Fog peeled back in swirling layers as the little boat glided across Lake St. Clair. One more decoration for the lake bed, one fewer competitor in the smack market, and one more night with a damp overcoat. Caezar pulled on the Lucky Strike, illuminating the velvet mist, and warming his face just a little. 

How did I get tangled up in this thing? Just a few months ago, Soseki slipped the snub-nose revolver into my hand and told me to "Take care of that thief what flipped our card game." That night was the first of several boat trips. The silence was overwhelming back then, but now... Now it's like a new lover gone to sleep. No questions, no problems, no worries, no arguments, just being there alone halfway between the cold and the heat, planning the next job.

Too many big cats in this zoo. Too many curtains and veils, far too many skeletons, and families that go back generations. The new kitten in the playground best keep his claws to himself. 

What's it all for? I couldn't tell you. It beats begging for scraps, riding the rails, and doing odd jobs; that's for sure. Tranquility is a privilege that not many get, and it's one I intend to keep. I have my button, my shiny revolver, and a line of girls running down the block waiting to get paid in currencies that ain't dollars. It's a self-reinforcing system and I intend to enforce the system.

The docks appeared from some astral place, black structure contrasting with the low-flying clouds. We slid up, tied off, and exited toward the back room where the crew was already rounding up. The new moon wouldn't go down soon.

Stand on the shore and watch Caezar going over the beautiful Lake Clair, its totally still in the wind and you can hear  the animals sounds in the woods around the lake.

After sitting there for a while and just relaxed in this gordius nature he went up and starts to walk back to civilization again (much things to do there)