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Seven Holy Virtues I. Faith //God must watch over you.// “Oh yeah? Why is that?’ //You are an angel.// “Oh, now that´s just priceless. And how, exactly, did you come to that conclusion?’ //The bullets have not killed you.// “Yet.’ //You are blind, but you see.// “I don´t see.’ //You see well enough to kill other men deserving death.// “I *heard* them well enough.’ //I believe that God saw for you.// “Yeah? Where was he when they were taking my eyes? Getting a handjob?’ //God is always with us. He lets his presence be known only when it is necessary.// “Yeah, kid, keep believing that.’
II. Hope //What will you do when you return?// “Get fired.’ //Why would you be fired?// “Because I made a royal mess out of what was supposed to be a perfectly fine bloodbath.’ //A bloodbath is never fine.// “It is when you organize it.’ //Do you hope for them to not fire you?// “No. I don´t hope for anything.’ //Nothing?// “Nothing. Hope is for people who think God is always with us.’ //And you don´t?// “It´s an empty promise. It´s the most useless feeling in the world.’ //One you´ve never felt?// “Oh, I´ve felt it. That´s why I don´t believe in it anymore.’
III. Charity //Do you need anything?// “No.’ //Nothing to drink? Eat?// “I have people coming for me.’ //But until they get here?// “Why are you helping me?’ //Because you need help.// “You can say that again.’ //You need help.// “Not literally, kid. Seriously, what do you get out of this?’ //Get out of it?// “Yes. What good do you receive out of helping the man with no eyes?’ //Nothing.// “Then why do it?’ //Because you need help.// ’I´ll pay you.’ //I do not need it.// “Everyone needs money.’ //I do not.// “Does your mother?’ //No.// “In Mexico, everyone needs money.’ //I do not.//
IV. Fortitude //Did it hurt?// “Did what hurt?’ //When they stole your eyes.// “No.’ //How?// “How did it not hurt? Well, they gave me lots of drugs that made the pain go away.’ //And after?// “After, yes. After, it hurt.’ //But you show no weakness.// “Don´t I?’ //You lean on the wall, yes, but other than that, it is as if you feel no pain.// “I´ve learned to hide it well.’ //Why?// “So you won´t think I´m weak.’ //I will not think you weak.// “Yes, but if I have you here to make me pretend it doesn´t hurt, it almost actually doesn´t.’
V. Justice //Why did you kill those men?// “Don´t ask that question.’ //Why not?// “You´re too young to understand.’ //Tell me anyway.// “Because they were bad men.’ //There are many bad men.// “Yes.’ //So why those?// “They would have killed me first.’ //You sought them out. You persued them.// “Balance.’ //What?// “I´m keeping the balance.’ //By killing bad men that would have killed you first?// “Yes.’ //Why not all bad men?// “Because some bad men we need to keep.’ //Why?// “Again. Balance.’ //I do not understand.// “Because if there weren´t bad men, the good ones wouldn´t be as good would they?’ //Are you a good man?// “Me?’ //Yes.// “No.’
VI. Temperance ’My eyes itch… or, the holes do.’ //I´m sorry.// “Can´t scratch them, though, can I?’ //No.// “No.’ //Perhaps if you get y our mind off of them, they will stop.// “And how, pray tell, does one get their mind off the fact that the place that used to contain their eyes itches like the dickens?’ //Sing a song?// “Sing?’ //Sing your favorite song.// “I don´t sing.’ //Start.// “And what song would you have me sing?’ //What song do you like?// “How about ‘Devine´ by Korn.’ //I´m not familiar with that one.// “Trust me, the lyrics are appropriate.’ //Sing it then.// “I don´t sing.’
