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"Will it hurt him?" I asked

I surprised myself with the question, and Bentham, too

"Does that matter?" he replied

"I’d rather it didn’t If we have a choice"

"We don’t," Bentham said, "but it won’t feel any pain The cha else happens"

"And then what?" I said

He smiled and patted my arm "It’s very technical Suffice to say, your creature will leave the chamber alive, in more or less the condition he entered it Now, if you would kindly have it step inside"

I wasn’t sure I believed hih hell and see pain on them should have been a pleasure But it wasn’t I didn’t want to kill the hollow any e ani this creature around by the nose, I had gotten close enough to understand that there was more than just void inside it There was a tiny spark, a little marble of soul at the bottom of a deep pool It wasn’t hollow--not really

Co shyly in the corner, stepped around Bentham to stand before the booth

Inside

I felt it waver It was healed now, and strong, and if ht do But I was stronger, and a battle of wills between us would’ve been no contest It wavered, I think, because I had

I’m sorry, I said to it

The hollow didn’t move; sorry was input it didn’t knohat to do with I just needed to say it

Inside, I said again, and this time the hollow complied and stepped into the chamber Since no one else would touch it, from that point Bentham told ainst the back wall and crossed the leather straps over its legs, arned to restrain a hu, which raised questions to which I didn’t want the answers right now All thatforith the plan

I stepped out, feeling stifled and panicky from the few moments I’d spent inside

"Close the door," Bentham said

When I hesitated the assistant moved to do it, but I blocked his way "It’s rabbed the handle and then--though I tried not to--looked into the hollow’s face Its great black eyes ide and frightened, all out of proportion with its body, ss It was still and would always be a disgusting creature, but it looked so pathetic that I felt unaccountably terrible, like I was about to put to sleep a dog who didn’t understand why it was being punished

All hollowgast need to die, I told ht, but it didn’t make me feel any better