Everwild (Skinjacker 2)

The family was inside now, maybe making calls to see who was playing pooch games with them. Zin held Kudzu for the longest time. He might have been a smart dog, but he had no idea what was coming.

"Maybe it won't work," Zin said. "A dog's not like a bunch of stupid flowers. Maybe something this big--this alive--can't get through."

"Maybe not, but there's only one way to know for sure."

She knew the Ogre would say that.

Zin spoke to Kudzu in hushed tones, saying all the things you say to someone when you know you're never going to see him again. Then finally the Ogre said, "It's time."

Zin grabbed Kudzu by the scruff of his neck with her ripping hand. "Sorry, boy," and she began to push him forward.

randson glanced momentarily at the trash can on the corner beside them. "Of course he did, Grandma," and he left it at that, making a mental note to keep her wheelchair a little farther away from trash cans.

By nightfall the corsage had begun to wilt, but that was fine. Doris knew it was the way of all things, and each falling petal was a gentle reminder that soon--maybe tomorrow, maybe next week, maybe next year--her time would come too. The tunnel would open for her, and she would make her journey into the light with a mind as crystal clear as the star-filled evening.

Chapter 24 It's a Dog's Life

Nick could tell there was something wrong in Nashville.

A city this big should have had Afterlights, but there was not a single one to be found. They did find an abandoned Afterlight den--a crossed factory, filled with evidence of Afterlight activity, but not one soul remained.

"Maybe they all found their coins, and got where they were going," Johnnie-O suggested.

"Or maybe they were captured by Mary," Charlie said.

"Or maybe sumpin' worse," said Zin--and by Kudzu's reaction, everyone suspected she might be right. The dog wasn't exactly a bloodhound, but his senses were more acute than human ones--and the second he and Zin got close to the factory, Kudzu began to back off and howl. He wouldn't get near the place.

There was definitely a strange feeling in the air--the residue of some bitter circumstance. It called for a visit from the Sniffer.

The Sniffer was a kid they picked up in Chattanooga, whose sense of smell was so good, he could smell things that didn't actually have an odor. Like the scent of someone thinking too hard (smells like a burning lampshade) or the aroma of confusion (smells like rotisserie chicken). One might think he'd have a monumentally distorted nose, and yet he didn't. It was a dainty little upturned thing.

"It's not the size of your nose that matters," the Sniffer often said, "it's how deep your nasal cavity goes," and this kid was nasal cavity all the way down to his toes. In fact, when he sneezed, he could splatter an entire room in ectomucus--which was like living mucus, except that it never dried.

They brought him to the factory and, just like Kudzu, he wouldn't even go through the door--but at least he was able to tell them why.

"I smell misery," he said. "The place reeks of it." Then he pointed southwest, roughly in the direction of Memphis. "That's the direction the misery went."

"Just our luck," said Zin, still trying to calm down Kudzu, who had gone from howling to whimpering.

"Whatever it was," Nick said, "let's hope we don't run into it on the way."

And whatever it was, it was apparently strong enough to scare the Sniffer off. He deserted Nick's army, having no desire to follow the misery to Memphis.

Zin just wanted to leave Nashville. Kudzu's reaction spooked her, and the sooner they were on their way, the better. The Ogre, however, had his own agenda. They lingered in the city. He said it was because they were still looking for stray Afterlights, but that was a lie. They stayed because the Ogre had another secret task for Zin. This was the big one, and looking back, Zin realized this was the task he had been leading up to all along.

They were back at the train, and Zin couldn't find Kudzu. It wasn't unusual for him to explore on his own, but maybe she was smelling a bit of something now too. Something a little skunky. Something that reeked of bad intentions.

She finally found Kudzu in the parlor car--the Chocolate Ogre's private retreat. The dog was licking chocolate from the Ogre's hand.

"Kudzu! Come!" Zin said. The dog reluctantly turned and strolled over to its master.

"Kudzu's been a good companion to you, hasn't he?" the Ogre said.

"The best," answered Zin.

"I know you really care about him ... and I guess I can understand why you did what you did. Ripping him from an abusive owner, and all."

Zin knelt down and scratched Kudzu's neck. "Had to do it. I saved him from a fate worse than death."