Kanker Sore

Chapter 18 - Watch the Birdie !

Hooper opened his front door, allowed the Eds and his nephew to pass through and then carefully locked it. The game warden had barely exaggerated in saying that he ought to get up with the rising sun. A hard day's work in the mountains awaited him. The Eds were forced out of bed at the same time as him since he wanted to put the mattresses back in the basement before heading off. As for Rick, he needed him to complete a small chore this morning. Before boarding his red pickup, he handed his nephew a short grocery list and some greenbacks.

"You'd have to go buy all that stuff for me." Asked the tough uncle. "The handy thing is that you'll find everything in one place."

"No problem, I'll take care of it. Where should I go ?"

"At the Vörliks' farm, pal. It's owned by some of our neighbors. Double D will guide you."

"Vörliks ? You mean the ranch where Rolf lives, right ?" Presumed the Flicker, considering it was the only croft around in this cul-de-sac.

"Absolutely. So, you've actually met Rolf ?" Retorted Hooper, scratching his chin.

"Yeah, from the day before yesterday. He's a nice guy. A bit special, but nice." Rick replied, although "a bit special" could easily refer to ninety percent of his new surroundings. "Don't worry, I know where he lives, I've been there."

Glad to realize that his nephew was already on top of things, the uncle simply gave him a thumbs up as his vehicle drove away from the street. At first, he was afraid that Rick might feel bad about this sudden change of life, far from the city where he had grown up. He almost bet that his nephew would choose to stay on his own, as he often did, but he seemed to be fitting in quite well here. Still, there was this Kankers problem that caused a blot on the landscape, but oddly enough, his nephew didn't seem to have dealt with them yet. He showed no signs of trauma stemming from a painful encounter.

This was strange, because they systematically tormented the newcomers to show them who ruled the roost. Maybe they were too scared to touch him, knowing that the slightest owie would result in serious repercussions on his part. This, or Rick already busted their chops but didn't think it was important to tell me. He thought while negotiating a curve to reach a forest road. That would sound like him, he pulled that stunt with these junk Lumpers dudes before... I'll have to think about asking him. His dear brother had definitely turned him abnormally self-sufficient for his age.

Meanwhile, Rick and the three notorious hustlers made their way to Rolf's house. They proceeded to knock on the main gate, but a familiar voice lured them away, by the leafy fence that marked out the farm's grounds. Among the few trees growing nearby, some were tall enough to overtake the green wall. Rick bent his knees and somersaulted to land on the branch from one of them and peered over the barrier. He wanted to ensure it was Rolf's voice they were hearing back there. Bingo, the shepherd was sitting there, surrounded by his chickens and deep in labor. Equipped with soap and a bucket of water, he scrubbed a yellow dress while grumbling :

"Rolf wash this, Rolf wash that... Why must Rolf remove the foul from Nana's finery ?" He complained.

Then he noticed that the Flicker was looking at him from the top of a tree and gave him a friendly wave.

"Hello versatile Rick-boy, fancy yourself as an owl this morning ?" He joked.

"Well, not really. Hooper actually sent me here to buy you some products. But since you seem pretty busy, I can pop in later." Rick answered while getting ready to leave.

"Wait, no sweat. Gamekeeper Hooper is one of our best customers. Get off your perch and tell Rolf what you need."

The Flicker immediately obliged and landed smoothly right in front of his caller. He attempted to pass his order, but Ed's loud, cheerful voice prevented him from saying anything. The big fella had just leapt over the fence with a friend under each arm, terrorizing the poor chickens who chaotically ran away. Ed dropped his two mates as he hit the ground and dashed after the frantic feathered pets, trying to catch as many as he could.