Page 194 of Phoenix's Fire

"And that proves the point," Kanik agreed. "What else can we use, though? Fetch isn't quite right."

Now her tail was wagging hopefully.

"Disarm," I decided. "Holly, disarm the gun." I tapped it. She pressed her nose to the weapon, then looked up. "Good girl!" I said, giving her a treat. "Disarm!"

We did that a few times, then I had Kanik hold the weapon before him, and I showed her again. When she finally took the gun from his loose hands, I praised her even more, offering her toy so she could run around shaking it.

"Okay, let me have that," Zasen said, taking the rifle. "Kanik's been walloped by that dog more than me. I also want to try something," he said.

"Okay?" I nodded in agreement, but he simply walked away.

"What's he doing?" Kanik asked.

I could only shrug. "Is he trying to prove she can't do this?"

"No, I think he's trying to find the problems with it," he assured me. "So we can fix them, I mean."

I nodded, aware Zasen had headed around the front of the house, then over towards the empty space beside our house. Figuring he would tell me when he was ready, I reached over to pet my dog some more, making sure all of this was fun for her. Lansin said that made teaching them new things easier for the animals.

Then I heard Zasen say in English, "Two targets ahead. Flank right!"

"Holly, disarm!" I yelled.

"Disarm!" Kanik told her at the same time.

Her toy was immediately forgotten, and she took off like a streak. "Away by!" I yelled, realizing she was making a straight line to him.

Immediately, she arced to the right, obeying the command, but her nose told me exactly where Zasen was, even if I couldn't see him in the trees and bushes. She also didn't slow down. Making a quick spiral around Zasen's hiding spot, the dog raced in from behind him - then vanished into the trees.

I heard Zasen grunt, then a deep but playful growl sounded. A moment later, Holly emerged from the bushes tail first, dragging Zasen by the rifle because of the strap he'd wrapped around his body the way Moles always did.

Holly shook, thrashing at the weapon, and kept dragging. Within three steps, she'd not only knocked him off his feet, and pulled him out of hiding, but also yanked the gun away from him by pulling the strap over his head and arm. Then she spun and ran back with it as fast as she could.

"Oh, that's a good girl!" I told her. "Yes, you are! Oh, Holly's a good doggie!"

Zasen groaned from where he was lying on the ground. "Remind me to never fight a dog," he said before rolling over and pushing himself up. "Damn, I was ready for her and still couldn't hold on to the thing."

"That's about a hundred and fifty pounds of pure predator," Kanik pointed out. "Kinda like getting tackled by a coyote."

"But much prettier," I cooed to my dog. "Yes, you're the bestest dog ever, aren't you? Oh, you're so smart, Holly. Here. Toy."

She took the stuffed thing Tamin had given her and raced around for a victory lap. Beside me, Kanik crossed his arms, waiting until Zasen walked all the way back to us.

"So?" Kanik asked.

Zasen bent over, flicking his bright blue tail behind him. "I could've stung her, but there's no way I could've shot her. I couldn't even get the end pointed at her in time."

"So it might work?" I asked.

He nodded. "Yeah, I think that might work very well. But what will they do after she steals the gun, Ayla?"

I shrugged. "Panic? Run around trying to find oneon the ground?"

"Pull a knife?" Kanik suggested.

"Maybe, but aren't your tails longer than most men's arms?" I asked.

"She has a point," Zasen said. "Right about now, I only have one real problem with this."