2.

  This matter of the suits was ridiculous indeed; I perfectly realized of it, but to go around naked embarrassed me. Even if there was not big that to see. My body was stumpy and deprived of bulges as that of the robots umanoidi that is present in the houses of the rich ones to do the cleanings and to manage the domestic matters. I believe that if I had dismesso the suits I would be passed more unnoticed: nobody had ever seen a dressed robot. I don't know from where that attack of modesty came, I/you/they have reasonably been always uninhibited with my body. Perhaps it was for the thin structure: I had braccia and pylon legs, cave but resistant and very light, a great deal different from the aspect of a human limb. The torso was strong and flexible, strengthened by costolature in steel strengthened that they appeared on the surface under my leathery skin; once I had tried to cut me with a good knife: the blade was splintered and I had had to throw him/it.

  I buttoned me with attention the only good jacket that stayed me, and I started me for the roads of New Sealon, encumbers of people.

  To walk was me difficult. You/he/she would not have had to be him/it: of all the functions that I succeeded in completing with my body, that of the deambulazione was one of the simplest. In theory. According to doctor Berliz there was something of anything else other than it didn't go, and it had few to whether to do with my legs.

  Sceptic, I insisted to pesticciare the pavement with my big feet, halfhearted and trembling. I seemed a dressed sloth and put on. People passed nearby me uninhibited: you/he/she probably exchanged me for an automaton from rich eccentric, of those that serve the coffee or they clean the garden with pretentious air and aristocrat, only that I walked worse a great deal.

  The ugly one is that I encumbered: big and awkward as I was, many hesitated to overcome me on the sidewalk. More than one, especially people of age, often me him accodavano hoping that I diverted in some crossroad. Muttering of reproval were not saved. It was embarrassing. I had tried to convince Berliz to give me a mean of transport, but the physician camped thousand excuses.

  «It walks among the people, Angel» it always said. «It is the thing most natural of the world.»

  I reached the area of search of the university that brought my name afoot. Angel was written on many indicative poster. I overcame the gardens and I crossed the old one that for a long time he/she took care; it held a cut rose and you/he/she was sniffing her/it pleased, a gesture that for me by now it didn't have some meaning.

  I could use my hands for the touch, the sight it was a recent conquest. The hearing I had almost immediately had him; memory when they implemented him/it to me, after months of sensory silence. I would have liked to cry. But of the taste and the sense of smell he/she didn't speak. In remuneration I had a beautiful baritone voice with endless possibilities of modulation.

  I greeted the gardener with envy and him it reciprocated smiling me. It was always kind. I directly entered the laboratory. Oddly nobody was seen; there was a twig of donnina that was washing for earth, you/he/she had just given me a glance, and from her I didn't have more. I slowly drew near me not to frighten her/it. It seemed so vulnerability, with his/her quattr'ossas, that seemed me to hurt only her looking at her/it. I was about to ask her something when Vladi entered, an emotional young fellow with two round guanciottes always redheads. It was never firm, it got excited among the benches of the laboratory as a ferret. He/she worked with me, and on me. I would not have known how to exactly say what its competences were, I knew about him that it was a trainee and you/he/she had studied under the supervision of the doctor Of the. Which meant that owed to be smart. When he/she saw me a transient glance it struck me.

  «Mr. Angel» he/she greeted; it rummaged in to drawer to the search of The don'ts know what. «You/he/she has found by chance me.»

  «He doesn't work, today?» I asked.

  It was the third consecutive afternoon that if they picked her/it up comfortable all how much, to the laboratory. The two preceding days the doors were really closed and to the telephone nobody responded.

  «No, I regret» it told Vladi evident embarrassment. «I had prepared some tests but the doctor Of the you/he/she has told me that you/they could be useless.»

  It was the first time that I felt a thing of the kind from Vladi: they usually submitted me to the most absurd experiments with sum anticipation.

  «What is happening?» I slowly said, putting me in front of the boy. «Where Berliz is?»

  Vladi inflated the cheeks and blushed a little. It seemed on the thorns. Then smanacciò for air, as if it was not able more than to sustain the tension of it.

  «Well» it said. «So much would have known him however: it seems that they cut us the funds.»

  «Thing?» I did me incredulous.

  «Already» it said Vladi; angry, now. «That stupid. Months and months of job thrown away. I will have to restart another zero search for the doctorate.»

