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"Because it isn’t the past," he growled He released me and leaned into the old man’s face "You ask what I want I will ansith the same question: What is it that you want, Jereentleman I will tell no one what transpires between us this day You shall not spend the remainder of your allows, though the blood of your countless victims calls to heaven for it! I know most and suspect I know the rest, but I wish to hear it, and there is no one left alive to confess to it but you You have my word; what else?"

Starr refused to answer, but his greed betrayed hiaze flickered for an instant to the stack of coins at his elbow Warthrop opened his purse and dumped the entire contents onto the table The coins clattered, cascaded to the worn carpet One landed heads-up on top of the old man’s throw

"There!" Warthrop cried "All I have with ive you ten times that, only answer the question so the matter can be put to rest once and for all… The creatures inthe course of this ‘experienics, whatever its true purpose: a safe haven, which no doubt Mason and Slidell funded, and food Yes? They built the subterranean enclosure and you supplied the meals Yes? Say ‘yes,’ you da fit doubled him over, and when he sat back, his face was the color of ripe strawberries Spittle dotted his stubbly chin Warthrop recoiled in disgust

"And when the war ended…?"

"He offered to finance it hio"

"Not let it go?" The doctor seerown rather fond of them, I think Rather like his pets or children I mean no offense, Warthrop He was very possessive of them"

"And you cared not where the money came fro tone "Really These…" He waved hisfor the word "Patients, so-called, they are the dregs of society They coo No family, or none that would claim them All are insane-most criminally so, and those who are not have the intellectual capacity of a turnip root They are hueneral populace and to theotten, unwanted, cruel, cos that make us human They could rot here or they could be sacrificed to the higher good"

"With the added benefit that if they vanished, they would not berelieved that the doctor understood "They would not be missed," he echoed

"And you kept your end of the bargain," prompted Warthrop, his jaw clenched He would see the truth out whatever the cost The coins glittered in the lareatest to hi, you transported two or three victims to New Jerusaleht in the essentials, Warthrop, wrong in the particulars I never brought the theasted "What do you mean, you didn’t stop?"

"I mean just that, Warthrop I didn’t stop"

Beside me Kearns murmured, "That cannot be true"

The doctor ran his hands through his hair He collapsed into a chair and rested his elbows on his knees, speaking now to his shoes, "Why didn’t you stop?" he edHe was concerned the experiment had put him in an untenable position: If he cut off their food supply, they would siree with hienie was out of the bottle, Pandora’s box had been opened; there really was no choice but to continue"

"Otherwise real peopleat the wicked old man, as if to say, We are simpatico, you and I

"Yes! That’s it exactly" Starr nodded eagerly "So after he died, nothing changed Once a ht I dispatched Peterson to the cemetery with a load"

"A three-hour journey, putting feeding ti hour"

Warthrop was shaking his head "Your story does not match the evidence of the case, Starr An alpha i pushed to the edge of starvation would resort to that They had recently dug their way to the surface: unnecessary if you were serving the of the tunnel between the nesting and the feeding chambers was the result of any natural phenomenon You say you never stopped, but you must have stopped"

"Yes, yes, yes," retorted Starr impatiently "You indicated I must have stopped after your father died, and I said I did not, for he had left funds for my trouble and expense That money ran out, Warthrop, in Dece was on Christht!"

"Then Peterson dyna off the abominations on the other side"

"Peterson," echoed Kearns

"Yes, Peterson I trust hi"

"What is his Christian name?"

"Jonathan Why do you ask?"

Warthrop gave Kearns no chance to respond "You assuht it the wisest course It was so your father and I discussed before his death If it makes you feel any better, Warthrop, he did express morbid reave him any joy More than once hethe experi their pens ablaze But at heart he was an optih time he could taht the idea was to interbreed theave up on that after a few years," said Starr with another wave of his splotchy talon "Every potential mate I sent over they sihed "Not too different fro, but not at Kearns ’s cynical observation "That explains all of it, or nearly all There was no reason to leave the safety of their er drove them to the surface I had assumed the attack upon the Stinnets was a territorial response brought about by our trespass upon their dohed, an exhalation of both relief and painful acknowledg in my response But not all questions have been answered, Starr Why did you let Varner live? Wouldn’t it have been safer to discard hie’?"

"Dear God, Warthrop, what do you take me for? I may be avaricious, but I aht of flies buzzing eny squir flesh I areed Kearns He crossed the rooreat tenderness he said, "To the contrary, you are a humanitarian, Dr Starr Let no one tell you otherwise! An anthropological alcheold! The chains that bind most men do not bind you, and in this you and I are brothers, dear Jeree, free of lies and unbound by any ridiculous rectitude"