Dead Boys Read Online Free PDF Page B

powerless to regenerate cells, more vulnerable to the forces of entropy than rubber, let alone solid stone; the bones grinding away in the sockets, unlubricated by blood and lymph; skin rubbing against skin for unmoisturized decades? What, Remington, becomes of our bodies?”
    “They fall apart,” said Remington dutifully.
    “Yes, Remington, they fall right apart. Even the best-preserved body decays, given time and motion, which is why Shanthi here remains so perfectly still.
    “Now! Given what we know about the damage one corpse can do to itself just by moving about from day to day, what can we conclude about two, or, heavens, three corpses, all but fully nude, none of them having taken the slightest of preservative precautions, rubbing against one another in the most violent manner in the middle of the street?”
    “They should not!” said Remington, who was enjoying the increasing volume of this discourse.
    “They should absolutely, in the name of a reanimated God, not,” said Jacob, “nor should any citizen touch any other citizen, for the simple reason that it will do damage, however slight, to the integrity of that citizen’s flesh.
    “The dead are a vain people, I don’t deny it, and contrary to whatever opinions you might have formed about me, I find it sad even in myself. This business of making mannequins of corpses—forgive me, Shanthi—is the baldest of farces. But whatever you may think of our vanity, I beg you to respect it, otherwise your time in this city will be hard indeed, and so, to be perfectly blunt, will mine.”
    “No touching,” said Remington.
    “No touching,” said Jacob, “and I thank you.”
    “But what about Adam and Eve?”
    “Actually,” said Jacob in surprise, “they seem to be getting on all right by themselves.”
    While Remington and Jacob had been distracted by their conversation, Adam and Eve had begun to move, though very slowly. By now, after many tiny steps and tentative touches, they had identified their positions beside one another and were standing side by side, facing the window like they were gazing at the street with invisible eyes.
    As if they’d been waiting for an audience, they lifted their hands to the pane, grasped its base, and pulled the window open. The reconstructed crow, who’d been waiting for such an opportunity, swooped into the room, settling on Eve’s shoulder with a cheerful squawk.
    “How did they do that?” said Remington.
    “They’re your friends,” said Jacob, “why don’t you ask them?”

CHAPTER THREE
    The Hanged Man’s Laughter

    J acob watched them as he packed his things, vacillating between amazement and crawling unease. Remington had taken his sarcasm at face value and set about finding a way to learn how Adam and Eve could see. He and the headless marched around in a conga line; they played soldiers and tag; they struck poses and made speeches with their hands; but only when he taught them to play blindman’s buff did the truth emerge.
    “Good lord,” Jacob said, “they stop moving as soon as you cover your eyes.”
    “I know!” said Remington. “That’s why I keep winning.”
    “But, Remington, can’t you see what this means? Somehow, though I can’t imagine how, it’s quite impossible and hurts my head to even contemplate, but somehow they’re—”
    “Seeing through my eyes! I know, it’s pretty neat. Plus, we don’t have to touch each other to get around, so you don’t have to worry about your reputation any more.”
    “Yes.” Jacob stared at Adam and Eve, who were wiggling their fingers behind one another’s stumps. “That’s a relief.”
    It was odd in the extreme, as the headless had been helpless before Remington came along, but there was no time to sort out another of the city’s mysteries. Jacob forced his bag shut, snapping its clasps over a fortune in preservative tools. “Remington, fascinating as your menagerie has become, I must beg you to focus for a moment. Ma Kicks has given