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"Not defiled exactly," I said "I don’t think that’s quite it I think it all grew out of the chastity precept Maybe it’s a way of playing it safe If a man never lays eyes on a wo control and ju her bones"

"Perhaps that is the justification for it, Evan But that is not what it says to me To me it says women are dirty, women are immoral, women exist to lure ion, but it is not religion because it is to be found in one forht about that part," I said

"It is ion out of it But it is not religious It is just reed "Are you sure you don’t want to look for a nunnery along the way? It would shake them up a little when you walked in the door, but as soon as you got rid of your robes and stood naked before thenize you as a soul sister"

"Oh, shut up," she said

A while later, she said, "I a you to shut up For saying nasty things about men"

"I’m the one who said s considered"

"Nevertheless, I apologize It is the sun, I think It is so strong"

"Why don’t we take a break? There’s a shady spot coain"

"Are you feeling all right, Katya?"

"Yes, I think so," she said "I think it is just the sun"

A couple of hours later the sun was lower in the sky, and we had eaten and rested a little, and shared a large bottle of orange soda fro bowl; the vendor expected to be paid for it But it was only twenty kyat That was hardly any money, but we had started out with hardly anykyat last

The orange soda tasted of sugar and chear elcome after all the exercise we’d had, and the che; I knew the stuff was safe to drink, because no known pathogens could possibly survive in it

We got back on the road, and I ondering where ould spend the night There was another village down the road ahead of us – there always is, sooner or later – but it was hard for e just how far it was, or if we could expect to reach it before it was too dark to walk

We alkingto easehtand asked me as the matter

"You look a little tired," I said

"I am a little tired"

"Yes, but you look different Stressed out"

"There is nothing wrong with me, Evan"

"I didn’t say there was I just-"

"I am perfectly fine"

"Whatever you say," I said

Traffic was generally pretty light A couple of ti yi in a day instead of the week orus But I had not seen hoe could have spent thatour deception exposed by the other passengers We’d be in Taunggyi in a ot there we’d be placed under arrest

There were other public conveyances, too, for those citizens who couldn’t afford the luxury of a broken-down bus For even fewer kyat one could ride in a van, with everybody’s luggage tied to the roof and everybody’s children hanging out the s The van passengers stood up throughout the journey, pressed together like upright sardines I didn’t is A monk could be deaf and blind, and he’d still break the chastity precept before the van had gone ten miles

There was some military traffic, too, and the first tiot a little nervous But we got used to it

This afternoon a whole convoy passed us, every driver sounding his horn, youngout of the troop carriers to wave to us as they went by

"So , Evan?"

"To the Shan state," I said

"The same as us"

"Yes"

"But why?"