here! They are here!'
'I knew it!' said Feena. 'He led them to us.'
She grasped her silver talisman and raised a finger toward him. Talbot laid a gentle hand on her arm even before Darrow protested.
'I didn't!' he said. 'It's an obvious place for them to look.'
'Who's here?' asked Mallion.
'Who else?' said Talbot. 'Dark and empty, everyone get out of here, now! It's time I dealt with Rusk for good.'
'Uh uh,' said Chaney. 'I'm staying.'
'Me, too,' said Feena.
Sivana and Mallion already brandished their blades, and Quickly adjusted her pipe and lifted a big spiked mace from behind one of the benches. 'Sorry, sweetheart. You're a big, bad wolf, but this is still my playhouse. Nobody busts it up without coming through me.'
Seeing the resolve in her face, Talbot gave in. 'All right,' he said, nodding at Darrow. 'You keep an eye on this one, Sivana. That sword can kill him.'
'Sugar,' said Quickly, 'every weapon in this house can hurt him.'
'What do you mean?' said Talbot.
'After last year's 'incident,' I made a little investment. All the blades are silvered, and this is my fourth husband's enchanted mace. This pack of yours doesn't know what it's in for.'
Talbot stared briefly, then plucked the pipe from the big woman's mouth and kissed her full on the lips before replacing it. She blew a smoke ring at him.
'If you're staying, then do as I say,' he said to everyone. 'Rusk's here for me, but we can't trust him. If he'll fight me alone, the rest of you stay back. Agreed?'
The players and Chaney nodded reluctantly, but Feena set her chin defiantly. Tal sighed but did not challenge her.
'If you beat him,' said Darrow, 'you command the pack.'
'I'll believe that when I see it,' said Tal. 'It sounds too easy.'
'Maybe so,' said Darrow, 'but they respect strength. Show them anything else, and-'
A tremendous crash shook one of the public doors.
Quickly hefted her mace and went through the lower gallery, where she could reach the bolt from the side. 'Ready?'
Tal checked to make sure the others were well back. Chaney and Lommy had already slunk into the shadows of the lower gallery, and Darrow stood by himself on one side of the yard. The remaining players stood with swords in guard before the stage. They made an odd trio, giant, pretty man, and manly woman. Feena stood before them, silver talisman in hand.
Something slammed into the door again, but the bolt held.
Tal nodded to Quickly, and she stretched over the rail to grasp the latch. With a twist and a pull, she released the bolt.
The doors opened slowly, revealing the silhouettes of six massive wolves and a huge, one-armed man. Rusk's body surged with the unholy magic Darrow had seen him use so often before. Darrow noted Sorcia's absence and wondered briefly whether the Huntmaster had finally slain Sorcia and devoured her spirit to add to his own power. He could not decide whether her death should bring him sorrow or relief.
They entered slowly, not with caution but with ritual deliberation. The wolves turned to either side as they entered the yard, taking positions on either side of their leader, across from the players.
Behind the pack, the doors closed, and Quickly shot the bolt fast. No one would leave until the play was over.
As if obeying some prearranged cue, Rusk and Tal moved forward to stand in the center of the yard. Rusk's eyes fixed on Perivel's sword. 'Set that aside, Black Wolf. Our contest must be decided with tooth and claw.'
'I think not,' said Tal. 'The outcome of our last contest was to my liking. Perhaps this time I'll take a leg as well.'
Rusk chuckled. 'You are brave, young wolf, but I do not make the same mistake twice. Sorcia!'
Quickly shouted in surprise as a white werewolf pounced on 'her from the shadows. Sorcia's supple arm wrapped around the big woman's throat, the curved claws of her other hand poised to stab at Quickly's eyes.
Darrow realized at last what a fool he had been. Rusk had never done away with Sorcia because she was never truly rebelling against him. Instead, she had been manipulating Darrow into his own rebellion… but for what purpose, he still did not understand.
'Throw it away,' said Rusk. 'Or we shall begin the evening with a different sacrifice.'
Talbot set his jaw and looked from Rusk to Quickly. Just as he was ready to cast away the sword, Feena called out, 'Wait!' She brandished her talisman at Sorcia and shouted, 'By the power of Selune, I repel you!' A dim light gleamed on the holy symbol, then died.
The white werewolf's eyes widened briefly, then narrowed as her lupine jaws formed a long grin. She tightened her grip on Quickly's throat and drew two red scratches on the woman's brow. Quickly squirmed but could not break the grip.
Rusk's laughter filled the playhouse. 'Your goddess cannot help you,' he roared, pointing upward. 'Look!'
The moon had risen barely above the thatched roof, but it was little more than a slender crescent.
'The Black Moon!' announced Rusk. 'Malar devours Selune tonight, and soon he will anoint his chosen avatar.'
Groans of disbelief rose from the players.
'Spare me,' said Sivana. 'Another madman who thinks he missed out on all the fun of the Time of Troubles.'
'You can't be serious,' said Tal, staring incredulously at Rusk. 'You think your beast god will make you his avatar for killing me?'
'Do not mock the Lord of the Hunt,' growled Rusk.
'I'm not,' said Talbot. 'I'm mocking you, you carpet-chewing lunatic. Killing you will be a mercy.' He raised Perivel's sword, but Rusk shook a finger and pointed it at Quickly.
Tal stuck the big blade into the ground, then shook his hands as if flicking water from them. Instantly, they grew wide and furred, each finger twice its normal length and tipped with a black claw.
'You are the Black Wolf,' said Rusk. 'Behold! The prophecy is fulfilled!' He sang a short prayer to Malar, and his own hand grew similarly large and wicked. Before he was finished, Talbot had moved in to attack. He stopped short at a cry from Quickly.
The white werewolf fought an unseen attacker in the shadows of the gallery. Quickly fell out of Sorcia's grasp, one beefy hand rubbing her throat while the other sought her fallen weapon. Before Talbot could react to the new attack, Rusk was upon him.
The Huntmaster lunged low, raking Talbot's thigh to leave a deep, wet wound. Before he could escape, Talbot grabbed a handful of Rusk's long gray hair and held him fast. His punch was too quick to see. All Darrow could see was a blur, the jerk of Rusk's head, and a spray of blood.
From the gallery, a thin voice cried out in terror. Lommy fled from Sorcia's grasp after distracting her. It was all the time Quickly needed to swing her mace at the white werewolf. Sorcia barely dodged the blow, leaping over the benches to seek shelter in the deeper shadows. Instead, she found another hidden lurker and shrieked angrily at an unexpected stab.
'Ha!' crowed Chancy, realizing he no longer had the advantage of surprise.
He came scrambling out of the dark gallery with Sorcia in pursuit, shifting to four legs as she came. The wound on her shoulder bled freely.
In the yard, the wolves and players alike joined the melee. Feena tried again to evoke the blessing of her goddess, and this time a wan silver light glowed briefly around her and all her allies. Even if she could not compel the werewolves to flee, she was not powerless.
In the center of it all, Rusk and Talbot rolled on the ground. Despite his missing arm and his opponent's great strength, Rusk was still the stronger. The infernal energy that coursed through his body broke every grip Talbot
