. Spray 'em with a hose. If I had a gun I'd shoot 'em."

And there were those who said, "Coyotes have as much right to the planet as we do. We have to learn how to live together."

"You wouldn't say that if your cat had been eaten by one."

Animal Control called hunters and they came to the house in their pickup trucks: experienced hunters with gun dogs, traps and lures, ready to go after this varmint that had sneaked into a house. "People feeding 'em is the problem," a hunter said. "Did you feed this Timmy?"

"Of course," the dad said, "he was part of the family."