Fantasy The Emperor of Destruction

The young wizards were made to fertilize the Tree of Life two more times. Each time they made token efforts to resist, but they all remember what had happened to Manfred. Each time they fertilized it, the black bark of the tree seemed to grow shinier, and new buds seemed to form on the tree.

And then, two days later, they saw it. A giant bud, not like the others, on a low lying branch. Within another day it had formed completely. It was a seed, a dark, black seed, the size of a finger.

"Careful," Sanjay snapped, as Selvanna ever so gently removed it from the tree.

"I should be the one!" said Zaragoth. Cunha and Sanjay just looked at her.

"I am the High Priestess of the Church of Penance and Humility," said Zaragoth. "I should be the one to incubate and bear the seed which brings the Compassionate One into the world."

"Are you finished?" Cunha asked.

"I don't know. Am I?" Zaragoth asked.

"You have been selected," said Sanjay.

"I have?" said Zaragoth.

"She has?" said Selvanna.

"She has," said Sanjay.

"Oh!" Zaragoth cried. She hugged Cunha tightly. Then she automatically moved to hug Sanjay, and then realized what she was about to do, but Sanjay actually nodded and smiled, and she hugged him too. Then she found herself hugging Selvanna, which was awkward. "Wish me luck, big sister," she said.

"Always," said Selvanna sweetly.

"Well," said Zaragoth, taking a deep breath. "There's no sense in delaying the inevitable. If you would all leave now, my darling husband and I have some very important work to do!"

Cunha isn't her husband. He's mine, thought Selvanna.

But as she turned to go, Zaragoth said, "One moment, Sister."

Selvanna turned.

"Aren't you forgetting something?"

Selvanna looked at her younger sister blankly.

"The seed." Zaragoth held out her hand.

"Of course, Sister," Selvanna smiled. She walked up to Zaragoth, and with a smile still painted on her face, handed Zaragoth the seed.

"That woman!" Zaragoth hissed, as Selvanna left. She found herself trembling with rage.

"Hey," said Cunha, grabbing her by the arms. "Who has just been given the ultimate honor to incubate the Compassionate One's entry into our world?"

"That would be me," Zaragoth sighed.

"Then let's get to it," said Cunha, giving her a kiss.

Zaragoth's spirits were much higher the next morning. She talked non-stop about how Cunha had lovingly filled her with his hot wax, fertilizing the seed within her.

Dog and Zaragoth chatted about it in low tones.

"From the way she's talking, she makes it sound like it took all night to do," said Dog Man. "Does it really take people that long?"

"You're a dog," said Zebrah contemptuously. "Two minutes, and you're done."

"And how long does it take you?" Dog Man asked, sticking out his tongue.

Zebrah looked away.

Zaragoth's mood, while high, started to sink a bit the second day when she didn't immediately start baking a meat pie. Sanjay had told her that it would be unlikely any pregnancy she had ever had, and the meat pie should form within a day or two.

On the third day Zaragoth was concerned.

On the fourth day Zaragoth was worried.

And then Sanjay stepped in, and performed a humiliating examination. When he emerged from his spelunking of Zaragoth's Sacred Gorge, he shook his head.

No.

No!

Selvanna tried to hide her smile as she watched the young Wizards fertilizing the tree of life again. The druid girls once again obediently aroused and sucked at their candelabras and then had them insert themselves in the proper holes.

And then two days later, they had another seed.

"Selvanna will do it."

"What?" said Zaragoth. "I thought I was getting another chance-"

"You had your chance, Zaragoth," said Sanjay. "You have never baked a meat pie before. Selvanna has, twice. She will be the one to bring the Compassionate One into the world."

Selvanna hugged her shocked sister. "Wish me luck, Sis," she said, in a mocking tone.

And then Selvanna found herself in a bedroom with her husband.

She looked at him nervously. It had been years since they had shared a bedroom together, much less.... After Cunha had started with Zaragoth, he still let Selvanna juice him from time to time, but less and less frequently, and over the course of a year she gradually herself totally bangstick barren. Selvanna was simply a nanny, who also happened to be a mother to his children.

But now they were placed in the same role again.

Selvanna wrapped her arms around him. "It seems, husband, that you were meant to fill me with a meat pie once again."

"Yes," he said, unsmiling. Selvanna would have given anything to know what he was thinking right now. He pulled her close, but just looked at her.

