1 00:00:01,680 --> 00:00:02,880 Speaker 1: Cool Zone Media. 2 00:00:06,640 --> 00:00:11,680 Speaker 2: It's the Cool Zone Media book Club. Hello, and welcome 3 00:00:11,720 --> 00:00:13,880 Speaker 2: to Cool Zone Media book Club. That's the jingle that 4 00:00:13,920 --> 00:00:17,080 Speaker 2: we've always used. I'm your host, Margaret Kiljoy, and this 5 00:00:17,440 --> 00:00:19,159 Speaker 2: is the book club where you don't have to do 6 00:00:19,200 --> 00:00:22,320 Speaker 2: the reading because I do it for you. I'm your host, 7 00:00:22,320 --> 00:00:25,360 Speaker 2: Margaret Kiljoy. I might have already said that, I'm not certain, 8 00:00:26,239 --> 00:00:28,880 Speaker 2: but what I haven't told you yet is what we're 9 00:00:28,920 --> 00:00:31,880 Speaker 2: reading this week. Although you probably know because it's the 10 00:00:31,880 --> 00:00:34,240 Speaker 2: same thing we read last week, only an additional chapter 11 00:00:34,360 --> 00:00:37,879 Speaker 2: further in. And also it's probably in the title. It 12 00:00:37,960 --> 00:00:40,680 Speaker 2: might even be why you clicked on it. I don't know. 13 00:00:41,080 --> 00:00:45,160 Speaker 2: We're reading The Barrow Will Send what it May Chapter six, 14 00:00:45,840 --> 00:00:49,760 Speaker 2: which is the second book in the Danielle Kaine series, 15 00:00:49,960 --> 00:00:52,200 Speaker 2: which I started reading on book club because book Club 16 00:00:52,240 --> 00:00:54,120 Speaker 2: started with me reading the first book in the series, 17 00:00:54,200 --> 00:00:56,440 Speaker 2: called The Lamble Slaughter of the Lion a year and 18 00:00:56,520 --> 00:00:59,680 Speaker 2: a half ago or whenever it was. And now the 19 00:00:59,680 --> 00:01:02,760 Speaker 2: third book, which is called The Immortal Choir Holds Every Voice, 20 00:01:03,320 --> 00:01:05,840 Speaker 2: is about to come out. The pre orders are available now, 21 00:01:06,080 --> 00:01:08,720 Speaker 2: and so I thought that you all should get to 22 00:01:08,760 --> 00:01:12,559 Speaker 2: hear the second book for free. So I started reading 23 00:01:12,600 --> 00:01:15,039 Speaker 2: it to you. I'm still reading it to you. And 24 00:01:15,080 --> 00:01:18,039 Speaker 2: then after that, I'm really excited about what comes after that. 25 00:01:18,600 --> 00:01:21,039 Speaker 2: But you don't get to know yet, but I get 26 00:01:21,080 --> 00:01:23,600 Speaker 2: to know, and so I get to have a nice 27 00:01:23,640 --> 00:01:27,080 Speaker 2: thing and you don't until later. I'm going to do 28 00:01:27,120 --> 00:01:29,399 Speaker 2: the thing where I read you the last couple paragraphs 29 00:01:29,440 --> 00:01:32,119 Speaker 2: of what we read last week, just so that you 30 00:01:32,120 --> 00:01:35,200 Speaker 2: know what happened in case or whatever. Here they are. 31 00:01:36,640 --> 00:01:39,640 Speaker 2: Half an hour later, the library door opened and shut, 32 00:01:39,840 --> 00:01:43,880 Speaker 2: and several pairs of feet trumped up the stairs. Hey, 33 00:01:44,080 --> 00:01:49,160 Speaker 2: Thursday shouted, we're back. More shuffling of feet as someone 34 00:01:49,280 --> 00:01:53,920 Speaker 2: presumably Thursday, walked through the whole of the apartment. At last, 35 00:01:54,280 --> 00:01:56,120 Speaker 2: he opened the door to the room we were in. 36 00:01:57,080 --> 00:02:01,280 Speaker 2: Where's Vacilla's dun dund dum. That's the cliffhanger. But you 37 00:02:01,280 --> 00:02:05,120 Speaker 2: don't have to wait anymore, because you already waited. Chapter six. 38 00:02:07,360 --> 00:02:11,440 Speaker 2: Son of a Shit, Thursday roared, running down the stairs 39 00:02:11,440 --> 00:02:15,480 Speaker 2: to search the library below. Gertrude stood in the living 40 00:02:15,560 --> 00:02:18,760 Speaker 2: room staring at Heather. A weak smile sat on the 41 00:02:18,800 --> 00:02:22,040 Speaker 2: older woman's lips, and fear and sadness were fighting for 42 00:02:22,120 --> 00:02:26,959 