by Adam Browne
A minute or two that felt an eternity to Amael, who wandered over to the nearest window, paws behind back, and looked out over ice-bound Lupa.
“Rather nippy out there isn’t it?” Silvermane observed brightly, as if this were but a cordial visit.
“Yes,” Amael replied flatly.
It was rather nippy in here too, but Amael had no intention of breaking the ice by offering the likes of ALPHA a drink.
“No bombings of late?” Silvermane went on. “No Howler-killers brought to justice?”
“No. Been quiet for months.”
“Indeed. You’ve an excellent record for keeping order in your district, Elder Amael. The Alpha himself commends you.”
Amael almost snarled, ‘The Alpha himself commends me? Who does he think he is, Ulf?’ but somehow contained his fury at being patronised. “I’ve some of the finest wolves in Lupa under me,” he said. “Commend them.”
“Indeed,” Silvermane agreed. “Though, unhappily we’re here to steal one of your number away.”
Both relieved and alarmed by the comment, Amael turned to face Silvermane. Before he could ask who the unlucky Howler was, the Elder Chamber doors opened and a ruddy-furred wolfess entered, saluting everyone.
Of course, Janoah! ALPHA’s come for her because of Rufus, because she’s been skimming imperium off the top for that degenerate. I warned her, the foolish wolfess!
Silvermane reached into his black cloak and produced a small brown envelope. This was it, the warrant. Amael looked at Janoah, but she just stared impassively ahead. There was nothing even an Elder like Amael could do for her now, ALPHA was immune to interference, only the Den Fathers themselves were above their scrutiny, only they could quash their accusations regardless of evidence.
“By the power vested in my mantle by the Republic of Lupa,” the fine-voiced Silvermane declared, passing across the letter, “I hereby accept you into ALPHA, the Agency for Lupan Peace and Howler Accountability.” Stepping back and raising a paw to his chest, as if waving, he added, “Congratulations, Prefect Captain Janoah.”
Janoah saluted, fist to chest then out. “Thank you, Grand Prefect Silvermane,” she said, and to Nikita, “Grand Prefect Nikita.”
Nikita merely raised a paw. “Use the ALPHA salute from now on, Prefect.”
Janoah did so, raising her paw smartly.
Amael stood dumbfounded at the display of treachery for some seconds before he squawked at Janoah, “Prefect?”
She corrected him, “Prefect Captain, sir.”
Grand Prefect Silvermane walked around the arc-shaped Elder table, “Valerio has proven herself a Howler of rare wit and guile, Amael, and it’s been decided that she can best serve the whole of Lupa working for ALPHA. It’ll be a blow to the Bloodfangs to lose so dedicated a Howler, but as a Prefect she will now strive to root out the decay that gnaws at the heart of every pack and so serve us all.”
The insolent Nikita at last removed his black-armoured legs from the table and joined Silvermane. He patted Amael on the shoulder with a big mottled paw, “It is your choice how you fill her position, though Red-mist comes to mind as Grand Howler material, no?”
The confused Amael scoffed angrily, “Rufus?”
“Is long-overdue,” Nikita said in his broken dialect. “Of course, this is your district, it is none of my business.” With a mere raise of the paw, he moseyed casually on, heading for the door, paws behind his back. “Silver.”
Nodding, Silvermane beckoned Janoah, “This way, Prefect.”
“May I have a moment, sir?” Janoah asked her new boss, adding, “To… say goodbye to my comrades.”
“Take all the time you need,” Silvermane assured, paw rising one more time. “We’ll be in the car.”
Janoah ‘saluted’ back.
Once the old Prefects had gone, Amael almost leapt on the new one. “What is this?” he snarled in disbelief, though still keeping is voice in check lest Nikita or Silvermane were listening through the door. “You’ve betrayed us. You’ve betrayed me.”
A suddenly bold Janoah waved a paw, “My dear Amael, I’m helping you.”
“Helping me?”
“Yes! If I’d betrayed you, you’d be in Howler-wire by now, silly wolf,” Janoah chirped patronisingly, as if Amael ought to understand at a stroke. She wandered over to the Elder table and ran her finger along it, “With my new powers as a Prefect Captain I’ll be able to cross districts and dominions with impunity. Just think of all the information I will glean working for ALPHA, think of the obstacles I can remove.”
