"I can keep a secret," Cy answers the question asked by Jared's impostor. "But I'd like something in return."
The impostor frowned, unsure how much he could trust the human named Cy. "What would you want?"
"I want him," Cy said and looked down at his rival currently in the guise of an English sheepdog. "So, my lips are sealed, and I take him off your hands."
In so many ways, the proposal had merit. The impostor could see only one drawback. "His little brother is very attached to him."
"Kids get over things," Cy said.
Jared grew alarmed. He barked curtly at the impostor. "You can't just hand me over to him!"
"I don't know..."
"We can make it look like he got loose and ran away," Cy said. He reached down and unclipped the collar around Jared's neck from the lead. "You got an extra leash around here, dude?" Cy asked the impostor.
"I think so," he answered.
"Go get it," he said. "We'll make it look like he slipped off the lead, got out through the gate, and ran off."
Jared growled.
"Shut up, boy," the impostor said. "I'm trying to think."
Scolded, Jared fell into the submissive role and whined, craving approval from the impostor.
"All right," he said. "Wait here."
While the impostor went inside, Cy looked down at Jared. "Now you're going to regret all those times you got the best of me," he whispered.
Before Jared could respond, then impostor returned with one of Shaggy's old leashes.
"Perfect!" Cy hooked the old leash to Jared's collar. "Of course, you can visit him any time you want to."
The impostor shrugged. "Thanks, but I am good," he said. "We never really bonded."
"You bastard!" Jared barked, but Cy tugged on the leash. "Let's go, boy."
Jared fell into line, with no choice but to follow Cy on his way out the gate.