  He/she spoke of his/her job on me: it was what you/they threw away. And therefore they threw away me. Without someone that hocked him to improve my body I would have remained I deprive of all: maintenance, assistance, energy. In a word: life. A certain type of life, certain, but it was all of this thanks to which had remained in small part human. A grandfather. A dad.

  I had never shown to appreciate this delicate gift, I know him/it, even if I did the possible one to make the life family more serene possible.

  They now removed from me him, that gift; above all they removed him/it from Daylight and his/her children.

  «You are sure?» I asked, staring at Vladi with the maximum attention.

  «No. I want to say. doctor Berliz has been pleading our causes for to few days, by now.»

  «Also today?»

  «Yes. It is to a reunion of the financiers. With me he doesn't unbutton, but it doesn't seem optimist.»

  «Because you/he/she has not told me him? I could go with him.»

  Shook Vladi the head.

  «You are too involved. Those want only results. Numbers.»

  «Resulted?» I did me in a sudden motion of aversion. «You/he/she has been done here an unbelievable job, from all of you.»

  «Doesn't tell him/it me» it said Vladi, kind. «But I don't have idea of as you think of her/it that people. They have the mind of the bureaucrat and the spirit of the bookkeeper.»

  «Where you/they are?» I asked definite.

  I would not have allowed their to disconnect me the plug without saying mine. It was my life curse. I was afraid. A feeling that I had not tried for a lot of time.

  «I don't think both a good idea» Vladi responded.

  «Where?»

  The youth appeared annoyed. When I appropriated his shoulder tightening the fingers it passed from the bother to the panic. I would never have hurt him, it had to know him/it: yet me said an address, wriggled him and escaped from the door. The donnina cast me another glance, with evident disapproval. I was amazed of myself for some instant, then I also went out me. I would have gone to that reunion, it was not far.

  I bathed me in the by you go early-morning without liking: the sidewalk was full of people, but nobody took care of him of me. I didn't exactly know whether to do: nobody would have given me a passage, so much less I could call a taxi. I had to go for three isolated afoot.

  I began to walk with the most greater possible appointment, but when I lowered the look I saw that the legs stantuffavano noisily against the pavement, in vertical: a snail was faster than me.

  I remembered the words of Vladi.

  «Round» it said during my exercises. «The movement has to be round and full. Relaxed, your legs are rigid as fireplaces of heater. Be creative.»

  Creative. Certain. They were months that I tried to decently walk, I could not resolve the problem in two minutes. "Of accord" I told me," variations on the theme."

  I started to rub the feet for earth.

  «There am a lot of white uniform to stretch. Strength, irons from I stretc
h» I mumbled.

  It worked. I brought the right one in before, slightly screeching on the sidewalk: I stretched the wrinkles of a spread out suit for earth. I passed to the left one. Then to the right one again. I went slow as before, in reality, but at least now the feet they showed the gasp to the horizontal motion. Some passer-bys around me studying me the sole to understand the utility of the operation.

  I stayed me a second: it seemed me to sweat. No, I had to combine the two things: my fool walk in vertical and rubs her/it in horizontal. I had to stretch the white uniform lifting the knees. I focused me and I started to do him/it: I didn't race, obviously, but I the foot in oblique and I moved in before the weight of the body, I leaned the foot on a collar and I lifted the other to go to smooth a cuff. I walked faster, now, but I was not systematic: every footstep was brought in different way, so I advanced to jolts in precarious equilibrium. The passer-bys now fixed decidedly me had a good time.

  «Strange automaton» it said an oldie.

  «Dev'essere an old model» it said his wife.

  They were behind of me, they slowly advanced, leaning both the weight on his/her own baton. I tried to get further my way me of it, but those reached me and they beat me on the legs with the batons.

  «Get away of I return, boy» it said the old one.

  I became infuriated me with myself. I accelerated. The method was the same, but I now walked (few) quicker. The legs darted me in inefficient way here and there, a man would be gotten tired in two minutes. I strove me to rotate her as connecting rods: I left back the two oldies and runs the journey inveighing against my deficiencies. People looked me at anchor, distracted and some surprise: I staggered, in effects, and I had a trajectory everything anything else other than to regulate, but I proceeded from now on however.

