Gluttony and Greed Walk into a Burger Joint

Chapter 11 - Question Answered

 "Her eyes were glued shut with crust." Alus was the first one to whisper while he stared down the block at the older, promoted-to-detective, officer Reynolds.

"No one else could touch her for long because of how she smelled."

"I took her out."

"Your smile went away."

"She was limp. Didn't make a sound."

"You went to a sink to pour some water on your sleeve and wiped the filth out of her eyes."

"She didn't look past two or three years old."

"She was five. The neglect stunted her growth."

"She was dying. There was no glow..."

"...except when she looked up and saw you."

"Us."

Arek nodded gently, once, while Alus continued to stare at Dani and Reynolds talking and laughing. "Yes. She saw us both."

Curling one hand across his waist, Alus raised his other and had to cover his mouth to keep it from gaping. The Twins watched quietly until Dani left to serve other customers. Detective Reynolds picked up his burger and took a bite. Alus murmured behind his palm. "She told me she has 4 brothers."

"How does that work?"

Alus's glance showed, clearly, that he was as confused about it as Arek. "The parents went to jail?"

"They had to have."

"How long?"

"For neglect and selling? Maybe 10 years or less, but that's what I've picked up from watching your angry daytime TV shows--"

"So they may have had more kids?"

"Well sure--"

"She must have taken them or adopted them or--"

"Alus."

Stopping mid-sentence to the sound of his brother's tone, Alus took in a long breath through his nose and fell silent. The demon shook his head once and finally turned away from the burger joint. "I can't harvest her."

"Alus, if I had to place a bet, it would be on her soul coming to us when she dies, whether we want it to or not."

"So in the end we destroy what we helped to protect?"

"I don't like it either--"

"She can't go to the Hells."

"It's our purpose."

"She won't."

Arek sighed and dug his hands into his pockets, staring at the ground for a few moments. "If it were anyone else, I would say we could get away with it."

"You're worried about Sister Dearest?"

"I'm worried about who Runeak will talk to, yes."

"Meaning Father."

"Obviously."

"And what's the worst He could do?" Arek looked at Alus, and Alus laughed. "Don't look at me like that!" Then, all humor faded suddenly from the brother's face as surprise took it over in a wash. "Do you think she remembers?"

Arek blinked. "No. No! She couldn't. Remember us? From 20 years ago?"

They didn't have any more time to discuss it.

The gunfire started.