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

After bidding farewell to Tony, Durin alighted from the tram and headed back to Van Linn Street. From a distance, he could see a little cat disembarking from a carriage with luggage in tow.


Although it had been some days since they had seen each other, Durin still remembered the pattern of her tail.


Upon recognizing Durin, the little cat girl immediately ran up to him.


There were no tearful embraces, nor was there any jumping into each other's arms—Xialu simply squinted her eyes happily and followed Durin home.


Once home, Xialu was thrilled to see the refrigerator full of meat.


With Xialu around, Durin no longer had to worry about food for Hemo and Kelsey.


As for Xialu's room, that was easily settled. Xialu loved the warmth of the hearth; in her words, nothing was warmer than sleeping by the fire—especially since Copenhagen was much colder than Lublin.


Chapter 57: Recording the First Cry of Life