"Wolf time!" The children glance at you before turning back to the television.

"Wolf time!" The children glance at you before turning back to the television.

Look at those lights! Evenly diffused? Impeccable alternating pattern? That thing's not a bootleg.

"What are you watching?"

"Wolfs." He points at the screen.

"It's 'Sixty-Six Wolves', and it's our favourite thing in the whole world." She spreads her arms.

"What is it about?"

"It's about a girl who has sixty-six chambers in her heart, and each one contains a wolf, and the wolves came out to make war with the angels!"

"Each wolf has a special weapon, and they have super-violent special attacks too." He grins.

On the screen, a headless lupine figure, standing on its back legs, shakes violently. Blood pours from its neck as flesh re-knits itself.

"Wait, is that thing regrowing its head?"

"That's Loathing Wolf. Another wolf cut his head off because it's the tournament arc, but he didn't know Loathing Wolf can heal fast."

"Loathing Wolf's not even strong, but he can be scary."

"Incredible."

"Yeah!"

"It's the best show." He nods. "And it's from La Luz!"

The words 'La Luz' makes your shoulders close in, as if bracing for a hit.

OUST THE NAMES OF THESE GROTESQUE FASCIST ANIMALS, SPEAK TO THEM OF THE PEOPLE'S HEROES.

"Let me tell you what's way cooler than these wolves."

"Is it another cartoon?"

RECITE UNTO THEM THE TALE OF THE END OF HISTORY, AND THE TRIUMPH OF POST-HISTORICAL MATERIALISM.

"Once upon a time, in the Supreme Union of People's Republics..."

"Shhh! They're fighting again!"

"Yeah! Shhh!"

CHILD-WOLF HYBRIDS HAVE NO PLACE IN THE WORKERS' PARADISE.

"Actually, nothing is cooler than these wolves. They're the future."

"Yeahhh!"

"One day, we'll all be wolves..."

"Never mind." (Drop it.)

"That's fine. Nothing is cooler than 'Sixty-Six Wolves' anyway." The boy frowns and turns back toward the TV.

"Do your friends also like 'Sixty-Six Wolves'?"

"Everyone loves it! Some of the grown-ups like it, even though it's a cartoon."

Notice that the broadcast is in Mircean -- not Luzian. Dubbed for a foreign audience.

Troubling, especially if Luzian cultural exports are what they primarily consume.

"It does seem pretty cool."

"Don't tell that to the music man. He hates it." He casts a glance at a nearby stall.

Following the kid's line of sight, you land on Petre, who stands at the front of his stall obsessively cleaning a disc.

"He does strike me as lame-tier."

"Well, maybe he should stop then?"

"He says he won't sell the music discs because it would 'poison our brain' with 'sonic excrements'."

"Want me to talk to him?"

"Well... maybe?" He frowns. "But it won't change his mind, because he's a loser."

"Maybe he has a point there."

"But then why does he sell the other Luzian discs?" He scoffs. "He's a big loser."

"All he has are those discs. More of a tragic figure, I'd say."

"There are audio discs of the show?"

"Yeah! They have songs on them, like the main theme at the start of the show. Or the one from when Nimble Wolf burned a whole angel city, even the angel babies."

The neurotically-organised stall, about ten metres west. A morose man stands there obsessively cleaning a disc-like object.

(Nod toward the stall.) "That guy?"

"Yeah, him."

A man of strong opinion that he's not afraid to shout about. Even to children.

(Point at the man.) "You mean the sad man over there?"

"Hold on. Who?"

"Him." He points to a nearby stall, where a bespectacled man dutifully cleans a disc.

"Would you describe these grown-ups as 'terminal losers'?"

"They're just grown-ups." She fiddles with her ear.

"The music man's the big loser. He hates the show and so he won't order the audio discs." He casts a glance at a nearby stall.

"Is there anyone who doesn't like it?"

"The music man. He hates the show and so he won't order the audio discs." He casts a glance at a nearby stall.

"What about Portofiran cartoons? Do you watch those?"

"Umm... I don't know any." He turns to the girl. "Do you know any maybe?"

