The little boy's face twists around, like he's trying to handle a very sour piece of candy with dignity while stuffing it into the side of his cheek to work on more slowly. After a few more minutes he pops into the cat shape, who paces in a tight little circle on top of the machine.

Kahl has never been impressed by the sort of wishy-washy ideas about living well being revenge. But that's not what this is.

"Because it's what he wanted," he says slowly. "It's revenge because it's taking what he wanted most."

That he could almost believe, feels the resonating glimmers of inside him.