Speaker 2: control of her eyes. He killed her, She asked, running 43 00:02:26,960 --> 00:02:30,919 Speaker 2: a finger along Heather's cheek. We really had to do 44 00:02:30,960 --> 00:02:34,079 Speaker 2: something with the body. I never would have guessed I'd 45 00:02:34,080 --> 00:02:36,520 Speaker 2: ever be too busy to deal with a dead body 46 00:02:36,520 --> 00:02:39,720 Speaker 2: of a new friend. But there we were, scrambling to 47 00:02:39,800 --> 00:02:42,960 Speaker 2: keep everyone else still alive while a corpse grew cold 48 00:02:42,960 --> 00:02:46,160 Speaker 2: on the table. How long till it started to rot? 49 00:02:48,160 --> 00:02:52,639 Speaker 2: Sort of? I answered, he definitely killed me, though, Asola 50 00:02:52,680 --> 00:02:55,200 Speaker 2: walked into the room, and he killed two of my 51 00:02:55,320 --> 00:03:03,000 Speaker 2: friends to bring you back. I'm sorry, she said, I 52 00:03:03,040 --> 00:03:06,480 Speaker 2: didn't know. I couldn't get a good read on whether 53 00:03:06,560 --> 00:03:10,240 Speaker 2: or not she was lying. What's your story? I asked, 54 00:03:10,440 --> 00:03:14,960 Speaker 2: for real, what happened to you? I died of cancer. 55 00:03:15,800 --> 00:03:19,840 Speaker 2: I remember dying. It was peaceful, a sharp end of pain, 56 00:03:20,880 --> 00:03:26,080 Speaker 2: like falling asleep, but simpler, better. I was in the 57 00:03:26,120 --> 00:03:30,200 Speaker 2: hospital in Billings and there were flowers everywhere, and he 58 00:03:30,280 --> 00:03:33,640 Speaker 2: was next to me, holding my hand. He was crying. 59 00:03:34,680 --> 00:03:38,800 Speaker 2: We never had children, him and me. I never wanted them. 60 00:03:39,800 --> 00:03:43,680 Speaker 2: Just for a second, I wished I'd had kids, someone 61 00:03:43,680 --> 00:03:46,800 Speaker 2: else for him to love. He's never been good at 62 00:03:46,800 --> 00:03:50,280 Speaker 2: not having someone to love, and I worried about him. 63 00:03:50,800 --> 00:03:53,640 Speaker 2: I wanted to tell him it was fine. I wanted 64 00:03:53,640 --> 00:03:55,560 Speaker 2: to tell him I was going to a better place, 65 00:03:56,080 --> 00:03:59,320 Speaker 2: that he could still love me or love someone else too, 66 00:04:00,600 --> 00:04:03,920 Speaker 2: and that i'd see him again. But I didn't say anything. 67 00:04:04,720 --> 00:04:07,400 Speaker 2: It was all too complicated. I didn't know how to 68 00:04:07,440 --> 00:04:14,640 Speaker 2: say it. I just let myself die. I nodded. Then 69 00:04:14,680 --> 00:04:18,159 Speaker 2: I woke up in our bed here in town. I 70 00:04:18,360 --> 00:04:21,400 Speaker 2: died with snow out the window. I woke up to 71 00:04:21,480 --> 00:04:25,039 Speaker 2: the sound of summer birds. Six months had gone by. 72 00:04:25,200 --> 00:04:28,440 Speaker 2: He he told me what he'd done, A bit of it, 73 00:04:28,680 --> 00:04:32,040 Speaker 2: only part of it, I'm guessing. He told me he'd 74 00:04:32,080 --> 00:04:34,520 Speaker 2: brought me back to be with him. He told me 75 00:04:34,960 --> 00:04:39,160 Speaker 2: he couldn't live without me. And you left him, I asked. 76 00:04:41,000 --> 00:04:43,080 Speaker 2: I didn't say anything at all. For a whole day, 77 00:04:43,760 --> 00:04:47,640 Speaker 2: I laid in bed thinking about everything. He was respectful. 78 00:04:47,839 --> 00:04:50,000 Speaker 2: He noticed I wasn't feeling right, and he slept on 79 00:04:50,040 --> 00:04:52,800 Speaker 2: a cot next to our bed. He only left my 80 00:04:52,960 --> 00:04:56,479 Speaker 2: side to bring me food and water. He just sat 81 00:04:56,520 --> 00:04:59,920 Speaker 2: there reading books while I laid there thinking it over. 82 00:05:01,480 --> 00:05:05,719 Speaker 2: There are so many sides to every person. After I 83 00:05:05,800 --> 00:05:08,839 Speaker 2: stayed up through the night. When the sun rose up again, 84 00:05:09,400 --> 00:05:11,560 Speaker 2: I looked at him, and the first words I said 85 