Amael let out a snort of amazement; he never knew Janoah had it in her!
Janoah looked around the Elder Chamber. “I’ll miss Riddle Den,” she hummed, her green eyes settling on Amael, “Give Rufus my old position. He deserves it.”
“You’re joking!” Amael blustered without delay.
“Do that for him,” Janoah insisted, walking over to Amael knotting her arms about his neck, “No, do it for me, and I’ll do everything I can for you from within ALPHA.”
Silence prevailed.
“But I thought… I thought that you… we….” Amael trailed off and looked down.
“I do love you,” Janoah professed. “It’s because I love you and share your vision that I must do this. If you want to save Lupa you need beasts everywhere working for you. You have to be a spider in a web; a web we’ll build together, so that when the time comes we can snare all the flies.”
“But you’ll not be nearby,” the Elder said, walking to and fro. “We’ll not be able to lay together and talk of our plans like we do. Who will I turn to?”
Janoah took one of his paws, “A small sacrifice now for glory later, my dear.”
Amael could but grumble wolfen sounds.
“I’ll visit you,” Janoah assured him. “I’ll have to see Rufus after all; in fact he’s the perfect premise for me to come here without arousing suspicion. He’s my husband, nobody can stop my coming and going, and if they do get suspicious they will look into Rufus and find he knows nothing he shouldn’t know, for I’ll not tell him.” The new Prefect chuckled and tickled Amael’s chin, “But you? I’ll bring you a wealth of intelligence. You’ll have all the dirt you need. Which Elder embezzled money, which Elder skimmed imperium, which Elder laid with whom. With such a treasure trove of filth you can force them over a barrel and attain their vote when the time comes to elect the next Den Father of the Bloodfangs. Vito’s old and mad; he’ll not last much longer. And if he lingers too long, well, we’ll just have to give him a push, that’s all.”
Nodding continuously throughout Janoah’s words, Amael let this new reality sink in, drop by drop. He closed his eyes and let out a slightly giddy laugh. “Janoaaaah,” he growled happily, clasping her hips. “By Ulf, you’re ingenious! I didn’t realise you were so committed.”
“Lately I’ve come to believe in you. In us, even. Let’s make a go of it, you and I.”
Amael marvelled, “But how’d you do it?”
“Do what?”
“Get to be a Prefect Captain. What did you do to secure such a high post?” Amael’s jaw dropped, “You didn’t… you didn’t give yourself to that arrogant dog Nikita.”
“Hah!” Janoah laughed. “From what I hear I don’t think he’d be that interested in me.”
“Well what then?”
Thinking, Janoah walked her fingers up Amael’s chest and slipped it under his helmet to feel his cheek. “Let’s just say I sent something along to ALPHA a few months ago, something more valuable than myself.”
“Something you don’t want to tell me?” Amael growled.
“It’s a trifle complicated, and I have to go,” Janoah assured, changing subject. “May I suggest one more thing before I love and leave you, Amael?”
“If you must go,” he said sadly.
“Look after my boys.”
“Boys?”
“You know who I mean. Treat them with respect and they’ll never let you down, whatever path you t
ake.”
*
Silvermane barely looked up from his files as the smartly-dressed hog driver climbed out the sleek, black motor carriage and opened the back door. The newly-minted Prefect Janoah slipped onto the plush seat opposite her boss, along with a swirl of icy winter’s breath and a snowflake or two.
“Grand Prefect,” she said with a shiver; she was either cold, or a little nervous in Silvermane’s presence.
“All done?” he said cordially, trying to dispel any fears.
“Yes, sir.”
Not even looking up from his papers, Silvermane waved his pen at the looming Den, “Don’t worry about your belongings. We’ll send someone to clear out your office and quarters and have it moved to ALPHA HQ.”
Janoah nodded; in the excitement of the moment she had utterly overlooked that prosaic detail. “Much obliged,” she said, not letting on.
She watched Silvermane flick through documents and sign his name at speed; search warrants, arrest warrants, recommendations, anything and everything that passed the desk of a Grand Prefect.
