Shania yelped once. Woman and dog collapsed together to the ground.

Tony got to the dog before the first boot could impact with her ribs. He took the blow on his thigh, gathered the trembling body up in both arms and rolled away yelling, “You don’t understand; she wasn’t attacking. This dog’s a hero! We’re from the health department,” he continued, not giving anyone else a chance to talk. “The first man who fell was contaminated by some stupid kid with a new designer drug. It’s a dust that works on contact with skin, he passed it on to that boy who passed it on to that boy,” he jerked his head toward the two teenagers, now standing and being fussed over by family. “Who passed it on to this woman. The dog could smell it. This dog has kept everyone else from being contaminated.”

“You’re touching the dog!” But the voice held as much confusion as anger and Tony realized they actually had a chance of pulling this off. Witnesses were still too spread out for mob mentality to have taken over.

“I’m immune to the drug, that’s why we were sent.”

In the face of the inexplicable, people looked for explanations, something to make sense of what hadn’t made sense. The explanation didn’t have to make sense; it only had to sound like it did.

“And you’re from the health department?”

“We are.” Tony relaxed slightly as Arra pushed through the crowd holding up what looked like official documentation.

“Get out of my way,” she snapped, “and let me make sure it ends at this dog.”

“We should call 911,” someone muttered.

They should, Tony agreed silently, but given cultural politics they probably wouldn’t. Lucky break for our side.

Dropping heavily to her knees, Arra pressed a hand against the dog’s heaving ribs. Only Tony saw that the hand had slipped through fur and flesh and emerged holding a writhing shadow. Murmuring the incantation under her breath, she forced her hands together as the shadow struggled to survive, finally squashing it into nothing.

Shania whined, wriggled, and bit Tony on the hand. Hard. As he jerked back, she squirmed free and ran into the arms of her owner.

“Good,” Arra announced in a tone that brooked no argument. “The dog has neutralized the drug. Ought to get a medal. Now then, move aside and let me look at this woman. Thermos!”

It took Tony a moment to realize the last word had been directed at him and then he shrugged out of his backpack and pulled a thermos free.

“Eww.” A girl in the crowd wrinkled her nose. “It smells like that stuff in the back of Uncle Virn’s garden.”

“Be quiet, Kira.”

“No,” another voice said thoughtfully. “It does.”