There's no time for talking at the hamsters, because Mick saw what happened to Jason, and it wasn't anywhere near pretty, but maybe if he'd just gone along, it wouldn't have turned into a night at the cabaret.

Taking a deep few lungfuls of breath that he doesn't technically need (it's just masking the fact he's a monster, but he does it every day, every waking hour to remind himself), Mick looks around for an escape.

Either Scott goes up, or Mick throws himself off the cliff--

"For in my heart, I carry such a heavy load." Too late. All too late, because before he's quite aware of it his legs have pushed him up off the ground and his hands righted his collar.

"Here I am, on Man's road."