" 'Tis a miracle, surely." "We've never had so many people wanting to join our choir." "You've done a fine thing, Raymond." "Ah, think nothing of it, Father." "I just pulled out my little black book, made a few calls, and they were happy to oblige." "Oh, Ursula, thanks for coming." "Yeah, yeah, take a hike." "All right, we'll talk later." "Out of my way." "Hi, Benton." "This is my chair." "I sit here every week." "Well, this week it's mine." "Would you like to try my pitch-pipe?" "Oh, well, thank you for the offer, but, I'm" "Didn't I see you at the singles dance the other night?" "Actually, I'm not part of this congregation." "My friend and I just stopped by to pay Father Behan a visit." "Or so I thought." "Sorry." "He did volunteer for this, didn't he?" "Oh, absolutely, Father." "You know how it is with Mounties." "Any excuse to burst into song." "All right, ladies." "And Constable Fraser." "Turn to hymn 598." "Oh God." "Sorry, Father." "Excuse me." "That is your sister, isn't it?" "Uh, yes, it is, Father." "Oh, God." "Excuse me." "Oh, Benton!" "What a surprise!" "You sing too?" "Uh, so I'm told." "How nice!" "Move it or lose your foot!" "I'm only asking for the same terms your father gave me." "My father was a very generous man." "I'm sure he's in heaven." "Look at this." "I'm playing pick-up, I got the ball, some real estate broker charges me and practically breaks my arm." "We go back a long way." "I've been doing business with your family for forty years." "I made good every time." "This isn't right." "Are you accusing me of being unjust, Tommy?" "No, no." "Good." "Because I would hate to think that I had failed to earn your respect." "I'll take the deal." "Deal's fine." "Yeah, if that's what you want." "Wanna shoot some baskets on Saturday?" "Me?" "Yeah, you." "Sure, Mr. Zuko." "So I was having my nails done the other day when it hits me like a ton of bricks." "This guy is never going to come to you, Francesca." "Nothing that good ever comes to you." "The way I see it is, you want the best, you gotta take it." "So I say to myself, Ask him out." "To which I reply, What if it goes badly?" "I mean, what if we go out to dinner and I have, like, food stuck between my teeth or something and he turns off to me?" "So then I say, Ask him out for drinks." "But then I remember." "He's a Mountie, stupid." "He doesn't drink." "I mean, sure it's dark in the movie theater and everything, but you know, there could be people around and...yadda yadda." "So the way I see it is, why do we have to play these games?" "I mean, we're both adults." "We both know what we want." "So..." "You wanna have sex?" "Ahh!" "Help!" "Thief!" "Thief!" "Oh, darn." "Uh, excuse me." "He had an appointment." "Will you forget about it, Benny?" "Father Behan said there was less than forty bucks in there." "If you want, I'll give him the money right out of my own pocket." "Look at the gouge marks around the hinges, Ray." "No." "The thief loosened the fittings before he pried the lid." "Okay, forty bucks and a new poor box." "Judging from the striations in the wood," "I'd say he must have used some kind of specialized tool." "Benny, It's a three dollar lock and a ten dollar box." "What do you want to do, call in Scotland Yard?" "Given the angle of insertion, I'd say he is probably right-handed." "You see, now that is the break that we needed." "Let's go nail the right-handed bastard." "Now, you'll notice this rough indentation in the wood made when the lid was pried open?" "No, I won't." "It indicates the implement had a curved head and a sharp point." "You know, it rather brings to mind a hook used for sock-eye salmon." "Hey, Elaine!" "Get me a list of all the salmon fisheries in the greater metropolitan area, will ya?" "What?" "Never mind, Elaine, I believe Ray was just mocking me." "Ah, yes, I was." "We're not looking for a hook, Ray, I was referring to the shape of the implement's head." "Now the distance from the mark to the rear indicates that the implement was at least six inches long, with sufficient heft to loosen the hinges." "Aha." "No, okay?" "No "ahas," no "uh-huhs," no "interestings," no "look at this Ray" because I'm not gonna look." "Left a waxy residue." "Fraser, this is a petty theft, okay?" "We'll fill out a form, if I can find the damn thing, and if someone returns the money, we'll bring it back to the church." "Oh, I'm not interested in the money, Ray, I'm after the thief." "Vecchio." "St Michael's." "Somebody robbed the poor box." "Look into it." "I'm already on it, sir, and I even found some waxy residue." "Seems a prominent member of the congregation is concerned