the little dog

by nick nelson

you’re a strange man. yes, i am. but you know, when you think about it, everybody is strange. do you think so? yes. men are strange, women are strange, children are strange. cats and dogs are strange. elephants are strange, sea serpents are strange. who do you think are the strangest of all those? you know, that is an interesting question. excuse me, i have to take this call. strange here. yes. yes. yes. i am sorry, but i have to leave. i do not suppose you can tell me why. not in a million years. that is what i thought. but i understand. you are a strange man. goodbye. will i see you again? what do you think? * the strange man stood outside in the wind and rain. where he belonged. back on the job. back in the hunt. for who or what this time? a car pulled up beside him. with the rear window rolled down, even in the wind and rain. a hand with a gun in it appeared in the window. and fired a single shot. but the strange man was gone. * so, the man behind the desk asked, did you get him? we don’t think so. you don’t think so. we could not wait around to make sure. the man behind the desk nodded. i will send someone to look around. should we wait? no, you can go. be here tomorrow night,, at the usual time.. * the strange man stood in the shadows, watching the gunman and the driver leave the headquarters. x appeared out of the fog.. did they get you? it doesn’t look like they did. i guess not. they heard a sound in the alley behind them. they thought it sounded like a rat. but it was a little dog. that is a little dog, x said. the littlest i have ever seen. the smallest you have ever seen, the strange man corrected him. you always were a stickler for correct grammar. that is what my mama taught me, and what they taught me at the academy. you have to be true to your code, x agreed, and to your roots. the strange man picked the little dog up and put it in his pocket, that is how small it was. i will be getting along, x told the strange man. it looks like our work is done for tonight. take care. you take care yourself, and take care of that little dog. i will. a dog this little needs special care.