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The girls in the tent moan their protest, and one of theuid and filmy "It’s after sunset It’s time"

The old woman backhands her, and in that saers, "You do not tell irl sinks in with the others and disappears

Gabriel spits aher into the red tent," the old woht and refuse toto die, and this old woman intends to make me one of her prostitutes I can only assuirls in the rainbow tent are All that trouble to escape, all Jenna’s efforts to help ed

The red tent is lit up by lanterns that hang fro One of the lanterns hits o of o anywhere," one of the boys, who is about a foot shorter than un holstered in the waist of his pants The other boy laughs, and they leave I can see their silhouettes taking shape outside the zippered doorway, hear their sneering laughter

I scan the tent for another opening I can wriggle through, but it’s rooted into the ground, andbureaus and trunks with things like hissing dragons painted across the drawers, cherry blosso sullenly into the water

Antiques froone Rose would like these things She would have stories for what’s saddening the black-haired wo the cherry blossoo For a moment I think I see what she would--an infinite world

"Now, then," the old wo me into one of two chairs on either side of a table "Let’s take a look at you"

Sarette held in the old wos it to her lips for a breath, and sain "You are not from this place I would have noticed you" Her eyes, made up to match her jewels, are oncloser "Are you ry, because there’s a boy with a gun outside, and Gabriel is still at this wo to tell you We just took a wrong turn"

"This whole place is a wrong turn, Goldenrod," she says "But tonight’s your lucky night If you’re looking for a fancier district to do business in"--she flits her fingers dra ashes fly--"you won’t find any for ood care of you"

My stomach turns I don’t say a word, because if I open my mouth, I’m sure I’ll vomit all over this beautiful antique table

"I am Madame Soleski," the woman says "But you call me Madame Let me see that hand" She reaches across forleft hand onto the table The seaweed bandage is still holding on, though it’s bunched fro with blood

She raisesband She’s probably never seen real jewelry before She sets her cigarette on the edge of the table and takesthe vines etched intohis building designs when he was thinking of me They were fictional, he said No such flower blooain, worried she’ll try to steal the ring Even if that s to er, then lets go of h one of her drawers and returns with gauze that looks like it’s been used, and a bottle of clear liquid The liquid burns when she clears away the seaweed and pours it ontoive her one She dresses auze expertly

"You’ve messed up one of ood enough I still lost the fight

Madaers the sleeve of ers intoband, and not this sweater I think of Deirdre’s s it for ht blue veins--her soft skin the only indication of her youth Those hands could turn bathwater toPrecision was in everything she created I think of her wide hazel eyes, the soft ain

"Leave the bandage put," she says, picking up her cigarette and tapping away soet an infection and lose that hand You have such exquisite fingers"

I can no longer see the outlines of the boys standing guard outside, but I hear theun et ure it out But how quick would I be? Soht have weapons too And I can’t leave without Gabriel It’s my fault that he’s even here

"Don’t speak unless spoken to, huh, Goldenrod? I like that This isn’t exactly a talking business"