The Last Dog on Earth

Read The Last Dog on Earth for Free Online

Book: Read The Last Dog on Earth for Free Online
Authors: Daniel Ehrenhaft
what they were saying. Which made Logan very nervous.
    So when he considered all that, a dog was good news. Sure,dogs slobbered all over everything and chewed up stuff and barked a lot—but compared to boot camp, they were a piece of cake. They could even come in handy. They could scare off burglars. They could freak out and knock over a stereo at a lame barbecue. Dogs were even given as
gifts
sometimes.
    Not in this case, obviously. No, this dog was supposed to teach Logan a lesson. This dog was punishment. Like confiscating the how-to-build-electronics books. Which was ridiculous, if you really thought about it, because now Logan was more determined than ever to build a lot of electronic things—not just weed whackers or remote controls, but a fire-breathing mechanical robot of such horrible destructive power that Robert would take one look at it and scream, “Oh my God, Logan! What have you done? It's eight hundred feet tall!” … and Logan would just laugh the way evil geniuses laughed (“Moo-hoo, ha, ha, ha!”), and Robert would flee the house in terror, never to return.
    Maybe Logan should pretend that the dog was really a gift. He could act all wound up and excited about getting it.
A dog? No way! You mean it? Oh, boy! Gee, thanks, Robert!
Robert wouldn't be able to say anything because then he'd have to admit the “gift” was actually punishment. That would really tick him off.
    Then again, a ticked-off Robert (more ticked off than usual, that is) could be dangerous.
    “Don't you have anything to say?” Robert demanded.
    Logan decided it was probably wisest to keep quiet. He shook his head and ate another spoonful of cereal.
    Robert stood over him. “You know why we're getting you a dog, don't you?”
    Sure
, Logan answered silently.
You're hoping that getting mea dog will magically transform me into the next Devon Wallace.
    “I'm asking you a question,” Robert stated in a clipped voice.
    Logan shrugged.
    “You know, this is exactly what I'm talking about,” Robert said. “This attitude of yours. It needs a major adjustment.”
    “Sorry,” Logan mumbled.
    “Don't tell me you're sorry,” Robert snapped. “You need to grow up. Training a dog will teach you the value of discipline and responsibility.”
    In spite of the fact that Robert's angry face was only inches from his own, Logan almost smiled. He couldn't believe that Robert had actually memorized what Mr. Wallace had said to him at the barbecue. Word for word. Maybe Logan had misjudged him. Maybe that phony-baloney interested act wasn't so phony-baloney after all.
    “What's so funny?” Robert asked.
    “Nothing,” Logan said. He stood and carried his cereal bowl over to the sink.
    “Rinse that bowl properly. I've noticed a lot of crud in the dishwasher lately. I don't want to have to replace it because you can't be bothered to rinse your dishes.”
    Logan ran the bowl under steaming hot water for several seconds. He held it up for Robert's inspection, then shoved it into the dishwasher with a
clink.
    Apparently it passed the test. Robert kept quiet.
    “Where's Mom?” Logan asked.
    “On the phone with the breeder,” Robert said.
    Logan's eyes narrowed. “The breeder?”
    “We're getting Jack from the same place where the Wallaces got Otis. They specialize in purebred Labrador retrievers.”
    “Who's Jack?” Logan asked.
    “The
dog
, Logan,” Robert said with elaborate patience. “That's the dog's name.”
    Logan shook his head. The conversation wasn't making any sense. “Um … who says the dog's name is Jack?”
    “I do,” Robert said. “Jack was the name of my dog when I was growing up. It's a good name for a dog. A strong name.”
    “But what if it's a girl?”
    Robert sighed. “It's
not
a girl because I told them we don't
want
a girl. I told them we want a male, about three months old, and chocolate brown. Like Otis.”
    “Oh, so that's what
we
want.” Logan nodded slowly. “And— uh—this is
my
dog?”
    Robert

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