we're not gonna give attention to the theft since there was a small amount of money involved." "Detective Vecchio was just pointing out the basic injustice of that, sir." "I have to ask you this." "Don't you have a job of your own?" "Oh, yes, sir." "But I had the early shift this morning." "And you have nothing better to do with your life than hang around here and help us solve crimes?" "No, sir." "Hmm." "All right, start with this concerned citizen." "Frank Zuko?" "We're running errands for Frank Zuko now?" "!" "You have evidence to put Mr. Zuko behind bars, Detective?" "No, sir." "Because if you do, there's a pack of feds who would love to have that information passed on to them." "I realize that, sir." "You want the papers getting the impression that we don't care enough about certain communities to pay attention to their concerns?" "No, sir." "Go show the flag." "Any movies, dates, anything like that?" "I recently joined a choir, sir." "Oh, good, good." "That's good." "This Mr. Zuko, he's an acquaintance of yours?" "Yeah, you could say we're acquainted." "Detective Vecchio, twenty-seventh." "Ray." "Good to see you." "Benton Fraser, RCMP." "Come on in." "You know, it's a great old neighborhood." "One of the last." "I mean, I would hate to see that kind of a criminal element creep in." "You know, when my father was well, we all know what my father was." "But-but one thing you could say for the man, he made sure the neighborhood was safe." "I made you a picture, Daddy." "Let me see, honey." "Oh that's beautiful." "Why don't you run and show Mommy, okay?" "Out of respect for your little girl, I don't say anything." "But let's not start reminiscing about the good old days of extortion and intimidation, okay, Frankie?" "PR's not your strong suit, is it, Detective?" "I've just got a couple of questions." "How much money did you put in the poor box?" "I don't know." "A hundred, I guess." "The man in the assembly, you got a description?" "Nope." "Barely noticed him." "You know, it just blows my mind." "How one guy can pull off a heist of this magnitude." "You know, I'm ignoring your tone because we have a history." "But don't push it." "This may seem penny-ante to you, Vecchio, but somebody did commit a crime here." "You figure a guy who stole, what, a hundred and forty bucks is a serious threat to the community and should be prosecuted?" "What's the matter with you, Ray?" "Huh?" "Your mother doesn't live in this community?" "Your sisters don't walk home past that church every night?" "You think some guy who robs the church is going to think twice about mugging the women in your family?" "Or mine?" "Let's not compare your family and mine, okay, Frankie?" "Cause we don't walk down the same block." "Um." "I'm sure Detective Vecchio shares your concerns, Mr. Zuko, after all, as you just pointed out, this is his neighborhood, too." "Canadian, right?" "Yes." "Well, then you do understand." "I mean you come from one of those nice clean cities where they have no graffiti, no garbage on the streets, and people treat each other with respect." "Right?" "Well, yes, I suppose so." "Although it's been my experience that many people live their lives thinking that they're respected only to discover that they've been merely feared." "And fears can be overcome." "We will find the thief." "Thank you, Constable." "I'd be very grateful if you did." "Ray?" "You still play basketball, Ray?" "You oughta come down to the gym on Saturday." "Work off some of that pasta." "I don't think so, Frankie." "His father Carl ran the extortion rackets for over thirty years on this side of town." "You think he's like his father?" "Is he more legit than his father?" "He can afford to be." "When I went to school with Frank, we used to play pick-up basketball together." "There was this one kid, Marco Matroni, couldn't make a basket to save his life." "No matter whose side he was on he always managed to lose the game, and Frank didn't like losing." "So one day, a couple of Frank's buddies held him down while Frank drilled a basketball into his face for about a half-hour." "Marco just lay there choking on his blood." "He never came near the court again." "You know, we had a schoolyard bully in Tuktoyaktuk once." "Sometimes, at night, I can still remember him coming into the classroom swinging that otter over his head." "There was just no reasoning with him." "And I thought we had nothing in common." "Bindlestitch." "You know, you gotta stop swearing in Eskimo." "No, a bindlestitch is a tool used by a shoemaker for lifting laces off of the leather." "Our poor box thief used a bindlestitch and