Chapter 2The battle lasted into the late morning hours. Paul was not the only person who had, upon waking and seeing the wreckage of their neighbor’s lawns or hearing the horrible cries of the animal brigade, armored themselves with whatever they could and dragged out all the weapons they could muster. A man whom Paul had arrested several times for illegal wares and altered guns imported from Earth joined him first; there was no mention of the illegality of everything that he had on his person, only a relieved sigh and silent thank yous as he took the head of a pack of manticores while Paul handled a pit of King Rats, all of which had been tangled together by their tails in one long Gordian knot.
“We should head towards the zoo,” the man, named Tim, told him after that minor battle had be
