Heretics book 3 - The Apocryphile Press

384 :: JOHN R. MABRY
two. He sprang right to Dylan, leaped up and began slobbering
kisses all over the friar’s face.
Dylan hugged at Tobias, catching a fistful of mane and
burying his face in it, weeping openly and unashamedly with
relief and joy.
Everyone crowded around the dog, reaching out to touch
him, as if to make sure he were real.
“He’s...different.” Susan commented. “Redder.”
Dylan collected himself enough to realize she was right.
The golden lab was decidedly more auburn than he remembered.
Terry turned to Kat, “What kind of dog was in the picture?”
“Red? A big red dog. I don’t remember what kind,” she
said, grimacing slightly.
“Who cares?” Dylan laughed. “Red dog is better’n no dog
any day!” As he ruffled the dog’s fur, Tobias turned over and
begged for a belly rub.
“Well Ah’ll be damned!” Dylan exclaimed. Written backwards
across the dog’s stomach, like a faint purplish tattoo,
was the word “Viagra” accompanied by the faint face of a
smiling young couple.
Kat put her hand to her mouth, “Oh my God! There was
a Viagra ad on the other side of the dog picture I cut out!”
“You mean that every dog on the planet is now a walking,
eating, and pooping advertisement for the Pfizer
Pharmaceutical Company?” laughed Susan out loud.
“You cannot buy that kind of publicity!” Dylan
announced with a hearty guffaw. “Can we invoice them for
that?”
“The angel is looking around,” Astrid announced. “Now
he’s heading for the door...the angel has left the building!”
Astrid pulled her head out from under the blanket and raked
at her wiry blond hair with her fingers. She beamed at the