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my chains—limb by limb—so as to “prepare some meat for
the heat,” as the Wolf had put it. However, the killer’s desire
to whisper said phrase into my ear had put him in range
of my teeth. I don’t believe even a master chef could have
prepared that man’s flesh to taste any less rancid. He was
largely a yellow supper of flab soaked in sweat, clearly far
too indulgent of his appetite. Perhaps he was a better cook
than he was a meal—it was certainly difficult to imagine
otherwise. But I hadn’t been allowed to eat since I’d arrived,
and beggars undoubtedly cannot be choosers. By the time
the second round of guards arrived, I had already dealt with
my appetite. Normally, I would not stoop to cannibalism, but
my sisters were at stake—I would need every bit of energy I
could amass, however I could get it. I wondered what Black
Molly Patience would have thought of me now.
The third thin man continued. “Tonight might be even
messier, I think. This next killer dreamed some serious
weirdness at us last night, and I’m pretty sure he’s making
a beeline straight for us. But who knows, maybe you’ll last
another night. I did after all double the guard. There might
yet still be something wriggling on the hook come morning,
but I seriously doubt it.” The leader took a long look at me,
perhaps expecting me to speak. I did not. He slapped me on
the shoulder and said, “Good luck though, big man, I really
mean that.”
I was about to let them take their leave of me, but if a
killer of unusually high caliber was coming for them and
had even the slightest chance of prevailing, I would have
my final words with them. “I sincerely hope you and your
brothers survive this next killer, for I intend to hurt all of
you quite badly before I kill you, for what you’ve done to
my family. But whoever or whatever comes tonight, even if
they prove to be the devil himself—if they should happen
to kill you in the most horrible of ways, you should thank
them on your way out of this world for saving you from my
vengeance.”
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