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You can mix the glycerin with nitric acid to make nitroglycerin,' Tyler says.
I breathe with my mouth open and say, nitroglycerin.
Tyler licks his lips wet and shining and kisses the back of my hand.
'You can mix the nitroglycerin with sodium nitrate and sawdust to make dynamite,' Tyler says.
The kiss shines wet on the back of my white hand.
Dynamite, I say, and sit back on my heels.
Tyler pries the lid off the can of lye. 'You can blow up bridges,' Tyler says.
'You can mix the nitroglycerin with more nitric acid and paraffin and make gelatin explosives,' Tyler says.
'You could blow up a building, easy,' Tyler says.
Tyler tilts the can of lye an inch above the shining wet kiss on the back of my hand.
'This is a chemical burn,' Tyler says, 'and it will hurt worse than you've ever been burned. Worse than a hundred cigarettes.'
The kiss shines on the back of my hand.
'You'll have a scar,' Tyler says.
'With enough soap,' Tyler says, 'you could blow up the whole world. Now remember your promise.'
And Tyler pours the lye.
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