Wolfie (8 page)

Fang began to run fast again. It had stopped snowing. The sky was full of stars. Dad had once told Lucie that it was hard to see the stars clearly nowadays because of all the streetlights, but
tonight they shone and shimmered like anything.

Suddenly there was a great noise of howling. It sounded like hundreds and hundreds of wolves.

Then there were other shapes running beside them. White or grey, black or brown, even tinged with red, they raced through the night, with their tails streaming behind them. Wolves. After a while
they were all of them running along the ground (although Lucie could not remember actually landing) and weaving through trees, and leaping streams and boulders.

Lucie was breathless, certain she had never travelled so fast in her life. She should be terrified — yet she was filled with a wild joy and excitement.

At last they entered a wide, snow-covered clearing. Many wolves were gathered there. Fang walked among them, pausing to greet wolf after wolf, nodding and bowing. The wolves were very polite.
Although none of them were carrying children, they did not ask about Lucie, or stare.

Then, as they approached one side of the clearing, Lucie saw a wolf sitting near a tall fir tree. Immediately, she sensed that this wolf was special.

Fang lowered her head. She approached the new wolf very slowly. When she was a body-length away, she flattened herself to the ground.

The new wolf was very, very old. It had a lean, white muzzle and milky-white eyes. Two younger wolves stood on either side, like guard-wolves. Lucie sensed that Fang respected this wolf
greatly.

“Greetings, Oh Fang-That-Bites-Sharp-In-The Forest,” said the old wolf, in a husky voice. “Who is this Human Child? And why have you broken our custom to bring her here among
us?”

“O
h great and august He-Wolf, most esteemed Lord Silver Paw,” Fang began, “this is Lucie, a young human, what they call a girl. I
have been living with her family these past months. She has shown me great kindness and hospitality. Indeed, I would go so far as to say that we are friends.”

“Friends!” said the old wolf, and he looked at Lucie with great attention. Lucie blushed. Then Silver Paw turned back to Fang. “Then what is it that troubles you?” he
asked. “For something does.”

Fang sighed. “Recently I saved a human child. Otherwise it would have been squashed to a pulp under the wheels of one of their infernal machines—one of those foul-smelling
“cars” they like so much. But doing this deed attracted attention. And hostility. Now it seems that I must leave.”

Silver Paw wrinkled his nose. “Praise might be expected for saving a child. Not hostility. Were it not discourteous to our guest, I might observe that the ways of humans are strange
— even ungrateful.”

“Yes,” said Lucie shyly. “You’re right. But I don’t think people
mean
to be ungrateful. Really I don’t.”

“Then what do they mean?”

“I think they’re frightened. And it makes them stupid.”

Silver Paw considered. “It may be so. Often your kind — humankind — acts stupidly towards ours. Yet maybe fear is the reason.” Silver Paw turned back to Fang.
“Still, I do not see what
I
can do. You must seek out another refuge, that is all.”

At this, tears sprung into Lucie’s eyes. “Oh please, great august Silver Paw — I’m so sorry, I can’t remember all of your names! Please help us! I never had a
friend like Fang before. I’ll do anything!”

Silver Paw fixed his eyes on Lucie. It was hard for the small girl not to look away from his deep wolf-stare, but somehow she did not. She kept her chin raised, and her eyes wide open, and she
hoped and hoped.

“Will you then become a True Friend to the Wolves?” asked Silver Paw. “It is no small thing.”

“Yes! Oh, yes!”

“Then step aside one moment. I must speak with Fang alone.”

Lucie followed one of the guard-wolves. She sat down on the grass, and crossed her fingers and hugged her knees.

Meanwhile Silver Paw beckoned to Fang. The two wolves rubbed noses, then sat down facing each other.

“Is it wise,” asked Silver Paw at last, “to take this child into your heart? Certainly, she is appealing — for a
human
. Intelligent even. But think, Fang, she will
grow. And the grown ones of her species are almost always stupid, it seems to me.”

“Lucie is a special child,” said Fang. “Not every child can hear when we speak. Or not so as to understand. Lucie does. I think she will always be special.”

“All the same, would it not be simpler to leave her and find another home?”

Fang shook her head.

Silver Paw said, “Bring the child back to me.”

Fang fetched Lucie. Together the wolf and the girl stood facing Silver Paw.

“So, child,” said Silver Paw. “It is not our custom to bring humans among us, nor to give them help. But I am told that you are a friend to Fang.”

“Oh yes. I will never let her down, I promise!”

“It is a serious matter, such a promise. But the truth is I do not know if I can help you. For the cause of your trouble lies among humans. So the solution must be found there too. If I am
to help you then you yourself must point the way.”

“Oh,” cried Lucie, tears of disappointment in her eyes.

“Perhaps it would be better if Fang left for the present. Then the other humans might forget their fears. She could come back later to find out. If so…good. If not…”
Silver Paw shrugged.

“No!” cried Lucie. “She mustn’t go away!”

“Then is there anything you can tell me that might help?”

The old wolf’s eyes bored into Lucie. He was expecting something. But what?

“I don’t know what to tell you,” said Lucie desperately. “Except — except that I know that Fang must never leave Acorn Avenue!”

There was a long pause after those words. Lucie felt close to tears. But at her words something changed in the old wolf’s face. Something flickered in his milky eyes.

“
Acorn Avenue
, you say?”

“Yes. It’s where I live.”

“I see. Yes. That might be important.”

“Really?” asked Lucie, astonished.

Silver Paw was staring into the distance. Lucie had the feeling he was listening hard to something, even though there was nothing to hear except the wind. But then, maybe a wolf could hear
things in the wind that a human could not.