00:05:11,600 --> 00:05:15,640 Speaker 2: were till death dew. We part. Then I told him 86 00:05:15,680 --> 00:05:18,479 Speaker 2: it's not right what he did. I told him the 87 00:05:18,520 --> 00:05:20,920 Speaker 2: dead or supposed to stay dead, and what he'd done 88 00:05:21,040 --> 00:05:24,839 Speaker 2: wasn't right by God. I'd always known and loved God 89 00:05:24,920 --> 00:05:28,000 Speaker 2: more than my husband did, and my husband had always 90 00:05:28,040 --> 00:05:32,160 Speaker 2: loved me more than he'd loved God. So I moved out, 91 00:05:32,680 --> 00:05:35,640 Speaker 2: simple as that. That was the last thing I'd ever 92 00:05:35,680 --> 00:05:38,520 Speaker 2: wanted to think about any of it. Then your friends 93 00:05:38,560 --> 00:05:41,240 Speaker 2: show up tonight, tell me he's liable to kill me. 94 00:05:42,200 --> 00:05:44,640 Speaker 2: Part of me thinks he'd be right to do it. 95 00:05:45,520 --> 00:05:49,520 Speaker 2: Most of me, though, is just damn scared. Vulture put 96 00:05:49,520 --> 00:05:53,640 Speaker 2: his arm around Gertrude, and she hugged him. I decided 97 00:05:53,680 --> 00:05:56,440 Speaker 2: I believed her, not completely, But you don't need to 98 00:05:56,480 --> 00:05:59,120 Speaker 2: believe someone completely to choose to believe them enough that 99 00:05:59,160 --> 00:06:02,760 Speaker 2: you can act on their way, much like I believe 100 00:06:02,960 --> 00:06:06,960 Speaker 2: in the goods and services that support this very podcast, 101 00:06:07,200 --> 00:06:23,120 Speaker 2: my favorite, and we're back. One of the books is 102 00:06:23,160 --> 00:06:26,200 Speaker 2: missing Doomsday, said Crouch, next to the stack of books 103 00:06:26,200 --> 00:06:30,920 Speaker 2: on the floor, small one, gold spine, black cover. It's 104 00:06:30,920 --> 00:06:33,760 Speaker 2: where I learned about witches fire. She looked up toward 105 00:06:33,800 --> 00:06:38,240 Speaker 2: the window where she'd been sitting earlier. Fucking gun is gone. Too, 106 00:06:38,880 --> 00:06:43,480 Speaker 2: getting fucking sick of people stealing my gun. Vascillis went 107 00:06:43,520 --> 00:06:45,920 Speaker 2: to the gift shop. I bet, I said, he's trying 108 00:06:45,920 --> 00:06:48,040 Speaker 2: to get into the basement, trying to get the book 109 00:06:48,080 --> 00:06:52,040 Speaker 2: without waiting for us. I thought that through for another moment. 110 00:06:53,040 --> 00:06:54,919 Speaker 2: He wants the book because he's going to try and 111 00:06:54,920 --> 00:06:58,200 Speaker 2: resurrect Heather. I bet he'll kill mister Miller to do it. 112 00:06:59,440 --> 00:07:02,800 Speaker 2: He seemed to Doomsday said, but I didn't realize he 113 00:07:02,880 --> 00:07:07,560 Speaker 2: was both desperate and stupid. Men will do anything if 114 00:07:07,560 --> 00:07:09,559 Speaker 2: they think it's in the best interest of some woman 115 00:07:09,600 --> 00:07:13,280 Speaker 2: they love. Gertrude said, whether or not the woman agrees. 116 00:07:15,440 --> 00:07:19,160 Speaker 2: Thursday rushed back up the stairs, slamming open the apartment door. 117 00:07:19,960 --> 00:07:23,920 Speaker 2: He's not in the library. I checked everywhere. He probably 118 00:07:23,960 --> 00:07:30,400 Speaker 2: went after Sebastian, I said, okay, Thursday said Vulture, Brinn Danielle, 119 00:07:30,720 --> 00:07:36,280 Speaker 2: we'll go after him. Doom, you stay here guard these two. 120 00:07:36,520 --> 00:07:39,080 Speaker 2: The town was just starting to rise as we tore 121 00:07:39,120 --> 00:07:41,840 Speaker 2: down the main road on bikes, and people came out 122 00:07:41,840 --> 00:07:44,080 Speaker 2: of stores on the main strip to stand on the 123 00:07:44,080 --> 00:07:48,480 Speaker 2: boardwalk and stare. Crows and Magpie sat on the power 124 00:07:48,560 --> 00:07:53,200 Speaker 2: lines watching us too. We hit the one traffic light 125 00:07:53,280 --> 00:07:56,000 Speaker 2: on a red and waited. Though