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I rerateful that Terrible Chester stood betweenthat the cat’s apparent intense dislike of the man, even at such a dis­tance as this, confirmed my distrust of him

Until this moment, I would never have assuree on any issue or have anything in common other than our affection for Little Ozzie

For the first time in my experience, Robertson wore no sht of the day had condensed froold, backdropped by the foriant photo of Tih on his study wall

From behind me, Ozzie said, " ‘Oh, God, that men should put an ene, I found hilasses of wine and a small plate of cubed cheese surrounded by thin white crackers

Thanking hilanced outside

Bob Robertson was not where he had been

Risking a dangerouswith Terrible Chester, I stepped closer to the , looking north and south along the street

"Well?" Ozzie asked ione, and quickly, as if with an urgent purpose

As spooked as I had been to see this strange man at the picket fence, I was still ht of hi tailed because then I would knohere he was and, knowing, would rest easier

" ‘Oh, God, that men should put an enemy in their mouths, to steal away their brains,’" Ozzie repeated

Turning from the , I saw that he had put down the tray and stood noith his glass raised as ifto recover my composure, I said, "Some days are so dif­ficult that if we didn’t let wine steal our wits, hoould we sleep?"

"Lad, I’ you to debate the statement, merely to iden­tify its source"

Still rattled by Robertson, I said, "Sir?"

With some exasperation, Ozzie said, "Shakespeare! I stack the quiz to ensure you a passing grade, and still you fail That was Cassio speaking in Act 2, Scene 3 of Othello"

"I was… distracted"

indicating the here Chester no longer appeared to be ag­itated and had once more settled into a furry pile on the deep sill, Ozzie said, "The destruction that barbarians leave behind has a grim fascination, doesn’t it? We’re reminded how thin is the veneer of civi­lization"

"Sorry to disappoint you, sir, but ht I saw solass in his five-fingered hand, Ozzie said, "To the da, sir - da, I glanced at theagain Then I returned to the armchair where I had been seated before the cat hissed so alarly

Ozzie settled down, as well, but his chair made a noisier issue of it than mine did

I looked around at the books, at the wonderful reproductions of Tiffany la influence I could al off the seconds toward ust 15

"You’ve come here with a burden," Ozzie said, "and since I don’t see a hostess gift, I assuht you carry is so about Bob Robertson Although I’d withheld the story of the black room froination big enough to enco

In addition to his nonfiction books, he has written two highly suc­cessful series of ht expect, is about a fat detective of inco off hilarious bon hly athletic wife (who utterly adores hiative footwork and to per­for-do

Those books, Ozzie says, are based on certain horhout his teenage years And still linger

The second series involves a female detective who remains a likable heroine in spite of numerous neuroses and bulimia This character had been conceived over a five-hour dinner during which Ozzie and his editor made less use of their forks than theyOzzie’s assertion that a fictional detective could have any personal problems or habits, however unpleasant, and still be a hit with the public as long as the author had the skill to make the charac­ter sye audi­ence want to read about a detective who stuck a finger down her throat and threw up after every ar Award, the enre’s equivalent of an Oscar The tenth book in the series had been recently published to greater sales than any of the previous nine

In solelee, Ozzie says that no novels in the history of literature have featured so ht of so many readers

Ozzie’s success doesn’t in the least surprise me He likes people and he listens to thees

When I finished telling him about Robertson, the black room, and the file cabinets packed with thick case histories of houn"

"Guns scare me," I reminded him

"Your life scares me I’m certain Wyatt Porter would issue you a per­mit to carry a concealed weapon"

"Then I’d have to wear a sports jacket"

"You could switch to Hawaiian shirts, carry the gun in a belt holster in the small of your back"

I frowned "Hawaiian shirts are just not uised sarcasm, "your T-shirts and jeans are such a unique fashion statement"

"Sometimes I wear chinos"

"The depth of your wardrobe dazzles the ed "I am who I am"

"If I purchase a suitable weapon for you and personally instruct you in its use - "

"Thank you, sir, for your concern, but for sure I’d shoot off botha series about a footless private investigator"

"It’s already been done" He sipped his wine "Everything’s already been done Only once in a generation does anything as fresh as a vo"

"There’s still chronic diarrhea"

He grimaced "I’m afraid you haven’t the knack to be a popularlately?"

"This and that"