Out here, where no one lives, it would remain diffused. Normally."

"Normally." The darkness now had a vaguely manlike shape, but doublewide and fourteen feet tall.

"It's manifesting? Why?"

"Somebody compelled it. Somebody—or something— conjured it, commanded it, and here it is. Once it manifests completely, it'll attack us. And slaughter us. Our charms can't repel that much brute power."

The wolf shapes were there in anticipation of the collapse of the mystic barriers protecting the camp.

"I thought things were going way too smooth. What do we do?"

"Right now we can only get ready to do whatever we'll try to do. We can't hurt it while it's still pulling itself together. Once it manifests, though, we'll have a few seconds before its intellect catches up with its body. That's when you'll have to act. So you'll have to be ready."

"I will, eh?"

"You're the captain."

"How much time do I have?" "About five minutes."

Else turned. The men were all awake, now. Some seemed frightened, some resigned. In this foreign land, the Realm of War, their confidence in their own god was less than complete.

Other gods stalked this land. This was the land where gods were born. And devils, as well.

They stared at those restless wolf things, growing more defined and bold. "Mohkam. Akir. Bring the falcon."

"What're you going to do, Captain?"

"I'm going to save your sorry asses. Unless you'd rather stand around asking me questions. Heged.

Agban. Bring the money chest. Bone. I need a pail of gravel. Norts. Get a keg of firepow-der. Az.

Get a reliable torch going. All of you, do it on the run. Because if you don't you'll all be dead in about five minutes." Else ignored his own racing pulse. He did not look at the wolves directly. They looked like the real thing, now, impatient, snapping at one another.