Half-step Purgatory

Durin stroked the black cat on the armrest of his chair, sitting on the black leather sofa. Through the glasses perched on his nose, his gaze passed over the long table in front of him and settled on the man kneeling on the carpet:
"I understand, you've made money in Naples, your business has been very successful, and you've led a happy life. You've had those secret police, friends in both the law and the underground, and even the Royal Family speaking on your behalf."
"You don't need a friend like me, I know that. You're afraid of owing me a favor, and you don't want to get involved in troubles."
"But now you come to me and say, 'I beg you, Mr. Durin of the Corleon family, please help me seek justice, so that my life and my family will not suffer and sink into despair.'
Yet, in your eyes, I was nothing more than a second-rate artist involved in movies and music. Even at the brink of death, you still show me such disrespect, not even willing to call me by my title... Keeper of Secrets."

Durin's Diary

Before the inscription, Durin disassembled the firearm, starting with the barrel. Since this was a numbered work, he had chosen the best materials and first drew the inscriptions upon it.


Then came the body of the gun, and inscriptions were drawn on all its parts as well.


Finally, he turned to the gunstock. Looking at the redwood stock in front of him, Durin turned his head to Levan, "What about the original black iron stock?"


"I'll look for it." Levan answered with an embarrassed face, then turned and dove into the pile of materials in the corner of the workshop.


After a while, Durin finally saw Levan dig out the black iron stock from that pile of miscellaneous 'junk'.


"Are you going to inscribe on this too?"


"Yes, only then will it be a whole. That's also why I initially decided to fully metallize the firearm," Durin said as he took the stock, checked that it wasn't damaged, and drew the final inscription system on it.


Chapter 26: Many Dreams