Doglands (28 page)

The son she had named the Brave when he was born.

Furgul didn’t stop. He had never stopped.

Keeva knew he never would.

Furgul was the pale dog running.

Running.

Running.

Running as if he would run the Doglines forever.

And perhaps he would.

Furgul and Dervla crested the craggy ridge and paused against the wild blue sky.

Furgul looked down at his mother, and for an instant Keeva hoped he might come back. But he turned to Dervla. Together they craned their necks and yip-yip-yarooed a last farewell from the mountain. Then the two dogs galloped away.

And Furgul was gone.

And though Keeva was sad, she was happy.

For she knew Furgul was running to where he belonged.

To where she knew Furgul would always be.

To where dogs would always find him.

Nowhere and everywhere.

Running, always, with the winds.

In the Doglands.

Doglands
was conceived during an epic hike along the Kerry Way with my friend and fellow writer David Cox. At every stage—every chapter—of the novel’s subsequent composition, David provided the kind of unflagging inspiration, encouragement and faith that constitute a gift far beyond price. This novel would not exist without him, and his largeness of spirit pervades it.

Thanks also to the great Al Zuckerman, who provided expert editorial guidance as well as being the book’s champion in the “wilderness of tigers.”

There was someone else on the hike that day, sniffing, marking, scouting, sprinting and occasionally—if inadvertently—putting the fear of canine gods into the other dogs we met along the way. This book wouldn’t exist without him either, because it was inspired by what little I know of his life. Feargal, an Irish lurcher of mysterious origins, boasts numerous buckshot wounds, several dueling scars
and
an indomitable heart, and is one of the most remarkable individuals I have ever known. This novel may embellish his adventures, but not, I believe, his sensibility and inner beauty.

Feargal was saved from death in the Dublin dog pound by Mary-Jane Fox, creator of Orchard Greyhound Sanctuary (
orchardgreyhoundsanctuary.com
), and so the book owes its existence to her too. Beyond that, she deserves the thanks, respect and support of all of us for the magnificent work she does in rescuing some of the loveliest creatures on earth from cruelty and destruction.