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u ll o f t h ic k c o p per c u rls . A noth er t im e
it w as a b oy w it h b la ck e y es a n d n o h air a t a ll. S om etim es I ’m b la ck , s o m etim es w hit e , s o m etim es o liv e o r b ro w n o r y ello w o r r ed o r w hate v er e ls e t h ey
c a n t h in k o f.
In o th er w ord s, t h e R ep ublic h as n o id ea w hat I lo ok lik e. T hey d on ’t s e em t o k now m uch o f
an yth in g
ab ou t m e, e x cep t t h at I ’m y ou ng a n d t h at w hen
th ey r u n m y f in gerp rin ts t h ey d on ’t f in d a m atc h in t h eir d ata b ase s. T hat’s w hy t h ey h ate m e, w hy I ’m n ot t h e m ost
dan gero u s
crim in al in th e c o u ntr y ,
b ut t h e m ost
wan te d
. I m ak e t h em lo ok b ad .
It’s e a rly e v en in g, b ut it ’s a lr ea d y p it c h -b la ck o u ts id e, a n d t h e J u m boT ro n s’ r efle ctio n s a re v is ib le in t h e s tr eet’s p uddle s. I s it o n a c ru m blin g w in dow
le d ge t h ree s to rie s u p, h id den f r o m v ie w b eh in d r u ste d s te el b ea m s. T his u se d t o b e a n a p artm en t c o m ple x , b ut it ’s f a lle n in to d is r ep air . B ro k en la n te rn s
a n d g la ss s h ard s lit te r t h e f lo or o f t h is r o om , a n d p ain t is p eelin g f r o m e v ery w all. I n o n e c o rn er, a n o ld p ortr a it o f t h e E le cto r P rim o lie s f a ceu p o n t h e
g ro u nd. I w on der w ho u se d t o liv e h ere— no o n e’s c ra ck ed e n ou gh t o le t t h eir p ortr a it o f t h e E le cto r s it d is c a rd ed o n t h e f lo or lik e t h at.
My h air , a s u su al, is tu ck ed in sid e a n o ld n ew sb oy c a p . M y e y es a re fix ed o n th e s m all o n e-s to ry h ou se a cro ss th e r o ad . M y h an ds fid dle w it h th e
p en dan t t ie d a ro u nd m y n eck .
Tess le a n