
T he room was small and to Moe’s eye wildly overfurnished. The maroon sofa the upholstered brown love seat the plaid and print throw pillows the mahogany sideboard; everything had a dusty and neglected and yet at the same time oddly comfortable air.
“Ah, Bella’s cousin,” Izzy murmured, returning Moe’s determined handshake with a brief, flaccid one. “I can’t thank you enough for all you’ve done”,

T he room was small and to Moe’s eye wildly overfurnished. The maroon sofa the upholstered brown love seat the plaid and print throw pillows the mahogany sideboard; everything had a dusty and neglected and yet at the same time oddly comfortable air.
The dim sunshine that forced its way through the cracks in the firmly shuttered windows was no match for the dull haze that sat upon the room like a scratchy army blanket. In one corner enveloped in a cloud of cigarette smoke Moe saw a man standing flanked on each side by a child.
They weren’t much to look at these new-found cousins of his. Private Izzy Klein dressed in the uniform of His Majesty’s army puffed nervously at his cigarette his fingers trembling slightly. The girl had a sallow complexion her face almost completely concealed by a mop of dark brown hair. Her pale lips seemed to be stretching themselves against their will into the semblance of a joyless smile. The boy small and slight looked at Moe with eyes that reminded him of the shutters on the window; closed shut off to all light.
“Well now here are the kind people that are coming to take care of you” the red-headed woman said in a determinedly cheerful voice.
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