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The streets of Perdido Beach had never exactly been busy It wasn’t New York or Bangkok But they were particularly quiet now Not a soul in sight

Maybe Virtue was telling the truth about a quarantine after all But hey, who better to be with than Lana, the Healer?

He reached Clifftop without seeing anyone

He pushed through the lobby doors He knew that Lana had the best roohest floor, a room with a balcony that looked down at the cliff and the beach and out at the ocean

He was confronted with a confusing hallway full of doors, so been kicked open or battered down so kids could raid the ht door He straightened his clothes and his flowers and knocked Fro

He saw the peephole go dark as so from inside Then, "It’s okay, Patrick, it’s just some idiot"

The door opened Lana had a cigarette hanging from the corner of her mouth She had her pistol in her hand

"What?" she snapped at Sanjit

"Flowers," Sanjit said, and held the ht candy, but I couldn’t find any"

"Are you retarded? There’s a quarantine on No one is supposed to be outside"

He had hoped for a little smile He detected no sh she didn’t seem drunk, her words weren’t slurred, and her eyes focused the full intensity of her incredulity quite effectively

"May I come in?" Sanjit asked

"In?" Lana echoed "Here?"

"Yes May I come in?"

Lana blinked

"Okay," she said, and her eyebrows shot up like she was amazed the word had come out of her h

The room had once been a sterile, anony no pictures, collected no precious possessions No stuffed animals lay on the bed The room was filthy, of course, but so was just about every rooarette butts, whiskey, and dog A huge shotgun leaned against one wall Patrick seeitated as his owner Neither Lana nor Patrick was used to receiving guests

There was a small Sammy sun in the closet so that when the closet door was left open there would be light, and when closed less light

Sanjit crossed to the glass door "Great view"

"What do you want?"