Коллекционер

           PiersisalwaysgoingonabouthowhehatedStowe.Asifthatsolveseverything,asiftohatesomethingmeansitcan’thaveaffectedyou.Ialwaysknowwhenhedoesn’tunderstandsomething.Hegetscynical,hesayssomethingshocking.

           WhenItoldG.P.aboutitmuchlater,hejustsaid,poorfrog,hewasprobablyonhiskneesprayingtoforgetyou.

           WatchingPiersthrowstonesouttosea—wherewasit?—somewherenearValencia.Sobeautiful,likeayounggod,allgolden-brown,withhisdarkhair.Hisswimming-slip.AndMinnysaid(shewaslyingbesideme,oh,it’ssoclear)shesaid,wouldn’titbewonderfulifPierswasdumb.

           Andthenshesaid,couldyougotobedwithhim?

           Isaid,no.Then,Idon’tknow.

           Pierscameupthenandwantedtoknowwhatshewassmilingabout.

           Nanda’sjusttoldmeasecret,shesaid.Aboutyou.

           PiersmadesomefeeblejokeandwentofftogetthelunchfromthecarwithPeter.

           What’sthesecret,Iwantedtoknow.

           Bodiesbeatminds,shesaid.

           CleverCarmenGreyalwaysknowswhattosay.

           Iknewyou’dsaythat,shesaid.ShewasdoodlinginthesandandIwasonmytummywatchingher.Shesaid,whatImeanishe’ssoterriblygood-looking,onecouldforgethe’ssostupid.Youmightthink,Icouldmarryhimandteachhim.Couldn’tyou?Andyouknowyoucouldn’t.Oryoucouldgotobedwithhimjustforfunandonedayyou’dsuddenlyfindyouwereinlovewithhisbodyandyoucouldn’tlivewithoutitandyou’dbestuckwithhisrottenmindforeverandever.