"Kiss me," she said, trying not to sound too needy.

He looked at her for a long moment, in the way he used to, and she shivered, and then he did. Selvanna felt his lips pressing against his, and suddenly it was like old times again.

Selvanna felt the jizz rising in him, and he the ahmen in here, and before long they were ripping their clothes off with abandon. And then Selvanna solemnly handed Cunha the seed, and lay back and raised her knees.

Cunha looked at the seed in his hand and then at the opening of Selvanna's Sacred Gorge. He knew he was about to make history, and it would all begin inside Selvanna's pink Gorgelips. Cunha smiled as he slowly inserted the seed into her. As his fingers entered Selvanna's Sacred Gorge, she looked him in the eye and tried not to tremble. And then he pulled his fingers out, and entered her with something completely different. Something bigger. Stronger.

Before long, Cunha was spelunking his wife with abandon.

The means became an end of their own, and Selvanna found herself losing purpose as he did as they both enjoyed the act. Selvanna's Sacred Gorge massaged Cunha's candelabra. She juiced him vigorously, and when he erupted, spraying her insides with hot wax, she cried out with joy. She felt graced by the Wisdoms of the World, hanging down from the heaven, brushing her with big, juicy Wise Ones. Selvanna and Cunha fell asleep in each other's arms.

It took three attempts before Selvanna got engorged with a meat pie. She knew when it happened because she felt a tremor inside her Sacred Cave, and she could feel ahmen building up within her. She cried out and hugged Cunha and kissed him. He hugged her back but said nothing.

It was done!

Selvanna was full of joy... but later, also sadness. When she went to join Cunha in his bedroom that evening, Zaragoth was there, baring her way.

"What is this?" Selvanna demanded.

"Your task is complete, dearie," said Zaragoth. "You are no longer needed here, thank you very much."

Selvanna, open mouthed, looked from Zaragoth to Cunha. "Cunha!"

"Go!" said Cunha. When she didn't move, he added, "Go now!"

Selvanna wheeled and left, to the sounds of feminine laughter.

Sanjay said the meat pie would bake for only a short time in her hot, moist oven, but Selvanna didn't believe him at first, not until her belly ballooned up after only three days. And then she was even more surprised on the eighth day when she felt contractions. The meat pie was about to be disgorged.

Urethera took her by the hand and led to her to the Pit where the Tree of Love was. All the girls were there--Naomi, Hannah, Gabriella, Samantha, and Marion--watching as Selvanna, totally nude, spread her legs and lifted her knees before the great tree. Sanjay was there too, as was Cunha and Zaragoth.

The labor took several hours, and was painful, but the girls helped her. The druid girls were such loyal servants, now that they had Made the Change. If only Making the Change had kept Cunha loyal to her! But Selvanna knew it didn't always work that way.

"Push, Mistress, push," said Hannah eagerly. Gabriella held her hand tightly. Marion smiled at her and dabbed her brow.

Cunha said and did nothing. He watched dispassionately, as if watching a cow squeeze out a meat pie. Finally he turned to Sanjay, "What is taking so long?"

"It will happen when it happens," said Sanjay.

Cunha glared at Selvanna impatiently. She felt like she wanted to cry.

And then, a few minutes later, it happened. She felt an enormous pain, and then felt something... sticky start to slide down her Sacred Gorge. It was like having a semi-solid bowel movement, but in the wrong place. It wasn't liquid, not quite, but rather very soft, malleable flesh. It was beige in color. Selvanna started to squeeze it out like it was soft ice cream. As more and more of it came out her eyes widened in horror. What was she giving birth to?

When it was done, Naomi hugged her. "You did it! You did it, Mistress!"

Did what? Selvanna, exhausted, sat up and looked between her legs. She saw a beige blob there.

"It begins," said Sanjay, smiling obscenely.

It required further fertilization. Every day Cunha would come into the pit and relieve himself on it. When he released his yellow rain, he always had the most content look on his face. And when he dropped a load of Forbidden Chocolate on it, he would always smile proudly and look down to see what he had produced.

Selvanna and Zaragoth also fertilized it, and Selvanna noticed that Zaragoth seemed to especially enjoy emptying herself on Selvanna's child.

