‘I choose nothing.’ And as he said those words, a terrible idea blossomed in his mind. The kind that once there, could not be ignored.

‘Done!’ said Crunch, ‘The deal is done,’ and the three of them turned back to Tal who began to wail.

‘Give it to me then!’ demanded Sa-at.

Crunch slapped a hand over Tal’s mouth to silence him. ‘Go away, or I might forget we’re not supposed to eat you.’

‘Pay my price and I’ll go.’

The three brothers quickly conferred, then shook their heads as one, confused. ‘We agreed we owe you nothing.’

‘Yes,’ replied Sa-at, and pointed. ‘That’s the nothing I want.’ As Eyesore followed his finger he felt the fear inside up its tempo, transforming into a kind of manic energy.

Three eyes widened in shock as they realized what it was Sa-at was pointing at: the hole in the middle of Pits’ face.

Crunch tried to protest, Eyesore gave him a pleading look, and Pits clasped his hands together, begging, but it was no use. The forest was watching, the deal was done, and all knew the rules. There was no going back.

With a strange solemnity, Eyesore and Crunch planted their burning sticks in the ground and walked slowly towards Pits, who, realizing what was about to happen, began to back away. He made two steps before being snared in the undergrowth. He twisted and turned, but his great strength did nothing against that of the forest, and soon he was obscured by the bodies of his brothers.

Sa-at knew that he should be moving but neither he nor Tal did, both captivated by the spectacle. Despite their bulk, there was a gentle grace about the way the Brothers moved. They worked in silence, the only sounds were those of Pits thrashing against them, of his breath coming fast and hot, misting the air above their heads. The sound of that breathing became strained, and the clouds of mist became plumes, then threads, then nothing. Something had happened. Something permanent. Somehow, the hole in his face, the one that he sensed with, that he breathed with, had gone.

Pits began to convulse in a different way but his brothers continued to hold him, firmly, tenderly, until the movements calmed, slowed, stopped, dead.

Sa-at would have stood there longer had the spell not been broken by an impatient beak tapping his shoulder. Moving as quietly as he could, he pulled one of the burning sticks from the ground and glanced at the Brothers to find them laying Pits out, heads bowed. He crept over to where Tal sat and took his arm. This time, there was no protest, and Sa-at was able to get him on his feet.

Using the weak light from the glowing leaves, Sa-at guided Tal, getting him to place each footstep so as not to disturb the forest floor.