His mind most fully seemed to assert itself at night while he slept, manifesting itself mostly with dreams of himself regaining human form.
It made waking each morning even harder for him to endure, especially when he knew that old man Peace, as well as Zeke and the vet, would be sure to resume their torment of him in the guise of collecting more of his semen.
The only thing that calmed him was his food, which he ate enthusiastically, even knowing that putting on weight wasn't exactly in his best interest. He was walking back from the pond and his morning drink when he heard a vehicle approaching the barn. He had hoped the vet might be late.
But, when his eyes looked toward the barn, he saw two familiar figures and a stranger exit the car after it came to a stop.
He recognized his stepfather and younger brother. They had found him! He didn't know how that was possible, but he didn't care.
"That must be him, dad," his brother said loudly.
Stepfather and brother looked toward him, but before anyone could do anything, Mr. Peace and Zeke blocked their path toward him and, for good measure, Pence swung closed the gate of the fence that would have let Bryan out of the pasture and back into the barn.
"Could I help you?" Mr. Peace asked.
The stranger, a nondescript man in a dark suit, removed a handheld device. "I'm from Chronivac Incorporated," them man explained. "I rectify mistakes and other miscalculations regarding our technology."
Zeke scratched idly under his armpits. "Never heard of you," Mr. Peace said stoutly.
"I'm afraid that bull is the son and brother of these men," the man from Chronivac explained.
"Stepson," the older man corrected.
Zeke squinted and then recognized Bryan's brother. "Aren't you Bryan's kid brother?"
"Yes," Matt answered.
"So, if you don't mind," the Chronivac agent said, "I will just put then customer back into…"
Peace held up his hands. "Whoa…whoa…Hold up there, mister."
"That's my stepson," Bryan's stepdad protested, looking distinctly uncomfortable and unable to look directly toward his bovine stepson.
Matt didn't have any such hesitation. He looked with a mingled look of horror and fascination, especially when he saw the bull's tail flick up and out of the way before taking a dump on the ground.
The gathered men all looked embarrassed, but no more than Bryan felt at this sudden, instinctive lapse.
"It's taken us some time to track down what animal control did with the bull they removed back in September," said the Chronivac man.
"I reckon so, but you've got to remember that I have been keeping up your customer since then."
Matt listened to the drift of the conversation between staring at the ring in the bull's nose and the hefty balls swinging beneath the bull's sagging belly. He wondered what could have convinced Bryan to have used the device to become a stupid bull.
"There's been the cost of food," Peace said. "A bull that size eats a lot. Not to mention vet bills." He neglected to mention most of the vet bills had accumulated from installing the nose ring and milking loads of bull semen with the electric probe and a plastic cup.
Bryan's stepfather took out his checkbook. "How much?"
"Well, a few hundred should square things."
"Hundred!" Bryan's father's cheapness surfaced.
"Of course, we could come to some other sort of arrangement," Peace said.
"I have to protest," the Chronivac agent announced. "We should change the customer back immediately."
"I was reading the other day about a new law that protects people who innocently acquire livestock due to your technology…"
The agent looked miffed. "That's not an established legal precedent," he said. "It was an isolated case, not even in an American court…"
"Of course, if I could just keep this bull a few more days, I could consider those costs paid in full," the rancher said.
"What do you need him for?" Bryan's stepfather asked.
"I have a herd of cows and no bull," Peace said. He figured it might be best not to mention that the man's transformed son had so far shown little interest in the prospect of playing the stud.
"And you'll forget those costs you mentioned?"
"Dad!' Matt exclaimed. "You're going to let them keep Bryan?"
"It's just a few days," his dad said. "And he looks fine."
Matt glanced toward the still steaming cow pat and wasn't so convinced.
"Look, Bryan got himself into this jam for god knows why. You saw the damage in the garage… Maybe this will teach him a lesson."
"What's it going to be?" Mr. Peace asked. "We've got work to do. We can't stand around here all day."
Once again, the agent recommended restoration, but Bryan's stepdad and the rancher had come to a meeting of the minds. After some more discussion, they agreed that the ranch could keep Bryan for five more days.
"I'll come back for him on Friday afternoon," Bryan's stepfather said.
"I wouldn't get too close," Zeke said when he saw Matt approaching his transformed brother.
"He wouldn't hurt me."
Zeke lowered his voice. "Just between us, I'm not sure your brother's in there. You know what I mean? Or, if he is, maybe he isn't quite in control."
Matt retreated away from the fence. He looked horrified. "He's really a bull?"
Zeke just shrugged his shoulders. "Why'd he want to go and do a fool thing like that anyway?"
Matt considered for a moment. "Beats me."
Bryan twitched his tail to deal with some pesky flies. He had been concerned when some of the words in the conversations on the other side of the fence had seemed unfamiliar.
"Come on," Bryan's stepfather called to Matt. "We're going."
As they left with the still unhappy Chronivac agent, Peace turned to Zeke. "Might as well get him ready," he said. "Doc should be here soon."
"You're not still gonna…but he's not a real bull!"
"Real or not, I just bought myself his stud services for five more days," Mr. Peace said with a gloating expression.