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things I can call are those that sing.”
    “Then we must trundle forth before the dark settles. Before the Wolfies come out to feed.”
    “Goodly plan, but to where? You know these parts?”
    “Some. I came out beyond that wall of oaks and across the clearing. Walk it before moon up, mebbe less. But, cannot. Should not. I was sent to camp like all the teenbulls and must wait until I am Manlyman. Fems do not want us till then. Fems will be aggrieved on seeing my nondult face. But here there be Wolfies, as fierce as all them raptors in a bag. They have taken more bubs than all the Kiddiefilching Agros in the land.”
    “What do you know about those Peados?”
    “Only what I hear.”
    “And what words did you take in?”
    “They take the tenderest, sweet ones. Ones that have the Meekness.”
      “My bro-bro was biddable. Too much so.”
    “When was he taken?”
    “Not more than a few moons before I came to your camp.”
    “Then I hope he will be living. Safe if ye can find him”
    “Where to look?”
    “That I cannot say.”
    A crick-crack and snap sound ceased our conversation, and I adopted the guarding stance. There was another splinter break behind us, and another and another. Wirt ran to my rear and we stood back to back ready to attack. I only hoped that if it were Agros following us, that they would be small in number.
    I whispered low, “You have the skill?”
    “As good as any when not outnumbered.”
    “Good enough. Stay this close.” He pressed his back against my spine and I yelled to who knows what. “Come out you milksops. Face us like a Backpacker S.A.N.T.”
    A snort of some magnitude greeted my blusterings, and I felt Wirt’s body tense as stiff as a dead man’s knee. “Wolfies.” He hardly spoke the word before a huge one sprang at us from the thick greenness.
    It landed by my feet. I stayed rigid as a tree trunk, hardly daring to breathe and wishing with all my might that I wore the same metaplasmonic material that my Synthbag was made from. Then I too would be rendered invisible by the light trick camouflage and able to run away undetected.
    The animal lowered its neck, raised the thick brown-black fur along its back and thrust its head forward. Its thin lips spread wide to reveal deep red gums that held the whitest, sharpest teeth I had ever seen. I swear its drool dripping fangs were the size of my fingers. It gave forth a belly-rumbling growl and narrowed its amber eyes. Four more slavering creatures crept out, all with jaws wide open, all making noises of threat.
    They pawed the ground and snorted hot air from flared nostrils and I thought myself gone deaf, so loud was the sound of my blood as it pounded in my ears. The snarling hounds moved nearer to our trembling selves, so close that I could smell their carrion flavoured breath. I felt Wirt’s shoulders dig into mine and again he said the word “Wolfies.”
    As fearless as I am, and skirmish trained, I knew that we were outnumbered and soon to meet our doom. The beasts wrinkled their snouts, growled most fiercely and hunched themselves low, ready to strike. Too near to death to think straight, I slowly raised my hand up and over my shoulder and delved into my Synthbag knowing not what I was looking for. I came upon the used sponge bag and an idea sparkled in my brain.
    I cautiously pulled out said item, yanked the pouch apart, took out four bloated absorbs and threw them one by one into the shrubbery, saving an extra squishy swab to taunt the beasties with. I swung it round and round and they followed it with their ravenous gaze. Once I was sure that they had taken the bait, I threw it in the near direction of the others. The wolfies sniffed and drooled a bit, then lurched into the denseness. For the first time since reaching readywomb, I was grateful for being afflicted with the heavies. We ran full pelt in the opposite direction, towards the barrier of trees and pushed our way through it.
    Wirt slowed his racing legs when we