Darkly Dreaming Dexter | Page 8

hat a re you? ” F athe r D onova n whispe red. “
T he be ginni ng,” I said. “ And t he end. M eet your U nmake r, F athe r.” I ha d the ne edl e re ady a nd it
w
ent int o hi s ne ck l ike it w as s uppos ed t o, s light resis ta nc e from the rigid m uscle s, but none from
t
he pri est. I pus hed t he pl unge r and t he syri nge em pt ie d, fi lling F athe r D onova n with qui ck, c le an
c
alm . M oment s, onl y moment s, a nd hi s he ad be gan t o fl oat, a nd he rolle d hi s fa ce t o m e. D
id he trul y s ee m e now ? D id he see t he doubl e rubbe r glove s, t he care ful cove ralls , t he sli c k s ilk
m
ask? D id he really s ee m e? O r di d that onl y ha ppen in t he ot her room , the D ark P asse nge r's room ,
t
he Cl ea n Room ? P aint ed w hite t w o ni ghts pa st a nd s wept , s crubbe d, sprayed, c le ane d a s c le an a s
c
an be . And i n the m iddl e of t he room , its w indow s s ea le d w it h t hick w hite rubbe rized s heets , unde r
t
he light s i n t he m iddl e of t he room , did he fina lly s ee m e t he re in t he tabl e I ha d made , the boxe s of
w
hi te ga rba ge ba gs, the bot tle s of c hemic a ls , a nd t he sm all row of saw s a nd kni ves? D id he see m e
a
t l ast? O
r di d he see t hos e s eve n unt idy l umps, a nd w ho know s how many m ore? D id he see hi mse lf a t
l
a st, una ble t o s cre am , turni ng into t hat ki nd of m ess i n t he ga rde n? H
e w oul d not , of course. H is i m agi na ti on di d not allow him to s ee hi mse lf a s t he sam e s pe cie s. A nd
i
n a way, he was ri ght . He w oul d ne ver turn i nto t he ki nd of m ess he had m ade of t he chi ldre n. I
w
oul d ne ver do t hat, c oul d ne ver a ll ow tha t. I a m not like Fathe r D onova n, not tha t ki nd of m onste r. I a
m a ve ry ne at m ons te r.

N
eatne ss t ake s t im e, of c ourse, but it's w ort h it. W orth it t o m ake the D ark P asse nge r ha ppy, ke ep
hi
m qui et for a nother long w hile . W orth it j us t t o do i t ri ght and t idy. Re move one more heap of
m
ess from the w orl d. A few m ore neatly w rappe d ba gs of ga rbage and m y one sm all c orne r of t he
w
orl d is a ne ate r, ha ppier pl ace . A bette r pl ace. I ha
d about eight hours before I ha d to be gone . I would ne ed t hem all t o do i t ri ght . I s
ecure d the pri est t o t he tabl e w ith duc t t