tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50940052576016995152024-03-27T16:14:07.794-07:00Frenchfeeder's LibraryUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5094005257601699515.post-45947435815761430632024-02-20T03:08:00.000-08:002024-02-20T03:08:32.172-08:00Welcome / Bienvenue !<p> </p><p><br /></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> If you are looking for gainer fictions with some story line, character development, fun and sometimes a few evocative illustrations, you've come to the right place! </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Here is the list and short description of the stories in </span><i style="font-family: verdana;">English</i><span style="font-family: verdana;"> (see Disclaimer section below). </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">- <i>The Augustine Murders</i> : A murder mystery series and gainer / feeder sitcom in seven seasons (with seven episodes per season) where a journalist comes to a strange preparatory school for wayward boys, set in the fictional town of Biberton, after one of their students is found dead and possibly murdered in his closed bedroom (</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">with illustrations, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>on-going project...</i>)</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">- <i>A Giant's Cook</i> : Set in some gainer / feeder Heroic-Fantasy world, an epic story in nine parts where four Cities of Power feel threatened by the presence of a giant in the land, and send a clever thief from his prison cell to meet the oversized blonde beast and feed him so they make him grow enormously fat and unable to move so he is "under control" (with illustrations, posted from 2011 to 2013) ;</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">- <i>A Bittersweet Symphony</i> : A story in four parts, where a model with an attitude gets an unusual job that requires the services of a professional feeder</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">(posted in february 2016) ;</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">- <i>Pie, Spy</i> : A detective story in four parts (with a prologue and epilogue) where a private investigator is hired by the founder of a pie factory, when his grandson is gone missing (posted in september 2013).</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">- <i>Full moon in the woods</i> : A story in three parts, set in Northern Japan, where a young man lost in the forest finds refuge in a modest mountain cabin with two rather "wild" and bearish young men (part 1 posted in december 2023, part 2 in february 2024).</span></div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><div style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">■ ■ ■</span></b></div><div><div class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Pour les lecteurs français : Si vous cherchez des histoires de gainers, de feeders, d'ours et de beaux garçons qui engraissent, vous avez frappé à la bonne porte ou cliqué sur le bon lien !</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Voici la liste des histoires <i>en Français</i>, avec un résumé rapide.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">- <i>Les Jumeaux</i> : Traduit et adapté d'une histoire en anglais, où deux cuisiniers se lancent un défi pour savoir qui est le meilleur... en se proposant de nourrir deux frères jumeaux pour voir lequel prendra le plus de poids </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">(posté en janvier 2017) ;</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">- <i>Des perles aux cochons</i> : Une histoire en trois parties, à la campagne, où un jeune homme poursuivi par son passé trouble trouve refuge dans une ferme, auprès d'un éleveur de cochons </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">(posté de 2018 à 2022) ;</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">- <i>Hassan & les deux ogresses</i> : Librement adapté d'un conte kabyle, une histoire en deux parties où un jeune garçon d'Afrique de l'Ouest se trouve capturé par une sorcière et sa fille, qui veulent en faire leur futur festin (posté en août 2022, avec des illustrations en couleur) ;</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">- <i>La pleine lune dans les bois</i> : Une histoire en trois parties, dans une ambiance de manga japonais, où un jeune homme trouve refuge chez deux beaux garçons un peu "sauvages" dans une petite maison, dans la montagne </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">(posté en 2023</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">, avec des illustrations en couleur</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">).</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">■ ■ ■</span></b></div><div><div class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b style="text-align: left;"><br /></b></div><div class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b style="text-align: left;">Disclaimer</b></div></div></div></span></div><div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> All the stories in this Library are works of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locations and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> These stories are intended for adult readers and contain evocative or graphic descriptions of sexual activities of </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">heterosexual or </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">homosexual nature, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">between consenting adults</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">. They also contain scenes of massive or challenging overeating and feederism, consensual or non consensual. If you are a minor, it is illegal for you to read such stories. If you find the subject objectionable, then read no further.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> All the characters, events and opinions expressed in the story are the product of the author's imagination.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Some sexual practices are depicted, which may be considered unsafe. Storytelling means fantasy, not reality. In real life, stay safe, take precautions and enjoy your life.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> All standard disclaimers apply about the author retaining all rights to this work.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Thank you for your understanding.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Frenchfeeder</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5094005257601699515.post-46483970636704649442024-02-20T03:06:00.000-08:002024-02-20T03:07:32.976-08:00Full moon in the woods (second part)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p align="center" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQbDt6AXfp2236CuzvqkQ9qO2GNihw8suNyFHg-I4tAw-SOi_nDUEV1mZjnU8gHsfBYo6IWtY4oF_UI14URcA65MQg8MoJ_OZEPwjHUNXE-gGaeylTj6dcgGYBhFcuwpS_rwvQr33X9UnipF6TckG0koR3J77lvcj_Xfx84s_51ANPfUkg9hhpBnxNNVoV/s400/Title.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="303" data-original-width="400" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQbDt6AXfp2236CuzvqkQ9qO2GNihw8suNyFHg-I4tAw-SOi_nDUEV1mZjnU8gHsfBYo6IWtY4oF_UI14URcA65MQg8MoJ_OZEPwjHUNXE-gGaeylTj6dcgGYBhFcuwpS_rwvQr33X9UnipF6TckG0koR3J77lvcj_Xfx84s_51ANPfUkg9hhpBnxNNVoV/w400-h303/Title.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p align="justify" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><br /></span></p><div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><b>II. </b></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span><span lang="zh-CN"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>秋</b></span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">[Autumn]</span></span></div><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> “<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">L'âme
du loup pleure dans cette voix</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> qui
monte avec le soleil qui décline</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> d'une
agonie on veut croire câline</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> et
qui ravit et qui navre à la fois...”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> ("The
wolf’s soul weeps in that voice,</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> rising
as the sun sets down</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> in
an agony one would call cuddly,</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> both
delightful and saddening...")</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="text-align: center;">Paul
VERLAINE</span></div><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="text-align: center;"><i>Sagesse</i> </span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span> III, 9</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><i>In
the bedroom</i> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">first
beams of sunlight</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"<i>Kimi
no onii-san</i> [</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN">君 の お兄さん</span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">, "your
big brother"]?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Yes,
of course!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Jirō
couldn't stop laughing.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Tarō
is my brother. He’s been taking care of me ever since we were
kids... I was just a baby when our mother died. I don't remember, and Tarō only has a vague memory of our father. He had to be there to raise me, all
by himself."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> Still confused and blushing, </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Kazuō
didn't know what to say. Jirō gently lay on top of him with a broad smile.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"That's
why I’m such a low-bred brat, you see..." he whispered into his ear, rubbing his companion's full belly </span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span> naughty as ever.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Perfectly
sated, Kazuō enjoyed his young friend teasing him like this.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"I
understand... It's a relief, to be honest!" </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"How?" </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"I was under the impression that Tarō was... a lot more than a brother for you."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Tarō
has always been <i>everything</i> to me." Jirō insisted, cuddlier than ever. "Without him, I don't know if I would even be alive today... And you
wouldn't be here with us either."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"That's
true..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"We
weren't cramped in this small house, and we are safe, but it felt sad when
Tarō was gone</span><span style="text-align: center;"> hunting or looking for supplies... He's worried just the same when
I go fishing for a few days. It's a good thing that you've joined us."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Kazuō
was still blushing. Jirō hugged him tight.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Is
it so important to you and Tarō?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Yes it is. Tarō really needs a worthy partner to progress, as a wrestler...
That's his ambition. He wants to become really strong. Much, <i>much</i> stronger than he is now! He's been stuck for a while, I can hardly keep up with his plans."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"You're doing pretty well."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– "That's</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> the least I can do..." Jirō shrugged. "I wish I could put on a lot of weight, so he could train with a bigger, more imposing
opponent. He would struggle to lift me up, then I'll help him fight better... Still a long way to go. He needs someone less clumsy than I am, someone bigger, stronger... and much, <i>much</i> heavier!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> Jirō squeezed and pressed Kazuō's large hips. They were such healthy, athletic and</span><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span style="text-align: center;">shamelessly overfed young men... Nestled against his chest, the handsome blonde boy almost bit his hardening nipples with his lips.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"I also need a bigger partner... and a much, much <i>fatter</i> partner!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Jirō..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Covering
him with kisses, Jirō barely allowed him to catch his breath.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"In
any case, I'm happy to stay and play with the two of you... Being brothers and all. That's a huge weight you've lifted off my chest!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Suddenly,
Jirō straightened up </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="zh-CN"><span style="font-size: medium; text-align: justify;">—</span> </span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">as
if Kazuō had just pinched him.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"What? Nuh huh... I want you to lift heavy, but keep packing on the weight. If I pulled weight off your chest, I have to feed you again... Stuff you full and more than full, so it goes straight to your waist!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">With
a mischievous smile, he brought a pineapple
fritter up to his lips.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Eat, Kazuō. Please?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Another
doughnut? I can't! They're so big!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"There
are only six </span><span style="text-align: center;">doughnuts </span><span style="text-align: center;">left... How about this, three for you and three</span><span style="text-align: center;"> for me? Trust me, you're going to eat these just to please me."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Kazuō let out a sigh. He knew he couldn't resist him.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Hmmmph..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Good.
Again..." Jirō fed him with one hand, while greedily biting
into another thick, juicy doughnut. "Come on, grab a larger bite!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Hmmmph...
Hmmmph..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> Considering </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">his friend's muffled protests and sighs, Jirō started rubbing his stomach
and kept him going with a few words of encouragement. He took another doughnut and made him gobble it up in just a few bites... He did so well that his friend started moaning and ended up begging him for more. The blonde boy looked happy to tease him with the promise of a whole bucket full of ice-cream.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">The last doughnut was still in the
tray by the bed.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"There you go, Kazuō. You're a hungry boy... Keep eating!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Hmmmph..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Eat up,
big boy! I'll make sure to please you now..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><i>In the
house</i> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="zh-CN"><span style="font-size: medium; text-align: justify;">—</span> </span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">sunset
at the top of the mountain</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Kazuō
was lazily basking in the sun, lying on the cushions and <i>tatami</i> mats,
surrounded by all the bowls and dishes he had licked clean during his second lunch.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">After quite a few long, low and raspy burps, he heaved out a sigh.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Jirō had spent the whole day
inviting him to take part in</span><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span style="text-align: center;">exciting</span><span style="text-align: center;"> games and challenges of pure gluttony... He couldn't turn him down, just as he couldn't be more turned on right now. Since Tarō was gone to the village to buy food, he had barely left his room, only getting out of
bed when Jirō dragged him under the waterfall, every morning, for
a cold shower.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">After
some physical exercises </span><span style="text-align: center;">in their training room</span><span style="text-align: center;">, without much effort on his part,
followed by a long moment of rest in the bathroom, Kazuō spent all his waking hours eating with a healthy appetite, or he let Jirō feed him and wrap him in hugs... The young man was still working around the house
and those meals kept them busy all day. </span><span style="text-align: center;">Kazuō</span><span style="text-align: center;"> could hardly get a break! He was always full, but that exuberant, dumb blonde boy would appear before him at any time,
naked, dripping and glistening with sweat, carrying a large tray of food in each hand.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Kazuō felt numb, stuffed and hardly breathing, even after a long, well-deserved nap to let his stomach cool down and relax a
little. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Their supplies of meat and fish were almost gone. Jirō prepared such huge feasts, with plenty of rice, rich stew with stir-fried vegetables and noodles, vast omelets with herbs, mushroom and potatoes, so much ice-cream, so many fruits and pastries. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> Always focused and ever so </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">playful, the boyish cook insisted on the benefits of a really abundant and starchy diet, naturally rich in carbs and sweets, all drenched in sauce... He also set an example, eating with a voracious appetite,</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> without the slightest hint of "good manners"!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Jirō
behaved like an incorrigible bad boy,</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> greedy and sloppy, but he served his tall companion so
generously that the amounts of food he devoured looked modest, compared
to what Kazuō feasted on </span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span> d</span><span style="text-align: center;">ay in, day out</span><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span> </span><span style="text-align: center;">with no restraint.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Are
you already working on our first dinner?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Of
course."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span style="text-align: center;">Jirō kept coming and going to the kitchen, where he would
clean the dishes to overload them later with more food. At the mere thought of his next
feast, which would last long after the sun had set, Kazuō felt his
stomach quiver, groan and protest.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"I've been eating way too much again, today..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Jirō
didn't just prepare enormous, tasty and hearty dishes. He arranged
flowers and fruits in the <i>tokonoma</i>, and brought a third cushion by
the fireplace.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Tarō will be back soon. He must be so hungry!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Tarō's
return was most welcome. Kazuō felt relieved. He wouldn't have to stuff
himself so much with both brothers around him... Jirō was a wet dream come true, and such a feisty, passionate lover. When night fell, it was almost
another young man that Kazuō was holding in his arms... Jirō never
stopped teasing and pleasing him, so much so that he felt dizzy all day </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="zh-CN"><span style="font-size: medium; text-align: justify;">—</span> </span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">and
force-feeding him to fatten him up even better.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> In just a few days alone with him</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">, Kazuō may have piled on about as much weight as he had since the day Tarō had
found him in the forest... His belly had grown heavier and gently
rounded, much to the delight of his companion. After another long
sigh of contentment, he stood up and slowly stretched out his arms. Jirō
suggested that he take some time to rest in the bathroom.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"You're
right, I'm still covered in sauce and crumbs..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"There's also beer foam in your beard!" </span><span style="text-align: center;">Jirō whisper</span><span style="text-align: center;">ed, covering his
neck and cheeks with sensual kisses and greedy licks.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Am
I really that dirty?" </span><span style="text-align: center;">Kazuō</span><span style="text-align: center;"> protested, laughing.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"It's all for the best!" The handsome boy cooed and hugged him tight. "You're only growing more and more... appetizing."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><i>In the bathroom</i> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="zh-CN"><span style="font-size: medium;">一</span> </span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">sunset</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Comfortably
seated in the pool, dimly lit with paper lanterns in thick, fragrant steam, with hot water up to his shoulders, Kazuō
was dozing off.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">He heard Tarō calling out to his
brother from outside.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Tadaima
[</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN">ただいま</span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">,
"I'm back"]!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> Then h</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">e heard Jirō almost running to open the door and greet him.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Evidently, Tarō was returning laden
with provisions and victuals. After hearing them lay the heavy burden
in the kitchen, in the long silence that followed, Kazuō guessed
that the two brothers were embracing, repeating to each other that
the distance made them worry too much about each other and promising
to never be away for long.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">He strained his ears to hear their
conversation better.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"You're
all drenched in sweat!" laughed Jirō. "You must be
cold..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"And
you, you are all hot and covered with flour like a loaf." </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"You
must be so hungry!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"You
too, Jirō! But, tell me..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Tarō's
voice grew louder, more impatient. Kazuō no longer had to hold his
breath to hear them clearly.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"What
does that mean, Jirō? You haven't gained weight at all!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Not
at all? Oh... a little, though."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Not
at all." Tarō had to feel his brother's stomach. Kazuō heard
what sounded like a loud slap. "You promised me you'd eat well
while I was away..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Yes."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"And
that you were going to gorge yourself with Kazuō..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Yes."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Well,
then? I was expecting to find you a little rounder and a little
plumper, with a heavier weight. You've barely thickened a little, here and there... Nothing at all!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Tarō..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> Considering</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> his answers, Jirō had to look quite sheepish right now.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"You
know what's in store for you, my poor Jirō... You have to go
out and catch us some nice fish. You're going to spend all night outside, half-naked in the cold water of the lake and the streams... You
won't last long if you don't maintain a good weight, and a good layer of fat!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Yes,
Tarō."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"And
I was hoping to train with a slightly bigger, heavier partner!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Oh...
Don't worry about that."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"What
do you mean?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"When
you see Kazuō, you'll thank me... You couldn't wish for a better
partner. Much bigger, heavier..." Jirō added
with a </span><span style="text-align: center;">mischievous </span><span style="text-align: center;">smile. "And delisciously fat!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><div>■ ■ ■</div><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><i>Inside
the house</i> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="zh-CN"><span style="font-size: medium;">一</span> </span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">misty
night</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Tarō's impatience or anger at finding his brother almost the same as he had
left him, alone with Kazuō, turned into shared rejoicing when they joined him in the bathroom.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">The evening meal was ready,
but Jirō spent a few more moments in the kitchen to add more food and season it with lots of sauces. When he sat down next to his companions, they shared the pleasure of
stuffing themselves or each other, generously, loudly and
eagerly </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="zh-CN"><span style="font-size: medium; text-align: justify;">—</span> </span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">happy to be together and behave so bad...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Above all, Tarō had ordered Jirō
to help himself three or four times as much as usual, and to fill his
stomach quickly, as much as possible. Eager to do so, the young man found himself eating as
much as Kazuō, who always enjoyed himself with no apparent effort... Tarō kept an eye on the two of them, even as he ate his
share always so voraciously.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Come
on, Jirō! Eat faster... Eat!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Hmmmph...
Hmmmph..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"And drink more beer... Bottoms up! Again!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Hmmmph..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"You
really need to grouw thicker and rounder, my little Jirō..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">After
about forty bowls of rice, four huge potato and mushroom omelets,
twenty bowls of creamy broth and eight large mugs of beer, Jirō
could hardly swallow another bite. His stomach looked ready to
burst...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Another
mug of beer!" roared Tarō.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Already
quite tipsy, Jirō agreed and drank in long gulps, greedily.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"BUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRP..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Tarō seemed satisfied. He came closer to his brother.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Come
on, my little Jirō, let's move on to desserts... Eat!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Hmmmph...
Hmmmph..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Another
big doughnut... Again... Again!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Hmmmph..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"A
few more bananas, now! Open wide..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Hmmmph..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"That's
good, Jirō! One more effort... Swallow!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Hmmmph..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Another
beautiful pineapple fritter! You have to eat a lot, Jirō..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Hmmmph...
Hmmmph..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"You
have to eat well and pack on weight!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Hmmmph...
Hmmmph... Yes, Tarō. </span><span style="text-align: center;">I need this.</span><span style="text-align: center;">"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"And get fat!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Hmmmph... Hmmmph... Yes, Tarō."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Stuff yourself, Jirō! Again..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"I
want to get fat... like Kazuō!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><div>■ ■ ■</div><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><i>Inside
the house</i> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="zh-CN"><span style="font-size: medium;">一</span> </span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">sunrise</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">When
he woke up, Kazuō felt himself gently held back by Tarō, who wanted
to hold him in his arms a bit longer... They had spent the night together in
his room.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Did
you sleep well?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Thanks
to you..." Tarō replied. "I can go without a comfortable bed
for a few nights, but I won't be able to sleep without this big, soft cushion if you keep growing so well."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0KbOxXUHRT4ZJHtAKMtMGOxQvvf-rfF2WjMbpjspdYnLf81jDLGwaQ2ZBQf4xMYw13UztHpo-ARZwg44HAol18KUKBz5ijHsOZMb5DSl4z0tu6grJ0UbwBs0M1SVcuJ2c6bQOM1f5WaxVtOPHpCvjSXzm99wGFy-3IVeetONse2Rb1uFj6lEH1l7Jbrtt/s1456/21.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1196" data-original-width="1456" height="526" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0KbOxXUHRT4ZJHtAKMtMGOxQvvf-rfF2WjMbpjspdYnLf81jDLGwaQ2ZBQf4xMYw13UztHpo-ARZwg44HAol18KUKBz5ijHsOZMb5DSl4z0tu6grJ0UbwBs0M1SVcuJ2c6bQOM1f5WaxVtOPHpCvjSXzm99wGFy-3IVeetONse2Rb1uFj6lEH1l7Jbrtt/w640-h526/21.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">They
could hear Jirō sleeping and snoring, still drunk as he was lying by the
terrace after he was so heavily fed and force-fed unreasonable amounts of food. The dumb boy had to devour another dozen pastries and drink two
mugs of beer, then two larger mugs of chocolate milk, teased by his brother and Kazuō, finally falling asleep on a really full stomach.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"My
poor little Jirō..." Tarō whispered. "I need to
take better care of him and his weight gain."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"You
mean our little Jirō!" corrected Kazuō. "We
agree on this. Now, it's up to us to take care of him."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Yes,
Kazuō... What makes me happy is to see how well he took such good care of you
too!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Tarō
caressed his companion's sides, so generously rounded.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Have
I gained that much weight?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Not
yet... But you've put on some good weight, you've grown a hefty belly. You will keep growing larger and more imposing. I'm proud of you!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Kazuō
sighed. He had made some good progress: Jirō would never neglect their physical exercises, every morning, which pushed him to stay strong, massive and thick... He was
noticeably taller than Tarō now, and his whole body had excellent muscle tone, harmoniously distributed.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">However, Jirō was always there to feed him plenty of good food and stuff him with sweets, late at night, with all kinds of juices, milk and stronger drinks...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Kazuō had been pampered so much that he couldn't hide it.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"I hardly had anything to do. Jirō is just... such a good cook!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">–
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"I understand..." Tarō
smiled, stretching out his arms to grab and rub his belly. "And you
couldn't resist him."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Kazuō
blushed at the thought of Jirō's other irresistible qualities...
This beautiful blonde boy, so peaceful, kind and quiet, was like a cuddly kitten, a bit clumsy too, during the day </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span> </span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">but one who suddenly turned into a wild, exuberant and insatiable </span><span style="text-align: center;">tiger</span><span style="text-align: center;">, all
night!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"What
do you know, he's always been like that... Jirō can't hold back.
When he's done cleaning this place, there's not the shadow of a speck of dust left. When
he cooks for the two of us, there's enough food for eight... When he devotes himself
to a task, he gives himself six hundred percent, without restraint until he
falls down, exhausted. He doesn't know how
to count, you know, but when you love doing something..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Yes,
who's counting?" Kazuō concluded, still quite flushed.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Tarō offered to serve him breakfast
in bed, without disturbing Jirō who was still asleep </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span> </span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">and who needed some more time to digest. You could hear him snoring like a tiger after the hunt, sheltered somewhere in the jungle... Stretched out in
the sun on the <i>tatami</i> mats, his kimono largely untied and open, quite messy, he mumbled a few words in his sleep.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"More...
food..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">It
was impossible to decide whether he was still hungry, begging to be fed or encouraging his companions to fill their
stomachs.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"That's
how it is!" Tarō laughed. "But he's right. You have
to eat..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"How about him?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Let him sleep for now, but don't worry. As soon as
he wakes up, I'm going to really force-feed him... like a goose!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">In
a matter of minutes, the room was filled with large dishes and bowls of pastries and sweets.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Is there something
wrong?" asked Tarō.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"No..."
Kazuō hesitated, taking a doughnut in each hand. "I was just
thinking that you guys don't look very much alike."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Maybe so...
What about it?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"When you consider... I mean, he's your brother..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"<i>Hai</i>, <i>boku
no otōto-chan</i> [</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN">はい</span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">, </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN">僕の弟ちゃん</span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">,
"Yes, my little brother"]."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Tarō
held back his laughter. On the contrary, he lowered his voice.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"You're
right. As a matter of fact, Jirō is only my half-brother..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Your
half-brother?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Yes...
But he doesn't know it himself. My father was dead before he was
born... Our mother didn't need another man in her life, but she met someone. It was love at first sight! He came from a remote island up North. He was tall, strong, and quite blonde. When Jirō was born, I
was barely old enough to understand that he would be my little brother. Soon
after, our mother lost the man she wanted to rebuild her
life with. A few years later, she passed away... There was only me to keep </span><span style="text-align: center;">Jirō safe, then </span><span style="text-align: center;">I decided that I would always be there for him. That's how I really became his big brother."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"I
understand..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Kazuō
was embarrassed. He didn't want to look so indiscreet... Tarō didn't seem to mind. He was ready to share such secrets with him.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"I
had no idea that you were orphans either."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"That's
the way it is..." The handsome, dark-haired boy shrugged. "You can also understand how we've always been so
poor."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Yes. </span><span style="text-align: center;">Jirō and y</span><span style="text-align: center;">ou told me so, from the moment we met..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Even
when we lived with our parents, we didn't live in a house and we didn't
have money. When they were gone, Jirō and I walked down the <i>namidagawa</i> [</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN">涙川</span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">,
"the river of tears"], with no one to help us."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Tarō
told him about their childhood... While
listening patiently, Kazuō devoured stir-fried potato omelets, rice,
roasted pineapple or mango fritters, and plums served in thick syrup pancakes.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"I'd
rather not think about it anymore. It's better that way, but..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">The
loss of their mother had left the two boys distraught, especially since the
world around them was decidedly hostile.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">As a teenager, Tarō must have
already been well-built, if not athletic </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span> </span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">and
ready to fight at the slightest opportunity. They had nowhere else to go but they kept falling into trouble! They were never welcome anywhere, with people staring at them with anxious or angry looks, snarling rebukes, insults or threats.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">In large towns and small villages alike, they weren't allowed to stay for the night... They never found anyone to offer them hospitality, not even a bowl of clear soup.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Or
we were invited to work for the day, but when we were done with our chores, they would throw us out!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span>– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">"</span>Was everyone so hard on you?" </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span>– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">"</span>Yes. Quite harsh when they took a look at Jirō..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">With
his blonde hair, blonde eyebrows, and green eyes, everyone called the younger brother a <i>gaijin</i> [</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN">外人</span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">,
foreigner] </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span> </span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">with more hurtful words in store for him later. Children baited him and laughed at him. Peasants threw stones at them and chased them to the ends of their fields, beating them with their fists or
sticks.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">In order to survive, Tarō and Jirō
had long been reduced to wandering around, following mountain paths into the woods, posing as <i>monogurui
gaki</i> [</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN">物狂い餓鬼</span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">,
"foolish children", young beggars who feigned madness to
collect alms].</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"They told
us 'Go get lost in the woods, if you can't find your way!' and we
were always thrown away, just like that."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">As
the inhabitants of the villages and those of the countryside had
declared them "useless to the world and to society", they
had taken refuge higher and higher, to the top of the mountain, in
clearings farther and farther away from the fields and cultivated lands.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Having at last found a place they thought favourable for building first a hut then a shelter, where the stream fell into a small lake,
between the trees and the rocky slope, they had built their hermitage
with their own hands, adding one room after another over the years...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Kazuō could hardly imagine what it
had cost them in terms of effort, patience and willpower, to
establish themselves in this way. With its bedrooms and kitchen,
its large living room where they took their meals, the gym and the
bathroom, the plank path that bordered the terraced lake, from the
deck overlooking the entrance of the house to the waterfall at the
other end of the building, the silky <i>tatami</i> floors and the whole
network of hot or cold water, the brothers had built a remarkable residence, a pavilion of
pleasure worthy of the most noble lords of a bygone age.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">How much time had they devoted to
this work? Kazuō couldn't say. It was painful enough for him to
imagine how much they had suffered from the cold and hunger, insults, beatings and loneliness.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"We are lucky to feel at home, with this roof over our heads now."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"You've
earned it. And I agree, you don't want for anything here."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">–
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"You could also say that the most important stuff is missing..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"What
do you mean?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"We're
always hungry, for starters."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Kazuō blushed, his mouth still full.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– "N</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">ow that you mention it..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Jirō must be hungry. I want to grow stronger, much stronger, and win some wrestling tournaments. It's not the same for him..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"How so?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"When
we were children, Jirō considered himself too short, too puny... and too skinny! He envied the children of rich </span><span style="text-align: center;">peasants</span><span style="text-align: center;">, so lazy, so spoiled and chubby! He had to fight against them too, more often than not. I couldn't always be there
to protect him. He could always defend himself, but it left a mark. Deep down, he's
only been dreaming about the same thing: to grow bigger, thicker, and above all... fatter!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Really... big and fat?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Yes, really large and chunky! That's his only ambition in life."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Jirō
turned to face them, still lying down, about to wake up. As their eyes met, Kazuō felt satisfied and satiated, somehow... A fuzzy feeling of well-being, so intense and so deep, took possession of him.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Don't
you think I've already overeaten... way too much?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"...Overeaten?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Tarō looked at him in amazement. He
didn't understand that word.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"What
does it mean, overeating?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Well..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Don't
worry about it, Kazuō... You can eat and eat, as much as you want. When Jirō joins us, his first thought will be to feed you well, then he'll prepare a hearty meal for him."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"I know... That's how he always cooks."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Kazuō heard the younger brother get up and take a few heavy steps
towards their room. Instead of telling them that he was hungry, as anyone would expect him to say, Jirō greeted them with both hands on his tummy.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Hello...
