“The damn thing was a relic from the 1900s, but it worked so well there was no reason to upgrade. Plus, it took effort to keep the coal burning, and doggen loved regular duties. The more chores, the better. The great iron furnace’s belly had a little window in the front, one made from inch-thick tempered glass, and on the other side flames rolled, lazy and hot. “Zsadist?” He rubbed his face and didn’t turn around at the sound of the familiar female voice. On some level he couldn’t believe he was... going to do what he was about to, and the urge to bolt was ripping him up. He cleared his throat. “Hi.” “Hi.” There was a pause, and then Mary said, “Is that empty chair next to you for me?” Now he twisted around. Mary was standing at the bottom of the cellar stairs, dressed as she usually was, in khakis and a Polo sweater. On her left wrist was an enormous gold Rolex, and she had small pearls in each of her earlobes. “Yeah,” he said. “Yeah, it is . . . thanks for coming.”MoreLessRead More Read Less
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