toomuchforher?”

    Itwasaheavilymistym,butohefogcleareditwassuretobeabrightandsunnyday.Davidhadbeenthrowndownonthegroundattheerofthestreet,hishandsboundbehindhimandhismouthstuffedwithrags.Hewasnoloerrifiedforhimself.Oraryhisheartwasfullofpeace.Hethought,“Dimitriisreallyastrangeguy.HeledmeintohisKingdomofDreamsandeoenjoytheawesomelifeofamagnifitking,experiengallthewealthandrichestheworldcouldoffer.Havingexperiencedallthat,Iwouldhavediedwithret,evenifthoseruffianswhhedmeuphadshotandkilledme.”Athestreetnearbyscreechedtoahaltandhurriedfootstepcouldbeheardingtowardshim.Afraidthatitwasthethugsbacktokillhim,Davidclosedhiseyesandwaitedfortheendtoe.Buthefeltsomeonepulltheragsoutofhismouthandloosenedhisboundhands.OpeninghiseyeshesawitwasDimitri’sgoodfriendRichardwhowascrouchedbesidehim,grinningcockilyandmakingfunofhimsaying,

    “peoyou,olddog?GotintoaquarrelwithsomeonearettebuttsandgottheSh1Tbeatenoutofyou?Theyevenboundandgaggedyouandthrewyouhereattheerofthestreet!”Davidsatup,shookhisstiffandnumbarmsandmuttered,

    “No,no,no…Itwasn’tlikethatatall!Idon’tuandmyselfpenight.IjustknowIalmostlostmylife.”HethentoldhisstorytoRichardhaltingly,jumblingupthefacts,butusedtohisramblingsRichardgotthepointandfortedhimsaying,

    14

    “Inthisworldtherearealotofgoodpeople,buttherearealsobadowasyhlucktohavetahthebadelementsstnight.Whatelseistheretosay?Youwereatthewrohewrongtime.”HethencalledtoJamaz,whoseextraordinaryphysique

    alwaysmuchstrohanthatofanordinaryman,hadmiraculouslyrecoveredfromhiswoundsandwasbaagain.Richardaskedhimtoverohoseoldworkpantswhichtheykeptirunkoftheirpick-uptrudgaveittoDavidsaying,“yourselfupolddog.Findsomewheretowashawayyourpeeandpoo.Thenputonthispairofpantsandgoaboutyourbusiness.Wehavethingstodosoweareleaving.Youtakecare.”Richardstooduptoleave,butstoppedtoask,

    “Oh,bytheway,haveyouseenDimitri?I’mlookingforhim.”

    “Dimitri?Isawhimovertherestnight”repliedDavidpointingtowardstheke.Richardsighedandhithisforeheadsaying,

    “Wesearchedforhiminallhisoldhaunts,butjustmissedlookingintherosegarde’sghtaway.”

    “No,no”saidDavid.“Idon’tthinkyoushouldgothere.Isawhimwithabeautifulyoungwoman.Shewasdressedasahobo,butIsawthroughherdisguiserightaway.Ifthetwoofyourushinthere,youmightbeinterruptingtheirromantictete-ateteandtheycertainlywon’tthankyouforit!”DavidsmiledslylyandilyaontodescribeiailDimitri’syoungpanion.Richardkoncewhoshewasandsaid,

    “Oh,it’sher!NowondernooneansweredwhenIcalledhercellphone.Shepurposefullydidn’tcarryitwithher!Iwenttoherhouse,buteverythingwasdarkandlookedempty.Ithoughtshewasoutoftown…Sothetwoofthemgottogether!Siheyaretogetherwhynotstayihehousethen,envelopedinthesweetintimacyofaworldsistingonlyofthetwoofthem?Whataretheydoinginthatgodforsakenrosegarden?”Heshookhishead,quitemystifiedatthetursandwalkedquicklyawaytogetherwithJamaz.

    Itwasstillveryearlyinthemareettyofpedestrians.Davidmadeuseofthistotakeoffhisdirtypants,whichheusedtowipehimselfasaspossibleaosRichardhadgivenhim.Onparatively,hispersonalityunderlet

toomuchforher?”

