Instead of leaving, Anton crossed to the bed and sat next to Erskine. "Rights don't have anything to do with it," he said. "Everyone has a right to be healthy and adjusted, too, and look where most of us ended up. If everyone had everything they had a right to, I might actually believe in heaven."

He shook his head. "You keep acting as though the worst punishment was being tortured by Darquesse, Erskine. It isn't. For you, the worst punishment is not being punished. Escaping punishment means figuring out how to carry the burden. It means understanding what happened, and knowing how not to do it next time. It means getting on your feet and moving forward, no matter what. A good man's guilt is heavier than his crimes."

Anton rose and held out his hand. Even with the door closed, they could still hear the music. "Dance with me, Dead Man."