the waxy residue - shoe polish." "You're making this stuff up, right?" "No." "We've been all through the neighborhood and no one saw anything." "Follow him." "He'll find the guy." "But we're not really tracking a criminal, what we're tracking here is Pinocchio's dad." "Geppetto was a woodcarver, Ray." "He was not!" "Well, yes, that's how he made Pinocchio, out of wood." "Then who was the shoemaker?" "I have no idea." "Sure you do, the Brothers Grimm, the poor old shoemaker, can't feed his wife, little elves help him make shoes..." "There's very little dust in the windows." "They can't have been out of business for long." "I distinctly remember reading about shoes made by elves." "The heavy machinery is still here." "If he intended to open a new shop, he would have taken it with him." "My guess is he didn't have that option." "He took what he could carry, and left." "You mean to tell me you have no recollection of shoe-related elf stories?" "Ray, I would tell you if I did." "Hello?" "I'll be right out." "Excuse me, I, oh, uh" "Ray, maybe you should conduct this interview." "It's molded plastic, Benny." "It's not going to lunge out at you." "You mean this?" "Well, if you think I'm embarrassed, you're sorely mistaken." "Oh yeah, that's why you're turning the color of your uniform." "Don't be ridiculous." "It's just hot in here, that's all." "Could I help you?" "Yes, ma'am." "Nice boots." "Thank you." "Um..." "My name is Constable Fraser and this is Detective Vecchio." "We would like to ask you a question that is unrelated to either underwear or breasts." "Ah, yes we would." "Do you know who used to run the shoe repair next door?" "Yeah, Joey." "Nice guy." "Yeah, does he have a last name?" "Uh..." "I think it started with a P." "He used to come in here for coffee sometimes." "Sort of sweet and shy." "Which personally I find very sexy." "Yeah, do you know what happened to him?" "Yeah, he went out of business about six months ago." "It was too bad." "He came in about two weeks before that to get something for his wife." "He had it all picked out but couldn't come up with the cash, so we worked out a deal." "I don't think his wife liked the camisole." "She left him, took the kid." "Real sad." "You know where he is now?" "Girl who works here said she saw him going into one of those cheap hotels over on Diversey." "Is she here?" "No, she's on vacation." "Anything else I can do for you?" "Yes, you said that you did a deal for the camisole?" "Yeah." "Yeah, he made me this." "May I, uh..." "Sure." "Yes, it´s very beautiful, leather." "Thank you kindly, ma'am." "You're very welcome." "How do you get away with that?" "With what?" "You know damn well with what!" "Hand-stitched." "Very delicate work." "Yeah, it had quality written all over it." "I'll take it." "But I'll need it altered for tonight." "Oh, I don't know." "We're kinda backed up right now." "Look, I'll pay anything, understand?" "This is worth any amount of money." "Well, we know he took his tools." "He's bartered his services once, chances are he's still doing it." "So now what?" "We go up and down Diversey until we find Cinderella with freshly soled shoes?" "Yes." "Great." "You want to see my shoes?" "Well, yes ma'am, I would, if-if you wouldn't mind." "Why should I mind, it's best offer I've had in years." "Very nice, very nice indeed." "Thank you." "Machine made, not recently repaired." "You're welcome." "Hey!" "She's all yours." "What-Ray, you don't wanna...all right." "Excuse me, ma'am." "No, please, ma'am, stay just where you are." "He moved in a few months ago." "He a friend of yours?" "Ah, no, but I'm familiar with his work." "Mr." "Paducci, you have callers." "I'm sure he's in there." "Could you open it please, ma'am?" "Thank you kindly." "Ray!" "I'll see myself out." "All right, freeze!" "Up against the wall!" "Spindlebint, I presume." "Rumplestiltskin." "Didn't he use one of these?" "No, dwarfs don't make shoes, they hide under bridges." "Those are trolls." "So who made shoes?" "Glinda, the good witch in the Wizard of Oz." "No, that was magic; they were slippers, not shoes." "I always wanted a pair of ruby slippers." "I used to try on my mother's high-heeled shoes, standing in front of the mirror, clicking my heels together, and say," ""There's no place like home, there's no place like home, there's no place like home."" "Me, too." "What?" "Well, I wanted to be the Tin Man." "I'd dress up like the Tin Man, my sister would dress up like Dorothy." "I almost never played with my sister." "What?" "Oh yeah, coming." "It's nothing fancy, you know, but I'm making a living." "Anyways, one day