Chapter 5 of 74 · Book 6, The Eye of the Bedlam Bride

Chapter 5 — Sister Ines

Book: The Eye of the Bedlam Bride · Part: Havana · Previous: Chapter 4 — Old Havana · Next: Chapter 6 — Monk seals · Floor: Floor 8 — The Ghosts of Earth · Series: the series

Opening

The three newcomers stopped dead when they finally realized who we were.

Summary

The three newcomers stop dead when they see who it is. Paz Lo, Crawler 8,199,454, level 45, a Human Santero in platform plate armour and a backwards cap, terrified; Anton Lopez, 8,199,451, level 47, a Human Fugitive covered in real prison tattoos with two PK skulls and a hunter mark, a crossbow half-raised; both worship Ogun — 'God of blacksmiths and protection […] can't be charmed', says Mordecai. And Sister Ines Quiteria, 8,199,462, level 47, a Cat Girl Poet Laureate with a trident, mitten paws and no shoes — a Discalced Carmelite, a nun who, Carl guesses, worked at the prison the men were in. Anton growls: word is Carl was with the goat who murdered Gimli. The cousins are terrified of Donut; the sister catches Anton's crossbow and Carl sees who leads. Donut's outrage is that a Havana brown 'originated in England' ('EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT, CARL'). The reason for the fear: on a program at the start of the sixth floor the men saw a clip of Donut telling a Penis Parade dancer named Anaconda what she would do if she ever met a cat girl — rip out throats and feed them to brindle grubs. 'I can't be held accountable for everything I've ever said to a stripper.' Katia's list of untrustworthy crawlers does not have them; Ren knows them — cousins protective of the nun, Anton killed two of their own party for trying to kill her, Paz has a directional self-destruct spell, they are friends with Osvaldo's group; Imani hears they were in Quan Ch's bubble and did not get on. A deal: help them capture their first squad member and they will help in return. Monk seals, on the beach.

Characters

• Sister Ines — A cat-girl nun with a trident; the one in charge.
• Anton Lopez — A Fugitive with prison tattoos and two skulls, scared of a cat.
• Paz Lo — A Santero in platform armour who has a self-destruct spell.
• Princess Donut — Havana browns are English; a threat made to a stripper.
• Carl — Hates not trusting fellow humans; proposes working together.
• Tserendolgor — Vouches, a little.
• Mordecai — 'Did you already summon another god?'

Locations

• Havana — A park by the sea; a beach of monk seals nearby.

Motifs

• The gods — Ogun, a big one: blacksmiths and protection, worshippers uncharmable.
• The show — A clip shown to strangers makes them afraid of Donut.
• T'Ghee totems — A trade: your first totem for ours.