Page 30 of Thief of Night (The Charlatan Duology #2)

[DRAFT] Transcription via AI from recording by Madurai Malhar Iyer

Malhar: Tell me about Adeline.

Red: I don’t want to talk about her.

Malhar: Why not?

Red: My thoughts are messy. The memories I have of her feel like puzzle pieces that don’t go together.

Malhar: Are those Remy’s memories?

Red: His, and mine. She did things to me—with me—and Remy didn’t—well, maybe he—I don’t know.

Malhar: [silence]

Red: I don’t want to talk about her. I said I don’t want to talk about her.

Malhar: What about Remy’s grandmother?

Red: I don’t want to talk about Fiona either.

Malhar: Can you tell me why?

Red: When Remy didn’t want to feel something anymore, he put it into me.

Some— a lot —of those feelings were painful.

He especially didn’t like to be sad. When we left his grandmother’s place, he missed it, missed her, missed not being afraid.

Then he gave all that to me and he didn’t feel it anymore.

Malhar: But you did.

Red: Those feelings aren’t real. They’re not mine. Or at least they’re not all mine. Is that enough?

Malhar: Tell me about Charlie then.

Red: She makes me angry.

Malhar: Oh?

Red: I don’t like her knowing things about me.

Malhar: You may have forgotten her, but she was a part of your life. You made her part of your life.

Red: Vince’s life.

Malhar: That’s you, though. You called yourself Vince.

Red: Why, though? It’s a joke.

Malhar: A joke?

Red: There’s a motorcycle called the Vincent Black Shadow . Remy’s middle name was Vincent. Ha. Ha.

Malhar: You don’t think it’s funny?

Red: Of course I do. It’s my joke.

Malhar: I’m not sure what this has to do with Charlie.

Red: Nothing. She’s reckless.

Malhar: And that makes you angry?

Red: There has to be something wrong with her, if she loved something like me. Now she knows and she still wants—

Malhar: [silence]

Red: I don’t like it. I don’t like her.

Malhar: I see.