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“Let me see your arm,” says Allegra.

I flex a few times as she pokes, prods, and does generally uncomfortable doctor stuff to me. After a few minutes she seems satisfied.

“You’re almost back to your old self. I’m just concerned about you healing so slowly. Have you taken any drugs? Eaten anything different? Changed any habits?”

I think about the chicken and whiskey with Wormwood, but that can’t be it. I was already fucked up when I got there.

“The week is up. I can’t sidestep anymore. Maybe that’s it?”

“I’m glad it’s gone,” says Candy.

She yanks a hair out of my scalp, shows it to Allegra. It’s gray. She looks at me.

“Piss Alley always charges you more than you think it will. I think sidestepping was eating my life force or something. Anyway, it’s over now.”

“Good thing too,” says Allegra.

“I just missed shadow walking so much. I guess it’s really gone for good.”

“You’re stuck here with us groundlings.”

“Sounds like it.”

“You realize what this means?” says Candy. “We’re going to have to get a car. You can’t steal them forever and I have a respectable job these days.”

“You stick to the respectable stuff. As long as I have the black blade, I can get any car I want. Besides, how are we going to register a car? We don’t exist.”

“Maybe the Augur can help?”

“Why would the Aug

ur help you?” says Vidocq.

“You didn’t tell them?” Candy says.

“I was going to do it tonight.”

“Tell us what?” says Brigitte.

“Stark is respectable too, whether he likes it or not,” says Candy. “He’s going to work for Thomas Abbot.”

“It’s not like I’m going to be shining his shoes. I’ll just be on the Sub Rosa advisory council.”

“Congratulations,” says Vidocq.

He and Allegra hug me. Brigitte does too, but laughs while she does it.

“Oh, Jimmy, don’t become too housebroken.”

“I don’t think that’s going to be a problem,” Candy says. “He used my computer to find Audsley Isshii’s license plate and drove his car off a pier.”

“He’s insured, so fuck him.”

A few of our regular customers come by. Courtney, the Lyph, and her boyfriend. Cindil and Fairuza arrive together. Turns out that Cindil is apprenticing to Allegra at the clinic. Manimal Mike, the Tick Tock Man, pulls me aside and slips me something. I thank him and put it in my pocket.

I watch Candy talking excitedly with Fairuza about getting their band back together. Technically it will be a new band. Candy is gone, so it will be Chihiro on guitar. She pulls Cindil over.

“Can you play bass?” she says.