"How? How....HOW?” Mr. Clayton said with growing urgency. Then he just sort of paused.
"Well, maybe I'm mistaken. Ha-HA!" He chuckled, bouncing a bit on Shawn's thigh, the wooden grooves of the Puppet's butt landing softly with each bounce.
"I mean, it's possible you're onto something. Maybe there's another way. Maybe no one has to die." He stated, voice filling with a distant, remote wonder, the voice of the hopeful or of someone looking up at the stars on a clear night sky.
"What is it?" He asked Shawn, breaking the moment.