Well! Last night didn't make me grow much thicker. I should be fat and round already... I hope you're hungry, big fellas? I'll get a tall stack of pancakes ready for you, with glazed fruits and ice-cream."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Tarō
was smiling, winking and handing the last doughnut to his friend, who
was still slumped on the cushions and blankets. Kazuō kept thinking about
their rough and lonely lifestyle. You couldn't appreciate those boys without knowing them, but you couldn't know them
without falling in love with those bad boys...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Another
doughnut? After all the pastries I've eaten?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Yes...
and think about what you're going to eat, in a moment!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">–
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Hmmmph..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Enjoy,
and don't worry about anything."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">–
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Hmmmph... Hmmmph..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"See?
I'm still worried about Jirō. Especially when I have to leave him
alone. Even when he stays with you, I'm still scared... that he
doesn't pack on enough weight!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><div>■ ■ ■</div><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><i>In
the house</i> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="zh-CN"><span style="font-size: medium;">一</span> </span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">morning
light through heat mist</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">For a few days, Tarō imposed a more
consistent and abundant diet on his brother. Obviously, and despite
his efforts to eat well, his lunches and dinners were not enough to
make him grow fatter. Every morning, when their morning meals were ready, before their shower and warm-ups in the training room, Jirō was forced to devour a
first, very filling breakfast, washed down with whole milk... Tarō had
brought back large vats of milk, especially for him.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">The handsome blonde boy was always a bit dizzy,
and he was struggling against sleep rather than his companions, in a fight. Kazuō was not
forgotten in this rich diet, where breakfast had taken such an important
place... He was just so well fed as Jirō, as soon as they woke up! Under such circumstances, Tarō encountered little resistance in their exercices and fights.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">At the end of their last late night meal, he
would sit behind his brother and force him to eat
more and more...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Eat,
Jirō! You won't grow any bigger if you don't stuff your stomach."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">–
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Hmmmph... Hmmmph..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">–
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"More dried apricots and whipped cream! More... More..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">–
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Hmmmph..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">–
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"And another big mango fritter... Enjoy."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">–
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Hmmmph... Hmmmph..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"More
milk! Hurry up a little, and drink!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">–
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Hmmmph..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"That's
good, my little Jirō! Open wide..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">–
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Hmmmph... Hmmmph..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Again!
You have to eat a lot... I want to see you thick with bacon."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Kazuō was puzzled by Tarō's
insistence, at first, but he had come to understand his impatience...
When they had finally finished their meal, late at night, Jirō almost fell down, exhausted </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span> </span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">with
his mouth full and his stomach </span><span style="text-align: center;">packed so tight, so </span><span style="text-align: center;">round that they could believe he was going to burst. When he woke up in the morning, he barely seemed to have gained any weight...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">In fact, Jirō appeared more massive
and thicker, but with more muscle meat in his arms and
thighs, his pecs and butt. Naturally burly, he only
looked clumsy and more enduring than ever... It was enough for Tarō
to take him in his arms, for some time, eager to comfort his
little brother.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"That's
good, you've put on some healthy weight."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">–
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Not good... I'm not
plump enough. You really have to fatten me up!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Jirō felt even more frustrated than
his brother, as he squeezed his belly.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Why
don't I sport a round, soft and heavy belly already?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">– "You need to eat something
more than fruits, cake and ice-cream."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Yes...
I'm still ready to spend a few nights outside, so I'm going to
catch some nice fish, big and fatty fish! I'll bring back enough for the three of us, fry them
and prepare large meals with plenty of sauce... so we can grow fatter!" </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">–
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"There you go... You'll do fine. I'm counting on you."
Tarō placed a kiss on his forehead. "Come back soon! Kazuō is
counting on you, too."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">On the doorstep, Jirō
embraced his brother and Kazuō, as he would be gone for some time. He whispered mischievously in his ear.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"I
wish I could grow a big belly like yours..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><div>■ ■ ■</div><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><i>In
front of the house</i> </span><span style="text-align: center;">一</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="zh-CN"> </span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">in
the evening, stormy sky</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Jirō was probably more skilful or
agile than he looked... When he returned, four days later, he carried
so many wicker baskets on his back, filled with beautiful fish from
ponds and rivers, that there was enough to feed his companions and
feast for a few days. In his absence, Tarō and Kazuō had
trained as they had become accustomed </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span> </span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">starting
very early with warm-ups, then encouraging each other in wrestling. Then they ate huge, basic but tasty meals, and they kept their hand-to-hand combat on, even in bed, with all kinds of desserts...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> As
promised, Jirō had set to work immediately. His return was
celebrated with a really large feast, that same evening. Tarō insisted
that he keep gobbling fried fish, shrimp and stir-fried noodles, and drink large amounts of beer. Jirō had to stuff himself and drink until he dozed off... Kazuō thought that, perhaps, Tarō was
encouraging his brother to drink so much so that he could enjoy
the last hours of the night alone with him. It made him blush, but he didn't mind if that was true.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">–
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRP..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">–
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"More beer, Jirō! And
more fish!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">–
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Hmmmph..." </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">–
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Eat, eat, eat! We're finally
going to fatten you up..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Eager to grow,
Jirō kept gorging himself on all kinds of food... Meanwhile, Kazuō
had barely noticed that he had just finished his sixth platter of sushis with another big bowl of stir-fried noodles! He stuffed himself so effortlessly. In the morning, Tarō announced that he
would be absent for three or four days. He pointed out that the Fall was beginning to paint the foliage around the house in shades or red and gold.
It was essential, in his opinion, to bring back more
provisions </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span> </span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">always more, again
and again! Kazuō had time to take a good look at him. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> He understood him better now, and his compulsive need to hoard food in
their pantry. It all came down to his fear of running out, which had never left them since
they were children... Jirō was strong enough, and well-fed, but that fear remained deeply rooted and their old impulse was still there. Both massive and athletic, Tarō
and Jirō encouraged each other </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span> one the one hand, to grow strong and imposing </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span> </span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">on the other hand, to grow extra-large and chubby. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> Jirō was
the more practical </span><span style="text-align: center;">not-so-little</span><span style="text-align: center;"> brother, the more peaceful one, with complete
confidence in Tarō's physical abilities. For the latter, however,
the mere thought that Jirō could lose weight was unbearable... He felt anxious for real, and there was nothing to laugh about
it. Even though he was fed in abundance, even if he was force-fed to
the point of fainting, this handsome, blond boy, so simple, carefree
and clumsy, was still his "little brother". And he must be hungry.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"I'll
come back with a lot of good things for you and Kazuō."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Come
back to us safe, and soon..." Jirō kissed him. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Don't
worry. When I'm back, you're going to eat... so much!" </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Yes, Tarō."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"You're
<i>hungry</i>!" </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– "So</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> hungry!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">The two brothers laughed out loud, hugging each other.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"I'm
hungry, and I want a big, round belly like Kazuō's!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><div>■ ■ ■</div><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><i>In the
house</i> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="zh-CN"><span style="font-size: medium;">一</span> </span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">warm
and sunny morning</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Tarō's absence meant that the other boys started misbehaving again, on their own terms.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Feeding time, Kazuō! Time to eat, and let me have my revenge." </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"What revenge?" </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Tarō's had every opportunity to take care of you, as he takes care of
everything. Now, it's my turn to treat you!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Their daily activities had taken a
new turn, according to the program established by Jirō: after the
shower and the physical exercises in the morning, followed by a long
hot bath, wrestling was replaced by greedy and cuddly games... There
was no longer any question of food: Kazuō was stuffed until he couldn't grab another bite! He was awakened from his nap as
soon as his stomach growled, under the gentle rubs of his
companion. Unlike his brother, Jirō had no discipline. He stuffed
himself so carelessly that he could still help himself to a bowl of
fried fish and soup with rice, after a plate of pastries. Heavily sated, he drank a large mug of beer. He hoped he had fulfilled his
promise to Tarō, by filling his belly, and he devoted himself
entirely to Kazuō as soon as he awoke.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Come on, big boy! Get up. That's enough sleep for this morning... You must be hungry." </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Yes, Jirō..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Kazuō sighed as he followed him
under the waterfall, gently led by the hand. There was no hurry. For a
serious boy like Tarō, showering was an important part of the day,
before training and wrestling... Jirō was the real bad boy in the family, much
naughtier than his big brother </span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">and
incorrigible. </span><span style="text-align: center;">Kazuō </span><span style="text-align: center;">felt like he was swept up in a whirlwind...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP32i2bwqGHI-gnXKBRfOvL7dyYFwmHR_WVYAWt-A2voIKx8JHWkoQjb4ZkiDnXcnk6ei57Y8z6iSHEXtv6NhMMQRRQSAagZEfUy2KagVj0-mQqRgvu7AN8P_igcUq7yOjUEvZaSwyxc1_rYv3XhkY_0EyUsBDWhMW-ArJUy6bJ9zDVr1UM6k40Nad3IIF/s1668/22.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1294" data-original-width="1668" height="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP32i2bwqGHI-gnXKBRfOvL7dyYFwmHR_WVYAWt-A2voIKx8JHWkoQjb4ZkiDnXcnk6ei57Y8z6iSHEXtv6NhMMQRRQSAagZEfUy2KagVj0-mQqRgvu7AN8P_igcUq7yOjUEvZaSwyxc1_rYv3XhkY_0EyUsBDWhMW-ArJUy6bJ9zDVr1UM6k40Nad3IIF/w640-h496/22.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Kazuō,
you make me so <i>hungry</i>..." I can't wait to feed you again, and again! When your belly is full and ready to burst, I know I'll be in for
a treat... Then I want you to enjoy yourself even more!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Jirō..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">For several days and nights, the two
young men did nothing but have harmless fun together, eat and
drink in unreasonable amounts, go for so many sensual games and
share intimate moments of such intensity that the darkest hours of the night were illuminated, so much so that they gorged each other and played with more than fire... Kazuō could barely catch his breath, sometimes, when
Jirō purred like a tiger cub ready to pounce at any moment. Tarō had compared Kazuō to a talking and walking "big, soft cushion". His brother was like perpetual fireworks, with his green eyes
always sparkling with desire, like <i>onibi</i> [</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN">鬼火</span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">,
will-o'-the-wisps] at the top of the mountain </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span> </span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">of
his whole body, well-built and thick, mounted on his powerful thighs
and his good, growing belly.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> </span><span style="text-align: center;">Jirō was a</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> generous, gentle and cuddly lover, so exuberant that Kazuō felt dizzy. He may go through such a journey, in one night, from the volcanic depths of the earth
to the highest, fluffiest clouds in the sky, experiencing the
delights of all the torrents and all the forests </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span> </span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">ready
to burst, like an overfilled wineskin, as if he had drunk all
the oceans in the wolrd in a single gulp... Jirō was just irresistible. </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Kazuō didn't know what to do, at this point.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> He had to let himself go with the flow. How could he resist when his companion only thought about pleasing him so much? The one question he asked him, late at
night, was all the more supris</span><span style="text-align: center;">ing</span><span style="text-align: center;">.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Kazuō,
tell me... Are you happy with us?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Happy?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Yes...
Are you happy? I don't know... satisfied?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Jirō didn't ask him if he was happy
"with him". After all the good time they'd just had
together, there really no room for doubt.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Of
course, I'm happy. More than satisfied, More than just happy... I'm happy with Tarō and you."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">The handsome blonde boy wrapped his arms around his belly.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"I'm
happy with you too."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Jirō..." </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Then
I hope you won't leave. We talked about it, with Tarō. He told me
to take care of you while he brought food back home for us, but he won't mind me telling you that we would be sad to let you go, even if you want to go home."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">–
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Go home? You mean... Home?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Kazuō thought so little about his old apartment that
he couldn't even give his address to a taxi driver, or find his way back in the streets... </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> How long was it that he got lost in the woods? He had no idea,
but he had no intention of going back to his old life! No doubt, Tarō
and Jirō assumed that he was well-off, living inside a comfortable house, wearing nice clothes </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span> </span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">eating better food? That last suggestion was ridiculous...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Don't
worry, Jirō... I won't leave you. Besides..." He saw that the handsome boy who hugged him so tight was genuinely worried. "I'm way too big to go back home. I'm like... supersized now."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"What
does it mean... supersized?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"I must have outgrown my old apartment, that's all. I wasn't such a large guy, before I met you."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Kazuō kept Jirō entertained like a child, as he described the kind of minuscule den he used to live in, such a narrow and tiny burrow, where hardly a rabbit or a fox couldn't build their home... The young man's laughter was so
spontaneous and so comforting that it called for more pillow talk, especially as he kept rubbing</span><span style="text-align: center;"> his belly in long circles.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"All in all, I feel a bit... roly-poly."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">–
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Roly-poly? What's that?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Don't
you think I am... too lardy? Too chubby, maybe?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Jirō looked at him as if he didn't
understand. Kazuō had read that same look in Tarō's eyes, when he
suggested that he had "eaten too much". Right then, the two boys truly looked like brothers, dumbstruck and clueless. The very idea
of excess must be so totally unknown to them... For a dumb blonde beast like
Jirō, it was a no-brainer.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"You've
grown rounder, that's true... You've put on some weight... You should be proud!" </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">–
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"I don't know about 'proud', but
I feel quite... fat."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Of course, you're fat. You must feel nicely full, and fat!" Jirō purred.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"It's only because you feed me well, and I eat a lot. In the city where I lived,
I would have been told to eat less. Much, much less!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">–
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Eat less? But why?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"I
don't know. To make me lose weight, for sure."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"But... Kazuō, who would be so cruel to make you lose weight?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span style="text-align: center;">Kazuō didn't exepect his friend'</span><span style="text-align: center;"> reaction... He could see tears glistening in the corners of his eyes, and he felt
him shuddering with indignation, almost with anger.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"I
don't know, Jirō... That's what they would have told me."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Is this the kind of people you lived with?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Kazuō suddenly felt the way Jirō must have felt for him for some time. Almost sitting on
top of him, the handsome boy held him firmly by the shoulders,
with a grip that could crush a young tree trunk. He was limber enough to bend over until their lips almost touched.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"You're definitely not going to leave us now, Kazuō! I won't let you. I don't want you to leave..." </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"I won't leave you. I promise." </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"I
don't want you to be unhappy ever again. Or skinny..." </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"No,
Jirō."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">–
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"I want you to enjoy everything
you do..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Yes,
Jirō."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">–
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"And everything you eat!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Yes,
Jirō..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> Much t</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">o his surprise, Kazuō saw his
companion burst into tears, hug his chest and belly so tight, covering
him with passionate kisses.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"<i>Ai
shiteru</i> [</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN">愛してる</span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">,
"I love you"]!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span>– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">"</span>I love you too, Jirō..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">For a long time they remained
inextricably entangled.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Kazuō..."
The young man looked him straight in the eyes, still panting, his heart
pounding like a bass drum. "You will never go hungry. Not anymore! I want to satisfy all
your appetites. I'm going to feed you, force-feed you and fatten
you up... I want you to grow and thrive!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Yes,
Jirō. Feed me. Give me more to eat..." </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"I'm
going to stuff you, Kazuō."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Please do,
Jirō. As for me... I'm going to grow even bigger!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Your appetite will grow larger, but you'll never be hungry..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"No,
Jirō."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">–
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Maybe you can tell to us what
you mean, when you say you've eaten 'too much', or when you think you've gained 'a lot' of weight..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> T</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">he handsome boy felt a bit better, cooling down as </span><span style="text-align: center;">Kazuō swore that he would eat all the food he would be served, but he </span><span style="text-align: center;">couldn't
help acting like a bad boy. Even his gentle belly rubs burned like wild fire.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Don't
you think I've already gained a lot of weight?" </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Nuh huh... No,
Kazuō."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">–
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"You still want to fatten me
a lot?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Of course, Kazuō..." Jirō was smiling, but he wasn't laughing. "If your weight had doubled, </span><span style="text-align: center;">or the size of your belly, </span><span style="text-align: center;">maybe</span><span style="text-align: center;">? It would be easier for Tarō and me to get a fair share. See ? no jealousy between us."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">The look he shot at him, as he finished
his sentence, was so hot that Kazuō melted on the spot, like a doll or an idol carved in butter...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Yes,
Jirō... No jealousy."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> The
night was getting hotter and steamier than ever.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Good. I'm glad that you're staying with us, Kazuō." </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Me
too, Jirō..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Tarō
will be no less satisfied to keep you as a partner."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"As
a partner?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Yes,
in the training room, in his fighting practice..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"That's
right. I guess I'm his partner, if you like..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Kazuō mused on, still fiercely embraced
by Jirō.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"How about you... What should I be?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"For
me?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Yes,
Jirō. For you... What do you say?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"I
don't know. It's true that I don't follow you when you fight..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Should
we say I'm your friend?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Jirō looked at him most mischievously.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"<i>Boku
no tomodachi</i> [</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN">僕の友だち</span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">,
"my friend" or "buddy"]?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Yes..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"You
know, I didn't really have friends when I was a kid... I did my best to stay out of the way. I was such a brat, mean like a stray cat."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> After what Tarō had told him, Kazuō knew what they were up against.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Would
you like something else?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Yup!"
Jirō's smile became irresistibly naughty again. "Kazuō... You're much more than a buddy!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Okay...
Jirō?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"You
are my <i>prey</i>..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><div>■ ■ ■</div><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><i>On the
terrace, in front of the house </i></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="zh-CN"><span style="font-size: large;">一</span> </span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">sunset</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Tarō returned with his arms
laden with baskets, carrying large wooden crates </span><span style="text-align: center;">on his back, all so</span><span style="text-align: center;"> heavy with food. His brother was there to greet him and help him store
everything in their pantry.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Well, well... It looks like you've finally put on a little weight?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Yes,
Tarō."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Jirō let him feel his stomach with both hands.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"It's
still far from enough, but my weight is on the rise again."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"I bet you had to eat a lot to get there."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Oh!
yes..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"That's
good. Keep stuffing yourself!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Tarō hugged him tenderly.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"You
must be so hungry, too..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Yes... I'm hungry!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"I'm
going to serve you a good meal. Everything is ready in the
kitchen."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"And where is Kazuō?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"In
the bathroom."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"At
this hour? What is he doing in there?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Kazuō?
He's sleeping..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"How is he still asleep?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Well, he's... He's exhausted."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"You didn't let him rest, not for a moment?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Jirō winked at his brother.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Maybe for a moment, every now and then... I should also tell
you, he's still pretty full right now..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Oh..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">A wispy cloud spread across the
hallway, from the bathroom.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRP!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">With a big smile, Tarō joined his
wrestling partner in the water.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"I'm
glad to see that Jirō has been taking good care of you!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Yes..."
Kazuō replied with a yawn, still a little sleepy.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"You
have to stuff yourself again, stuff yourself silly so you keep growing."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"I am growing... Jirō feeds me so well, so much..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">With the help of his two companions,
who supported him and rubbed him with their sponges, wrapping him
in a large kimono, Kazuō emerged from the bathtub. After a few steps,
he sat down in the great hall, where a hearty and appetizing meal
awaited them. He felt heavy, sprawled against big, comfortable
cushions.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Jirō always feeds me so well..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">–
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"It looks like you're enjoying yourself!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"He's really fattening me up. And me... I'm growing obese."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Kazuō felt wrapped in hugs, kisses and hungry looks... Jirō served him again and again. He encouraged
him to stuff himself, just as he kept gobbling down massive amounts of food. Under the waterfall, in the
wrestling room or around the fireplace, Tarō was just so cuddly and attentive as his brother, and the
day went by. When night settled
around the house, clear and limpid, they were barely at desserts.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Kazuō?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">–
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Hmmmph..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"We're
going to have to leave you alone for the night tomorrow night."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">–
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Hmmmph... Why?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"It's
a full moon night..." Tarō explained.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Yes,
indeed."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"On
such a night, Jirō and I will hunt."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">This was not the first time when Kazuō slept alone in the house. He had almost forgotten about it, already... Nights spent with Tarō or Jirō were infinitely more
memorable.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Yes,
I hope we can kill a wild boar. For some time now, I've been hearing
beasts prowling around. He must be a handsome male, well fleshed, and
who does not move alone... That would be a nice catch. We need meat!" Tarō </span><span style="text-align: center;">insisted</span><span style="text-align: center;">. "We need meat, tasty red meat..."</span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> For a few more days, </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Kazuō stuffed himself, lounging </span><span style="text-align: center;">on the blankets and cushions that Jirō kept clean. His bedroom was so comfortable, with the summer
breeze going through the trees and over the waters of the lake. It was so peaceful, he always dozed off when his belly was full.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Tarō was still making black tea for
him and Jirō... In the evening the two brothers came out of the
house, lightly clad and armed for the wild boar hunt. They kissed
their companion before crossing the bridge into the woods.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"<i>Oyasuminasai</i> [</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN">おやすみなさい</span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">,
"Good night"] Kazuō."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><div>■ ■ ■</div><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><i>In the
bedroom</i> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="zh-CN"><span style="font-size: medium;">一</span> </span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">full
moon</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">The wind was dying away. The moonlight made the walls feel thin or frail, almost shimmering... Kazuō couldn't sleep, as he wished for more gentle rubs on his belly or a few whispered, tender and naughty words.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">He lacked the weight of being by his
side, the softness of a warm breath on his chest, the light sweat and
the scent of hair that sometimes rested to the base of his neck.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">In the silence of the night, Kazuō
could only make out rumors in the forest foliage, instead of Tarō's
deep breathing or Jirō's wild purring.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">It seemed to him that he heard the
cries of beasts, the movements of branches caught in some fantastic
race, the grunts of pigs and the howls of wolves, very lively,
voluntary, and violent.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">All this tumult was far away, but
Kazuō felt a kind of terror from it. When the first rays of the sun
came to color the room with a soft, coppery light, he finally felt
better and fell asleep.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><div>■ ■ ■</div><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><i>In
the house</i> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="zh-CN"><span style="font-size: medium;">一</span> </span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">morning
rain</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Kazuō turned to take a look at the door. He was still lying comfortably, deliciously caressed by a
breath of wind, in the drowsy silence of that sunny morning... He
felt so heavy and satiated that everything around him seemed
transparent, distant, and light </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span> </span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">as
if an abyss had opened between the dark foliage of the trees, the
shimmering lake, and the little house firmly established on the side
of the rock.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">His night terrors were gone... The
weather was clear. Quite early in the morning, Tarō and Jirō were
already back. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">The two brothers were a sorry sight.
Covered in mud, grass, and leaves, soaked to the bone, cold and
shivering, they looked sorry to find themselves without game or even
weapons to take home.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"What
happened to you?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">–
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Just a bad night..." Jirō
said, sadly.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Didn't
you find the boar you saw?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Ah,
for that! we found it..." Tarō replied angrily. "And we've
seen it... We couldn't ignore it. What a beast! a real monster!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"A
monster?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"You
couldn't describe it any other way. It was indeed a wild boar, but of
such enormous size that we would never have believed it if we had
been warned. And yet, we had guessed one thing..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"What?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"He
didn't move alone. There were three wild boars."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"All
equally huge?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"More
or less, but the biggest one was really monstrous."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"And
Tarō was right in thinking it was a fat pig."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Monstrously
fat! But hard to fight..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"We
couldn't capture him, we couldn't shoot him."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Furious and discouraged, Tarō was
enveloped in steam, so much sweat ran down his burning forehead, neck
and shoulders, cool as rainwater.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"And
we had to bring back some meat for our stew!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"We'll
be hunting again, soon..." Jirō suggested.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Yes,
but if these wild boars go farther into the valleys or hills, it will
be too late!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Maybe
they'll stay in these woods."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Perhaps..."
Tarō whispered between his teeth. "Such beautiful wild boars,
good big pigs, very fat... All that good meat!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Yes,
Tarō."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Jirō hugged his brother gently,
trying to wipe away his tears. On occasion, it could be as comforting
and soothing as it could not help provoking desire and appetite...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"The
edge of the knife also hurts the hand that holds it. It's wrong to
hunt and fish so much... but we are hungry."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Yes...
I'm hungry, you're hungry... And you need to get bigger!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Yes,
Tarō."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> Kazuō
felt troubled to see them so unhappy. Still embracing, the two
brothers turned to him, smiling, sad and resigned, but still
mischievous.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"And
you too, Kazuō, you need to get fat!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Oh!
yes, really... We need red meat."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><div>■ ■ ■</div><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><i>In the
house </i></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="zh-CN"><span style="font-size: large;">一</span> </span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">sunset</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">For a few days, Tarō still
expressed frustration and anger at the thought of this disastrous
hunt. His brother did everything he could to distract him and put him
in a good mood.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">To keep their meals tasty and
nourishing, he went out again to catch fine fish. It wasn't enough to
soothe Tarō, but Jirō had one last way at his disposal, by letting
him force-feed him every night, in a rather forced way, perhaps just
to make his brother feel better before sleeping.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Come
on, my little Jirō, more fried fish... Eat!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">–
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Hmmmph... Hmmmph..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">–
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"More rice... Again, again!
Lots of rice..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">–
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Hmmmph..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"And
a ripe banana, now... Another..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">–
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Hmmmph..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"That's
good, Jirō! One more effort... Open wide!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">–
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Hmmmph..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">–
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"And a nice big pineapple
fritter! Eat, Jirō..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">–
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Hmmmph... Hmmmph..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"You
have to eat, or you'll end up losing weight!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Despite all this effort and
goodwill, Tarō was not happy. Kazuō couldn't prove him wrong: Jirō
set an example by letting himself be force-fed after drinking and
eating well, he was nicely plump and his belly was nice round </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="zh-CN"><span style="font-size: medium; text-align: justify;">—</span> </span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">but
he was no longer growing fatter, or hardly growing at all...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Eat,
Jirō... You <i>have</i> to eat!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">–
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Hmmmph..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Nothing helped. Feeding Jirō was
like adding fuel to the fire... </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Kazuō understood why the poor boy
had such a hard time getting fat. Tarō practiced wrestling at a very
respectable level, but his brother always accompanied him in warm-ups
and exercises, and he often carried heavier loads than he did.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> Above all, while Tarō and Kazuō
were fighting forty fights in a row, he worked tirelessly and spared
no effort, both in the kitchens and throughout the house.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">It was no wonder to find him so
heavily muscled, so well-built, and so thick. His appetite was also
justified by all his activities.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">However, Jirō must have retained
the same anxieties as his brother, the same hauntings, and the same
fear of running out of food since they were little.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">In his case, this translated into a
need, deeply rooted in him, to feed others before feeding himself...
