. . .

“She’s Inedible,” Mr. Gulley explains. He hefts the cat.

Joffun frowns at him.

“I mean, that’s her name. She’s part of the family now.”

“She got footfalls?” Joffun says.

“Pardon?”

“’Cause I could make footfalls for her,” Joffun says.

Mr. Gulley squints at him.

“Look,” says Joffun. “One day or another, right, the cat’s footfalls in that chain of yours’re gonna break. So why not be proactive? Tell you what. I’ll give them to you cheap.”

“You’re charging now?”

“Not much of a life living under a bridge,” says the dwarf. “Yeah. I’m charging. I’ll make me some footfalls for Inedible, and I’ll trade ’em to you for your son’s heart. Installation in-cluded.”

Mr. Gulley laughs. He’s weak. He’s broken. He’s losing it.

“Sure,” he says. “Sure. Why not? Of course. Can’t have a chain without cat’s footfalls. You’ve got a deal.”

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