"Wait, I remember those. From when I was little. There was one with puppets arguing a lot, and another with a green cat who was also a thief to help people."

Neither sounds terribly enticing.

"Were they any good?"

"They looked old, and ugly. Mum said she watched them as a kid too." She points to the TV. "This is so much better."

"Death to puppets!" He grips the hilt of his sword.

"Those sound far more appropriate for children."

"Giant armed wolves are clearly superior."

"If the show's from La Luz, how are you watching it?"

"With the television?" He looks confused. "It's just on most times."

"'Most' times?"

"Sometimes, the image gets fuzzy, or the image is all blue." She gives the screen a furtive glance. "But it doesn't happen much now. It used to be way worse!"

The Luzians must be getting better at bypassing the blockage.

The man kills the engine and waits, watching the morning mist part like a curtain. Slowly, the array emerges: twelve slender, glinting giants, shoulder to shoulder -- all facing north.

He exits the vehicle, thermos in hand. The world smells of brine and diesel. He nods at the green lights, blinking in the distance. It's nice, he thinks, when things behave as they should.

"The signal blockers should be preventing it from coming through."

"What do you know about La Luz?"

"It's the place where they make all the cool stuff. It's not like here." She leans closer, as if sharing a secret with you. "I bet they even have flying tuk-tuks."

Ridiculous. These wobbling, open-chassis abominations can barely function on solid ground.

"And also we have cousins over there." He turns to his sister.

"That's nice. Do you like your cousins?"

"We don't really know them." She scratches the side of her nose. "I talked to one once, on the phone."

"I asked mum if they could come over one day, and she said it's hard because La Luz is so far."

A mere four-hour flight, but there are no commercial flights between Portofiro and the Illuminated Empire.

Some Portofirans refer to Luzians as 'strange cousins', a nod to this island's colonial past.

"Is your family from La Luz, then?"

"No, we were born here. And mum is from Ansaunne."

Certainly not part of La Luz. It's a wealthy state in the Developed World, known for its bogs and poets.

"I asked mum if our cousins could come over one day, and she said it's hard because La Luz is so far."

"You shouldn't watch this. I bet it's propaganda."

"What's that?" She frowns.

Yeah, tell them how bad everything is. They need to know the horrors that await them in this world.

"Yeah, it's bad for you. Really bad."

"But it doesn't feel bad." Her mouth shimmies from side to side. "Maybe it's an adult thing?"

"I'm bored. Can we talk about the wolves now?"

"It's mean people telling you what to think by beaming loud, catchy stuff into your skull."

"Like songs and stuff?" Her mouth shimmies from side to side as she considers it. "Sounds good! Give me the propaganda!"

THEY'RE TOO FAR GONE ALREADY.

"It's bad when bad people do it, but it's fine when good people do it."

"But the wolves aren't people." The boy mulls it over. "And the angels are the evil ones. So..."

"So we can keep watching." She claps and turns back to the TV.

"Ask your parents."

"Oh, okay. Maybe if I don't forget. Can we just talk about the wolves some more?"

"Forget I said anything." (Drop it.)

"Oh, okay. We can just talk about the wolves some more."

Perhaps you should let children be children.

"I've learned a lot today." (Conclude.)

"But we barely told you anything. We can tell you everything about 'Sixty-Six Wolves', so you can just ask, okay?"

La Luz. Once a powerful empire, now reconstituted as a modern techno-fascist state, the rising military and cultural power of the day.

"Sounds... intense."

"Like when Weary Wolf ate an angel, but she did it slow because she was angry, so the angel was screaming the whole time."

"Kids' stuff. Lame."

"I'm ten." She frowns.

"Tell me about these cool, violent wolves at once."

"Stop, I've heard enough already." (Go back.)

"I knew a stupid grown-up wouldn't get it."

"I've changed my mind, tell me about this show, 'Sixty-Six Wolves'."

"Is that Sixty-Six Wolves?"

"Yeah, it is. But we already told you that and you didn't like it."

"I was just pretending."

"Oh, okay. That's good. I thought you meant it."

"'Sixty-Six Wolves' is the best show ever. And it's from La Luz!"

