He tried to shake his head, but it wouldn’t move. His best defense was a pitiful one. He quit the uphill fight to hold his eyelids open, and let them shut, so at least he couldn’t see her.

The other woman said, “It’s all that powder he’s burned up. It’s cooked his brain. Look at him, you can see he’s been using.”

“Worthless kid. Should’ve tossed him right back over the wall.”

“He reminds me of the men in the Salvation Army hospital. I told you about that, didn’t I?”

Miss Wilkes again. “How one of ’em tried to bite you?”

“That’s right. This boy, he’s not that bad yet. It’s not too late.”

“You’ve got more faith in him than I do.”

“Well, I never met him before. Could be he’ll convince me otherwise.”

The second woman had a funny accent, which Rector couldn’t place. As his mind drifted backwards, away from the scene, he wondered where she came from. Didn’t sound local, didn’t sound like one of the Chinamen. And anyway, there weren’t any Chinawomen in the city; everybody knew that.

The next time he came around enough to listen, if not to talk, the same woman was speaking. She had a nice voice, he decided. Not the worst thing he could listen to by a long shot. This time she was talking to someone else—an older man, one of the Chinese fellows. His English wasn’t great, but with some struggle from both sides, he and the woman were able to make themselves understood.

“Too much yellow in his nose.”

“I know. But sometimes, when people … it’s like when people drink too heavy and they come to depend on it. It’s hard for them to stop, and when they do, they get sick. This might be the same thing. He might be just fine when he wakes up proper.”

“Been three days.”

“His color’s better. His head’s healing up, too. Isn’t there some medicine we could try?”

“Time. Water. Tea. Boy not sick. Boy broke himself.”

“You’re probably right.”

The Chinaman added, “If not, you shoot him. Take off his head. Have enough rotters already.”

Rector didn’t stay awake long enough to hear her response. It was easier to faint dead away than to listen to any further discussion of his violent dissection.

When he came around again, no one was talking, but he knew before opening his eyes that he was not alone.