He noticed Billy’s attention and slowed, then stopped, nodded. ‘Hey.’ Just stood there, smiling. Maybe he sensed that Billy was appreciating the scarification. Which he was.

Billy stopped too. ‘You’ve got some righteous marking.’

‘Yo. Thanks.’

In sub-Saharan African tradition this form of modification was done by cutting flaps in the skin and packing in irritating plant juices to raise welts, which hardened into permanent designs. Keloids serve several purposes: They identify the bearers as members of a particular family or tribe, they indicate fixed social or political positions, they mark milestones in life’s transit, like puberty and readiness for marriage. In some African cultures, scarification indicates sexual prowess and appetite – and the scars themselves can become erogenous zones. The more extensive a woman’s scarring, the more appealing she is as a partner because it implies she’s better able to withstand the pain of childbirth and produce many offspring.

Billy had always appreciated keloids; he’d never done any. The ones on the young man’s face were impressive, linked chains and vines. African skin art is largely geometric; rarely are animals, plants or people depicted. Never words. Billy was nearly overcome by an urge to touch the pattern. With effort, he resisted.

The local, in turn, regarded Billy with an odd gaze that embraced both curiosity and camaraderie. Finally he looked around and seemed to come to a decision. A whisper: ‘Yo, you want brown? Moonrock? Sugar? Whatchu want?’

‘I …’

‘How much you got to spend? I hook you up.’

Drugs.

Disgusting.

In an instant the admiration of the scarification turned to hatred. It felt like the young man had betrayed him. The skin art was ruined. Billy wanted to stick his neck with a needle, get him into an alley and ink a message on his gut with snakeroot or hemlock.

But then Billy realized this was just another incident that proved the Rule of Skin true. No surprise here. He could be no more upset at this than a law of physics.

He gave a disappointed smile, walked around the man and kept moving.

‘Yo, I hook you up!’