Those Amazing Dogs: Trail of the Viking

By Edwin Fenne

Featuring the combined text of the first five serialized chapter books (African River Adventure, In the Viking Volcano, At the Arctic Circle, At the Pirate Bay, On the Coral Island), this is the complete first novel in the Those Amazing Dogs series. The story follows the globetrotting adventures of Max, Molly and Oddie, and their human companions.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Edwin Fenne
• Release date: May 26, 2011
• ISBN: 9781458161994

Edwin Fenne

Ed Fenne is a world traveller who enjoys learning new languages, cultures and exploring. He drew inspiration from his own three dogs when writing Those Amazing Dogs.

Book preview

As the plane touched down on the runway, there were only three creatures awake in the vast cargo hold: A Lhasa Apso, a Pit Bull Terrier and a Yorkshire Terrier. The three dogs could hear the skidding sound of the plane’s large rubber wheels hitting the tarmac outside. They expected that they would soon be reunited with their owners. They looked forward to stretching their legs on the way to their hotel.

The flight had been long from New York to Lagos, Nigeria—all the way across the Atlantic Ocean. The dogs did not have a clock, but it must have been twenty hours since they left the United States. With only a short break to stretch their legs when they had to change planes in London, all three of them were feeling pretty stiff and very tired. Now they were at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport and the three dogs were anxious to get out of their crates.

Max, the Lhasa Apso, looked like a dusty mop lumped in the corner of his crate. He was three years old, the oldest dog in his group. Max had traveled more than both of his two companions combined. Lifting his weary head, he glanced through the dark cargo area to see how his friends were doing.

Oddie—the black Pit Bull Terrier—paced back and forth in his crate. He was anxious to get out. This pup had just recently grown into his frame and was filling out with muscles that needed to be stretched.

Eighteen month-old Molly was the baby of the group. She yipped and bounced in her crate. Although the Yorkshire Terrier was the tiniest of the three, her energy matched Oddie’s. Being younger, she was much less able to contain herself.

Max barked out to the others: Keep it down, you two. The crew will be here to unload us soon.

In the airport terminal, the dog’s owners had been waiting in line with Customs to reclaim their dogs. The Customs agent held their passports and studied their faces. Felix and Erica Strong, he read aloud. The Customs agent spoke slowly, still trying to decide what to ask them. What is your business here in Nigeria?

Official business, said Felix without hesitation. I’m an archeologist and I have been invited here by my colleague, Prince Norman Ehiorobo, to examine an artifact that has come into his possession. Felix paused, and then added, He is quite anxious to see us. He assured me that the officials here would be most helpful in collecting our things and arranging passage for my family.

After the customs agent made a quick phone call, he came back and handed the passports back to Felix and Erica. He said, A car will be waiting for you outside. Prince Ehiorobo has requested that you come straight away. Your cargo will be delivered in a van as soon as possible, directly to your hotel.

We’ll wait for our cargo, said Erica, thinking of their dogs.

The customs agent looked up at her. I’m afraid that won’t be possible. You are not meeting Prince Ehiorobo at your hotel and he is leaving tonight—you cannot wait to go to him.

Felix put his hand on Erica’s arm. The dogs will be fine. Max will watch over Molly and Oddie. We’ll see them as soon as we’re finished.

Chapter Two: The Ride

Felix and Erica rode in the back of a stretch limousine through Lagos. It was a big city with tall buildings and traffic jams and thousands of people passing by them on foot. Then, suddenly, the car turned off on an unpaved road and the bustle of the city disappeared behind them. After bouncing along until the sun had begun to set, Felix asked the driver how much longer it would be.

Almost there, said the driver. Erica was glad that the dogs were spared this bumpy drive after such a long trip in the plane. She thought they would be curled up and asleep in their hotel room after a nice walk and dinner that had been arranged with the hotel staff.

When Felix and Erica finally did arrive at Prince Norman Ehiorobo’s modest residence, he was waiting outside for them with a dour expression on his face.

Your cargo, said Prince Ehiorobo, has disappeared.

The dogs had not exactly disappeared. Precisely, they knew where they were, which was in the back of an old van with the rest of Felix and Erica’s luggage. But instead of being taken for a nice dinner and an exercise walk like they had been expecting, they were bouncing along in their crates in exactly the fashion that they cared for least.

This can’t be right, muttered Max through clenched teeth.

