"WHY NOT?! What's wrong with that? WHAT'S SO GODDAMN WRONG WITH WANTING AND SEEING MORE THAN WHAT ALL OTHERS UP AND DO, BRINGING THAT UP IN THERE, AIN'T THAT WHAT ALL YOU TRY FOR?!" He stops himself. He's not supposed to be snapping at her. He's supposed to be... he ain't motherfucking know. Trying.

He keeps his eyes close and lips pressed into a line. He breathes, keeping Mituna in his mind, until he's sure he can speak again.

She's a faithless. Of course she ain't gonna hear them whispers. Of course she can't hear the Messiahs voices. Of course she don't feel all of this and recognize it as being part of the same picture as something important, special, beautiful. If she could, they wouldn't be here doing this.

She slaps pink on him, for life. But he doesn't see that. He sees her marking him with the Empress. He sees more death.

"Nevermind," He says. "FORGET IT."