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(Scars do not appear to be cause of death –shock ... - Bad Request

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mumbled <strong>to</strong> herself. "Marta, how dids he <strong>do</strong> that? No glimmer, no glimmer."<br />

Morte rolled his eyes "This gravebait's blind and near-deaf."<br />

Marta was still mumbling <strong>to</strong> herself, something about corpses and gratitude,<br />

which I didn't quite catch.<br />

"Who are you?" I asked.<br />

"Marta, dids this one asks whose I was? Aye, he did, he did..." She started<br />

humming. "Nobody but mine, I am Marta, Marta the Seamstress...<br />

hmnnnn... Mar-ta - the - Seam - Stress... Mar-ta - the - Seam - Stress..." She<br />

turned away, back <strong>to</strong> the corpse, singing her name <strong>to</strong> herself.<br />

"What are you <strong>do</strong>ing?"<br />

Marta turned back <strong>to</strong> the corpse with a huff. "I'm trying ta gets this <strong>be</strong>rk <strong>to</strong><br />

give up his stitchies and his teethies, and he isn't recoop-erating, no, no..."<br />

She wagged her finger, as if lecturing a small child. "Stubborn as s<strong>to</strong>ne, isn't<br />

he, Marta?" She pouted. "Yes, yes, he is..."<br />

I raised an eyebrow, "Stitchies... and teethies? What are you talking about?"<br />

"Gotta pulls the stitchies out, the teethies... eh, Marta, perhaps you could<br />

gives me a hand... I have <strong>be</strong>ens giving you a hand, old battie... no needs <strong>to</strong><br />

take that <strong>to</strong>ne with me... pulling out the stitchies and teethies, yes. And the<br />

thingies inside."<br />

"Thingies inside?"<br />

Morte floated over the corpse she was working on, looking over the breaks<br />

and incisions, "I think she means organs. I hope she means organs."<br />

"Thingies," Marta corrected.<br />

Morte turned <strong>to</strong> Marta. "Yes, 'thingies.'" He then turned <strong>to</strong> me. "It's all<br />

semantics."<br />

The crone's handiwork was messy, unlike the quick, graceful slices and<br />

stichings <strong>of</strong> Ei-Vene back at the Mortuary. "Marta, why are you pulling out<br />

the corpse's teeth and stitches?"<br />

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