"Yeah, I'm still not sure if I like it."

"That was someone else."

"No it wasn't. I can tell even though you have that thing on your head." She looks at you in disbelief. "You're a liar."

"No it wasn't. I can tell even though you have a bag on your head." She looks at you in disbelief. "You're a liar."

"No it wasn't. I remember -- it was you." She looks at you in disbelief. "You're a liar."

"Wow! You know it?" Her mouth opens wide.

"Only because I'm cool."

"Like the wolves!"

"Regrettably, my brain keeps picking up worthless information."

"But Sixty-Wolves is the best show ever, though. It's good that you know it!"

"Yeah. And it's from La Luz!"

"Just part of doing my job."

"Are you a wolf scientist?" She frowns, studying you. "No, scientists have glasses..."

"I have questions about 'Sixty-Six Wolves'."

"You can ask. We know everything."

"Tell me about this girl whose heart is full of wolves."

"The angel Canopus cursed her before she was even born. Because of her mum."

"It was vengeance," the girl says knowingly.

"So now she's getting vengeance on the angel?"

"No, now she serves Canopus in her war against the other angels. There's Deneb, and Polaris, and Rasalhague..."

"Rasalhague is gay. He's the gay angel."

"Shut up, I like him. And that's not how angels work!!"

"And the wolves are... ?"

"The wolves are wolves, but they walk like people -- and they're big. Their weapons are sick."

The boy seems confused that he has to explain this.

"What happened to her mother?"

"The wolves killed her!"

"That was like the first episode."

"What's so special about these wolves?"

"They all have their own powers."

"Who's the strongest wolf?"

"Ultima-Wolf."

"But Ultima-Wolf only appears when times are most dire." The girl nods.

Your tongue runs along the familiar edges of your canines.

Inner wolf. Hidden wolf.

"So Ultima-Wolf's the one who saves everybody."

"Well... the last time Ultima-Wolf appeared she burned a village of women and kids."

"It was sick."

"That's lame. Ultima-Wolf should always be around."

"They tried that once. It went bad."

"Ultima-Wolf got angry and sad and started fighting everybody for no reason."

(Look around.) "Is it dire now, kids?"

"Nah, it's alright."

"What's the scariest wolf?"

"Grieving Wolf. When she plays her harp, even the angels cry."

"She also ate Nabia's sister while they were all locked inside Nabia's heart."

"These wolves seem to kill a lot of people..."

"She didn't kill her sister. She ate her."

"But it's not her fault."

"These wolves seem to wang a lot of people..."

"The girl has wolves and her sister in her own heart?"

"Not just her sister. All the people she loves are trapped in there. Forever."

"That's how Canopus's curse works."

"That's not scary! It's just sad."

The boy shrugs.

"Being sad is scary."

"What's the coolest wolf?"

"Zealous Wolf. He destroyed the moon with his gunhammer."

"His gunhammer was forged by the elder wolves."

Spoken like one who spent his whole life around gunhammers.

"Why would he do that to the moon?"

"He also blew up an ocean, but they only showed that once because of the seizures."

"Yeah. He did it to get back at Polaris. That's his mum."

"Wait, so angels can give birth to wolves?"

"Zealous Wolf is only part-wolf. That's why he has wings."

"Polaris forced him to join her order of Dark Seraphims. She's too strong to fight, so Zealous Wolf tricked her instead."

"You can't be an angel if you do a stellar sin. So... wooosh!" He points an imaginary weapon at the sky.

"Okay, I'm beginning to understand Zealous Wolf's reasoning."

"Do you have a gunhammer?"

"I have two guns." (Show the kids.)

"Whoa!" He tilts his head to the side. "It's like Furtive Wolf's twin daggers, but guns."

"We should ask mum if we can get guns!"

"That'll be the next upgrade." (Show them your pipe gun.)

"Whoa..." He tilts his head to the side. "It's even cooler than when you showed us before."

"Whoa..." He tilts his head to the side. "It's not as cool, but that's pretty cool."

"I have the next best thing." (Show them your gun.)

"Maybe."

"I don't believe you. If I had one, I'd carry it everywhere!"