these wise guys pay me a visit, they tell me I'm not paying my neighborhood association dues." "Fifty bucks a week." "I mean, maybe that doesn't sound like much, but I got overhead, you know, an apartment, a wife who likes to go out..." "Anyway, six months later, it's up to sixty-five, then eighty-five, then a hundred..." "Did they threaten you?" "Who was to threaten?" "I'm not stupid." "Pretty soon I can't afford to pay for the phone, or the utilities, I fall behind on the rent." "So I go to Zuko, I-I-I tell him I need some relief." "He says to me, the payments are strictly voluntary." "I get back to my place and the front window's broken." "Five months later I'm out on the street, and my wife..." "I can't blame her." "So when I saw Zuko stick that hundred in the box, all I could think was "That's my money."" "I just wanted some of that back." "That's fair, isn't it?" "Maybe." "But it's also against the law." "Could you identify these men?" "Ah." "You know Benny, there's nothing illegal about a voluntary neighborhood association." "I've been down that path too many times." "I just wasn't brave enough to do something, you know?" "He took my business, he took my family, man, he took my life." "I shoulda done something." "I shoulda done something." "Joey Paducci." "I don't know him." "Frank Zuko does." "Him I know." "It's a sin to wish people ill and I don't, but if I do, I confess it." "Father, Paducci's being arraigned." "If you don't come down and sign a complaint it's not gonna stick." "Why would I want to do a thing like that?" "Because he stole from the church." "You said he was destitute, didn't you?" "Yes, but that doesn't have anything to do with anything." "Well, then, who do you think poor boxes are for?" "Forgive me, Father, for what I am about to do." "This isn't about the Mountie again, is it?" "I know, I know, but this time, I'm gonna do it." "Francesca, I can't keep forgiving you in advance for something that never happens." "The safest place for him right now is exactly where he is, behind bars." "Well, I don't think we can keep a man in jail without charges, Ray." "Mr. Mustafi, Mr. Campbell." "Yeah, well if he's out on the street, Zuko's coming after him and I know Zuko." "He needs to make an example out of Joey." "Do you always leave your door wide open?" "Excuse me, can you tell me what's going on?" "Yeah, I made a few decisions in your absence." "If you want anything moved around, speak now or forever hold your peace." "I'm sorry, I think there's been some kind of mistake." "I didn't order any furniture." "Fraser, Benton." "That you?" "Yes." "You live at 221 West Racine, apartment 3J?" "Yes, but you see, I didn't" "Right." "You want to make a decision about this credenza?" "We're on the clock." "I really like your style, Benny." "It's not my style, Ray, it's Zuko's." "The credenza goes there." "Tip's taken care of." "Enjoy." "Phil, it's Vecchio." "Where's Joey Paducci?" "Oh, great." "Thanks." "He was bailed out over an hour ago." "He's definitely a dead man." ""I'd be grateful."" "Zuko's words." "Kenny!" "Kenny!" "Come on, you and me to twenty." "Come on, I'll spot you three." "Three-one." "Didn't foul you, did I?" "No." "Three-two." "Hey, Constable Fraser!" "Care to shoot some hoop?" "Oh, no, no." "I'm afraid I would scuff the floor." "The floor?" "Forget the floor." "Here, shoot." "Hit the showers, Kenny." "See you Tuesday." "Come on Constable." "I'll tell you what, you get the first shot." "You like the furniture?" "Well, there is quite a lot of it." "You need a bigger apartment." "No, I don't think so." "As a matter of fact, that is one of the things I came down here to talk to you about." "You see, as a police officer I'm forbidden to accept gifts." "Really?" "Yes." "The officers I know never mentioned that." "I just wanted to show my gratitude to you." "No." "I understand." "I understand." "It's just that even if I were able to accept such a gift, it might end up reflecting badly on you." "Upon me?" "Oh yes." "You see, some people might get the mistaken impression that you wanted Mr. Paducci found for your own purposes, and that I had somehow aided you in that endeavor." "I don't see how anyone can read that into it." "But hey, if it bothers you, don't keep it." "Donate it to your favorite charity." "Well, I'm afraid... that would be against the regulations as well." "You're a hard man to thank, Constable." "Father Behan is dropping the charges against Paducci." "Oh, I guess today is Mr. Paducci's lucky day." "Isn't it?" "As a matter of fact, before Detective Vecchio could drop the charges against him," "Mr. Padducci's bail