October 23. Jack and his Darkness

Yay, time for October mood.


Heavy footsteps crossed the outer room. Then the door immediately across from me was flung open. Jack stood upon the threshold, staring at the cages, the vivisectionists, myself upon the table. Graymalk peered in from behind him.
"Just who do you think you are, bursting into a private laboratory?" said the beefy man.
". . . Interrupting a piece of scientific research?" said the tall man.
". . . And damaging our door?" said the short man with the wide shoulders and large hands.
I could see it now, like a black tornado, surrounding Jack, settling inward. If it entered him completely he would no longer be in control of his actions.
"I've come for my dog," he said. "That's him on your table."
He moved forward.
"No, you don't, laddie," said the beefy man. "This is a special job for a special client."
"I'll be taking him and leaving now."
The beefy man raised his scalpel and moved around the table.
"This can do amazing things to a man's face, pretty boy," he said.
The others picked up scalpels, also.
"I'd guess you've never met a man as really knows how to cut," the beefy one said, advancing now.
Dzzp!
It was into him, and that funny light came into his eyes, and his hand came out of his pocket and captured starlight traced the runes on the side of his blade.
"Well-met," Jack said then, through the teeth of his grin, and he continued to walk straight ahead.
(c) R. Zelazny "A Night in the Lonesome October"