Gimme the word, Max, and I’ll bite right through the bars on this cage, said Oddie. And he meant it, too. The muscles on his jaws could tear through the thin metal bars on the door of his crate. He could use his flat head like a battering ram to knock it open. But looking at his sweet eyes, no one would suspect that Oddie had it in him.

Oh, Oddie, said Molly, promise you’ll come get me out and take me with you.

You know I wouldn’t go anywhere without you, Molly, said Oddie. His voice was quiet and calm when he spoke to her. Their crates were pushed up against one another. Oddie’s paw pressed through the bars until it could reassuringly touch Molly’s nose.

Max said, No one is going anywhere without the others. We just need to find out where they are taking us—and why.

Maybe it’s a mistake, said Molly. Or maybe our hotel got moved.

I don’t think so, said Max. I heard Felix say that we were going to stay at the airport hotel. They had arranged special room service for us in case we had to be on our own at all.

But we’re still going to the dig, right? asked Oddie.

You know the drill, Oddie, said Max. Felix always has to go to the site first to make sure it’s safe enough to bring us around. Can’t have you and Molly running around chasing rats and knocking people into ditches, you know.

Oh that only happened once, said Molly.

And it was almost a month ago! added Oddie.

Well, it may not matter at all unless we can figure out where we are being taken now, said Max. Suddenly, the van came to a stop. They could hear the front doors slam shut and they could hear muffled voices. Suddenly, the latch on the back door of the cargo van clicked. Stay calm, whispered Max, and follow my lead.

Chapter Three: Lost in the Jungle

The back doors of the cargo van opened wide. Two men with dark skin and bright smiles stared in at the dogs. One of them held three leashes in his large hand. The other man shook a bag of crunchy snacks. Oddie’s nose sniffed the air in anticipation while Molly bounced excitedly at the shaking sound. They were hungry and anxious to get walked.

Oddie, put your tongue back in your mouth, snapped Max. Remember to follow my lead!

The man with the snacks looked at his companion and smiled. That little ball of white fluff sounds feisty. Better get the leash on him first! He’ll get tangled up with jungle rot if he gets loose! The two men laughed and reached for Max’s crate.

Felix and Erica Strong had waited with Prince Norman Ehiorobo and his family, hoping to hear from the Lagos police about their three dogs. Neither Erica nor Felix worried about their luggage, but the dogs were like their children. They loved each of them very much. Felix kept placing his hand on Erica’s arm and reassuring her, Max will watch out for them. And Erica would put her arm around Felix, whispering in his ear, And Oddie will protect them.

Prince Ehiorobo’s American wife, Carese, and their three children, Kean, Keilani and Laila, tried to make Felix and Erica feel better. They brought them local food to try and performed a traditional dance that the children had been studying. This is Egwu Omenani, said five year old Keilani while four year old Laila tried to dance along. Both girls wore bright orange and red Western African dresses. Their older brother, Kean, played a wooden flute. He wore colorful wooden beads around his neck and a bright red cone shaped hat. He even had bells strapped to his legs that made music as he danced along.

Carese explained that since they returned with Norman to his homeland, the children had been excited about learning the cultural dances and music, but that they were still learning about the history of their new country. This next dance is for the yam festival! said Kean. He was very excited about the yam festival because he knew it was very important, although he was not quite sure why.

Speaking of yams, said Norman, maybe some food will help us calm our nerves. Besides, Felix and Erica will need energy for their ride back and nothing provides quick energy like your delicious yams!

Felix and Erica ate and listened to Felix’s old friend Norman talk about a terracotta statue that had been found thousands of miles away. A Bushman in Botswana had carried it on a long journey. The sculpture was believed to represent Chukwu, the ancient Igbo sky god, but it appeared to be much older than any pottery work found in Nigeria. The museum that received the sculpture in South Africa said the statue was from before 3000 BC. They also found small rounded quartz sand grains in the terracotta, which made them believe it had to come from an area in Nigeria that had once been covered by the Sahara Desert. An ancient marine fossil embedded in the base of the sculpture matched perfectly with other fossils found in western Nigeria. It seemed that the history of the culture here in Nigeria could be thousands of years older than anyone thought.

As Norman told his story to Felix, both of them felt like they were back in their classes at the University of Wisconsin. They had met there as graduate students. Felix had gone on to become a famous professor. Norman had moved to Los Angeles and eventually decided to take a more creative direction—he returned home to be a cultural ambassador for his native land.

