Shadow Pavilion by Liz Williams

else. No weapons, but then, of course, they would not need them, any more than badger needed more than his own sharp teeth. Their mood, a barely controlled, feral viciousness, was infectious: badger grew restless on the end of the lead and was glad when he was unchained and taken downstairs. The tigresses took him back through the long gallery, chattering as they went, but when they reached the end of the colonnade that looked out across the gardens, they took a long flight of steps, leading down.
    Soon, badger was standing on earth once more, even if it was not the soil of his own home. He snuffled it: it was of a strange texture, more like spice than earth, and strongly smelling. It was a rich cinnamon brown. This part of the garden was heavily manicured: planted with rhododendron and azalea, erupting into a profusion of scentless blossom in a variety of reds and golds. Overhead, the sunless sky burned blue and the heat struck the badger like a blow, even accustomed as he was to the climate of his own Hell and the city besides.
    The women took a narrow path between the bushes that led onto a wide sward of grass. Here, were more people: demons with curling moustaches and hot scarlet eyes beneath intricate turbans; a bevy of girls with blue skins and small, polished tusks tipped with gold; a glowering woman the color of polished bronze, wearing a quiver of glittering arrows between her quadruple shoulder-blades.
    Toward the back of the crowd, the badger spotted Prince Agni, dressed all in gold and mounted on an animal that badger initially took to be a horse, but which was covered in little black scales. It had clawed feet and an arrowed tail and reminded badger of some of the beasts he had seen in stables back home. Maybe they’d imported it, or perhaps these things were commonplace. As badger watched, it champed at its bit, displaying impressive teeth.
    â€œGuests!” Agni called, his voice carrying easily through the throng. Everyone immediately fell silent, although the four-armed woman scowled even harder. “Thank you all for honoring us today with your presence. We have many delights for you before the main hunt; I invite you all to gather at the end of the terrace, where we have a number of spectacles for you.”
    The crowd drifted to a marble expanse, dotted with urns. As badger was pulled past, a small muffled groan came out of one of the urns, intriguing badger. Was someone in there? But he had no time to investigate. Everyone was lining up for the first entertainment.
    This turned out to be the four-armed woman. She held two bows, one in each set of hands. A flock of bright birds, red as blood, was released from a cage by a distant servant. The birds rocketed up into the sky and were brought down, twitching, by a storm of arrows. Everyone applauded, politely, and the four-armed woman gave a stiff bow. Then the performance was repeated, with the archer’s back toward the flock. Maybe she had four eyes as well, badger thought. This sort of thing did not greatly interest him, although the birds might be worth trying. They looked plump.
    After this, the tigress who held the badger’s lead gave him a nudge with her toe. “It’s your turn.”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œAnd now,” Agni said, “a demon from a neighboring Hell, all the way from China, to be pitted against our dogs!”
    Badger had automatically assumed that he was to be the hunter. It did not appear that this was to be the case.
    He was shoved down the steps and his lead jerked away. Badger turned, snarling, but the tigress was already bounding back up the steps. Behind him, came a blood-curdling yell.
    Four dogs, if one could call them that, were leaping across the grass. They were huge, scaled like the horse-beast, with curling teeth and glowing eyes. Their sides were pitted with scars, presumably from earlier encounters. Above their growls, badger heard a sound, a very small, swiftly muted sound, from the