The mood is tense and nervous as the story unfolds through the eyes of our narrator in slow moving, vivid details. "I was polishing my best razor over a piece of leather. And when I recognized him I started to shake. But he didn't notice. To hide it, I continued polishing the blade. I tested it with the tip of my thumb and turned to look at him against the light." The author's use of dialogue also adds to the tension we feel. "He kept his eyes closed. 'I really feel like taking a nap for a bit,' he said, 'but I have a lot to do this afternoon.' "I put down the brush and asked, pretending not to be interested: "'Executions?' "'Something like that, but slower,' he responded. "'All of them?' "'No. Barely a few.' "I went back to lathering his beard. My hands were shaking again." The author continues to emphasize the heat, the barber's razor, and the barber's shaking hands to pronounce the mood. "He leaned back in his chair upon seeing me with the brush in hand, overflowing with lather. I hadn't put on the sheet. I was definitely flustered." Through deliberate and meticulous emphasis of the characters' actions, the dialogue, and the setting the author creates a mood that leaves the reader feeling anxious and uncertain of the outcome.

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