"Pah. Your puny pile of ash is no match for the Great Volcano of the Hiyasta."

"There is nothing great about that little candle. I hear it goes out at night and has to be relit with matches."

It was Malveria's turn to be outraged. "The Great Volcano never goes out. That's why it's called great."

"Well, ours is called the Eternal Volcano. Eternal is better than great."

"No, it isn't."

"Yes, it is."

"Just because the Hainusta call it the Eternal Volcano doesn't mean it's anything special. A slightly warm hill might be a more accurate description. With gentle slopes where children play. Compared to the raging inferno of the Great Volcano, the so-called Eternal Volcano is a mere pimple."

"The Fire Queen would have more experience of pimples than I," sniffed the princess. "One understands her skin-care requirements grow more extensive as she ages."

"Skin care? There is no skin care in Malveria's palace. The Fire Queen is renowned for her natural beauty. Something you might reflect on next time you ladle bleach onto your vulgar brassy tresses."

"I am a natural blond!" exploded Kabachetka.

"Pah. Your dark roots say otherwise."

"Our volcano is better than yours."

Princess Kabachetka and the Fire Queen suddenly found themselves materializing in a corner of the hotel foyer and rapidly adjusted their manner to suit the surroundings.

"I am here to attend the reception for Mr. Felicori."

"I am also here to attend the reception for Mr. Felicori."

"Are you together?" asked the receptionist.

"Certainly not," they replied in unison.

The queen and the princess took a step away from each other and did their best to pretend they'd never met before. The receptionist was unperturbed. He'd already welcomed a host of people from the opera world into the hotel and had grown used to their eccentricities. He led Queen Malveria and Princess Kabachetka into the reception room, where both made ready to spring on Mr. Felicori at the earliest opportunity.

CHAPTER 137.

Moonglow was on the phone to her friend Alicia. "Well, Daniel isn't really exciting. But I like him. He's nice. You know, he came in last night with the shopping done exactly right, even the correct brands, and I gave him a big list, including shampoo and tampons."

"I wouldn't really have expected Daniel to be so organized."

"Me neither. But he has expertise in shopping for women. He once looked after both his sisters and his mother while they were ill when he was still at school." Moonglow had always felt rather kindly towards Daniel for that.

The conversation was suddenly interrupted by the appearance of Kalix and Vex, back from college.

"We gave our talks for our assignments," said Vex, loudly.

Moonglow ended her phone call. "How did it go?"

"Fantastic! I sung the theme song and then showed pictures on the computer screen and told everybody about Tokyo Top Pop Boom-Boom Girl and everyone was really interested! The teacher thought it was great too!"

For once, Moonglow had no trouble believing Vex. The amount of work she'd put into her assignment had been impressive. Daniel's computer expertise had been marshaled into producing words, music, and pictures, one of which Vex had even had transferred onto a T-shirt, something that Moonglow wouldn't have thought she was capable of doing. Moonglow had no doubt that Vex's overwhelming enthusiasm for the subject would have carried her through successfully.

"They said it was one of the best assignments ever!"

Moonglow looked towards Kalix, afraid to ask how her presentation had gone.

"Kalix was a big success too!" said Vex, saving Moonglow the trouble.

Daniel appeared in the room.

"Vex was telling me about her presentation," Moonglow told him.

"It was fantastic! And so was Kalix! You should have heard her talk about the comics. The class was amazed." Vex paused. "After they got over all the mud and stuff. Why were you covered in mud when you arrived?"

"No reason," muttered Kalix.

"Did your presentation really go well?"

Kalix nodded. It had. While not quite as comprehensive a treatment as Vex's, she'd still put a lot of work into it. She'd held the class's interest with her impassioned denouncement of Curse of the Wolf Girl. When the class applauded at the end, Kalix, for the first time ever, felt it wasn't so bad being at college.

She looked down at the bundle of comics she carried in a plastic bag. "Now I never have to read these comics again." She paused. "Except I've got eleven out of twelve. I'd like to know what happened in the last one. Something stupid, no doubt."

Kalix looked towards Daniel. Daniel had signed up at the comic shop's website, requesting an alert if the missing issue of Curse of the Wolf Girl arrived in stock.

"I'll let you know if they get it in," promised Daniel.

"Do you want to hear my Tokyo Top Pop Boom-Boom Girl poem?" cried Vex.

"We've already-"

"If I was friends with Tokyo Top Pop Boom-Boom Girl I'd ask her for help against my aunt, the evil Fire Queen.