there were no cars 126 00:07:56,000 --> 00:08:00,080 Speaker 2: coming in any direction. Thursday pulled up beside me. I 127 00:08:00,120 --> 00:08:04,000 Speaker 2: feel like it's high noon or something, he laughed. I 128 00:08:04,040 --> 00:08:08,720 Speaker 2: heard shouting up ahead and ran the light. Vasillis and 129 00:08:08,760 --> 00:08:12,720 Speaker 2: Sebastian stood in the shadow of the Tyrannosaur, not ten 130 00:08:12,760 --> 00:08:17,760 Speaker 2: feet distant from each other, weapons leveled. Vasillis held Doomsday's 131 00:08:17,800 --> 00:08:21,960 Speaker 2: pistol in a one handed amateur grip. Sebastian held a 132 00:08:21,960 --> 00:08:27,200 Speaker 2: bolt action hunting rifle shouldered sis men Brenn said, shaking 133 00:08:27,200 --> 00:08:30,160 Speaker 2: her head. She dropped her bike on the street and 134 00:08:30,200 --> 00:08:34,880 Speaker 2: flicked open her baton, walking toward the pear, Hey, I shouted. 135 00:08:36,000 --> 00:08:38,520 Speaker 2: If the two exchanged fire, it wouldn't work out well 136 00:08:38,559 --> 00:08:41,680 Speaker 2: for either of them. Vasillis didn't know what he was doing, 137 00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:44,200 Speaker 2: but he had a semi automatic pistol and likely a 138 00:08:44,240 --> 00:08:48,160 Speaker 2: full magazine. Sebastian and probably brought down an animal or 139 00:08:48,160 --> 00:08:50,720 Speaker 2: two in his day, but a bolt action rifle ain't 140 00:08:50,760 --> 00:08:54,040 Speaker 2: the tool for the job of close combat. They both 141 00:08:54,080 --> 00:08:57,400 Speaker 2: turned to look at me. Who in God's name are 142 00:08:57,480 --> 00:09:02,440 Speaker 2: you people, Sebastian asked, I'm Danielle. I said, I knew 143 00:09:02,480 --> 00:09:04,400 Speaker 2: what he meant, but I didn't feel like answering his 144 00:09:04,400 --> 00:09:08,440 Speaker 2: implicit question. I caught this man trying to break into 145 00:09:08,480 --> 00:09:10,880 Speaker 2: my place of business. I have every legal right to 146 00:09:10,880 --> 00:09:14,280 Speaker 2: shoot him if he doesn't leave the property. You don't 147 00:09:14,280 --> 00:09:17,280 Speaker 2: care about law, I said, I don't care about law. 148 00:09:18,360 --> 00:09:20,400 Speaker 2: I care about what I can get away with, and 149 00:09:20,440 --> 00:09:24,360 Speaker 2: that includes shooting your face tattooed freak of a librarian. Friend. 150 00:09:25,720 --> 00:09:28,400 Speaker 2: You don't want that. I don't even know what I 151 00:09:28,440 --> 00:09:33,600 Speaker 2: want anymore. All the fuss had attracted some onlookers. We 152 00:09:33,640 --> 00:09:35,720 Speaker 2: are at the very end of town, but a few 153 00:09:35,720 --> 00:09:39,040 Speaker 2: people had already filtered over. None of them looked particularly 154 00:09:39,120 --> 00:09:43,000 Speaker 2: friendly toward us in their shoes. I wouldn't be either. 155 00:09:44,200 --> 00:09:47,840 Speaker 2: He's stalling, Brenna whispered into my ear, waiting for a crowd. 156 00:09:48,440 --> 00:09:52,280 Speaker 2: We should bring him down now. No, come on, I 157 00:09:52,320 --> 00:09:54,400 Speaker 2: said back. I don't want Vicilis to die. I'm sick 158 00:09:54,440 --> 00:09:56,680 Speaker 2: of seeing people die. We'll talk our way through this. 159 00:09:58,320 --> 00:10:02,319 Speaker 2: Sebastian had a small backpack thrown over one shoulder. Vascillas 160 00:10:02,360 --> 00:10:05,880 Speaker 2: kept eyeing it, and Sebastian kept moving his body unconsciously 161 00:10:06,040 --> 00:10:08,400 Speaker 2: to keep it as far from his assailant as possible. 