Zaragoth smiled unabashedly as she squatted over the baby and released a stream of liquid. "I feel like the Cloaca of the World," she said. "Spraying greatness so that beautiful things can grow." She smiled lovingly at her sister even as Forbidden Chocolate dropped out of her bottom onto Selvanna's offspring with a smacking sound.

The offspring seemed to thrive on this, and quickly grew bigger. Within another week it grew in mass and size until it was as large as Zebrah. It had an ill defined body, like a potato, and a smaller appendage on top which could only be called a head, but it was featureless, without eyes, nose or mouth. And then it grew tentacles.

Sanjay nodded in satisfaction. "The Compassionate One has reached the first stage of development. He is ready to feed. Are your girls ready?"

"Of course," said Selvanna. But some of the girls looked more ready than others. Hannah and Naomi looked reluctant, Samantha was frowning, and Marion was toying with her hair nervously. Gabriella looked at the Compassionate One's writhing tentacles and turned to Selvanna doubtfully. "Are you sure this is all right?"

"Of course it is," said Selvanna, hugging Gabriella. "When your mother gave you into my care, this is what she wanted for you. This was her highest aspiration for you. Think of it! You are going to directly serve the Compassionate One. There is no higher calling!"

Gabriella thought about it, and nodded.

"Then go there and do your duty."

The girls all made eye contact with each other, and by unspoken agreement all undressed, removing their skintight spidersilk clothing. Marion's Wisdoms were the largest of the group, making her the wisest, though Hannah and Samantha also had impressive Wise Ones, and Gabriella wasn't far behind. They had wonderfully young, fresh bodies, which would serve the Compassionate One well. Selvanna admired their nude bodies as the girls tiptoed over to the offspring.

"Now form a circle around it," said Selvanna.

They did.

"Now lie down facing it, and spread your legs."

The girls, looking nervous, complied. They watched with horror as the tentacles, as if awakening from a slumber, noticed them and slowly slid towards them.

"Lift your knees, girls! Welcome the Compassionate One inside of you."

Gabrielle did as Selvanna commanded, but felt her heart racing as a tentacle approached her. She looked at Naomi who was lying next to her and grabbed her hand. Naomi squeezed it back. Suddenly, both girls were penetrated by the Compassionate One's tentacles. It drove inside of them, making them gasp.

And then they started to feel a movement, back and forth, back and forth. They felt energy draining from their bodies. But with that draining came pleasure. Even as their ahmen was drained, they felt a pleasant jizz from the tentacle within them.

Gabrielle heard a moaning and looked over at Naomi. Naomi smiled back at her. It felt really good.

Several feet away, Sanjay said, "Yes... yes... feed off these beauties, Great One, and become strong." He watched the tentacles work in and out of the girls for a long moment, and took a deep breath. A rare smile formed on his face. He turned to Selvanna. "A good beginning. Of course, as it grows, it will need more sources of energy than even your girls can provide."

"Of course," said Selvanna briskly. "There are many girls who will be eager to become Juicers of the Realm, once they Make the Change. That is, of course, if the High Priestess of the Church of Penance and Humility can convert the followers we need."

"I can provide everything the Compassionate One requires," said Zaragoth.

Selvanna let her gaze fall downwards. "Well, apparently not everything, Sister."

The Emperor was coming.

It was a tremendous honor. Never before had the Emperor come to the School of Wizards. Emperors, at best, tolerated Wizards for knowledge and abilities.

Headmaster Robbar Morganthau had received more and more encouraging wizard writings from Caltrans. The Emperor was said to be very impressed with the wizard entourage Morganthau had sent to Rockrod, and wanted to come to the School to address the students and staff.

He smiled as he remembered Peine's warning. Morganthau had a feeling that Peine's day as advisor to the Emperor were numbered. The School would take over advising the Emperor in matters of the proper use of the Power.

The glorious day arrived. The Emperor arrived, flanked by an Imperial Honor Guard. Introductions were made. The Emperor was accompanied by two wizards Morganthau did not know, Ardis and Archan. Peine was not present. And where was Caltrans?

"Caltrans is at Rockrod, attending to important matters of state," said the Emperor. He smiled at Morganthau.

Morganthau did not know what to make of the new Emperor. He had heard of Cunha's reputation, of course; that he was brutal and mercurial, and that he had been sent away as a child because he had been ungovernable. But the man before him now seemed calm and in control.