"Not yet."

"The toy version's really expensive." He pretends to swing around something giant and heavy.

"The toy version's really expensive." He flicks his giant plastic sword back and forth.

"What about the other wolves? Do they like Zealous Wolf?

"They don't talk to him. They liked the moon more."

"He could've stayed with the angels instead of blowing stuff up."

"No way. He just wanted to be free."

"That's a harsh way to deal with your mother."

(Shudders.) "His mother probably brought it on herself."

"I'm sure he had his reasons."

"Cool. Next." (Go back.)

"Let me hear that list of wolf names again."

"Sure!" He takes a deep breath.

"Zealous Wolf, Tyrant Wolf, Raging Wolf, Reviled Wolf, Stoic Wolf, Fear Wolf, Pity Wolf, Yearning Wolf, Sensitive Wolf, Hysteric Wolf, Ecstatic Wolf, Passion Wolf, Tender Wolf, Sorrow Wolf, Insecure Wolf, Grateful Wolf..."

"... Seething Wolf, Psycho Wolf, Gentle Wolf, Numb Wolf, Bitter Wolf, Lustful Wolf, Loathing Wolf, Modest Wolf, Sanguine Wolf, Grieving Wolf, Ultima-Wolf, Greedy Wolf, Guilty Wolf..."

Let him go on.

"... Dream Wolf, Dyspeptic Wolf, Weary Wolf, Wrath Wolf, Cunning Wolf, Trickster Wolf, Placid Wolf, Eager Wolf, Nostalgic Wolf, Dread Wolf, Jealous Wolf..."

"... Venturous Wolf, Stubborn Wolf, Obsessive Wolf, Hasty Wolf, Forlorn Wolf, Mournful Wolf, Vain Wolf, Reverent Wolf, Wicked Wolf..."

"... Shy Wolf, Jubilant Wolf, Clement Wolf, Sycophant Wolf, Furtive Wolf, Conformist Wolf, Serene Wolf, Critical Wolf, Vindictive Wolf, and Unyielding Wolf."

He's missing a few.

"That's only fifty-nine by my count."

"Only because some of the wolves haven't awakened yet, so we don't know their names." He nods. "They're probably super powerful."

And yet he claimed to know them all, did he not?

Skirting the line between truth and deception. If anything, the boy should be commended.

"Getting off on a technicality. You got potential, kid."

"Thanks!" He beams, revealing a gap tooth.

Repository updated. All listed wolves have been memorised.

A powerful addition to my cultural arsenal.

Surely the people around you will love nothing more than to hear about your latest obsession.

"Do you have other wolf questions?"

Can't wait to tell Melita about this.

Surely your controller will be overjoyed about this top-grade, ground-level information.

Shit. Why does my brain do that?

Because there is no such thing as 'bad' knowledge. It is inherently beneficial. In fact, you should find more things to memorise.

"Fifty-nine's still impressive. Well done."

"Not acceptable. I demand to know all sixty-six at once."

"My mum said it's that way on purpose, so people keep watching." She shrugs. "You should watch the show!"

"Point made, child. Let's stop here."

"But that's only like, thirty."

"She doesn't care." The little girl rolls her eyes. "Adults are boring."

"How do you keep track of all these wolves?"

"It's easy. You just have to memorise their names." He taps the side of his head. "I did."

"Really? Let's hear it."

"I'll take your word for it." (Go back.)

"Okay." He shrugs.

"That's enough about the wolves." (Go back.)

"There's so many more wolves."

"And this girl... commands these wolves?"

"Not really. They only come out when she gets in trouble."

"Or when they get hungry. If she doesn't feed them they try to devour her heart."

A phantom weight presses on your chest as you picture this girl, waking up each day to a world of wolves and monstrous angels.

"So the wolves are her friends?"

"Your friends want to devour your heart?"

"They wouldn't be able to stomach it."

"My friends are nice." She turns back to the TV.

"I hope not, but it might be too late."

"I wouldn't blame them if they did."

"Sounds like these wolves cannot, and should not, be trusted."

The boy does not seem to think this is worth responding to.