“Ah, now here we have a discriminating soon-to-be-decedent,” says a slick fellow standing in the middle of the largest display. “The joys of true pain are not known to all. Only a real connoisseur can appreciate my wares.” He waves his hand at the rack, the iron maiden, the bladed pendulum, the press, the dentist’s chair, and all the rest. Then he leans in close to you. “I can take you to places you’ve never been before,” he whispers fanatically, and gives your shoulder a creepily intimate squeeze.
|