Page 19 - Fables volume 2

are here because we can—then think twice about making a splash
that will drown your own kind.”
Tiger roared. No member would deny his right to speak. All held
their peace. “I’m the least likely to be here! When is the last time you
saw a big cat in this club? Eh? You’re right, Condor: mankind sees us
as a challenge to its dominance, and goes way beyond our alleged
encroachments in their ballooning blight of killing us for sport. Most
of you can just fall off a log or buzz around a corner to find a mate:
not me! No point in living if you’ve got no cubs to carry on the fine
old tradition. My plan is to find a village in the middle of some
drunken revel and tear out a hundred throats before Jungle Jim
responds in an armored car with his machine gun to cut me down.
I’m not going quietly into that good night.”
Condor scratched his bald grizzled head. “Well, in this case, the
personal and the political are difficult to differentiate.” The members
remained subdued, and into the silence Skunk stepped forward.
“Road kill is my choice. Pick the right highway at dusk, and then
do what none of you can accomplish: write my own obituary. It will
be published by a thousand tire treads distributing the news in all
directions. And the mourners will be beyond number, every one of
them deeply regretting my fate.”
To this no rejoinder was possible, and Condor began drawing lots.

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