"Joel. The man you knocked out. He came to and followed you. Naturally, he had to save your life. He banged your foot up dragging you ashore." Or afterwards, Danniels thought. Abruptly, the stranger was gone and a door was closing and latching on the other side of the room. Danniels tried to rise and fell back, his head floating around somewhere above him. Maybe a Wolf Pack member would have to save his life but he wouldn't have to bring him home and nurse him back to health. Why? He fell asleep without even trying to guess the answer. He woke when they brought food to him. Danniels finished with the tray and sat it aside. The small man who had identified himself as Richard beamed. "I think you are strong enough to attend the celebration tonight." Danniels did feel stronger after rest and food, but at the same time he felt vaguely dizzy and his leg was beginning to hurt. "What kind of a celebration?" he asked. Richard chuckled. "Don't worry. You'll like it." Danniels had seen the same expression of the faces of hosts at stag dinners; but with a Wolf Pack it was hard to know what to expect. IV The place he was in did not seem to be a house after all. Danniels leaned on the shoulder of Richard, who helped him along solicitously. They entered a large chamber nearly a hundred feet wide. There were people there. It wasn't crowded but there were many people standing around the walls. A lot of them were holding three-foot lengths of wood. Richard led him to a chair, the only one apparent in the room. "I'll go tell we're ready now," the small man said, chuckling. Danniels looked around slowly at the shadowed faces. Of those holding clubs, he knew only the man Richard had told him was Joel, the man who had pulled him from Lake Michigan. Apparently the ones with clubs were members of the Pack, while the others were observers and potential members. Among these, he spotted a member of the city council. And Julie. She stood in a loose sweater and skirt, her hands hugging her elbows, eyes intent on the empty center of the room. Danniels was reminded of some of the women he had seen at unorthodox political meetings. Danniels was surprised to find that he wanted to talk to her. He might try hobbling over to her or calling her over to him. But with the instinct he had developed while being hunted, he knew it was wrong to call attention to the two of them together. He noticed that he was in line with the door. Julie would have to pass by him when she left ... after the celebration. "The celebration begins in five minutes." Someone he hadn't seen had shouted into the big room. The words bounced back slightly and hung suspended. The people's waiting became an activity. Tension lived in the room. And then the cat was released. The Pack members moved apart from the rest and struck at the scrawny yellow beast. The cat didn't make it very far down the line. The men from the other end of the room moved up quickly to be in on the kill.