Chapter 68 of 99 · Book 8, A Parade of Horribles

Chapter 68 — Sam Town; Cascadia's announcement

Book: A Parade of Horribles · Part: Horrible One · Previous: Chapter 67 — Half a prayer, half a song; one flower · Next: Chapter 69 — The stables: who may leave; the Scavenger myth · Floor: Floor 10 — Don't Come in Last · Series: the series

Opening

“Okay, Carl,” Donut said as we exited the truck.

Summary

Carl agrees to tell his plan once, to everyone, carefully, with no gods listening. Bucket Boy arrives with Bigs and Samantha: 'Wait, where’s Dong?' Samantha finds Grigori — 'I am Grigori the Placid, the most renowned flesh sculptor this dungeon has ever known' — and offers a body: a prostitute named Vertical Smile at the High-Classes Bitches club, smuggled under his robes. 'Very interesting […] Not in here.' She drags him to Sam Town. Cascadia, still drunk, on the dungeon-wide: the last two races run back to back; the seventh has three teams per heat and only the winner survives; an Outreach Guild opens between six and seven; if a teammate escapes by deal the rest still race — 'Hopefully your driver for the seventh heat isn’t the one who jumps.' Then Cumberland, blown out of orbit with his evil mother in the habitat Cascadia paid for; the first floor boss; and an eleventh floor of three hours she will not read out 'because I want it to kill me'. Ten seconds of sobbing. Elle called it (five bucks, the ex-husband): Meadow Lark's Francine Herrada and the knitting needle. Hedy: 'do you want to know what upgrade they voted for?' 'Is it worse than the chair?' She snorts.

Characters

• Carl — 'Guys, I’m really sorry'; 'Is it worse than the chair?'
• Princess Donut — 'WHO IS CUMBERLAND?'
• Bucket Boy — 'Wait, where’s Dong?'
• Kandy Bigs Newton — Hatchet sagging.
• Samantha — 'You’ve been hiding him from me!'; Vertical Smile; drags Grigori to Sam Town.
• Grigori the Placid — 'The most renowned flesh sculptor this dungeon has ever known.'
• Jamal — 'Oh boy, Jamal is quite excited.'
• Cascadia — Drunk on the dungeon-wide: Cumberland, blowhole porn, flipper jobs; 'I want it to kill me.'
• Elle McGibbons — Five bucks on the ex-husband; Francine Herrada's knitting needle.
• Imani — 'You started calling her “Killer.”'
• Louis and Firas — 'Is that the whole announcement?'
• Hedy — The vote is in.

Locations

• The garage and the cul-de-sac — The three come in.
• The Royal Palace of Princess Donut — Sam Town: a swing, a lava lamp, shoes off.

Motifs

• Samantha's body — A prostitute as a match.
• The Syndicate — Cascadia's habitat blown out of orbit.
• The deal — An Outreach Guild between six and seven; a deal-taker's team still races.
• The arena vote and the stand-ins — Three teams per heat, only the winner lives.
• The Parade of Horribles — Three hours for the whole floor.
• The tenth floor — The first floor boss.