He’s about to ask Candlefly what the deal is, but Candlefly’s already talking.

“Smiley came to us. He had information we thought valuable. He’s the one who told us that Mookie Pearl has a daughter, and that daughter is an enemy to our organization.”

Smiley nods as much as the zip-tie around his throat and the belt around his forehead allow. “And your hulking associate made a dire mess of my teahouse. Not to mention cracking open the skull of my bodyguard.”

Gorth? Mookie must have been pissed.

Smiley continues: “He didn’t want that information about him and the girl let out. So I knew the first thing I had to do was come here and…” The smile broadens, tightens. “Share.”

“At what cost?” Werth asks.

“Oh, come now. I don’t know what you mean!”

“You know just what the hell I mean. You didn’t offer up this information out of the good of your heart.” Werth looks to Candlefly. “He didn’t, did he?”

A gentle shake of Candlefly’s head. “No.”

“What’d he want?”

“He had a laundry list of desires. A waive of protection fees for the next year, information on his enemies, a talk with the Lantern Jacks – who have been encroaching on his business in the last few months.”

“Pumpkin-headed savages,” Smiley says.

Candlefly lifts the back of his coat. From a back pocket, he pulls a small square box with a silver seal on it: a burning fly inside an old lantern.

He hands it to Werth.

“Fuck am I supposed to do with this?”

“Open it.” Candlefly sighs.

He does. It’s peacock powder. Smurf. Cerulean. It’s untouched. A perfect little beach dune of blue dust. Does Candlefly not use? Does he need to use?

“I want you to see.” Candlefly says.

“I know what Smiley is.”

“Please. Just do me this concession.” Candlefly, to make things clear, lifts his jacket, just to ensure that Werth sees the Walther hanging at his hip.

“Fine.” Werth digs in a thumb. Takes too much – a callow and meaningless rebellion against this man – and smears it on each temple. The Blazes crackle and ripple. The pain of his body drifts out to sea. It’s still there, but it’s far off.

He turns. Sees the human façade fall away. The Snakeface is revealed. Squirming in his zip-tie bonds. Fangs clicking against fangs.

But then something else appears.

Something back among the bottles and barrels. A shimmer in the air, like a mist that dissipates when you look directly at it. A black shadow rises up through the floor as if the wood is insubstantial. Silver shining eyes. Fingers like scissors.

“Jesus. What… what is that?”

Candlefly smiles. Claps Werth on the shoulder. “I told you about the carrot. This is the stick.”

Smiley cries out. Knows that something’s wrong, that his time is coming. The Naga starts to thrash. The chair rocks back and forth. His mouth opens – a breathy hiss emits.

Smiley starts turning red. Body tensing.