The creature drew steadily closer until it was finally in full view. It was the largest dog Nick had ever seen—not tall and lean like a Great Dane, but thick and solid with paws the size of toilet plungers and shoulders that shifted like a lion’s as it walked. Its fur was black or very dark brown—it was impossible to tell in the deep shadows. Its ears were plastered back along its head and its tail hung down like a whip about to lash. But the most impressive thing about the animal was its head: It was enormous, boxlike, with great drooping jowls and a sagging brow that almost covered its eyes. The dog did not look directly at them; it seemed to stare slightly to the side and toward the ground, but Nick had no doubt that the dog was watching every move they made.

“It’s the witch’s hellhound!” Biff whimpered.

“Well, whoever he is, he brought friends.”

To the right and behind them were two more dogs, just as large and formidable looking as the first, with dark shaggy fur and thick, sinewy limbs. But these dogs were different: One had more of a pointed snout, with slender ears that tapered at the tips; one had a shock of bright white fur down its chest and belly that made it look like an enormous stuffed animal with its seam ripped open; one had a long, bushy tail, and the other had no tail at all—just a rounded nub that jutted out from its haunches like the handle of an ax.

Biff pointed at the dog behind them. “Would you look at that!”

The dog’s eyes were glowing pale green in the moonlight.

“I told you they were hellhounds!”

“Calm down,” Nick said. “That’s just the light reflecting off a layer of cells behind its retinas. It’s just like the red-eye effect you get when you have your picture taken—only his eyes glow green.”

“What do we do now?”

“Let’s try something,” Nick said. “Stay beside me—do what I do.” He slowly started forward again, watching the dogs carefully; the dogs started forward when he did, gradually closing the distance between them. When Nick stopped, they stopped; when he turned and tried to retrace his footsteps the dog behind him stood its ground and made a low warning growl. When he turned and attempted to move forward again, the two lead dogs moved closer together and blocked his way. They were surrounded now, completely boxed in by three glaring dogs less than twenty feet away.

Nick nodded. “Very good. Very impressive.”

“They’re going to kill us,” Biff choked.

“They don’t want to kill us. If they did they could have done it before now.”

The panic in Biff’s voice was rising. “I’m getting out of here!”