[Salone]

Eduardo watched in an awkward cocktail of horror, fascination, and amazement as the two had argued, questions queuing up in a line before a much larger one decided that waiting in line was for chumps and shoved its way to the front. He hurried a little to catch up to them, waving at them as he spoke.

"So what you're saying is that she needs some sort of...public relations firm to spread word of her exploits should no one survive them? Am I hearing that right? I could make that happen. I own several bards."

Meanwhile, in the jagged fractured chasms of Dan's psych...

He'd killed again. It never got easier. Well, that was incorrect. The killing was easy. It had always been easy. The living with it was the hard part. Dan knew what drove men to desperation. Wants. Needs. The realization that something is less than the desired amount, coupled with the gnawing little voice that whispered how easily you could sate that desire. It's okay,it would say. You need it. It's okay if you do it because you need it. It's a good excuse.

Isn't that right Dan?

He shook his head. Below him lay a broken man. Unrecognizable by anyone, missed by who the hell knew. He bet it hadn't always been that way though. Once upon a time that man had been someone's child. Loved by a family, raised with dreams for a better life. But things happened. Things always happened, and the little voice Dan knew so well chimed in again.

What do you think happened Dan? Did the mother die? Was the father a drunk? Did he run away? Did he live a sad, short, miserable little life of nights on the streets and staying tough to survive? Was there a chance for him? A redeeming little quality waiting to be exposed? Maybe it was for others? A child can become a father as well Dan. This is a farm, Dan. What would the poor want from the poor? These people have food. Was it food Dan? Did this man have mouths to feed? Who will feed them now? It won't be you. You've closed them Dan. A man is dead because of you and now you'll have to wonder how many little lives you'll never know about may have died because of what you did here. It will keep you up at night. Think about it Dan. You killed this man with the food he was desperate enough to steal. Now he's dead and more will go hungry. How can you live with it Dan? They want to know how you can live with it. This man certainly won't.

He ran a palm across his face, willing the little voice to go away. It subsided without fanfare. Picking himself off of the corpse, he gave it one more look that he instantly regretted, and quietly walked away to join the rest of the living.