a glimmer bounced in the back with the swaying light , revealing another bulb and another chain . there was no gray , so i put a second black one in the middle , confident that because my soul was the color of sin , the magic would work . the only thing between them and freedom was the metal curtain , through which they could see a sidewalk , the street , traffic , an alley near at hand . but when- '' he cut himself off and glanced at the stage . 