162 00:10:09,320 --> 00:10:12,319 Speaker 2: The book was in there. It was a hunch, nothing 163 00:10:12,320 --> 00:10:16,440 Speaker 2: to gamble, alife on. I approached, raising my hands over 164 00:10:16,480 --> 00:10:21,679 Speaker 2: my head. Stay back, Sebastian said, his voice was cracked 165 00:10:21,720 --> 00:10:25,200 Speaker 2: with worry and exhaustion. For all the world, he could 166 00:10:25,200 --> 00:10:28,120 Speaker 2: have just been someone's dad if things had played out 167 00:10:28,160 --> 00:10:31,400 Speaker 2: the slightest bit differently, he'd have just lived his life 168 00:10:31,400 --> 00:10:34,640 Speaker 2: reading thrillers and watching TV and hunting, and none of 169 00:10:34,640 --> 00:10:37,920 Speaker 2: this would have happened. Just want to talk this through, 170 00:10:38,000 --> 00:10:41,240 Speaker 2: I said, We're at an impasse. Let's find a way 171 00:10:41,240 --> 00:10:44,959 Speaker 2: past it. I don't see the impasse. I've got the 172 00:10:45,000 --> 00:10:50,720 Speaker 2: upper hand. You attack us, we'll kill you. We attack you, 173 00:10:50,720 --> 00:10:52,880 Speaker 2: you kill one of us, and likely at least some 174 00:10:52,920 --> 00:10:56,440 Speaker 2: of us end up in jail. You included you'll end 175 00:10:56,520 --> 00:11:00,200 Speaker 2: up in jail in either scenario, he said. Do you 176 00:11:00,240 --> 00:11:02,480 Speaker 2: think people with face tattoos are the kind of people 177 00:11:02,520 --> 00:11:04,840 Speaker 2: who are afraid of ending up in prison? I asked, 178 00:11:05,400 --> 00:11:08,880 Speaker 2: I stepped closer. I approached from his right side, which 179 00:11:08,960 --> 00:11:11,319 Speaker 2: was convenient because it's the harder direction for a right 180 00:11:11,320 --> 00:11:14,559 Speaker 2: handed shooter to swing a rifle. I wasn't near enough 181 00:11:14,600 --> 00:11:17,320 Speaker 2: to reach his gun even if I lunged, but I 182 00:11:17,360 --> 00:11:20,360 Speaker 2: was getting close. You think you can scare women who 183 00:11:20,400 --> 00:11:24,160 Speaker 2: spent their lives hitchhiking alone. You think a man who 184 00:11:24,280 --> 00:11:26,200 Speaker 2: raises the dead would be afraid of a bunch of 185 00:11:26,240 --> 00:11:31,199 Speaker 2: fucking punk kids, No, Brent said, standing shoulder to shoulder 186 00:11:31,240 --> 00:11:35,280 Speaker 2: with me. You're right. You're not afraid of us. You're 187 00:11:35,320 --> 00:11:38,640 Speaker 2: a different kind of coward. You're afraid of being alone. 188 00:11:39,440 --> 00:11:42,440 Speaker 2: You didn't resurrect your wife for her. You did it 189 00:11:42,480 --> 00:11:45,600 Speaker 2: for you. Take one step closer and I'll shoot at 190 00:11:45,679 --> 00:11:49,480 Speaker 2: least two of you. See, I said, what was I 191 00:11:49,559 --> 00:11:54,800 Speaker 2: telling you? Impasse? I looked over my shoulder. Thursday and 192 00:11:54,880 --> 00:11:58,200 Speaker 2: Vulture were there with the bikes. Thursday had his hand 193 00:11:58,240 --> 00:12:03,520 Speaker 2: in his hoodie pocket, Culture at his phone. A serious 194 00:12:03,559 --> 00:12:06,600 Speaker 2: crowd was gathering, maybe ten people already, with another dozen 195 00:12:06,640 --> 00:12:09,400 Speaker 2: on their way. They stayed clear of the line of 196 00:12:09,440 --> 00:12:12,600 Speaker 2: fire between the two armed men, but were getting awfully 197 00:12:12,640 --> 00:12:15,079 Speaker 2: close to the rest of us. A few of them 198 00:12:15,080 --> 00:12:20,000 Speaker 2: were open carrying pistols at their waists. Interpersonal crime is 199 00:12:20,040 --> 00:12:22,920 Speaker 2: so much more annoying to commit in open carry states. 200 00:12:24,880 --> 00:12:27,160 Speaker 2: At the back of the crowd, leaning against the glass 201 00:12:27,200 --> 00:12:30,280 Speaker 2: front of a lawyer's office, a man with black sunglasses 202 00:12:30,280 --> 00:12:33,560 Speaker 2: and a black suit sipped coffee, his blonde hair in 203 00:12:33,640 --> 00:12:37,040 Speaker 2: a tight bun. Next to him a freckled woman with 204 00:12:37,120 --> 00:12:39,960 Speaker 2: her hair in a sixties bob dressed identically to the 205 00:12:40,000 --> 00:12:43,720 Speaker 2: man ate a doughnut. They weren't part of the crowd. 