sticker t'ed on neatly with string hanging off them.

Anyhow he offered to let me stay there for free and I accept
~ed right away^Hotel prices be ng what they are.I agreed to
buy him a mea4   and then an few drinks wl-r.ch he drank
down quick, ,ta11 g1 asses and 1 We short one next to them
re-ordered aga''n and again, .then off to a p'-ib and another
w'th his one eye closed and the strangesme'l of c''n8rnon
coming off him.'. .

It must have been around twelve when I final'y reaUsed I
had missed the fl'ght and my chance of gett ng out of the
civil service for a few weeks right when he had gone to the
toilet and hadnt returned for half an hour and I was beg'nn-

-ing to reflect on the even'ng. I stumbled around d'runkenly
for my case blindly for the need of security, .found it miss-

-ing my wallet as well. . .and then I noticed something by
my foot. .almost did.nt see 't but for th6 slug trei! it had
left behind it, . .1 looked down casually and •;he sight will
stay with me for many years to come from now. as both war-

-ning as well as the fonm of a lucky charm hung around the
neck. . .Glistening in the dim light of the bar was a large
'red tongue, .sl'rney as a worm of enlarged proportions, end
embroidered with a language that I could not understand:

some strange tongue. ,




5'3