It was a real reflex. Kazuō hadn't noticed it right away: even when
he showed him how to stuff himself without restraint, Jirō only
threw himself at the part of the meal that he thought, rightly and
with an unerring glance, that he and Tarō would not eat.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">He wouldn't have deprived his big
brother of the food he needed for anything in the world. Tarō had to
gain weight, too! For Kazuō, he was certainly willing to sacrifice
himself so that he could still force-feed and fatten him... He just
did it and didn't talk about it.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">When they spent the night together,
while Tarō was out into the forest to set traps, preparing for their
next hunt, Jirō would feast Kazuō so generously that his belly
would moan and growl in protest...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Another
good pineapple fritter..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">–
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Hmmmph..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Enjoy,
my beautiful Kazuō..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Hmmmph,
Jirō... I can't take it anymore! My belly is so full you're going to
pop it. All I did was eat, all day..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"You
did well..." Jirō purred as he stroked his belly.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">–
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Hmmmph..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">–
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"One more effort... A good
slice of cream cake?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"I
don't know if I can swallow a bite yet..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">–
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Open wide!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">–
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Hmmmph... Hmmmph..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">–
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"That's good... You've got to
eat, Kazuō."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Really,
I can't swallow anything or my stomach will burst!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Jirō snuggled up to him, supple as
a big cat, and caressed his belly with one hand, suddenly biting into
the slice of cake he offered him.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Do
me a favor, Kazuō... Eat a little more."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Hearing him sigh, Jirō lay on top
of Kazuō holding his shoulders in his hands, and brought his lips to
his face with the slice of cake he was holding between his teeth.
Immediately, Kazuō opened his mouth and swallowed greedily, without
thinking... His mouthful ended with the greediest of kisses.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"You
didn't think I was going to eat your piece of cake..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"You
could have eaten it, really."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">–
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"It's in feasting you that I
feast myself." Jirō's eyes sparkled in the dark. "And
then, Tarō force-fed me like a real pig tonight... I feel very full
and heavy!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Kazuō didn't hesitate to feel his
pleasantly nourished flanks, his well-muscled and plump buttocks, and
his vigorous thighs.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Yes,
you are really... well in the flesh, Jirō!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> The
handsome blond boy, so sensitive to the slightest compliment, took
him in his arms to satiate him definitively with kisses.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Do
me a favor, Kazuō..." You're going to eat well."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Anything
you want!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">–
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"You're going to get bigger,
bigger..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"As
much as you want!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> Jirō
wasn't far from purring. Kazuō smiled.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"You
really want me to get fat... like a pig!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Of
course. After all..." Jirō whispered. "You are my prey."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"I'm
your prey..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"And
I want you to be well in the flesh... fat!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><div>■ ■ ■</div><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><i>On
the terrace, in front of the lake</i> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="zh-CN"><span style="font-size: medium;">一</span> </span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">moonlight</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Jirō drank too much beer... His
happy nature, however, put him in the best disposition, when he was
drunk, to make him the most entertaining and playful of companions.
At the end of the meal, even when he was trying to gorge himself on
bananas, Tarō and Kazuō would encourage him to drink two or three
more large pints, and to improvise a funny poem in front of them.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"I
couldn't sing you a proper <i>tatohé uta</i> [</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN">たとへ歌</span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">,
"picture song or poem"] tonight..." Jirō protested
modestly, still drinking, in long draughts. "I don't have a
knack for offering you pretty things. I'm really too rough, too
rough, and I feel so heavy right now! I don't know why."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">No sooner had he finished his
sentence than he burped heavily.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"BUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRP
!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">His companions burst out laughing.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Too
heavy to sing, you say? Wonder why..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Tarō teased him, sitting next to
him, then he gently kicked him to make him lean and roll to the side.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">–
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"So you're going to dance...
Dance, my plump little Jirō!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">The handsome blond young man stood
up, smiling, a little dazed.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Dancing?
Okay, I'd love to!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Leaving his kimono in its place,
behind him, Jirō took a few steps onto the balcony. He was quite
intoxicated, almost entirely naked </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span> </span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">and
disarmingly charming... His gestures lacked elegance or refinement,
but his feet rested with natural grace on the wooden slats, making
them vibrate or resonate under his weight, and he was supple enough
to launch into an astonishing <i>sarugaku</i> [</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN">猿楽</span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">,
"monkey music", a parade from the ancient Japanese popular
comedy]. Bouncing and dancing, he would sometimes strike a pose for
brief moments of rest and catch his breath. Without being careful,
these attitudes highlighted his whole body in an almost fantastic,
supernatural way... Kazuō, shuddering with desire, was fascinated.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">–
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"I know what I could do... What
if I told you a tale?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">–
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"A fairy tale?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">–
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"A <i>kaidan</i> [</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN">怪談</span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">,
a Japanese horror story or ghost tale]?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Kazuō turned to Tarō, looking at
him questioningly.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Jirō
loves tales that make you shudder and shudder with fear..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Winking in Kazuō's direction, Tarō
invited his younger brother to get in shape... He placed himself on
the edge of the balcony to accompany him in his dance story.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"What
a pity we don't have a <i>taiko</i> [</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN">太鼓</span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">, large drum]!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">–
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"No big deal..." Jirō
replied, thumping his stomach loudly, with both hands. "I'll
mark the rhythm on this big, tight drum!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">The two brothers laughed out loud.
Instead, Tarō proposed regular beats, his palms, thumbs and fists on
the threshold to better fit a long story... Jirō got down on his
knees to concentrate. After a moment's silence, he began to tell the
story in a deep, warm, bewitching voice, with the utmost seriousness.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"<i>Mukashi
mukashi</i> [</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN">昔</span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">,
"Once upon a time"]..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">With remarkable storytelling skills,
Jirō conjured up for Kazuō the story of the young Aoyagi [</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN">青柳</span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">,
an ancient name meaning "green willow"].</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> A
long time ago </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span> </span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">at
a time when ghosts, demons and sorcerous animals still haunted the
mountains and plains </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span> </span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">a
young <i>samurai</i> girl came, accompanied by her parents, to take
possession of a large house in an elegant and prosperous
neighborhood. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> She was so beautiful that all the young men who saw her
from the street, as they walked around her little garden, fell in
love with her.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> Soon, dozens of young men from good families assaulted
his parents to express their intention to marry the beautiful
Aoyagi... According to custom, the decision of a bridegroom for the
girl to marry was theirs, but the father and mother showed such
attachment to their child that they let all these suitors know that
she would remain free to choose her future husband.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> Those who wished
to obtain her favor were permitted to court her. Thus, many young men
presented themselves and were ushered into the house </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span> </span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">surrounded
by respect, while at the same time requiring them to keep at some
respectful distance... </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> All these young men one courted her, undeterred, with
immense bouquets of flowers and beautiful fireworks, sweet serenades
composed in her honor, sumptuous gifts, or promises of a love that
would continue uncorrupted into their future lives.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> With so many eager suitors, Aoyagi responded </span><span style="text-align: center;">calmly </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">and charmed them with her
deep, clear eyes, her fine smile and her delicate gestures. She
always gave them some hope of conquering her, but she imposed strange
conditions on them.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> Each of those suitors had to go through three
trials on his word of honor as a <i>samurai</i> to show her his true worth,
and in order to prove his love </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span> </span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">they
were forbidden to reveal to anyone the nature of these trials... All
agreed to these conditions.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> However, after being put to the test for
the first time, many of them failed or gave up hope of seducing
Aoyagi. For those who had submitted to the second test, they were no
longer to be seen... Almost always, they left the city to visit
relatives or friends in the countryside. Finally, the few young men
who had successfully participated in the first two events also fled
without return, but with a disturbing rumour spreading. Certainly,
they must have been terrorized, but only vague insinuations could be
obtained from their relatives, to which were added the bitter
complaints and recriminations of their families...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> Those who knew
nothing of the mystery surrounding Aoyagi whispered that the
beautiful maiden was a <i>kitsune otome</i> [</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN">狐乙女</span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">, a "fox maiden"] who concealed a demon's heart, monstrously
cruel, under such a pure and charming appearance. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> When all the men of
high rank and of the most prominent or wealthy families had deserted
the house of Aoyagi and his parents, a young sailor entered the
harbor and walked a few streets into the city... The residents of the
neighborhood watched him out of the corner of their eyes. It was not
lacking in allure. He seemed brave, loyal, and well-mannered </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span> </span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">but
all his earthly possessions fit in the bag he carried on his
back, which caused a few sharp smiles and many smirks to raise
eyebrows in his wake. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> He only had to walk along
Aoyagi's garden to see her and forget about going back to his
ship... He had never heard a word about her, in his long-distance travels, but he
only had to see her to fall in love </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span> deeply, madly, </span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">passionately... He was already thinking of nothing else but her. He kept coming back and forth, singing her name or whispering it as in a dream. After a short while, he boldly introduced himself and he was received by
Aoyagi's parents. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> This young man's name was Saburō Fukakusa [</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN">深草三郎</span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">,
Saburō is traditional for the "third son" in the family]. He had
just turned nineteen. He looked poor, and plagued with bad luck. Still, the
people in charge of Aoyagi's home gave him a warm welcome, and he was told that the girl was not insensible to his charm, when she had seen his
beautiful deep blue eyes.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> In the evening, Aoyagi showed up and brought him
a hearty meal of hospitality. She served him admirably, and she told him
that she would be glad to see him again. Saburō had never been
happier, and his joy was not dispelled when she made him take the
same oath as all the previous suitors. He consented, and she declared
that he would have to undergo three trials, and come out victorious
in order to conquer her.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"</span><span style="text-align: center;">The
first trial!" Tarō </span><span style="text-align: center;">announced</span><span style="text-align: center;">, clapping with both
hands on the threshold of the balcony, while Jirō kept dancing, then he struck a pose and resumed his story.</span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> Saburō
was invited to show himself carrying the yoke on his back, with
two large buckets, like a water-carrier... The oldest servant in the
house ordered him to follow them into the riding school where the
horses were exercising or parading, held in bridle. All day long, he
helped the grooms in their domestic duties. He had to bring water and brush, refresh and cork the horses. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> In the evening, the
old servant called Saburō and ordered him to stand on the stool of
the family cart. "Easily done!" He thought, although the young man could only put one foot down at a time to
keep his balance. It was not so simple, since he always had to carry
his yoke and buckets. When he had placed himself on top of the
chariot, the servants filled them to the brim with water. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> The servants told Saburō that he would have to spend three times
thirty-three nights standing like this, without a drop of water being spilled.
He was free to rest or sleep in the morning... If he did well, he would be received by his beloved Aoyagi.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> From that point on, whether it was in a shower or a squall, or even on the
darkest nights, he kept vigil standing on his ladder. Every morning,
at dawn, the servants came to relieve him of his painful burden. The
poor young man was fainting, exhausted.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> However, Saburō was
determined to win. He didn't let a drop of water fall in
the sand of the merry-go-round... Even when it was raining all night and one couldn't be so sure about the outcome, his struggle was even greater.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> The wind couldn't keep him awake all night. The cold soon
numbed his limbs. And his whole body was stretched incessantly, like
the string of a bow, in this impossible stillness. Pain or
frustration could drive him crazy, make him faint </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span> </span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">or
howl like a wolf... And yet, he remained silent and he kept his promise. All
the servants of the house were astonished and they started to show him some respect.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> When ninety-nine nights had passed, the hundredth night was given to
him to converse with Aoyagi. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Of all my suitors, none has shown
so much patience or resistance!" she told him, with a smile. "I wanted a husband who knew how to remain master of
himself, when circumstances demanded it. You've proven your worth. My
parents should approve and bless our union, just as I would like to see you win
the second round, for I feel that I will be able to love you in the end..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"</span><span style="text-align: center;">What
a painful ordeal!" Kazuō sighed, shuddering a little.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> Jirō
had observed a remarkable stillness during his story. His tense poses, suspended and athletic with his graceful moves, became
freer and closer to dance, following the sensual curves of his fleshy
body. He was glistening with sweat, but he went back to his tale quietly.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> Having
won the first trial, Saburō was allowed to go to the <i>nakōdo</i> [</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN">仲人</span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">,
the matchmaker]. In her shop, the old woman first invited him to
undress, for she had been instructed to measure and weigh him before
entering the second test.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> Saburō didn't need to be asked twice. Naked and standing, on an empty stomach, he was taller than he appeared at
first sight. And he weighed twenty-four <i>kanme</i> [</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN">貫目</span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">,
about 200lbs] healthy and vigorous, as might be expected from a
young sailor already well versed in all the exercises of the body. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> With a deep sigh, the <i>nakōdo</i> told him that, if he was going to show
up for the second test, Aoyagi would first require him to provide his
parents with a <i>koku</i> [</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN">石</span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">,
about 300lbs] of brown rice, as well as one hundred <i>sho</i> [</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN">升</span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">,
about 180 liters] of beer, in a single delivery of as many bags and
as many vats as would be necessary...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> It meant a whole lot of money. Saburō couldn't afford it. However,
since he had resided in the harbour district, his handsome face, his fierce character and his accommodating manners had won him the
sympathy of many... People soon raised a
good part of the money for amounts of rice and beer requested. Saburō had
to go deep into debt to pay for the rest and get it delivered inside the house of Aoyagi's family. He was not discouraged, and he
finally managed to knock on their door with all the food and drink
they had ordered. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> This demonstration of goodwill
made him most welcome. Aoyagi's parents didn't hide how </span><span style="text-align: center;">impressed</span><span style="text-align: center;"> they were. Treating him as their
future son-in-law, they invited Saburō to take a long bath, then rest all night in that warm, soothing steam. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> The
handsome young man fancied himself the prince of a palace of dreams, all gold and silk painted in white and blue, where the sea and the sky
merged forever in of some boundless, light mist. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> The next
morning, before dawn, an old woman from the house came to wake him up
by roughing him up... Saburō was pushed from room to room into a
dark and seemingly abandoned stable. There, a cook in a white apron,
sturdy and obtuse, forced him into a small enclosure in a corner of
the building, and closed the plank fence behind him.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> Still dizzy, the
young man suddenly found himself sitting cross-legged on a </span><i style="text-align: center;">tatami</i><span style="text-align: center;">
mat, in front of a coffee table where a huge dish of saffron rice was
waiting for him, with curried chicken, bananas, lots of sauce and a
huge mug of beer...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"</span><span style="text-align: center;">The
second trial!" Tarō </span><span style="text-align: center;">announced</span><span style="text-align: center;">, knocking again on the balcony
threshold. Jirō put his clenched fists on the floor and resumed his
story.</span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> The
cook told him to "Eat!" in a snappy tone, before
leaving him alone, as if he had been talking to a beast in the
stable. "Nothing could be simpler!" said Saburō to
himself, who was hungry after such a sudden awakening, even though he
was not used to such a feast.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> He immediately began to eat, with a
good appetite. The sauce was thick, spicy and rich. The bananas
were ripe. The chicken offered large, tender pieces. The whole dish
was filled with brown rice, which was very nutritious, and which
weighed heavily in his stomach! Finally, the beer must have been
tapped a short time ago </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span> </span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">refreshing
as it can be but rather strong for a boy like him... </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> Saburō was about
halfway through his meal when a group of three cooks, cantankerous
and surly, opened the fence of his pen and laid down a new dish
overflowing with brown rice, covered in sautéed bean sprouts and
caramelized sauce, with about forty hot beef skewers. The last one
was still carrying a mug of beer.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> These three old women, boisterous
and talkative, reproached him very sharply, when they saw that he had
not yet finished eating his first meal of the morning. They made a
few more stinging comments, to shame him, finally ordering him to eat
and drink "faster, faster"... </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> When he was alone, Saburō
considered the food he was surrounded by. He was trying to figure out
exactly what everyone expected of him... Shrugging his shoulders, he
began to eat at a rapid pace. He tried to stuff himself with all
these good things, without forgetting to enjoy himself.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> Before the
sun broke through the few broken tiles of the roof, his belly was
full but the stoves were coming to him for the third time... They
would take the dishes and bowls to make sure he had eaten everything,
and then they would order him to eat new hearty and imposing dishes,
with lots of rice, huge sashimi of salmon, tuna and so on </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span> </span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">always
with a lot of sauce and a lot of beer.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> When the sun was
about to set, poor Saburō could no longer swallow anything, despite
his best efforts, which brought him further bitter reproaches and
harsh comments. His belly was about to burst! The master of the
kitchen came back to see him, looking bad. He grabbed him and pushed
him to the bathroom where he had spent such a sweet night the night
before... </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"You haven't eaten enough today!" the cook said
surly, giving him a loud slap on the buttocks. "You're going to
have to eat, if you hope to win this event!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> Saburō was
unceremoniously laid on a wooden table covered with a sheet, in the
steam of the bathroom, where a <i>mōmoku no hōji</i> [</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN">盲目の僧</span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">,
a blind monk] was waiting for him. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> He was almost a teenager... He
bowed respectfully when he heard Saburō sigh. He introduced himself
and explained that he practiced <i>momiryōji</i> [</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN">揉み療治</span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">,
the art of therapeutic massage] according to the consecrated rites.
He had been put back in his hands to help him relax after a hard day.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> Exhausted, Saburō let it happen. While smearing him with oils all
over his body, the blind masseur spoke to him in a gentle, soothing
way, and gave him valuable advice. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"The instructions we received
are very simple, but very demanding, especially as far as you're
concerned! You're going to have to stay locked in the enclosure all
day for ninety-nine days... Before this time is over, you must have
drunk all the beer that you brought into this house, and have
consumed all the rice, as the master of the kitchen pleases. You
tasted a slight sample of it today: a lot of fish and meat, a lot of
sauces, curry and other spices, a lot of bacon..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> Hearing him
list the dishes like this, Saburō groaned. Still, he did not lose
heart. Since he had just understood the challenge that had been
imposed on him, he was determined to win this second trial. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> The next
morning, he sat in front of the low table in his pen and
soon stuffed himself to face the huge amount of food served to him,
until nightfall... Each sip of beer went on as long as it could, and
he struggled to swallow large mouthfuls, pushing the rice down his
gullet to gobble it up more greedily! He would not be given a
moment's respite, but he knew that time was running out.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> At the end
of the day, his belly was full, well rounded and his skin was more
taut than it should be... The cook looked at him with a grunt,
nodding approvingly. A massage was welcome, as the poor young man was
so well satisfied!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"You ate well today..." said his friend
the masseur, as he smeared his back and shoulders with oils. "We'll
soon know if that was enough, or if you'll have to make another
effort to make sure that not a drop of beer is left at the bottom of
the last jar, and not a grain of rice is left at the bottom of the
last bag."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> For a week, Saburō did nothing but eat and drink
without restraint, sitting in his pen and very docile when the cooks
still brought him large quantities of grilled beef with sautéed
vegetables, large quantities of chicken curry and bananas, simmered
in coconut milk, and more huge dishes of brown rice still prepared in
very rich sauces, spicy, sweet and salty, not so easy to digest...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> Acting like such a glutton, Saburō felt heavy and sloppy. He hoped that he had already eaten a considerable amount of food, but his
friend the masseur had to undeceive him by telling him of his fears
about the outcome of the ordeal.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"The master growled again, today..."
he said calmly. "Judging by the whispers of our homebody
cooks, it wasn't a grunt of satisfaction! It's going to take a little
effort."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> Saburō let out a sigh, but he wouldn't be discouraged.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> From then on, he tried to make the most of all the time he spent in
his enclosure to gorge himself as much as possible, from morning to
night... The dishes followed one another, copious and nourishing. The
cooks treated him like a pig that their master had fattened. He
feasted on everything that was served to him, got drunk from drinking
too much beer, and still asked for food! Above all, he did not leave
a grain of rice at the bottom of a bowl at the end of each meal.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> A
few days went by, then the entire week... Saburō seemed to have
gradually resigned himself to his fate. One night, during one of his
long daily massages, his blind friend confided in him that he found
it a little thicker, softer and smoother under his palms. He asked
his permission to feel his way to make sure of this progress. Saburō
couldn't ask for more. He stood up and let his young friend feel,
weigh and squeeze his whole body, with precise and expert gestures,
surrounded by steam in which he was sweating profusely. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Just as I thought..." he said, feeling it patiently. "It
didn't take long for you to get fat. You were pretty thin after the
first test. The difference is already noticeable. Our cook must be
starting to think you're a little plump. We're going to feed you
well, and you know you've got huge amounts of rice left to gobble up.
If you really want to win this event, your body won't be able to stay
so thin and slender!" </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> Saburō understood that his friend was
warning him, without reproaching him but not without subtlety,
against the consequences of his victory, if he lived up to their
expectations... Still, he told him he wouldn't give up.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> For several
weeks, Saburō devoted all his time and effort to filling his
belly </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span> </span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">by
gorging himself on food and drinking beer in long draughts. Sitting
in front of the coffee table, naked in the enclosure, he hurried to
swallow huge quantities of rice, meat and fish, sautéed vegetables,
fritters and bananas.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> All the dishes were covered in sauces, grilled
with lots of butter or filled to the brim with greasy broth... He
behaved almost like a pig: he ate noisily, and burped without apology
after drinking his tankard, with one gulp! The cooks laughed at him
and pointed at him, pawing and cackling after he had put down yet
another dish overflowing with rice and chicken curry. There weren't
too many of them to carry them...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> Saburō did not listen to them. He
wasted no time in stuffing himself, grabbing handfuls of rice and
meat in sauces and bringing them to his mouth, with both hands at
once. Doubtless, the sacks of rice they had brought would disappear,
one after the other, in the shed. Each of his meals ended with tasty
desserts, and a whole bunch of bananas to go with his mugs of beer.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"You're fattening, Saburō. You've become tender and chubby..."
said his friend as he massaged him every night. "And in a little
while we will have fed you so well that you will be terribly round
and puffy!" </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> A little drunk, and well satiated, Saburō listened
to his friend's advice, but he only shrugged his shoulders... Sitting
in his enclosure, he thought only of stuffing himself, without any
restraint! However, the days passed. What the blind masseur had
suggested was to be true: the young sailor was getting drunk... His
emaciated face became chubby as his beard grew, and he became so
sluggish that he had to give up his slim waist for good.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> Around him,
the cooks' comments were rife... The servants murmured. The master of
the kitchens contented himself with grunting contentedly when he
seized him to lock him up in his enclosure at dawn and to bring him
out at nightfall. After a few loud slaps, the better to feel him all
over his body, he only told him to fill and round his belly </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span> </span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">like
a real pig. Saburō spent all his time feasting and gorging himself,
better and better, moaning with contentment... He was not toIt was
possible to make him swallow another mouthful when he had finished
his last dish of the evening! </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> Days passed. The quantities of food
increased in front of him, with each new meal. Only his determination
had not changed. He faced it, determined to take up the challenge,
and he seemed to have resigned himself to his fate, once and for
all... </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"You're fattening, Saburō. You've become all clumsy,
unctuous and plump..." said his friend the blind masseur, every
night. "And in a little while we will have fed you so well that
you will be terribly heavy and plump!" </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> These recommendations had
become unnecessary. Fully satisfied, at the end of a long day, Saburō
still listened to his young friend but he only shrugged his
shoulders... And he was still burping a huge heep, which echoed
through the whole house. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> Weeks passed. The handsome and handsome
sailor, so slender when he had been shut up in the paddock, had
become monstrously obese. He was the talk of the town. From his
cheekbones to his ankles, and from the nape of his neck to his heels,
his whole body was fleshy and plump, as if stuffed with too much
meat...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> Still sitting at the table, naked and sweaty, his cheeks
flushed, and his skin stretched to the point that it seemed as if he
would burst at any moment, his belly kept swelling, again and
again </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span> </span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">before
his eyes, like a bubble, with each new bite he swallowed! </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"I
don't want to lull you with false hopes, Saburō..." his
friend said at last, late at night. "But you ate well! You've
fattened up so well that I feel like I'm kneading dough, massaging
you like this... The supply of beer and brown rice has dwindled but
you don't have many days left to spend locked in your enclosure.
You'll have to make a little more effort!" </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> Saburō couldn't ask
for more. He regained hope. His determination had remained intact,
unyielding as steel, ever since he had agreed to submit to this
ordeal. However, his body had thickened and weighed down... The young
monk suggested that he accompany him at dawn when the cook came to
fetch him. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> His help was welcome. The brown rice dish that awaited
Saburō, in his small enclosure, was a veritable mountain covered in
meats and curry sauce. After having him describe this imposing feast
in a few words, the young monk invited Saburō, genuinely
intimidated, to sit comfortably and relax to let him force-feed him. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> Holding him still, with one hand firmly against the back of his neck,
he grabbed handfuls of food and shoved them into Saburō's throat,
who grunted and groaned, but swallowed whatever he was forced to
swallow. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> Before the end of the morning, a servant took pity on the
blind boy... His assistance was eagerly accepted, and Saburō found
himself so well fed that he was able to leave his enclosure at
nightfall without a grain of rice or a crumb of grilled tuna left in
the dishes! He couldn't help but enjoy his last mug of beer, before
going to sleep. The skin of his belly was tighter than that of the
largest ceremonial drum in the nearby temple.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> More days went by...
Provisions were dwindling. The whole city and the port resounded with
his praises, as the whole neighborhood resounded with his burps...
Saburō let himself be force-fed, a good appHe was in good company,
very docile. After one last dish of rice, the most monumental he had
ever faced, he was allowed to enjoy a few mugs of beer with bananas
and fried fritters </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span> </span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">until
there was nothing left of what he had been asked to bring! </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Here's
a contender who's finally making the cut!" said the cook, proudly.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> Saburō's victory was heralded in town as an event of the
utmost importance. Everyone was amazed... As he rested to come to his
senses, he was told that the beautiful Aoyagi longed to see him
again. He was really exhausted, however, and still so drowsy that the
blind monk who waited on him recommended that he should first be
allowed to sleep and digest for a few days.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> When he felt he had
recovered, the <i>nakōdo</i> told him that they still had to weigh him to
mark the end of this ordeal... Saburō couldn't ask for more. After
stuffing himself insistently for months, and after being force-fed
for weeks like a prized pig, he had to put on weight </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span> </span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">and
bacon! </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> The whispers spread, as if in echoes, when they saw him
coming. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> His manly figure, once slender and limber, had grown generously
round... His plump, prorupt muscles were all coated, as if glued,
under a thick layer of fat. He had trimmed his beard a little, but
you could tell he was chubby. He had abandoned his leaping tiger
waist for a beautiful elephant belly, largely blooming and swaying
limply at every step. Fat and clumsy, his gait had become slower and
more attractive. He presented himself all the better because everyone
remembered seeing him as weak and clumsy </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="zh-CN"><span style="font-size: medium; text-align: justify;">—</span> </span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">nervous like a whiplash. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> He was glistening with sweat, and he was
smiling. His whole body, magnificently well fleshed, exuded health.
