Зима тревоги нашей

           "Ifit’sclear,can’tIborrowonthestore?"

           "Sureyoucanifyouwantinteresttoeatyouup."

           "Idon’tknowhowtothankyou."

           "Don’tgosoft,Ethan.Don’tlethimpoor-mouthyou.Hecanbeaspellbinder.Alldagoscan.Justremembernumberone."

           "Iamsuregrateful."

           "Gottogo,"hesaid."Wanttohitthehighwaybeforethenoontraffic."AndouthewentandnearlyknockedMrs.Willowdowninthedoorwaywhereshehadbeenovereverycantaloupetwice.

           Thedaydidn’tgetanylessfrantic.Iguesstheheatthatsplashedthestreetsmadepeopleedgyanddownrightquarrelsome.Insteadofaholiday,you’dhavethoughttheywerestockingupforacatastrophe.Icouldn’thavegotasandwichovertotheMorphifI’dwantedto.

           Inotonlyhadtowaitonpeople,Ihadtokeepmyeyesopen.Alotofthecustomersweresummerpeople,strangersintown,andtheystealifyoudon’twatchthem.Theycan’tseemtohelpit.Andit’snotalwaysstufftheyneedeither.Thelittlejarsofluxuriestaketheworstbeating,foiegrasandcaviarandbuttonmushrooms.That’swhyMarullohadmekeepsuchstuffbackofthecounter,wherethecustomersaren’tsupposedtogo.Hetaughtmeit’snotgoodbusinesstocatchashoplifter.Makeseveryonerestless,maybebecause—well,inhisthoughtsanyway—everyoneisguilty.Abouttheonlywayistochargethelossofftosomebodyelse.ButifIsawsomeonedriftingtooclosetocertainshelves,Icouldforestalltheimpulsebysaying,"Thosecocktailonionsareabargain."