Only years of standing on her dignity kept her standing now as her rebellious knees threatened to buckle. All wolves given a blanket pardon? “Has he gone mad? Are they sure that’s the real Wendell after all and not another puppet of the queen’s? Does he think he knows what wolves are really like?”

The awful news delivered, the Chancellor was beginning to relax, although he would never do anything as unseemly as slumping or sighing. “He must think of that particular animal as some sort of pet. Certainly he was most foolish to take such a drastic step without consulting you. Everyone knows that you know best about wolves.”

“Yes. I do. And I know that this will cause trouble the moment our wolves hear of it.” She gnawed a lip for a moment, not even thinking of the damage it would do to her perfect lipstick. “I will not have the mistaken impulses of a wet-behind-the-ears king ruin all the work I have been doing ever since I took the throne five years ago.” Her skirts swished as she paced before her throne. “For three generations the Reds have been trying to eliminate the wolf threat, and what we have accomplished has been through a strict program of punishments for infractions.” She came to a halt in front of the Chancellor, who was watching instead of walking back and forth beside her, poking a finger in his face. “I was the one who instituted the reward system that runs alongside it, and look at how far I have come! Up to ten percent of known wolves take the collar and renounce their wicked ways-that’s double my mother’s five percent!”

“Yes, your Majesty. The projections say that you can get up to twelve percent in another three years.”

“But not if the wolves think they can’t be punished! Wendell has no idea how much he has ruined!” She swished off again, only to grind to a halt as inspiration struck. “I can’t change what he has done, but I don’t have to live with the results. I shall draft a proclamation of my own. Have it spread throughout the Second Kingdom. All wolves, part-wolves, and wolf-lovers have until the next full moon to either take the collar or leave this kingdom forever.” She glared at her madly scribbling Chancellor. “If Wendell thinks wolves are so wonderful, he can have them all!”

In this sequel to A.N.D.'s 'Through the Looking Glass.' Wolf, Virginia, and Littlebit return to the Nine Kingdoms to help Wendell handle the results from his Wolf Pardon.