«How sure are you of this?» he said finally.
«I'm in possession of five shards and two corpses,» I told him. «You're welcome to examine
them if you wish. Can you get us into the Games?»
«This is rather short notice,» Saiman said. «But yes. I can. Provided I go as Stone.»
«Done,» I said.
«You'll need seven fighters.»
I made writing motions. Everybody except the doctor looked for a pencil.
«I've never seen such a collection of idiots in my whole life.» Doolittle shook his head. «If you
participate in this lunacy, y'all will get yourselves killed. Then don't come crying to me.»
Now that would be a neat trick.
Dali handed me a pencil. No paper materialized and I scribbled on the tablecloth.
«Stratego, Stone, Sling, Swordmaster, Shield, Shiv, and Spell. They must all be at the Games by
tonight at nine p.m. We'll be sequestered for the duration of the Games. Once you enter, there is no
going back, Kate. You don't get to change your mind and go home. You fight until you can't
continue.»
«Understood.»
«You need a name.»
I covered the receiver for a moment. «We need a team name.»
«Hunters,» Raphael said.
«Valiant Knights of the Fur,» Dali said.
«Justice Group,» Jim said. «Since Justice League is taken.»
«Fools.» Doolittle shook his head.
«Fools,» I said into the receiver.
«Fools?» Saiman asked.
«Yes.»
«It will be arranged, then. The crew?»
«We'll have a doctor,» I said.
«No, you won't!» Doolittle declared.
«Very good,» Saiman's tone was brisk. «Remember, every member of the team must be there by
nine. Don't be late.»
I hung up.
Jim looked at the list. «The freak is Stone. Kate, you'll take Swordmaster. Derek?»
«Shield,» Derek said. «Defensive fighter.»
«Will you be able to fight in two days' time?»
He smiled. Dali winced again and said, «You have to stop doing that.»
«You should take Stratego,» I told Jim. «You have the most experience.»
That left us with three.
Raphael's knife touched the list. «Shiv,» he said. «Fast fighter.»
«Are you sure?» I glanced at Raphael.
«If the lot of you survives, Curran will flay the skin off your backs,» Doolittle said.
«That's what I always love about you, Doctor.» Raphael grinned. «You're a cup-halfway-full
kind of guy. All flowers and sunshine.»
«He isn't joking, Raphael. You don't have to do this.» I looked at him.
Raphael's smile got wider. «I'm a bouda, Kate. I've got no principles and no honor, but you
scratch one of our own, and I'll kill you.»
«I'm touched,» Derek quipped. «I didn't know you cared.»
«About you? I don't give a fuck.» Raphael looked slightly deranged. «No, I care about her. They
tried to kill her in a parking lot.»
«Since when am I beloved by boudas?»
«Since you drove one of us through the flare so she wouldn't die,» Raphael said. «Nobody would
do that for us. Not even the other clans. Ask the cat.»
Jim didn't say anything.
«I'll take Shiv.» Raphael tapped the list again. «Andrea will take Sling. Don't argue, Kate. She'll
shoot us both if we keep her out.»
«Andrea is a knight of the Order,» I said. «I don't think she can compete.»
«Neither can any of us,» Raphael countered and reached for the phone.
«That leaves Spell,» Jim said.
We stared at it. Spell. Obviously a magic user. «Any of your crew?»
Jim shook his head.
«You should ask him where his crew is.» Doolittle's face wrinkled in disgust. «Go on. Tell her.»
Jim didn't look like he wanted to tell me anything.
«Where is Brenna?»
«On the roof, keeping a lookout,» Jim said,
«And the rest?» Come to think of it, I hadn't seen any of them since we came out of Unicorn.
«Apparently there is a band of loups near Augusta.» Doolittle leveled an outraged glare at Jim.
«I've been listening to it on the radio. The city's on the verge of panic. Odd loups these. Mellow.
Although they apparently performed shocking acts of animal mutilation within plain view of the
farmhouse, the farmer's family slept through the whole thing. Curiously, no humans were harmed.»
I almost laughed. No loup would attack livestock if human prey was available. They craved
human flesh.
«They're creating a diversion,» Jim said.