206 00:12:44,480 --> 00:12:49,679 Speaker 2: They were just watching fucking magic Feds. Hipster magic Feds. 207 00:12:50,679 --> 00:12:55,120 Speaker 2: You need any help, mister Miller, A young voice shouted, why, Yes, 208 00:12:55,200 --> 00:12:59,160 Speaker 2: I need these products and services. He shouted back, because 209 00:12:59,200 --> 00:13:03,480 Speaker 2: he too, all sides of a conflict really could do 210 00:13:03,600 --> 00:13:07,200 Speaker 2: a lot with products and services, just like you can. 211 00:13:18,600 --> 00:13:25,280 Speaker 2: And we're back. These punks broke into my shop, he answered. 212 00:13:25,480 --> 00:13:28,200 Speaker 2: I scared them off because they're chicken shit, but they 213 00:13:28,240 --> 00:13:33,040 Speaker 2: got me out numbered out here. Fuck this, I took 214 00:13:33,080 --> 00:13:36,400 Speaker 2: another step forward. Sebastian started to swing the gun around 215 00:13:36,400 --> 00:13:39,840 Speaker 2: to face me. Long barrel, terrible for close range. I 216 00:13:39,880 --> 00:13:43,440 Speaker 2: pushed in closer, knocking the barrel aside. Used my bad 217 00:13:43,559 --> 00:13:46,040 Speaker 2: arm to do it, which I shouldn't have, the stitched 218 00:13:46,080 --> 00:13:49,319 Speaker 2: up wound in my shoulder, complained. Got my knife out 219 00:13:49,320 --> 00:13:52,320 Speaker 2: of my pocket and open in one motion, brought it up. 220 00:13:52,960 --> 00:13:56,880 Speaker 2: He flinched hard, closing his eyes, dropping the rifle to 221 00:13:56,920 --> 00:13:59,320 Speaker 2: points slack at the ground while he covered his throat. 222 00:14:00,559 --> 00:14:02,679 Speaker 2: I cut the strap of his backpack down at the 223 00:14:02,720 --> 00:14:05,200 Speaker 2: bottom where the strap is thinnest and the farthest away 224 00:14:05,200 --> 00:14:09,280 Speaker 2: from meat, and snatched it. I stomped the barrel of 225 00:14:09,280 --> 00:14:13,199 Speaker 2: his rifle and disarmed him. Too many armed strangers around 226 00:14:13,200 --> 00:14:17,200 Speaker 2: to kill him then and there, bucking run. Brynn shouted, 227 00:14:18,280 --> 00:14:23,400 Speaker 2: We ran. Vacillis came with us. Thursday at the front, 228 00:14:23,440 --> 00:14:26,240 Speaker 2: put his knot in substantial mass to bear, and plowed 229 00:14:26,280 --> 00:14:29,800 Speaker 2: through our audience before they had time to react. We 230 00:14:29,840 --> 00:14:32,520 Speaker 2: got off the main street first thing, and Vacillis took 231 00:14:32,600 --> 00:14:35,560 Speaker 2: us through an alley. Brynn overturned a dumpster in our 232 00:14:35,600 --> 00:14:40,280 Speaker 2: path to slow down our pursuers ahead of us. Thursday shouted. 233 00:14:41,240 --> 00:14:43,720 Speaker 2: Four men at the mouth of the alley barred our path. 234 00:14:44,720 --> 00:14:46,960 Speaker 2: We grabbed a second dumpster and pushed it ahead of 235 00:14:47,040 --> 00:14:50,960 Speaker 2: us on its castor wheels. I pushed with my one arm, 236 00:14:51,160 --> 00:14:54,920 Speaker 2: the other hurt like hell. I might have ripped the stitches. 237 00:14:56,200 --> 00:14:59,040 Speaker 2: A shot rang out the ping against the steel side 238 00:14:59,040 --> 00:15:01,560 Speaker 2: of the dumpster, almost as loud as the report itself. 239 00:15:02,400 --> 00:15:04,720 Speaker 2: Couldn't have been a long gun, or it would have 240 00:15:04,760 --> 00:15:09,160 Speaker 2: gone through and probably into someone I cared about. All 241 00:15:09,200 --> 00:15:11,720 Speaker 2: five of us were packed tight behind our moving shield, 242 00:15:12,320 --> 00:15:14,880 Speaker 2: and I found that strange clarity I've only ever known 243 00:15:15,240 --> 00:15:19,640 Speaker 2: in riots. The world had always, it seemed, been against 244 00:15:19,760 --> 00:15:23,440 Speaker 2: me and my friends. These, though, were moments of me 245 00:15:23,520 --> 00:15:27,160 Speaker 2: and my friends against the world. I know that's bullshit 246 00:15:27,280 --> 00:15:29,920 Speaker 2: on a