rher．

    Dimitripushedhiscartbeforehim，listeningtotheearlymactivitiesatthedock-bellsringing，steamwhistlesblowing，passengersjostlingandchatteringiingroomoftheferryboat．Theylookedlikewaterweedsswayingwiththecurrent,withglisteningtransparentfisheggsadheringtothem．Abusydaywasabouttobegidogmanwasalreadythere，butasbusinesshadnotreallybegun,hewassittinginthedriver’sseatofhispick-uptruckreadingthepoemsofOmarKhayam．HeersianwhomDimitriknew．

    "GoMohammed，myfriend!"

    "GoDimitri！Heavyfogtoday.”

    "Yah．Haven’tseenoneasdenseforalongtime.”

    3

    Intheheavymisttheirwordscameoutlikebubblesfromthemouthsoffishes．Dimitriwasafrugalmanwhorarelyspentmoneyonhimself，butlookingatthehot-dogs，hethoughtitwouldbeogetoneforDornawhowassuretobehungrywhenshewokeup．Sohespent1.25onahotdogand.65forasmallcartonofilkahome．

    "Wherehaveyoubeen，olddog?"Dorna’svoicecamethroughthemists．TheeasygoingDimitriwasnotangryatherimpertinence．

    "Washingcars．Idoiteverym.”

    "Washingcars!Shameonyou!Howmuyoumakefromthat?IjusthavetodothisshemadeamotionofpigpocketsaIgetteimesmorethanyoudo.”

    "Itisn’tthemohatts．Ooworkforaliving．Evenanimalsohuntfortheirfood.”gingthesubjecthesaid，"LookwhatIgotforyou”andhandedherthehotdogaonofilk．Dornabitintothehot-dogahrewitontheground．

    "Phooey!"shesaidtakingherrollofotesfromherpocket．"Ihaveallthismoneyandyouexpectmetoeatthis?Keepitforyourself!"Shetossedherheada．

    Dimitrisatdown，lookingunbelievinglyatthehot-dogontheground,hurtbyhercallousness．Histhoughtsturoallthehomelessgirlslefttofendforthemselvesinthisjungleofaworld．HethoughtofShei，thatyoungprostitutewhowasaboutthesameageasDorna．TimeslippedawayasDimitrisatthere,stilsarocklostinthought．Afterhekhowloasoft,timidtouhisshoulder．

    "I’msorryolddog.”Dornawasbackagain．"YouarerealgoodtomeandIshouldn’thavetreatedyouasIdid．I’mreallysorry．Look，Ihaveallthismoney．Let’sgoandblowit.”

    "Thatmoneyisn’tyours．It’snht．Itwasn’trightlyeby.”

    "Theirsweren’trightlyebyeither，sowhat’stheharm?eo’sgo!"ShedraggedDimitriwithherawofigures，oneold，oneyoung，disappearedintothealleysintheheavymist．

    3

    Theyspentthewholedayenjoyingthemselves，tryingallkindsoffoodatvariousrestaurants．Theyweingandsawsomemovies．Dimitrihadneverhadsuchagoodtime．Dorhermoneylikewatersayingnontly"Easye，easygo!"Nowitwasnightagain．Tiredbuthappy，thetwofriends，withadifferenorethanthirtyyearsbetweenthem，saunteredhandinhanduhestar-litskysinginganddangatwill，pletelycarefree．

    "Hey，kid．I’mnolongeryounglikeyou．I’mtiredaorest.”

    "OK”shesaidadownonabenchbytheroadside．

    "Bytheway，what’syourrealname?"

    "Dimitri.”

    "DoyoumindwhenIcallyouolddog?"

    "No．Idon’tmindwhatyoucallme.”

    "You’rearealcharacter!"Diggled．"I’mgdtohaveyouforafriend.”

    "Whereareyourparents?"

    "Whoknows?TheyabandonedmewhenIwasborn,soIneverkhem.”