His appetite must have been insatiable, and this good opinion of him
helped him to appear in his best light. He had been misjudged... He
was rather personable, friendly and good-looking. A plump and clumsy
young man like him could only be a "good dough"! </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> This tall,
handsome boy had changed a great deal, indeed. In a little more than
three months, Saburō had gained more than fourteen <i>kanme</i> [around 120lbs]... </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> Confirmation of this news was received with joy by Aoyagi. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Of
all my suitors, none had shown such an appetite or such an ability to
enjoy well!" she told him, with a thin smile. "I wanted a
husband who would enjoy life and who could surpass himself, even in
excess, when circumstances demanded it... You've proven your worth.
My parents will certainly approve of our union, for better or for
worse... And I'd be happy to see you win the last round, because I
feel that then I'll love you passionately!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"What
a delightful ordeal..." Kazuō whispered, shuddering with
pleasure.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> With
great talent, Jirō shared the emotions of his hero and the
twists and turns of his adventure with his comrades. This exercise was
physically demanding... He ran his hand through his blonde hair,
which fell over his forehead, covered in sweat. He had taken pains to
evoke the fattening of the character, his courageous attitude and the
appreciable fame that his well-deserved obesity brought him. Catching
his breath, he assumed a more solemn pose, and his voice grew deeper
in the cool autumn night.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> From
then on, Saburō could be considered Aoyagi's fiancé, with her consent. For a few days he was treated as the new man of the family,
surrounded by attentions and little cares by all the servants,
admitted to the table of his future parents-in-law with great
consideration, and remarkably well fed to help him rest better.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> During these meals, which were so warm, which allowed him to regain
his strength, to establish himself in a new equilibrium and even to
gain a little more weight, the only thing missing was the one that
Saburō wanted to keep always close to him so that the harmony would
be perfect. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> Aoyagi never showed herself on such occasions, when his
company would have afforded him so much pleasure. His parents avoided
broaching the subject. She remained retired to her room, and did not
see her fiancé until a very late hour of the night.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> One evening, she
finally let him know that he would have to be ready for the litmus test, the last task she imposed on him.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"</span><span style="text-align: center;">The
third trial!" Tarō announced, pounding the threshold of the
balcony with his fists. Jirō took a deep breath and, after a few
more dance steps, always a bit too heavy and clumsy, he sat up
peacefully and resumed his story.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> Aoyagi
returned after midnight, dressed all in white, like a wandering soul, and she
motioned to Saburō to follow her wherever she went, without uttering
a word. They hurried out of the house. The whole town was asleep... </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> The weather was gloomy, with an <i>oborozuki yo</i> [</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN">朧月夜</span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">,
"blurred moonnight"]. It was on such a night that ghosts,
demons, and sorcererous animals loved to wander the streets of the
city. Aoyagi showed Saburō the way, with a quick and confident step.
The dogs howled as they passed, like wolves. They made their way past
the last small houses, to hills shaded by tall trees, where there was
an old cemetery... Aoyagi opened the gate, which creaked a little.
She entered </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span> </span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">like
a lonely, white shadow into the darkness.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> The young sailor walked
slowly behind her, ponderous, silent, and worried. Gradually, as his
eyes became accustomed to the darkness, he followed her </span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span> then, </span><span style="text-align: center;">suddenly, he <i>saw</i> her! </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> She had stopped by a freshly dug grave, motioning for him
to wait. The gravedigger's tools were still lying around, here and
there. Grabbing one of them, she began to dig furiously, with strange
haste and strength. She slapped the lid of a coffin, snatched it off
with a sharp gesture, and revealed a corpse </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span> the</span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> small corpse of a child! Then, with frantic and demonic movements,
she tore off one arm of the corpse, white and chubby, broke it, and
began to devour it with delight.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> Then, throwing the other arm of the dead child at </span><span style="text-align: center;">Saburō</span><span style="text-align: center;">, she shouted to him, "Eat, if you love me!
Eat, for this is what I eat!" </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> He did not hesitate for a second. Crouching on the other side of the tomb, Saburō ate half of that plump arm and told his fiancée:</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"<i>Oishii
da yo</i> [</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN">美味しいだよ</span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">,
"It's delicious"]... I'll gladly eat this every night!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Indeed, this plump, little white arm
was made of the best <i>kashi</i> [</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN">菓子</span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">,
pastry] that could be found in the region. Then the girl sprang to
her feet, bursting out laughing. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Of all my betrothed, so proud
of their courage and willpower, you are the only one who did not run
away... I wanted a husband who knew no fear, or who knew how to
overcome it. It was the ultimate test I could impose on you. You've
just proved your worth to me. My parents will approve of my choice
and our union. You're a man, and I love you!" </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> Aoyagi came and
sat down next to Saburō, opened the flaps of her kimono and
presented him with a whole family of dolls with chubby cherubs' figures
that she had made for him, offering to stuff him with these pastries
down to the last grains of sugar... Her handsome, fat fiancé
couldn't ask for more, so his belly was heavily filled with patsries when
they returned to their new home as newlyweds.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"What
a terrible ordeal!" Kazuō concluded, laughing, not without a tinge of delicious terror. "But it ends well for our
hero. It's a funny story, and there's something of a lesson in there too..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><div>■ ■ ■</div><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><i>In
the dining room</i> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="zh-CN"><span style="font-size: medium;">一</span></span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> late hours of the night</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> The
tale danced by Jirō should have left the storyteller completely exhausted. It </span><span style="text-align: center;">invited everyone to fall into a deep sleep, after they had enjoyed such a voluptuous thrill. As they exchanged a mischievous look, Tarō and Jirō placed themselves on either side of Kazuō to kiss him on both
cheeks, tease him and rub him all over his body. They appreciated the whole
mass of his belly, fat and full as he was after such a long and copious meal. Always naughtier than his brother, Jirō wasn't staisfied with
hugs and kisses. He covered Kazuō's torso and stomach with
licks and bit his nipples, his love handles or the plump
and cozy bulge under his navel, </span><span style="text-align: center;">voraciously, </span><span style="text-align: center;">always hitting the most sensitive spots. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> With
four hands working on kneading his body like a big ball of dough,
constantly enveloping him, grasping, turning and flipping, cherishing him, cuddling and coddling,
making his body bounce and bump against theirs, Kazuō experienced that particular pleasure of finding
himself the tallest, biggest... and fattest bo</span><span style="text-align: center;">y in the band</span><span style="text-align: center;">.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> Even when Tarō
and Jirō finally lay down, sleeping next to him, always with a hand
on his thigh or softly snuggled up against him, a shiver ran down his
spine and spread itself out to his companions, pinching their deepest heartstrings even in their sleep,
perhaps even in their dreams...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrMd8UokbT1EWILBcyrCdBa-yJq6V7c1fnNgWi1tPww1h-IJEqq49I18NqtKUtK6ahVPBaF8zOylPZ-Q7mu2aKIlYUgr0d7KdrKbcda5mGdwPGTE9HcWVZU5GUaeC8vvbARTEtCLUdaLm3VLtD_Sar9z4UzHbNLhI0f_7nk6mdrKHf-lQZ-sqko2-FEghL/s3084/23.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1563" data-original-width="3084" height="324" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrMd8UokbT1EWILBcyrCdBa-yJq6V7c1fnNgWi1tPww1h-IJEqq49I18NqtKUtK6ahVPBaF8zOylPZ-Q7mu2aKIlYUgr0d7KdrKbcda5mGdwPGTE9HcWVZU5GUaeC8vvbARTEtCLUdaLm3VLtD_Sar9z4UzHbNLhI0f_7nk6mdrKHf-lQZ-sqko2-FEghL/w640-h324/23.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"I can't believe my luck..." Kazuō mused. "They were both right about me. The life we lead here together is too sweet for us, especially for me, not to enjoy
it to the fullest. Now I'll be happy to push Tarō to
fight harder... and Jirō is just waiting for the next opportunity to fatten me up like a prized pig!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><div>■ ■ ■</div><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><i>In
the house</i> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="zh-CN"><span style="font-size: medium;">一</span> </span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">cloudy
morning</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> Tarō
and Jirō were finally back. It must have been such a terrible night for
them... They were still dirty and muddy, with dead leaves in
their hair and blades of grass in their beards. On the other hand, they had won that game: each boy carried a huge, dead boar </span><span style="text-align: center;">on his back</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">. This
was no ordinary game... presented to him on the floor, those beasts looked larger
than grown men.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> Kazuō could consider them. Tarō didn't lie about this. He
had not even exaggerated when he described the boar he had slaughtered
as "monstrous", prodigiously large and fat... The other
male looked just so large </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span> </span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">they had to be frightfully fierce when they wandered in the woods! There was enough meat on them to feed the boys for months. Tarō could finally feel reassured, as he kept thinking of the coming winter.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Not a moment to lose... It's time </span><span style="text-align: center;">to gorge and stuff ourselves!" Jirō </span><span style="text-align: center;">announced, almost licking his lips</span><span style="text-align: center;">.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> Nothing
could make Tarō fell better or give him greater pleasure than to see his little brother eat more and more food, with a
voracious appetite </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span> </span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">and
to consider how this diet based on well-marbled, red meat was
finally making him fatter, day after day...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"T</span><span style="text-align: center;">old you... This is what you need. Fresh meat, red meat!"</span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"</span><span style="text-align: center;">Yes, Tarō."</span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"</span><span style="text-align: center;">Eat, Jirō! Eat meat and enjoy..."</span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"</span><span style="text-align: center;">Hmmmph... Yes,
Tarō..." he repeated with his mouth full.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> For
more than a week, the three young men were only focused on gorging themselves from sunrise to sunset, then until late into the night. Jirō spent hours in
front of his pots and stoves, then he did his best to eat almost as
much as Kazuō. There was always so much food... Tarō devoured everything he was served, sinking his teeth into thick, juicy steaks! Jirō was no less gready than him, eating beef, chicken, duck, fish and shrimps, eggs, rice, pasta, fruit,
and pastries. His efforts were also rewarded. Every morning, the handsome
blonde boy got up and thumped his own belly, with a smile on his face.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"What do you say, </span><span style="text-align: center;">Tarō? I feel like I've put on some good weight..."</span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"</span><span style="text-align: center;">Yes, Jirō. You're getting fat... You've grown plump and meaty."</span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"</span><span style="text-align: center;">I should be really chubby, soon!"</span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"</span><span style="text-align: center;">That's for sure, Jirō. I
trust you're going to eat well."</span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"</span><span style="text-align: center;">Eat well? I'm going to binge and gorge until I pass out!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> Proud
of the plump and plushy curves in his body, Jirō prepared more and more
tasty dishes, more and more nutritious meats, which he let simmer for a
long time. Naturally, Kazuō
received more than his fair share of food. Jirō's belly finally looked eager to grow round and fat, but he didn't forget to feed his "prey" as often as possible </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span> </span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">as much as possible.</span><span style="text-align: center;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> Kazuō's belly kept swelling, day after day... Tarō, on the other hand,
gained weight in an astonishing way. It was almost all muscle mass, which
made him more imposing but still slender, lean and nervous,
while the other two young men became more and more obese... Jirō had a lot of fun acting "clumsy",
as he walked back and forth carrying laundry or various utensils, while Tarō and Kazuō fought in the sand.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"</span><span style="text-align: center;">How
good it is to feel that round and heavy belly, when you haven't eaten
yet!" he said to them cheerfully.</span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"</span><span style="text-align: center;">Yes, Jirō."</span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"</span><span style="text-align: center;">Train well! I hope you're hungry..."</span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"</span><span style="text-align: center;">Yes, Jirō...
Prepare us a good meal."</span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"</span><span style="text-align: center;">You're in for a treat! And I'm
going to stuff myself full of fish, meat, potato omelets, rice, stir-fried noodles and </span><span style="text-align: center;">vegetables,</span><span style="text-align: center;"> with lots and lots of bacon... I want that bacon to stick to my bones!"</span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"</span><span style="text-align: center;">Yes, Jirō."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> Tarō wouldn't let himself be distracted like this. He let out a sigh.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"</span><span style="text-align: center;">You can hardly get much thicker than this..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> The
balance of power was no longer the same between Tarō and Kazuō,
during their training or in their fights... Every morning, Kazuō looked noticeably bigger, rounder and fatter. He
was also slower but he took the hits better. Tarō enjoyed facing someone who was able to lift him up or push him out of the circle. He </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">didn't quite respond as he should have, neither fast enough nor
strong enough.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> Their fights became languid and sensual, when they were exhausted. Still, Tarō was undeterred and he remained focused. After their last
fight, in the shower, his opponent was his partner
again and he encouraged him to keep it up.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"</span><span style="text-align: center;">When
you've become a true champion, Tarō..."</span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"</span><span style="text-align: center;">Yes, Kazuō?"</span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"</span><span style="text-align: center;">Your fans will find it hard to believe that you were
training alone with such an obese and chubby partner!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkJQDpuSz2QTb51mMVdEsAEqJQSm8869VSQe9_GoTtQg2t7eoZnhl7dI_bTgN6eWzC5IfnSkmtz_12Dwd1DHGLwnK6m6Hda3VLUcxRS3N09vQfN7MkCuMMfOt8cZqG5xSefj0thY0iVbiYUNEPjN6G8j3Zi3WFUUaeSEv1Iu2T8HS1oIi0OND8rs_kkb1-/s1724/24.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1308" data-original-width="1724" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkJQDpuSz2QTb51mMVdEsAEqJQSm8869VSQe9_GoTtQg2t7eoZnhl7dI_bTgN6eWzC5IfnSkmtz_12Dwd1DHGLwnK6m6Hda3VLUcxRS3N09vQfN7MkCuMMfOt8cZqG5xSefj0thY0iVbiYUNEPjN6G8j3Zi3WFUUaeSEv1Iu2T8HS1oIi0OND8rs_kkb1-/w640-h486/24.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">– <span face="Verdana, sans-serif">"They'll believe it, and so should you</span>!" Tarō </span><span style="text-align: center;">laughed</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">. "It works best for me that you're so heavy, and obese... I'm serious, I could introduce you as
my <i>sensei</i> [</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN">先生</span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">,
"master"] before the tournament."</span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">– <span face="Verdana, sans-serif">"</span>Really? I've
got to train a little bit better, then."</span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">– <span face="Verdana, sans-serif">"</span>Oh, yes! For
starters, you're going to eat a little bit better."</span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">– <span face="Verdana, sans-serif">"</span>I'm going to grow even fatter, if you insist so much..."</span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">– <span face="Verdana, sans-serif">"</span>You can afford it, you know... I won't make much progress if you don't put on more weight. And I don't want
to hit you and hurt you... That's why a good, thick layer of lard is good to protect you!"</span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">– <span face="Verdana, sans-serif">"</span>You're
right..." Kazuō blushed.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> The
whole house was already filled with the smells of grilled meat.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Time to eat!" Jirō called to them from the kitchen. "You
spend too much time in the shower... Come and eat your fill with
me, both of you! I'm hungry and I want you to stuff yourselves,
too."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><div>■ ■ ■</div><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><i>In front
of the terrace</i> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="zh-CN"><span style="font-size: medium;">一</span> </span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">dusk
and mist over the forest</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Kazuō was pouring himself another big bowl of stew. Already well satiated, he wanted to reward Jirō
who had just finished the tale of an ancient warrior turned pilgrim who had to thwart the tricks of certain ghosts he met in the
mountain... His song and danc, his cheerful story and the slightly clumsy but graceful moves of that handsome and magnificently plump
boy made for quite a thrill. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> In the forest, cicadas
rustled softly.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"I could listen to</span><span style="text-align: center;"> another tale..." Kazuō said with his mouth full.</span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"</span><span style="text-align: center;">Right now?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> Jirō was sweating so much, he had to catch his breath.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Drink
another large mug of beer..." Tarō suggested.</span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"I feel so hot, I could drink a whole barrel</span><span style="text-align: center;">!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> With yet another big bowl full of gravy, meat and stir-fried noodles,
Kazuō showed more than an appetite... His stomach was already quite full,
but Tarō and Jirō strongly encouraged him to gorge and grow fatter.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"You too, eat some more..." Tarō said to his brother.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"No problem... This tale made me hungry!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"It's quite all right. The days are starting to fade... We're already shrouded in
mist. Soon, the cold will set in... There will be snow and frost. We should be better prepared for it."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"You're
right."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Then stuff your face, Jirō! Eat and enjoy yourself, just like Kazuō... You
have to grow thicker and store a lot more fat on your frame for this winter."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Yes,
Tarō."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Sitting on the <i>tatami</i> mats, the fat boys ate even faster, silent but messy.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRP
!!!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"How
about you sing something for a change, to entertain us?" Jirō suggested.
"While I keep devouring all that meat to grow fat like a hog?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Very well..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Tarō was not naturally inclined to
sing or dance. As he closed the large wooden panels around the
house, softly, one after the other, he recited in a clear voice:</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> "</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN">頓て死ぬけしきは見えず蝉の声</span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> (Cicadas will die</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> so soon </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span> you wouldn't know it</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> when you hear them sing...)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><div>■ ■ ■</div><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><i>In
the bedroom</i> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="zh-CN"><span style="font-size: medium;">一</span> </span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">before
the first rays of sunlight</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Still worried that they would not have
enough food to face what looked like a harsh winter,
Tarō often went away and returned laden with heavy baskets, large
wooden crates, armfuls of vegetables, countless measures of rice and
pasta, flour, eggs, and jars of fruit and beer. He and Jirō stored
it all in the storage rooms they had dug deep inside the mountain, behind their kitchen. Satisfied, if not fully reassured, Tarō rested with
his companions for one night but he soon went out to cut wood, then to the nearest village to sell it and buy more food, more for them to eat and drink like bottomless pits... Jirō was not to be outdone. He kept catching large fish and storing them in ice, just as he carefully harvested the last vegetables and spuds from his modest garden.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"What
we need to pile up in our larder, more than anything, is red meat..." Tarō insisted. "Fat meat! I trusy you, Jirō, to cook tasty,
hearty and fattening dishes... Force yourself, if you have to, but keep eating while I'm away. I want to find you round and full but plump, when I come back."</span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">– <span face="Verdana, sans-serif">"</span>I promise,
Tarō..." Jirō replied with a laugh. "We're going to
fatten ourselves up like greedy, chubby piglets!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> In the </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">morning, before dawn,
Kazuō found his companion in front of his bed, ready to carry out
this program... Naked, athletic and meaty, with a full stomach after
a solid breakfast, Jirō was no longer just "desirable" or
"irresistible"... Kazuō knew that he was doomed. It was already too late. He would surrender and eat until he could hardly take a breath. He wanted this, no matter what, all that Jirō was ready to feed him. The blonde boy's presence by his bed was more delicious and more necessary than the air in his bedroom.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"</span><span style="text-align: center;">Kazuō?
You're hungry..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> That
wasn't a question.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Yeah, </span><span style="text-align: center;">I'm
hungry! Give me something to eat."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">–
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"I'm done cooking for today. I'm going to
feed you so much..."</span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"</span><span style="text-align: center;">Yes,
Jirō."</span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"</span><span style="text-align: center;">I'm
going to force-feed you. Like a pig."</span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"</span><span style="text-align: center;">Yes,
Jirō. Feed me like a real pig..."</span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Anf </span><span style="text-align: center;">I'm
going to fatten you up... like a prized pig!"</span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"</span><span style="text-align: center;">Oink,
oink!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">The handsome blonde boy removed the
blankets, and placed a large bowl with a dozen bananas on the bed for
Kazuō.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"How about a few bananas... for starters?"</span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">– <span face="Verdana, sans-serif">"</span>Yes, Jirō..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> Carefully chosen as they were, sizeable and ripe, these bananas
were really modest, compared to what the handsome boy showed </span><span style="text-align: center;">Kazuō,</span><span style="text-align: center;"> to please him for quite some time </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span> at least until next dawn, if </span></span></span><span style="text-align: center;">Jirō</span><span style="text-align: center;"> kept the feast going in a steady flow without taking a break...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSDbU3tGg1V7QZGkVJeQlYwUZanH4bFcUdsul2RqJmfF3EE4hK05pNzaLcOiKaqC0kN5ehe52NIW781thcUlgQd8z4GfD5nKMJESnVo_xXr9ChS1xyOmylChTrSoTK82xvlh3WJesFQV8ogmwR-3imsej_ZHF99eu1vGrIhSeXNg7LXNLVfj6cz4y5o7Fy/s1630/25.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1262" data-original-width="1630" height="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSDbU3tGg1V7QZGkVJeQlYwUZanH4bFcUdsul2RqJmfF3EE4hK05pNzaLcOiKaqC0kN5ehe52NIW781thcUlgQd8z4GfD5nKMJESnVo_xXr9ChS1xyOmylChTrSoTK82xvlh3WJesFQV8ogmwR-3imsej_ZHF99eu1vGrIhSeXNg7LXNLVfj6cz4y5o7Fy/w640-h496/25.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"</span><span style="text-align: center;">Leave
it to me, Kazuō... I'm going to feed you well."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">–
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Hmmmph... Yes, Jirō."</span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"</span><span style="text-align: center;">Eat up,
big guy... I've prepared more good food for you to enjoy."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">–
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Hmmmph... Hmmmph..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">–
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Another banana... Again!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">–
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Hmmmph... Hmmmph..."</span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"</span><span style="text-align: center;">I'm
proud of you, Kazuō... You've grown truly obese! And thanks to you,
I'm slowly getting there, too... I love being obese!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">–
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Hmmmph... Yes, Jirō."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">–
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"I'm so happy to be chubby... I want to grow really huge!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">–
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Hmmmph..."</span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"</span><span style="text-align: center;">Enjoy,
my beautiful Kazuō... There, another banana."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">–
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Hmmmph... Hmmmph..."</span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"</span><span style="text-align: center;">I'm
going to fatten you up, Kazuō! More, more... A</span><span style="text-align: center;">gain."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">–
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Hmmmph... because... Am I your
prey?"</span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"</span><span style="text-align: center;">Oh!
yes..." Jirō replied, with the same refreshing laugh. "Because
you're my prey! That's why you have to grow fatter... So much fatter..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Kazuō felt seized with the most mind-blowing vertigo.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Jirō...
Make me eat again! More!"</span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">– <span face="Verdana, sans-serif">"</span>As much as you want, Kazuō..."</span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">– <span face="Verdana, sans-serif">"</span>I need it, Jirō. I want you to really force-feed me, like a pig."</span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">– <span face="Verdana, sans-serif">"</span>Yes, Kazuō..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">The young man's voice was just so warm, booming and soothing.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"</span><span style="text-align: center;">I
want you to fatten me up like a really large pig!"</span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"</span><span style="text-align: center;">Yes, Kazuō..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– "Hmmmph... I want to grow bigger for
you..."</span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"</span><span style="text-align: center;">Kazuō..."</span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Hmmmph... Hmmmph... </span><span style="text-align: center;">I'm your prey."</span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"</span><span style="text-align: center;">Yes,
Kazuō... You are my prey. And I love you..."</span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Then,</span><span style="text-align: center;"> when I'm really obese, like... huge?"</span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"</span><span style="text-align: center;">Well, then I'm
going to devour you..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">With a naughty smile, Jirō put a
banana back in each hand, and placed a kiss on his lips, then on
his neck, moving down to his belly button with greedy
little licks. Kazuō devoured one banana after another as he watched
his beautiful blonde hair fade away and then disappear, like the last
rays of the sun on the horizon of his big belly. Then, holding back a
deep sigh with another bite of banana, he heard Jirō roar softly
like a tiger...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><div>■ ■ ■</div><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><i>On
the terrace, in front of the lake</i> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="zh-CN"><span style="font-size: medium;">一</span> </span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">full
moon</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">For a few more days and nights, alone with Jirō, Kazuō lost all sense of "days"
and "nights". Time only felt like something else he could devour. Everything that kept mankind busy, anywhere else in the world, from dawn to dusk and from evening to
morning, what they could tell each other that may be meaningful or vain,
what they could achieve that was important or pointless, all that was as
far from him as if someone tried to tell him how particles of dust could move on the surface of another planet... Coming back from a village in
the valley, Tarō brought back, among heavy baskets of
provisions, some of the rumors and smells of everyday earth. He also brought to his brother's attention the presence of the last wild
boar they had failed to hunt.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"</span><span style="text-align: center;">He's
back. And just as you suggested, he's had time to enjoy himself a bit too much. He's grown so much fatter, magnificently fat and chubby. He's all cheeks!" </span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"</span><span style="text-align: center;">You want us to chase him, then? Hunt him for god?"</span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"</span><span style="text-align: center;">I've already set many traps... There's not a night to lose."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Kazuō couldn't sleep... Jirō had so </span><span style="text-align: center;">carefully </span><span style="text-align: center;">ironed the blankets on his futon, arranged
the cushions, perfumed the room and left bowls of fruit and sweets,
all over the place, it was all in vain... The fat young man had lost the habit of sleeping alone.
The night was so bright, with a full moon thinly veiled by too many clouds. Tarō
had warned his companions about a freezing cold winter.
Without Jirō by his side, so meaty, so warm and cuddly, Kazuō felt the
night air creep inside the house and into his room, into his bed. No matter how thick he was, with a healthy layer of lard covering his body, which his
companions praised so often, he felt himself shudder. His forehead
was moist with icy sweat. It wasn't just the cold but fear that
made him tremble.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"</span><span style="text-align: center;">What's
the matter with me?" he wondered aloud.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">The forest was buzzing with
so many ominous rumours... He could still make out, above the
whistling of the wind and the brushing of the branches, the growls of
an angry boar </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span> </span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">with the distant howl of great, wild wolves. Was this a dream or
reality? As he closed his eyes, he pictured that fantastic race in the woods and how it would feel. Much to his surprise, he suddenly realized that </span><span style="text-align: center;">he couldn't see any boar anywhere </span><span style="text-align: center;">in the dark forest. He could only see branches and tree trunks passing
by in a swift motion. He could hear the wolves </span><span style="text-align: center;">howling</span><span style="text-align: center;">, their light and rushing steps going nearer and nearer. There was no wild
boar... but it was a wild boar that these wolves were hunting.
It was him! </span><span style="text-align: center;">They were going after him! He was the wild boar, the fat pig
that Tarō had described all evening to whet his brother's appetite.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"</span><span style="text-align: center;">Tarō?
Jirō?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">He got up from his bed, in a panic. Considering the black tea that Tarō
made only for him and his brother, Kazuō thought that it
must be a special blend to help them stay awake throughout the
night... Another thought occurred to him, then, which he could not discard or put into words in any way that would feel coherent or reasonable. He had never thought about it, at any time. And yet...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><div>■ ■ ■</div><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><i>On
the terrace</i> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="zh-CN"><span style="font-size: medium;">一</span> </span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">before
dawn</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Kazuō couldn't stop walking in
circles, in his bedroom.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Wolves...
Full moon. All n</span><span style="text-align: center;">ight... Wolves!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">He didn't dare leave the house...
