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"Thought you'd get it, huh? Thought I liked you?" He spoke in a low voice so the wo to the car the social work lady drove It was a business car, with the city seal on its door She probably didn't even have her own She was probably married to some jerk ouldn't let her have a car, who said she was a dumb broad, too duured

Carefully he put the dog biscuit into his pocket "IIt was a good ga Get the the biscuit away forever

He pounded once with both hands on the piano Then he went to the kitchen, picked up the glass froulped the rest of the le he would cry so she could hit hi at him He frowned and wiped his sticky mouth with the back of one hand

"Where's the TV?" he asked in a loud voice

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Sinisteeds rarely sleep No sprawled snoozing Heap for them They are a restless herd, these dark creatures who contain within theuilts and failings that ill ourselves to forget Their constant pawing and snorting is accolisten with it Their energy is boundless They toss their heads and flare their nostrils, tasting the air, searching for the places where they will spew their loathsoht, the time when infliction takes place

They are not bound by rules or liivers are They prey on the most vulnerable They have noready for the boy

Most Ancient called a , before dark fully fell, before they went out on their nightly work

"A warning to you all," he announced "I dislike bringing this up It is not so signs Small tremors in the earth I want you to be alert"

A h the Heap Littlest One listened carefully Around her, she heard the ssssss sound The drea the word under their breath

Sinisteeds Sinisteeds

"They're convening," Most Ancient said "I believe they have a victim identified They've been on the prowl"

"Prowl?" Trooper asked Trooper was a large, e is the word for it I had to deal with one quite recently It inflicted a terrible nighte I've been doing remedial dreams ever since"

"I've had some trouble as well!" another voice called Littlest peered toward the back of the Heap to see as speaking It was Dowager, so precise always, speaking now in a clipped tone "I've been able to ward them off, but I've definitely felt some approaches And I saw scorch marks on the wall of a bedroo voice to Thin Elderly, as beside her "What are scorch marks?"

"I'll explain later," he whispered back

"Anyone else?" Most Ancient looked around Some heads nodded A few hands went up

"Well We've always had these individual forays, of course Trooper, good work You do deal ith these If any of you need help, feel free to call on Trooper for a little extra muscle

"But what I want you all to be on the lookout for are signs of a pending group attack I' A Horde

"This happens only rarely Over the years, occasionally, they have focused on one victim, someone particularly helpless Then they mass and descend Perhaps only the oldest of you here have ever experienced it Anyone remember the last Horde attack?" He looked around "No one? Well, it's been a very long while

"I don't mean to worry or alarm you And I don't see it as imminent But weto sniff--to sense--a victiuard"

Subdued, the dreaht of work There were apprehensivethem Littlest could hear the whispered sound, ssssss, thatthe name under their breath

"Sinisteeeeed," she whispered to herself, testing the sound of it

But Thin Elderly, looking down at her, shook his head in warning He put his finger to his lips Chastened and a little nervous, Littlest reached up, took his hand, and held tightly to it as they set out

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"I can't stay in a house with no TV," he said again He was standing beside the piano with his hands clenched The dog nosed at his sneakers but the boy didn't notice

The woh she knew already not to reach out with a touch Earlier she had tried to put her arm around him but he had flinched and pushed her away

"You know," she said in a cals to do I'll read to you, or you can read to yourself There are plenty of books Some left over from my own childhood The Bobbsey Twins? I suppose that's irls But there will be some book you'd like, I'm sure"

He rolled his eyes "Get me a Game Boy, then, if all you have are stupid books," he said

"A what?" she asked, laughing "I don't even knohat that is But if you like gaaood sport I have a Monopoly set in the cupboard over there, and Scrabble, and so children I have a lot of grandnieces and grandnephews"

"I'onna run away," he announced "Even if that door is locked I kno to open it I'm out of here"