  He/she wanted of it: I counted the minutes with impatience doing how much I was able. I finally stayed me. I had been slow, but I had employed less time of the expectation. I was really in front of the building of the reunion. I hoped not to have arrived you delay. I entered. To the entry there was no anybody, so I went to observe the synoptical panel against the wall; there were the indications to reach the offices and the room reunions that it interested me: it was to the fifth and last floor. There witnessed an elevator me: I went to the door, but a yellow strip blocked her/it and a poster with on writing" off duty" it dangled from the handle.

  One didn't go: well I had to climb ten ramps of staircases afoot.

  I forked the first one determined: I had to walk tilted now, not in plain. The attempt of approach almost made me fall: tells some soccers the first steps, then I lost the balance and I grabbed me to the handrail. Luckily it was strong.

  I studied the situation, then I made another attempt. I bent the bust in before lifting more the knees. It was all right: I still bumped the steps, but I was standing without difficulty. Behind of I left a beautiful po' of stairs sbreccati.

  «Anybody» I murmured. «Badly.»

  The staircases were clear of, I could freely move without worrying me about soul long live. I felt some noise under the ramps but whoever pits he/she didn't mind me.

  When I arrived in top, I would have liked to lay down me. I was not tired, obviously I could not be him/it, but I felt that I would have owed. I looked for the room where Berliz was.

  It was easy, after all in the corridor there was a thick wood door disclosed and a big writing above the door that said, for the note," Room Reunions."

  I set out me toward the door, remembering that I moved again now me in plain. I spun benino. I didn't see people from any part, the offices that I overcame they always showed empty chairs. I heard a couple of times a child call his/her mother, but the voice originated from a closed room and I could not listen to answer. The child still called; I ignored her/it, I had reached destination.

  I opened wide the door and I peered at inside. The room was great and square, well furnished and comforting. It is empty.

  «Late» mugugnai.

  I had been too much slow. I didn't know the time, but if the building were almost empty, it had to be late indeed. The reunion was closed without me. I entered, even if it was useless. I looked at the great mahogany table and the numerous left chairs some in disorder. On the table there were some sheets with some confused doodles. It was a habit that I had also had me, when I was complete man: a way as another to kill the boredom of certain meetings of job.

  «Mr.?.»

  The voice, Argentinian, originated from my shoulders.

  I turned me: the child of first you/he/she had entered the room and it looked me with apprehension. I understood her, he/she didn't know whether to manage me. It was nice, but not so small as I had believed. It had to have eleven or twelve years, with a beautiful suit to flowers and the picked blonde hair in a long tail of horse.

  I crouched me with precision, not without effort, next to her.

  «Tell me, dear» I exhorted. The ragazzines of that age have always aroused me a strong fatherly instinct. «I can do something for you?»

  The child tightened a few the eyes, as to understand what ditches; I had spoken to her some from dad and her you/he/she had other urgencies, so you/he/she cataloged me as human and you/he/she allowed to lose my strange aspect.

  «His/her mother» it said. «I look for her from some but I don't find her/it. You/he/she has told me to wait for her/it, but so much time has passed.»

  The ring of the telephone interrupted her/it; there were two telephones on the table, for the truth, and both rang. From the door I heard that also the telephones of the near offices had started playing, everybody together, each with its particular trill. They kept on ringing for some instant; I hesitated, but the instruments refused to hiss him. The strangeness of the thing induced me to answer.

  «Yes?» I cautiously said.

  «What devil us ago her there?» it told a gruff voice the cornet.

  «Thing?»

  «The building had to be evacuates from a piece» it said the other. «It is the police. Goes from there. Immediately.»

  «Thing?» I repeated.

  «Goes out of the building. Doesn't he/she see that there is not more anybody? The foundations of the building are mined. Terrorist Globalisti. Devices too much complexes and little time to eliminate them. Goes of there of run. According to the timers it has only five minutes.»

  The police officer brusquely removed the communication.

  The terrorism globalista was a true sore, lately; you/he/she had already struck various zones of the city, often involving the defenseless population. I felt the ragazzina that went out invoking his/her mother. I remained a stunned instant with the telephone among the hands. I heard the scalpiccìo of the baby on the staircase, a thud and then a weeping I hijack. I recovered me. I leaned the telephone and I went out of the room most rapid that was able.

  Damn my legs. Lanky as not I ever reached the ramp and I looked down: the ragazzina was fallen from the staircases and lay on the first landing an ankle holding himself/herself/itself with the hands. You complained of ugly. A pair of unexpected parolacces ploughed the air.

