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THE CLOCK AND THE KNIFE
Author: Victor Amos Regannez
last update2025-05-28 21:24:03

Farouq Khyber glanced at the heavy gold watch on his wrist.

The ticking was soft but clear in the silent room. He looked up at Carl Bowen, who was still standing—face pale, eyes sharp, mind racing.

“You should not take too long,” Farouq said quietly. “Time is not your friend right now.”

Carl turned to him slowly, the weight of his breath was pushing out of his chest.

“You expect me to decide now?” he asked. His voice was flat, but the tension behind it cracked like dry leaves under pressure. “You want me to make a decision this heavy... here, now, in this very moment?”

Farouq nodded once. “Your time is going, Mr. Bowen. I won’t sit here all night waiting for you to wrestle with your conscience.”

Carl’s face twisted into a deeper frown. “This isn’t a conscience decision. It’s a trap. And I don’t make life-and-death choices while standing under a blade.”

Farouq folded his arms loosely, the faintest curve at the corner of his mouth suggested he found that statement amusing.

Carl took a
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