Maria pulled herself to a sitting position, trying to spit out the dog fur that had gotten in her mouth. "He scared the daylights out of me. But he is very cute. What's his name again?" She got to her feet and held a trembling hand out to the puppy, half-afraid he'd attack her again. But she couldn't keep the grin off of her face. "What did Lord Hades say about the trade?" she asked softly.