The Empty City (21 page)

Lucky shivered with anger and frustration. He thought of the Fierce Dog who'd driven him away from the firebox. Had Bella ever had to face a dog like that? Of course she hadn't—because she'd been protected by longpaws all her life. “There
are
dogs here! I can't see them, but I can smell them!”

“You can smell dogs that used to be here, maybe. It doesn't matter. I'm in charge, and I say we go in!”

Lucky gave a bitter snarl, and snapped the air. “You may be in charge of these
Leashed Dogs
! But you're not in charge of me,
Squeak
, and you never will be!”

Alfie gave a groan of protest, and Daisy whined, but Bella and Lucky ignored them. Lucky knew their barks were getting loud, but he no longer cared. He half hoped they
would
be overheard and chased away from here before Bella did something stupid.

“I order you, Lucky!” she yelped. “I order you to come with us!”

“You can order all you like.” Lucky curled his muzzle and sat down, scratching his ear with casual disdain. “You're not my Alpha. I'm not coming.”

Daisy gasped.

“I'm the Alpha of this Pack!” growled Bella.

“And you're welcome to it!” He gave her a furious bark.

Bella fell silent, flanks heaving, saliva dripping from her jaws.

“Be that way, and see where it gets you, Lone Dog.” Turning, she stalked off along the side of the fence, tail high. “You're not as smart as you think you are. There won't be any food for dogs who won't help get it!”

He shook his head in disbelief as she squirmed under the fence, followed by Alfie. They paced away toward the low houses. Daisy gave Lucky a mournful glance of longing, but she'd obviously taken Bella's declaration seriously.

“I'm sorry, Lucky,” she said, then wriggled through the fence after them.

He watched the three dogs trot away, his heart pounding harder with every step they took toward those food bowls, until he couldn't watch anymore. He walked a little distance back, then turned and lay down with his head on his paws, heaving an unhappy sigh.

They were in danger. He was sure of it. At every snap of a twig, every cry of a bird, his ears twitched and he lifted his head.

He couldn't leave them. Bella was his litter-sister; he owed it to her to see that she was safe—and she wasn't safe here. Maybe his fears were just the result of his solitary life, when he had to be alert for danger at every turn. On the other hand, he felt certain there was something deeply bad here, however much it seemed like a perfect place for a new camp. He could smell it in the air.

Slowly he climbed to his feet.

Oh, Sky-Dogs
, he thought to himself,
I hope I'm not making a stupid mistake....

Turning back toward the strange Dog-Garden, he headed for the hole in the fence.

Daisy had done a good job
of scraping out the earth, and once Lucky forced his shoulders through, his haunches followed easily.

When he was on the other side he paused, crouched against the ground, seeking some clue as to the whereabouts of the unfamiliar dogs that he could smell. Were they really gone? Perhaps they'd escaped in the Big Growl, or crawled through the gap under the fence. Maybe they'd preferred the freedom of the wild to the easy source of food.

A crow flapped into the air with a raucous caw, making Lucky jump with alarm. As his heart calmed he watched it as it settled on a branch, cocking its beady black eye at him.

The grass inside the compound was lush and green, cropped neatly short.
Longpaw work
, Lucky thought. Were there longpaws still alive here? He could smell nothing but dog. Beyond the grass loomed the dark shadow of the central big house, and Lucky narrowed his eyes in Sun-Dog's dying light, trying to make out what might lurk there.

He could see almost nothing from his position near the fence, and he knew with a lurching sense of fear that he was going to have to move farther in. He couldn't make sure the others were all right if he stayed where he was. Gathering his courage, he set off, slinking so low to the ground his belly almost scraped the grass. He picked up speed and made it to a tree with spreading branches. It wasn't the best cover, but it would have to do.

He could see the others now, right in the shadow of the doghouses. Lucky's heart lurched with fear and anger. They weren't even trying to be quiet or careful. All three of them were wolfing down the food in the nearest bowls, and no one was keeping watch.

“It's delicious!” squeaked Daisy through a mouthful of nuggets.

“Mmmph,” was all Alfie could reply for a moment. Then he gave a loud yip of pure excitement, and plunged his muzzle back into the bowl.

Bella gulped down a half-crunched mouthful. “We must try to take some back for the others,” Lucky heard her announce. “Maybe I'll even take some back for Lucky,” she added haughtily.

Lucky's spine tingled with resentment. He'd only been trying to keep them safe. Still, it was hard to watch the others gorging themselves while he could only look on, his belly growling. Lucky looked around. Nothing—no sign of dogs or longpaws.
Were they right?
he thought.
Was I too cautious? Bella will be very smug if I admit it, but …
Lucky began to slink forward.

And froze.

Around the corner of the biggest house stalked a group of sleek, ferocious-looking dogs.

Lucky's fur stood on end. He'd seen their kind before: dark lean bodies, pricked ears, pointed snouts that were bared more often than not in a snarl. He'd come across these dogs as guardians of longpaw homes and work-houses, doing the bidding of longpaws with harsh voices and glowing light-beams and vicious sticks.

Lucky backed swiftly behind the tree. They hadn't seen or scented him—their attention was focused on the others. At the clatter of paws on gravel, Alfie, Daisy, and Bella stopped gobbling and raised their heads in alarm; the fierce Pack had come from downwind, and had approached unnoticed. Now the big dogs spread out in a frighteningly disciplined circle, trapping the Leashed Dogs.

