I shaved myself. There’s an extra two bits in it for ya if you don’t draw blood. Down on the cheeks up on the neck easy does it under the nose. Monsieur Beaumont lived in a big white house in New Orleans. Now he lives in the desert. Jesse made me comb my hair before he knocked on the door. We sat down to supper. The soldier brought wine and I did a toast. Here’s to Monsieur Beaumont here’s to Miss Johona here’s to Mr. Jesse and here’s to me.

The Fiend from the mountain put his face in front of mine and the way he looked made me cry. Hold him, he said and went to sawing at my ear with his knife. Leave him be, Jesse yelled but that didn’t stop him. Wasn’t nobody gonna do me like that though. I stood and shrugged off the bastards holding me down. They went to stabbing me, but I kept swinging. Jesse broke away too and we gave them a fight until the Fiend from the mountain yelled, Hey!

He was behind Johona again using her hair to pull her head back had his knife at her throat again. His men shoved me into my chair and Jesse into his. I was cut so bad I couldn’t breathe. The Fiend from the mountain said, My partner’s name was Bob and he was worth ten of this cunt. Stop! Beaumont yelled, but the Fiend ignored him and cut Johona’s throat just like that. Her heart pumped her blood through the gash beat by beat and it sprayed across the tablecloth. She tried to pull in air but couldn’t and her face got the same scared look they all get when they know they’re dying. Don’t fight it, Jesse yelled, let go. She blinked like someone trying to stay awake. She started to shiver. Then she was gone.

Mama’s making biscuits. Flour baking powder baking soda salt lard milk. She folds the dough and presses it flat and lets me cut circles with an empty soup can. You got to press straight down without twisting and got to be careful when you take them out of the oven. If you drop one you’ll have uninvited company.