The Emperor stood on stage with him, in the main lecture hall. He smiled as he saw the gathered wizards. He turned to Morganthau. "Is this everyone?"

"Yes," said Morganthau.

"Everyone--all teachers, all students?"

Morganthau gave him a confused look. "Yes, everyone is here, Emperor."

"Good," said Cunha. He turned to face the crowd. "It is so good to see all of you here. For years I know the crown had not had good relations with the School of Wizards. I am here to change that."

The Wizards gave him a round of applause. Cunha bowed slightly and let it go on until it petered out. Then he continued.

"We are natural allies in the great effort, the great effort to improve peoples' lives. For too long the Empire has lost sight of its most important objective, to improve the welfare of all its subjects."

Again, there was another round of applause.

"The School of Wizards will be integral to achieving this goal. You will help us, by serving the Compassionate One."

There was a nervous murmur in the crowd.

"You will serve in many ways. Some of you will be turned into beings of immense power. Others of you will be consumed to help the Compassionate One grow."

The uneasy murmur among the wizards grew louder.

"But do not worry, you will all understand everything once you Make the Change."

"Make the Change?" Morganthau asked, squinting mightily.

"Once you accept the Compassionate One in your hearts, all will be clear," said Cunha. "Don't worry, we will help you understand."

"Your Eminence... what you ask... we cannot do," said Morgenthau, suddenly feeling a chill down his spine. Peine had been right.

Cunha gave him a hard look. "What I ask, Headmaster, you will do." Suddenly Morganthau sensed a mighty buildup of jizz inside the Emperor. He raised his arms dramatically into the air, and clapped. It was like the sound of thunder.

Everyone in the audience blinked rapidly, and then they all realized it as one.

They had been Isolated.

Imperial soldiers rushed into the gathering hall. Wizards raised their hands and tried to summon the Power to ward them off. But they couldn't. There was a barrier now, an impenetrable barrier between them and the Roots of the Earth. They were powerless to resist as soldiers grabbed them and slapped them in irons.

"But... why?" Morganthau asked, feeling helpless as cuffs were slapped on his wrists. "We would have done anything you asked."

"Yes," Cunha smiled. "You will."

The young wizard Forrell and his friend Francis watched in horror as their fellow wizards meekly held out their hands to be cuffed. "Francis, we can't just give up."

"What can we do? We don't have the Power any longer," said Francis.

"But we do have hands," said Forrell.

A soldier came up to them with binders. "Hold out your hands, freaks," he said, in a bored tone.

Forrell raised his hands, but then pushed really hard, sending the soldier crashing to the ground. Forrell and Francis ran past him, to one of the exits.

"Stop them!" a voice cried.

Forrell and Francis ran down the hallway, towards one of the exits. The School was not designed to be a fortress, and there were a number of entrances and exits throughout the facility. Forrell and Francis ran to a side door, and made their way out, where they almost ran right into a tall man with a long white beard.

A few moments later, several soldiers raced out the door after them.

"I have dealt with them," said the bearded man. The solders looked and saw two bodies on the ground. They nodded, and went back into the school.

Peine smiled and waved his hand majestically. The bodies disappeared. "You can come out now."

The two wizards came out of nearby bushes. "You saved us," said Forrell.

"Apparently," said Peine.

"Why?"

"Listen to me. You must go far away from here, never to return," said Peine. "I recommend you go over the mountain passes to the independent kingdom of Aridor, to the west. You will be safe there." He paused. "Relatively speaking."

"Why are you helping us?" Francis asked.

Peine leaned on his staff. "They will be back in moments. I suggest you go now."

Francis and Forrell exchanged glances, then they nodded and ran into the woods.

"I have always so wanted to meet you, Headmaster," said Selvanna. She wiggled her hips as she sauntered towards him in her skintight spidersilk outfit. Every curve was on display. She smiled as she saw Robbar Morganthau staring at her body.

Morganthau was tied to a tall marble pillar in the Pit of Love, completely nude. His body was sweating profusely. His jizz had been raised to almost unbearable levels for the better part of a day and night. And yet he was unable to reach Squirtatopea. It was driving him mad. It was made even worse by the fact that he couldn't tap into the Power of the Roots of the Earth. Normally, with this much jizz flowing though his body, he would be able to summon the strength to free himself, or even to cut the marble pillar behind him into two.