  «You have made evil?» I shouted, some too strongly for a human being.

  The cry boomed strong for the trumpet of the staircases reaching the low plans. The child shelled the eyes, but immediately resumptions to complain about himself/herself/themselves. He/she didn't answer me. I gone down that steps that separated me from her with great attention: I went to descent, I now had to move back the bust to the, and to hold up me to the parapet. I immediately reached not badly her.

  «How it goes, small?» I asked.

  «The ankle» it said her breathing strong. «A false footstep.»

  You held the right ankle with both the hands, the lips assumed to a grimace of pain.

  «We immediately have here to go out from» I said me.

  «Because?» it did her.

  It looked me in face, as if you/he/she could read something from my u
nchangeable features.

  «We look for your mother. You/he/she is gone out of the building with all the others» I cut short.

  Beautiful mother, to leave alone his/her daughter under those conditions. But, perhaps it was guilt of the police,: you/he/she had held back his/her mother and you/he/she was forgotten to recover the small one. However pits, someone a rebuke deserved him with the bows.

  «How you call yourself?» I asked.

  I handed my arm to make to lift the ragazzina.

  «Sonia» it said her.

  It grabbed my hand and it tried to throw him on; he/she didn't succeed in supporting the right foot.

  «Angel. Let's hurry us. Your mother will be worried.»

  Shook Sonia the head with neutral expression.

  «Oh no, it is never it. It always says that I know how to get by her/it.»

  «Uhm.» mugugnai, without adding other.

  A lot of time didn't stay us. If we had indeed five minutes, we would have had to cross every ramp of staircases in less than thirty seconds. A great deal less, if I counted the necessary time to overcome the porch, to go out in the street and to bring us to safety distance. With Sonia under those conditions we could not make her/it. If the building had collapsed, she would be dead of sure and I would have followed her with every probability: my body is resistant, of accord but not so much to be sustained impunemente the pressure of some iron ton and cement.

  Perhaps however be lives to sufficiency to see the body of the ragazzina torn to pieces close to me.

  The only thought was unbearable. And terribly frustrating.

  The anger climbed on me, fierce and wild, sweeping away the panic: I didn't accept the situation, it was impossible that this happened. Sonia could be it gives birth me or nephew. My indefatigable tutelar spirit exploded in all of his/her fury. The braccias trembled me for the fury: I/you/they have never been a violent, but if I/you had had under hand the person responsible of everything this, I would have reduced him to minutaglia. Terrorists: dregs.

  «You make her/it to climb me above?» I asked to Sonia.

  I had to check my voice to show I calm down me. It was not easy, for a long time by now my emotional state it had the tendency to be reflected himself/herself/themselves on my external demonstrations. It was as if there pits an impalpable connection among my human ego and the heap of ferraglia that I was.

  «How?» it said Sonia.

  «It grabs my arm with everybody and two the hands. Well, so.»

  Sonia tightened strong and I lifted the arm above the head; the ragazzina got up with him. I handed the other arm and with a minimum of modesty I used the forearm, not the hand, to lean and to force on the gluteis of the small one lifting me her above the shoulders. I remembered as it was Daylight to that age: up to a few years before you/he/she had always been stuck to dad, also physically and without shame, but then you/he/she had started to defend the intimacy of his/her teen-ager body in very tender way.

  I grabbed the ragazzina for the sides and I completed the movement leaning her/it on my shoulders: is sat on me, the naked gambettes now, hung rhythmically beating the heels on my breast.

  I began to walk. The wrist of Sonia was to the height of my visual sensors: there was a beautiful clock from the rosy box, but I refused me to look at him/it; I knew that the time raced, you/he/she would not have served me to nothing to make backwards the calculation.

  It was everything difficult: there was the ragazzina perched on me, apparently calm, and I had to proceed fast with an unexpected load.

  A rhythm dictates me. One footstep at a time I began to go down the second ramp. I became me account that didn't go, there was something of held in me, something that prevented me from moving my metallic bier as I wanted.

  «Thing there is?» he/she asked Sonia.

  Also she had noticed him. I was slow. Lost slightly the equilibrium, because Sonia, in the desire of a more expeditious incedere, you/he/she was stuck out in before. To avoid to fall I the leg more than the usual one: I jumped a step, concerned on the following one with a small thud.