bunch of different levels. Hell, the people shooting 247 00:15:29,960 --> 00:15:33,080 Speaker 2: at us right now weren't even our enemies. I wouldn't 248 00:15:33,080 --> 00:15:36,840 Speaker 2: shoot back even if I could, but our collective power 249 00:15:36,880 --> 00:15:39,880 Speaker 2: felt like its own magic. Just then, in the early morning, 250 00:15:39,960 --> 00:15:43,560 Speaker 2: in some small town in Montana, we'd picked up speed 251 00:15:43,840 --> 00:15:48,600 Speaker 2: and shouted our wordless power. We hit the street as 252 00:15:48,640 --> 00:15:51,200 Speaker 2: I'd guessed. The men trying to stop us moved out 253 00:15:51,240 --> 00:15:53,400 Speaker 2: of the way of the couple hundred pounds of steel 254 00:15:53,440 --> 00:15:57,160 Speaker 2: barreling toward them. They were still armed, though, and we 255 00:15:57,160 --> 00:15:59,600 Speaker 2: were in the open in the street, the library twenty 256 00:15:59,640 --> 00:16:04,000 Speaker 2: feet way. Another shot rang out, but it wasn't from 257 00:16:04,000 --> 00:16:07,680 Speaker 2: our assailants. Thursday had his gun out. He'd fired at 258 00:16:07,680 --> 00:16:11,400 Speaker 2: the ground by their feet. They bolted, taking cover behind cars. 259 00:16:12,040 --> 00:16:16,200 Speaker 2: They'd be returning fire any second. We sprinted for the library, 260 00:16:16,560 --> 00:16:20,480 Speaker 2: Thursday covering us, firing shots to keep our attackers behind cover. 261 00:16:21,320 --> 00:16:24,160 Speaker 2: Doomsday met us with the door open, and I dove through. 262 00:16:25,040 --> 00:16:28,840 Speaker 2: Bangs everywhere, loud ones and tinny ones and ones that 263 00:16:28,920 --> 00:16:31,760 Speaker 2: just went poof more than bang, and just way too 264 00:16:31,840 --> 00:16:36,240 Speaker 2: much gunfire everywhere. Thursday was pinned down behind the dumpster. 265 00:16:36,880 --> 00:16:40,320 Speaker 2: Bacillias drew his pistol aloft, but Doomsday snatched it out 266 00:16:40,320 --> 00:16:44,480 Speaker 2: of his hand and stepped aside, firing calmly. I don't 267 00:16:44,480 --> 00:16:46,760 Speaker 2: think she was aiming to keep those guys pinned down. 268 00:16:47,600 --> 00:16:51,840 Speaker 2: I think she was aiming for the guys themselves. They ducked. 269 00:16:52,360 --> 00:16:56,080 Speaker 2: Thursday ran zigzag. A shot shattered the glass of a 270 00:16:56,160 --> 00:16:59,000 Speaker 2: window not a meter in front of him, but he 271 00:16:59,040 --> 00:17:01,800 Speaker 2: got in through the door, and Doomsday slammed it shut. 272 00:17:02,600 --> 00:17:08,800 Speaker 2: The firing stopped. I fucking hate gunfights. Dun, dun, dune. 273 00:17:09,600 --> 00:17:11,720 Speaker 2: I guess that's not really a cliff Well, it's a cliffhanger. 274 00:17:11,760 --> 00:17:13,960 Speaker 2: You don't know what's gonna happen in chapter seven or 275 00:17:14,080 --> 00:17:17,640 Speaker 2: chapter eight, which is the number of chapters. There's eight chapters, 276 00:17:18,200 --> 00:17:22,600 Speaker 2: and you're six of them through. But they've made it through. 277 00:17:22,680 --> 00:17:25,720 Speaker 2: They've got the backpack that might have the book, and 278 00:17:25,760 --> 00:17:28,000 Speaker 2: they're back in the library and they're safe for now, 279 00:17:28,040 --> 00:17:33,159 Speaker 2: and everyone's dead and dying and everything's complicated, and I 280 00:17:33,160 --> 00:17:35,640 Speaker 2: guess without Robert here. I should probably just talk about 281 00:17:35,880 --> 00:17:36,760 Speaker 2: the book a little bit. 282 00:17:37,520 --> 00:17:37,720 Speaker 1: You know. 283 00:17:38,560 --> 00:17:41,040 Speaker 2: One of the main things I think about rereading this 284 00:17:41,359 --> 00:17:44,960 Speaker 2: several years after it came out, and you know, many 285 00:17:45,000 --> 00:17:47,320 Speaker 2: years after I wrote it, I know a lot more 286 00:17:47,320 --> 00:17:49,359 Speaker 2: about guns than I did before. I don't