Wolf and the Big Apple
by DrummondType2
Disclaimer: I own none of the characters appearing in this, and am in no way profiting from this story.
II. "It was a different time, and a different place," Horo began, "A bargain had been struck, and I would make the harvests of the land rich and bountiful.
"However, this was not something that I could do endlessly. There was a cost to the land, and from time to time, I had to permit the land to rest. The crops for that year would fail, and the people who relied on me would attribute it to my humors, fairly or not.
"But you humans are clever creatures, always developing newer and better things. Over the centuries, new techniques were invented for cultivating the land. And humans found that they no longer needed to rely on the capricious wolf."
"That must have been hard for you," Ray Stantz said.
"I was a deity with no subjects to tithe her or rely on her. It was sad, and it was lonely. However, I could not simply leave the land. I was sealed there by the pact I had struck with the village. Except for one detail.
"Should a bundle of wheat be present that was larger than the last one harvested, I was free to move to that bundle. And as the people of the village found themselves without need of me, I found a traveling merchant who happened to be passing through, with a bundle of wheat in his cart."
"That sounds fortuitous," Egon noted.
"His name was Kraft Lawrence, and he was an interesting young man. We struck a new bargain. Lawrence would transport me to my homeland of Yoitsu, and I, in turn, would enhance his profits along the way. Lawrence threshed the wheat for me and put the grains in a pouch, which I hung about my neck by a leather strap.
"Until I had returned to Yoitsu, I was bound to that wheat."
"Let me guess. Should anything happen to the current form you're wearing, your spirit can return to the wheat, and you can revive yourself."
"You are quite a learned man, Dr. Spengler," Horo said, smiling, "It is as you say. I was bound to that wheat. So long as I live, it cannot whither or die or rot. And so long as it is not destroyed, I can live."
"But if a couple of street hoods took off with it, thinking it was money or something, wouldn't they just toss it away when they found out it wasn't cash?" Winston asked.
"As you say, common thieves would have no use for it, and would have disposed of it. But in that case, trailing their scent should have lead me to what I sought," Horo said, "Meaning..."
"Meaning whoever stole the pouch knew what it was," Ray finished.
"Quite possibly."
"They could threaten to destroy the wheat unless you do what they tell you to," Peter said.
Horo sniffed, "They could try. But I am a proud wolf, Dr. Venkman. I would rather die than serve as someone's lap dog. They would have to either destroy me, or abandon their quest to control me." "There's another possibility," Egon said, "If the person who holds that pouch knows certain incantations, they can use the pouch of wheat to control you against your will. Certain controlling magicks require only the aura of the person targeted by the spell, and something as tied to you as that wheat would give them a powerful tool to use."
"But, aside from you," Winston said, "Who in New York knows that kind of magic?" Egon held up the newspaper, "Charles Dexter Ward."
A collective cry went up from the rest of the Ghostbusters, "WHAT?"
Peter grabbed the paper and began to read the article aloud, "A New York City Judge today dismissed charges against Charles Dexter Ward in relation to the events taking place at Coney Island two months ago today.
"Ward's lawyer argued that Ward was the victim of religious persecution, both by the New York Police Department and by the Ghostbusters. His lawyer, Richard Pickman, argued that there is no section of the New York penal code that prohibits or forbids the worship or conjuration of Eldritch entities, and that Ward had been unfairly targeted as a result.
"Ward pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of receiving stolen property.
" 'The spawn of Cthulhu were responsible for the theft of the Necronomicon,' Ward is quoted as saying, 'Which they view as their own. It was given to me to perform certain religious rites, after which, I had every intention of returning the valuable tome to its rightful owners.'
"Ward was made to pay a fine of $10,000 and was sentenced to probation."
"Why that dirty..."
"Forget it, Ray," Egon said, "Our best bet now is to determine whether or not Ward is behind the theft of Horo's talisman, and if so, what he intends to do with it."
Peter stood up, "I'll ask him."
"What?" The others asked, incredulously.
"Pete, what makes you think he's going to talk to you?" Winston asked, "I mean, we got him arrested, after all. We're not on his list of favorite people."
"Well," Peter grinned, "technically, we're no the ones who arrested him. He was arrested for stealing that stupid book, right? That's between him and the New York Public Library. And I know a thing or two about lawsuits.
"Horo, would you like to come with me?"
"Definitely," Horo said.
"Then we'll pay old Chuck a visit first thing in the morning."
#############
Peter was greeted with a less than enthusiastic welcome when he and Horo reached Ward's penthouse apartment.
"Get out, or I'll have you arrested for tresspassing."
"Oh, I think you're going to want to have a chat with me, Charlie," Peter smirked, "That is, if you want to avoid a slander suit."
"SLANDER!"
"Shall we talk inside?" Peter said, "I wouldn't want your neighbors to overhear something and get the wrong idea."
"Come in," Ward growled.
"Thanks," then, whispering to Horo, "play along, 'kay?"
Horo gave the faintest of nods.
"Now, Dr. Venkman, what makes you think you can sue me for slander?"
"It's quite simple, Chuck," Peter said, "You know what happened to the Necronomicon, and you were there when the Library sent us out to find who stole it. That means that you engaged in willfully misleading my fellow Ghostbusters and I.