We'd storm the palace Then we'd go to see Yum Yum Sugary Snacks The werewolf band Who are the best thing ever."

"You know, seriously," whispered Moonglow to Daniel. "I'm starting to like her poetry." Moonglow headed for the kitchen to make tea.

Vex beamed at Daniel. "It's been a good day all around. Me and Kalix have a big triumph at college, and Moonglow likes you."

"What?"

"She said she likes you. We heard her on the phone when we were coming upstairs."

"Tell me her exact words," said Daniel, eagerly.

"She said you were nice."

Daniel's face fell. "She said I was nice?"

"Isn't that good?"

"No one wants a boyfriend who's nice. You need to be exciting."

Vex looked confused. She'd expected Daniel to be pleased. "I think she said you were competent as well."

Daniel groaned. "That's even worse. I've no chance of ever going out with her." He slumped onto the couch. "I should be exciting. Now Moonglow is laughing at me for being nice and competent."

Neither Kalix nor Vex were convinced that Moonglow was doing anything of the sort, but the conversation came to an abrupt end when Moonglow arrived back in the room with her tea tray.

Later that night, in bed with the cat lying next to her, Kalix's sharp, wolfish ears picked up the sound of Daniel in his room, playing We Slaughtered Them and Laughed quietly to himself. It was a sign that he was depressed, and she felt quite sad about his hopeless passion for Moonglow.

CHAPTER 138.

Is there any point asking you again not to go to Edinburgh?" asked Captain Easterly.

"No," replied Albermarle.

"Dominil will kill you."

"Dominil's on the run. I've got her baffled and confused."

"So you keep saying."

"Because it's true." Satisfaction showed on Albermarle's face. "She can't make a phone call without me listening in. I know every move she makes. What are you complaining about anyway? Thanks to me, we've been tracking Thrix as well."

It was true. Albermarle's technical skills had enabled both himself and Easterly to track their targets. Listening to private phone calls, they'd gathered a host of information about the werewolves' movements.

"I never said you weren't good at intelligence work. That doesn't mean you should chase after Dominil in Edinburgh. Leave it to me; I'll take care of her after I've dealt with Thrix."

"Stop butting in, Easterly. Isn't it enough that people are always going on about what a great hunter you are? You're not stealing the credit for hunting Dominil."

Easterly was exasperated. His cousin's jealousy of his position in the guild seemed to be getting worse. "I'm not interested in stealing anyone's credit. I'm interested in hunting werewolves."

"Hunting? Is that what you call it?"

Easterly tensed. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, for a man who's hunting a werewolf, you've certainly bought Thrix a lot of nice presents."

"That's part of the plan."

"Right. Spending three hours in a warehouse searching through your precious wine collection for the perfect bottle. Very necessary." Albermarle turned his pudgy face on Easterly with supreme contempt. "Face it, Easterly, you've fallen in love with Thrix. Everyone knows. It's the talk of the guild."

Easterly was indignant.

Albermarle grinned. "I don't suppose you're the first hunter to fall in love with a werewolf. She's an attractive woman, if your picture of her can be believed."

Albermarle swept up Easterly's notebook, which contained the notes he needed to keep his affair with Thrix moving smoothly. Though her defensive spells still caused him to lose track of things at times, Easterly's continued proximity to her had now made him more sure of his ground. Thrix had accepted him as a partner, and her spells no longer erased his memories.

"I'm not in love with Thrix, and no one at the guild thinks I am."

"Yes, they do."

"Who does?"

"Everyone. We were all talking about it at Smith's retirement party last week. You weren't there, of course. You took Thrix to a fashion show instead."

"Might I remind you that you're the one currently making a complete fool of himself due to his passion for a werewolf?"

"I'm not passionate about Dominil."

"Yes, you are."

"I'm not. I used to be. I'm over it now."

"Is that why you've put on twenty pounds in the past few weeks?"

Albermarle glowered at Easterly and put his hands over his belly. "I'm just building up my strength."

"Of course. And that's why you've been sending her text messages every day?"

"It's all part of my psychological warfare."

Easterly was about to let Albermarle know what he thought of his psychological warfare but was halted in his tracks by an exclamation of surprise from his companion.

"Who's this?" Albermarle pointed to a picture in Easterly's notebook.

"That's Kalix MacRinnalch, Thrix's sister."

Albermarle studied the blurred photo, taken in the street some months ago by a guild agent.