7. PAPI
Papillon clutched his stomach and ripped himself away from the box. The copper-skinned mariner breathed deeply of the stale air of Hold 3.
“Well, what have we here?” Kurtz asked with a chuckle, “One would almost find it funny if you hadn’t just condemned us all to death, Papi.”
Papi held his hands behind his back, not turning to look at Kurtz, and certainly not the...thing. He stumbled through the crowd of mariners, trying his damnedest not to puke down here in this cramped space.
“Well, well, and what was your name?” Kurtz asked.
The corpse lying in the crate was eerily inexpressive. The Costaguaneros who had prepared her body had sewn her lips shut, and placed silver pennies on her eyes, as was their burial custom. Kurtz depressed his left nostril with his finger and to
