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           Ifhewatchedhercarefully,onedayhe’dgetlucky.

           Thesoundlesslaughquiveredinhim;fair,fat,fortyandflatulent.Whathadbroughtittohislipshedidn’tknow,exceptthatalongtimeagohisex-wifehadsaidittohim.ThefourF’s,describingthetypicalvictimofgallstones.Shehadbeenamartyrtothem,poorAnnelise,eventhoughshewasdark,skinny,fiftyandaswellcorkedasagenieinabottle.WhatamIthinkingofAnnelisefor,now?Mypatientcampaignofyearsturnedintoarout,andIcandonobetterthanpoorAnnelise.So,FräuleinJustineO’Neill!Weshallsee.

           Therewerelightsinthepalacewindows;hewouldgoupforafewminutes,talktoCardinalRalph,whowaslookingold.Notwell.Perhapsheoughttobepersuadedintoamedicalexamination.Rainerached,butnotforJustine;shewasyoung,therewastime.ForCardinalRalph,whohadseenhisownsonordained,andnotknownit.

           ***

           Itwasstillearly,sothehotelfoyerwascrowded.Shoeson,Justinecrossedquicklytothestairsandranupthem,headbent.Thenforsometimehertremblinghandscouldn’tfindtheroomkeyinherbagandshethoughtshewouldhavetogodownagain,bravethethrongaboutthedesk.Butitwasthere;shemusthavepassedherfingersoveritadozentimes.

           Insideatlast,shegropedherwaytothebed,satdownonitsedgeandletcoherentthoughtgraduallyreturn.