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e he； David； had lasted through the day and kept up after
the pace had destroyed him by noon。 So they probably were proud of him doing that。 But he had brought nothing useful to the hunt and they would have been far better off without him。 Many times during the day he had wished that he had never betrayed the elephant and in the afternoon he remembered wishing that he had never seen him。 Awake in the moonlight he knew that was not true。
All morning； writing； he had been trying to remember truly how he felt and what had happened on that day。 The hardest to make truly was how he had felt and keep it untinctured by how he had felt later。 The details of the country were sharp and clear as the morning until the foreshortening and prolongation of exhaustion and he had written that well。 But his feeling about the elephant had been the hardest part and he knew he would have to get away from it and then come back to it to be certain it was as it had been； not later； but on that day。 He knew the feeling had begun to form but he had been too exhausted to remember it exactly。
Still involved in this problem and living in the story he locked up his suitcase and came out of the room onto the Hagstones that led down to the terrace where Marita was sitting in a chair under one of the pines facing out toward the sea。 She was reading and as he was walking barefooted she did not hear him。 David looked at her and was pleased to see her。 Then he remembered the preposterous situation and turned into the hotel and walked to his and Catherine's own room。 She wasn't in the room and； still feeling Africa to be completely real and all of this where he was to be unreal and false； he went out on the terrace to speak to Marita。
〃Good morning；〃 he said。 〃Have you seen Catherine？〃
〃She went off somewhere；〃 the girl said。 〃She said to tell you she'd be back。〃
Suddenly it was not unreal at all。
〃You don't know where she went？〃
〃No；〃 the girl said。 〃She went off on her bike。〃
〃My God；〃 David said。 〃She hasn't ridden a bike since we bought the Bug。〃
〃That's what she said。 She's taking it up again。 Did you have a good morning？〃
〃I don't know。 I'll know tomorrow。〃
〃Are you eating breakfast？〃
〃I don't know。 It's late。〃
〃I wish you would。〃
〃I'll go in and get cleaned up；〃 he told her。
He had taken a shower and was shaving when Catherine came in。 She was wearing an old Grau du Roi shirt and short linen slacks chopped off below the knees and she was hot and her shirt was wet through。
〃It's wonderful；〃 she said。 〃But I'd forgotten what it does to your upper thighs when you climb。〃
〃Did you ride very far； Devil？〃
〃Six kilometers；〃 she said。 〃It was nothing but I'd forgotten about the c6tes。〃
〃It's awfully hot to ride now unless you go in the very early mornings；〃 David said。 〃I'm glad you started again though。〃
She was under the shower now and when she came out she said； 〃Now see how dark we are together。 We're just the way we planned。〃
〃You're darker。〃
〃Not much。 You're terribly dark too。 Look at us together。〃 They looked at each other standing touching in the long mirror on the door。
〃Oh you like us；〃 she said。 〃That's nice。 So do I。 Touch here and see。〃
She stood very straight and he put his hand on her breasts。
〃I'll put on one of my tight shirts so you can tell what I think
'74 '75
。 。
about things；〃 she said。 〃Isn't it funny our hair hasn't any color at all when it's wet？ It's pale as seaweed。〃
She took a comb and combed her hair straight back so it looked as though she had just come out of the sea。
〃I'm going to wear mine this way now again；〃 she said。 〃Like Grau du Roi and here in the spring。〃
〃I like it across your forehead。〃
〃I'm tired of that。 But I can do it if you like。 Do you think we could go into town and have breakfast at the cafe？〃
〃Haven't you had breakfast？〃
〃I wanted to wait for you。〃
〃All right；〃 he said。 〃Let's go in and get breakfast。 I'm hungry too。
They had a very good breakfast of cafe au lait； brioche and strawberry jam and oeufs au plat avec jambon and when they were finished Catherine asked； 〃Would you come over with me to Jean's？ It's the day I go to get my hair washed and I'm going to have it cut。〃
〃I'll wait here for you。〃
〃Wouldn't you please come？ You did it before and it wasn't bad for anybody。〃
〃No； Devil。 I did once but that was just once。 Like getting tattooed or something。 Don't ask me to。〃
〃It doesn't mean anything except to me。 I want us to be just the same。
〃We can't be the same。〃
〃Yes we could if you'd let us。
〃I really don't want to do it。〃
〃Not if I say it's all I want？〃
〃Why can't you want something that makes sense？〃
〃I do。 But I want us to be the same and you almost are and it wouldn't be any trouble to do。 The sea's done all the work。〃
〃Then let the sea do it。〃
〃I want it for today。〃
〃Then you'll be happy I suppose。
〃I'm happy now because you're going to do it and I'll stay happy。 You love how I look。 You know you do。 Think of it that way。
〃It's silly。〃
〃No it isn't。 Not when it's you and you do it to please me。〃
〃How badly will you feel if I don't？〃
〃I don't know。 But very。〃
〃All right；〃 he said。 〃It really means all that to you？〃
〃Yes；〃 she said。 〃Oh； thank you。 It won't take very long this time。 I told Jean we'd be there and he's staying open for us。〃
〃Are you always that confident I'll do things？〃
〃I knew you would if you knew how much I wanted it。〃
〃I wanted very much not to。 You shouldn't ask it。〃
〃You won't care。 It's nothing and afterwards it will be fun。 Don't worry about Marita。〃
〃What about her？〃
〃She said that if you wouldn't do it for me to ask you if you'd do it for her。〃
〃Don't make things up。〃
〃No。 She said it this morning。〃
〃I wish you could see yourself；〃 Catherine said。
〃I'm glad I can't。〃
〃I wish you'd looked in the glass。〃
〃I couldn't。〃
〃Just look at me。 That's how you are and I did it and there's nothing you can do now。 That's how you look。〃
〃We couldn't really have done that；〃 David said。 〃I couldn't look the way you do。〃
'Well； we did；〃 Catherine said。 〃And you do。 So you better start to like it。〃 xx
〃We can't have done that； Devil。〃
176 '77
。
〃Yes we did。 You knew it too。 You just wouldn't look。 And we re damned now。 I was and now you are。 Look at me and see how much you like it。〃
David looked at her eyes that he loved and at her dark face and the incredibly flat ivory color of her hair and at how happy she looked and he began to realize what a completely stupid thing he had permitted。
Chapter Twenty…two
HE DID NOT THINK that he could go on with the story that morning and for a long time he could not。 But he knew that he must and finally he had started and they were following the spoor of the elephant on an old elephant trail that was a hard packed worn road through the forest。 It looked as though elephants had travelled it ever since the lava had cooled from the mountain and the trees had first grown tall and close。 Juma was very confident and they moved fast。 Both his father and Juma seemed very sure of themselves and the going on the elephant road was so easy that Juma gave him the 。303 to carry as they went on through the broken light of the f