"It seems not." He hesitates for a long moment, then takes a deep bracing breath and steps forward. Swallowing down his gorge, he kneels by the head, reaches out, and wrenches its eyes open. Its gaze remains glassy, motionless, dead, the eyes dull and unnatural. He stares another moment before he realizes that he can't quite take it; he flinches away, then, snatching back his hands. Then he takes a breath, and collects himself.

"Definitely not. Very dead."