  Was a revelation: perdindirindonzolina, walk was an incessant to fall in before!

  I taken back the control and I slightly bent the bust advancing the baricentro; I lengthened the other leg to arrest the fall and the foot it struck the following step in the wrong point, near the projection of the kick. The marble him sbreccò of ugly and the foot fell later on the stair. But we were to the sure one: even if I didn't have sensibility in the inferior limbs, the perception of stability departed from the sole and reached as my brain according to a real unfathomable channel. Perhaps they were the vibrations or I perhaps had some sensors of which nobody had ever spoken to me: you/they had always been all very reticent ones on my hardware.

  I launched me in ahead to fall again, then I stopped the inexorable tumble with the other leg.

  Yes, to walk was a continuous action of courage.

  «It is all right» it said Sonia, with the frowning forehead from the concentration.

  It participated in my appointment. I was comforted me.

  I had wasted second jewels, however.

  «Eh!. Eh!.» I exclaimed, imposing me a lilt.

  To every phoneme I lifted a zampone and I proceeded from now on.

  «Eh!. Eh!. Eh!.» it made Sonia together with me, snickering for the absurdity of the scene.

  I didn't allow her to distract me. I increased the concentration and I tried to give more harmony to the movement.

  I kept silent, now it was Sonia that gave me the rhythm, constant and prompt.

  As if he/she knew that there was no time to lose, but in reality with the impatience typical of the boys, began to increase the volume and the frequency of his/her cries; it so gradually did him/it that almost I didn't hasten of it: it was to the fourth ramp that realized to spin no evil. I didn't race, but I almost walked as a normal person. Any problem of equilibrium. Sometimes Sonia me of side because it accompanied the incitement happy sbracciando, but by now the equilibrium it was not a problem. I knew whether to do. I accepted to fall and then I resolved the thing recovering with the motion.

  «You go. you go. you go.» it said the ragazzina, fast.

  I went her behind work but I held hard.

  This other ramp, more fifty-fifty run, was grinding her/it to duty. We would perhaps have succeeded.

  «You/he/she is being all right» I told tall voice, unintentionally.

  «Silent and it pedals» it said Sonia. «You go. you go. you go.»

  I kept silent, surprised: you/he/she had used a tone that I would not be me expected, it seemed the typical one curried of Daylight.

  "Here is another that commands me" I thought discouraged.

  The mottos a glance of sbieco: it had a frowning expression, as if he suddenly realized that there was something of main point in game. It didn't seem as childish.

  I returned to listen to his/her voice. It howled strong, now, infusing me a sense of urgency that brought me to expedite the footstep.

  I didn't hold me more to the handrail, I didn't need it.

  Sonia struck me the breast with the calcagnis to the rhythm of his/her vocal spur. I felt that all participated in the descent, my body and Sonia, the sounds that boomed around, the small openings of sun that filtered from the windows and that they gave light to the landings. I learned to earn some instant slightly skidding to the changes of direction; I slightly slipped arousing the anxieties of the girl, that it held back the breath and it was held well seized. It was not wrong: if I were fallen with her on the shoulders, you/he/she would harshly have suffered the consequences of it. Sonia didn't say anything, however, and it kept on inciting me.

  It was an unreal atmosphere. It didn't seem we ran away for the life, that seemed me a simple job, a job that I had to complete and enough, without other tones.

  I don't remember when Sonia stopped shouting. In effects, not us n'era more need, expeditiously walked and
with a certain safety. A frightened man would have known better how to do of, but I was also getting by me. The last ramps were not a problem: I refused me to consider only also the possibility that was too late, I was so intent to deambulare that I had almost forgotten the emergency.

  When I reached the atrium, I felt the sigh of relief of the girl: I was so determined that I reached the front door of entry of impetus and I opened wide too much it some, deforming him/it against the walls perimetrali of the building, even if it was big and heavy. A glass cracked him and the handle remained me in hand; to the devil, it was about to come down everything, that damage was not some one problem. We went out to the sun of the late forenoon. I lengthened the footstep to estrange me from the building and I almost finished our escape corricchiando.

  I looked around me with a good dose of dismay: I would be me expected a cord of police officers, roads clear of and curious waiting for the inevitable one. There was instead the normal city traffic and the anda and it recalls some pedestrians on the sidewalks. Many grazed the building of which we were gone out without any worry. He/she was not even seen around a police officer. I stayed me against a ladylike building, to safety distance.

