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“As in castrated male?” he asked
“There is other kind?” Ivan said “These are nasty people” He spread out his short arone” He raised one finger “And do not make sound Not peep from the lips”
“And the reason they do that?” he asked
“Honor They beg for this You knohat they do with the parts cut off? They call theh shelf The kao sheng High position Sy is madness”
He agreed
“But they do it, all the time Now eunuchs are prepared to take China”
“Coain?”
“This southern slang? I understand you from American South This where name Cotton comes from”
“Get to the damn point”
Ivan seemed to like for his audience to think hi but
“The Ba Secret Chinese organization Goes back two thousand years The inal They intend the play for power Not good for my country or yours These are bad people”
“What does that have to do with Cassiopeia?”
“I do not know exactly But there is the connection”
Now he knew the“You’re full of crap”
Ivan chuckled “I like you, Malone But you do not like ativity”
“Those two back on the street aren’t feeling much positivity”
“No worry about the rids world of two problems”
“Lucky for all of us you were here, on the job”
“Malone, this problem we have is serious”
He lunged forward, grabbed Ivan by his lapels and slaht his face inches away “I’d say that was true Where the hell is Cassiopeia?”
He knew the backups wereHe was prepared to whirl around and deal with the they didn’t decide to shoot first
“We need this anger,” Ivan quietly said, his breath stale
“Who is we?”
“Me, Cotton”
The words caht A new voice Female Familiar
He should have known
He released his grip and turned
Ten feet away stood Stephanie Nelle
CASSIOPEIA COCKED THE GUN’S HAMMER AND AIMED THE weapon straight at Viktor Toood mother—”
“Don’t say things you’ll regret”
The roo place, as there was one chair that held Viktor, three empty chairs, and a few tables and lah which she saw the Toyota
“You tortured me”
He shrugged “Would you rather it not have been me? I made sure the experience was at least bearable”
She fired into the base of the upholstered chair, ais “Is that what you call it? Bearable?”
He never flinched, his eyes owlish and inexpressive “Got that out of your system?”
The last ti a Central Asian dictator Apparently, he’d found new employment