Leather & Lark

Content Warning: This section of the guide contains descriptions of the mutilation of a corpse.

Lachlan works in his leather studio, and as he waits for Lark to arrive, he thinks about how lovesick he has become. A man comes into the shop and introduces himself as Abe Midus. He brings a saddle that he wants Lachlan to repair. Abe was already booked for an appointment on the following day, but he claims that he was in the area and decided to stop by early. As Abe describes why the saddle has sentimental value, Lachlan is immediately wary of the man. He reflects, “Something about him sets off the alarm in my mind. Maybe it’s his wolfish smile. He seems like a man who has secrets that want to claw their way free” (238). However, Lachlan begins to second-guess himself and wonders if he is becoming paranoid. Meanwhile, Abe is strangely fixated on Lachlan’s tools. When Lachlan turns his back to Abe, Abe takes a step toward him just as Lark arrives. Abe is friendly to Lark, but Lachlan still finds his behavior strange.

Abe requests that Lachlan add biblical scripture to the saddle, and Lark automatically sings the melody associated with the words.