The wind was dying away. He could no longer hear screams, howls or grunts. Those wolves must have pounced on their prey and killed him </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN"><span style="text-align: justify;">— then,</span></span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> in the morning, Tarō and Jirō would be so proud to show him the
last wild boar they had hunted to serve him more feasts with so much meat and plenty of sauce, fried </span><span style="text-align: center;">vegetables and </span><span style="text-align: center;">rice, noodles and beer!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"Wolves? I'm just a prey for wolves?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">A magnificent breakfast already awaited him by
the fire, in the middle of the living room... There were all his favorite foods too,
which he had feasted on so copiously since the day Tarō had invited him inside this strange house. Kazuō then realized, to his
horror, that he was hungry when he saw all these dishes, so
appetizing, so nutritious, served in abundance.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"</span><span style="text-align: center;">Jirō
told me so... I'm his prey! I'm their prey..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> Lost
inside the house, feeling confined against his will, he opened the kitchen door. He had never taken a look in there... What he found made him shake in horror: there were such enormous vats and cookpots, such immense ovens, such
large trays with such vast amounts of food ready to be cooked and fed to him that he stepped back at once, even though his mouth
was already watering... If Jirō had been there, in front of him or near the pantry, he knew he would force-feed him so easily, like an insatiable pig, until his gut would burst like a balloon!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">– <span face="Verdana, sans-serif">"</span>Almighty
gods!" cried Kazuō suddenly. "It was a trap. They
are <i>yōkai</i> [</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN">妖怪</span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">,
fantastic creatures]. They only wanted to feed me and fatten
me up... and devour me!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Shaking and shivering, unable to make a
decision, Kazuō sat down by the fire and immediately began to eat...
The food he was gulping down at full speed was the only comfort he
could count on now. Folded in on itself, fatly rounded and obese, it
must have looked like a huge ball of dough. The sun was slow to
rise... </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> In the light grey mist wandering over the lake, he could
make out the masculine frames of Tarō and Jirō who were finally coming home with the corpse of the third boar. His suspicions were
confirmed. In the shadows of the trees, the two young men had
turned into wolves for the night. They took on their human form again, at the
first light of dawn.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"</span><span style="text-align: center;">Kazuō...
Are you already up and ready for the day?"</span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"</span><span style="text-align: center;">We finally got the better of that boar!"</span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"</span><span style="text-align: center;">And he was even bigger and fatter than we had hoped! When Jirō's done with preparing it the way he knows best, there will be so much delicious meat.
Now you'll be able to enjoy yourself to the fullest!"</span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"</span><span style="text-align: center;">Kazuō? What's happening? You look pale..."</span></div></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">"</span><span style="text-align: center;">We could almost swear you just
saw a ghost!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="text-align: center;">(<i>To
be continued</i>...)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><b>Notes:</b> In
Japanese, a name like Ōkamiyama (</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN">狼山</span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">)
translates to "the mountain of wolves". Tarō and Jirō are
indeed wolves or werewolves in the mountains... </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> The name Fukakusa (</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN">深草</span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">)
translates to "deep herbs". The story of Saburō, told by
Jirō, is adapted from an old ghost story collected by Lafcadio Hearn
in his book <i>Glimpses of Unfamiliar Japan</i>. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> Tarō quotes another haiku by Bashō. There are many translations of that poem, more or less
evocative. This translation respects the classic cut of 5+7+5 syllables of a haiku.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><b>A
bit of Japanese history:</b> Traditionally, a <i>koku</i> (</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN">石</span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">)
of rice was the amount an adult man consumed over the course of a
year... The koku was also used as a salary paid in kind, and was used
to assess the wealth of a clan leader or the number of soldiers and
servants at his disposal. In 1600, Ieyasu Tokugawa (</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN">徳川家康</span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">),
the richest lord in Japan, had an income of about two and a half
million <i>koku</i>, more than twice as much as any other <i>daimyo</i> [</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="zh-CN">大名</span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">,
feudal lord].</span></div></span></span></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5094005257601699515.post-7228513888817886332023-12-20T09:58:00.000-08:002023-12-20T16:09:02.164-08:00Full moon in the woods (first part)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_AaqIB2R62TKkCo1HkCTcnvQNRu99IzhnmcXWhkWaio5ig0mGSLci3c3HY99XRsmMBJnNynllLQ0tl7p0lFz-cmVVaIM_yba633kgcHa7wVhLJs9PC8ZfnL4EqkjKpuPn77UzcYUeHxqjBGJJyWxP50E0czJPjx0cjoCNdtTeINLKNs2vx8xBYyzKKw-k/s400/Title.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="303" data-original-width="400" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_AaqIB2R62TKkCo1HkCTcnvQNRu99IzhnmcXWhkWaio5ig0mGSLci3c3HY99XRsmMBJnNynllLQ0tl7p0lFz-cmVVaIM_yba633kgcHa7wVhLJs9PC8ZfnL4EqkjKpuPn77UzcYUeHxqjBGJJyWxP50E0czJPjx0cjoCNdtTeINLKNs2vx8xBYyzKKw-k/w400-h303/Title.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">I</span></b><b><span style="font-size: medium;">. </span></b></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b>夏</b></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> [Summer]</span><p></p><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> “</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">雲 折折 人 を やすむる 月見 哉”</span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> (Clouds, sometimes,</span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> give us some rest </span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> from admiring the moon...)</span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">Matsuo BASH</span><span style="color: #3a3a3a; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">Ō</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> (芭蕉)</span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><i>In the mountains , as far as the eye can see</i> 一 sunny weather</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US">For almost an hour, Kazuō had been straying from his route</span></span><span lang="en-US">.</span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US"> Unaware that</span></span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US"> </span></span><span lang="en-US">he was leaving</span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US"> the paths reserved for walkers and cyclists, he kept </span></span><span lang="en-US">venturing</span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US">
into those woods... The young hiker had gotten up before dawn, as he did
every morning out of habit, but now he noticed that the sun had
finally caught up with him </span></span><span lang="en-US">on
his</span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US">
</span></span><span lang="en-US">journey..</span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US">. The
heat was almost oppressive. It felt safer to leave the plain</span></span><span lang="en-US">
awash in harsh sunlight</span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US">
for the shade of the trees, so dense but somehow more welcoming. Dressed
in simple denim and a light jacket, he walked briskly.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US"> Kazuō Kurokumasaki (</span></span><span style="color: black;">黒熊崎一雄</span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US">) had recently turned</span></span> twenty-four, and he was<span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US"> already appointed as first-class surveyor, recruited by
the third office of the commission established by the Ministry of
Water and Forests for topographic surveys and studies of natural resources in
the northern prefecture of Ishikari (</span></span><span style="color: black;">石狩国</span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US">).</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US"> Strong-willed,
ambitious and dynamic, he was the youngest employee in the office and
his colleagues called on him to take on all these </span></span><span lang="en-US">jobs</span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US">
into the field, whose files they then processed to present them in a
more </span></span><span lang="en-US">favorable</span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US">
light in order to be better rated by their superiors. As a result,
Kazuō spent most of his days outdoors, away from his hierarchy, and his career in the administration already looked like a dead end.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US"> He then realized </span></span>that<span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US"> h</span></span><span lang="en-US">e</span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US"> no longer knew where he was. His phone rang, but it was no incoming call.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "<span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><span lang="en-US">Almost
no battery, already?</span></span>"<span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><span lang="en-US"> Kazuō surveyed the
surroundings. </span></span>"<span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><span lang="en-US">And there's no signal under those
big trees..." he muttered </span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span lang="en-US">worryingly</span></span><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><span lang="en-US">.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><span lang="en-US"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><span lang="en-US"> He
no longer ran, and he felt the slope of the mountain rising little by
little under his feet. The </span></span><span lang="en-US" style="text-align: center;">sky</span><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><span lang="en-US"> was rumbling ominously, </span></span><span lang="en-US" style="text-align: center;">with the sound of</span><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><span lang="en-US">
a recent storm dying away... As he turned to try and find his way, he
suddenly stumbled over some root. Losing his balance, he only got up
after a long slide over wet rocks and large banks of moss.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US"> Sitting
in the tall grass, a little dazed and sore, Kazuō couldn't find his phone
in the inside pocket of his jacket, as i</span></span><span lang="en-US">t</span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US"> was torn off. His wallet must </span></span><span lang="en-US">have</span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US"> fallen too, now lost among the grass and stones. He couldn't even find the keys to his home...</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div>– "<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I'm
definitely out of luck today</span>."</div><div><br /></div><div> A
shimmering stream meandered below. A small wooden bridge curved over
it to span accross the water to the other side, even deeper into the forest. Kazuō finally straightened up and stepped
forward cautiously. The ground was soaked with rain. After a moment of hesitation, he chose to take off his shoes and socks to walk with a
little more confidence.</div><div> His
shirt was all muddy and torn. He removed it and made sure he had not hurt
himself in his fall... He found no blood on his clothes or on his hands. Kazuō let out a sigh of relief. His body was bruised but he hadn't cut or
skinned himself.</div><div><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US"> On
the other side of the bridge, on a small eminence of the ground at
the edge of the forest stood a small abandoned shrine of which only
the </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>shinmei</i> <i>torii </i>[神明 鳥居</span>,<span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US"> the straight and monumental gate of a Shinto shrine] remained, of a
very beautiful red, and at the end of a small path with a few
disjointed stone steps, </span></span><span lang="en-US">t</span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US">he
</span></span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US"><i>heiden </i></span></span>[幣殿,<span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US"> a building for receiving offerings from the faithful], rather small, was falling into disrepair despite the presence of several dishes
filled with vegetables, fruits, and gifts in front of the </span></span><i>saisen bako</i> [賽銭箱,<span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US"> literally the </span></span>"<span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US">offering box</span></span>"<span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US">]. For the locals, this modest
temple bore the sonorous and solemn name of </span></span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US"><i>Ōkami
Daimyōjin</i></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US">
[</span></span>大神大明神<span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US">,
the </span></span>"<span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US">Great Temple of the Greatest Spirit of the Earth</span></span>"<span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US">] </span></span><span style="color: black;">一</span><span style="color: black;">
</span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US">Kazuō almost laughed at such a stark contrast.</span></span></div><div> But
he wasn't in the mood to joke. Barefoot, he appreciated the solidity
of the bare stones, but he was not reassured. The forest surrounded
him only in silence and the sun was beginning to set. He then
realized that he could no longer find his shoes... Where had he left them? His shirt seemed to have vanished too, like a tattered cloud.</div><div><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US"> Sitting
against a bollard, Kazuō </span></span><span lang="en-US">wrapped</span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US">
his arms around his knees and began to cry. He couldn't hold back his
tears much longer</span></span>...</div><div><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US"> He</span></span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US"> pricked up his ears as he heard a</span></span><span style="color: black;"> strange </span><span lang="en-US">sound</span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US">. Wiping his cheeks with his </span></span><span lang="en-US">hand,</span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US"> he stood on his guard and listened. It was a steady breath </span></span>一<span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US"> like a mighty, wild beast </span></span>groaning<span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US">. Such a deep and raucous sound was enough to</span></span><span lang="en-US">
make anyone</span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US"> shake and shudder with
fear.</span></span></div><div><div style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0cm; padding: 0cm;"><span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US"> Kazuō shuvered but he wasn't afraid. He couldn't explain why as he knew that the creature was getting closer. It had to be immense, and he already saw its spine bristling with spikes, but he found himself disposed to fight for his Life like a fierce warrior.</span></span></span></div><div style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0cm; padding: 0cm;"><span style="color: black;"><span><span lang="en-US"> It
wasn't a wild beast but a woodcutter from the vicinity, who carried
a heavy load on his back </span></span></span><span><span style="color: black;">一</span><span style="color: black;">
</span></span><span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US">and
there were no quills or spikes but large branches of dry wood, mixed
with long twigs and held in a bundle with coarse ropes.<br /></span></span></span><span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US"> Upon
closer </span></span><span lang="en-US">observation</span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US">,
Kazuō thought that </span></span><span lang="en-US">this</span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US"> tall man was about his age. He clenched the ropes in his fists so he could carry
all that wood to his cottage. Two large, heavy baskets filled with
fresh vegetables, ripe fruit and provisions hung on either side, his
elbows holding their handles tightly against him... Loaded to the point
of staggering, he struggled and huffed and puffed with every step.<br /></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span><span lang="en-US"> Kazuō
gave him a polite greeting, but the young woodcutter looked so unusual
that he didn't know how to approach him. He wore the </span></span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US"><i>
short kimono</i></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US"> like a peasant from the ancient times, showing his bare, slender and</span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US"> muscular
legs, with simple </span></span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US"><i>waraji
</i></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US">[</span></span></span><span>草鞋</span><span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US">,
sandals made of rice straw ropes] alreday worn out by walking so much in the mountains.</span></span></span></div><div style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0cm; padding: 0cm;"><span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US"> Not
without difficulty, the woodcutter raised his head to </span></span><span lang="en-US">look
at Kazuō</span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US">, not letting his heavy load collapse. Kazuō blushed when he felt his gaze
on him... He couldn't be more than three or four years older than him </span></span></span><span><span style="color: black;">一</span><span style="color: black;">
</span></span><span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US">and
he was a handsome </span></span><span lang="en-US">man</span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US">
with youthful features, perfect blue eyes, brown hair just a
little lighter than his own and a full beard.</span></span></span><br /><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></div><div style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0cm; padding: 0cm;"><span style="color: black;">– <span><span lang="en-US">"I'm
wearing old slippers, that's true..." he said, smiling. "But
it's not smarter to go barefoot for a walk in the forest. What were you thinking?"</span></span></span><br /><span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0cm; padding: 0cm;"><span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US"> They burst out laughing, like two friends happy to be together after staying apart for a long time. However, neither of them had introduced himself so far.</span></span></span><br /><span><br /></span></div><div style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0cm; padding: 0cm;"><span>– <span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US">"My
name is Kazuō..."<br /></span></span></span><span style="color: black;">– <span><span lang="en-US">"</span></span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US"><i>Hajimemashite
</i></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US">[</span></span></span><span>はじめまして</span><span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US">,
"Nice to meet you"]."</span></span></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja5m_ru-aOlRSqHfvigc9WT7t0iaTWDvue9mrw0nL0dEBRiPZGtMQBjOOpmKvfZQytQVLMwvX-bp3ySCfKguU0b6YLWdfL6hUJGsxX1Uf_T2w-g4S-UTKHrQE48TnC86rZhsOx42LEO8ImTx4-zao3zmAwLgARBkPZt8DmlIrdMmFiPo66DtLeZySjwR3M/s1822/11.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1434" data-original-width="1822" height="504" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja5m_ru-aOlRSqHfvigc9WT7t0iaTWDvue9mrw0nL0dEBRiPZGtMQBjOOpmKvfZQytQVLMwvX-bp3ySCfKguU0b6YLWdfL6hUJGsxX1Uf_T2w-g4S-UTKHrQE48TnC86rZhsOx42LEO8ImTx4-zao3zmAwLgARBkPZt8DmlIrdMmFiPo66DtLeZySjwR3M/w640-h504/11.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US"> The
young woodcutter bowed, then he puffed out his chest as he stood straight.</span></span></span><br /><span><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0cm; padding: 0cm;"><span>– <span style="color: black;">"My
name is Tarō... Tarō </span><span style="color: #3a3a3a;">Ōkamiyama
</span><span style="color: black;">(</span></span><span><span style="color: #202122;">狼山
太郎</span></span><span>)."<br /></span><span>– <span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US">"It's
fortunate that we met like this. To tell you the truth, I'm lost..."<br /></span></span></span><span>– <span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US">"I'm
glad I've found you, then. Where did you think you were going?"<br /></span></span></span><span>– <span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US">"I
was looking for my way across the creek before that bridge."<br /></span></span></span><span>– <span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US">"Huh?" Tarō </span></span></span>asked, shaking his head. "There are many streams on the
slopes of these mountains, and many bridges all along these
streams, but I couldn't say that there are paths in
these forests, where one only goes back and forth aimlessly..."</div><div style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0cm; padding: 0cm;"><span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0cm; padding: 0cm;"><span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US"> Kazuō
was too embarrassed to answer him.</span></span></span><br /><span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0cm; padding: 0cm;"><span>– <span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US">"What
happened to your clothes?"<br /></span></span></span><span>– <span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US">"Torn to shreds, when I fell... I just lost them."<br /></span></span></span><span>– <span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US">"What
about your shoes?"<br /></span></span></span><span>– <span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US">"I
lost them too..."<br /></span></span></span><span>– <span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US">"And
you didn't carry anything else with you?"<br /></span></span></span><span>– <span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US">"Huh... That
is to say..."<br /></span></span></span><span>– <span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US">"Have
you lost </span></span><span lang="en-US">them as well</span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US">?"<br /></span></span></span><span>– <span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US">"Yes..."
Kazuō whispered, blushing.<br /></span></span></span><span style="color: black;">– <span><span lang="en-US">"</span></span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US"><i>Kimyo
na</i></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US"> [</span></span></span><span>奇妙 な</span><span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US">,
"It's strange"]..." </span></span><span style="color: black;">Tarō
</span>muttered<span style="color: black;">.</span></span></div><div style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0cm; padding: 0cm;"><span><span style="color: black;"> </span></span><br /><span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US"> Taking
a few steps to one side, the woodcutter took off his sandals.</span></span></span><br /><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></div><div style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0cm; padding: 0cm;"><span style="color: black;">– <span><span lang="en-US">"That's
a lot of stuff lost in </span></span><span lang="en-US">one</span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US">
day..." he </span></span><span lang="en-US">s</span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US">aid.
"And it </span></span><span lang="en-US">looks like you’re</span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US"> not used to walking on such steep slopes </span></span><span lang="en-US">or</span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US"> slippery rocks. I'll lend you my sandals so you can follow me."<br /></span></span></span><span>– <span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US">"This is
very generous of you. I couldn't possibly..."<br /></span></span></span><span>– <span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US">"Come
on..." Tarō said, softly but firm. "I
can't wait to get home. Then you can wear more </span></span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US">comfortable<i> komageta </i></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US">[</span></span></span><span>駒下駄</span><span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US">,
"pony sandals", with wooden soles]."<br /></span></span></span><span>– <span style="color: black;">"Okay...
Thank you," Kazuō whispered. </span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US">"Thank
you, really."<br /></span></span></span><span>– <span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US">"And
then, when we're at home and we sit down, you can rest and share our meal... I don't
have much to offer you, not even a pair of new sandals, but a good
meal is always welcome."</span></span></span><br /><span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0cm; padding: 0cm;"><span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US"> Kazuō
</span></span><span lang="en-US">followed</span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US">
</span></span><span lang="en-US">t</span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US">he
young woodcutter as he </span></span><span lang="en-US">took</span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US">
long strides, with his bundles of dry wood and baskets of provisions</span></span><span lang="en-US">.</span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US">
</span></span><span lang="en-US">H</span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US">e
seemed accustomed to carrying heavy loads on his back, and doing hard
work.</span></span></span></div><div style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0cm; padding: 0cm;"><br /><span>– <span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US">"How
long have you been lost in this forest?"<br /></span></span></span><span>– "I honestly don't know anymore... Since this morning."<br /></span><span>– <span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US">"You
must be </span></span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US"><i>hungry</i></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US">!"<br /></span></span></span><span>– <span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US">"Huh..." Kazuō
didn't want to impose himself. He was only too happy to find such a simple
and warm welcome in a shelter for the night, but his stomach
responded for him </span></span></span><span><span style="color: black;">一</span><span style="color: black;">
</span></span><span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US">by
crying out for food.<br /></span></span></span><span style="color: black;">– <span><span lang="en-US">"Nothing
is heavier and more painful to carry than an empty </span></span><span lang="en-US">stomach</span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US">", Tarō said with a smile. "When we</span></span><span lang="en-US">
get to our house,</span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US">
we'll have to serve you a good meal so you can regain your strength!"</span></span></span></div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US"><i>In
the forest, near the top of the mountain</i></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US">
</span></span><span style="color: black;">一</span><span style="color: black;">
</span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US">sunset</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> The
atmosphere remained quite oppressive in the shade of those tall trees.
The heat rose from the ground and vegetation, which was covered by
long banks of mist, spreading slowly, heavily, like a dance of
ghosts. Kazuō followed, as best he could, the young woodcutter
who went straight ahead without worrying about the darkness or the
stifling torpor of the end of the day.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US"> While
the slope became really steep and dangerous, even for intrepid
walkers, the view finally cleared as </span></span><span lang="en-US">they</span><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-US">
approached the summit.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"> The
sounds of the forests became more </span>familiar<span style="color: black;">
and Kazuō looked up to gaze at a beautiful waterfall that outlined
the rocky side with a silver line, up to a small lake bordered by
huge cedars.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"> Behind
this expanse of more sleepy waters, a low house with a thatched roof,
all along the front</span> spanning the entire length of the house
stood<span style="color: black;"> pillars as massive as the trunks of
hundred-year-old pine</span> <span style="color: black;"> under cover of
the thatch, as if nestled against the face of the mountain. Tarō
soon made his way across the bridge, straight and flat with its solid
well-adjusted planks, to a small shed where he deposited his heavy load of logs, twigs and baskets.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "You'd
better take those clothes off. They're soaked."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– <span style="text-align: left;">"I know, but...
I don't have any other clothes."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– </span><span style="text-align: left;">"It'll
be fine like this..." Tarō replied with a shrug. "We'll
lend you a </span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"><i>kimono </i></span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;">for
the night, and Jirō will clean your clothes tomorrow morning."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– </span><span style="text-align: left;">"Jirō?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– <span style="text-align: left;">"He's
the one who does all the laundry, and the cleaning. But right now..." Tarō
smiled mischievously. "He must be busy in the kitchen!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Seeing
the young woodcutter take off his </span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"><i>kimono</i></span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;">
before entering the house, Kazuō could only admire his impressive physique.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"> About
as tall as </span>Kazuō but<span style="color: black;"> with broad, round, vigorous shoulders, thick arms
and forearms, meaty pectoral and abdominal muscles glistening with sweat, his waist was slender and well-proportioned to his
resolutely masculine flanks, on top of powerful thighs and calves</span>...<span style="color: black;"> Tarō was only dressed in a thin </span><span style="color: black;"><i>kuroneko
fundoshi </i></span><span style="color: black;">[</span></span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;">黒猫褌</span></span><span style="text-align: left;">,
an undergarment made of fabrics, very light, usually worn for
bathing] now, very close to his body.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"> As
he kept following him, Kazuō only had to take a look down to feel</span><span style="text-align: left;">
aroused</span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"> as he could only admire such beautiful firm
and meaty buttocks, so prominently on display. Certainly, this young man must be used to all kinds of hard work, even the most demanding!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– <span style="color: black;">"</span><span style="color: black;"><i>Tadaima
</i></span><span style="color: black;">[</span></span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;">ただいま</span></span><span style="text-align: left;">, "I'm home"]!" Tarō </span><span style="text-align: left;">loudly </span><span style="text-align: left;">announced</span><span style="text-align: left;">.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> A
clear, warm voice answered him from the kitchen.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: left;">– "<span style="color: black;"><i>Okaeri
</i></span><span style="color: black;">[</span></span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;">お帰り</span></span><span style="text-align: left;">, "Welcome", or "Good evening"]!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"> The
main room was organized around the <span style="color: black;"><i>ro
</i></span><span style="color: black;">[</span></span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;">炉</span></span><span style="text-align: left;">,
a small hearth built into the floor to carve out a square-shaped,
shallow space, lined with black cast iron and partially filled with
ashes to maintain a cooking pot]. Kazuō was going from surprise to
astonishment. The façade and the long balcony of the house
overlooking the lake were modest but perfectly clean, and
welcoming. The interior was even more attractive, carefully
maintained and tidy. There were two large wooden
chests in a corner, and no other piece of furniture, but the rooms exuded calm and order with a deep breath of fresh and well-being.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"> A young man came out of the kitchen and almost pounced on Tarō to kiss him and hug him
tightly as some sort of personal welcome. He was also scantily clad, and
surrounded with a cloud of vapors</span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"> that
smelled so good it immediately whetted one's appetite.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"> Seeing
them in each other's arms like this, Kazuō understood a lot of
things right away. Jirō was a few years younger than his
companion. He was s</span>horter<span style="color: black;"> but strongly built</span> and<span style="color: black;"> more massive than him</span>.<span style="color: black;">
</span>H<span style="color: black;">is whole body</span> bulged<span style="color: black;">
</span>with<span style="color: black;"> generously thick muscles, </span></span><span style="text-align: left;">looking </span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;">naturally heavy but somewhat "overfed" </span></span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;">一
</span></span><span style="text-align: left;">which made him look slower and less agile than Tarō,
especially since his midsection was noticeably plump. One could only
guess the presence of strong abdominal muscles </span><span style="text-align: left;">buried under a healthy layer of fat around</span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;">
h</span><span style="text-align: left;">is</span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"> navel, which seemed to invite one to poke and rub around it.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"> Tarō
was feeling the stomach and sides of this young man, who was
whispering something in his ear before kissing him on the cheek. Jirō
had a beautiful bear</span><span style="text-align: left;">d</span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"> too, but he was
blonde. Above the nape of h</span><span style="text-align: left;">is</span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"> neck and
down to h</span><span style="text-align: left;">is</span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"> temples, h</span><span style="text-align: left;">is</span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;">
hair was a beautiful light brown then a shiny, light gold, down to the tips of h</span><span style="text-align: left;">is</span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"> long, carefully
raised locks. H</span><span style="text-align: left;">is</span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"> eyebrows, also blonde,
enhanced the charm of h</span><span style="text-align: left;">is</span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"> luminous green
eyes, with a soft and irresistibly seductive gaze.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– </span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;">"You
haven't eaten anything today, again..." </span><span style="text-align: left;">Tarō said.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– </span><span style="text-align: left;">"I was waiting for you. I've prepared a nice, big meal for us."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"> Kazuō
suddenly felt uncomfortable, like an intruder in this house, in the
presence of </span><span style="text-align: left;">such harmonious</span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;">, cuddly and
</span><span style="text-align: left;">astounding</span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"> intimacy. Tarō roused
him from his </span><span style="text-align: left;">reverie</span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"> by introducing him
to his companion.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– </span><span style="text-align: left;">"We have a guest tonight."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– </span><span style="text-align: left;">"No way! I should have known..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"> Then, at
first glance, Kazuō understood that he wasn't only welcomed as a
distinguished guest in their modest cabin: </span><span style="text-align: left;">it</span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;">
was just as if he had come back home. Jirō took him in his arms so
tenderly and so sincerely that the thought immediately occurred to him
that they were not going to "become the best friends in the
world", as the saying goes, but that they had <i>always</i> been the
best of friends!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"> He couldn't understand this. There was no explanation for it. However, Kazuō was no
more interested in being told how he was feeling right now than he felt the
need to understand his feelings. There he was, and it was true. He felt right at home, welcomed and comforted like a brother by these two beautiful
</span><span style="text-align: left;">men</span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;">.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"> There
was no question regarding the nature of their relationship. Kazuō
saw nothing wrong about it... He understood that these young men had chosen to live in seclusion, deep in the mountains </span></span><span style="text-align: left;">一 living Life </span><span style="text-align: left;">the
hard way, with none of the perks associated with modern comfort but free to be themselves </span><span style="text-align: left;">together,</span><span style="text-align: left;"> safe from the
prejudice and cruelties they would suffer on a daily basis,
in a big city.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– </span><span style="text-align: left;">"You
must be tired," Jirō suggested. "You need to take a
good shower, then a long hot bath to really relax..."</span></div></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"><i>Under
the waterfall and in the hot bath </i></span><span style="color: black;">一
</span>twilight</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Kazuō
was immediately given a large bath towel, a smaller towel and a big, thick natural sponge... Tarō opened one wooden panel after another to lead
him to the waterfall, at the other end of their small house. Some of
its stream flowed inside, where it was warmed over some large indoor
fire, then poured into a very large round basin, encircled with
planks of light wood with benches of smooth stones. The only light in the room came from a few paper lanterns, while the atmosphere was almost pure steam... All that hot water kept flowing into the kitchen, where Jirō was watching over dinner in the boiling, cooking pots.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> As he had invited Kazuō outside to get some fresh air and chill under the waterfall, Tarō whispered
in his ear.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– </span><span style="text-align: left;">"Jirō
is very... affectionate, you'll see. I hope you don't mind. He never really misbehaves, but... Well, that's just the way he is. He will definitely ask to rub your back and chest, for instance."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– </span><span style="text-align: left;">"Oh... Sure, why
not?" smiled Kazuō. "How about you?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– </span><span style="text-align: left;">"Me?
