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"Anatomy," answered Kearns

Warthrop deposited two more coins upon the table by Starr’s elbow and iation

"Who were Slidell and Mason?" he asked

"Madnosis?" wondered Kearns

"No, but I assure you, Dr Schmidt, ents of the Confederacy?" pressed the doctor

"They never claimed to be, Warthrop, at least not to me, but I met them only once, and that briefly Certainly they were fanatical over ‘the cause,’ as they called it, the erous kind of fanatics too: fanatics with fabulous sums at their disposal"

"My father introduced you," said the doctor It was not a question

The old esture propelled hi that lasted at least twoscrap of cloth and spat into it Beside hted him

"And who did my father say they were?"

"Philanthropists"

Kearns stifled a guffaw The doctor shot him a look and turned back to Starr "Philanthropists?"

"Interested-keenly interested, in their words-in the advanceenics"

"Fanatical philanthropists," ventured Kearns, still chuckling

"My father," said Warthrop "He enlisted their aid in an experiment"

Starr nodded "As I understood it, it involved the er of the two species"

"Oh, dear God!" Kearns ejaculated with ned, however "Anthropophagi with Homo sapiens? To what possible purpose?"

"The obvious one, Pellinore," said Kearns "A killing machine with an intellect on par with its bloodthirstiness The ultimate predator The bestial equivalent to Nietzsche’s Übermensch"

"I don’t think he looked at it that way, Dr Schht have, Mason and Slidell, but not Warthrop ‘It ive a soul to the soulless,’ he told me in private ‘Mercy to the reed," said Warthrop

"Not at first I rebuffed the offer outright I had no desire to play God"

"But you changed your mind Why?"

Starr stayed silent His chest rattled in counterpoint to his tortured breath Warthrop added two ed it?" the geezer croaked

"You shut up Varner for them Convinced the court he was insane and locked him away lest anyone ever believe his tale"

"Varner was reed to the second part of the bargain"

Starr wet his purplish lips "There was no other part," he insisted "What is this about, Warthrop? What do you want froht add Why have you coeritated alienist’s nose