A scream punctuated the air and Morganthau winced. Another one. He had been hearing the screams of his men all night.

"You really are quite a handsome specimen," said Selvanna, letting her hands play over his hairy chest. Morganthau was middle aged, but he was incredibly strong in the Power. She could feel the jizz coursing through his body. She reached down and lightly stroked his candelabra, eliciting a moan from him.

"What is happening to my men?" Morganthau asked.

Selvanna thought it commendable that Morganthau, even in this heightened state of arousal, thought of the well being of his students first. It was a pity, she reflected, that he couldn't be saved to Make the Change; he would be a powerful ally of the Compassionate One. But Selvanna had much more important plans for the Headmaster of the School of Wizards.

"They are being consumed," said Selvanna, her hands playing lightly over his nipples.

"How many?" Morganthau gasped.

"About twenty, I think," said Selvanna. Suddenly, they heard another scream. "Twenty one, sorry."

Morganthau winced and bit his lip.

"You can save them," said Selvanna, continuing to lightly caress his perspiring chest.

"I can?" said Morganthau.

"Yesssss," said Selvanna sensually. "I can order the rest to be saved."

"But I thought the Emperor wanted them consumed," said Morganthau, trying desperately to think clearly.

"He did," Selvanna smiled at him. As she spoke, her finger gently stroked the tip of his candelabra again. "But the Emperor... always... listens to me." She leaned close to his face. Her lips were bright red. "If I tell him to save the rest, he will. All you have to do is one, little thing."

"Wha... what?" said Morganthau, jumping slightly.

Selvanna smiled and withdrew her hand. She pulled two figurines out of her robe. One was of a nude woman. The Wisdoms and Phongfruit Forest glowed a healthy orange. The other was a small statue of a nude man. "Do you know what these are?"

"No. They couldn't be," said Morganthau.

"Manatas," Selvanna said. She held up the glowing feminine one. "This contains the essence of Deidraphon. All her ahmen is stored in here." She held up the male one. "This will contain your essence."

"No... no," said Morganthau, shaking his head.

"It will," said Selvanna. "You must cooperate to make it happen."

"I won't!" said Morganthau.

There was another scream.

"You are running out of time. And students," said Selvanna.

Morganthau bit hard on his lip and considered. But Selvanna already knew the answer.

Morganthau was untied and led to a statue of a female lying on her back, with her legs spread. The head of the statue had a foxhead. The symbol of the Compassionate One.

"No," said Morganthau.

"I grow tired of your no's," said Selvanna, her voice growing hard. As if on cue, another scream was heard in the background. "You are running out of students. If you want to save at least some of them, get to it!"

Morganthau bit his lip again as he got between the legs of the statue. He saw the gaping hole between its legs, and he slowly inserted himself into it. He was surprised that the insides felt soft, like cloth. He started to move back and forth as he spelunked the foxhead statue.

"That's right, just like that," said Selvanna soothingly. She reached over and put a necklace over Morganthau's head. He found the male manatas hanging from it, over his chest.

"No," Morganthau cried.

"Yes," said Selvanna.

Morganthau kept going, thrusting in and out of the statue even as he felt himself being drained. That was true devotion. It reminded Selvanna of the devotion that Cunha used to feel for her, right after he Made the Change. He was always so loving with her, so concerned for her welfare and how she felt. The time when he filled her with the meat pies which became Karibdis and Tripoli were the happiest times of her life. Until Zaragoth swooped in and stole him from her.

Selvanna looked contemptuously at Morganthau, as his cheeks of plenty clenched and unclenched. The poor fool. His students were not being consumed, despite what he had been told. They were much too valuable for that. Right now they were all chained to a far wall in the Pit of Love, suffering under the same spell that Selvanna had subjected Morganthau to. The young wizards were in a state of arousal, their jizz held constant at an extremely high level. They were still isolated, so they could not touch the Roots of the Earth, but they could feel the power within them. Every so often Samantha and Naomi would walk by and gently fondle their candelabras, not enough to allow them to reach Squirtatopia, but sufficient to make them scream out, for Morganthau's benefit.

Morganthau kept huffing and puffing, thrusting into the foxhead statue which was acquiring more and more lifelike features every moment. It was inevitable. Some of Morganthau's Power would leak out and be absorbed by the statue. But most of it was being sucked into the manatas. Finally, the inevitable occurred, and Morganthau collapsed on top of the statue, and his body turned to dust.

