Rio: Love at first Fight

Another One

"I am not really built for this weather," the stranger stated as he walked inside.

"Are you looking for some books?" Linda asked him.

"Books?" He seemed a bit confused. "No, no. I have come 6,000 miles, looking for him."

Blu immediately put his cookie down.

---------------

"Doctor of Ornithology." Linda held up one of his business cards and analyzed it as the man studied Blu.

"This is magnificent." He began squawking, again, for the third time that morning, adding on a series of strange moves.

"Linda, a little help here," Blu began to back away. He began talking back to the doctor, to no avail, of course.

"You're actually communicating!"

"Yes. I've introduced myself and shook my tail feathers counter-clockwise, thus deferring to his dominance."

"I did not get that at all," Blu stated, puzzled.

"So, Doctor Monteiro..."

"No "doctor". Please, just call me Tulio. You know, your macaw is a VERY special bird. In fact, as far as we know, Blu is the last male of his kind."

"Really?" That came as a surprise to Linda.

"Yes, and recently we've found a female. Our hope was to bring the two of them together to save their species."

Both Linda and her companion stared at each other. "Um... Sure. When can she come over?" Linda asked.

"Oh, no. She is in Brazil. Blu must come to Rio de Janeiro."

Linda back into a table, which Blu traveled across to look at a globe. He spun it around, found Moose Lake, then identified Rio de Janeiro. It was a whole hemisphere away from them.

"Ha, ha, ha. Rio? Brazil? Oh, no, no, no," Linda struggled to find an answer, a reason to not travel. "I never let Blu out of my sight. He needs me."

"You misunderstand. It is all arranged. You will be with Blu every step of the way, I will be with you."

"Look, I know you're doing your job, but I can't... well, Blu is very particular, and we have our little routine here, and we're not big on travel. Heck. He doesn't even fly."

Tulio snatched Blu right off Linda's arm and began to inspect him"Of course he can fly. He's a perfect specimen."

"Um... what are you doing?" Linda asked.

"Don't worry. Natural instincts always take over," he explained.

"No, no. Wait!" Linda exclaimed, too late. Tulio had already launched Blu across the room and onto the floor.

"Well, almost always."

Blu pushed himself off the floor, which he'd landed face first onto. "What kind of doctor ARE you?" He rhetorically asked, giving an annoyed glare to Tulio.
Linda picked him up and snuggled him, making absolutely sure he'd not been injured.

"Perhaps he's too domesticated?" Tulio suggested.

Enough was enough. Linda put Blu down, walked back over to Tulio, and started pushing him out the door. "It was nice of you to stop by, squawk around, and throw my bird; but it's time for you to go."

"I'm very sorry. I'm very sorry," Tulio apologized as be waz being rushed out the door. "Wait, wait, please, Linda. Linda. This could be our last chance."

Linda glared at him. "Have a safe flight." SLAM!

"Linda. Please, listen to me. If we DON'T do this, his whole species WILL BE GONE!" He opened the mail slot in the door and slipped his card back through. "Just, think about it?"

Linda and Blu looked at each other, a new thing to think about resting heavy on them.