VII. Prudence //Do you never wish to do more?// “More than what?’ //More than what you do.// “You mean to kill more bad men?’ //Perhaps.// “Then what?’ //To do more good.// “I just told you, kid. I´m not a saint.’ //It does not take a saint to wish to do good.// “I´m not sold on the concept of good.’ //No?// “I´m too practical to buy into the concept of good and evil. Everything is everything.’ //I do not understand.// “This is what I do. I evaluate things. I weigh things. I notice things. I observe them.’ //And then?// “And then I decide what a risk is, and what is worth it.’ Seven Deadly Sins
I. Pride //Why do you not let me take your hand?// “Because I don´t need to hold the hand of some little kid selling fucking gum.’ //I am trying to help you.// “I know. I still don´t need to hold your hand.’ //I offer it to guide you.// “And your voice can guide me just as well, no hand-holding needed.’ //Why?// “Because of a little thing called pride.’ //Pride is the fool´s crutch.// “What´s that now?’ //Pride is the fool´s crutch.// “Impressive for a small kid such as yourself.’ //It is true.// “Yes, it is. But I never claimed to not be a fool.’
II. Greed //What went wrong?// “I got greedy.’ //Why?// “Why? Greed is a natural human tendancy. Especially from Americans.’ //Why did that effect the outcome?// “I lost sight of my objective. Which is ironic if you think about it.’ //What was your objective?// “That´s not important. What´s important is that I let my desires get the better of me.’ //What were your desires?// “Same as everybody. Freedom. Money. Power. Sex.’ //And which of those were you greedy for?// “All of them.’ //But you have a lot of money. You gave me everything in your pocket as though it were nothing.// “Never enough, kid.’ //I have enough.// “You´re young yet. You´ll see.’
III. Lust ’Never trust a woman.’ //I trust my mother.// “You shouldn´t.’ //My mother is a wonderful woman.// “Yes, but she´s a woman.’ //Why should I not trust women?// “Well, actually, you shouldn´t trust anyone. But women most of all.’ //Why?// “They´ll betray you.’ //Was it a woman who betrayed you today?// “Yes.’ //Why?// “Because I was stupid.’ //In what way?// “I allowed myself to succumb to her womanly wiles when I knew that my head should be in the game.’ //Womanly wiles?// “Yes. Breasts. Curves. Legs. What´s in between.’ //I do not understand.// “You will. And remember what I said when that day comes.’ //Do not trust women.// “Ever.’
IV. Anger //Are you angry with her?// “With Ajedrez?’ //The woman who betrayed you.// “No.’ //She stole your eyes.// “I know that. Believe me, I have no trouble remembering that.’ //But you say you are not angry.// “She did what worked for her.’ //She was selfish.// “Yes. As was I.’ //Do you love her?// “Hardly.’ //Then why do you not hate her?// “In the world I live in, kid, everyone takes care of their own. We were not emotionally bonded, I was not personally betrayed by her.’ //You sound very calm.// “Blood loss.’ //I would be angry with her.// “She´s dead. It would do me no good.’
V. Gluttony ’You want to do me a favor still?’ //What?// “Run to a store and buy me some cigarettes. Cigars. Tobacco, I don´t care. And rolling papers, if they´re not prerolled.’ //You smoke too much.// “Yes, I do. Will you go?’ //Smoking is very bad for you.// “Well, kid, half of the blood in my body is pouring into the street, so I´m thinking my lungs are the last things I need to worry about right now.’ //You are addicted.// “Yeah. You gonna go, or do I have to drag my sorry ass to the nearest bar and put a bullet in the first asshole I smell smokin my brand?’
VI. Envy //Do you wish you had not come to Mexico, Agent Sands?// “Every day.’ //Why did you come?// “I was assigned.’ //Why?// “Because it paid more for me to be positioned down here.’ //Because it is more dangerous?// “Because it is less desirable.’ //Why?// “The weather. The lack of accoutrements. The lack of good food.’ //So why did you come?// “Because I´m better than half the assholes in the CIA, and yet they make more money than me.’ //So you were jealous of them.// “Call it what you want, I deserved more money.’
VII. Sloth //They are calling for you.// “I know, I can hear them.’ //You should answer your phone.// “Don´t feel like it.’ //But it might be important.// “Too much energy to lift it to my ear.’ //What if it is the people who are coming for you?// “They´ll find me.’ //Not if you don´t answer your phone.// “Sure they will. They´ll track the signal down.’ //Would you like me to answer it?// “Sure kid. Tell them that I can´t come to the phone right now because I am dead.’ //But you´re not.// “Yeah, well, feel like I am.’
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