Where are you from, Mr. Pendergast? Can't quite place the accent. New Orleans. What a coincidence! I went there for Mardi Gras once." How nice for you. I myself have never attended. Ludwig paused, the smile frozen on his face, wondering how to steer the conversation onto a more pertinent topic.

Still Life with Crows (ed. Grand Central Publishing, 2003) - ISBN: 9780759528093