Selvanna smiled as she picked up the manatas. The male manatas had an oversized candelabra and equally oversized grapes of love; and right now those grapes of love were glowing a bright orange.

With these two manatas, one containing the power of Morganthau and the other containing the power of Deidraphon, she would be invincible. More powerful than Cunha. Maybe more powerful than Sanjay. Maybe one day she could-

Zebrah suddenly appeared in front of her. "The Emperor commands your presence."

Selvanna looked up at Selvanna's white face, as if carved from stone. She wouldn't learn anything there. "I... I will be there in a few moments." She hid the manatas in her hands.

"Now," said Zebrah.

"Now," said Selvanna. "Of course."

Sanjay and Zaragoth were there, flanking the Emperor on either side.

"I hear you have been doing good work, Selvanna," said the Emperor.

"I am trying," said Selvanna, her eyes full of caution.

"How is the Compassionate One progressing?"

"He is growing. I have the girls feeding him. But we must have more."

"And we will," said Cunha, looking adoringly at Zaragoth. Then he looked back at her. "And the wizards?"

"The most powerful ones have already started Making the Change. The weaker ones will be disposed of as we discussed," said Selvanna.

Cunha nodded. "Have you anything else to report?"

Selvanna gave him a puzzled smile.

"The manatas, Selvanna," said Cunha.

"The manatas," said Selvanna, in an even tone. How had he known about that? Her gaze flickered towards Sanjay, but only for a moment.

"You've brought them for me, haven't you?" Cunha looked expectantly at her.

Selvanna looked from Cunha to Sanjay. "Of course," she finally said.

"Then hand them here." Cunha opened his palm.

Seeing as she had no choice, Selvanna slowly brought the manatas out of her pocket. She looked at the glowing figurines a long moment, then handed them to Cunha.

"Thank you," said Cunha graciously. He turned to Sanjay. "You see, Sanjay? I told you she wasn't planning to keep them for herself."

"I'm glad I was proven wrong," said Sanjay, in a deadpan voice.

Cunha ran his fingers over the manatas. "Yes... these are powerful... very powerful." Suddenly, he raised them, one in each hand. Two bolts of energy shot out, blasting holes clear through a giant marble column.

The bolts of energy passed over Selvanna's shoulder, missing her by inches. She gasped, falling backwards.

Cunha pretended not to notice as she slowly helped herself up. "Very impressive," said Cunha, smiling at Sanjay. "I am now more powerful than any man in the Empire."

"Or any woman," said Sanjay, casting a wayward glance at Selvanna.

"I'll kill them!" Selvanna raged. She was back in her quarters. She was full of ahmen. Urethera and Dog Man watched dispassionate as she shot bolts of energy around her quarters, blasting chunks out of walls, floor, or furniture, or anything that got in her way.

"They will all die painfully!" she yelled again. It couldn't have been worse. Cunha had gotten the better of her in front of Sanjay. And Zaragoth! Her sly sister hadn't said a word, but that little smile on her face had been worse than anything she could possibly say.

They would all pay!

A bolt of energy passed by Urethera's head. Urethera winced and grabbed Selvanna's hand. "Try and calm yourself."

"No!" Selvanna cried. Her body was full of ahmen, desperate to be released.

Urethera grabbed her by the shoulders. "You will have your day!"

"When! When will my day come?" Selvanna shouted.

Urethera took a deep breath. "You will stand over their broken bodies."

Selvanna's head bobbed as if she had been punched. "You have seen it?"

Urethera turned away.

"Answer me!"

Urethera turned around. "Yes."

"Sanjay?"

Urethera nodded.

"Zaragoth?"

She nodded again.

"Cunha?"

Urethera paused, then nodded one last time.

"Good," said Selvanna, her voice a mixture of anger and joy. "Very good." She knew that Urethera had the Talent for Seeing. But her visions were rare and infrequent.

For some reason the vision pleased but also concerned Selvanna. She wanted Cunha to die, of course... but he was her husband. How would it happen? Better not to know the details. Selvanna glared at Dog. He shifted uncomfortably by the door, and under her gaze he thought rapidly of something soothing to say.

"As they like to say, every dog has its day," said Dog Man.​