  «You can make Angel go down me» it said Sonia.

  I opened the braccias with which I had shut then unconsciously his/her legs until; Sonia made an agile manoeuvre and fell to the ground as a rubber band. It built with a feline release without showing some physical problem. I was without words.

  «You have been in gambissima» it said Sonia.

  It had a very serious tone, it looked me without smiling. I stared at her, aware that there was something that escaped me.

  «Sonia is right. My goodness!» it told a voice my shoulders. I turned me: it was Vladi, and there was doctor Berliz close to him that it fixed me radiant. The world quietly continued around its matters; notaries different people that entered the building in procinto of collapse, calms and measured, to continue as always their work day. I imagined the offices that were repopulated.

  «Nothing explosive» concluded.

  «Nothing explosive» it confirmed Berliz.

  They fixed me all and three gratified and I was pleased not to be able to express my emotions with the features of the face.

  «We owe you some excuses» it said the physician blushing.

  «You have organized well her» I said me.

  I didn't know about thing yet he/she spoke, but it was obvious that the matter was very different from that that I believed.

  «Yes» it admitted Berliz. «I regret it. You had to be under pressure to learn to walk. You didn't have the correct mental attitude. Some is cost there, to make to clear away that building.»

  I thought about all that steps ruined by my simplicity: I hoped it dealt with expensive Italian marble.

  I stared at Berliz with acridity: for that mass in scene I would have liked to divide him/it in sottomultipli of whole, and certain you/he/she would have been a great deal me easy. The physician realized my thought and dragged the feet as to make sketches on the sand.

  He/she wore, as always, a pair of antediluvian occhialinis that gave him the mole aspect; if he/she put on them and ricalzava on the nose, in an usual nervous tic, of which you/he/she at that time was decidedly misusing. The thin nose, with the hairy naris and rotundas, it was the particular one of his/her face that he/she remained more engraved: a perfect arc of curve as a beak of owl.

  Its look was usually forehand and indagatorio, from true psychiatrist, but now it was not able to sustain mine; I was turned toward of him with the whole body, stretched out from now on without almost realizing me of it, debated between a deaf anger and the joy for my progress: you/they had lowly used me, even if with good intentions, both them and mine. You/he/she had to certainly have been us another way, this it made me feel abundantly imbecile. But. The walkeds, my goodness! I raced even. How could I want to that people of it, if I now had this? Could walk as a man!

  Beh. almost. But I was not in balìa of some scorbutic oldie anymore. And I could go for a walk for the city with Daylight and his/her children without doubly feeling me handicapped.

  «Mr. Angel» it said Vladi placing side by side himself/herself/itself to the ragazzina. «I introduce her my sister Sonia.»

  Sonia struck me a smile furbetto. I turned the capoccione in his/her direction.

  «You have done a good job» I commented, looking at her/it.

  You didn't show some embarrassment.

  «Thanks» it said. «But not enough. I am dead under the rubbles.»

  It pointed out the clock that had to the wrist: you/he/she had watched my times, probably the five minutes were overdue before we went out of the mined building.

  «What a pity» I observed.

  I made her a caress, aware that among us she was the only one to have risked indeed something: I could fall and to drag her/it with me, on those staircases, I could leave her/it to me to slip from above the shoulders. to lot of serious accidents came to mind that you/they would not have caused damages me, but from which she would be gone out battered. I looked at Berliz and Vladi with a critical look, for this, but naturally they was not able of recepirlo.

  We remained in silence for some second.

  They wanted to let the thing digest me, but I didn't need to reflect us big that.

  «It is well» I said. «But that I/you/he/she am the last time that you make me a joke of the kind. Gimmicks other systems or I will remember to have two iron braccias.»

  Doctor Berliz sketched a pale smile and the hand handed me. I slightly tightened her/it to him strong. The smile of Berliz disappeared as you/he/she had come.

  «We agree» it said with solemnity.

  It was a pact which you/he/she would not have missed.

  To the borders of my field visual notaries that Sonia sgomitava Vladi to the mouth of the stomach. His/her brother, reluctant, it extracted the portfolio and a lock of banknotes handed her.

  Sonia pocketed her without offering word.

  Beh, this is really a mercenary world.