Ruger couldn't help looking at Mahama, and the two exchanged a silent glance.
In Big Guy's eyes, Ruger saw that they must have thought of the same thing, instinctively making the connection the moment they heard those words.
That stupid, ill-fated jar.
The jar had been filled with an unknown liquid, with a little figure bobbing inside it like a crudely carved figurine. It was that thing shattering that had dragged them here.
Oddities came in every imaginable form. Before, he had simply assumed it was part of the Oddity, like the pips on the Demon Dice or the decorative patterns on the Golden Key. Thinking back now, however, he felt that the little figure bobbing inside the jar might well have represented this Island.
So, this Big Fish could no longer hear the heartbeat. Could that have something to do with the jar Oddity in Barry Danton's hands?
Big Fish blew bubbles and swam in a circle, seemingly delighted by even this simple conversation.
It had been alone and pent up for so long that it yearned to pour everything out. All it took was a topic, a brief question, to draw out a long string of answers.
Ruger felt an inexplicable familiarity, then immediately thought of his beloved friend Tuzel.
How similar that rabbit's circumstances were to its own. This was its tragedy, too. A creature like Monster Wolf, which had not developed such keen intelligence, would not feel this loneliness. A special Oddity had to accept a special fate. Fortunately, even while trapped, Tuzel would see a bunch of annoying Wizard Apprentices every so often. Playing tricks on Wizard Apprentices and having them play tricks on him was probably the rabbit's way of relieving his boredom. He could also grow things in his spare time, making his