“You’ve got to be careful, and don’t stay in the room alone. They’re actually extremely smart.”
“How smart?” I asked
“Human smart.” he said.
I looked at the creature in the cage. It looked like a dog had been hit with black magic. One of the really lanky breeds that used to be used for hunting. It smiled at me, bearing its teeth, in a way that seemed both innocent, and friendly, and threatening as hell. It sat there, close to the bars, perfectly upright and proper, straighter than even a show-dog could manage, while it’s long black fur undulated slowly.
“He’s trying to get to you. Don’t think anything of it.” I noticed then, that my compatriot hadn’t let his eyes off the thing since he entered the room. He looked tense, and more serious than I’d ever seen him, like just being here was the equivalent of disarming a bomb. I turned to him.
“You think it can get out?”
“I know it can get out.” he answered simply. I paused, shocked, and quietly asked,
“Then what’s it waiting for?”
“A dramatic moment.”