Nathan thought that it must be a wonderful thing to have so many coins to spare, and couldn’t wait to send lots of them to Penny and Mary. They’d be so happy!A black coach waited outside. It had two horses to pull it, and in the driver’s seat sat a man with flesh so tight that he almost looked like a skeleton. The man gazed at Nathan, appearing as if he might snarl.“May I pet the horses?” Nathan asked Kleft.“You may not. This is your new life. You must learn to let go of such childish frivolities as affection. Get in.”Nathan felt an aura of dread emanating from inside the coach, as if he might pull back the cover and have eight corpses tumble out. He hesitated.“Go on,” said Kleft, tapping at the cover with the end of his cane. “There’s nothing to fear in there. A boy without courage is like a bat without rabies.”Nathan pulled back the cover and was very pleased by his good fortune when not a single corpse fell out. He climbed inside the coach, which had a soft, shiny cushion upon which to sit.
