On The Move    (A night time dream.)
               By Jesse Smith

  The herd stretched before us the the wide, underground tunnel. Their scaly 
backs writhing and sliding together like a giant snake. These were no legless
creatures, though. They were alligators. Deadly and as quick as the most fearsome
snake. At least, I thought, they don't flick their tongues.

  I had come along on this expedition to observe alligator migration. As happens
about every five years, the lizards had gathered on the river bank several miles
back. They had then all turned as one and matched into the hillside. I say
into, because of the huge tunnel they walked into. There, climbing and crawling
they made their way to the other end. The tunnel ended, we were told, at the banks
of another river. One bigger and fresher than this one. We were also told, that
in about another five years, the gators would turn back and walk through the tunnel 
again. Why? Who knew? Food sources, fresh water, different vitamins in the prey?

   So here I was, walking along with my parents in this tourist trap. I knew my folks
liked animals and liked nature, but travelling half way around the world to walk
behind these beasts was beyond me. I was here, I told myself, to keep an eye
on them. We walked about one hundred meters behind the last members of the convoy.
Other tourists, who did not obey the warnings, walked much closer. Daring each
other to move nearer to take pictures, to shout and to temp the gators.
A medical team and travel guides also moved with our small family, trying to
keep order and to advise. The journey, they said, should last about three days.

   Predictably, one of the tourists got too close to a trailing alligator. The fool
moved in, took a picture and turned toward another at the end of the pack. Quick
as thought, the first gator turned. The dry, hungry animal was frustrated. His
nerves were shot and the camera's snap and flash didn't help any. The beast turned
and snapped, catching the man's leg. My father, who was walking a little a head
of us stepped forward. Then realizing it was too late, stopped and watched as
the gator took another bite. This time in the man's gut.
The expedition's doctor, two nurses and a guide stopped with us to watch another statistic happen.
   "Let us stop here," the doctor said in halting English. "We can rest in
this side cave, yes?"
   I nodded and the seven of us walked into the side entrance.
   "That happens every so often," the guide was explaining, "someone gets too
close. They don't realize that just because the animals are travelling doesn't
mean they don't stop to eat."
   There was a shallow pool in the centre of the side cave. Dark and wet. Water dripped
from the ceiling. Faint light from the fungus in the main tunnel cast odd shadows
on the wall. The doctor took the opportunity to explore around the lake side. My
mother stood beside the water, her walking stick poking at the wet rocks.
   "The gators eat or destroy everything in their path," the guide continued.
   "What happens if they turn around?" asked one nurse. She looked a little
grey.
   "They won't," the guide replied. "They are driven by forces unknown."
   The doctor looked up at this, but said nothing.
   "What would happen?" she asked again.
   "They'd charge back this way," my father replied. "Probably not fast enough
to out run us, but we'd have to hurry."
   "Oh."
   I leaned over and whispered softly, "Don't worry. I'm a wizard."
   She turned slightly and gave me a funny look.
   "You can protect us?"
   I nodded slowly. I don't think she believed me. Hardly surprising considering the
general opinion of magic these days. Heck, it was hard enough to believe it myself.
My spirit telling me I was hundreds of years old. My soul whispering countless
years of wisdom in my mind. My memory and power of days long past. Yet my body.
My flesh and blood was the young adult, produced by a young, married couple. I
couldn't explain it and I didn't expect anyone else to.

   We sat there in the dim light, for a few minutes, eating, thinking. Suddenly
we heard a slash and a scream. I turned in time to watch my mother jump backward from
the pool's edge. Her walking stick was gone. Several more screams followed in the
hollow chamber as a snout poked out of the water. The gator almost seemed to be
grinning. The doctor, who was wading at the far end, jumped up, but didn't
seem to go anywhere. Just thrashed and looked pale.
   "Calm down everybody," the guide said. "Let's just move toward the exit.
   No one seemed to be listening though. Two more snouts, followed by huge
jaws, floated to the surface. It seemed the animals had similar ideas about resting
and had stopped to cool down. The first two moved toward our group. The third
moved toward the now shaking doctor. He didn't seem to be sure if he should back
up toward the wall or run sideways through the water.
   "Calm," I whispered and concentrated, thought and projected.
   A faint glimmer of sense seemed to come over the people around the room and they
all moved quickly and quietly for the cave mouth. Back into the tunnel. The gators
calmly followed for a while, then gave up and returned to the water.
   Once outside and well away, the nurse, whom I'd talked to before, pulled me
aside.
   "I saw you. Can you really protect us? From so many?"
   "Yes," I nodded.
   "How? Would you simply touch them? Make them stop? Speak with them?"
   "I could make them all burn with a thought," I answered. I admit I was
bragging, but it was truth.
   "Then why didn't you?" she glanced back to where the late tourist had been.
   "These are animals on a natural journey. I'm here to protect one or two
people. Not to stop the natural course of nature."
   "Sounds like you're playing God," she said shortly and walked away. This,
I thought, coming from someone in the medical profession.

   We soon caught up with the roaming lizards and the tourists. Amazingly enough
they had leaned by example, and no one else was missing. That night we camped a
long way behind the hoard.
   It occurred to me, as I feel asleep, that maybe there was more to this mass
migration. This came to me when I saw the shape of an alligator skeleton further
down the passage. Perhaps they travel like this to weed out the weak, old and sick.
Any gator that could travel without food or proper water for three days had to
be in good shape. Darwin at work, I thought.

    The following day, at about noon, we left the tunnel and came into the sun light.
It was staggering hot after being in the tunnel. We watched as the animals
walked down the the river bank and disappeared into the depths.

   We continued to follow behind, always at a respectful distance. The other tourists
tended to drift away after leaving the tunnel. It seemed that the entire thrill for
them was being trapped under ground with large, dangerous monsters. I will never
understand some people. We came to our guide's cabin. A small, wooden structure
that sat beside the river.
   "It's the most beautiful place in the world," he claimed.

   After we got settled I took a moment to walk around the house. It was larger
than it appeared on the outside.   
   I saw my father leave the house and go outside. I was about to follow him. However,
I decided to wait. He was, no doubt, in search of mother. I thought I'd leave them
alone for a bit. I greeted him when he came back in. We said a few words. Nice place.
Interesting journey. Then he went off toward the kitchen. I went outside.

   I found my mother on the back deck, overlooking the river. She was sitting on one
of the chairs, watching the sun go down.
   "Funny," I said.
   "What's that?" She turned to look at me. She didn't jump. She was used to my
quiet feet.
   "I would have thought you would be further from the water after last night."
   She smiled. "I always get back on the horse."
   I nodded. "I bet. Happy Birthday, Mom." I held out a single red rose. Dew
dripped from its light petals and it caught the last rays of light, shinning.
   I heard a sharp intake of breath. Then, "That can't be real."
   "It is. I didn't create it. I just used odd means to get it here."
   "Magic?" a raised eye-brow.
   "Beer cooler," I tried to keep a straight face. I failed.