Page 37 (1/2)

"A Kissi ran his hands around inside me I didn’t like it"

"This won’t be like that For one thing, you won’t feel it I have soood"

"I like the sound of that"

"Let’s just get started"

He takes a stoppered bottle fro thick, like Karo syrup, in a line down e-headed brush and paints the stuff across my body, from my neck down to my stomach

He puts the brush back on the counter and says, "Tell ets warm"

"I think it’s there already"

"Close your eyes for a minute"

I close them and he says, "Feel that?"

"No Did you already put your hand in my chest?"

"Does it feel like I did?"

"No"

"Good Then you’re ready Feel free to keep your eyes closed"

"Are you going to wear gloves or soloves I’ht"

There’s a clank Like metal on metal

"What was that?"

"That’s bullet one"

"That was easy"

"See? We could have done this a long tio and saved you so"

"Or you could try not getting shot"

"Where’s the fun in that?"

He laughs a little

"That’s why you and Candy get along That’s what she’d say"

Candy is the last thing I want to talk to Kinski about when he has his hands in ery?"

Another piece of metal drops

"It’s on the house"

I don’t say anything for a ? You never have any patients and you don’t chargeon?"

"You’re tensing up Relax Every time you move, the bullets shift"

"Okay"

"And for your infor is e you, let me ask you a question Have you ever asked yourself how you survived all those years in Hell? Do really think you lived with Hellions and survived the arena because you’re that much of a badass?"

"I don’t know I used to think about it, but I could never find any reasons And I was kind of busy gettingabout it"

"Well, you’re back and there aren’t any ht now Tell ed to stay alive all those years"

"I don’t know"

"Guess"

"I don’t know I’ special"

"You think so? You fell into the bottoain Doesn’t that sound just a little special?"

"I don’t know"

"Yes, you do A regular person, a civilian, wouldn’t have lasted a day down there, much less eleven years"

Another piece of metal falls

"What does that mean?" I ask

"Maybe it means you’re different Maybe it means that you’re not who you think you are Maybe it means you’re not entirely human"

I open my eyes and look at him No matter how hard I look and listen, I can’t read hi

"I don’t like where this is going, doc"

"Another minute We’re al I didn’t like seeing his handsaround under my skin

"You haven’t answered the question Are you human or not?"

"If I’el not quite fit for heaven or hell"

Another piece of metal falls The fifth bullet

I feel Kinski lean back Hear him walk to the sink and wash his hands

He says, "You can put your shirt back on"

I sit up on the table

"What did you just say to me, oing to be harder for you than it is for ot me here Half the universe hated you before you were born"

Hehis words carefully That h or drunk and he doesn’t give off a Looney Tunes vibe Still

"Put your shirt on Let’s go have a s lot The sun hurtsfor any signs of obvious craziness I could make a break for the Benz, but I’ at arette and offers me the pack I take one

"If you don’t want to hear this, I’ht that s have happened to you, and why certain other things are going to happen in the future"

"I’"

"I’reat fuckup at the beginning of tiular folks aren’t supposed to know about One is about how in the early days of the world, after what happened in Eden, yet another great fuckup, God sent angels to Earth to look after hu white wings and harps They lived as ordinary people Had jobs Farular people do The only thing they couldn’t do was fraternize with humanity They had to remain apart and aloof so that they could be watchful"

I s riold

"The probleels, put theive the and acting just a little hu children