“But you can get inside the Courtyard and walk around without raising any alarms.”

“True, but humans are watched all the time.”

The man downed his drink and ordered another round. “Not all the time. A distraction can have them focused on one part of the Courtyard, leaving another part . . . exposed.” He turned his glass. Turned it and turned it. “They’ve got something that belongs to me. I haven’t been able to reach it, but I know where it is. I need access to the Market Square for a few minutes. Just long enough to grab what’s mine and get out again. And if I can’t take it with me, I’m going to make sure it’s of no use to anyone.”

The man pulled some money out of his pocket and fanned the bills on the bar. Ten fifty-dollar bills.

“Just a distraction that would draw attention away from the Market Square,” the man said. “Enough commotion and noise to let me get in and out. What do you think?”

Five hundred dollars to make some noise and cause some trouble for the freaks?

The man left one fifty on the bar and pocketed the rest. “Just for listening.”

“If you need to move in a hurry, how am I going to get the rest?”

There was more than a hint of mean in the man’s smile now—and in his blue eyes. “I’ll make sure the money gets to you.”

Jimmy licked his lips. Five hundred dollars would set him up for a little while, especially if Sandee didn’t know he had the money. “When?”

“Tomorrow.” The man held out a hand. “Do we have a deal?”

Jimmy didn’t hesitate. He clasped the man’s hand. “I’m Jimmy.”

The man squeezed Jimmy’s hand just a little too hard. “I’m Jack.”

To: Vladimir Sanguinati and Simon Wolfgard

Bennett’s new residents arrived. The humans who will be working on the farms and ranches are staying in town for a couple of days to receive instructions from Tobias Walker, the foreman of Prairie Gold’s ranch, and Stewart Dixon, a human rancher who was helpful to Joe Wolfgard and is making an effort to work with us in exchange for being able to visit Bennett to buy supplies and allow his people to attend social events like going to the movies or attending a concert or play. I’m not sure if there will be professional concerts or plays for a while, but the movie theater informed me that they have received several movies, so there will be some entertainment for the humans—and for us. I’ll keep you informed.

—Tolya

Messis 14

Dear Jenni,

Arrived in Bennett. I’m staying at the hotel while I choose the furniture for my bedroom. I met Barb, my housemate, and Virgil, my new boss. I start work tomorrow.

—Jana

CHAPTER 13

Sunsday, Messis 14

As the Owlgard headed home and the rest of the gards still slept, their footsteps filled the Market Square with an odd, and frustrated, silence.

They couldn’t find the scent of tasty Wolf cookies anywhere except the working den of the howling not-Wolf. There were interesting scents in the Harvester’s working den, especially during the day when so many terra indigene and humans hurried and scurried in and out of the cluster of buildings. And then the scents, so fresh and strong, disappeared—the food consumed.

They were strong, and their claws could open doors so easily, but the Wolfgard and the Sanguinati were already unhappy about their insistence on keeping the insignificant human predator close by. If they broke into the working dens of the Harvester and the not-Wolf to look for the tasty or some other treat, the smaller shifters would be angry. So would the Harvester. And the not-Wolf? If she became frightened, she might abandon the working den—and enough smaller shifters, if willing to sacrifice many, could seriously wound an Elder. And the Harvester working with them would do the rest.

<The small human male took from the Hawk,> the male said.

<That was a bad human thing,> the female replied. <The small male was bitten by the Wolf pup, and the taking made all the adults angry.> And a small amount of the not-Wolf’s blood had been spilled while the pups were fighting. That scent from Namid’s terrible creation had carried through the air, dangerous and alluring.

They continued to prowl around the cluster of buildings, finally ending up at the back door of the not-Wolf’s working den. How did the not-Wolf know when to supply the tasty for the Wolves? How did the not-Wolf know what to bring to the smaller shifters when she got into her box and did the baby-bunny scoot around the Courtyard?

<The Wolf receives little papers from terra indigene in wild country settlements,> the female said. <Little papers that say what they want.>

<We will tell the not-Wolf what we want.> The male studied his hands and the clawed digits that could do the writing thing.

<Yes,> the female agreed. <We will learn how to do this and tell the story to our kin in the wild country in case the learning is needed when they keep watch over humans.>

They went to the building across the access way from the not-Wolf’s working den. The male yanked on the door, snapping the locks. While he went inside and selected paper and a writing stick, the female went hunting for something they could leave in exchange.

Exchange, after all, was different from taking. Taking was bad, but exchange was something humans did.

• • •

As he drove them to work, Simon kept glancing at Meg. She’d been broody last night, despite watching the Wolf Team movies with him and Sam, and it seemed that mood hadn’t changed.