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The Laughing Corpse :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 44 из 213"Do you really think I am cruel, Manuel? Your beloved amante?"
He nodded slowly. "Yes."
"You were not so quick to judge a few years back, Manuel. You slew the white goat for me, more than once."
I turned towards Manny. It was like that moment in a movie where the main character has a revelation about someone. There should be music and camera angles when you learn one of your best friends participated in human sacrifice. More than once she had said. More than once.
"Manny?" My voice was a hoarse whisper. This, for me, was worse than the zombies. The hell with strangers. This was Manny, and it couldn't be true.
"Manny?" I said it again. He wouldn't look at me. Bad sign.
"You didn't know, chica? Didn't your Manny tell you of his past?"
"Shut up," I said.
"He was my most treasured helper. He would have done anything for me."
"Shut up!" I screamed it at her. She stopped, her face thinning with anger. Enzo took two steps into the altar area. "Don't." I wasn't even sure who I was saying it to. "I need to hear from him, not from you."
The anger was still in her face. Enzo loomed like an avalanche about to be unleashed. Dominga gave one sharp nod. "Ask him then, chica."
"Manny, is she telling the truth? Did you perform human sacrifices?" My voice sounded so normal. It shouldn't have. My stomach was so tight, it hurt. I wasn't afraid anymore, or at least not of Dominga. The truth; I was afraid of the truth.
He looked up. His hair fell across his face framing his eyes. A lot of pain in those eyes. Almost flinching.
"It's the truth, isn't it?" My skin felt cold. "Answer me, dammit." My voice still sounded ordinary, calm.
"Yes," he said.
"Yes, you committed human sacrifice?"
He glared at me now, anger helping him meet my eyes. "Yes, Yes!"
It was my turn to look away. "God, Manny, how could you?" My voice was soft now, not ordinary. If I didn't know better, I'd say it sounded like I was on the verge of tears.
"It was nearly twenty years ago, Anita. I was vaudun and a necromancer. I believed. I loved the Seсora. Thought I did."
I stared up at him. The look on his face made my throat tight. "Manny, dammit."
He didn't say anything. He just stood there looking miserable. And I couldn't reconcile the two images. Manny Rodriguez and someone who would slaughter the hornless goat in a ritual. He had taught me right from wrong in this business. He had refused to do so many things. Things not half as bad as this. It made no sense.
I shook my head. "I can't deal with this right now.
He nodded slowly. "Yes."
"You were not so quick to judge a few years back, Manuel. You slew the white goat for me, more than once."
I turned towards Manny. It was like that moment in a movie where the main character has a revelation about someone. There should be music and camera angles when you learn one of your best friends participated in human sacrifice. More than once she had said. More than once.
"Manny?" My voice was a hoarse whisper. This, for me, was worse than the zombies. The hell with strangers. This was Manny, and it couldn't be true.
"Manny?" I said it again. He wouldn't look at me. Bad sign.
"You didn't know, chica? Didn't your Manny tell you of his past?"
"Shut up," I said.
"He was my most treasured helper. He would have done anything for me."
"Shut up!" I screamed it at her. She stopped, her face thinning with anger. Enzo took two steps into the altar area. "Don't." I wasn't even sure who I was saying it to. "I need to hear from him, not from you."
The anger was still in her face. Enzo loomed like an avalanche about to be unleashed. Dominga gave one sharp nod. "Ask him then, chica."
"Manny, is she telling the truth? Did you perform human sacrifices?" My voice sounded so normal. It shouldn't have. My stomach was so tight, it hurt. I wasn't afraid anymore, or at least not of Dominga. The truth; I was afraid of the truth.
He looked up. His hair fell across his face framing his eyes. A lot of pain in those eyes. Almost flinching.
"It's the truth, isn't it?" My skin felt cold. "Answer me, dammit." My voice still sounded ordinary, calm.
"Yes," he said.
"Yes, you committed human sacrifice?"
He glared at me now, anger helping him meet my eyes. "Yes, Yes!"
It was my turn to look away. "God, Manny, how could you?" My voice was soft now, not ordinary. If I didn't know better, I'd say it sounded like I was on the verge of tears.
"It was nearly twenty years ago, Anita. I was vaudun and a necromancer. I believed. I loved the Seсora. Thought I did."
I stared up at him. The look on his face made my throat tight. "Manny, dammit."
He didn't say anything. He just stood there looking miserable. And I couldn't reconcile the two images. Manny Rodriguez and someone who would slaughter the hornless goat in a ritual. He had taught me right from wrong in this business. He had refused to do so many things. Things not half as bad as this. It made no sense.
I shook my head. "I can't deal with this right now.