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The Christian Bale guy is leaning over, his hands on his knees, taking deep breaths

Everything suddenly seeradations erase borders, but it’s more forceful than that

"Palakon?" I ask, slowly "Why was that hat so iive me that hat?" I ask "Why is the hat so important, Palakon?"

"Who says it is?" Palakon asks, distracted, harassed, still pacing

"Palakon," I sigh "I s, but stupid is not one of the down "I need help You’ve got to get me out of here I don’t care about the money anymore They’ll kill , doubled over on the bed, I envision my corpse on a beach, someone’s idea of a "flourish," and there’s a breeze, it’s ure disappears into a cove "I shouldn’t even be here-oh fking god-I shouldn’t even be here"

"You weren’t followed," Palakon says "Please Mr Ward, cal, still doubled over, clutching myself "I can’t, I cannot, I-"

"Mr Ward, is there anyone who can help you?" Palakon asks "Anyone you can put us in touch with?"

"No no no, there’s no one-"

"What about faed So monetary Do they knohere you are?"

"No" I breathe in "My

"Why not?" Palakon asks "Maybe if you put us in touch with your father he could coement to somehow extract you from this mess-"

"But, Palakon, what et"No, no, I can’t, no-"

"Victor, why can’t you get your father involved?"

"Palakon, you don’t understand," I’ to help you-"

"I can’t I can’t I-"