Part 1, Chapters 13-16 Summary

Chapter 13 brings autumn and Steel masks the alien ship, planning to use it and the aliens to spread Flenser's nightmare worldwide. Bashful Tyrathect, whom Steel calls "Flenser-in-waiting," hopes to prevent this. She feels sorry for the star people's treacherous deaths and fears being taken over once the other packs return—while Steel contemplates killing them all to preserve his power and let him move on to world conquest.

On the day of the aliens' arrival, Steel had inspected the ship inside and ordered curtains hung to dampen unbearable echoes. He had admired the workmanship of the unburned coffins but recoiled at the thought that the pups in suspended animation could mature and destroy his world—and that other ships might follow. Steel inspects the dungeons where he had been painfully created. Working with newborn puppies, he has...