Chapter 5

           ThemedicalteamMollyemployedoccupiedtwofloorsofananonymouscondo-rackneartheoldhubofBaltimore.Thebuildingwasmodular,likesomegiantversionofCheapHotel,eachcoffinfortymeterslong.CasemetMollyassheemergedfromonethatworetheelaboratelyworkedlogoofoneGERALDCHIN,DENTIST.Shewaslimping.

           `HesaysifIkickanything,it’llfalloff.’

           `Iranintooneofyourpals,’hesaid,`aModern.’

           `Yeah?Whichone?’

           `LupusYonderboy.Hadamessage.’HepassedherapapernapkinwithWINTERMUTEprintedinredfeltpeninhisneat,laboriouscapitals.`Hesaid--’Butherhandcameupinthejiveforsilence.

           `Getussomecrab,’shesaid.

           AfterlunchinBaltimore,Mollydissectinghercrabwithalarmingease,theytubedintoNewYork.Casehadlearnednottoaskquestions;theyonlybroughtthesignforsilence.Herlegseemedtobebotheringher,andsheseldomspoke.

           AthinblackchildwithwoodenbeadsandantiqueresistorswoventightlyintoherhairopenedtheFinn’sdoorandledthemalongthetunnelofrefuse.Casefeltthestuffhadgrownsomehowduringtheirabsence.Orelseitseemedthatitwaschangingsubtly,cookingitselfdownunderthepressureoftime,silentinvisibleflakessettlingtoformamulch,acrystallineessenceofdiscardedtechnology,floweringsecretlyintheSprawl’swasteplaces.