Free The Book of Kane by Karl Edward Wagner Page B

the storm. A search after the storm had disclosed the mutilated remains of another band of travelers—abroad in the blizzard with Kane. During the hunt it had been Kane’s party that the wolves had attacked, and only Kane had been witness—himself miraculously unscathed. And when the werewolf and its pack murdered the soldiers in their lodge, Kane had not come upon the scene until late. Finally, this last attack had come while Kane had prowled the hallways alone. And when Evingolis had discovered him, he was crouched beside the torn body of the old astrologer—a man who had claimed to have damning knowledge of this mysterious stranger.
    But they had not killed him yet. Instead they had taken Kane and thrown him in a cell in the castle’s cellars. Now a thick wooden door fastened by a stout bar stood between Kane and three menacing guards. Through a narrow grilled aperture in the door, Baron Troylin regarded his prisoner.
    “You know you’re making a mistake in this,” offered Kane.
    “I suppose you killed Lystric because you knew he’d unmask you. And to think you even had me suspecting poor man!”
    “Damn your thick skull! That old fool couldn’t count his fingers and get a correct answer! I told you I found him like that before the werewolf knocked me senseless by the stairs!”
    “Strikes me as a bit odd this werewolf didn’t kill you—even went to the trouble to drag you across the room. Didn’t know such a thing had that much restraint.”
    Kane pounded his fist on the wall in frustration. “It may be a monster, but the creature’s as cunning as any man. Looks like it hoped to frame me and throw the rest of you off the scent.”
    Troylin snorted in disbelief. “Speaking of framing, that’s a nice job you did on my son. Guess you figured to make it look like he’d broken loose and slain the lot! Only we caught you before you could finish preparations—had to stop for a meal, I guess! Too bad you didn’t arrange for Henderin to escape first. You might have had us all believing it was him!”
    “You’re just so damned anxious to clear that son of yours, you’ll grasp at anything else that presents itself! Why wasn’t I a werewolf when Evingolis found me? Why didn’t I kill him and escape? How’d I get this crack on the skull? Why did I rescue your daughter from the wolves?”
    “Oh, I’ll agree there’s a few things that don’t seem to check out. That’s the only reason you’re still alive—which you won’t be if you try to break out of here! Most of them would be just as happy to see you burning right now, only I figure I owe you at least a chance.
    “So we’ll just watch you a few days—Henderin too, just to be safe. If the creature strikes again, we’ll be sorry for doubting you.”
    “More than likely you’ll be dead—and me with you! And what if nothing more happens?”
    The baron shook his head grimly. “Guess then we’ll just have to build a fire for you to sit in.”
    Kane cursed in frustration as the baron departed. The yokels would do just that, and Troylin would consider Henderin cleared of guilt. Meanwhile if the werewolf still were at large, which seemed an absolute certainty, the idiots would drop their guard and let him roam at will. He sat down in disgust, enjoying the agony of his battered skull.
After several hours of watching vermin crawl through the straw, Kane heard a fierce growl. He jumped to the door and saw one of the baron’s hounds bristling before the entrance.
    “Stay back, milady! He’s on guard and he’ll bite your pretty leg sure’s the world if you go any nearer!”
    “Then call him off! I want to talk to Kane!” It was Breenanin.
    “The baron said no one was to talk to Kane except him.” Some coins tinkled. “Well, guess you can see him just for a moment. Make it short though! Don’t want to make trouble. Come here, Slasher ! Easy boy! Cut that growling now! Hear me!”
    Breenanin’sfrightened face appeared before the spyhole . “Oh