Book excerpt: Oto-san is down and out. Life has conspired against him and nothing is coming together the way he wished - so he sets out with his car to get away from it all. All the people around Oto-san have abandoned him in indifference but as readers discover along with him, the one he can count on utterly and completely is his adopted dog. His dog follows him blindly and faithfully to the end - lightening up his new adventure into the unknown.