asleeponabench.

    “,sir.Getup!”saidthepolishakinghim.“Thisisnotthepceforyoutosleep.Itisforpeopletowaitforthebusandfortouriststosita.Ifyouwanttosleep,gobae.”

    “OK,ifyouwomesleephere,I’lljustsitup”repliedEmmanuel,lookingdisdainfullyatthepoli.Hewasjusthavingawonderfuldreamandwasaobeawakened.”How’sthat?”

    “Ofcourse,ofcourse.Thatisyht.ButtherehavebeenquiteafewunfortunateactsaroundhereretlysoIwouldadviseyoutogobae.Itisnotsafehere.Youmightgethurt.”

    “That’smyownbusinessandhasnothingtodowithyou.Justsittinghereisnotagainstthew,isit?”

    “Arightthen,sit!”saidthepoliturningawayresignedlyandwalkedbacktohiscar.Hisfoothitaontheground,arustybrooise.“Don’tfettotakeyourtoywithyouwhenyouleave”headdedandgotintothecar.

    “Thatguybacktherereallylooksbad”saidthepolianwhowasinthedriver’sseatastheydroveaway.“Helookslikearuffianandamurderer.”

    “Yah,that’swhatIthinksotoo.Retlythisareahasnotbeenverysafe.Therehavebeenmanycasesorrape.Wehadbetterbeonthelookoutsothatnothingbadhappensonourwatch.”

    Emmachedasthepolicecardroveoutofsightandthenlookedattherusty,brooiseontheground.Thetortoise’sheadwasraisedhighasiflookingathimanditsmouthen.Emmanuelrememberedpullingatthetailwhenathinlineofpowdersquirtedout.Hesmelledthesweetfragranceofunknownflowersandfellunscious.“Wow”hethought,“itcouldhavebeensomekindofmagicpotiobehindfromaimesandIjusthappeoactallyeacrossit.ThiswouldbeaninvaluableassetwhenIamouthuntingwomen.”Charina’stall,slenderimagedressedinaskybluedress,withbroad-rimmedwhitesunhatandwhiteleatherwalkingshoescametomindandwouldnotgoaway.“IfIdo…and…IcouldeasilydowhateverIwantwithher!”thoughtheandaslysmilelituphisface.Hepickeduptherustybrooisefromthegroundandcarefullytuckeditinsidehispocket.Thenexhibitinghisskillofswiftnessandagilityhequicklydisappearedintothenight.

    2

    Charina’swhite,jade-likearmsseemedevensmootherandmoredelicateuhemoonlight.Shetookagss,half-filleditwithcrushedidthenpouredingoldencoloredwhiskey.Shetookasip,putthegssontothecoffeetableinfrontofherandybafortablyonthesofa.Itwasaeroftheroomthatthemoonlightcouldnotshonedirectlyon.Thewholehousewasdarkandlitonlybythemoonlight.Maureenyatherfeet,seeminglyfastasleepbuteverynowahepartingwordsofhisnewfriendcametomindand“Takegoodcareofyourmistressmypreciouslittlefriend.Uand?”resoundedinhislittlebrain.Hewouldlifthisheadandlookathismistressasiftoassurehimselfthatthingswerealright.OnlywhenhesawCharinasittingfortablyonthesofadrinkingherwhiskeyahingwassereneandquietasusualwouldheputhisheadbackdownonhispawsahismistress’feet.FromtimetotimeCharinawouldputthesoleofherexquisitefeetonMaureenandcaresshissoftandsilkysmoothfur,whichmadeherfeelgood.SinceDimitrileft,shehadbeensittingonthesofa,sippingherwhiskey,deepinthoughtabouteverysentenceDimitriutteredandeverydetailofhisstory.Shehadsufferedaseverewriter’sbloostoneandahalfyearandcouldnotfindanythingworthwritingabout.Dimitri’sstaveherinspirationandhercreativetaleimutedandenergized.Onceawakened,literarythoughtssuddenlyflowedandsurgeduntiltheywerealltaoget

asleeponabench.

