are in common I guess.”

“Just do make any trouble to Fred and I think we will live happy ever after.” Advised mastiff.

Yellow furred said nothing, just walked straight to his keep, old slaughterhouse. He laid down to sleep and submerged in slumber in minutes. Just one thought called to him before he started to dream. “Why the heck Fred felt need to threat me? I don’t care about regime here, if it don’t concerns me. So maybe now it concerns? Well, tomorrow I’ll have to check it.”

*

The rumour about Victor’s return enflamed a town. It was a tradition that he was returning but that year almost everyone was waiting for that with special hope. Yellow furred was a chance for a change. He was late but because of that expected even more. Especially by one dog. Bitch actually.

Because Victor was sleeping whole next day, dogs just gathered in front of his house and were waiting. No one dared to break the peace of stranger’s keep, they hoped he would went out and ask what that was all about. But finally came Daisy. When sun was setting on horizon, she entered slaughterhouse and stood over sleeping Victor.

“I’m not sleeping.” He replied with weary voice. “I just sensed that is you, not some of Rupert’s… or now Fred’s sidekicks.”

“Victor…” she whispered. “May we talk?”

He opened her eyes and raised his head to look on dalmatian. She changed for previous few months, that yellow furred could say for sure. She… well… grew up, got mature. What Victor smelled also, she became a mother. Unwillingly he smiled.

“Congratulation!” he said. “Who is a father?”

“Ow, Victor…” sobbed Dalmatian as if mongrel pulled the most painful string. “You don’t know that I was through…” she burst in tears.

Yellow furred felt a bit uncertain and if we recall how immune for any social behaviour dog was, we must suppose that normal dog would be extremely embarrassed. So he moved aside a little and showed her a place. She sat down, nestling ho his side.

“When you left… I mate with Eryk. Parents wanted it, owners wanted it and Eryk too, of course… But I did it because you refuse me. Only because of that.”

“Maybe I can’t express it in proper way, but I’m really glad you chose someone reasonable.” Replied Victor.

“We have pups. Five beautiful mites… My owners gave them to adoption, but it the right think to do. And I was thinking I would be able too see them anytime I wish, but…” she stopped to sob louder, then finished with cry. “He took away Johny!”

“Who?” amazed Victor.

“Fred! That bastard and his brutes! They stole him from house of Jaries and took him to old breeding… They want make him gang soldier.”

“Nice!” thought Victor. “That Fred has its brain! He secured a source of the best, because the most loyal recruits, by raising them in together under his control. In two years he will have a fanatical army and no one could resist his power.

“How many?” he asked and Daisy looked on him with crying eyes. “How many other pups they took?”

“About ten.” She replied.

“So… there are many parents ready to object his power, I guess.” She just pointed her tail outside, where a crowd of local dogs were standing. “So what are you doing here? Take Eryk, the rest of locals and do what is necessary.”

“But without you…”

Suddenly some noise sounded outside. Victor felt that wasn’t another his cheerer but some trouble bringer. He was right. On clearing in front of slaughterhouse came a platoon of twelve gang soldiers, led by Fred in person.

“I guess you don’t have to bother…” murmured yellow furred and stood up. “Stay here and try not to be seen.” He exited the building.

“Victor, my friend…” called Fred with sparks of anger in his eyes. “Ben assured me that there will be no problems with you. Is Ben wrong?”

“I don’t know.” Replied mongrel. “That your concern if he is smart enough to talk with me.”

“Victor, my friend… tell those dogs to go home.” Asked wolfdog with polite voice, however he was commending his soldiers to surround the slaughterhouse.

“Most of them have no home.” Said yellow furred, stepping further to enemy. He preferred to defend himself in building, but he didn’t want to endanger Daisy. “But I guess they will go away… if you let away all who wants to. Pups especially.”

“Ow, so you heard about our new tradition?” smiled chief.

“If that is tradition, I’m really scared to see your views on revolution.” Replied mongrel, carefully choosing the battlefield. Against so many opponents he had no chance, however he hoped that gathered dogs would react when he take out Fred. “Let those pups go. What you are doing is… unwolfish.” In the same time in crowd of dogs Victor noticed Eryk. Maybe other locals were too scared to do anything, but young father was ready to die for his pup and mate. So yellow furred had at least one ally. “What an absurd!” he thought. “I could die here, fighting some noble and cute cause. But what it have to do with Agatha?” He made a discrete sign with tail to tell Eryk to be prepared.

