while.”

                “Sure I can. But I didn’t think you kept any.”

                “I don’t, usually. But it’s hardly a secret, since it will be revealed soon enough through no fault of anyone in town.”

                “Alright…” Balto leaned his head down, one ear cocked up to hear the secret.

                “As you wish…” Virgil leaned in and began to whisper, Balto’s face going from pleasant smirk to disbelieving slack-jaw. “Aleu is coming back to Nome. She’ll be here in a day or so.” But the last part sent a chill through the wolf-dog’s blood, and made his eyes widen in fear. “And you know who she is bringing with her.”

~Fin~