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r you call it covered with flies and scabs in Central Africa with your drunken father staggering around smelling of sour beer and not knowing which ones of the little horrors he had fathered。〃
〃There goes the ball game；〃 David said。
〃What did you say； David？〃 Marita said。
〃I said thank you very much for having lunch with me； David told her。
〃Why don't you thank her for the rest of it？〃 Catherine said。 〃She really must have done something impressive to make you sleep as though you were dead until the absolute end of the afternoon。 Thank her for that at least。〃
〃Thank you for going swimming；〃 David said to the girl。
〃Oh did you swim？〃 Catherine said。 〃I'm glad you swam。
〃We swam quite far；〃 Marita said。 〃And we had a very good lunch。 Did you have a good lunch； Catherine？〃
〃I think so；〃 Catherine said。 〃I don't remember。〃
〃Where were you？〃 Marita asked gently。
〃Saint Raphael；〃 Catherine said。 〃I remember stopping there but I can't remember about lunch。 I never notice when I eat by myself。 But I'm quite sure I did have lunch there。 I know I intended to。〃
〃Was it nice driving back？〃 Marita asked。 〃It was such a cool lovely afternoon。〃
〃I don't know；〃 Catherine said。 〃I didn't notice。 I was think ing about making the book and getting it started。 We have to get
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it started。 I don't know why David started to be difficult the moment I commenced to put a little order into it。 The whole thing has dragged along in such a haphazard way that I was suddenly ashamed of all of us。〃
〃Poor Catherine；〃 Marita said。 〃But now that you have it all planned you must feel better。〃
〃I do；〃 Catherine said。 〃I felt so happy when I came in。 I knew I'd made you happy and I'd accomplished something prac tical too and then David made me feel like an idiot or a leper。 I can't help it if I'm practical and sensible。〃
〃I know； Devil；〃 David said。 〃I just didn't want to get the work mixed up。〃
〃But it's you who mixed it up；〃 Catherine said。 〃Can't you see？ Jumping back and forth trying to write stories when all you had to do was keep on with the narrative that meant so much to all of us。 It was going so well too and we were just coming to the most exciting parts。 Someone has to show you that the stories are just your way of escaping your duty。〃
Marita looked at him again and he knew what she was trying to tell him and he said； 〃I have to go get cleaned up。 You tell Marita about it and I'll be back。〃
〃We have other things to talk about；〃 Catherine said。 〃I'm sorry I was rude about you and Marita。 I couldn't be happier about you really。〃
David took everything that had been said in with him to the bathroom where he had a shower and changed into a newly washed fisherman's sweater and slacks。 It was quite cool now in the evening and Marita was sitting at the bar looking at Vogue。
〃She's gone down to see about your room；〃 Marita said。
〃How is she？〃
〃How should I know； David？ She's a very great publisher now。 She's given up sex。 It doesn't interest her anymore。 It's childish really； she says。 She doesn't know how it could ever have meant anything to her。 But she may decide to have an affair
with another woman if she ever takes it up again。 There's quite a bit about another woman。
〃Christ I never thought it would go this way。〃
〃Don't；〃 Marita said。 〃No matter what or how it is I love you and you are going to write tomorrow。〃
Catherine came in and said； 〃You look wonderful together and I'm so proud。 I feel as though I'd invented you。 Was he good today； Marita？〃
〃We had a nice lunch；〃 Marita said。 〃Please be fair； Catherine。〃
〃Oh I know he's a satisfactory lover；〃 Catherine said。 〃He's always that。 That's just like his martinis or how he swims or skis or flew probably。 I never saw him with a plane。 Everyone says he was marvelous。 It's like acrobats really I suppose and just as dull。 I wasn't asking about that。〃
〃You were very good to let us spend a day together； Catherine；〃 Marita said。
〃You can spend the rest of your lives together；〃 Catherine said。 〃If you don't bore each other。 I have no further need of either of you。
David was watching her in the mirror and she looked calm； handsome and normal。 He could see Marita looking at her very sadly。
〃I do like to look at you though and I'd like to hear you talk if you'd ever open your mouths。〃
〃How do you do；〃 said David。
〃That was quite a good effort；〃 Catherine said。 〃I'm very well。〃
〃Have any new plans？〃 David asked。 He felt as though he were hailing a ship。
〃Only what I've told you；〃 Catherine went on。 〃They'll prob ably keep me quite busy。〃
〃What was all the guff about another woman？〃
He felt Marita kick him and he put his foot on hers to acknowledge。
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〃That's not guff；〃 Catherine said。 〃I want to have one more try to see if I've missed anything。 I might have。〃
〃All of us are fallible；〃 David said and Marita kicked him again。
〃I want to see；〃 Catherine said。 〃I know enough about that now so I should be able to tell。 Don't worry about your dark girl。 She's not my type at all。 She's yours。 She's what you like and very nice it is but not for me。 I'm not attracted to the gamin type。〃
〃Perhaps I am a gamin；〃 Marita said。
〃That's a very polite word for that part。〃
〃But I'm also more of a woman than you are Catherine。〃
〃Go ahead and show David what sort of gamin you are。 He'd like it。
〃He knows what sort of woman I am。
〃That's splendid；〃 Catherine said。 〃I'm glad you both found your tongues finally。 I do prefer conversation。
〃You aren't really a woman at all；〃 Marita said。
〃I know it；〃 Catherine said。 〃I've tried to explain it to David often enough。 Isn't that true； David？〃
David looked at her and said nothing。
〃Didn't I？〃
〃Yes；〃 he said。
〃I did try and I broke myself in pieces in Madrid to be a girl and all it did was break me in pieces；〃 Catherine said。 〃Now all I am is through。 You're a girl and a boy both and you really are。 You don't have to change and it doesn't kill you and I'm not。 And now I'm nothing。 All I wanted was for David and you to be happy。 Everything else I invent。〃
Marita said； 〃I know it and I try to tell David。〃
〃I know you do。 But you don't have to be loyal to me or to anything。 Don't do it。 Nobody would anyway and you probably aren't really。 But I tell you not to be。 I want you to be happy and make him happy。 You can too and I can't and I know it。〃
〃You're the finest girl there is；〃 Marita said。
〃I'm not。 I'm finished before I ever started。〃
〃No。 I'm the one；〃 Marita said。 〃I was stupid and awful。〃
〃You weren't stupid。 Everything you said was true。 Let's stop talking and be friends。 Can we？〃
〃Can we please？〃 Marita asked her。
〃I want to；〃 Catherine said。 〃And not be such a tragic bully。 Please take your time about the book； David。 You know all I want is for you to write the best you can。 That's what we started with。 I'm over it now whatever this one was。
〃You were just tired；〃 David said。 〃I don't think you ate any lunch either。〃
〃Probably not；〃 Catherine said。 〃But I may have。 Can we forget it all now though and just be friends？〃
So they were friends； whatever friends are； David thought； an