The Crocodile By Robert Fullarton Part 1. Copyright 2016 Robert Fullarton

The Crocodile

By Robert Fullarton

Part 1.

Copyright 2016 Robert Fullarton

These days perfection is apparently not something assigned to our spiritual and moral pursuits. But it has become a gilded, well smoothed facade, shapely and beautiful in appearance but bearing the grave insecurities of a people whose pot-marked, hollowed insides are adorned like a summer cottage.

In the town of Gustavia, the wealth and prosperity of the merchants, the brewers, the tradesmen and diplomats had succeeded beyond previous expectations, where wealth flowed and where men abandoned their old beliefs for the 10 a-penny philosophies that circulated the continent. In this land neighbour became a stranger unto stranger, love became unknown as these strangers mingled in the mist of a severe loneliness which the societies of the continent had ever known before.

Johann Blomquist had earned a meagre living running his own poultry farm along with the local postmaster’s office. Along with his professional duties with chickens and postmen he took a keen interest in the new advances of “societal science” and the world of animal psychology. The notion of perfection through experimentation is in vogue these days and even a “gamble for science” is seen to be excusable so long as it yields results for further studies on the road to a perfect knowledge in the field of study.

In Gustavia you see formalities bear a serious weight, streets are spotless, clean, often empty of people, with curfews extending on utterly unsociable hours, with all horse drawn carriages having been dismantled and all mares having been liberated from the Animal Labour Act Section 445, Sub section 25, technicality 15.

Blomquist had heard about previous experiments on turning lions into vegetarians, teaching dogs to be concertina performers and the teaching of table manners to Hyenas (but oh how their horrible laughter shattered the ear drums of the local convent sister superior who sued the Burgmaster for his outlandish methods of daring in the field of social science!).

Johann was intrigued and inspired when his friend, Milkmaster Karl Hummel brought him a present from the local Zoologist Jan Steiner and of course he took the matter to heart.

“Ahh blasted crocodile has eaten my cellar out of food, my beloved Tilsit cheese! My Serrano Ham, my leg of ham, my cuts of Beef from the butcher! He’s trampled over my cabbage patch and that tail of his, oh he swung it with such force that he knocked my wife out cold, not to forget he tore through my letter box with those tremendous teeth of his!”

“Hmmm..a crocodile! A fine animal, an enigmatic killer, notoriously known to be without emotive reasoning! Said Johann in amusement, clasping his hands in wild excitement!

“Yes”, said Hummel. “A notoriously cold blooded monster, Unchangeable not to be kept for domestic use or for any other purpose other than perhaps for the consumption of intruders!” Said Hummel with a brief expression of humour in his demeanour. “Yes perhaps the army could breed these creatures for the advancement of stealth warfare and catch our enemies off guard!”

“Karl! The zoologist has given you a gift for which we Gustavians must test the water with! We are the pursuers of perfection, pioneers in creating order out of the chaotic wilderness around us and yes we too can be the first people to tame crocodiles and make them behave themselves when in the presence of Noble stock!”

“You want to tame a crocodile!” Exclaimed Hummel simultaneously stupefied and amused.

“Yes Karl! Not just tame the creature, but train it and ultimately change its nature in time. If we introduce it to all the fixtures and luxuries of good living it is bound to concede to such temptations and give up its raw and brutal nature for my ploys in time. “

“Men have failed so far in their efforts to change the fundamental nature of animals and come to mention it men cannot change men, as we are stubborn in our refusal to listen to those talk sense in the face of the human will to dominate! All this comfort, with Gustavian wealth and privilege has gone to the heads of the people!” Said Hummel getting a little flustered in response.

Blomquist toyed with the idea, thought hard with a foolish grin upon his face, despite the mockery of the milkmaster, he eventually begged him into concession. “For the sake of their friendship!” Hummel agreed to bring over this Reptilian curiosity the very next morning.

Johann in sheer adulation closed the post office early that day, ushering his staff into the front office he stated, “work today has been relegated to the importance of science, I’ve got a very important visitor coming tomorrow and I’ve got to prepare for him!” Despite the strong protestations of several furious towns people.

The scent of wild flowers could be smelt in the summer sun, like an alcohol which had fermented by the end of the day, after the long hours of light and exposure to the air, this indeed intoxicated Johann as he walked along the vibrantly painted wooden houses of Gustavia. From the post-office he trotted in gentle gait until the adulation overtook him, like a perfect moment in the making of a perfect life, he sprinted through the cobbled pathways, bellow the archways, past the markets and the Stadtpark. The burning sun was a line of fire hazily seen upon the fine line of the horizon.