The End Read Free

beat him down and saw that the hunters had grouped up into a defensive formation, thosewith the biggest dogs at the front. Ryan took his own dog from a guy who’d been holding her for him and led the group round to the other side of the gallery.
    The newcomers had scented Ryan and his dogs and were running around in circles in a state of manic excitement. Most had their hackles up, but some were wagging their tails; others were doing that belly-crawling, submissivecrouching thing – whimpering. The bravest had their teeth bared ready to attack.
    Achilleus quickly checked them out, deciding which were harmless and which were a threat. A big Rottweiler with a chunk of fur missing from his side looked to be the leader of the pack. He was coming closest and the smaller dogs kept running up to him, licking his face and rolling at his feet.
    He had one damaged eye and was limping where it looked like he’d been in a recent fight and had his front leg gashed.
    ‘He ain’t no use to us,’ Ryan said. ‘Nothing but trouble. We take him out and the rest will back down.’
    Achilleus looked to Paddy, but he could see he wasn’t up for it. The little boy was weighed down by the golf bag and still clutching the Gáe Bolg . Achilleusguessed that killing dogs wasn’t his thing. Wasn’t sure that killing grown-ups was his thing either, to be honest.
    ‘I’ll do it,’ he said and took out his trusted old spear, the one he’d made months ago from a sharpened steel pole. He’d added a leather grip and it had a pommel at the end that became a useful club in a close-up fight. Twirling it in one hand, he strode out pastthe hunters, keeping his eyes fixed on the Rottweiler. It made a lunge towards him, but was obviously wary of Ryan’s bigger dogs that were setting up an unholy racket, yelping and howling, straining at their leads, up on their hind legs. It was all Ryan’s hunters could do to hold them back. Achilleus needed to get this over quickly.
    ‘Come on, you ugly bastard,’ he said, walkingsteadily towards the Rottweiler. It held back, and held back, and held back, and then at last attacked. Achilleus was ready – legs firmly planted, eyes never leaving the dog’s eyes – and as it leapt up at him he thrust forward with his spear and took it cleanly in the chest. Stepping aside so that the weight of the dog wouldn’t hit him. He’d killed it instantly.
    The fight wentout of the other dogs. They calmed down and stopped running around and Achilleus was able to properly check them out. There were three yappy little things, nasty little bruisers, scarred from battle. Four larger mongrels with matted fur, smart-looking, but probably not much use to Ryan’s guys. And then there was an Alsatian. Skinny, but in better shape than the others. That was theone he’d pick. The others could be left to run around harmlessly. They weren’t going to be a threat to anyone.
    ‘The Alsatian,’ said Achilleus, pointing at the dog. ‘Leave the rest.’
    ‘You want it?’ said Ryan.
    Achilleus looked at Paddy who was grinning like a kid at Christmas.
    ‘Don’t need a dog,’ he said, and Paddy groaned.
    ‘Oh, go on, Akkie,’ he whined. ‘Let’s keephim. I’ll look after him. He’d be a good guard dog.’
    No, he’d be another mouth to feed. Another living thing to be responsible for. And it would need to be trained. Made safe.
    ‘Forget it.’ He turned and walked away. ‘He’s all yours, Ryan.’
    Ryan made a signal and two of his hunters went in quickly, managed to catch the dog and put a collar and lead on it. It thrashed about,snarling and snapping at them. One of them hit it with a stick and it quietened down.
    There were tears in Paddy’s eyes. He was trying not to let anyone see.
    ‘We don’t need no dog,’ Achilleus repeated, and before Paddy could say anything there was a shout.
    ‘Guys!’ A hunter was over near the back of the gallery. Achilleus noticed that some of the dogs had also gone over andwere