"... and that's why they call him The leader of the Pack. VROOOMMMM VROOOOM"
Puns and wordplay.
Duncan is not one of Immortal Kanis' favorite people. Back in 1785, Kanis was running down a boy with his pack of dogs when Duncan killed one of the dogs. Duncan's girlfriend the Duchess got tired of Kanis and his dogs, and ordered Kanis hanged. Then she made the error of ordering Duncan to come away from the hanging tree instead of allowing him to bury the body. We can kind of assume that Duncan would have taken the opportunity to send Kanis to the Rainbow Bridge instead of just putting him in a shallow grave for later retrieval by the dogs.
In Seacouver, Duncan is lecturing his university class in ancient weaponry. Kanis awaits outside on Holy Ground, and when confronted by Duncan, insolently warns him that he and his dogs will be tearing Duncan's throat out soon.
In the meantime, Richie has spotted Mark, the fellow that murdered Tessa and made an Immortal out of him. He stalks the fellow, who protests his innocence, and whose fiancee also resists the idea of clean, sober Mark's having been a drugged-out murderer. The police take Mark's side, because Richie has a very spotted record himself, and no report of him as an eyewitness was made at the time of Tessa's death. Duncan takes a look at the fellow, but abandons thoughts of revenge when he sees the pregnant fiancee. Richie is not so easily swayed.
Duncan is actively pursued by Kanis and his pack of dogs, and manages to kill one by hitting it with his car. Duncan has been injured and is pretty bloody when he gets back to the dojo. He is forced to change clothes and display his amazing physique and tidy whities as he wraps a robe about himself. He goes to a local kennel and stops Kanis from assaulting the owner of a bitch that Kanis wants to buy and breed.
Kanis confronts Duncan in the house Duncan is remodeling and orders his pack of canines to take out Duncan's throat. Duncan steps aside and opens the door wherein the bitch Lucille is eagerly awaiting the dogs' attentions.
Duncan fights Kanis and whacks him, and the Quickening produces quite a ride for Lucille and her mates inside the house. ("Did the earth move?" "WOOF!") Richie chases Mark up a fire escape, but doesn't kill him. Mark remembers his crime and confesses. To Richie. Richie meets Duncan back at the dojo and they discuss the lack of justice in the world. No justice, just mercy.
Questions:
1. The Duchess was pretty imperious, yes? Also pretty open about her sexual relationship with Duncan. Duncan's always getting bossed around by royalty of one sort or another. Would this have been a good reason for his coming to the New World?
2. Use this opportunity to express your feelings and impressions of Duncan as he changed clothes after the dogs tore him up.
3. The kennel lady wouldn't sell Lucille to Kanis, but she loaned Lucille to Duncan as a decoy. Lucille was to be returned "with interest" to the lady. Does the "interest" refer to the puppies or to the other dogs? Or to Duncan's attentions? (Him bein' such a hound and all...)
4. Put on your thinking caps and try to figure out why such diverse plots as the Kanis story and the Mark story are combined in one. Is there a common element or theme?