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Rufus in motion for two hours. If during any of the conditioning Rufus made a sound, Jerry would jab him with an electric prod. For not yelping he was rewarded with a chicken or cat. So Rufus no longer showed pain. After three years of such premium tuning he was the finest conditioned killing machine on four legs. |
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While the Fig made the announcements, Jerry undid the muzzle. Rufus pressed his face against the bars and waited patiently for the door to open. His mouth was closed. No flash of teeth. No growl. No hard breathing. His heartbeat was not elevated. And yet, in an instant, he could become a berserker. |
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Matty, in his state, sensed what lay just beneath the placid surface. Cunning crossed with intelligence and power. Rufus was death. |
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The cage opened and the dog moved inside. |
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Matty pushed himself to his feet and limped to the bars to steady himself. Blood trailed his foot and matted the hair of his arm. Rufus, expressionless, stood in place, watched. Matty edged his way along the bars, the men pulling back as he approached. |
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For a minute Matty and Rufus made slow, deliberate circles around each other, moving as if in liquid crystal, held in a soundless bond of the eyes. A boy-beast and his dog, engaged in a weird ritual courtship before the kill. |
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"Hey, what the hell's the story?" somebody said. Others were muttering. |
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But Jerry knew. Matty and Rufus were coursing each other, alert for the precise angle of attack. |
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Jerry's grin widened as Matty dipped into a crouch, arms spread. Jerry pressed himself to the bars just inches from Matty. |
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"Beautiful," he said to himself. |
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Then, like the crack of a whip, Jerry said, "Rufus, kill." |
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The change was instant. Rufus reared back on his haunches, his mouth glittering, his lips stretched tight across his teeth. |
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But it was Matty who made the first move. He grabbed the bars, and before Jerry could react, Matty had stretched open a wide hole, so wide that he pulled Jerry into the cage, then pressed himself out, squeezing closed the bars behind him. |
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People pulled back as Matty staggered up the aisle. A few started after him, but he made it to the back-door switch and plunged the |
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