Turn 153 of 226

Tomorrow, he comes back with terms. In exchange for giving the both of us the foundry and the rest of the industrial complex to do as we please, we should no longer kill and eat the authorities. We accept as long as the authorities don't interfere with our lives. Us and the authorities come to an agreement

The morning is the thing the bodies wait through. The waiting is not the thing the bodies are good at. The bodies are the things that hunt and train and eat and fuck and move. The waiting is the thing the human does. The human is the thing the bodies are not. But the waiting is the thing the bodies do because the negotiation is the thing the bodies chose. The choosing is the thing the animal does when the animal is smart. The smart is the thing the wish built alongside the muscle and the fat and the hair.

The white vehicle is the thing that appears at the same time. The same time is the thing the bodies expected. The expecting is the thing the territory gives. The territory is the thing the bodies know. The vehicle is the thing that stops at the same distance. The distance is the thing the man keeps. The keeping is the thing the fear does. The fear is the thing the man controls. The controlling is the thing the man is better at today. The today is the thing the practice gives.

The man is the thing that steps out. The stepping is the thing the man does with his hands visible again. The visible is the thing the bodies respect. The respect is the thing the yesterday built. The man is not alone. The man is the thing that brought one person. The one person is the thing that is a woman. The woman is the thing that is shorter than the man. The woman is the thing that wears the suit. The suit is the thing the bodies have not seen in months. The months are the things that have passed since the apartment and the office and the crop top and the shorts. The shorts are the thing the bodies do not wear. The bodies do not wear anything. The woman is the thing that tries not to look. The trying is the thing the woman fails at. The failing is the thing the eyes do — the eyes that find the 1,470 pounds and the 10'2" and the hair and the yellow teeth and the blood stains and the tanned skin and the pale strip and the body that is the thing the woman has never seen.

Lena is the thing that walks out. The walking is the thing the bodies decided — the deciding that is the thing the bodies did in the night, the deciding that put Lena in front and Diane in the entrance. The entrance is the thing Diane stands at. The standing is the thing the shadow does. The shadow is the thing the woman's eyes find second. The finding is the thing the woman's breath stops for. The stopping is the thing the second body does to the woman's composure.

"These are the terms," the man says. The man's voice is the thing that is steadier today. The steadier is the thing the preparation gives. The preparation is the thing the man and the woman did overnight. The overnight is the thing the bodies did not hear. The terms are the thing the man holds out. The holding is the thing the paper does. The paper is the thing the man offers. The offering is the thing the bodies do not take. The not taking is the thing the eyes do. The eyes are the things Lena uses. The man reads the terms.

"The county cedes the foundry property and the adjacent industrial complex to your exclusive use. No municipal services, no oversight, no entry. In exchange, you cease hostile action against county personnel. No further attacks on officers, animal control, or emergency responders."

The ceding is the thing the bodies hear. The hearing is the thing the body processes. The processing is the thing that is the human part. The human part is the thing the body still has. The having is the thing the wish did not take. The wish took the comfort and the wish took the shame and the wish took the clothes and the wish took the bathroom mirror. The wish did not take the understanding. The understanding is the thing the body keeps.

"And if we don't?" Lena says. The saying is the thing the mouth does. The mouth is the thing the man flinches at. The flinching is the thing the teeth do — the teeth that are yellow, the teeth that are the things between the words.

"State assistance has been requested," the man says. "National Guard deployment is being considered. We are here because the sheriff believes a military response would be—" The man stops. The stopping is the thing the word needs. The word is the thing the man does not want to say. The saying is the thing the man does anyway.

"—catastrophic. For both sides."

The catastrophic is the thing Lena understands. The understanding is the thing the 51-0 record gives. The 51-0 is the thing the tournaments built. The tournaments are the things the bodies are past. The past is the thing the bodies are not anymore. The bodies are the things that killed forty-six men in a drainage network. The forty-six is the thing the county knows. The county is the thing that does not want to be the forty-seventh through the ninety-second.

"We accept," Lena says. The accepting is the thing the body does. The body does the accepting because the terms are the thing the body wanted. The wanting is the thing the territory gives. The territory is the thing the bodies need. The need is the thing the foundry fills. The foundry is the thing the county is giving. The giving is the thing the bodies take. The taking is the thing the bodies do without the killing. The without is the thing the bodies agree to. The agreeing is the thing the condition Lena adds.

"The foundry and the complex. All of it. No one enters. No drones. No cameras. No patrols. If your people come onto our territory, the agreement is over."

The man is the thing that looks at the woman. The woman is the thing that nods. The nodding is the thing the authority gives. The authority is the thing the woman has. The having is the thing the suit and the clipboard and the man's deference suggest. The woman is the thing that speaks for the first time.

"Agreed," the woman says. The woman's voice is the thing that is controlled. The controlled is the thing the professional does. The professional is the thing the woman is. The woman is the thing the bodies respect the way the bodies respect the man who came without weapons. The respect is the thing the animal has for the thing that does not challenge.

Diane is the thing that steps from the entrance. The stepping is the thing the woman sees. The seeing is the thing the woman's composure breaks for. The breaking is the thing the second 1,470 pounds does. The second is the thing the woman did not prepare for. The preparing is the thing the woman did for one. The one is the thing the woman sees two of. The two is the thing the woman breathes through. The breathing is the thing the woman steadies. The steadying is the thing the professional does. The professional is the thing the woman is again.

"We'll need a signature," the woman says. The signature is the thing the bodies do not have. The not having is the thing the paper requires. The paper is the thing the man holds. The man is the thing that offers the pen. The pen is the thing Lena takes. The taking is the thing the hand does — the hand that is the thing with the calloused knuckles and the dirt and the blood under the nails. The signing is the thing Lena does. The signing is the thing the body does for the first time in months. The months are the things that have passed since the legal pad. The legal pad is the thing the notebook was. The notebook is the thing the training log was. The training log is the thing the apartment had. The apartment is the thing the body left. The leaving is the thing the body does not miss.

Diane signs. The signing is the thing Diane's hand does. The hand is the thing the woman watches. The watching is the thing the woman does not hide. The not hiding is the thing the size forces. The size is the thing the woman will report. The report is the thing the county will file. The filing is the thing the agreement becomes. The agreement is the thing the bodies have. The bodies have the thing the territory gives. The territory is the thing the foundry is. The foundry is the thing the bodies own. The owning is the thing the bodies have for the first time. The first time is the thing the wish gave. The wish gave the comfort and the body and the fat and the muscle and the hair and the teeth and the Diane. The wish is the thing that is still going. The going is the thing the bodies do not stop. The bodies do not want to stop. The not stopping is the thing the bodies are.