Jekyll & Hyde Inc.

“We’re here to celebrate!” said Edward. “The three main monster Clans have been destroyed, their few surviving members scattered and broken, no threat to anyone. We can always hunt them down later, for the sport of it.”

“Crime isn’t going to go away,” said Daniel, “just because the monsters are dead and gone. Someone will always step forward to take over.”

Edward shrugged impatiently. “But they won’t have the strength or the imagination to do what the monster Clans did. I’m surprised you’re not more pleased, policeman. This is what you wanted, isn’t it? Revenge on those who hurt you and your friends, and a world free from monsters.”

Daniel couldn’t help feeling that Edward was only saying what he thought Daniel wanted to hear. To keep him from thinking about something else.

“I can’t believe it’s all over,” he said finally.

Edward turned to Tina. “Are you about to tell me you’re not satisfied either?”

She shrugged quickly. “I’m sure you’ll find something else for me to fight.”

“Exactly! It’s what you live for; I know that. There is one surviving clan . . . the werewolves.”

Daniel frowned. “I thought you said they weren’t a real clan? That the wolves were just muscle, to keep everyone in line.”

“Perhaps I should have used the word pack, instead,” said Edward. “At heart the wolves are just animals, driven by needs and instincts. Which made it easy for the greater monsters to put them to work. The other Clans never accepted the werewolves as equals, because they were human part of the time.”

“The Frankensteins were human,” said Daniel.

“Not after everything they’d done to themselves,” said Edward.

“Is that why the Clans never accepted you?” said Tina. “Because you were Jekyll as well as Hyde?”

Edward glared at her coldly. “I haven’t been merely human in a long time. What matters is that now the monster Clans are gone, the werewolves are free.” He smiled suddenly. “What do you suppose they’ll do, now the other Clans aren’t here to hold them back? Can’t you just see them, in their fur . . . running through city streets at night and howling at the moon? Hunting down men, women, and children and tearing them to pieces, and feasting on the remains . . . because wolves have always preyed on people.”

“And reveal their existence to the modern world, after all these years?” said Daniel. “I mean, we’ve all seen the movies. These days everyone knows about silver bullets.”

“But would people believe?” said Edward. “How many would have to die, or be bitten and changed, before the authorities could bring themselves to do what was necessary? To put aside arrests and trials in favor of a silver bullet through the head? It’s been a long time since Humanity knew for a fact that monsters were real. People have got soft. The wolves will take advantage of that, now they’re free. We need to stop them while we still can.”

“You don’t have to convince me,” said Tina. “Just point me at them.”

Daniel nodded in agreement, glad to be back on familiar ground again.

“It’s really just a mopping-up operation,” said Edward. “To make sure the wolves don’t move into the gap left by the other monsters.”

“But the werewolves have dropped out of sight,” said Daniel.

“You said there was an internal power struggle going on,” said Tina.

“All down to me, I’m afraid,” said Edward. “When the wolves learned I was finally ready to destroy the monster Clans, they started to get ideas above their station. They removed themselves from the battleground so they could emerge when the danger was over and all their rivals were gone.”

“But you only launched your attack a few days ago,” said Tina. “And the wolves have been missing in action for weeks.”

“I’m not the only one with inside men,” said Edward. “All the Clans knew I was planning something—but only the wolves believed I could do it.”

“What made them so sure?” said Daniel.

“Because I’ve had dealings with them. They know what I’m capable of.”

“What kind of dealings?” said Tina.

Edward grinned. “The profitable kind. Right now there’s an argument going on among the leaders of the pack, the alpha wolves. Over what the clan should do, now there’s no one left to stop them. You can’t blame them for getting a bit excited; the other Clans kept them on a very short leash. And wolves have always been very good at scenting which way the wind is blowing.”

“What about the ghouls?” said Daniel.

Edward stared at him. “What?”

“They’re a clan too . . . aren’t they?”

“Well yes, but they’re just creatures with appetites.” Edward glowered at Daniel, irritated at being driven off message. “They’re no threat. They’ll work for anyone who’ll hide them from the public gaze. The wolves are the real danger, and my people have discovered where the alpha males will be meeting tonight.”

“They’re going ahead with a gathering?” said Daniel. “After everything that’s happened?”

“Nothing so organized,” said Edward. “The alphas are meeting to fight it out for control of the pack. Whichever one comes out on top, the rest of the pack will follow unquestioningly.”