think I 287 00:17:49,400 --> 00:17:52,199 Speaker 2: got anything of this particularly wrong, like long guns are 288 00:17:52,240 --> 00:17:56,320 Speaker 2: not particularly good for close combat, and dumpster steel is 289 00:17:56,359 --> 00:18:00,760 Speaker 2: probably not going to stop rifle rounds and all this thing, 290 00:18:00,840 --> 00:18:03,040 Speaker 2: But I keep calling everything a pistol, like I don't 291 00:18:03,040 --> 00:18:05,119 Speaker 2: even say what kind of gun it is. I'll be 292 00:18:05,200 --> 00:18:06,840 Speaker 2: lucky if I don't call it a clip instead of 293 00:18:06,840 --> 00:18:09,800 Speaker 2: a magazine at some point. And these things probably don't 294 00:18:09,880 --> 00:18:14,000 Speaker 2: really matter to the average reader at all, but it's 295 00:18:14,040 --> 00:18:18,280 Speaker 2: just funny to think about. I don't know, I like 296 00:18:18,359 --> 00:18:20,600 Speaker 2: this story. I'm glad to read it to you. I 297 00:18:20,640 --> 00:18:22,880 Speaker 2: feel like I should have more clever things to say 298 00:18:22,920 --> 00:18:25,240 Speaker 2: about it, because it's a book club and I'm supposed 299 00:18:25,240 --> 00:18:26,960 Speaker 2: to talk about the books, but I wrote this one, 300 00:18:27,119 --> 00:18:31,760 Speaker 2: so it's complicated. This chapter is kind of where the 301 00:18:31,760 --> 00:18:33,879 Speaker 2: theme of the book that I was really going for 302 00:18:34,040 --> 00:18:36,879 Speaker 2: sort of starts to come into its own, which is 303 00:18:37,400 --> 00:18:40,160 Speaker 2: around the first book is really about, like the concept 304 00:18:40,200 --> 00:18:44,240 Speaker 2: of power right, And this idea of like summoning a 305 00:18:44,280 --> 00:18:47,359 Speaker 2: demon to stop people from taking power over other people, 306 00:18:47,400 --> 00:18:49,960 Speaker 2: and how that actually becomes exerting a sort of power 307 00:18:50,280 --> 00:18:53,720 Speaker 2: in and of itself and things like this, And this 308 00:18:53,760 --> 00:18:56,520 Speaker 2: one is probably fairly transparent, but it is much more 309 00:18:56,560 --> 00:19:02,040 Speaker 2: intentionally around feminism and around the kind of things that 310 00:19:04,040 --> 00:19:09,560 Speaker 2: people do for love, and in particular like heterosexual couple 311 00:19:09,760 --> 00:19:12,520 Speaker 2: blah blah blah blah blah, patriarchy, etc. You know, this 312 00:19:12,640 --> 00:19:14,680 Speaker 2: idea like, oh, you didn't bring her back for her, 313 00:19:14,920 --> 00:19:19,000 Speaker 2: you brought her back for you, you know. And I 314 00:19:19,000 --> 00:19:21,080 Speaker 2: don't think it's like an entirely cynical take. It's a 315 00:19:21,119 --> 00:19:25,360 Speaker 2: slightly cynical take, obviously, you know. But I think that 316 00:19:25,359 --> 00:19:29,200 Speaker 2: that was the primary theme I was just trying to 317 00:19:29,240 --> 00:19:33,439 Speaker 2: get across with this book. And it's not really up 318 00:19:33,480 --> 00:19:35,399 Speaker 2: to me to say whether or not I succeeded. But 319 00:19:35,440 --> 00:19:39,399 Speaker 2: there's going to be more about all of that next week, 320 00:19:39,840 --> 00:19:43,520 Speaker 2: when you can hear the next chapter. Okay, bye everyone. 321 00:19:44,560 --> 00:19:47,040 Speaker 1: It could happen here as a production of cool Zone Media. 322 00:19:47,119 --> 00:19:49,760 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from cool Zone Media, visit our website 323 00:19:49,840 --> 00:19:52,080 Speaker 1: cool Zonemedia dot com, or check us out on the 324 00:19:52,080 --> 00:19:55,680 Speaker 1: iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts, 325 00:19:56,080 --> 00:19:58,199 Speaker 1: you can find sources whe it could happen here, updated 326 00:19:58,280 --> 00:20:01,720 Speaker 1: monthly at cool Zone media dot com slash sources. Thanks 327 00:20:01,800 --> 00:20:02,320 Speaker 1: for listening.