Bella and Alfie exchanged anxious glances. Daisy did the smartest thing under the circumstances, and rolled onto her back, whimpering as she exposed her throat and belly.
Good, Daisy!
thought Lucky, impressed.
That was quick thinking—and sensible
.

Alfie gave Daisy a nervous look and then followed her example, submitting to the other dogs. But Bella, stiff-legged and proud, curled her muzzle defiantly at the huge dogs.

Panic chilled Lucky's body, making breathing hard and sending his hackles bristling.
No, Bella! Don't be stupid. You don't stand a chance!

He wanted to dash from the shelter of the tree, take her by the scruff of the neck, and shake some sense into her.
She's so puffed with arrogance now that she's decided she's the Alpha
, he thought.
Please, Bella, don't be reckless
. His muscles trembled with the effort of not rushing to her side. But there was nothing he could do....

“You dare defy us?” One of the Fierce Dogs finally spoke in a low vicious sneer. He sounded rather pleased that she was going to resist. The attack-dogs started to close their circle around Lucky's friends.

It was Daisy who came to Bella's rescue, whimpering desperately. “Bella. Please?”

Bella gave a small yip that told her to be quiet, but after a few moments she took a breath and dipped her head in defeat. As if it cost her a huge effort, she lay down awkwardly, submitting with the others.

Briefly Lucky closed his eyes, letting relief flood his limbs. He opened his eyes again to see that the Fierce Dogs had relaxed a little, pricking their ears and growling their approval. Thank the Sky-Dogs: Bella had come to her senses in time.

“How did you get in here?” The biggest, sleekest of the Fierce Dogs growled. Her voice was dark and deadly. She must be their Alpha, Lucky decided. Her legs and body were powerful with sinewy muscle and the others lowered their heads as she spoke, deferring to her. The evening light made her coat gleam. On the side of her neck was a patch of white fur in the shape of a fang.

Lucky watched the Leashed Dogs exchange glances, and for a moment the frightened Daisy seemed about to blurt a reply. But Bella interrupted.

“We jumped,” she told the bigger dog, her bark nervous but quite steady. “Over the fence.”

Lucky wanted to put his paws over his eyes. How could she imagine the Fierce Dogs would fall for that one? As soon as they compared Daisy with the height of the fence, Bella was in for a sharp bite at best....

But perhaps the Fierce Dogs' brains weren't quite as sharp as their teeth, because the Alpha nodded slowly, still growling in her throat.

A big male snarled at Bella. “Steal our rations, would you? Impudent rats.”

“Indeed.” The Alpha peeled her lips back from her teeth, showing how deadly they were. “You're our prisoners now. And you will be until we decide what to do with you. Mace? Bring them.”

The male dog opened his jaws and barked. It was the loudest, most threatening sound Lucky had ever heard from a dog, making him cower in his hiding place, and he wasn't surprised when Bella, Alfie, and Daisy huddled obediently together and ducked their heads. Trembling, the Leashed Dogs were herded by the Fierce Dogs toward the big house, the bigger dogs occasionally snapping at their paws and tails. Daisy yelped with fright, and one of the guard-dogs loomed over her, barking and snapping his teeth in her face.

“Quiet! Keep moving!”

Daisy scurried on, tail between her hind legs and ears drooping miserably. Alfie made a brave attempt to stay protectively at her side, but at a warning snarl he licked her ear and dropped reluctantly back.

Oh, Earth-Dog, who are these Fierce Dogs?
wondered Lucky unhappily. The powerful black dogs were so ferocious, so unfriendly. They would surely shred the Leashed Dogs without much effort.

Please, Earth-Dog
, Lucky willed.
Don't let Bella and the others die here. They were foolish, but they didn't mean any harm. They will learn. Let them get free....

He had to get closer to the big house. If he was quick, he could make it while the dark dogs' backs were turned. After that? Well … he'd just have to take his chances.

None of the Fierce Dogs glanced back, too busy watching their prisoners with glinting eyes, and Lucky seized the moment.
Now!
He darted out from the cover of the tree.
Quickly!
Crossing the horribly open space in the waning daylight seemed to take forever, but at last he scurried close to a cracked wall and slunk into its shadow.

Breathing more easily, Lucky panted his relief and crept forward, keeping the group of dogs just in sight. He couldn't even see the Leashed Dogs now; the guard-dogs were packed tightly around them. His hide prickled with heat and fear, and his fur stood up all over his body, but he was still protected by the wall when he saw the Fierce Dogs herd the others through a door in the side of the big house. Its walls were cracked in several places, but it looked solid and strong enough to hold them till the end of the world, when the Sky-Dogs would fall to earth.

It was hopeless. Lucky felt his tail droop, and his head dip as if a longpaw hand was forcing him to sniff the earth. His fear for the Leashed Dog Pack mixed with his sense of resentment at finding himself caught up in other dogs' problems. This was why he didn't want to be in a Pack—too many dogs couldn't move quickly. Too many dogs could get into trouble. A Pack-dog was responsible for his Packmates. A Lone Dog only had to rely on himself.

Sitting down to rest, but not daring to scratch his bristling neck fur, Lucky peered cautiously around the corner of the wall.

This is the best chance I'll have to get clear
.

It made sense. All he could do now was save his own fur. Every instinct was telling him to run, quickly, while he still had the chance, and get as far from this sinister place as possible. There was nothing he could do to help dogs trapped in such a forbidding prison and guarded by hostile and deadly enemies. They should have listened to him before.

And yet
… he thought as he half turned to go.
They are my friends....