But as Norman’s story ended and the children finished their dance, Felix and Erica realized that the phone had not rung with any new information. Norman had to travel up to the capital where a group of lawmakers was waiting for him. Felix was supposed to go to the Ogun Reserve and meet a team of archeologists, but first there were some dogs to find. The Strongs said their reluctant goodbyes to the Ehiorobo family and had their driver take them back on the long road toward Lagos.

Chapter Four: Travel by River

The two men had taken Oddie, Molly and Max out of their crates, carefully leashing them to a tree and offering some tasty snacks.

These guys seem all right, said Oddie.

I bet they’re up to no good! yipped Molly.

Why do you say that? asked Oddie.

Isn’t it obvious? asked Max. Why would they drive us out into the middle of the jungle? And why don’t they call us by our names? You have to start asking the right questions, Oddie.

I’ve got a good question! yapped Molly, bouncing up and down. The more she bounced, the more she twisted. The more she twisted, the more she tangled in her leash. And the more she tangled in her own leash, the more she tied it around the others.

Slow down! barked Max. You’re going to twist us all together and we won’t be able to do a thing.

She’s just excited, Max. It’s kind of sweet how excited she gets, said Oddie, licking his long tongue across Molly’s head to calm her down.

I’ve still got a good question, whispered Molly. Max looked at her, patiently. So she asked it: If we are going to escape, where are we going to go?

We’ll follow the river, said Max.

Indeed, there was a river just behind them. It went along, parallel to the road for a way before diverging and heading into the jungle. Rivers tend to head toward the ocean and Lagos was near the ocean, so it should lead them in the right direction. But there were many, many rivers and streams in Nigeria, so they would need to find some sort of guide who could help them find their way.

While the two men were talking over by the van, Molly got to work nibbling on the leashes. They were tough leather, but her teeth were pointy and sharp. Max directed her to the stitching that tied the loops around their necks. That tickles, Molly, growled Oddie as she worked on his collar.

The men had out a map and were gesturing at it while they talked, but the dogs could not hear much of what they were saying. Molly’s ears perked up. She stopped chewing on Oddie’s leash and leaned her head in the direction of the van.

Shhhh, she said to Oddie and Max.

What is it, Molly? demanded Max. He cocked his ear toward the men, too.

They said the words ‘black-market,’ Max. What does that mean? asked Molly.

It means we had better hurry, Molly, said Max. These men are up to no good—they are planning on selling us to someone and I don’t think we should wait to find out who!

Oddie quickly took the leashes in his powerful jaws and gnashed down hard on them. With one tug of his muscular neck, he ripped the leashes off the tree and the three dogs ran together toward the river.

Stop! yelled one of the men, running after the dogs. But Oddie turned and bared his teeth with a deep snarl that made the man freeze in his tracks. Max and Molly gathered up their leashes in their mouths and tried not to trip on them as they ran with their tiny legs. Oddie held his ground until the smaller dogs had reached the bank of the river. Then he turned and ran after them, disappearing into the edge of the jungle. It was getting dark and they would have no trouble hiding from the men.

But because it was getting dark, they were going to have some trouble getting to where they were going.

Keep close, said Max. And that means you, Molly. No running ahead and poking around.

I know, I know, said Molly.

Oddie, you carry her in your mouth if she starts to wander off, understand? said Max.

Oddie nodded. Yes, boss. Then he licked the top of Molly’s head with his long tongue.

Chapter Five: Going Upstream

The first thing Max wanted to do was figure out where they were. But they were in a country that they had never visited. They wanted to return to a hotel they had never seen. This would be tricky.

While Oddie and Molly stepped carefully along the side of the river, Max walked along a little higher up to avoid dragging his long fur in the mud. While he stood on higher ground, he scanned the trees overhead for signs. He got one in the form of a small, ripe fruit that dropped right on his head.

Before he could stop himself, he barked at the branches above. Oddie grabbed Molly gently in his mouth and dashed over to where Max was standing. By the time the other two dogs were at his side, Max was beginning to calm down.

Who’s up there? called Max.

His question was answered by the chittering sound of a chimpanzee’s laughter.

Just me, Ogun, said the chimpanzee. I took the name of the river—it suits me. I swing freely along the branches just as the river below flows.

Can you tell me, Ogun, just where we are and how we may find our way back to the airport? asked Max.

The airport? Ogun swung down by his tail, looking at the