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"I want to keep doing deliveries for you," Val said "There is soht not want to do it Teach me how to use the sword"

He looked up fro of the butterfly "Knowing it has causedHe hadn’t said no

He finished his work and blew, setting the little insect into the air It flew a little unsteadily, perhaps unbalanced by the slip of paper "You want to kill someone? Who? Greyan? Perhaps you want to die?"

Val shook her head "I just want to knoant to be able to do it"

He nodded slowly "As you wish It is your debt to disht to ask"

"So you’ll teach ain "I will make you as terrible as you desire"

"I don’t want to be--," she started, but he held up his hand

"I know you’re very brave," he said

"Or stupid"

"And stupid Brave and stupid" Ravus s can stop you fro terrible once you’ve learned how"

Chapter 8

Black ht

we drink you atwe drink and we drink

--Paul Celan, "Death Fugue"

Dave and Lolli and Luis sat on a blanket in the concrete park, some of Dave’s finds spread out in front of them Cardboard stuck out from underneath the cloth where it had been used as a liner between them and the cold that seeped up from the sidewalk Dave’s head was tilted back into Lolli’s lap as she rolled his dreads in her pal so it between her nails and slicking her fingers ax fro Dave’s eyes opened; then he closed the like rapture

Lolli’s flip-flop-covered foot, splotchy and red with cold, stroked one of Luis’s thighs A book was open in front of hiuys," Val said, feeling shy as she walked up to the away for two or three days ain

"Val!" Lolli slid out fro hi the pave her arms around her

"Hey,unwashed clothes and sweat and cigarettes, and felt relief wash over her

"Luis told us what happened You’re crazy" Lolli saze skated to Luis, who looked up frorin that made his face seem handsome He shook his head "She is crazy Head to head with a fucking ogre Loony Lolli, Sketchy Dave, Crazy Val You’re all a bunch of freaks"

Valher head in their direction, and then sat on the blanket

"Loony Luis,her flip-flop in his direction

"Luis One-Eye," Dave said

Luis s-head Dave"

"Princess Luis," Dave said "Prince Valiant"

Val laughed, thinking of the first time Dave had called her that "How about Dreaded Dave"

Luis leaned over, grabbing his brother in a headlock, both of the on the cloth, and said, "How about Baby Brother? Baby Brother Dave?"

"Hey," Lolli said "What about me? I want to be a princess like Luis"

At that, the boys broke off, laughing Val leaned back on the cloth and cardboard, the cold air pricking the hair along her arms, even under the coat New Jersey seemed far away, and school an odd and nonsensical ritual She smiled with content faeries?" Lolli asked She’d draped another blanket over her shoulders and reached for the hair wax

"Or that Ravus is," Val said "Ravus said soht be too dangerous for us"

"Like he really cares," Luis said "I bet he , courtly show of thanks, but you’re still a rat to hiood trick"

"I know that," Val lied

"If he wants us to stop doing deliveries, it’s to save his own ass" There was so in Luis’s face as he said it, ness, that made her wonder if he holly convinced hi," said Dave "Getting us to do his dirty work We don’t knoe’re carrying"

Val turned to look at hioat-footed wo to the Seelie Queen I guess if the Court’s a gang, then the city is still somehow the Queen’s turf Anyould he write to her if he was guilty?"

Dave sat upright, pulling his lock out of Lolli’s fingers "He’s going to frame us Luis just said it--we’re all rats to them When there’s some problem, you just poison the rats and call it a day"

Val was uncomfortably reminded that it had been rat poison that killed the lance at Luis showed hi a loose thread off his fingerless gloves

Luis looked up and caught Val’s eye, but there was nothing in his face, neither guilt nor innocence "It is weird," he said "With the shit you all shove up your noses and in your arms that you never hit any of the poison"

"You think I did it?" Lolli asked