Page 91 of Made

Keir and Killian looked at each other closely. The lack of light compromised the visual acuity of even sephalia, but still. On close examination, they could see their bodies were not altogether solid. They were semi-transparent versions of themselves.

“So,” Keir said, “escapees would be like ghosts. More or less.”

“Ghosts?” Exscruffenrox asked. “I suppose. Spirits of the dead are not solid.”

“No. More diaphanous. As we are now.” Killian said. “And unable to return without some kind of powerful intervention.”

Exscruffenrox didn’t reply to that because even monsters recognize rhetoric when they hear it.

“Alright. Tell me this. Even if an escapee got past you, they wouldn’t be able to board the barge to return to the Land of the Living. Right?”

“We must be truthful,” said Exscruffenrox.

“Best policy,” Keir agreed with an encouraging chin lift.

“We cannot be certain, but think you are right,” said Exscruffenrox’s left head.

“Excuse us for a moment,” said Keir.

He took a step toward Killian and said, “I believe my hypothesis is supported by the fact that the overseer specifically said we’d be intercepted and ‘revived’. Without a person of sufficient status to intervene, souls trying to wander away could get no further than this beach. With or without a guard present.”

“How many different ways can I saybig gamble?” Killian asked.

“You’re the one who said you feel for the, uh, creature.”

“I’m a softie. Does no’ mean I’m able to rescue all downtrodden.”

“Of course not. But if everybody rescued just one…” Killian let his head drop back in anticipation that it was a fight he was going to lose. Rightly or wrongly, Keir took Killian’s lack of further protest as a surrender of sorts.

Keir wasn’t in the habit of vocalizing every thought, but it did occur to him that BOBO might object to the idea that a creature had been cruelly sentenced to a miserable life for eternity without even knowing why. Though the Bureau preferred to avoid suing gods, because enforcement can be difficult, they wouldn’t prevent Max from bringing a suit if the case facts fit the parameters of the Bureau’s mission. In fact, it was precisely this sort of practice that created the need for BOBO in the first place. Having enforced countless courts under dozens of magistrates, Keir knew a sound case when he saw it. And it didn’t hurt that he knew the judge.

“Exscruffenrox.” Keir addressed the monster by name.

“Yes?” he said.

“Can I trust you to keep your word?”

“Is that like a promise?”

“Exactly like a promise.”

“We will not make a promise unless we are able to keep it.”

“Very well. Then tell me the truth. If we unchain you, will you help us? Return to the barge alive? And I mean all three of us.”

Keir and Killian could both see the flames in Exscruffenrox’s eyes had intensified. The monster wanted freedom. Badly.

It stood statue-still and answered solemnly. “We will.”

Keir didn’t kid himself. He knew that even he, with his somewhat enhanced intuition, could be fooled. But, for whatever reason, he believed Exscruffenrox.

“Let’s say you were no longer held captive by this chain. What would you do?”

Exscruffenrox’s forehead wrinkled. “Leave?”

“Yes,” said Keir, “but how? You’re as big as the barge. You wouldn’t fit.”

“Maybe you should’ve thought about thatbeforeyou got the poor thing’s hopes up.” Killian said