“Where’s Grand Prefect Nikita?” Janoah asked.
“Spending a penny,” Silvermane replied. “How’d Rufus take the news?” he asked.
Surprised at the personal enquiry, Janoah kneaded her paws and admitted, “I don’t know, sir. I left Elder Amael to inform my comrades.”
This provoked a reaction, enough for Silvermane to look up from his work, his eyes shining from under his jet-black helmet. “Even Rufus?”
A nod.
“But… he’s your husband.”
“It’s merely a professional relationship,” Janoah claimed, looking up at the snow-flecked Den. “He does his thing, and I do mine. It’s been that way for years.” After a brief pause she added, “With his latest fixation he will hardly notice my absence.”
Silvermane sniffed, “I see.”
Janoah shuffled in the seat and crossed her legs, “Forgive me, Grand Prefect, I forget myself. Though no doubt you’re aware of his leanings.”
Silvermane nodded. “In all things,” he said, with a sharp intake of breath. “Even so, you should cherish one another whilst you can. You’re one of the lucky Howler couples who married before the law, that’s not something to throw away lightly.”
“Rufus threw it away long ago, sir,” Janoah said, flashing a quick, false smile.
“Mm.”
Suddenly the car door opened and Grand Prefect Nikita slipped into the front. “Is cold, no?” he woofed affably at Janoah and Silvermane, before addressing the hog at the wheel beside him, “Let’s go, comrade hog.”
The trembling ALPHA limo pulled away and the Den that Janoah had called home for most of her Howler life slipped from sight.
Part II: EISENWOLF
Diary Excerpt 1
Apparently it’s Uther’s birthday! Well, what he decided was his birthday. Being orphaned so young, he doesn’t know the actual date. He faintly remembers opening a present one frosty morning around Wintertide. It was a scarf, in which case it could just as well be a Wintertide gift as a birthday present. We may never know.
I do know his ‘hyena name’ is also a fiction; that’s nine months he had me going. Nine months! Captain Ivan finally took pity and set me straight. He says the aforementioned scarf had Uther W. sewn onto it, that’s all the information the orphanage had when they took him in, and all the Bloodfang Academy knew later. Ivan says Uther invented Wild-heart to impress Lorna and Rosalina one evening and that it’s certainly nothing to do with hyenas. The late Prince Noss bestowed ‘Blade-dancer’ on Ivan and ‘Red-mist’ on Rufus during their time together, as only a hyena prince can. If Lorna and Rosa know the truth they haven’t let on. I think Uther assumes I know by now. If I bring it up he’ll say I was a fool for believing him in the first place. After nine months working together I’m beginning to know how he’d spin it.
Still, everyone calls him Wild-heart, even Vladimir when growling after him down Riddle Den’s corridors. I guess it’s stuck, rather like my moniker. I get Woodlouse, Uther gets Wild-heart, and his last two partners were dubbed Dusty and Smiles; all I can say is it’s a good thing he’s not a hyena prince.
Rufus has invited me to the Arkady Symposium next week; all the most eminent scientists and intellectuals are going to be there, including the great Heath himself. Rufus keeps meaning to introduce us. My stomach is already a flutter at the prospect of going; I’m just not good at social gatherings! The only public places where I’m truly at ease are patrolling Riddle’s streets with Uther and the Den gymnasium. I’ve nearly reached 175lbs! Uther’s impressed. I’ll never be a sprinter like him, but I can get stronger. I must.
Didn’t need a sting last week, but feeling weary. Awful weather out. Hoping for a quiet shift.
Howler Linus Bloodfang Mills
Chapter 15
“In the name of the Republic, throw down your weapons and come out with your paws up!”
Linus waited by the wide open doorway, shoulder to the wall, shield at his back, pistol held low in both paws. The relentless Lupan drizzle patted on his helmet and dripped off its grille.
No response was forthcoming.
The blonde wolf looked across to the duotone Uther, who stood on the opposite side of the doorway with his back to the rough redbrick wall, ember smouldering between lips. He wasn’t wearing his helmet, but he was sporting that crooked smile, the one he always wore whenever he was in the midst of a mission.