was posted anonymously" "through an attorney." "I love this neighborhood." "So many good Samaritans." "Next basket wins." "No, foul!" "Um, actually I don't think that was a" "Charlie?" "He fouled you, Mr. Zuko." "Best ref in Chicago." "Game." "Nice try, Constable." "Thank you." "Mr. Paducci is prepared to make restitution." "That satisfies the church." "Constable." "You're aware of who I am, aren't you?" "Well, if by that, do you mean have I heard the stories?" "Yes." "Yeah, well, let's say they're all true." "Something you probably haven't heard, is that I really do love this neighborhood." "And when somebody hurts this community, they hurt me." "By that logic, you could say if someone hurt Mr. Paducci, they hurt me." "Well then, you would be standing in the wrong place at the wrong time." "I see logic is not one of your hobbies." "Thanks for the game, Constable." "Good day." "Good day." "Good day, sir." "I used to buy gumballs over there." "Big fat ones for a nickel apiece." "Now my nephew buys them for a buck fifty." "The price of doing business." "Welcome to Mr. Zuko's neighborhood." "It's me, Ray." "What did I say?" "Was he swinging an otter over his head or what?" "You were right, Ray." "There wasn't much reasoning with him." "Well, I've always wanted to see New York." "Yeah, well you can forget about it." "If Zuko's got a contract out on you, he's going to have this neighborhood sealed up tighter than a drum." "You'll be lucky to make downtown Chicago alive." "Well, so what am I supposed to do?" "Stay here and wait 'til he comes and kills me?" "Jimmy Venuto!" "His sister was in a hit-and-run accident down on the south side!" "I caught the driver!" "Let's hope he's got a good memory." "I got a 946 going nonstop to Philadelphia, how's that?" "That's great, Jimmy, thanks." "Ray, it's nothing." "We put him on here with the packages." "Everybody knows you can't board a bus in this neighborhood, you gotta go downtown." "So you,... you just get in the john, and you stay there until you reach Philadelphia." "Joey." "Thanks, Ray." "He'll be okay." "Thank God I remembered Jimmy, huh?" "I thought you said he worked all night." "He does." "Venuto!" "Oh, no!" "They made us." "Go!" "Son-of-a..." "Joey!" "Get the shoemaker!" "Get the car." "Got a message for you from Mr. Zuko." "I take it this message is not in writing." "Come on, come on, go, go!" "Here's the message." "Benny, you okay?" "How many of them were there?" "More than were necessary." "Ah" "That hurt, didn't it?" "Yes, quite a bit." "Sorry." "Were there any prints off of the handgun?" "No." "No serial number." "Does this hurt?" "Yes." "Yes." "Yes." "How about this?" "No." "That's an old scar." "How'd you get it?" "I'd rather not say..." "Someone struck me with a sea otter." "Hmm." "I guess that's what happens in a country with gun control." "Oh, I believe he shot the otter first." "Oh." "That's just cruel." "Uh yes, but you see, strictly speaking, he did adhere to the law, because swinging a live otter is illegal in the Territories." "Ah." "Indeed." "So there's... nothing the police could do about it?" "No." "Although they did, uh, change the law, after that, uh," "incident." "Good thing." "It's a very good thing." "Any line on the shooter?" "I got Paducci going over mug shots right now, sir." "What about the guys that roughed Fraser up?" "All imported talent." "They're probably halfway to California by now." "Really like to tie Zuko to this." "What about protective custody for Paducci?" "State's Attorney isn't going to do it." "There's no indictment against Zuko." "And if we lock the shoemaker up we'll have to keep him in solitary confinement for the rest of his life." "Leave him out on the street under surveillance, and we eat up the entire district's budget in thirty days." "All Zuko has to do is wait." "You know, I hate to say it, but..." "Mr. Paducci had the right idea." "Look, we can't just throw him back out on the street." "All right, I'll shuffle some paperwork." "We'll keep him in holding for 48 hours." "All right." "Thanks, Lieutenant." "Anything?" "No." "Protective custody?" "48 hours in holding." "What do you want to do?" "You guys know of anybody with a place in the islands?" "Here, you wanna cup of coffee?" "No, thanks, Ray." "How 'bout a cup of tea?" "No." "Hot chocolate?" "No, I'm fine." "Marco Matroni." "The kid Zuko worked over with the basketball?" "Two guys held him down while Zuko dribbled the ball over his face." "I'm talking like this thing happed twenty years ago and I remember it like it was yesterday." "So the kid hits the concrete, right?" "And he looks up at me with