I'm more into massages. Deep, long massages..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"> Tarō's
look and smile told a lot more than words could tell, which made Kazuō feel </span>a little
embarrassed<span style="color: black;">. If he wasn't already blushing, his face flushed a deep red </span><span style="color: black;">when he saw Jirō
join them </span></span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;">一
</span></span><span style="text-align: left;">as he suddenly found himself in the presence of the two young men
fully naked, ready to dive under the waterfall</span><span style="text-align: left;"> and just so </span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;">happy to enjoy this moment
together.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"> What was now in plain sight for him far exceeded the promises from what he
had previously guessed about these boys' bodies, both s</span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;">o
well proportioned, so generous, so supple and heavily muscular... Tarō
looked more dexterous, </span><span style="text-align: left;">slender and </span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;">more agile</span><span style="text-align: left;">. On the other hand,</span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;">
Jirō looked a little clumsier and more than a little thicker, but just as vigorous and
probably more enduring than his companion.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"> Seeing
them splash and wash each other so innocently, so happily, Kazuō threw caution to the wind, dropping his underwear as he dived in to join them under the waterfall. They</span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"> had to
move constantly in order to stay in such freezing waters.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– </span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;">"You've
spent a lot of time </span><span style="text-align: left;">out in the woods</span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;">
today..." Jirō said as he rubbed his companion's back with his
sponge. "You really needed a good shower like this."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– </span><span style="text-align: left;">"So do you!" Tarō suddenly grabbed him in his arms so he would make
him lose his balance, and plunge him into the eddies of the
waterfall.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– </span><span style="text-align: left;">"Watch it! You're
the one who's all sweaty."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– </span><span style="text-align: left;">"You
spend all day in the kitchen..." Tarō teased him like a
child. "Your thick skin and tangled hair smell like fried veggies, </span><span style="text-align: left;">grilled meat and</span><span style="text-align: left;"> rice cooked in cream and coconut </span><span style="text-align: left;">milk</span><span style="text-align: left;">. Just so... appetizing!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– </span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;">"You can talk! You smell like damp tree trunks and moss all soaked with
rain, like </span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;">golden foliage dripping with morning dew, like fresh and ripe tasty fruits..." Jirō hugged him back in a cuddle. "You're soaked in all that wild Nature and you're sweating... so much!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– </span><span style="text-align: left;">"You
sweat at least as much as I do! You're like this lump of sponge..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"> Kazuō
was quite amused as he watched them fight</span><span style="text-align: left;">ing</span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"> like
this, lovingly.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– </span><span style="text-align: left;">"You're drenched with your own sweat because you keep working too much, in the hot blazing sun... But me?" Jirō </span><span style="text-align: left;">added</span><span style="text-align: left;"> with an adolescent, mischievous smile. "That's
because I'm </span><i style="text-align: left;">chubby</i><span style="text-align: left;">!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div></span></div></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQTDY4KN_kc8Qob3BHI0ArWwePpKV17KFRCRQZUvrGKq3MuUPTAfMKK_FmEAu5Du8uShfG1mDWti-3DVGez6E_jfjHCtj9d6CY0aN9inRNw7ZRzjJhexAHneVb0sZ7JBpp3d1U5Sk3YxS77B5XihR6gtcO7JBYb10n6yDoAyHdfsoA3knMdAmRXaD6Xw/s1640/12%20Jiro%20et%20Taro.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1188" data-original-width="1640" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQTDY4KN_kc8Qob3BHI0ArWwePpKV17KFRCRQZUvrGKq3MuUPTAfMKK_FmEAu5Du8uShfG1mDWti-3DVGez6E_jfjHCtj9d6CY0aN9inRNw7ZRzjJhexAHneVb0sZ7JBpp3d1U5Sk3YxS77B5XihR6gtcO7JBYb10n6yDoAyHdfsoA3knMdAmRXaD6Xw/w640-h464/12%20Jiro%20et%20Taro.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div><span style="text-align: left;"> When they felt clean and fresh, the three young men took their places in the large bathtub to catch their breath and get some rest. Kazuō faced them as he was given half the space in their pool so he could stretch out his arms and legs. Tarō held Jirō close to him so he could massage his shoulders, then he let him rub his back and chest... While they were still in each other's arms, they went on teasing and encouraging each other before dinner.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;">– </span><span style="text-align: left;">"You must be hungry." Jirō suggested.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;">– </span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;">"You're </span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"><i>hungry</i></span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"> too!" Tarō </span><span style="text-align: left;">insisted</span><span style="text-align: left;">. "You're so </span><span style="text-align: left;">hungry</span><span style="text-align: left;">..."</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;">– </span><span style="text-align: left;">"You are going to eat really well tonight."</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;">– </span><span style="text-align: left;">"You have to eat well too, </span><span style="text-align: left;">Jirō</span><span style="text-align: left;">... And eat a lot!"</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;">– </span><span style="text-align: left;">"There's a big, tasty meal ready for us. You're going to eat so much..."</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;">– </span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;">"You're going to eat more,</span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"><i> a lot more</i></span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;">... You have to eat a LOT!"</span></div><div><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"> Kazuō didn't understand why Jirō would need to eat so much, when he had just commented on the fact that he was rather "plump". He was fully aware of it but he kept talking about food, all th</span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;">e </span><span style="text-align: left;">delicious</span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"> food he had prepared for his companions. He was obviously focused on the most common and modest pleasures in Life </span><span style="text-align: left;">一 </span><span style="text-align: left;">like an opportunity to sit down, lean back, drink a lot and eat large amounts of food. Everyone's stomach began to growl as they listened to him describing their coming feast !</span></div><div><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"> The atmosphere in the bathroom, warm and steamy, invited them to daydream. Even though they were all naked, Kazuō felt comfortable and had no desire to get out of the water. </span><span style="text-align: left;">H</span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;">e had no desire to leave that little house in the mountains. He suddenly remembered his new apartment in town</span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;">, cluttered with moving boxes: there wasn't enough room to open them so he could store his belongings!</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"> Just as Tarō had announced, Jirō soon turned to Kazuō to offer to scrub and clean him with his sponge and rub him with his bare hands. A deep feeling of well-being invaded him under such carefree, soft and caressing rubs. He felt like his body was melting in the slowly flowing, hot water.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;">– </span><span style="text-align: left;">"You too, Kazuō... You need to eat, of course."</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;">– </span><span style="text-align: left;">"And eat well..."</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;">– </span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;">"Eat </span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"><i>a lot</i></span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;">!"</span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Inside the house </i>一 night, storm in the distance</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">– “<i>Itadakimasu </i>!” [いただきます, “Bon appétit !”]</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Sitting in front of the cooking pot, Kazuō filled a large bowl of broth with nice
pieces of fried chicken breasts, noodles, fried onions, cabbage, carrots, and
other well-seasoned vegetables... Everything was just so delicious as it </span><span style="text-align: left;">looked</span><span style="text-align: left;">.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"> Jirō,
who kept coming and going from the kitchen to the fire, served him bowls of rice to go with the broth, long plates of <span style="color: black;"><i>sashimi</i></span><span style="color: black;">
[</span></span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;">刺身</span></span><span style="text-align: left;">,
fish served raw], duck skewers, and a fair amount of </span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"><i>gyoza
</i></span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;">[</span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;">餃子</span></span><span style="text-align: left;">,
pan-fried dumplings]</span><span style="text-align: left;">.</span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">Every new plate looked </span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;">more appetizing than the last.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> The whole meal was remarkably tasty, and filling, washed down with craft beer
served in tall mugs of thick glass... Kazuō had already helped himself
twice, but Tarō invited him to dive in for more helpings, again and again. When he wasn't
serving his friends himself, or coming back from the kitchen with more white rice, thickly sliced </span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"><i>sashimi</i></span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"> or hot and spicy omelets, Jirō was too busy eating to talk... He didn't look like he would go for long speaches anyway.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> The
two young men ate with a good appetite and at a remarkable pace, which
naturally caused Kazuō to hurry up so he could follow them.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Tarō
swallowed large mouthfuls of rice and bit into the duck skewers, with a voracious grin that showed such sharp and perfect white teeth! As for Jirō, he positively gorged himself on
everything that was within his reach, loud and crude, as if he was determined to
swallow as much food as possible before going to sleep...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– </span><span style="text-align: left;">"The
weather's been mugg</span><span style="text-align: left;">y all</span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"> day..."
Jirō finally said, between two greedy mouthfuls of fried fish. "We'll have another storm tonight."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Tarō
shrugged. He wasn't afraid of the storm, lightning or thunder.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Kazuō
felt comfortably full. Jirō had just served him another rich dish of </span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"><i>sashimi</i></span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;">
with beautiful river </span><span style="text-align: left;">white </span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;">fish, marinated and perfectly spicy, a sumptuous
mushroom </span><span style="text-align: left;">omelet</span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"> and another large bowl
of rice... A few minutes earlier, he had dipped the ladle into the pot
of broth and served him again for the sixth time! While eating for two or three, at least, Jirō looked eager to share all the food he cooked so
generously. Kazuō was truly enjoying himself, but he needed a break
to catch his breath...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"What
do you guys do for a living?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"> The
two young men exchanged a look </span></span><span style="text-align: left;">一 silent and </span><span style="text-align: left;">a
little surprised, as if they didn't quite understand Kazuō's question...
They were only busy eating, at the moment. When he was done with his roasted meat, Tarō answered.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"I
chop wood... I hunt... I've caught these delicious ducks that we're feasting on tonight. I work in a small field on the side of the mountain, and I go to the market so we can get some rare products like those incense sticks we
burn in the room, and chicken and eggs. As for Jirō..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> His
companion was almost done with his bowl of thick, creamy broth.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;">"Jirō
hunts with me, but he does a lot better when he goes fishing. He caught all
the beautiful fish he's served as </span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"><i>sashimi</i></span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"> tonight, but he also loves a good deep-fry dish. He tends to our small vegetable garden, and that's about it. He does all the cooking..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"And I wash the dishes..." Jirō added, drinking his beer in one long sip.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"He does all the housekeeping."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"And the laundry."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"You keep the fire running, so this place stays warm and toasty..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"Tarō
takes care of all the tools in our house. He sharpens the knives and the arrows that we use when we go hunting."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"> Kazuō
had every reason to be impressed. Nothing they had described
felt like anything he would call a normal "job" or it amounted to so many deals, sports and hobbies that could never be counted as "business"... Tarō and Jirō
didn't seem to realize that their lives were devoid of
any kind of comfort </span></span><span style="text-align: left;">一
</span><span style="text-align: left;">even
the most obvious little things, such as electricity.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> And
yet, the light of the candles in the paper lanterns felt so
warm and so simple, so comforting...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"How about you, Kazuō?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"Yes?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"I
hope your work provides you with enough good food."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;">"</span><span style="text-align: left;">Huh... </span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;">I
don't know." Kazuō was rather reluctant to comment on his situation. "I didn't have time to work my way up into the ministry, or make much progress with my
colleagues</span><span style="text-align: left;">...</span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">T</span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;">hey spent all their working hours at the office, while they sent me out on the field, but I've noticed that most of them got fat and obese by the time they </span><span style="text-align: left;">turned</span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;">
forty."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"How did they do it?" Jirō </span><span style="text-align: left;">asked, filling his bowl again</span><span style="text-align: left;">.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"They
must be eating really well!" Tarō </span><span style="text-align: left;">suggested</span><span style="text-align: left;">.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> They looked more interested about this than anything else.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"I
don't think so... To be honest, I think they ate quite poorly."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"Then I
hope you <i>never</i> eat like them!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"> Obviously,
Tarō made sure that he and Jirō always had something ready so they could "eat
well", and Jirō was redoubling his efforts so they would always eat plenty, in an almost endless stream of healthy, tasty dishes </span></span><span style="text-align: left;">一
</span><span style="text-align: left;">served
in such generous, heavy helpings, washed down with local beer and whole milk...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Kazuō
thought about what he used to eat before he met them. A few slices of dust dipped in a bowl of smoke? No, thanks! Not anymore... Considering the beautiful
assortment of fish that Jirō had laid out in front of him, with a huge bowl of white rice and another huge bowl of stir-fried noodles, he suddenly
grabbed them and started feasting on all that food without restraint.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> The
handsome fair-haired young man smiled when he saw him eat with such a healthy appetite, and he looked eager to follow his example.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;">"I'm
glad </span><span style="text-align: left;">that you find this creamy</span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"> broth to your liking."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"It's
delicious! I swear, I've never eaten anything so good..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"Jirō just loves to cook," Tarō said. "He's a pretty talented cook, and
he does his best to prepare large meals for us, every day, wholesome and
tasty..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"And
fattening!" Jirō </span><span style="text-align: left;">added</span><span style="text-align: left;">, feeling his bulging, plump and bouncing stomach after he was done with his ninth bowl of broth.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Kazuō
had also just emptied his own large bowl of noodles and fried chicken.
With his mouth full, he looked at his new friends with a puzzled look on his face.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"It's tasty, but why does it have to be... fattening?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"Because..."
Tarō replied. "Jirō needs to grow nice and <i>big</i>!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"Jirō?" Kazuō </span><span style="text-align: left;">whispered, as he</span><span style="text-align: left;"> tried to follow their logic.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> The
handsome blonde boy suddenly let out a deep, loud and booming belch, after a long gulp of beer.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span>–</span><span> </span><span>"</span>BUUUUUURRRRRRRP..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> He
was already pouring himself another big bowl full of fried fish, with a satisfied smile on his face.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;">"We want Jirō to put on weight!" </span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;">Tarō </span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;">l</span><span style="text-align: left;">aughed</span><span style="text-align: left;">.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"You also need to gain weight..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Kazuō still didn't understand.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"Tarō
is a wrestling champion, the best in this whole country! We have a
small gym where we train every day, but he needs a worthy opponent to challenge himself and get even more physical about it."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"Jirō is quite strong. He's stubborn and resilient. He may be a bit too clumsy to fight and he
lacks flexibility, but he can lift me off the ground anytime and he can take a mean punch!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"I keep trying but I haven't been able to beat him yet, not even once."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"As
if you could beat me, when we wrestle!" Tarō laughed. "Our only problem is that we have both reached our limit... I can't make much progress anymore, unless I get to train with a significantly heavier partner." He
felt the need to insist, as he told </span><span style="text-align: left;">Kazuō</span><span style="text-align: left;">. "</span><i style="text-align: left;">Much</i><span style="text-align: left;"> heavier!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"That's why I have to stuff myself, so I can grow... much bigger."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"And rounder!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span>–</span><span> </span><span>"Yup..." </span></span><span style="text-align: left;">Jirō could hardly answer, gulping down on large mouthful after another, looking a bit flushed at this point. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span>–</span><span> </span><span>"A</span>nd
<i>fatter</i>!" </span><span style="text-align: left;">Tarō almost roared, enthusiastically.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">“</span><span style="text-align: left;">BUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRP...” </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> That last belch was loud and crude, but it didn't feel so rude. Jirō
had been drinking a lot, and he looked like he couldn't eat another bite. He smiled as he slapped his
round, hefty belly.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"Phew!
I'm stuffed. I'm <i>full</i>. I'm going to sleep well..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Tarō
came over to rub Jirō's stomach, tenderly.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"Come on. You know how much you have to eat to</span><span style="text-align: left;"> put on weight!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"It's a good thing that we have all those desserts ready..." The young man responded, slowly standing up with an irresistible smile.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> While
Jirō was busy in the kitchen Tarō returned to his seat and took
Kazuō into his confidence.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;">"My
poor little Jirō..." he said, so as not to be heard from afar.
"He's so sweet and he really likes to eat a lot, but he never gains much weight. </span><span style="text-align: left;">He keeps doing what</span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"> it takes to grow massive, and fat... but even when he stuffs himself silly, I have to <i>stuff</i> him </span><span style="text-align: left;">really forcefully </span><span style="text-align: left;">or we'll never make any progress!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"That's so sad..." Kazuō whispered.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> As a matter of fact,
Tarō ate a lot less than his partner but he still consumed large
amounts of meat and fish, noodles and rice, vegetables and starchy
foods. He had to work hard and work-out harder in order to remain so slender, both thick and trim </span>一 just<span style="text-align: left;"> as he was determined</span><span style="text-align: left;"> to pack on more and more muscle mass...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"><span>–</span><span> </span>"You
know, Kazuō..." Tarō </span><span style="text-align: left;">suggested </span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;">softly. "Jirō goes to
great lengths to cook such delicious vast pots of broth, and I think he'd
rather move on to </span><span style="text-align: left;">desserts and sweets now...</span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"> but
with only two or three ladles, you could finish this. Besides, your bowl i</span><span style="text-align: left;">s</span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"> empty again. What if you made the effort to clean this large pot with the rice I have left? It would make him so happy."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"Really?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"Oh, definitely. You'll see..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Kazuō
grabbed the heavy cast-iron pot, and poured the contents directly into his
bowl. The broth was really rich, with so many small pieces of boiled chicken, fried fish crumbs and a mass of onions and
vegetables at the bottom. It looked thicker than cream but it smelled so good. In a few large gulps, shamelessly greedy, he was done with that huge pot.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: left;">– <span>"</span><span style="color: black;"><i>Subarashii
</i></span><span style="color: black;">[</span></span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;">素晴らしい</span></span><span style="text-align: left;">,
"Magnificent"] Kazuō!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"><span> For
their desserts, Jirō had prepared cups of fresh fruits and berries with ice-cream, bananas,
mangoes, roasted pineapples and fritters, as well as various kinds of
</span><span style="color: black;"><i>mochi</i></span><span style="color: black;">
[</span></span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;">餅</span></span><span style="text-align: left;">,
rice-based cakes] and </span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"><i>dango</i></span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;">
[</span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;">団子</span></span><span style="text-align: left;">,
skewers of fragrant </span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"><i>mochi</i></span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;">
balls].</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Coming
back with large trays full of treats, he wondered why Tarō was
applauding their guest. When he saw the heavy cast-iron pot
completely empty, and all the dishes and bowls in front of Kazuō, he
put down those desserts to wrap his well-muscled arms around him.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: left;">– "</span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"><i>Omedetoo gozaimasu </i></span><span style="color: black;">[</span></span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;">おめでとうございます</span></span><span style="text-align: left;">, Congratulations] Kazuō !"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Heavily
sated, the stuffed young man didn't know what to say.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> "</span><span style="text-align: left;">BUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRP..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"> Kazuō
blushed, suddenly understanding how rude he was with his hosts. He didn't expect them to react as they did</span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;">: Tarō looked up with a smile and Jirō, also smiling, had tears
in his eyes.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"You
have such a good appetite... That is so appealing!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"I'm
not used to eating so much, but you cook so well..." </span><span style="text-align: left;">Kazuō did his best to behave and sound more polite. "</span><span style="text-align: left;">I'm sure the two of you can easily finish a pot like this anytime."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"Oh, no... It usually lasts for two or three nights before we lick it clean, especially in this weather, at the height of Summer."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"Even
for you, Jirō?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"Me?" the young man </span><span style="text-align: left;">replied with a hearty</span><span style="text-align: left;"> laugh. "If I had to gorge myself with the whole contents of such a cookpot overnight, Tarō would have to force me to gobble it down and feed me until
dawn, like a duck! I'm really happy that you're eating so well."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> As expected, Jirō laid out an abundance of desserts and tidbits in front of
his friend, inviting him to feast even more... Kazuō was amazed, but he couldn't get himself to feel hungry at the moment, not for quite some time. His stomach was full to the brim, groaning and rumbling almost as
much as the nearing storm.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Looking
up, he met the eyes of his young blonde cook and suddenly felt
terribly embarrassed... Tarō and Jirō waited for him to help
himself first, so they could respond to his glutton's instincts like the naturally sloppy, greedy bad boys they were.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"Can't
you find anything to your liking in these desserts?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"> There
was such sadness in those sparkling green eyes that Kazuō felt ready to
devour all the desserts within his reach, right then </span></span><span style="text-align: left;">一
</span><span style="text-align: left;">not
only the ones that had just been served to him, but also those of his
friends!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"Everything looks so good that I don't know what to devour first..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> He
didn't want to rush but his hands grabbed the first
bowls in front of him before he could made a decision. Tarō and Jirō
watched him, smiling sympathetically, and the three of them ate so fast that they were done with all their
desserts in no time. There was still a little more ice-cream left for him.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"Hmmmph,
so good!" Kazuō mumbled, stuffing himself even more.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"Really,
do you like it?" Tarō </span><span style="text-align: left;">asked</span><span style="text-align: left;">, as he was piling up plates, bowls,
and dishes to be cleaned up in the kitchen.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"It's
delicious."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span>–</span><span> </span>"And rest assured, it's prepared with care..." Jirō laughed as he
walked out of the kitchen, his bloated belly bouncing with every step. Coming back with one last plate of pineapple fritters, he gave him one while he was munching on another. "And it's <i>fattening</i>!"</span> </div></div></div></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><br /></div></span></span></span></span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Before the bedroom</i> 一 late into the night</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div> While
Jirō was cleaning the dishes in the kitchen, Tarō prepared some green
tea so that they could digest better during their sleep.</div><div> Kazuō
had feasted way too much. He was more surprised than anyone, that he had let himself go so much... His new friends congratulated him on his appetite, but he had never been such a glutton <span style="text-align: left;">一 h</span>e had never even had an opportunity to eat so well!</div><div><br /></div><div><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span>"You
must be tired, Kazuō."</div><div><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span>"I can't keep my eyes open..."</div><div><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span>"Jirō
has already prepared your bedroom. It's tiny but tidy, and cozy... Then, if you don't
mind the storm, you should sleep well enough."</div><div><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">–
"</span></span></span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><i>Domo
arigatoo</i></span></span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">
[</span></span>どうもありがとう,<span style="color: black;"> "Thank you"], Tarō."</span></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"> The
room was modest, but Kazuō thought that his entire apartment
could fit within these four panels... On immaculately clean
</span></span></span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><i>tatami</i></span></span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">
mats [</span><span lang="zh-CN">畳</span>,
padded mats and checkered on the floor], there were two </span></span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><i>futons</i></span></span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">
[</span><span lang="zh-CN">布団</span>,
mattresses], one on top of the other, with various cushions and a
light blanket. A much thicker blanket, made with furs, covered the lower half of his bed.</span></span></div><div> An
incense stick burned in a corner, on a resting place. The scent was
restful and heady, in the dark... Tarō and Jirō would sleep in
their own bedroom, on the other side of the wall, right next to him.</div><div> Inviting
him to use his room and bed exactly as if he were at home, Tarō
confided in Kazuō again.</div><div><br /></div><div><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span>"Our
house must seem so small and so shabby to you... Jirō and I are not
policed or civilized. We have no good manners, or education. No, we are crude and a bit wild, rough and rude... You could say we're dumb, to be quite honest."</div><div><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span>"I
really have no complaints about your hospitality."</div><div><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span>"We're just poor. We don't have much to offer you, but we're always willing to
share. I believe Jirō appreciates you as much
as I do, and he'll be happy to cook all the dishes you want that whet your appetite."</div><div>–"That's
really nice..." Kazuō blushed as he rubbed his full belly. "And I don't doubt it, but I don't think I could
swallow anything for a while... If I had to bite on one more doughnut, I would burst like a bubble!"</div><div><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span>"You
need to get some rest... Jirō needs to sleep well too, and digest. You'll
feel better tomorrow morning, and you should be hungry!"</div><div><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span>"We'll
see about that..." Kazuō sighed, suppressing another burp.</div><div><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span>"This is nothing, or almost nothing... but you won't want for anything."</div><div><br /></div><div> Before
he left him alone, Tarō placed a kiss on his forehead.</div><div><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">–
"</span></span></span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><i>Oyasuminasai</i></span></span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">
[</span></span>おやすみなさい,<span style="color: black;"> "Good night"] Kazuō."</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><i style="text-align: left;">In front of the house, by the lake</i><i> </i>一 cloudy weather, coming rain</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"> Kazuō
had no desire to leave Tarō and Jirō so soon when they seemed to
want to get to know each other better. The storm had at last ceased </span></span><span lang="zh-CN" style="text-align: left;">一
</span><span style="text-align: left;">after
a restless night, in which it had not ceased to rumble, fierce,
shaking even the beams of the house, mingling with the rumours of
thunder the roars of wild beasts, the crackling and whistling of
fire, the furious echoes of earthquakes, and fantastic, dizzying
cries, in the steady roll of cymbals of the foliage like immense
waves tearing the sea </span><span lang="zh-CN" style="text-align: left;">一
</span><span style="text-align: left;">his
new friends did not cease to furnish him reasons to stay.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– <span style="text-align: left;">"It’s
been raining all night. It's not safe to go on such steep slopes in
this weather..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– <span style="text-align: left;">"The
rain won't stop for a day or two. It's better to stay sheltered, and
drink something warm."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– <span style="text-align: left;">"Despite
the rain, the weather is muggy. It's better to rest."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> For
the next few days, Kazuō enjoyed their hospitality.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Tarō
and Jirō did not follow the advice they gave him, since one or the
other was often away in the forest for a few hours, sometimes for the whole day,
sometimes even all night long.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> As
he had announced, Tarō was going to cut and collect wood to heat
their house. He also went to market, from which he returned laden
with vegetables and fruit, chickens, eggs, and other provisions.