Linus nervously shuffled his feet then shouted through the doorway, “Citizens, if you release the hostages and come out you’ll not be harmed! I’m sure nobody here wishes there to be any unnecessary-”
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Several bright sparks exploded around the doorframe as the beasts inside took pot-shots at the Howlers. Linus flinched and hunched his shoulders, whilst Uther hardly batted an eyelid and returned fire.
Crack!
Nervously resetting his helmet, Linus sniffed, “I don’t think they’re minded to cooperate.”
“Puh! Hyenas dunno the meaning of the word,” Uther snorted, flicking away his half-spent ember and ripping open a paper pistol cartridge with his teeth. He poured the glittering powder charge into his pistol chamber.
“Keep your powder dry,” Linus advised, looking up at the grey, impenetrable firmament hanging low over Lupa.
The soaked Uther spat his pellet down the barrel and rammed it home with a, “Hah! Will do Woodlouse.”
Werner Schwartz strode round the corner of the heavily ash-stained, industrial building, looking like a blimp under a tarpaulin with his tent-like rain cloak.
“My boys have got the place covered,” the Politzi Chief reported confidently, whilst strolling carelessly around, head craning to look up the refinery’s towering smoke stacks. “Nobody’s getting out of there ali-”
Suddenly, Uther grabbed the neck of Werner’s uniform and yanked him clear of the door.
Crack!
A tiny, colourful explosion took a chunk out of the already blasted ground, leaving a smouldering crater right where Werner had been standing.
“Mind the door, mate,” Uther chided, patting the pig on his flabby pink cheek
The flustered Werner cleared his throat and straightened his hat. “Hyena bastards,” he grunted, loosening the collar of his suddenly stifling uniform. “My boys are ready and waiting,” he growled. “Just give the word and we’ll wipe ‘em out!”
“Lead the charge will yer?” Uther laughed.
“Aye, I will!”
Linus raised a paw. “Steady on, Constable Schwartz,” he cautioned. “Let’s not escalate the situation.”
Werner composed himself, “Right you are, Howler.”
“We need the terrorists alive to interrogate them. This is the third refinery to be targeted by THORN in a month. We must find out what they’re up to.”
Werner sniffed officiously, “Aye, of course, but it’s better to shoot ‘em than let ‘em escape; them’s Elder Amael�
��s standing orders-”
“Until we’re relieved by a superior, Uther and I are in charge here,” Linus explained patiently, if firmly, “and we want no unnecessary casualties. Better to let a few escape and catch some alive than none at all. Right Uther?”
Uther just nodded and sniffed.
“Besides, they have hostages,” Linus tacked on. “We must be cautious.”
“Aye, Howler Mills,” Werner said, “but the last few times someone cornered these fanatics they all committed suicide anyway.”
“Yes, I know,” Linus said.
“They all swallowed black-imperium capsules,” Werner went on. “Worst case of the rot you’ll ever see. Couldn’t go near ‘em for contamination, not that you’d want to! Like burnt corpses they were; all black and twisted.”
Linus gulped, “Indeed.”
Uther pushed off the wall and holstered his pistol. “We can’t wait any longer,” he said, donning his helmet and strapping it in place, “You two to keep the bastards busy. Start negotiating or somethin’.”
Linus and Werner exchanged glances before turning their combined gaze on the third party.
“What’re you gonna do, sir?” Werner asked for both.
“Have a pog inside,” Uther replied.
Linus seethed, “You can’t go in there alone!”
“I’m just gonna snoop around,” Uther tutted innocently, looking up at the roof for some reason. He rolled his muscled shoulders and kicked his armoured legs, loosening his limbs for the task. “You just said we gotta find out what they’re up to, didn’t you, Woodlouse?”
“Yes, but-”
“Well then, let me go put my ear to the ground before things get messy.”
“Uther-”
Too late. With a grunt and a growl, Uther leapt at the wall and sprinted up its face! Werner’s hat was punched clean off his head as a wobbling blast of invisible imperious energy chased Wild-heart up the building, aiding his impossible ascent and carving a void in the falling rain. Grasping the lip of the roof, Riddle District’s most athletic Howler vaulted up and over, disappearing from sight without so much as a wave to his comrades.