He pushed himself up on his good leg. "Oh dear, I missed," he said, still in his delicate lilt of a female voice. But his crocodile tears were gone, aside from the dirt streaks on his face. "This knife is a bit shorter than I'm used to."

He flicked his hair behind his shoulder. If only his patrons could see Eve now. He knew he couldn't close the gap fast enough to actually be able to injure Beck any further. He'd have to wait for retaliation.