The Dead Presents
The Inspector of the Emerald Guard and the town surgeon were viewing some of the dead brought in by Shade on the tumbril. The doctor points and remarks, "You see how the nose is missing from one blade or hook, rather? I've seen this before. It's for catching deep sea fish, huge fish. If you see anyone carrying a hooked net, ask them,no tell them to leave.
Shade is back to one dead guy on the ship. He presents the loaded tumbril to Sympos at the cemetery. Then explains how excited he was to create a diorama of 11 dead bodies, all in different poses. Shade was so proud of the idea. Then he sees the disgust from Sympos and August.
Sympos comforts Shade by telling him, "Your heart was in the right place. However, the dead would not appreciate their memory of life to be, well, shit. Now, here, rest this to calm your soul."
It was too dark to tell what the overly crunchy morsel was, "Crunch!"
It is sour and yet rich. At first crunchy, then the thick liquid that filled the porous infrastructure gushed in Shade’s mouth. It was warm, salted, and tasted strongly of iron.