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I screamed

I beat at the bars and bashed ainst them My whit

e-faced warders rushed to the bars and then backed away in fear and peered at

I grabbed up the corpse "Riccardo, drink!" I bit intoface "Riccardo!" But he was dead and e him there to rot in this place with me, to rot beside me

I began to sing "Dies irae, dies ilia" and to laugh as I sang it

Three nights later, screa corpse of Riccardo limb from limb so I could hurl the pieces out of the cell I could not endure it! I flung the bloated trunk at the bars again and again and fell down, sobbing, unable to drive my fist or foot into it to break its bulk I crawled into the farthest corner to get away from it

Allesandra came "Child, what can I say to comfort you?" A bodiless whisper in the darkness

But there was another figure there, Santino Turning I saw by soather that he put his finger to his lip and he shook his head, gently correcting her "He must be alone now," Santino said

"Blood!" I screamed I flew at the bars, hted and rushed away from me

At the end of seven hts, when I was starved to the point where even the scent of the blood didn't rouse me, they laid the victi for pity-directly in my arms

"Oh, don't be afraid, don't," I whispered, sinking my teeth quickly into his neck "H it slowly, trying not to laugh with delight,down on his little face "Oh, dreas There are saints ill come; do you see them?"

Afterwards I lay back, satiated, and picking fro over ht stone or flinty iron that lay embedded in the earth I let my head roll to the side, away froed carefully, as for the shroud, against the wall behind me

I saw a figure in ainst the wall as it stood gazing at hast No scent came from it I turned and stared at the corpse It lay as before Yet there, against the far wall, was the very boy hi at me

"How is this?" I whispered

But the wretched little thing couldn't speak It could only stare It was clothed in the very sae and colorless and soft with