    Itwasaheavilymistym,butohefogcleareditwassuretobeabrightandsunnyday.Davidhadbeenthrowndownonthegroundattheerofthestreet,hishandsboundbehindhimandhismouthstuffedwithrags.Hewasnoloerrifiedforhimself.Oraryhisheartwasfullofpeace.Hethought,“Dimitriisreallyastrangeguy.HeledmeintohisKingdomofDreamsandeoenjoytheawesomelifeofamagnifitking,experiengallthewealthandrichestheworldcouldoffer.Havingexperiencedallthat,Iwouldhavediedwithret,evenifthoseruffianswhhedmeuphadshotandkilledme.”Athestreetnearbyscreechedtoahaltandhurriedfootstepcouldbeheardingtowardshim.Afraidthatitwasthethugsbacktokillhim,Davidclosedhiseyesandwaitedfortheendtoe.Buthefeltsomeonepulltheragsoutofhismouthandloosenedhisboundhands.OpeninghiseyeshesawitwasDimitri’sgoodfriendRichardwhowascrouchedbesidehim,grinningcockilyandmakingfunofhimsaying,

    “peoyou,olddog?GotintoaquarrelwithsomeonearettebuttsandgottheSh1Tbeatenoutofyou?Theyevenboundandgaggedyouandthrewyouhereattheerofthestreet!”Davidsatup,shookhisstiffandnumbarmsandmuttered,

    “No,no,no…Itwasn’tlikethatatall!Idon’tuandmyselfpenight.IjustknowIalmostlostmylife.”HethentoldhisstorytoRichardhaltingly,jumblingupthefacts,butusedtohisramblingsRichardgotthepointandfortedhimsaying,

    14

    “Inthisworldtherearealotofgoodpeople,buttherearealsobadowasyhlucktohavetahthebadelementsstnight.Whatelseistheretosay?Youwereatthewrohewrongtime.”HethencalledtoJamaz,whoseextraordinaryphysique

    alwaysmuchstrohanthatofanordinaryman,hadmiraculouslyrecoveredfromhiswoundsandwasbaagain.Richardaskedhimtoverohoseoldworkpantswhichtheykeptirunkoftheirpick-uptrudgaveittoDavidsaying,“yourselfupolddog.Findsomewheretowashawayyourpeeandpoo.Thenputonthispairofpantsandgoaboutyourbusiness.Wehavethingstodosoweareleaving.Youtakecare.”Richardstooduptoleave,butstoppedtoask,

    “Oh,bytheway,haveyouseenDimitri?I’mlookingforhim.”

    “Dimitri?Isawhimovertherestnight”repliedDavidpointingtowardstheke.Richardsighedandhithisforeheadsaying,

    “Wesearchedforhiminallhisoldhaunts,butjustmissedlookingintherosegarde’sghtaway.”

    “No,no”saidDavid.“Idon’tthinkyoushouldgothere.Isawhimwithabeautifulyoungwoman.Shewasdressedasahobo,butIsawthroughherdisguiserightaway.Ifthetwoofyourushinthere,youmightbeinterruptingtheirromantictete-ateteandtheycertainlywon’tthankyouforit!”DavidsmiledslylyandilyaontodescribeiailDimitri’syoungpanion.Richardkoncewhoshewasandsaid,

    “Oh,it’sher!NowondernooneansweredwhenIcalledhercellphone.Shepurposefullydidn’tcarryitwithher!Iwenttoherhouse,buteverythingwasdarkandlookedempty.Ithoughtshewasoutoftown…Sothetwoofthemgottogether!Siheyaretogetherwhynotstayihehousethen,envelopedinthesweetintimacyofaworldsistingonlyofthetwoofthem?Whataretheydoinginthatgodforsakenrosegarden?”Heshookhishead,quitemystifiedatthetursandwalkedquicklyawaytogetherwithJamaz.

    Itwasstillveryearlyinthemareettyofpedestrians.Davidmadeuseofthistotakeoffhisdirtypants,whichheusedtowipehimselfasaspossibleaosRichardhadgivenhim.Onparatively,hispersonalityunderlet