I hate a word like "pets": it sounds so much Like something with no living of its own.

I hate a word like 'pets': it sounds so much Like something with no living of its own.

You bite the hand that feeds, Speedy said.
Humans don't like that.
They view it as a sign of ingratitude.

I never asked anyone to feed me.

That doesn't seem to matter to them.

My blood was boiling, which is not a good thing for a coldblood.
Dracula was dead. Rex was dying or dead.
Breakfast was dying.
And I was caring about it all. Meanwhile, that blasted Gunnar did nothing but sit and stare at his teevee all day.
He was the reason we were all here, the reason we were suffering and dying,
and he barely noticed us.
I hissed so hard it hurt.

I had no idea what humans were capable of. I heard they were crafty, but how are they able to do such things?

You mean harness light and water? Speedy asked. Change the weather?

Yes.

It's only the beginning, Speedy said. There are more marvels waiting. Some not so marvelous.

Such as?

Be not in haste, said the tortoise.
There is nothing here but time.
If you live long enough, you will see.
Of course, though, you will see them from your cage.

Live long enough? I asked. Are there mortal dangers here?

The tortoise chuckled.

The boy doesn't always take very good care of his prisoners, Rex the lizard chimed in.

What do you mean? He doesn't feed us enough?

Sometimes he doesn't understand what we need to survive, Rex answered. Sometimes he plays too rough.

How can a creature able to bend the laws of nature be so cruel? I asked.

I have a lot to learn from them, and 'living' is the key word.