Quoted By:
"I don't know," Ellery says. "Was That Guy gonna wear out eventually? I don't know. I don't think so. He wasn't a real guy, Maddie. So you're stuck with me, and I'm stuck with me, and Anthea's stuck with me, and the victims are— are stuck with me. There's new ones faster than I can kill them, did you know that? It's pointless. And I still have nothing— literally nothing— better to do."
"Have you tried modeling?" you say. "With clay? It's <span class="mu-i">fun!</span> It's better than murdering random— ow!" Richard is squeezing your shoulder. "Are you <span class="mu-i">sure</span> you don't want a— a— a drink? You seem pretty cranky, Ellery, and he can— Richard can— I mean, <span class="mu-i">any</span> kind of—"
"Richard?" Ellery looks past you for the first time and jolts back. "Son-of-a-bitch! Who the hell— who the <span class="mu-i">fuck—</span>"
"Hello! I'm Charlie's father," Richard says, before you can convince him to say literally anything else. He must've told Madrigal already, because all she does is make a face. Earl chuckles (nervously, you think). Ellery's eyebrows go way, way up. "I'm just here to pitch in. I do mix a mean drink— from what I've been told— but no pressure! Charlie can be a little pushy when she wants to get her way, doesn't she?"
He nudges you like he made a joke, or something. Nobody laughs. Ellery's crossbow is out. "You're <span class="mu-i">not</span> her dad. You're not fucking human."
"And?" Richard says, and stops there. He and Ellery stare at each other, hard, for long enough that you begin to feel restless.
"Hey Ellery!" you say. "So you're just going to murder people forever?"
Richard smiles and pats your shoulder. Ellery is dour. "Do you see a better solution for me, O Great And Powerful Charlotte?"
"For you? No! Psshaw." You wave that off. "I was thinking that somebody actually <span class="mu-i">capable</span> could go in and... you know... hit them at the source. There has to be a source, right? And you go explode that, or set that on fire, and everybody dies! In a— in a good way! No more scary dying people, no more Law stealing—"
"Law?" Madrigal says. Ellery's expression hasn't changed. "That's stupid."
"It is— it is <span class="mu-i">not.</span> I have been very successful at blowing things up, I'll have you know, and—"
"You'd have to be insane. Hitting the source? You know they have <span class="mu-i">people,</span> right? Employees, guards, fucking Management lurking around— you'd be caught and shot, or experimented on. No way you—"
He cuts himself off and looks angry.
"What?" you say.
(2/3)
