|
|
|
|
|
|
|
did you bother telling me all this? And, if I'm this monster you describe, why aren't you scared?" |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Kazie chuckled ruefully. "Scared? What have I got to be scared of? Look at me. How old you think I am?" |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cyrus squinted. The old man's face was etched with wrinkles like erosion in a mud bank and his skin was as thin as onion paper. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
"I don't know, seventy maybe?" |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Kazie laughed. "You're a good boy. I'm eighty-eight and I'm dying. I got the big C, in my lungs and my bones. Why you think I smoke this dope? You think I'm some old hippie? The therapy makes me sick and the dope helps." |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
"I'm sorry. Isn't there anything that can be done?" |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
"We'll get to that. Tell me one more thing. You ever hurt anybody when you was a wolf?" |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cyrus shifted in the chair. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
"Don't worry. I ain't no cop." |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
"I never hurt anybody that wasn't trying to hurt me or Kyna. But it was close one time. I ran into this homeless man in a park in Seattle. It took everything I had not to . . . do something to him." |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Kazie nodded once more. "You can't go feeling no guilt about that. The wolf always goes for the old and sick. Culls the herd. Why didn't you take him?" |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
"I don't know. It was hard not to. I guess I just couldn't do it." |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
"So you was in control even when you were the wolf? YouI mean the manwas in charge?" |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cyrus shrugged and nodded. "I guess so." |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
"What's it like being the wolf? You hungry all the time?" |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
"Why, don't you know?" Cyrus asked in exasperation. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
"How many werewolves you think there are running around? You're the first I ever sat down with across a cold beer." |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cyrus let slip a sad smile. "Only difference I noticed is that I have this craving for rare meat. I don't think about hurting people much, just the opposite. I try to steer clear of men when |
|
|
|
|
|