"Well?" he snarled at Hanibaz. "There will be most likely be a scar." "I don't care about that! You know what I mean!" "If you mean is it healing, then yes. It is." "It would probably heal faster in a proper bedchamber," Lander pointed out. As usual, Hanibaz said nothing, just stood up and stepped to the door. Lander cursed at him. "A potion, then? You're a mage, you must have a simple healing potion lying around."

Hanibaz walked out and shut the door behind him. As soon as it was closed, the rope fell off of Lander and went slithering through the hatch. A moment later, a bowl of food slid through in its place. Savory aromas tempted Lander's nostrils. Beef tonight. Good meat. He held himself back from the food, though, and yelled after Hanibaz.

"Whatever you're doing to me, I wish you'd hurry up with it! I've never been this hungry in my life, and I swear my hair is growing faster than this wound is healing!"

A little window he had never noticed before popped open high up in the door and Hanibaz peered through. "It most likely is."

Lander cursed again as he pulled up his trousers. "Damn you, what are you doing to me?"

"Why, nothing at all. You're healing all by yourself."

"What?" Lander clenched his fists. "If you're not healing me, why are you keeping me in here?"

"Because our friend Black Scratch may have passed something on to you."

"Passed something…"Lander staggered back and sat down hard. He landed right on his slowly healing wound but barely noticed. Black Scratch. Yu Mao. A boar that became a man-a man who became a boar. "A wereboar?" Lander choked. "Black Scratch was a wereboar?" Stories said a wereboar could pass its curse on to people who survived its attacks. "Bitch Queen's mercy." Lander looked back up at Hanibaz. "Am I going to catch the curse?"

Hanibaz's eyes twinkled. "I certainly hope so!"

The little window slid shut. Lander stared at it for a mo-ment then he threw himself at the door, pounding on it and screaming after the Red Wizard, "No! No! "