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"The jig is up," I said, "and I don’t knohat they’d do if they found out a woht involve a violation of the First Precept"

"The one against unchastity?"

"Uh-uh," I said "The one against killing"

We each had a cloth shoulder bag They were both the same, and bothbowl, a cup, and a razor (I thought the razors would be of the old-fashioned cut-throat variety, but Ku Min had furnished a couple of disposable Gillettes That was going toeasier, but it substantially reduced the razor’s potential value as a defensive weapon "Watch it, you son of a bitch, or I’ll slice you open with my plastic safety razor" No, I don’t think so)

We each had a s insects fro about A pair of wanderingbottled water, not that we’d be likely to find it on sale in the little villagetap water or ater or ditch water, whatever the locals drank, without having built up the iured it would be a good sign to find insects swi water – it meant the stuff would support life And the insects, if we chewed theot that day Of course it would– and, depending on the ti after twelve noon

The few kyat we had left went in , since I’d beThe three ivory carvings, wrapped up again in their bubble wrap and oilskin, went in Katya’s shoulder bag I didn’t kno or to e could peddle theht

Besides, I wasn’t going to leave theh he probably hadn’t planned on giving theht to hang on to them And, as Katya pointed out, Good Luck and Good Health and Long Life were ranted in the adventure we had in store for ourselves

Katya’s eyes widened when I put the brick of heroin init? And would it not add unnecessary weight? And, at the risk of being picky, was it not somehow a violation of one of the precepts? Surely it was an intoxicating substance, was it not?

"We’re not going to ingest it," I said "As ato take it with us At daybreak Ku Min’s co to take us to the boat"

"That is very nice of him"

"Well, he’s a nice fellow, and the two of us really hit it off"

"And he bought these sets of robes, and the begging bowls, and the shoulder bags"

"And the Gillette razors, too," I said "And in return we’re going to give hiot any use for it? Because I don’t"

"No, but-"

"I told him I wasn’t even certain what it was I said it’s probably heroin, but it ar and quinine, for all I knew He seeamble"

"Evan, if it is heroin, how otraid in Miami, the newspapers would tell you it had a street value of a quarter of a million dollars But that would be what it would wind up retailing for after it had been stepped on three or four tis and sold to desperate junkies That’s a lot different from what it’s worth to a wholesale buyer in the States, let alone to sooon"

"Even so-"

"Even so," I said, "it’s worth a lot more than a couple of red sch to say?"

"I guess so What is a sch," I said "Or in the present instance a robe If Ku Min finds a buyer for the stuff, I guess he’llear He got us the sandals, don’t forget"

She picked up one and studied its bottoamo," she said "In fact it was cut from an auto Ferragauys on the boat, and he’ll let people in Shan country know that we’re co the heroin behind and trying to think of a way to get rid of it that wouldn’t get it traced back to us If you think I made a mistake-"

"I did not say that, Evan"

"I’ood idea," I said "All we can do is roll the dice and take our best shot"

"It would be safer for you to travel alone"

"I’ around on his own is cause for suspicion Maybe they’re like nuns, always traveling in pairs"

"But they do not travel omen, Evan"

"Well, no," I said "They don’t"

"I think I will go to sleep now," she said after a moment "We have only a few hours before daybreak Will you come to sleep, Evan? It h bed"

"I think I’ll sit up for a while," I said

"Are you sure?"

"I’et rid of tension"

"I don’t think that would be a great idea, Katya"

"I do not blame you," she said "Who could make love to someone who looks like this?"

"That’s not it"

"It is," she said, "but it is all right I aood idea Good night, Evan"

"Good night, Katya"

She was silent for a while Then she said, "Vanya, could you just lie withonce our journey begins, but right now I aot in bed with her She had shucked her outer robe and one of the others, leaving only the third, a sort of glorified loin cloth She came intoI could feel her treently but fir ceased

SheI could tell it was in Russian, but it was too soft forher and breathed in her scent, and even as her own breathing deepened with the onset of sleep, I felt h to open my own robes, easy too to take the last bit of cloth frohs, easy to ease between them…