those eyes." "Those eyes that say..." ""Help me."" ""Call the cops."" ""Do something."" "I just stood there while Zuko rearranged his face." "I didn't try to stop it." "I didn't say a word." "When I got home that night," "I felt like I was 80 years old." "I shoulda done something, Benny." "Come on, Frankie." "What do you say?" "You and me, one on one." "Oh is that so, Ray?" "Yeah, come on." "You and me." "You think you can take me on?" "Hey, I don't think, Frankie." "I know." "I'm gonna kick your ass." "Go get me a cappuccino, huh?" "Yeah, go on and get yourself a cappuccino, too, boys." "We're gonna be a little while." "We go back a long way, you and me, Frankie." "And we got some unfinished business to attend to." "You remember Marco Matroni?" "Who?" "Junior high." "You bounced a ball off his face until it was mush?" "Oh yeah." "Marco." "I remember Marco." "God!" "We had some good times, huh?" "Poor old Marco." "You know, I heard his family moved away." "Yeah, you know I heard that, too." "You know, even then you owned the neighborhood, Frankie." "And even then you were a coward." "Me?" "I'm not the one who stood around and watched his friend get his face get beaten in." "You know, you're right, Frankie." "I just stood there." "You just got yourself dead, my friend." "Is that so?" "Then how come I'm not the one who's bleeding on the floor?" "You want a piece of me?" "!" "Come on." "Take your best shot!" "Come on, you're a big man, Frankie, come on!" "You think your badge is gonna protect you?" "You're not that smart, are you?" "You see a badge?" "I ain't wearing no badge, Frankie." "It's just you and me." "My hands are behind my back." "Come on take your best shot!" "Come on!" "No?" "No?" "How about my belt." "Wanna use my belt?" "Wrap it around your fist and you can hit me with it." "Come on." "No?" "No?" "!" "Hit me with it!" "Come on!" "How long you think you got to live, man?" "You think you'll last the night?" "I don't see anybody in here but you and me." "But I see that door and only one of us is walking out of it." "You're crazy." "I'm not crazy." "All right?" "I'm not crazy." "I finally got smart." "I should have done this to you twenty years ago." "Now get up, you little worm." "Get up!" "You got a problem, okay, man?" "No, you got a problem." "You got a problem cause you're going one on one with a guy you got 20 pounds on and there ain't nobody to hold me down." "All you got is your guts, man." "Which means you got nothing." "Last chance." "Go ahead." "Go to hell." "I didn't think so." "You're not gonna to walk very far." "Down the block's far enough, cuz." "You know, I'm going to enjoy telling this story." "It's the kind of story that people like to tell over and over again." "Yeah, like somebody's going to believe you." "Check your face." "Everybody's going to believe me." "You know it's going to be pretty hard to instill fear in people when they're laughing at ya." "Of course..." "You know, I could just as easily forget about it." "You see, because I've got one of those memories." "I can remember things that happened twenty years ago, and sometimes I forget what I had for breakfast." "Don't." "Don't what?" "Don't tell?" "Is that what you want?" "You want to make a deal with me?" "All right, here's the deal." "You call off the hit on Joey Paducci." "You let him open up his shop and you leave him alone." "You do that and this never happened." "It's just between you, me and the basketball." "You go to hell." "You go to what?" "Did you tell me to go to hell?" "Is that what you said?" "Oh, that's a shame, cuz." "Cause this deal is only good till I get to the door." "Deal!" "Why should I trust you?" "I give you my word." "Then I give you mine." "I didn't say nothing about you being safe." "I didn't ask for that." "What are you looking at?" "Nothing." "How are you?" "Scared to death." "It's probably wise." "When I took him in, his eyes were pure hatred." "As the door to the prison slammed shut behind me," "I could still hear his voice and the words he spit out at me:" "'I'll find you, Fraser, if it's the last thing I do." "I'll track you down and kill you wherever you go.'" "That night in my cabin I lay there and thought about fear and what it does to a man." "How it eats his insides out and takes the best from him." "I listened to the wind make the ice floes creak outside, and the wolves bay, and a thousand other sounds of the winter night." "And as I listened to my heart beat," "I released the fear inside me, little by little, until it was no longer there." "And then I closed my eyes and slept soundly until morning." "Don't be afraid."