At last he said, “Maybe I
can
help you. Or rather, I can help you to help yourself. But you alone must find the answer. For the solution lies not with us wolves, but in the human
world.”

“What am I to do?”

“Listen.” And the old wolf began to speak in a sing-song voice.

“Is that it? But what does it mean?” cried Lucie hopelessly.

“You must work it out for yourself. Thus proving that you at least, of all your kind, are not stupid. If you succeed then you will have shown yourself a true friend to Fang and to wolves.
You will become a Cub of our Pack — the first human ever to be so chosen. Come here.”

Then Fang nudged Lucie forward with her nose, until she stood between the paws of the old wolf.

Silver Paw breathed softly on Lucie. Very gently he licked Lucie’s forehead.

“Good luck, Little Cub,” he said. “May you complete your task.”

The snow was swirling again. The wolves were still milling around their clearing but now it was as if they were performing a beautiful dance. They wove in and out in intricate patterns, their
tails flowing behind them. Lucie’s head spun, and even the stars seemed to be dancing…the wind was rushing past her ears…

Suddenly Lucie sat up with a start. It was still dark. The church clock was striking six.

“O
f course it must have been a dream,” said Lucie to Fang. “I mean really! Flying out of the window to a Wolf Meet in the park! I
know
I dreamt it. I did, didn’t I?”

“If you’re so sure —” Fang yawned — “then why are you asking
me
?”

“Because I’m
not
sure, of course!” Lucie shouted. “And because I want it to be true. I
need
it to be true! Silver Paw’s advice is the only hope we
have!”

They were walking round and round the garden in the snow, rather like Pooh and Piglet pursuing the Woozle, Lucie thought. But there was nowhere else they could talk. They were no longer allowed
to go to the park alone.

“Then let’s just assume it’s true,” Fang suggested.

“But then what? I don’t understand.” Lucie quoted:

“The task begins at your own front door

For answer follow your own right paw

Human knowledge is what you need

Written in form that humans read.

But what does it mean?”

Fang shrugged.

“A lot of help you are!” said Lucie crossly. “I know Silver Paw said it was for me to solve, but still…you might at least make a suggestion!”

There was a distant shout. “Lucie, time for school!”

“Oh, bother!” Lucie leapt up. “Bother, bother, bother!”

But when school was over Lucie returned in a calmer mood. Fang was still prowling about the garden in snow that was rapidly turning into slush.

“I thought it best not to meet you,” said Fang. “With all the fuss there’s been recently.”

“You’re right,” said Lucie, sitting herself on her swing. “I’m afraid Mr Dundas hasn’t forgotten. He was standing by the school gates when I came out.
I’m sure it was just so he could check you weren’t there. Dad came to meet me, and he asked Dad what he had decided to do with you, and Dad said he would tell him tomorrow. I think it
must be tomorrow they’ve made the appointment with the vet.”

Fang nodded. Lucie stared miserably at the chestnut tree. The melted snow was dripping from the bare branches onto the ground. The drops looked a bit like tears.

“I’ve decided,” Lucie began. “I’m going to —”

“Wait!” said Fang quickly. “Someone’s coming!”

They both fell silent. After a while Lucie heard what Fang’s more sensitive ears had heard already: the crunch of footsteps.
Someone
was coming round the side of the house.

“Marcus!” Lucie whispered.

“No. The smell’s not right. It’s not got that nasty undertone of weasel and mouldy cheese.” She sniffed. “I think it’s the nice boy.”

Alex appeared around the corner of the house. “Oh, there you are,” he said. “Your Mum and Dad said you’d be in the garden.” He stood next to the swing, looking
awkward. “I just wanted to see if I could help,” he burst out suddenly. “I’ve begged Mum to let
us
take Wolfie if you can’t keep her, but she says we’ve
only a tiny garden and Dad is allergic to dogs…”

“Don’t worry,” said Lucie. “I want Wolfie to stay here, anyway.”

“I wish there was something I could do.”

“There is,” said Lucie. “You can go round and see Marcus.”

Alex blinked. “
What
?”

“I need you to keep him out of the way. You see, he doesn’t go to After School Club on Wednesdays.” Lucie flushed. “I can’t really explain, but I want to try
something — something somebody told me that might help Wolfie. Only I don’t want Marcus sticking his big nose in and messing things up.”

“Leave it to me,” said Alex. He looked a lot more cheerful now he had something to do. Then he said, “Wait a minute. Won’t Marcus be suspicious if I go round? He knows I
don’t like him.”

“Tell him you’re sounding him out to be goalie for the school team,” said Lucie. “That’ll do the trick.”

Alex snorted. “Have you
seen
Marcus play football?”

“No. But he’s such a big-head he’ll believe you.”

“All right. I’ll get him to practise stopping some shots. Good luck.”

He ran off. Lucie heaved a sigh. “Thank goodness! That was the one thing I was most worried about. Come on, Fang!”

“Come where?” Fang asked.

“To do what the rhyme says. I don’t know what it
means
, but it’s our only hope, so I’ve decided I’m going to do exactly what it says. I’m going to
follow my right paw!” She looked down at her right foot. “That way!” She started off across the slushy ground.

Fang coughed. “That way seems to lead into a wall.”

“Oh.” Lucie’s face fell. “Then maybe we could get a ladder. Or tunnel underneath…”

“We wolves have a saying,” Fang remarked.
“Start at your own front door.”

Lucie hit her forehead. “I am stupid! Of course that’s what the rhyme says too.
The Task begins at your own Front Door.
Come on!”

As it happened, Lucie’s house had a porch that stuck out from the main house, and the door was on the left hand side of this porch. Which meant, Lucie soon discovered, that if she came out
of the front door, and immediately went right (so following her right paw — or foot) she arrived at the front gate.