Chapter 16
SUSAN AND I had but recently engaged in some highly inventive home-from-the-hills-is-the-hunter activity, and were now lying together on our backs on top of the covers while the sweat dried on our naked bodies. Pearl the Wonder Dog was curled up at the foot of the bed in a state of mild irritation that she wasn't able to weasel her way in between us.
'So you turned tail and ran,' Susan said. 'I didn't know you were that sensible.'
'The grave's a fine and private place,' I said, 'but none I think do there embrace.'
'Do you mean that you didn't want to get killed,' Susan said, 'because if you did you couldn't boff me?'
'Exactly,' I said.
'Whatever your reasons,' Susan said, 'I'm glad you're home.'
'Me too.'
'What are you going to do?'
'About Potshot?'
'Un-huh.'
Susan had her head on my shoulder. My arm was around her.
'This is exactly the right moment,' I said, 'for me to light two cigarettes and hand one to you.'
'Makes you regret not smoking for a moment,' Susan said.
'Only for a moment,' I said.
'So what's going to happen in Potshot?'
'I'll go back out,' I said. 'Push some more.'
'Because you said you would.'
'Well, yeah. And because if I don't do what I say I'll do, in a little while I'll be out of business. Because doing what I say I'll do is pretty much what I have to sell.'
'I know.'
'And, I don't like to get chased away.'
'I know.'
'Of course,' I said, 'I could give it up, and stand at stud.'
'I wouldn't,' Susan said.
'Just a thought,' I said.
'Does Mary Lou Whatsis know you've left?'
'Yes.'
'Does she know you're coming back?'
'I told her I would. But I'm not sure she believed me.'
'The more fool she,' Susan said. 'Should we get up and prepare a postcoital supper?'
At the foot of the bed Pearl raised her head and looked at us.
'Which word do you think she understands?' I said. 'Postcoital? Or supper?'
'She understands everything,' Susan said.
'Well she can join us,' I said.
'Are you ready?'
'Yes.'
Neither of us moved.
'Are we going to leap up?' I said.
'Yes,' Susan said.
We lay still.
Susan said, 'It's time to jump out of this bed.'
'Okay.'
Neither of us moved.
'You seem to have succeeded primarily in discovering that you don't know what's going on.'
'You could say that.'
'So why are you home?'
'To show you a good time,' I said.
'How sweet,' she said. 'Is that the only reason?'