"And then, after we find the Necronomicon in your possession, you accuse us of religious persecution after it was you who sent us out to find it in the first place. You were acting as an agent of the Library at the time, weren't you?"
"I..."
"My lawyer here informs me that you've left yourself open for a seriously larger lawsuit, for libel, slander, defamation of character."
"Defa...That's absurd! You haven't any claim to damage."
"Only damage to reputation," Horo spoke in clipped, measured tones, sounding every bit like a practiced lawyer, "People take their religious views very seriously, Mr. Ward, as I'm sure you can attest. "You stated that my clients, the Ghostbusters, engaged in a pattern of willful persecution of a religious group, after you yourself hired them to investigate.
"My clients' line of work is very sensitive to people with religious leanings, and by stating that my clients persecute people for their beliefs, you have damaged their reputations, and conceivably their ability to find work. No one will want to hire a group of spiritual investigators if they believe that said group is going to incarcerate their revered deities.
"Your spurious claim has left you very open to litigation, sir."
"Couldn't have said it any better myself," Peter said with a smile and a shrug.
Ward sank into his chair, "What do you want from me?"
"I'm a reasonable man," Peter said, "You can make this whole thing go away. You just have to do a couple of things for me."
"What things?"
"First, a public apology. Can't have you hurting the business, you know. Plus, the kids look up to us, and I'd kinda like to keep it that way.
"And the second thing is to tell me what you know about every underhanded supernatural dealing in the Tri-State area."
"I'll grant your apology, but I'm not going to help you find my people."
"Well, I tried. What do you think we can get from him at trial? A hundred thou? A million?" "It depends on the jury of course," Horo said, "But I think a hundred thousand dollars isn't an unreasonable request."
"Stop. What sort of information?"
"I'll let you know when I hear it."
"I'm afraid I don't know anything."
Horo turned, "He's lying. He knows exactly what you mean, Dr. Venkman."
Ward's eyes narrowed, and he grinned, sharklike, "I thought as much. You're not human, are you?"
"Is this man prone to wild statements, Doctor?" Horo asked calmly.
"Well, he did summon a creature that looked like Godzilla with a squid for a head."
"Heathen," Ward sneered at Peter, "You'll taste my master's wrath soon enough. As for you, girl, I know your true name. Horo of Yoitsu. I never expected you to join forces with my hated nemesis here, but I shouldn't be too surprised."
Peter grabbed Ward's collar, "If you know something, I suggest you spill. The lady gets a bit testy when people hold out on her."
"If you're looking for your pouch, Horo of Yoitsu, then it's too late. My men have taken it somewhere safe. You'll never find it, not before the ritual."
"Ritual? Your squid friend can't return for another sixty years," Peter said.
"Ordinarily, that would be true. But the window was wedged open when you people used your proton packs. Cthulhu will rise again. Ia! Ia! Cthulhu Fhtagn!"
Hearing the outlandish tongue, Horo's eyes widened, and she turned on her heel, "Peter, we've learned what we need to from this wretched creature. We have to return to your Firehouse and consult your friend, Dr. Spengler."
"Right. And I'll be back for you, Ward. Don't think I won't."
"No, Dr. Venkman. I don't think you will," Ward smiled, folding his hands, "In fact, I don't think you or your friend will be leaving this building."
"Really?" Peter raised an eyebrow, "You planning on stopping us? You and what army?"
There was an unsavory noise that reached Peter's ears, a noise like rats in the walls.
"You remember my friends the Shoggoth, yes? They'd be more than delighted to play with you a second time, Dr. Venkman. And Derleth isn't here to save you this time."
"Something smells most foul," Horo grimaced, "But I believe that I can deal with that. You were correct in guessing my identity, Mr. Ward. But you are also mistaken. You seem to think that my presence is something for you to gloat over, to celebrate.
"Believe me, when I tell you that upon learning that I am Horo, the Wise Wolf of Yoitsu, who you have sought to domineer, your heart should be filled with dread. For I do not take kindly to being ill used, and I will not allow you to make a fool of me." With that, Horo faced the door of the apartment and issued a loud, piercing howl. Peter opened the door, and thought he saw a hint of motion in the shadows, retreating down the halls.
"I've met these Shoggoth and their masters once before," Horo said to Peter, "The Shoggoth will bend to any will stronger than their own. And mine is far greater than this pitiful facade of a human being. Stay by my side, and keep your eyes sharp until we are safely out of this place again, and no harm should befall you."
###### # ## # #
Upon returning to the firehouse, Peter and Horo related their story to the others.
"I do not like having to retreat," Horo said, "But I could not have changed forms in that place, as small as it was. And I didn't have blood or grain to transform, anyway."
"It's just as well," Egon said, "I think I know what Ward and his followers are doing."
"Horo, you said you've encountered those things before," Winston said, "When?"
"On the plains of Leng, during my travels away from Yoitsu.
"Leng is not any place you'll ever find on a map. It's in another place. I believe that you humans would say that it is another dimension. We wolves think of it as a bad place that sometimes appears.
"I was not there long. I did not tarry or stay. It was a frightening place, one which I was eager to leave again. There were fell men there, cannibalistic brutes who worshipped dark things that scar the soul and blast the mind. "I counted myself lucky to have left again, and I had not heard or seen it since. I believed...I hoped that the nightmares of Leng would remain there."
"What is it that Ward wants, Egon?" Peter said.
"A sacrifice."