Darkness came gradually over the Land. The Red Web became discernible in the eastern sky as it rose beyond the gleaming Palace. So much light made seeing difficult in that quarter of the sky and so they looked into the west instead, scanning the horizon from north to south and back again. After it had become fully dark, they convinced themselves that dull reddish light shone in one area to the west, probably on the far side of the hills that they had noticed earlier. Mab soared high in the air above them and confirmed it. Wide awake and well rested, they descended the western slope of the hill and struck out across the plain of grass.

After they had walked for some while, the ground began to slope down before them and they smelled and heard trees. They paused at a place where they could gaze down into a broad valley that ran athwart their direction. At its bottom, a braided stream shone silver in starlight. On its other side the darkness was absolute, but a fringe of red light above told them that they were looking at the range of hills, which rose up above the opposite bank of the river.

As they stood there taking this in and thinking about how best to get across, they heard a sound that reminded them of the Garden: the song of a nocturnal beast, singing alone at first, but presently joined by another, and then another, and so on until the voices could not be separated. They got the sense, however, that the creatures were on the move, coalescing into a group that was moving up the slope toward them.

Mab rose higher, seeking better vantage. “They move on four legs. Their bodies are covered in gray hair. Their ears are pointy—as are their teeth.”

“Spring’s creations, coming to greet us!” Adam exclaimed.

“I cannot wait to see them,” Eve said. “Many were the nights we heard their singing in the Garden, but the wall stood between us.”

“All part of the pattern,” Adam said. “El did not wish us to know the wonders of Spring’s creations, for fear that we would spurn him and wander freely about the Land.”

A wolf emerged into the circle of faint white light cast on the ground by Mab, cringing at first but gathering courage as Adam squatted down on his haunches and beckoned it forward. Having satisfied itself that Mab could do it no harm, it sprang forward and sank its fangs into Adam’s hand.

Adam was still looking on in amazement, trying to make sense of the intense new sensations running up his arm into his mind, when Mab dove straight toward the wolf’s forehead, blazing with such brilliance that both Adam and the wolf were blinded for a moment. The wolf’s jaws were no longer gripping his hand, but the unpleasant sensation was still there. He lifted his hand to his face to rub his eyes and felt a wet hot liquid. Eve was tugging sharply on his other arm, pulling him to his feet. “We must get away!” she cried. “They are coming for us!”