was starting to fill up now with curiosity seekers. Porcia paid no heed; the room had already seemed bare and stuffy without them. The maid's wailing however did hurt her ears and threaten a headache. He was lying across the bed, she noticed, almost comfortable when the hour of death came upon him. She quickly banished the thought; being tortuously strangled to death would not have been her preferred way to die.

On some level she felt some sort of connection with him, even though she had heard hideous rumors about his life. He had met his fate, a fate that would come to us all. Was it so much better in life than in death? She reached out to shut his eyes, a familiar speech running through her. "Pour qui la cloche sonne; il péages pour le vous..."

Shaken, she stepped out into the smaller, fresher hallway, bumping into K.C. "There's a dead man in there." She said bluntly. Then, after a quiet pause, it all came tumbling out."There's a man lying dead in that room! But I don't think John would ever do that-I can't believe it. He can't have done it...what can we do?"

Porcia, then, noticed his disheveled state and the heavy alcohol on his breath, released his arm and apologized quietly. Still, she could not help but reach up and push a lock of hair out of his face to make him look a little more orderly before reluctantly going to help Lady M.