Duke Greyson-Smith
Duke Greyson-Smith was a Shih Tzu whose intelligent, energetic presence brought vitality to the household of Luke Nathaniel Smith and Jamie Greyson in Berriedale, Tasmania. Named to honour the union between his two humans, Duke embodied keen awareness and spirited devotion—alert, responsive, and deeply attuned to the emotional atmospheres around him. His daily ritual of waking Jamie each morning with enthusiastic tail wagging and the proud delivery of his beloved stuffed horse toy became a defining feature of their bond. Duke's sharp instincts and active nature made him the more perceptive counterpart to his food-motivated companion Henri, and his intelligent affection provided both energy and emotional insight during a period when Luke and Jamie's relationship faced increasing strain.
Early Life and Temperament
Duke entered the Smith-Greyson household in Berriedale alongside Henri, becoming part of the family during the period when Luke and Jamie were establishing their life together. The hyphenated surname represented the joining of two families, two histories—a commitment to permanence that the adoption of these two Shih Tzus reinforced. For Luke, whose childhood had been marked by fractured families and displacement, the dogs represented an anchor to domesticity that contradicted his mystical inclinations whilst simultaneously grounding them.
The choice of Shih Tzus suited the couple's lifestyle perfectly. These companion dogs, bred for centuries to be loyal household pets rather than working animals, required affection and routine rather than demanding excessive exercise or complex training. Duke's temperament from the beginning, however, demonstrated more than the breed's typical placidity—he possessed a keen intelligence and alertness that set him apart.
Where Henri was content to lounge about, motivated primarily by the promise of treats and meals, Duke embodied energy and awareness. He moved through spaces with purpose and curiosity, responded quickly to changes in routine or atmosphere, and demonstrated a sharp ability to read emotional states in his humans. This complementary dynamic between the two dogs created a balanced household energy, with Henri providing comic relief through his food-driven antics and Duke providing attentive companionship.
Duke's most endearing characteristic was his morning ritual with Jamie. Each day without fail, Duke would wake Jamie with spirited enthusiasm—nudging insistently, tail wagging with vigorous energy, and finally presenting his cherished stuffed horse toy with the pride of a retriever presenting game. This routine, established early in Duke's life, reinforced their bond through repetition and mutual affection. The morning greeting became so reliable that its absence would have signalled something fundamentally wrong in the household's operation.
Life in the Berriedale Household
The Berriedale home provided Duke's entire known universe, though his intelligent curiosity meant he engaged with it more actively than Henri's lazy contentment. Duke understood the geography of familiar rooms and demonstrated keen awareness of patterns—the sound of Luke's footsteps approaching the study signalling potential activity, Jamie's movements through the kitchen suggesting meal preparation, the subtle cues that governed each day's rhythms. Walks through suburban streets offered controlled adventures that Duke approached with energetic interest—new scents to investigate, neighbours to greet with enthusiastic tail wags, the occasional possum sighting that would trigger his alert barking.
Duke's relationship with both Luke and Jamie reflected different aspects of his personality. With Luke, Duke maintained an attentive companionship, though he seemed to sense instinctively when Luke needed space for his increasingly frequent periods of abstraction and otherworldly focus. With Jamie, Duke's bond ran deeper and more physical—the morning rituals, the evening settling where Duke would remain alert even whilst resting, the responsive comfort offered during difficult days at Jamie's aged care work.
A memorable incident from Duke's puppyhood revealed both his vulnerability and the depth of his humans' care. During meal preparation, boiling chicken fat accidentally splashed onto puppy Duke's back, causing him to yelp in genuine pain and distress—a sound so unusual from the typically spirited puppy that it immediately galvanised Luke and Jamie into action. Their response was immediate and unified—a frantic dash to the laundry sink to plunge Duke into cold water, desperate attempts to soothe the burn and reverse the damage. The episode became one of the few times Luke and Jamie worked in perfect synchronisation, their shared love for Duke temporarily eclipsing whatever tensions existed between them. Duke's trust in his humans remained unshaken by the incident, his capacity for forgiveness absolute.
Duke's demeanour was characteristically alert and responsive. Unlike Henri, who rarely stirred without food motivation, Duke possessed an active awareness of his surroundings. He barked at genuine disturbances—possums taunting from the fence line, unfamiliar sounds outside, disruptions to normal household patterns. His intelligence manifested in quick learning and problem-solving, whether figuring out how to retrieve his horse toy from under furniture or understanding complex household dynamics through observation.
The word "chicken" held particular power over Duke, as it did for Henri, though Duke's response came from different motivation—not just greed but the sharp association between word and exciting possibility. At its mention, Duke would freeze mid-action, ears pricking forward, eyes sparkling with anticipation, tail beginning its enthusiastic rhythm. This predictable response became something of a household joke, a reliable way to capture Duke's complete attention.
Witness to Household Tensions
In July 2018, Duke's keen awareness meant he registered changes in the household before Henri's food-focused contentment noticed anything amiss. Luke's behaviour altered in ways both subtle and profound—spending increasing time behind the closed study door, emerging with expressions that Duke's intelligent observation couldn't interpret but sensed carried significance, disappearing for periods that violated established routines. Strange objects accumulated: boxes in corners, unfamiliar equipment, purchases that made no sense within the household's ordinary patterns.
Duke possessed no framework for understanding human complexity—Luke's mystical preoccupations with Clivilius, Jamie's growing isolation, the fractures spreading through their relationship, the infidelity that occurred on whilst Duke remained at home. He simply continued offering what he'd always offered: attentive companionship, responsive affection, alert presence that noticed everything even if he couldn't interpret it. When Jamie returned home carrying emotional burdens Duke couldn't comprehend, Duke provided the same energetic warmth and loyalty he always had, unknowing witness to betrayals and deceptions far beyond canine understanding.
A Life Cut Short
On 25 July 2018, Duke's ordinary existence ended through pure accident. When delivery driver Joel Gibbons accidentally let Duke out of the house, Duke—true to his energetic nature—took off running, treating it as "a great game" that required Joel's considerable effort to catch him. Joel managed to return Duke to Luke's arms just as Joel discovered the Portal Luke had carelessly left open. When Henri bolted through the shimmering gateway, Luke—still holding Duke—plunged through after Henri without time to consider the consequences. Duke found himself suddenly transported from familiar Berriedale to the alien landscape of Clivilius, his entire sensory reality contradicted by red dust, starless skies, and mineral-scented air.
Despite the overwhelming displacement, Duke adapted with his characteristic intelligence and resilience. His three days in Clivilius saw him offering the same devoted companionship he'd always provided—becoming fiercely protective when Dr Glenda De Bruyn operated on Jamie's wound, his sharp instincts recognising threat even in a stranger's medical care; gradually accepting Glenda through observation and assessment; providing attentive comfort to Jamie through recovery and vulnerability; remaining alert and responsive amidst extraordinary circumstances.
On the night of 28 July 2018, Duke's unusual restlessness and low growling—so uncharacteristic it immediately alarmed Jamie—presaged the creature attack that would claim his life. Duke died grievously wounded during the chaos, with Jamie carrying his small form desperately to the river in hopes its prior healing powers might save him. Duke died in Jamie's arms as the waters remained silent, his death marking one of Bixbus's earliest tragedies.
