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III. Goldilocks

The child's eyes were cold and hard as ice as the young man before him screamed in pain.

"Another," he dictated coolly, so Sebastian smiled and broke a third finger.

There were tears rolling down the man's cheeks now; they glistened in the moonlight, silver to compliment the gold of his hair. Sebastian took a moment to appreciate this unlikely flash of beauty, but Ciel wasn't invested in the aesthetics of the scene. Earlier that evening, the Earl and his butler had returned from a bit of business in town to find a break-in had been attempted on the mansion. A considerable number of men were involved—Sebastian would know, since he'd just finished burying the last of them—but this blond fellow was the only one still alive at the time of their arrival. It was Sebastian who'd suggested that they take matters outside, so as not to make a mess of the parlour.

Now, Ciel sat at the patio table, where he sometimes took his tea on sunny days, with one leg crossed neatly over the other. It was far past his bedtime, and while Sebastian was wary of letting their present activity drag much longer into the night, he was willing to pardon this break in his little lord's routine.

"Are you ready to answer my questions?" Ciel leaned forward, as though merely expressing polite interest in his current guest's reply, "Or do you need a bit more incentive?"

The kneeling man stared at the boy, bug-eyed, then back up at Sebastian, who'd removed his tailcoat for the sake of convenience. The butler responded to the look with a most pleasant smile that seemed to hold genuine cheer. In the faint, silvery light, Ciel's cerulean eye flashed with barely restrained excitement; clearly, he was enjoying the situation more than his neutral demeanor let on.

"We was just lookin' for valuables," the man gasped out, voice garbled by pain, "We didn't know you had a goddam army guardin' the place!"

At the latter statement, a feline smirk curved Ciel's lips upward. "What a ridiculous thing to say. I don't employ an army. I have three servants to guard my home; no more, no less." Ciel met Sebastian's amused glance before sobering. "But that's neither here nor there," Ciel's eyes narrowed as he regarded the blond, "what I want to know is who you're working for. Who sent you, and what were your orders? Was I to be kidnapped? Killed? Were you to truly finish off the Phantomhive line?"

"What? I—I don't—"

"Sebastian."

"AaaIIIIiii!"

The man's humerus snapped in half between Sebastian's vice-like hands. It was a messy break, and stark white bone gleamed under a cold orb of moon. The man, clearly in shock, regarded the now-visible shard of bone with glassy, uncomprehending eyes. Ciel took advantage of the lucid moment to repeat his question.

"Who. Sent. You?"

"T'was just a robbery," the man said in a dull monotone.

"Young master, I see no point in drawing out this game," Sebastian said, "I do not believe this man is guilty of anything other than intruding where he doesn't belong."

"It's as I thought, then," Ciel sighed, "well, he and his friends picked the wrong home to invade."

"Please, what are you going to do with me?" The man gibbered. It was clear that the pain had yet to fully set in, but he was already growing panicked.

"That's a good question," Ciel replied. "Sebastian, do we have enough tallow for the time being?"

Sebastian smiled. "I picked up this month's supply earlier in the week. I'm afraid our stock is very much full."

"Ah, well," Ciel sighed, standing up from the chair and brushing off his clothes, "I suppose the sterling roses could always use a bit more fertilizer."

"Of course, my lord," Sebastian bowed and prepared to walk his young charge inside. As an afterthought, he turned to look the now-prostrate man in his pain-dilated eyes, "Pardon me. I must put my master to bed, but I promise to return momentarily."

As he strode across the pebble-covered path to the mansion, Ciel dared a glance back at the huddled whimpering man, with his broken bones and flaxen hair. "Why is it," Ciel muttered, "that people insist on sticking their noses where they are not welcome?"

"Human nature, I suppose," Sebastian answered easily.

"Hmph," Ciel replied simply, "I don't like it."