The ritual this country perfected. They would take this body apart, limb from limb, each of them marking their own pieces to keep. Twenty-five cents for a fragment of bone. Ten cents for the bit of liver. How much for the heart? How much? they would cry, their greedy hands grabbing, each of them wanting their choice. They would touch and fondle the flesh as it was bartered and sold. They would yank the teeth from the jaw, laughing at the crack of bones. They would take. They wanted to devour. They wanted to consume. When they were done, they would set what remained on fire.