“That’s the way the world is going.” Smiled Fred. “And someday no one would imagine that once was different. I want to rule this town but also to keep it in peace. The history of humans teach us that in root of every state is some violence. This is unavoidable.”

“I see.” Murmured Victor. “But if you don’t let those pups, I will express that violence on you.” Fred burst in laughter and was giggling for almost minute. Then he added.

“Touché! You are good. I will be missing you.” Then turned to Ben. “Kill him.”

So it started faster then he expected. From darkness appeared several silhouettes of enemies and Victor knew that many others were behind him. The only way to prevent being outnumbered and surrounded was quick finish of battle. That meant: killing Fred. But how get to him, if he was guarded by three personal guards? It was a way, however very dirty. Victor thought that it would be a serious problem if he was a dog with any scruples.

“Eryk! Now!” called mongrel and pointed on leader, knowing that he was most likely sentencing dalmatian to death. Black and white dog obeyed that order and pounced on chief’s guard. For a short while all soldiers look on that. Victor used that while to pounce ahead, bounce on Ben’s back and jumped again in hybrid direction. Distracted guards didn’t reacted on time and mongrel reached surprised wolfdog.

Victor grabbed enemy’s throat and overturn him. He was able to crush enemy in one move, but he still had a job to do and a hostage was needed for that. So he just pulled adversary on ground, chocking chief almost to senselessness. Ben and two guards froze in place, seeing that attack would kill also the chief.

“Don’t move and we all have a chance to see another day.” Called Victor. “Let him go!” pointed with tail on Eryk, who was pinned to the ground by three soldiers. Fred’s sidekicks obeyed under hasting stare of Ben. “Good. So if I know the aces, you will do what I say.” Said with slight emotion of triumph. “Eryk, are you all right?”

“Daisy!” panted wounded, however surely alive dog.

“She is fine, I guess.” Replied Victor. “Do you know where are pups?”

“In their main complex, in refinery…”

“Not anymore.” Called some voice from the darkness. Some Fred soldier, whose name yellow furred couldn’t recalled. “They are here and I suggest you to hold your actions.”

“Huh?” panted Victor. Indeed, he saw a three henchdogs leading ten scared pups. Eryk sighed, seeing there one tiny dalmatian. Many other parents there yelled with fear. “Don’t be a fool, pal. We have your chief.”

“And we have ten hostages. We could…” Suddenly Victor in moment of clarity did the only thing the instinct told him. He pressed his jaws and Fred’s throat squashed with nauseating sound. Dog gasped and ultimately froze in his death.

“Now we have no hostage. But I want to speak with Ben. Are you new chief now?” asked with tempting voice.

“Well, I guess.”

“Werk! What you did!” called one of soldiers and set off on Victor.

Yellow furred didn’t wait for it, just started his moves. He jumped to intercept pouncing dog in the air. Spitz was much heavier, so mongrel almost bounced, pushed by his impetus, but before that he grabbed with teethes his paw. Both dogs fell down, however yellow furred landed on four paws and soldier in side. Paw that Victor wash holding in mouth bended in strange angle and broke. Dog didn’t yell from pain because he instantly lost his senses.

Victor jumped aside, when two other dog came. Meanwhile he barked with fury and that broke the spell. All gathered dogs rushed on gang with sudden courage.

Victor had just to knock out those two. The rest made local dogs. Mutts, pure breeds, domestics and homeless ones united for that short moment to rid off plague they all feared. Victor saw as canine citizens of Selawik were quickly appeasing aggressive gangsters. They were more numerous all the time but just death of Fred allow them to understand that. Mongrel pressed down the last opponent, making him senseless, then stood up, looking on battlefield.

“Ben, stop it!” called to mastiff and last four fighting soldiers. “You do not stand a chance.” Seeing that they still were growling on locals, he added. “We let you go… away from town. That’s only thing we could do. But I still think it’s better than dying here.” Meanwhile he saw as Daisy ran out from slaughterhouse and went to small pup. Then others parents joined. “So how it could be?”

“Promise they let us go!” called Ben.

“E… Eryk?” called dog, stopping Dalmatian from run to his mate and child. “I guess you will be in charge here. Can I let them go?”

“Let them go to hell.” Replied overjoyed and excited father. “I don’t care.”

“You heard that.” Said Victor. “Go!”

*

On the morning most of dogs still were next to slaughterhouse, still playing with miraculously regained children. Some others were just looking on that merry scenes or