Sixth little lie ♰ 'Cause the devil works quick, you know it don't take long

[beingdifferent]

(CW: gore)

Who did this?

[Today you don't get charm, Barge, you're in for something completely different. Esther's standing on the deck, eyebrows knit, mouth a thin line, looking troubled. The reason why becomes apparent when she swings her communicator around and captures an image of something becoming increasingly common on the Barge: a bloodied corpse, this one of one Hannibal Lecter. That in and of itself isn't so strange, and even a young murderess is clever enough to pick up on that. The strange part is that this death was obviously not due to a human attack; the claw and bite marks attest to that.]

This is the man everyone is angry with. Someone set a dog upon him, right? [She doesn't sound disturbed so much as disapproving, and the feed swings back to capture her face still wearing that frown.]

…A warden will need to bring him to the hospital. [By which she means infirmary.] I'm not going to stay here alone.

Comments

[lastrat]

[....Hmm.]

Stay there. I'll come get you.

[halftheman]

You have to teach a dog to kill a man. It doesn't come to them naturally. I don't think anyone's dogs did that.

[ He also can't give a damn about Hannibal or not. THey all knew this would happen eventually, and likely repeatedly. It's the nature of the barge. ]

Do you need someone to come get you, Esther?

[ Hannibal is someone else's problem. ]

[beingdifferent]

I don't think I want to.

[deshabille]

[Mal doesn't bother responding; she just heads up on deck, preparing a message for the Admiral on the way. Once she sees them both, she sends the resurrection request and heads over to crouch by the body.]

Sloppy, isn't it.

[beingdifferent]

Then what did?

I think Mr. Bond is coming. But you can go with, if you like. [The more the merrier; she's not sure she wants to be alone with Bond. It's been an interesting ballet of tiptoeing around each other since her first flood.]

[beingdifferent]

[When Mal approaches she steps back, still staring at the body but more than ready to transfer responsibility to somebody else.] It's gross.

[deshabille]

Well, yes, but it's also par for the course at this point. And it'll have to happen a number of times before he learns anything. You can't say he didn't deserve it.

[She blinks up at Esther, then, and holds out a hand.]

Mal. I'm a warden. He'll be back in a little while, I've already made the request. You're free to go if you like.

[deadly_ned]

[The Piemaker was afraid of this happening. Too many people out for blood. He recognizes the body instantly and his expression freezes into a stoic mask.

The one saving grace from all of this is that Esther is not so badly affected]

Esther, stay away from it. Someone else will come to get it soon. You don't have to be near it.

[halftheman]

Not sure.

I'll be up in a moment. Don't go anywhere with Bond.

[ Private ]

Riddick has that dog-thing. Arthas has an undead bear lumbering around. They'd be my first two suspects. Of the dog owners -- Iris has two new German Shepards, but she'd never do it. The Marquis, Ned, Bruce Banner, and Megamind all have dogs, but none of them are in the condition to do this sort of thing. Banner's dog is trained for medical service. This sort of thing would be impossible for it, and Digby's a golden retriever - they're known for their soft mouths and gentle.

No. Riddick or Arthas. Might've been an accident in Riddick's case, but I doubt it.

[beingdifferent]

No, I know he did awful things. But...

Nobody should have a dog like this here.

[She does not explain the addition of "here". Still looking a bit off-kilter, Esther takes Mal's hand with both of hers and shakes it.] Thank you. You're going to take care of him?

[lastrat]

[He's already on his way. Too many suspicions not to take advantage of a situation.] Wait by the door. A girl your age doesn't need to see that.

[Assuming she's a girl her age, of course. It won't take him long to get there.]

[beingdifferent]

[The body seems to have a mesmerizing effect on Esther and the communicator catches just part of her face as she studies the body. But she snaps back to attention when Ned orders her back, and her frown deepens as she nods.]

Digby would never do this. What if the dog comes back?

[deshabille]

[Mal's handshake is firm and brisk; then she tucks both of her hands into her pockets and straightens up, nudging the body with her toe.]

Nobody should have a dog like this anywhere. Dogs deserve better.

I'll make sure he comes back, yes, and get him where he needs to go.

[deadly_ned]

No, he wouldn't. Digby is a good dog.

If the dog comes back, we'll know. I don't think it was coincidence that whatever it was attacked Dr. Lecter. It's not going to hurt you.

[beingdifferent]

[She's lined up her lies well, she thought, by adding just enough truth to each to make them believable. But Bond glimpsed a truth she didn't mean to reveal and Esther doesn't doubt at all that he's angling to see more.

She nods, pursing her lips.] I'll wait.

[beingdifferent]

I'll make sure to wait until you get here.

[Private]

I think you may be right about them. They're both very frightening. Do you think those animals will hurt anyone else?

spam;

[lastrat]

[There is, without a doubt, a meanness in him. Maybe it comes from being a double-oh, maybe it's just a part of him, but the suspicion that she might not be a girl under ten outweighs any common decency owed to a girl under ten.

It should make him think twice, and it doesn't.

Taking the stairs two at a time, he opens the deck door and scans the space, eyes settling first on Esther, then on Hannibal's body. The latter gets a cursory glance before he goes to the girl, and does what he does best. Going to a knee before her, he lies.]

You all right?

[Private]

[halftheman]

It's not the animals you worry about, it's the men holding the leash. Riddick's close to Ned. So's Arthas. They're both good suspects. Could build a case against either.

[ He's on the second floor-- it's not a long walk up, but he'll get there eventually. ]

[beingdifferent]

Are you sure? We didn't know it was here the first time.

[deadly_ned]

I have my suspicions.

[beingdifferent]

They should put it somewhere else. When we stop, it should stay there.

Are you going to hurt him? [She says it candidly, obviously expecting the same in response.]

[Private]

[beingdifferent]

But one of them is a bear. Don't they eat people? [The irony of what she just said suddenly occurs to her and she has to purse her lips.] So you don't think this happened on accident?

[beingdifferent]

...oh.

I see.

[deadly_ned]

I can almost guarantee you this was a one-time revenge...thing.

You'll be okay. And we'll find the animal that did this.

[Private]

[halftheman]

[ He chuckles on the line, having switched to voice while he walked. ]

I imagine that was the point, if it was Arthas; and no, I don't. Hannibal's angered too many people who have a lot of friends.

The only reason I haven't is because [ someone else asked him not to ] it's not me he hurt. Everyone else already got their champions of 'justice'.