“You don’t know what kind of boss it is. You said earlier you’d never met it.”

“I’m only guessing. I’m guessing it’ll say no. It’ll have to, or I’ll get it into my head to ask it for favours every day, and then where will we be? You’ll have to ask it yourself.”

“But why would it say yes to me?”

“Maybe it’s kind.”

“You mentioned something about it being a war criminal.”

“Yes, I don’t think it’s kind.”

“If it is such a horrible creature,” Thrasher said from behind them, “then why do you want to work for it, Clarabelle? You seem really nice.”

“Thank you, Thrasher,” Clarabelle said. “You’re nice too. I hope Doctor Nye doesn’t give you a new brain. I hope it just washes the one you already have.”

Thrasher smiled, and Scapegrace hit him and turned back to Clarabelle. “The problem,” he said, “is that we don’t have anything to bargain with. We don’t have money, we don’t have property. We have no skills to speak of. So what’s the point of even going to see it? It’s only going to say no. It’s only going to laugh at us and say no. Why should I go and see someone who is only going to laugh at me? Everyone laughs at me. The people in this town laughed at me for years, and that was even before I was a zombie.”

Clarabelle turned to face him. “I’m not laughing at you.”

“I’m not laughing, either,” Thrasher said.

“Shut up, Thrasher.” Scapegrace looked at Clarabelle. “I… I’m sorry. Being back here, suddenly all my old insecurities come to the surface again. I wasn’t always the confident person you see before you. I had… doubts. I wasn’t the Killer Supreme. I wasn’t the Zombie King. I was just… Scapegrace.”

“Well,” Clarabelle said, “I think Scapegrace is a great guy.”

“Do you believe in me?”

Clarabelle frowned. “I’m not sure. I’ve hallucinated before. That’s how I met my first boyfriend.”

“No, not do you believe I exist. I’m asking, do you believe in me? As a person? As a… a being? It’d be nice to hear that, to hear that someone believes in me.”

“I believe in you, Vaurien.”

“Thank you.”

“I believe in lots of silly things.”

“Oh.”

“That doesn’t mean they’re not important.”

“Right.”

“I believe you can do whatever you put your mind to.”

“Really?”

“I don’t know what I’m saying any more.” She resumed her march towards the Sanctuary.

There was a man leaving just as they came to the door. He frowned at them. “Can I help you?”

“No,” Clarabelle said cheerily, and breezed by. Scapegrace and Thrasher kept their heads down and shuffled after her.