Master Gochi - the silver haired king of the flying assassins - smiled.

‘Good, very good.’

‘I’ll need a month to get everything I need as well as-

-you have a day,’ the assassin said, ‘You have a day to prepare yourself - anything else is just stalling.’

Sparrow frowned - where was the compassion the king had shown just moments before?

‘If you want to play like that - then fine. I’ll do it in a day - but before I separate them, you’ll bring me one of those green crystals that make you fly.’

The king went to speak but Sparrow held up his hand, ‘No. This is not a request. This is a statement. If you really care about your twins you’ll bring me that crystal. We’ll meet here. Tomorrow at midday and I’ll separate them.’

The king stared at the spot where Sparrow sat, ‘Okay.’ A smile ventured onto the man’s face, it was hope, ‘Yeah, I'll bring the crystal and the twins,’ the king said.

The king got to his feet and walked away. No threats. No final warnings.

When the echo of his footsteps disappeared Sparrow let out a tortured breath. His heart was beginning to sink.

What am I going to do? He held out his palm and watched the small flame that hovered above his palm. Fire can’t break diamond.

He walked over to the platter and loosened his belt. For the first time in weeks, he saw his face. He’d forgotten how young he looked - it was a shock when he compared it to how old he felt.

I die tomorrow. Sparrow thought. A guard of flying assassins began to set up camp outside the cave.

I die tomorrow.

He ate his final meal of duck and cried as the juice of a melon dribbled down his cheeks for the last time. The melancholy of the situation was new for Sparrow.

Time passed slowly, and no brilliant ideas appeared in his mind. He tightened his belt and lay in front of the cave at night. There were millions of stars in the sky - and they made him feel small.

The stars reminded him of diamonds - sparkling in the heavens. Are diamonds worth dying for?

And then something in his brain clicked.

Diamonds.

He wasn’t sure if it would work or not… but there was a chance. Just the slimmest chance.

Diamonds.

****

The sun had barely risen when Abe and Jal’s father came storming into their room.

‘Wake up sons.’ He said, ‘I have found a magician-spirit who thinks he can fix it.’

The boys awkwardly sat up - they were facing each other - a piece of diamond string the size of a finger joined them at the belly.

They struggled out of bed and inched their way to the wardrobe where they pulled on shirts. Their dad - the king of the assassins - stormed out of the room.

Abe - already dressed - was more like their father. Abe was a young man of unending energy. Jal was more reserved - a bookworm and a dreamer.

‘You reckon he’s finally found the one?’ Jal said, pulling a shirt over his head.

‘Nah,’ Abe said, ‘You ask me every time. Every time I say the same thing.’

‘Do you think…’

‘Oh god,’ Abe rolled his eyes, ‘Not this again.’

‘Do you think we’ll still be as close?’ Jal said, ignoring his brother’s faces, ‘Like would we still spend as much time with each other?’

‘I don’t know,’ Abe said, helping his brother tie his shoes, ‘All I know is that if it happens I’ll be able to take a shit in peace for the first time in my life.’

‘You used to like me holding your hand when you were-

-shut up!’ Abe said, ‘I told you not to talk about that.’

‘Boys!’ Their father was in the room. Jal buttoned his shirt.

‘Boys,’ their father laid his hands on them, he was smiling, ‘Let’s go boys. You never know - this might be the one.’

And so the boys - joined at the belly, flew down to the cave. The king dismissed his guard - he wanted it to just be the three of them. Him, and the two kids. He thumbed the green crystal in his pocket. There are certain things that even a king can’t do.

The three of them moved into the centre of the cave. The platter of food was still there - most of it was wilting and gross.

‘Spirit!’ The king called, ‘It is time.’

There was silence in the cavern - not even a whisper of breath.

‘Spirit?!’ The king called.

****

Halfway up the mountain, the diamond smith screamed as a rock smashed into the glass of his display over and over again. Shards of glass sprayed everywhere.

‘What do you want from me?’ The diamond smith screamed, ‘Take what you want, take my jewels, take my rings take my-’ he made a choking sound, ‘No! Please! Not the diamond scissors.’

The man fell to his knees bawling his eyes out as his diamond scissors - six months of his life, floated off down the mountain.

‘Curse you,’ he sniffed, ‘Curse you.’

****

‘Father - there’s no spirit here.’

‘Shhh… just keep chucking your powder Abe.’

The assassin king lashed out with another handful of colourful powder - all the walls of the cave were covered in it and yet - the place appeared to be empty.

‘Spirit!’ the assassin king shouted.

‘Right here,’ came a voice from behind him. There was the sound of feet hitting the earth, ‘Sorry I'm late, I just had a couple of errands to run.’

Sparrow walked into the cave - ‘Nice job on the decorations. Not my favourite colours but anyway… you bring the crystal?’

Abe and Jal’s heads spun to their dad, ‘What?’ Abe said.

Their father smiled a guilty smile, with shaking fingers he held out the crystal for the spirit to see.

‘Father!’ Abe hissed, ‘You can’t.’

‘I can.’ the assassin king said, ‘I can do it for you.’

He dropped the green crystal to the ground and covered it with his foot, ‘Now… you fix my twins, and you’ll get your crystal.’

‘Sounds fair,’ Sparrow said, he pressed his hands to the brightly coloured floor of the cave then used them to beckon the boys closer.

‘Okay guys, Abe - if you stand here, and Jal here. I’ll get a look at this string.’

The string was impressive - a link of diamonds stretching the length of a finger from one boy’s stomach to the other. Sparrow ran his finger along it. It was smooth and perfect - the strongest chain of atoms possible.

‘You see,’ Sparrow said, ‘The thing I’ve been wondering is - why was the string there in the first place?’

‘Da.’ Jal said, ‘I’m not sure I want to…’

‘Hush,’ the assassin king said, ‘We need this done.’

‘Will it hurt?’ Abe asked, with a slight quiver in his voice, ‘Not that I care, it’s just that…’

‘Will we still be close?’ Jal was asking Abe, ‘You have to promise man, you have to promise…’

The diamond scissors rose from Sparrow’s clothes. They were a masterwork of diamonds - sparkling in the sunlight that entered the cave. Their father was biting his fist as he stared, Sparrow pushed the two boys as far apart as they’d go, stretching the diamond string taut and getting the diamond scissors in place.

‘Da!’ Jal screamed, ‘Da, I’m not sure. It could go wrong - tell him Abe!’

‘All I’m saying is sometimes string has a purpose…’ Sparrow began.

‘DA!’ Abe yelled over top of him, ‘There’s something…’

The scissors came down hard, bit into the diamond of the string. Sparrow squeezed with all his might, pushing the scissors down, atom by atom drilling through the string that separated the boys. There was a high pitched screaming and a creaking from the scissors. Sweat poured down Sparrow’s face. The king’s skin had gone pale.

Finally, the string gave way to the scissors. The two ends flopped down from the boys’ belly buttons. For a moment, nothing happened.

And then…

The boys’ butts fell off.