bout　being　elegant。　I　just　say　things　straight　out。　So　here　it　is；　straight　out：　if　you　go　back　on　your　promise；　we'll　most　likely　take　an　ass…fucking。　But　then　we'll　find　you　…　if　we　have　to　go　all　the　way　to　Russia；　we'll　find　you　…　and　we　will　fuck　you；　not　just　up　the　ass　but　in　every　hole　you　own。　We'll　fuck　you　until　you'll　wish　you　were　dead；　and　then　we'll　rub　vinegar　in　the　parts　that　are　bleeding。　Do　you　understand　me？〃

He　nodded。　With　Brutal's　hand　digging　into　the　soft　sides　of　his　face　the　way　it　was；　Percy　looked　eerily　like　Old　Toot…Toot。

Brutal　let　go　of　him　and　stepped　back。　I　nodded　to　Harry；　who　went　behind　Percy　and　started　unsnapping　and　unbuckling。

〃Keep　it　in　mind；　Percy；〃　Harry　said。　〃Keep　it　in　mind　and　let　bygones　be　bygones。〃

All　of　it　suitably　scary；　three　bogeymen　in　bluesuits　…　but　I　felt　a　kind　of　knowing　despair　sweep　through　me；　all　the　same。　He　might　keep　quiet　for　a　day　or　a　week；　continuing　to　calculate　the　odds　on　various　actions；　but　in　the　end　two　things　…　his　belief　in　his　connections　and　his　inability　to　walk　away　from　a　situation　where　he　saw　himself　as　the　loser　would　bine。　When　that　happened；　he　would　spill　his　guts。　We　had　perhaps　helped　to　save　Melly　Moores's　life　by　taking　John　to　her；　and　I　wouldn't　have　changed　that　（〃not　for　all　the　tea　in　China；〃　as　we　used　to　say　back　in　those　days）；　but　in　the　end　we　were　going　to　hit　the　canvas　and　the　ref　was　going　to　count　us　out。　Short　of　murder；　there　was　no　way　we　could　make　Percy　keep　his　end　of　the　bargain；　not　once　he　was　away　from　us　and　had　started　to　get　back　what　passed　for　his　guts。

I　took　a　little　sidelong　glance　at　Brutal　and　saw　he　knew　this；　too。　Which　didn't　surprise　me。　There　were　no　flies　on　Mrs。　Howell's　boy　Brutus；　never　had　be