this.”

           Pete led her to an alley, where they met a brown malamute. “Hey Reggie,” Pete greeted the dog. “Luna’s been having trouble with her memory. Think you could help us out?”

           Reggie smiled. “It would be my pleasure.” The malamute proceeded to tell Luna that she had grown up in an abusive family. Her father used to beat her up, her mother called her names, and no one was safe near her siblings. As for Toby, “Stay as far away from him as you can,” advised Reggie. “He’s never been anything but trouble.”

           Luna found this all a bit much to take in. “But he was so nice to me this morning. How could he be trouble?”

           “Must be faking. He probably heard about your little accident and decided to make use of the situation.”

           Luna nodded slowly. “I guess that makes sense.”

           Pete grinned at her. “Just stick with me and you don’t have to worry about a thing.”

           Luna smiled. “Thanks, Pete.”

           For the rest of the day, Pete and Reggie escorted Luna around the neighborhood, giving her their own version of her life’s story. By the end of it all they had her believing that they were the only dogs in Nome who had ever been nice to her.

           When she got home that night, she didn’t feel very hungry. She just stared at her bowl, trying to figure out what was wrong with her head.

           “What’s wrong, Luna?” asked her owner, Connie. “Why aren’t you eating your supper? It’s your favorite.”

           “I wouldn’t know,” muttered Luna, grumpily eating a few bites. If it hadn’t been for her confused state, she would have enjoyed the food. But she couldn’t really enjoy it when her mind was so full. After a few nibbles, she began to wander aimlessly around the house, looking and sniffing at everything.

           “What has gotten into you, Luna?” asked Connie’s mom. “You’d think you’d never seen this place before.”

           Then at bedtime she curled up on the rug with her back to the fire. “Luna, you coming?” asked Connie.

           Luna stared at her in confusion.

           Connie just shrugged and turned to her mother. “Mom, do you think something’s wrong with Luna? She always sleeps on the bed .”

           Luna yawned. ‘I’m too tired for this,’ she thought to herself as she got up and started to head upstairs, only to remember that she had no idea which room was Connie’s. She watched and followed where the girl went, dropped herself onto the foot of the bed, and was out like a light

           Later that night, Luna heard a scratching sound at the window. She crept over and looked out into the darkness. There was Toby, sitting on the roof and looking so worried that Luna could hardly believe it was really an act. “Go away,” she hissed.

           “Luna, what’s going on?” asked Toby. “Why did you say you were going off to meet your boyfriend? I thought I was your boyfriend.”

           Luna snorted. “Yeah, right. Pete and Reggie told me all about you, Toby. You’re nothing but trouble.”

           “You actually listened to Pete? What landed on your head, a mountain?”

           “Why shouldn’t I listen to my own boyfriend?”

           Toby almost fell off the roof. “Boyfriend? Luna, he’s practically old enough to be your dad. How can he be your boyfriend?”

           “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe it’s because he and Reggie are the only dogs in town who’ve ever given me a chance.”

           Toby sighed. “Luna, just try to remember. Pete’s a bad dog. A really bad dog. He refused to help me find you when your life was in danger back when we were kids. We saved a wolf cub from him and his gang just a couple of weeks ago. Then we got Pete kicked out of the gang so he couldn’t give us as much trouble. Reggie’s the only one in the gang who still talks to him. They’re both bad news.”

           “Get lost, Toby. I’m not interested in listening to somebody who just comes to my window at two in the morning telling me to ditch my boyfriend.”

           “Luna, for crying out loud he is not your boyfriend. He never was. He’s just taking advantage of your…whatever you have. He’s doing this to get back at both of us.”

           “Oh, so the only reason a guy would want to hang out with me is because he’s cooking up some kind of revenge plot?”

           “Luna, that’s ridiculous. I told you the reason Pete’s doing this is that he knows I’m your boyfriend, so that obviously means that there is a guy who really cares about you. Me. Pete‘s trying to break us up by telling you lies about me. Ask your dad, your mom, anyone.”

           “My parents? They’re terrible. They beat me up and yell at me and let my brothers and sisters…”

           “Luna!” Toby practically yelled. “Pete’s been telling you lies about them too. Your parents love you. Your brothers are great, and even your sisters are okay if you overlook all their nonstop gossip. Pete is telling you lies so you’ll stay away from anyone who might tell you the truth!”

           Now the truth was that by now Luna was beginning to have her doubts. What Toby said did make sense. And it seemed odd that a faker would be able to keep up a worried act for such a long time instead of losing his temper. “I’ll sleep on it,” she promised at last. After all, if Pete were a fake she’d find out sooner or later, right?

           Toby just sighed. “All right,” he conceded. “Goodnight, Luna.” And he trotted down the roof, onto the shed, down the woodpile, and away into the darkness.

           Toby didn’t go home right away. Instead he headed for his dad’s house, hoping to get some answers about Luna’s strange problem.

           He got no answer when he scratched at the door, so he slipped inside. His father was asleep on a rug by the fire. “Dad?” Toby asked, nudging the bloodhound.

           “Uh? What is it, Terr…” Rex trailed off as his eyes opened. “Oh, Toby.” He yawned. “This is a little late to drop by, isn’t it? Usually the only visitors I get this time of night are your mother dropping by to chat or somebody calling for me and the chief to track someone down.”

           “Sorry,” said Toby. “I need some advice.”

           “Luna again?” asked Rex.

           “As a matter of fact, yes.”

           Rex smiled knowingly. “Does this have anything to do with what she said after that incident with the wolf cub?”

           “Hardly,” answered Toby. “She’s forgotten who I am, and now she’s going out with Pete!”

           Rex stared at him. “This is a joke, right?”

           “It’s no joke, Dad. I showed her all over town, and she doesn’t remember anything.” He filled Rex in on everything that had happened that day. “She thinks her parents were abusive, I’m her worst enemy, and Pete and Reggie are the only dogs in town who’ve ever been nice to her.”

           Rex frowned. “Has she suffered any head injuries lately?”

           “Well, she did say something about hitting her head this morning.”

           Rex nodded. “I thought so.  Luna has amnesia.”

           “What’s amnesia?”

           “Amnesia is a problem some people get that makes them lose their memories. It happens sometimes to crime witnesses if they’ve been hit in the head.”

           “Oh, great,” groaned Toby. “So now Luna is convinced that I’m the crook instead of Pete?”

           “Unfortunately, yes.”

           Toby sank to the floor. “Is there any way I can get her to remember?”

           Rex