I am down in the kitchen chatting up Sillitta, thoughts of the threesome that I am planning with her and Luisa dancing through my head when an explosion shakes the mansion.

"What the fuck was that?!" I half-ask, half-exclaim, as I dash from the kitchen to the dining room, then up the steps toward my room. Naked Sillitta follows me. I don't know if she too is simply curious about what could have caused such an explosion, or if she is actually starting to think fondly of me.

As I ascend the steps, choking black smoke causes me to reconsider. "Fuck Sillitta, Luisa's up there. She could be dead or dying. That's not what I wanted. Not at all." I hesitate a moment longer before ripping a strip of cloth from the bottom of my threadbare t-shirt. "Sillitta, go wet this down for me."

The Italian slavegirl returns in what seems a lifetime, but was really no more than a minute or two with the wet cloth. I frantically take the cloth from her and tie it in place over my nose and mouth. "Sil, if there are any fire extinguisher's, you'd better get those too."

When the girl disappears yet again, I press on into the smoking hallway. I manage to find my room more by feel than by sight. The door is splintered, and I force my way through it. The bed and tapestries are ablaze. I cast about frantically looking for my missing cousin, rival, friend, whatever, but there is no sign of Luisa. "Luisa! Luisa!" I call, but there is no answer.

Fuck, Marigay must have gotten her before she firebombed the room. I so didn't want things to happen like this. Those are my final thoughts before the smoke renders me unconcious.