Чужак в чужой стране

           Theretreathadactuallybeen"Hank’sGrill"ina"nowhere"town,withJillasawaitressandMikeasdishwasher.Itwasnoworsethanbeinganurseandmuchlessdemanding–andherfeetnolongerhurt.Mikehadaremarkablyquickwayofcleaningdishes,althoughhehadtobecarefulnottouseitwhenthebosswaswatching.Theykeptthatjobaweek,thenmovedon,sometimesworking,sometimesnot.Theyvisitedpubliclibrariesalmostdaily,onceMikefoundoutaboutthem–JillhaddiscoveredthatMikehadtakenforgrantedthatJubal’slibrarycontainedacopyofeverybookonEarth.Whenhelearnedthemarveloustruth,theyhadremainedinAkronnearlyamonth.Jilldidquitealotofshoppingthatmonth,asMikewithabookwasalmostnocompanyatall.

           ButBaxter’sCombinedShowsandRiotofFunforAlltheFamilyhadbeenthenicestpartoftheirmeanderingtrip.Jillrecalledwithaninnergigglethetimein–whattown?–nomatter-whentheentireposingshowhadbeenpinched.Itwasn’tfair,evenbychumps’standards,sincethatconcessionalwaysworkedunderpreciseprearrangement:brasornobras;bluelightsorbrightlights;whateverthetoptownclownordained.Neverthelessthesheriffhadhauledtheminandthelocaljusticeofthepeacehadseemeddisposednotonlytofinebuttojailthegirlsas"vagrants."

           Thelothadcloseddownandmostofthecarnieshadgonetothehearing,alongwithinnumerablechumpsslaveringtocatchsightof"shamelesswomen"gettingtheircome-uppance.