    40页

    "Theydesertedyou,butatleasttheygavebirthtoyou.Youshouldbegratefulforthat．TheworldwouldbealessiihoutyouDorna．Noeopleabortbabiesatthedropofahat．Theytakefetusfromtheuterusandthro

rher．

    Dimitripushedhiscartbeforehim，listeningtotheearlymactivitiesatthedock-bellsringing，steamwhistlesblowing，passengersjostlingandchatteringiingroomoftheferryboat．Theylookedlikewaterweedsswayingwiththecurrent,withglisteningtransparentfisheggsadheringtothem．Abusydaywasabouttobegidogmanwasalreadythere，butasbusinesshadnotreallybegun,hewassittinginthedriver’sseatofhispick-uptruckreadingthepoemsofOmarKhayam．HeersianwhomDimitriknew．

    "GoMohammed，myfriend!"

    "GoDimitri！Heavyfogtoday.”

    "Yah．Haven’tseenoneasdenseforalongtime.”

    3

    Intheheavymisttheirwordscameoutlikebubblesfromthemouthsoffishes．Dimitriwasafrugalmanwhorarelyspentmoneyonhimself，butlookingatthehot-dogs，hethoughtitwouldbeogetoneforDornawhowassuretobehungrywhenshewokeup．Sohespent1.25onahotdogand.65forasmallcartonofilkahome．

    "Wherehaveyoubeen，olddog?"Dorna’svoicecamethroughthemists．TheeasygoingDimitriwasnotangryatherimpertinence．

    "Washingcars．Idoiteverym.”

    "Washingcars!Shameonyou!Howmuyoumakefromthat?IjusthavetodothisshemadeamotionofpigpocketsaIgetteimesmorethanyoudo.”

    "Itisn’tthemohatts．Ooworkforaliving．Evenanimalsohuntfortheirfood.”gingthesubjecthesaid，"LookwhatIgotforyou”andhandedherthehotdogaonofilk．Dornabitintothehot-dogahrewitontheground．

    "Phooey!"shesaidtakingherrollofotesfromherpocket．"Ihaveallthismoneyandyouexpectmetoeatthis?Keepitforyourself!"Shetossedherheada．

    Dimitrisatdown，lookingunbelievinglyatthehot-dogontheground,hurtbyhercallousness．Histhoughtsturoallthehomelessgirlslefttofendforthemselvesinthisjungleofaworld．HethoughtofShei，thatyoungprostitutewhowasaboutthesameageasDorna．TimeslippedawayasDimitrisatthere,stilsarocklostinthought．Afterhekhowloasoft,timidtouhisshoulder．

    "I’msorryolddog.”Dornawasbackagain．"YouarerealgoodtomeandIshouldn’thavetreatedyouasIdid．I’mreallysorry．Look，Ihaveallthismoney．Let’sgoandblowit.”

    "Thatmoneyisn’tyours．It’snht．Itwasn’trightlyeby.”

    "Theirsweren’trightlyebyeither，sowhat’stheharm?eo’sgo!"ShedraggedDimitriwithherawofigures，oneold，oneyoung，disappearedintothealleysintheheavymist．

    3

    Theyspentthewholedayenjoyingthemselves，tryingallkindsoffoodatvariousrestaurants．Theyweingandsawsomemovies．Dimitrihadneverhadsuchagoodtime．Dorhermoneylikewatersayingnontly"Easye，easygo!"Nowitwasnightagain．Tiredbuthappy，thetwofriends，withadifferenorethanthirtyyearsbetweenthem，saunteredhandinhanduhestar-litskysinginganddangatwill，pletelycarefree．

    "Hey，kid．I’mnolongeryounglikeyou．I’mtiredaorest.”

    "OK”shesaidadownonabenchbytheroadside．

    "Bytheway，what’syourrealname?"

    "Dimitri.”

    "DoyoumindwhenIcallyouolddog?"

    "No．Idon’tmindwhatyoucallme.”

    "You’rearealcharacter!"Diggled．"I’mgdtohaveyouforafriend.”

    "Whereareyourparents?"

    "Whoknows?TheyabandonedmewhenIwasborn,soIneverkhem.”

    40页

    "Theydesertedyou,butatleasttheygavebirthtoyou.Youshouldbegratefulforthat．TheworldwouldbealessiihoutyouDorna．Noeopleabortbabiesatthedropofahat．Theytakefetusfromtheuterusandthro