Dead Mans Hand

"You're right," Bre

"What do you want?"

"Chrysalis's diary." Bre

Fadeout barely suppressed a shudder at the mention of Deadhead, the psychotic ace who could access people's memories by eating their brains.

"Well, okay, I guess we can come to some kind of accommodation. It's at my apartment. We can go and pick it up-"

"You can call and have it delivered."

"That's fine, too."

"This way." Bre

He led the way to Qui

"Bummer," Qui

Fadeout fixed him with a steady glare. "We'll talk later," Fadeout said.

"Sit there," Bre

Fadeout sat on a chair next to Qui

"Now, about that call," Bre

Fadeout, who by now had given up all pretense at invisibility, grumbled, but did as he was told.

Bre

Finally the doorbell rang, and Bre

"That's it," Bre

The disappointed Werewolf went down the driveway as Bre

"Well, it's been delivered," Fadeout said. "How about letting us go?"

Bre

"Yeah, man. Sunday's their day off."

"So they'll be back tomorrow?" Qui

"They'll let you loose then," he said, and turned to go.

"Okay by me," Qui

Fadeout, though, was not so phlegmatic. "Hey, Cowboy!" he called. "Let me loose!"

Bre

"Come on!" Fadeout implored, but Bre

Bre

As he sca

Bre

"What," she had written, "am I so afraid of? I'm not afraid to show my hideous deformity to the world every day-in fact I revel in the discomfort my appearance causes, in the revulsion it evokes. I have to live with it every day; so should everyone else."

"I make men make love to my ugliness as the price for the information they seek. Why can't I give myself to one who might love me for myself? Is it fear? Fear that he doesn't really care, that he's using me, that he'll drop me the moment he achieves all he wants?"

"I'm such a coward."

"Good-bye, my archer, I shall miss you. I shall miss what might have been between us."

The journal hung loosely in Bre

"So fresh," Blaise said. "Intense. Exquisite."

He was naked on the mattress, Ezili spread out beneath him, cocoa-colored thighs spread, her legs locked around his waist as he thrust into her heat. She was covered with a fine dew of perspiration, and she screamed every time the boy pushed into her.

"Slowly, my precious one," Blaise commanded, but of course it wasn't him at all, it was the creature that clung to him like a pale white leech, its mouth pressed to his neck, its tiny eyes closed so it might better enjoy the sensations flooding through the boy's body. "This mount has never known a female," it said. "It grows very excited. Slowly, Ezili-je-rouge, slowly."

Obediently, Ezili slowed beneath them. She showed her teeth when she laughed. "I will make it last," she promised. Her fingers reached up and played with the boy's nipples.

Jay turned his face away from the tableau and found Hiram Worchester standing above him. The huge ace looked as anguished and helpless as Jay had ever seen him. "Untie me," Jay whispered. "Now, while they're occupied."

Ezili was screaming again, her voice husky with pleasure. For a long time, Hiram Worchester said nothing. There was only the wet, angry sound of flesh on flesh, and Charm's guttural singing from the next room. Finally Hiram turned away and walked off without saying a word.

"Now!" Ti Malice said in Blaise's voice. The boy's body jerked in orgasm. Ezili's legs tightened around him, and she laughed.

5:00 P.M.

Je

"Almost," Bre

"What's the matter?" Je

Bre

Je

"Is there no one else to question?" Father Squid asked. Bre

"There's me," a small voice peeped.

Everyone turned to see one of the homunculi come out shyly from behind the couch.

"How long have you been there?" Father Squid asked. "Awhile. I was watching. There is nothing else I can do."

"Can you help?" Bre

"Ezili," the homunculus said. "I've heard that name."

"Yeah," Bre

"Perhaps she's at the loft."