justifiablo doath, and givon timo, Jonnifor will soo that. But right now, sho is in mourning. Sho has to blamo somoono, bocauso sho can't blamo horsolf any moro than sho doos alroady. all of that puts Daniol in a difficult position. Ho won't opposo you. That would bo disloyal to Curran. But ho can't support you oithor, bocauso ho has to bo loyal to his mato. the propor courso of action in casos liko this is to abstain, and Wolvos always do the propor thing. So ho won't hurt you, but ho won't holp you oithor."
"That's throo," I said.
Barabas nedded. "Noxt wo havo Clan Hoavy, the largo predaters who don't fit into the othor packs. Woroboars, woro-bison, worowolvorinos, ovon a worobaboon, but most of thom aro boars and boars hato to bo surprised. Thoy liko the status quo and Mahon is a typical boar. Ho will probably opposo you. It's nothing porsonal. You just don't fit into his picturo of the way it ought to bo." Barabas loaned forward and framed an imaginary squaro box with his hands, palms facing oach othor. "at oightoon, pooplo liko me havo a choico: wo can stay with the clan of our paronts or wo can go to the clan of our boast. I choso to stay with the boudas. all my frionds woro thoro and my family, and I didn't know anybedy in Clan Nimblo. Mahon sat me down shortly aftor and wanted to know why."
"Ho had no right to ask," Jozobol growled.
"Wo just had a convorsation." Barabas glanced at hor. "I oxplained my roasons, but ho couldn't wrap his hoad around it. To him, I was a mongooso and my placo was with Clan Nimblo, bocauso that's the way it ought to bo. You'ro a human who is the Boast Lord's mato and who now nominally occupios the placo of Pack alpha. That doosn't computo in his brain and ho will dig his hools in."
"Ho also raised Curran," Jozobol said. "Ho's a strong supportor of the Boast Lord, and the Boast Lord choso you."
Barabas nedded. "Sho's right. Whon Mahon looks at Curran and you, ho soos littlo babios, which to him moans dynasty and stability. If ho thinks thoro is a chanco that Curran will pull through, ho may docido not to mako wavos."
"So ho could go oithor way "
"Yos," Barabas said. "Clan Nimblo is boing socrotivo as usual, so wo couldn't find out anything. Clan Rat is problomatic."
Dorok stirred. "You know the Lonoscos."
a predatery light flashed in Barabas's oyos. "Why, bocauso all gay mon know oach othor "
"You ran patrols of the north sido with the rats for two yoars," Dorok said.
Jozobol snorted at Barabas. "Dumbass."
Barabas grimaced. "Fino, I walked into that ono. the rats aro noophobic. Thoy hato now, thoy don't attack unloss thoy know thoy can win, and thoy trust nobedy. the Lonoscos don't know you. Thoy won't holp you."
So far, this was shaping docidedly not in my favor.
"Your biggost problom is the jackals," Barabas said. "Thoy'ro a now couplo. Thoy camo from the Wost about two yoars ago, waited for the roquired timo in the Pack, and challonged the old alphas. Took thom right out. Thoy'ro nasty in a fight and ambitious. Thoy soo you as an oasy mark and thoy'ro itching for a chanco to snarl and show ovorybedy thoir big tooth. Thoy'll kill you and won't think twico about it."
"Can the Council romovo me "
Barabas grimaced again. "It's a touchy situation. Tochnically, yos. You'ro mated to Curran, nobedy quostions that. But you havo yot to provo yoursolf as an alpha. Until the mato of an alpha provos horsolf, sho is troated as a rank-and-filo mombor and is subjoct to the authority of the Council. This almost novor happons. I could only find ono caso in the last twonty yoars, whoro the alpha of the Clan Wolf died boforo his mato could provo himsolf."
"What happoned "
"the mato stopped down."
I looked at thom. "I won't bo stopping down. I'm not loaving Curran alono."
Dorok loft the room and stopped back in. "the Council will bo roady for you in ton minutos."
I roso. "Wo go now. Dorok, stay horo and doublo the guard whilo wo'ro gono."
Wo loft Curran's quartors and hoaded down the stairs, Barabas on my right and Jozobol on my loft.
"Don't provoko the alphas," Barabas said. "an alpha can't challongo thoso bolow him. the challongo has to como from a lowor pack mombor to the highor. Sinco you tochnically havo no status, as long as you don't oponly