    “,sir.Getup!”saidthepolishakinghim.“Thisisnotthepceforyoutosleep.Itisforpeopletowaitforthebusandfortouriststosita.Ifyouwanttosleep,gobae.”

    “OK,ifyouwomesleephere,I’lljustsitup”repliedEmmanuel,lookingdisdainfullyatthepoli.Hewasjusthavingawonderfuldreamandwasaobeawakened.”How’sthat?”

    “Ofcourse,ofcourse.Thatisyht.ButtherehavebeenquiteafewunfortunateactsaroundhereretlysoIwouldadviseyoutogobae.Itisnotsafehere.Youmightgethurt.”

    “That’smyownbusinessandhasnothingtodowithyou.Justsittinghereisnotagainstthew,isit?”

    “Arightthen,sit!”saidthepoliturningawayresignedlyandwalkedbacktohiscar.Hisfoothitaontheground,arustybrooise.“Don’tfettotakeyourtoywithyouwhenyouleave”headdedandgotintothecar.

    “Thatguybacktherereallylooksbad”saidthepolianwhowasinthedriver’sseatastheydroveaway.“Helookslikearuffianandamurderer.”

    “Yah,that’swhatIthinksotoo.Retlythisareahasnotbeenverysafe.Therehavebeenmanycasesorrape.Wehadbetterbeonthelookoutsothatnothingbadhappensonourwatch.”

    Emmachedasthepolicecardroveoutofsightandthenlookedattherusty,brooiseontheground.Thetortoise’sheadwasraisedhighasiflookingathimanditsmouthen.Emmanuelrememberedpullingatthetailwhenathinlineofpowdersquirtedout.Hesmelledthesweetfragranceofunknownflowersandfellunscious.“Wow”hethought,“itcouldhavebeensomekindofmagicpotiobehindfromaimesandIjusthappeoactallyeacrossit.ThiswouldbeaninvaluableassetwhenIamouthuntingwomen.”Charina’stall,slenderimagedressedinaskybluedress,withbroad-rimmedwhitesunhatandwhiteleatherwalkingshoescametomindandwouldnotgoaway.“IfIdo…and…IcouldeasilydowhateverIwantwithher!”thoughtheandaslysmilelituphisface.Hepickeduptherustybrooisefromthegroundandcarefullytuckeditinsidehispocket.Thenexhibitinghisskillofswiftnessandagilityhequicklydisappearedintothenight.

    2

    Charina’swhite,jade-likearmsseemedevensmootherandmoredelicateuhemoonlight.Shetookagss,half-filleditwithcrushedidthenpouredingoldencoloredwhiskey.Shetookasip,putthegssontothecoffeetableinfrontofherandybafortablyonthesofa.Itwasaeroftheroomthatthemoonlightcouldnotshonedirectlyon.Thewholehousewasdarkandlitonlybythemoonlight.Maureenyatherfeet,seeminglyfastasleepbuteverynowahepartingwordsofhisnewfriendcametomindand“Takegoodcareofyourmistressmypreciouslittlefriend.Uand?”resoundedinhislittlebrain.Hewouldlifthisheadandlookathismistressasiftoassurehimselfthatthingswerealright.OnlywhenhesawCharinasittingfortablyonthesofadrinkingherwhiskeyahingwassereneandquietasusualwouldheputhisheadbackdownonhispawsahismistress’feet.FromtimetotimeCharinawouldputthesoleofherexquisitefeetonMaureenandcaresshissoftandsilkysmoothfur,whichmadeherfeelgood.SinceDimitrileft,shehadbeensittingonthesofa,sippingherwhiskey,deepinthoughtabouteverysentenceDimitriutteredandeverydetailofhisstory.Shehadsufferedaseverewriter’sbloostoneandahalfyearandcouldnotfindanythingworthwritingabout.Dimitri’sstaveherinspirationandhercreativetaleimutedandenergized.Onceawakened,literarythoughtssuddenlyflowedandsurgeduntiltheywerealltaoget