After three or four days, he would venture into the woods with his
bow and hunt a few ducks or other fine pieces of game to enhance
their daily stew.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> In
the morning, almost every day, he would take his partner to the gym
they had set up between the kitchen and the bathroom. It was quite
spacious, the floor covered with a layer of sand deep enough to
cushion their fall, framed by four plank paths. The room smelled of
sweat and dried bamboo leaves.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> The only training equipment they owned were large stones of various weights, roughly rounded... Tarō and Jirō would lift them up and carry
them in slow and careful moves or walks to test their strength. That was only warm-ups, then they were ready to move on to proper wrestling.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Kazuō
was pleased to just observe them, so far. They didn't need a referee. Jirō
always lifted heavier weights than Tarō, but he was unable to hold
his opponent during a fight. Tarō, lean and mean as he was, more spontaneous, never
failed to escape his opponent's grasp and, in the same movement, grab Jirō
by the waist to make him tumble down or push him, with a single swing, out
of the circle in the sand.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Their
fights lasted only three or four minutes, and they kept fighting almost without a break. By the end of the morning, Tarō had obviously won </span><span style="text-align: left;">一 </span><span style="text-align: left;">more than forty times in a row! At least Jirō was no sore loser. All dirty and out of breath, he was the first to
laugh at his own clumsiness. His companion wrapped his arms around him to help him stand up and comfort him.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– <span style="text-align: left;">"You’ll
have to put on a little more weight, my poor Jirō!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–
</span><span style="text-align: left;">"A
little weight won't be enough... I still haven't managed to lift you
off the ground, despite my best efforts, and you can do it so effortlessly."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– <span style="text-align: left;">"You
must be hungry! And you have to eat <i>a lot</i> to grow heavier."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– <span style="text-align: left;">"Let's take a good shower, then I'll cook another large meal for us!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"> Despite
his somewhat clumsy appearance, Jirō worked very hard. Cooking, washing and housecleaning kept him busy, as he wanted their home clean, tidy and relaxing at all times... Kazuō was
surprised, when the weather was still so cold with the wind and the rain outside, in the evening, as he felt the </span></span></span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"><i>tatami
mats</i></span></span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"> warm and soft under his bare feet. There was a simple explanation.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">–</span><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="color: black;">"All
the water I use for the bath flows through a long set of pipes
that snake their way under the floor. Then the heat comes from the ground. </span></span><span style="text-align: left;">T</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;">he
water that flows</span></span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"> back into the lake, under the threshold of the house, end</span></span><span style="text-align: left;">s</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"> up almost as cold as when it was taken from the waterfall."</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– <span style="text-align: left;">"Huh... Ingenious."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">–</span><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="color: black;">"It's nothing. I'm not very bright..." Jirō smiled and blushed. "It's just
something I came up with. We find a use for</span></span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"> the water we can heat up, as much as we can, even the water I use to cook our meals."</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> As a matter of fact, Jirō showed some skills in the handling of natural resources or waste... With cooking fat, peels from various citrus fruits he served for
dessert and the ashes of the hearth, he made his own soap
to clean what little laundry they had, or he just made more scented candles for all the paper lanterns that he kept placing here and
there.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> He
did not always stay in the house, as he tended to a small garden. It provided them with plenty of potatoes, onions, and herbs... Sometimes, he also ventured into the woods and spent the night out, catching river fish and bringing them back in large
baskets. Then he would fry them or cook them in coconut milk and cream for lunch.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> When
he came back from fishing, before dawn, Jirō was soaked like a
sponge and frozen to the core, but he always looked so happy with his catch... Tarō greeted him with a large towel to keep him warm and dry, then a green tea was ready for him with the breakfast he had prepared the night before.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Tarō
and Jirō had divided their activities equally. For an athletic and determined young </span><span style="text-align: left;">man like Tarō, the prospect of winning a
regional or a national championship had to be his top priority. Training hard every day with his faithful sidekick, as they did, he would have all the more merit.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Obviously,
Jirō supported him in this project, actively participating in his
training and encouraging him as best he could. As a result, his main
occupation was to work hard and cook for hours, from sunrise to sunset, and put huge amounts of very rich food on the table, in order to provide the extra calories they both needed so much on a daily basis.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Tarō
had to force himself a little to eat so much in the morning, around noon and late into the night. He showed a naturally healthy appetite, especially after a pretty intense
workout or when he came back from one of his long days in the woods, chopping wood or hunting... Then he was quite a voracious eater!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> However,
this was nothing compared to what Jirō ate during the same meals,
as they always sat together in front of Kazuō. The blonde young
man consumed about as much vegetables and red meat as his partner, but he </span><span style="text-align: left;">devoured </span><span style="text-align: left;">almost twice as much fish, and he put some serious effort into eating vast amounts of fried rice and noodles. He also drank a lot of beer to better put on weight.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Their
attitude was just so laid-back as ever. They would start eating sitting straight but Tarō seized the finest pieces of chicken or fried fish
within his reach. He let out a loud burp when he swallowed too fast. That was nothing compared to Jirō, who kept stuffing himself as much as possible. After a dozen of plates and bowls, he would let out louder and longer burps with every long sip of beer.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– <span style="text-align: left;">“BUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRP...”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"> Kazuō
smiled as he saw them eat like this and fill their bellies. He couldn't complain about anything, since he was served so generously that he ate twice
as much fish and meat as Tarō did. Jirō also served him
with almost twice as much rice as he ate. There was so
much </span></span></span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"><i>sashimi</i></span></span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;">,
duck skewers and stir-fried noodles with shrimp that he had his work
cut out for him to eat along with them. Lucky for him, he was givenn even more beer
than his two companions drank together, so he could wash it all down. It was always such a
feast </span></span><span style="text-align: left;">一 w</span><span style="text-align: left;">hen it was time to move on to desserts, Kazuō could barely
get up from his cushion!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> It
was still entertaining to watch Jirō gobble up mochi after mochi
or tall glasses of mango milkshakes, trying to keep up with </span><span style="text-align: left;">Kazuō</span><span style="text-align: left;"> at his own pace.
Finally, when he declared himself "sated full", Tarō came to sit behind him and gently wrapped an arm around his shoulders. Then he would push a banana or pineapple fritters up to his lips, encouraging
him to eat a little more </span><span lang="zh-CN" style="text-align: left;">一
</span><span style="text-align: left;">and
a little more.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– <span style="text-align: left;">"Come
on, my little Jirō, pull yourself together... Eat!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– "</span><span style="text-align: left;">Hmmmph...
Hmmmph..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– <span style="text-align: left;">"Another
banana, Jirō..." One more bite... Again!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– "</span><span style="text-align: left;">Hmmmph..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– <span style="text-align: left;">"And
a nice big doughnut, now! Open wide, and swallow..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– "</span><span style="text-align: left;">Hmmmph..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– <span style="text-align: left;">"That's
good, Jirō! Once more, a little more food..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– "</span><span style="text-align: left;">Hmmmph..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–
</span><span style="text-align: left;">"Another
doughnut... Come on! You've got to eat, Jirō..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– "</span><span style="text-align: left;">Hmmmph...
Hmmmph..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–
</span><span style="text-align: left;">"You
have to eat a lot, to gain weight and get fat!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Kazuō
couldn't help but be captivated, even a fascinated, as
he watched Tarō stuff his partner with thick donuts and bananas. Jirō did his best to keep up</span><span style="text-align: left;">. He was absolutely right when he had told Kazuō
that his companion was feeding him like a duck to make him fatter, thicker
and heavier.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– <span style="text-align: left;">"Eat up, eat up, </span></span><span style="text-align: left;">Jirō! </span><span style="text-align: left;">You
should take a leaf out of Kazuō's book... He has such a good
appetite."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Inside the house </i>一 bright, sunny weather</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><span>Kazuō was taking a long nap, listening to the lazy </span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"><span><i></i></span></span></span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"><span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><i>semi</i> [</span></span><span lang="zh-CN"><span>蝉</span></span><span>,
Japanese cicadas] rocked in the branches of the trees gently swaying
by the wind, drinking the dew from the leaves and basking in the sun, singing from dawn to dusk.</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> As
he stretched out his legs and arms, he felt particularly pleased that he coudn't
reach the edges or the sides of his blankets. They smelled good. Jirō had
already cleaned and changed them a few times since the first night
he had spent in his bedroom... He felt such a deep sense of well-being that it made
him smile and sigh.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> The
house where Tarō and Jirō lived was small and long, but laid out </span><span style="text-align: left;">so well</span><span style="text-align: left;">, and so comfortable that Kazuō wished he would never leave.
He knew all the rooms except the kitchen and the fireplace next to it, carved deeper into the side of the mountain. The training room had also
become his playground since he followed his friends during
their warm-ups, every morning. He was still content to watch them as
they wrestled, but Tarō seemed willing to take him on as an opponent in
future fights, while Jirō would be busy preparing a hearty and
abundant meal for them.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"> Tarō
encouraged Kazuō to practice and gain strength, to eat well, feast
without restraint, drink plenty of beer and rest for long
hours after every meal. One of his priorities was to sleep
well during the night, despite the heat of those long summer evenings,</span></span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"> despite the sometimes persistent </span></span><span style="text-align: left;">rumors</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;">
of thunderstorms and waterfall, and despite the cries of wild beasts
that could prowl on the other side of the lake. When he was done with his training, he had no chores to do inside or no work waiting for him outside
their home.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"> How
many days had gone by since he was their guest? Two weeks, maybe.</span></span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"> Was it </span></span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;">a month already?</span></span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"> Or more? He couldn't say</span></span><span style="text-align: left;">. Nevertheless, Kazuō felt
that he had made remarkable progress in their company. And he
felt happy and proud about his progress.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"> Walking
around the house, dressed in his short, freshly ironed </span></span></span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"><i>kimono</i></span></span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;">,
lightly scented with essence of mandarine, Kazuō enjoyed the peaceful
atmosphere of the main room, opened as it was onto that sunny lake.
At this silent hour, Jirō must still be busy in the kitchen,
or somewhere in the garden, and Tarō was gone to chop wood as
usual.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"> Jirō
had arranged big cups filled with diced bananas, mangoes, and coconuts
all covered with honey, roasted pineapples, and wild berry-flavored
ice-cream. Kazuō was invited to help himself as much as he wished... Instead of the traditional bouquet of flowers, t</span></span></span><span style="text-align: left;">here was </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">a
large dish of the most appetizing doughnuts in the </span></span></span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"><i>tokonoma
</i></span></span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">[</span></span><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: justify;">床の間</span><span style="color: black;">,
small decorative alcove, with a raised floor].</span></span></div></div></div></span></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div></div></span></div></span></div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd4xAl-cYJxtWVKF0LJ29HtRPuzKJdjo-rmoZToWns71KdNGsEA6cL4W00PflBvjpcMge8470CJZVr4gfXxsnyvcA4wTWb6J9DAiHyA7Jxtg2wbTLDWBGFgN-Xz5RS4bU5rHpWEJ6bzEWpUjRVOrJ8E1IK2_UhdyWLdy-HggXl1SiRi8n_HxeH9qyvdQ/s1936/13%20Kazuo%20gros.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1482" data-original-width="1936" height="490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd4xAl-cYJxtWVKF0LJ29HtRPuzKJdjo-rmoZToWns71KdNGsEA6cL4W00PflBvjpcMge8470CJZVr4gfXxsnyvcA4wTWb6J9DAiHyA7Jxtg2wbTLDWBGFgN-Xz5RS4bU5rHpWEJ6bzEWpUjRVOrJ8E1IK2_UhdyWLdy-HggXl1SiRi8n_HxeH9qyvdQ/w640-h490/13%20Kazuo%20gros.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="text-align: left;">Kazuō felt like a new man </span><span style="text-align: left;">一</span><span style="text-align: left;"> that frail and anxious ministry clerk lost in the woods was little more than a distant memory. His beard had grown, abundant and neat, darker than Tarō's. It seemed to him that he had grown a bit taller... He was noticeably thicker and stronger. Stronger than he had ever been. Stronger than he had ever dared to imagine. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> In such a friendly and caring environment, training with his friends and eagerly encouraged by them, well-fed and only busy sleeping all night and pretty much all afternoon, Kazuō enjoyed his new Life to the fullest. He had steadily put on weight and muscle mass, without losing his agility. Even his appetite was growing stronger, day after day.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> His new life agreed with him so much, with his two comrades. Tarō would watch over him and massage his back in the shower after fighting all morning against each other, making sure he wouldn't get injured during these exercises. Then Jirō, who was always so sweet, treated him with all kinds of dishes </span><span style="text-align: left;">一</span><span style="text-align: left;"> so much tastier and so much more nutritious than anything he had ever eaten before.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Kazuō couldn’t complain, in this comfortable, healthy, dynamic and warm environment... He was admirably well treated! It was a pleasure for him to show his appreciation, both in the training room with Tarō and at the meals that Jirō prepared.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Tarō was interested in his mass, and he sometimes enjoyed lifting him up and taking him in his arms to carry him around their wrestling room several times, in the sand or on the plank path.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; text-align: left;"> While Jirō had to stuff himself for lunch and dinner, forcefully gobbling up as much vegetables, fish, and meat as possible, up to a dozen bowls of </span><span style="text-align: left;">stir-fried </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; text-align: left;">rice or noodles with sauce, and drinking six mugs of beer to improve his weight gain, Kazuō only enjoyed himself as he swallowed without making any effort </span><span lang="zh-CN" style="text-align: left;">一 </span><span style="text-align: left;">and yet, he was the one who kept growing larger, day in and day out. He already looked noticeably rounder.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– <span style="text-align: left;">"How lucky you are, Kazuō! I wish I could do the same..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– <span style="text-align: left;">"I'm pretty sure that you've put on weight too, Jirō."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Huffing and puffing, the young blonde man rubbed his healthy big belly.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– <span style="text-align: left;">"This is nothing... I'm not round enough yet. I should push myself to stuff more food down my throat and into my stomach!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– <span style="text-align: left;">"You're doing fine. You eat as much rice as I do."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– <span style="text-align: left;">"And I drink almost as much beer..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– <span style="text-align: left;">"Jirō is right," Tarō interrupted. "It's not enough! You have to finish your desserts before you go to sleep. Come over here, my little Jirō, so I can feed you."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Smiling but sighing, Jirō came to place himself comfortably in the arms of his companion, surrounded by large dishes filled with fresh fruits and cakes... There was a whole assortment of tasty desserts for Kazuō, but Tarō stuck to </span><span style="text-align: left;">heavily nourishing </span><span style="text-align: left;">fritters</span><span style="text-align: left;"> and ice-cream for his partner.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– <span style="text-align: left;">"Come on, Jirō... Eat!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "H<span style="text-align: left;">mmmph..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"Another doughnut... Yet another, Jirō... Again!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– "</span><span style="text-align: left;">Hmmmph..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– <span style="text-align: left;">"Just a little longer, my little Jirō! Another banana..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– "</span><span style="text-align: left;">Hmmmph... Hmmmph..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– <span style="text-align: left;">"You need to eat a lot, Jirō... </span><span style="text-align: left;">a lot! I</span><span style="text-align: left;">f you ate like Kazuō, you would finally gain weight and become... really meaty!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"Hmmmph! I'll do my best..." Jirō smiled, his mouth full.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: left;"> Forcefed and stuffed to the brim, his belly rounder then a ball of </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"><i>mochi</i></span></span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: left;">, he took all the empty bowls, plates, dishes and trays into the kitchen... Tarō was brewing black tea.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– <span style="text-align: left;">"Jirō and I will rest for an hour or two, then we will go hunting in the forest when the moon is high..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– <span style="text-align: left;">"Tonight?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">– </span>"Yes, we need to bring home the bacon, and red meat.</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: left;">Hopefully, we'll be able to kill a deer or a wild boar."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Kazuō admired Tarō's determination. The wind had picked up. This night would be very cold, in the woods... The ominous rumble of the foliage mingled with the murmurs of the waterfall and running water, when they heard Jirō burp a very long, deep and satisfied belch, which made them smile. His companion had prepared two cups for tea.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">– </span>"Ignore these </span><span style="text-align: left;">rumors and</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: left;"> try to sleep well tonight. We won't be back too early. It's a full moon outside, and we need to bring back something big enough to eat for the next few days, but we must be cautious. There are wild beasts on the prowl... Above all, stay comfortably tucked up in your bed and don't worry about anything, even if we're away."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– <span style="text-align: left;">"Okay."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– <span style="text-align: left;">"Jirō and I feel better, knowing that you are safe inside. We never liked leaving our little home empty."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">– </span>"</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"><i>Wakarimashita </i></span></span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">[</span><span style="text-align: justify;">わかりました,</span> "I get it"]."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Well fed and satiated, Kazuō wanted nothing better than to go to sleep.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Watching Tarō pour black tea for his companion, it occured to him that it must be a special mixture so they would stay awake all night... Then a thought occurred to him, which he did not expect to share with him.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "<span style="text-align: left;">Tarō?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– <span style="text-align: left;">"Yes?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– <span style="text-align: left;">"I'm eating well, wouldn't you say?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– <span style="text-align: left;">"Of course! And I find it really good."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– <span style="text-align: left;">"Jirō eats well, too."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– <span style="text-align: left;">"I should think so... He likes to stuff himself, but you know how much he has to eat. That's a lot more, a lot more, so he can grow thicker and heavier. It's sad that we are often reduced to feeding him so forcefully!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– <span style="text-align: left;">"Indeed..." Kazuō nodded. "But what if it happened to me? I mean, if I couldn't put on weight anymore, no matter how much I enjoy all these tasty dishes I get to eat. </span><span style="text-align: left;">Jirō and you are </span><span style="text-align: left;">so generous with your food..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– <span style="text-align: left;">"Yes?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– <span style="text-align: left;">"Would you feed me, like you feed Jirō?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– <span style="text-align: left;">"In a heartbeat..." Tarō replied, with a mischievous smile.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div><span style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i>In front of the house </i>一 sunny morning</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br style="text-align: justify;" /></div><div> Tarō was not kidding when he told Kazu<span style="text-align: left;">ō </span>that their night would be restless. The
wind in the trees howed and wheezed... It seemed to him
that he had even heard wolves howling in the midst of that turmoil.</div><div> Lying
snugly under thick, silky blankets, resting against soft cushions, he
had let his paper lantern go out and fallen asleep.</div><div> All
was quiet when he got up, in the morning... The lake shimmered
under a lightly cloudy sky. The landscape was all green and grey. Alone in the house, Kazuō remained naked, coming and going as he pleased from one room to another. Somehow, he remembered only then that he had left his old clothes outside?</div><div> His black pants and suit were hanging on the line but, much to Kazuō's surprise, they were in tatters, with traces of claws and fangs all over, as if they
had been lacerated by some wild beasts...</div><div><br /></div><div>– "Torn too? Now I have nothing left to wear!"</div><div><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"> Tarō
had warned him about wolves that might lurk and come out of the woods. Kazuō shrugged his shoulders and picked up the first
</span></span></span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><i>kimono
</i></span></span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;"><span style="color: black;">he
could find. He felt with satisfaction that the cloth tightened him a
little around his arms and behind his back. Then he sat down in his
place for breakfast.</span></span></div><div> Jirō
had done it again. There was more than enough food, so delicious and nutritious, to keep him busy until they came back from their hunt. Kazuō quickly started his breakfast, greedily swallowing
large mouthfuls with satisfied grunts and sighs!</div><div> He
heard them come back, when the sun was already high in the sky.</div><div> The
night must have been really rough... They were all smeared with
dirt, with blades of grass and leaves in their hair, and all
glistening with sweat. Tarō looked like a warrior who would not
stop fighting, alone against a troop of mercenaries armed to their teeth. He looked wounded, but the blood that covered him was
obviously not his, and he had two pairs of ducks hanging from his
neck.</div><div><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"> Jirō didn't have it any easier. With his muddy </span></span></span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><i>kimono</i></span></span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;"><span style="color: black;">,
wide open, he looked like a wrestler, more imposing than his
companion as he followed him, staggering a little and sweating just as much. He carried a large dead stag on his
back, a truly heavy but magnificent beast!</span></span></div><div><br /></div><div>– "We've been lucky..." he said, slowly catching his breath.</div><div>– "What
a night!" Tarō sighed, hanging his bow by the threshold.</div><div><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;">– <span style="color: black;">"But
what a great catch! When we have this </span></span>deer
butchered<span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;"><span style="color: black;">,
I will cut it down carefully and simmer its meat for our next stews..."</span></span></div><div>– "Then there will be no need for us to hunt for a month."</div><div>– "And
when we've eaten all this good meat, our bellies will be full!"
added Jirō, smiling and running his tongue over his lips. "There's a tall, young male. Its flesh should be tender and marbled to
perfection..."</div><div><br /></div><div> Kazuō
had no doubt that he would receive a good share of it. All of Jirō's
efforts to gain weight did not make him any less generous, or less
willing to share all the food he prepared. He
admired Kazuō's appetite, and he was always eager to treat him until he was absolutely full.</div><div> Tarō
didn't even have to insist or suggest that they serve their friend in abundance at every meal. Jirō was naturally kind and he was
quick to invite Kazuō to show him how to make his belly grow bigger, round and thick. The young man forced himself to gorge until tears rolled down his cheeks, while Kazuō was stuffing his face and enjoying every bite.</div><div><br /></div><div>– "BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRP..."</div><div>– "You eat so well, Kazuō! It's a pleasure to watch you."</div><div>– "It's
a pleasure..." Tarō whispered with a mischievous smile.</div></div></span></div></div></span></div><div><div><span style="text-align: justify;"><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><div><div><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div></span></span></span></span></span></div></span></div></div></span></span></div></div></span></div></span></div></div></div></div></div></span></span></span></span></span></div></span></div></div></span></span></div></div></span></div></span></div></div></span></div></div></span></div></div></span></span></div></div></div></div></span></div></span></div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">In the wrestling room </span></i><w:sdt id="-2094309832" sdttag="goog_rdk_39" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">一</span><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"> quiet day</span></w:sdt></div><div><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"> Kazuō felt reassured when his friends took some well-deserved rest, as they rubbed their
backs or gently embraced each other under the waterfall. They were already </span><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">falling asleep as they stumbled back inside. </span></div><div><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"> Jirō had a
lot of work to do</span><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">.
For the next few days, he prepared a rich and filling stew on which they feasted like beasts, helping after helping, stuffing themselves full without any restraint.
However, he had to spend a few more days and nights outside to catch fish, in the river and on the large lake in the heart of the forest.
Their food consumption was higher than ever, since there were three large and healthy young men living
under the same roof.</span></div><div> In his
absence, Tarō and Kazuō had plenty of time to train and fight. Every morning went through warm-ups, stretching and lifting weights, then wrestling for hours.</div><div> Kazuō had
made such progress that he could go against Tarō. He felt strong enough and heavy enough to make the first move and tease him.</div><div><br /></div><div>– "Let's
not go too fast." Tarō recommended, cautiously. "It's good that you are ready to fight. You've grown nicely thick and
strong, but you don't want to get hurt."</div><div>– "What are you so scared of? That I could lift you up or crush you?"</div></div></span></span></span></span></div></span></span></div></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCjUzhV26eNpBXnahJnSwFyWx2CNGRGZxnZJRmX01kEdqk2emL_cZzg_bOK80pRgPCd9Qio6eKB0ji8rMM7CZbxn_WuHhYL3Oi85xZK2_RFE5zBxHJO60GcB9u3dQ1kq2BBEZIF0Xqsxgvv6pwNUT06SDTsOcTCNAjsFEKl_s_V1NjglDeTXArxtU2lQ/s1500/14%20Taro%20et%20Kazuo.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="984" data-original-width="1500" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCjUzhV26eNpBXnahJnSwFyWx2CNGRGZxnZJRmX01kEdqk2emL_cZzg_bOK80pRgPCd9Qio6eKB0ji8rMM7CZbxn_WuHhYL3Oi85xZK2_RFE5zBxHJO60GcB9u3dQ1kq2BBEZIF0Xqsxgvv6pwNUT06SDTsOcTCNAjsFEKl_s_V1NjglDeTXArxtU2lQ/w640-h420/14%20Taro%20et%20Kazuo.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The thick stew left for them by Jirō must be working wonders, as well as the many small dishes on the side, so tasty and rich... Kazuō was beginning to feel quite heavy. He kept piling on weight, day after day, and he was clearly growing fatter. He was actually proud of his recent progress, looking more imposing as he faced his opponent.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– "</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">If you
don't even try to lift me up, I'll knock you out!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> Tarō was always eager to challenge himself and play rough.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> After a few more fights, he was still on top of the game but </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">Kazuō</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">did not let himself be easily
defeated and they resumed their exercises. Still carrying their heavy round stones at arm's
length, they walked around the room like ducks a few times then carefully stood up.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– "</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">You're
lifting much heavier stones!" Tarō commented. "I'm impressed.
In a few weeks, you'll be able to lift the ones Jirō uses for his training."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">"I
should hope so!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– "</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">You're growing mighty heavy as well..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 115%; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 115%; text-align: left;"> The two young
men were huffing, puffing and sweating profusely, going for such tense moves, so exhausting and repetitive... </span><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 115%; text-align: left;">Kazuō was hungry and thirsty. </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 115%; text-align: left;">Around them, the heat and the humidity were stifling.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– "</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">Yes, I
feel like I've put on some serious mass."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">"And you
carry it well."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– "</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">I wasn't much into sports... I never did any kind of physical exercice. Certainly nothing like this. It's amazing that I get to feel more muscular and healthy, bigger, thicker..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">"And
fatter!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">"Well, that too..."
Kazuō laughed. "That's because you two feed me so generously.
I feel like I'm growing a bit heaver every day!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– "</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">You
know how happy it makes me, and Jirō loves watching you eat his food with such a good appetite. You can go for even more..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">"The way he cooks is the reason </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">why I'm getting fat!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">"</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">Yes..."
Tarō replied with a sigh, letting his stone fall in the sand. "He's
put in some real effort lately, too. He's put on weight, and he's grown a little thicker around the waist... I'm really proud of him, but he needs to
grow a lot bigger. Then he has to eat </span><i style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">a lot</i><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">
more!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 115%; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 115%; text-align: left;"> Tarō wasn't
wrong. For more than a week, Jirō had done his best to gobble up huge amounts
of food and fill his belly as much as possible, following Kazuō's lead... And
every night, by the end of his meal, Tarō kept force-feeding him like a prized pig </span><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 115%; text-align: left;">一</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 115%; text-align: left;"> carefully but relentlessly, until his tummy looked ready to burst!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> That was the least they could do to make him grow fatter.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> At the end of
a week, while following such a diet, Jirō stood tall on his legs, with his
powerful thighs and meaty buttocks, caressing his belly with a sigh of relief... He felt rewarded as he found it somewhat heavier, thicker and softer in his hands. He sighed with a dreamy smile.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">"T</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">hanks to you, he's managed to put on a little weight."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">"</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">Thanks
to me, really?" Kazuō </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">laughed</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">, not without a secret tickle of satisfaction, thinking that he may have played a part in it, after all. "I'd rather say that this venison stew he made is just so fatty as it is tasty! He cooks so
well, he's right to enjoy it so much..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">"</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">Jirō is
not one to brag. He has a knack for cooking meals that should make the three of us grow fatter and fatter... It feels like his body burns it all down into thin ashes! You have to encourage him too, push him to put on serious mass and sport a big belly, nice and round."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">"Okay, c</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">ount me in!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><w:sdt sdttag="goog_rdk_40" style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></w:sdt></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><w:sdt id="-586992399" sdttag="goog_rdk_40" style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"> Sitting in the sand, the two young men
exchanged a look. They were so hot that they found themselves stewing in their own sweat... They were also thirsty </span><span style="line-height: 115%;">一</span><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">
and so very </span></w:sdt><i style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">hungry</span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 115%; text-align: left;">.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">"</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">Are you
thinking about him right now?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 115%; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">– </span>"Of
course</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 115%; text-align: left;">, I'm always worried about
him."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">"</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">Jirō can fight and take care of himself..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">"</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">I know, but I don't feel right when he's out in the woods without me. That's how it is... I can't help it."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> Tarō placed his hand on Kazuō's shoulder.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">"</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">We should take a good shower. Then we have to eat a really large and wholesome meal, to regain our
strength."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">"Yes..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">"T</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">hen you should sleep on it, and sleep well, to grow <i>bigger</i>."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">"</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">Yes... I'm exhausted but I'm hungry!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">"Then, </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">when you're in bed..." </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">Tarō</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">pressed his shoulder, </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">gently</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">. </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">"What would you say if I joined you and massaged your
back, to relax you?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> Kazuō blushed
as Tarō slowly wrapped his arms around him.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">"</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">Yes..." He whispered without even thinking about it. "Yes..."</span></div></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><div style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><i><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">In the bedroom </span></i><w:sdt id="-1784493593" sdttag="goog_rdk_42"><span style="line-height: 115%;">一</span><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"> afternoon, looming darkness</span></w:sdt></div><div><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"> Their abundant meal was quickly dispatched... Kazuō had never stuffed
himself so quickly, so voraciously! Tarō had started massaging his back and shoulders
under the waterfall </span><span style="line-height: 115%;">一</span><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"> then the full body rubs didn't stop from the bathroom to the main room,
and all through their meal. Greedy bites and hungry kisses followed at a brisk pace. Empty plates and bowls were thrown away as food <span>vanished faster than snow thrown inside a boiler</span>... Kazuō devoured
absolutely everything within his reach, and each mouthful was absolutely
delicious...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Finally, Tarō sat behind him and stuffed him with
desserts until there wasn't a crumb left.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– <span style="text-align: left;">"It was so</span><span style="text-align: left;"> good, I wish I could eat even more..." Kazuō </span><span style="text-align: left;">moaned</span><span style="text-align: left;">.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– <span style="text-align: left;">"</span><span style="text-align: left;">You will,
Kazuō..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– <span style="text-align: left;">"You were right, i</span><span style="text-align: left;">t feels good to be fed like this, but I feel so stuffed... I can hardly breathe."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– <span style="text-align: left;">"</span><span style="text-align: left;">You've been eating really well."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Tarō
whispered in his ear, making him shudder with a kiss on the neck. Then
he stroked his big round belly, full to the brim.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– <span style="text-align: left;">"</span><span style="text-align: left;">And
you're going to get fat!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– <span style="text-align: left;">"</span><span style="text-align: left;">Yes..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– <span style="text-align: left;">"</span><span style="text-align: left;">You're going to put on more weight... so much weight!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– <span style="text-align: left;">"</span><span style="text-align: left;">Yes..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: left;"> Kazuō let
himself go with the flow... He felt perfectly satisfied </span><span style="line-height: 115%; text-align: left;">一</span><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: left;"> so much so that, when he closed his eyes, he was under the impression that he
was light and floating in mid air like a cloud over the lake.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> It wasn't a dream. Tarō had just lifted him up in his arms, carrying him into the next room. Placing Kazuō gently on his
bed, the handsome dark-haired young man let his fingers wander through his friend's beard and he leaned forward for a long kiss.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: left;">– "<i>Dai suki da yo </i>[</span><span style="line-height: 115%; text-align: left;">大好きだよ</span><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: left;">, "I love you"] Kazuō..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div></div></span></div></span></div></div></div></span></div></span></div></div></span></span></div></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span></div></span></div></div></div></span></div></span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><i style="text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">On the balcony, tree tops as far as the eye can see</span></i><w:sdt id="463935828" sdttag="goog_rdk_44" style="text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="line-height: 115%;">一</span><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">
moonlight</span></w:sdt></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Jirō had
brought back four large baskets of fish. This beautiful fishing had required
more effort and patience than he would have liked. He was pale, exhausted and still soaked. His lips were cold as ice. For their part, Tarō and Kazuō had not seen time pass.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– "</span><span style="text-align: left;">I bet you two have been wrestling all day, without me."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> The two
handsome, dark-haired boys blushed, hoping that Jirō wouldn't notice that they
had abandoned their training for other, no less physical activities.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: left;">– "Then
you must be hungry</span><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: left;">,
and I need to eat a lot too!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> In a short
time, Jirō was back in the kitchen, and the meals resumed their course </span><span style="line-height: 18.4px; text-align: left;">一</span><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 18.4px; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">tasty
as ever, and more and more abundant. Kazuō was somewhat embarrassed,
when he was served again, so generously and encouraged to go for another helping with a bright, broad smile.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Tarō's
attitude allowed him to take a break. Always calm and self-controlled, he had
also resumed his place next to Jirō and treated him as if nothing had
happened while he was gone... Kazuō was fed even better for it, and covered
with gentle rubs all through his meals.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– "</span><span style="text-align: left;">You've
put on some good weight, Kazuō." Jirō admired, as he stuffed himself at an alarming pace.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– "That's</span><span style="text-align: left;"> right!" Tarō chuckled. "He's grown a larger, rounder belly, and he's been eating better and better, these last few days. Take a
cue from him to grow and get fat, </span><span style="text-align: left;">Jirō!</span><span style="text-align: left;">"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– "</span><span style="text-align: left;">Oh! I
have every intention of filling my belly until I burst..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> For a few days, Tarō took care of Jirō. He kept him warm with cuddles and good,
invigorating massages. He always put strong demands on him during their warm-ups and stretching exercises, but he let him spend half the morning in
the kitchen while he kept on wrestling with Kazuō... The complicity between them
was remarkable.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Above all,
Tarō was pushing his companion to eat for four, more than ever! Jirō was
a fun-loving, laid-back young man with a healthy appetite, naturally athletic and corpulent. He carried his
weight admirably... It didn't take him long to grow nicely plump and gain back all the weight he had lost, spending his nights out fishing. He was doing his
best to stuff himself with meat and fish in order to put on more and more weight
and grow a really round and overhanging belly.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> At the end of
every meal, Tarō wrapped his arms around him to comfort him and
whisper a few words of encouragement into his ear. Then, when Jirō felt a bit more
relaxed, he stuffed him silly with donuts and bananas until the handsome blonde boy couldn't possibly eat another bite. Kazuō was almost jealous of him,
although he was put to a pretty rough test.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– "</span><span style="text-align: left;">Come on, Jirō..." He coerced him. "Eat! Eat and get fat!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– "</span><span style="text-align: left;">Hmmmph...
Hmmmph..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– "One more</span><span style="text-align: left;"> banana, Jirō... And another big doughnut... Again!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– "</span><span style="text-align: left;">Hmmmph...
Hmmmph..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– "</span><span style="text-align: left;">That's good... I'm proud of you. You have to eat a lot, to gain weight
and force your belly to grow rounder!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– "</span><span style="text-align: left;">Hmmmph..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– "</span><span style="text-align: left;">Good. Now tell me, Jirō?" Tarō </span><span style="text-align: left;">suggested</span><span style="text-align: left;">. "You have cooked so much food, and Kazuō must have some room left in his stomach... How about we team up and feed him too? He should feel full and relaxed."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: left;"> As if suddenly struck by </span><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: left;">lightning, Jirō woke up from his haze.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– "</span><span style="text-align: left;">Kazuō?
I should have paid more attention... Please forgive me."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Before he had
time to figure out why or how, Kazuō suddenly found himself surrounded by his two friends and large trays of desserts. Taking turns, Tarō and Jirō spent
the night feeding him and encouraging him to gobble even more with no restraint whatsoever...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– "</span><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: left;">Come on, my big Kazuō... </span><span style="line-height: 115%; text-align: left;">Eat! Eat! Eat!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– "Hmmmph... Hmmmph..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> The night was
remarkably clear. The full summer moon was shining. While Jirō was busy cleaning the
dishes, Tarō approached Kazuō to feel his belly and take him into his confidence.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– "</span><span style="text-align: left;">You eat so well, Kazuō."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– "</span><span style="text-align: left;">I'm stuffed full... I feel like I'm going to burst!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– "</span><span style="text-align: left;">Jirō's been eating well, too... He should take some rest now."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– "</span><span style="text-align: left;">Yes..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– "</span><span style="text-align: left;">Let's make him drink some more, then he'll sleep well."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– "</span><span style="text-align: left;">Drink more?
At this hour?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– "</span><span style="text-align: left;">In this gorgeous weather, with a full moon, he'll be all for it..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– "</span><span style="text-align: left;">You
want him to drink more beer?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– "</span><span style="text-align: left;">A few good jugs of
beer, at least!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Tarō only had to suggest to his companion that the night was
clear, and how beautiful the moon was. Jirō put three large mats with cushions and a lantern on the balcony.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– "</span><span style="text-align: left;">You're right. The moon is bright and beautiful tonight."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– "</span><span style="text-align: left;">It's an
occasion we should celebrate!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– "</span><span style="text-align: left;">I'm not
hungry anymore..." Kazuō hastened to say.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– "</span><span style="text-align: left;">Neither
am I..." Jirō sighed as he stroked his painfully tight and round tummy. "I’ve been eating so much, I feel really full and heavy! I don't even think I
could go for another cup of fruit tonight..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– "</span><span style="text-align: left;">You
could always drink."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– "</span><span style="text-align: left;">Green
tea? If you want..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– "No, n</span><span style="text-align: left;">ot tea... I mean beer!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– "Beer? Well, i</span><span style="text-align: left;">f you insist..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Tarō winked
at Kazuō when Jirō brought three mugs almost overflowing with foam. In a
short time, the young blonde man had already emptied his tall mug with a few long
sips. Absentmindedly listening to his friend and throwing a few words into their conversation, he
didn't notice how Tarō and Kazuō kept pouring the content of their
mugs into his... When he was done drinking, Kazuō asked for a
second round. Right on cue, Jirō went to the kitchen and came back with more
beer for his friends.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– "</span><span style="text-align: left;">That's
good, Jirō... Now drink!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– "</span><span style="text-align: left;">Hmmmph..." the young man </span><span style="text-align: left;">sighed </span><span style="text-align: left;">as he drank.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– "G</span><span style="text-align: left;">ood beer like this should make you grow fat! Nice and fat..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: left;"> The moon was high in the sky. Jirō held the liquor pretty well, but Kazuō could see him dozing off when he sat down after a third round of beer... The discussion was lively and cheerful. Then, out of the blue, the blonde boy straightened up </span><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: left;">and almost jumped on the balcony... He started moving in slow, smooth
movements </span><span style="text-align: left;">一</span><span style="text-align: left;"> like a sensual dance.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> He was quite tipsy and almost naked, but there he was, humming in a deep, warm and husky voice </span><span style="text-align: left;">一</span><span style="text-align: left;"> sounding just so soft and smooth as he looked vigorously muscled and masculine. Jirō was ready to improvise a poem for his friend Kazuō,
dancing and singing in front of him.</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></span></div></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> <i>In the Summer night</i>,</div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> <i>I roll </i>一<i> filled like a balloon,</i></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> <i>bursting with delight </i>一</div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> <i>the round belly of the moon,</i></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> <i>fat and shiny</i> 一 <i>what a sight !</i></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Waching</span><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: left;"> him
dance like this, </span><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: left;">with no fans or veils, Kazuō didn't know what to say... As he tried
to come up with at least one word of thanks or praise, he found himself reduced to burping
loud and long.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– "BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRP..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: left;"> Tarō couldn't
help laughing. While he did his best to hide it, Jirō was still drunk but he seemed genuinely moved by this "call of the heart" </span><span style="line-height: 115%; text-align: left;">一</span><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: left;"> or this
"cry of the belly". His green eyes sparkled like stars, with such a broad smile on his handsome face...</span></div></div></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div></div></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i style="text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">Inside the house </span></i><w:sdt id="1418979922" sdttag="goog_rdk_49" style="text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">一</span><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"> sunset</span></w:sdt></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> The stew was
more than enough for the three young men to stay well fed for a few weeks, but
Tarō wanted to hunt more beautiful ducks for his friends to feast on
well-grilled skewers, well-roasted meats, and good flesh that could not fail to
fatten them up.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"Do your
best to eat well, in my absence..." he told them.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"Don't
worry about us!" Jirō </span><span style="text-align: left;">laughed</span><span style="text-align: left;">. "We're going to stay a little bit
between </span><i style="text-align: left;">the big</i><span style="text-align: left;"> guys, and binge on
it."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Kazuō didn't
expect such peace and quiet, as soon as Tarō was gone... The warm-ups, stretching exercices and weight-lifting felt a lot easier, now that he followed Jirō's
lead.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Athletic and strong, with good balance, Jirō was able to lift heavy
loads and carry them in his arms as he walked around the training room. He was only less agile and sprightly than Tarō, who often moved and pounced like a wild beast. On the other hand, he was more enduring than his companion. He also knew how to take a blow and stay standing or rise again courageously.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: left;"> Kazuō didn't expect him to wrestle like this</span><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: left;">... Jirō managed
to grab and lift his opponent but he managed to avoid really hard, harmful blows. As a matter of fact, he never hit Kazuō, even while they fought.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> The heat was taxing to say the least. They were sweating profusely.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> "</span><span style="text-align: left;">Kazuō?
You must be so </span><i style="text-align: left;">hungry.</i><span style="text-align: left;">"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> "</span><span style="text-align: left;">Yes..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"</span><span style="text-align: left;">I'm
going to cook a real feast for us. Just for you and me!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> As they went under the waterfall, Kazuō felt Jirō's hands on his sides. He
felt himself shudder.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> "</span><span style="text-align: left;">Kazuō..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> "</span><span style="text-align: left;">Yes?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"How
long has Tarō been spending the night with you?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Kazuō blushed
deeply. Jirō must have understood what was going on around him from day
one. He wasn't so dumb as they thought.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"I don't
know anymore... Huh..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Much to his
surprise, he heard Jirō burst out with laughter behind him.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"Don't
worry, you little rascal!" he said, slapping him on the buttocks. "I
understand why you have such a hearty appetite!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"Aren't
you... angry?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"Why should I? But since you have such a big appetite, I'm going to make you eat so much more!
We have some serious weight to gain, you and me..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Inviting him
to sit down in front of a magnificent pot of stew, Jirō served him one bowl
after another, trying to eat as much as his friend to keep him company. Kazuō was still shivering, but Jirō was always so nice that he managed
to put him at ease. In a short time, half of the pot was gone and the
two young men were beginning to feel quite sated.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Now that
there were no secrets between them, Kazuō felt a little sorry for Jirō, who
regularly spent nights outside and who had to sleep alone afterwards... This
friendly blonde boy deserved to be treated better. After all, he was doing his best
to grow thicker and curvier, but he didn't look much bigger or heavier than when Kazuō had met him... He may have even lost a little weight during his last nights by the lake and in the mountain streams!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> "</span><span style="text-align: left;">You're
eating well, Kazuō... Keep eating well, and enjoy yourself."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"Oh!
Yes, I'm enjoying all this!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Dusk was
setting on the horizon but Jirō was determined to keep their meal going for a few more hours. He encouraged Kazuō to stuff himself, just as he was,
serving him plenty of food from all the plates and bowls around them, over and over again! The stew pot was
almost empty...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"There you go, Kazuō! </span><span style="text-align: left;">One more bowl of food...</span><span style="text-align: left;">"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"Hmmmph..."
he protested, with his mouth full.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– "You
have grown taller and stronger... Big, and fat!" Jirō </span><span style="text-align: left;">laughed</span><span style="text-align: left;">. "You could eat another dozen bowls like this one, and a dozen bowls
of rice, so you gain a lot more weight!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– "Hmmmph... Hmmmph..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Coming and
going from the kitchen, Jirō kept surrounding him with large pots full of delicious food. Kazuō doubted that he could swallow
another bite, but this handsome blonde boy showed uparalleled skills when it came to whetting
his appetite...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> It was a cold, dark night outside. Kazuō, trapped in a heap of platters and bowls that they had licked clean, was
slowly catching his breath.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"I wish
I could eat as much as you do, Kazuō."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"Hmmmph..." the young man </span><span style="text-align: left;">growled</span><span style="text-align: left;">, exhausted.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"Your belly is going to grow so much rounder... Lucky you!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"Yes..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"How about another pineapple cake with cream?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"Have mercy on me... I couldn't eat another bite."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"If you
can't eat anymore, I should feed you..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Even in his
wildest dreams, Kazuō had never imagined that Jirō would come and sit behind him </span><span style="text-align: left;">like this</span><span style="text-align: left;">, to feed him cakes, bananas and donuts, holding him in a tight embrace to rub his belly in long, careful and sensual moves.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> It was beyond
anything he could have hoped for. While Tarō was at his best in the training room, wrestling, Jirō had a natural gift for feeding his companion and making
him want to devour even more food...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"There
you go, big Kazuō. Easy come, easy go... Again!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– “Hmmmph...
Hmmmph...”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: left;">–
"Another doughnut... Yet another, Kazuō... </span><span style="line-height: 115%; text-align: left;">Again!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– “Hmmmph... Hmmmph...”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"Come
on, keep it going. I'm with you... I'm here to feed you."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–
"Hmmmph... You're going to make me obese!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"Yes,
Kazuō..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Jirō smiled
as he whispered into his ear, but he sounded serious.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"I'm
going to feed you well and stuff you, my handsome fat Kazuō..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> O</span><span style="text-align: left;">ut of breath and w</span><span style="text-align: left;">ith his
mouth full, Kazuō felt such a sense of comfort and well-being that he let Jirō feed him almost a dozen bananas</span><span style="text-align: left;">, slow and steady,</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">before encouraging him to finish the tray of roasted pineapple
fritters.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> While he was feeding
him so well, Jirō confided in him.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"You're
going to get bigger, Kazuō, and grow a huge belly."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> "</span><span style="text-align: left;">Hmmmph..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> "</span><span style="text-align: left;">Your
belly is already well-shaped... When you're wide and fat, I'd like to have a
round, plump belly like yours."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">Hmmmph... Hmmmph..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"It's a
beautiful belly like yours that I want..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"Really?"
replied Kazuō. "Is it my big belly you want?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> "</span><span style="text-align: left;">Yes</span><span style="text-align: left;">..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Jirō answered with no hesitation, not the slightest hint of shyness, as a sensitive young man in touch with his feelings, his likes and dislikes, and the choices in his Life.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> The last doughnuts had just been eaten. Kazuō saw Jirō slowly get up to stand in front of him... With
a swift and sensual move, he took off his </span><i style="text-align: left;">kimono </i><span style="text-align: left;">and</span><span style="text-align: left;"><i> </i></span><span style="text-align: left;">showed
himself in all his naked glory, as if his body was part of the desserts.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">"This beautiful belly, well fed and round... That's what I want."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></div><div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div></div></span></div></div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div></div></span></div></div><div><div><div><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></span></span></div></div></div><div></div></div></div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div></div></span></div></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><i style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">In bed </span></i><w:sdt id="951525485" sdttag="goog_rdk_51" style="text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">一</span><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">
pitch black night</span></w:sdt></div></div></div></span></div></span></div></div></div></span></div></span></div></div></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> Jirō was
sweeter than honey, which he sprinkled so generously on all the fruits and
doughnuts he made for Kazuō.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 115%; text-align: center;"> Lying in bed, the tall and stuffed young man
couldn't take his eyes off this delicious, handsome blonde boy who treated him even better than anyone should be for their own good </span><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 115%; text-align: center;">一</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 115%; text-align: center;"> with so many treats as rubs, hungry mouthfuls of mango and passionate kisses...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> He could have
lost his mind, now set on pushing his belly to grow!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 115%; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 115%; text-align: center;">– "<i>Ai shiteru </i>[</span><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 115%; text-align: center;">愛してる</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 115%; text-align: center;">, “I love you”], Kazuō."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– "Jirō..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTjqazxC1VLNz2xtxdPOjr9kO0bYDISc8wkSTl5CRx8sGLY7PxpSeOZ6Tn9hYrjbT6QnhHX372RSx5yIvxMuFguXn8yRA7Q4CVOteCo1LG601XRhD65vbSKGC6_3yPmaijCU3WUvX4_ZusMKTNJrVKuHUOlb9PowWlTjQ7uovnG6w40jQcb7zgGZweHQ/s1472/15.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1128" data-original-width="1472" height="490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTjqazxC1VLNz2xtxdPOjr9kO0bYDISc8wkSTl5CRx8sGLY7PxpSeOZ6Tn9hYrjbT6QnhHX372RSx5yIvxMuFguXn8yRA7Q4CVOteCo1LG601XRhD65vbSKGC6_3yPmaijCU3WUvX4_ZusMKTNJrVKuHUOlb9PowWlTjQ7uovnG6w40jQcb7zgGZweHQ/w640-h490/15.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;">"I'm
going to bake a few more donuts for you."</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">"Jirō,
please..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">"Are you
not hungry anymore? I'm going to stuff you to the brim... You
still have to fill your belly more! Trust me on this, </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Kazuō, </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">you're </span><i style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">hungry</i><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">"Yes...
Yes, I'm hungry!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">"Then
you're going to eat..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">"I'll
eat... as much as you want!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 115%; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 115%; text-align: center;"> Lucky for him, Jirō
was no less eager to come back than Kazuō was eager to see him return as soon
as possible. Despite an extremely heavy, extremely nutritious meal </span><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 115%; text-align: center;">一</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 115%; text-align: center;">which should have been more than enough to make his stomach </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">burst </span><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 115%; text-align: center;">一</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 115%; text-align: center;"> desserts and cakes were still piling on in his bedroom, and pushed into his mouth... to fatten him up.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 115%; text-align: center;"> Jirō
was so kind to him, with his gentle smile, so</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 115%; text-align: center;"> smooth and cuddly as he was naughty, Kazuō couldn't resist. The young man was sweating and almost sparkling with charm in the dark... Stuffed but fascinated, </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Kazuō was amazed </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">to find him even hotter than his partner Tarō!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">"Tasty, hot doughnuts for my big, sexy Kazuō!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> "</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Hmmmph... Hmmmph..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">"Keep eating. You eat so well!" Jir</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">ō purred.</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> "I love you, Kazuō..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> "</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Hmmmph... Jirō..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> '"</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Yes?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 115%; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">–</span><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span>"Jirō...
I love you too... </span><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 115%; text-align: center;">I love you!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> As he
whispered these last words, Kazuō nearly fainted in the arms of his young friend,
who held him tightly against his plump and well-muscled chest. Jir</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">ō </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">had just made him come for the
fourth time since they were done with their dinner...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">"We have all the time in the world, Kazuō..." This night is ours."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 115%; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">–</span><span style="text-align: justify;"> "</span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 115%; text-align: center;">Yes, Jirō..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">"Kazuō,
if you love me..." Jir</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">ō whispered, and almost growled.</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> "If you love me, you're going to </span><i style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">eat</i><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">"Yes,
Jirō... I'll eat as much as you want!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">"If you
love me, you're going to </span><i style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">get fat</i><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 115%; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">–</span><span style="text-align: justify;"> "</span>Yes, Jirō..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">"I'm
going to feed you, then you're going to grow</span><i style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> much</i><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> fatter."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">"As much
as you want, my delicious Jirō!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 115%; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">–</span><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span>"If you
love me, you're going to grow... such a huge belly</span><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 115%; text-align: center;">!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">"I'll
get as fat as you want, Jirō. Bigger than you could ever grow..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> Kazuō smiled
as he enjoyed another tasty doughnut.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">"After
all, Tarō wants me to gain weight too!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 115%; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">–</span><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span>"It's
not the same, Kazuō..." </span><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 115%; text-align: center;">Jirō whispered.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">"How? If
I eat really well..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">"Tarō
wants you to gain weight, it's true... But I want you</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">to </span><i style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">get
fat</i><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">, and grow a big belly. A beautiful, round and massive belly!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">"Okay, make my belly grow... bigger. Much bigger!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> Jirō showered
him with kisses, passionately, as a way to thank him.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> Before long,
Kazuō had devoured the last doughnut. In the dying glow of the paper lantern,
he could make out Jirō's sparkling green eyes as he covered his torso and
stomach with long, sensual licks, gently pressing his well-rounded sides between his hands. He kept going with soft kisses, pinches and rubs to keep him
awake.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">"I'm
going to feed you so much, Kazuō! I'm going to fatten you up..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> "</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Jirō..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">"Let's feed you like a pig... Like a wild boar!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">"Oink...
Oink..." Kazuō growled with a broad smile on his face.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> The night
grew deeper, more fiery, warmer and more fragrant, as Jirō took time to please his already painfully stuffed friend.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> "</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Jirō..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 115%; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">–</span><span style="text-align: justify;"> "</span>Yes?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">"Tell
me, don't you think... Tarō will be jealous?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> "</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Why should he?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">"Well..." </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō blushed.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">"We'll
get there when he comes back. I'm not going to lie
to him."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">"Undoubtedly.
That's all well and good, but..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Hmmm?”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">"Honestly...
I am your guest in this house. He was the first to greet me. Now I'm taking his
partner away from him."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">"Excuse
me?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> Jirō laughed
heartily, hugging his friend tight.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Jir</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><div><div><div><div><div></div></div><div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div></div></div><div></div></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– "</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō..</span>. What were yo</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">u thinking? T<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō is my big brother!"</span></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">To be continued</i>...)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><b>Note </b>: In Japan, </span></span><span><i><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">Tar</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">ō </span></span></i></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">(</span></span>太<span lang="zh-CN"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">郎</span></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">) and </span></span><i><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">Jir</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-GB">ō </span></span></span></i><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-GB">(</span></span></span><span lang="zh-CN"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">次郎</span></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">) are very common </span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">first names</span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">, </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">meaning </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">first-born son</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> and “second-born son”</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> There should be no doubt, then, that </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">Tar</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">ō is </span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō's big brother.</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><b>A little Japanese practice</b> : <i>Suki desu</i> [好き です] is the most common (and neutral) way to say “I love you” to someone, but there are so many nuances and other expressions... </span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Tarō says <i>Dai suki da yo</i> [大好き だ よ] which implies stronger and more determined feelings</span><span>. Finally, </span><span>Jirō says </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>Ai shiteru</i><span> [愛してる], which is considered the most intense and passionate way of saying “I'm in Love with you” to Kazuō</span></span><span style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> One minor detail, not without consequences : Japanese young men like Kazuō, Tarō and Jirō would always use formal names, talking to each other, whether they are neutral (Kazuō-<i>san</i> : 一雄さん), affectionnate (Kazuō-<i>chan</i> : 一雄ちゃん), respectful toward an older brother or friend (Tarō-<i>sempai </i>: 太郎先輩) or more familiar toward a younger person (Jirō-<i>kun</i> : 次郎君), etc. There are so many possible nuances that it was better to ignore them altogether...</span></span></div></span></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5094005257601699515.post-24614443831793563482023-12-03T05:24:00.000-08:002024-02-22T10:05:11.709-08:00La pleine lune dans les bois (troisième partie)<p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9r6Jh8AeZcu419MreF47EckDKe-U-yAvq1O9-AynaOCiEKRqPr8a2cXlh_JE8xI-gMqBmj1x3rlVr_RHzAeQbUrAX8OTPWV91mFarFE2Liyr_WHq7KVZSlicsBmqNHTV95EsL57JWvqj7d-JeczETYU00mncROXkX_MqnpVRahNVOnEI96nEtTdiRyg/s684/Titre.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" data-original-height="518" data-original-width="684" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9r6Jh8AeZcu419MreF47EckDKe-U-yAvq1O9-AynaOCiEKRqPr8a2cXlh_JE8xI-gMqBmj1x3rlVr_RHzAeQbUrAX8OTPWV91mFarFE2Liyr_WHq7KVZSlicsBmqNHTV95EsL57JWvqj7d-JeczETYU00mncROXkX_MqnpVRahNVOnEI96nEtTdiRyg/w400-h303/Titre.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">II</span></b></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">I. </span></b></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b>冬</b></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> [hiver]</span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> “Les nuages couraient sur la lune enflammée</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> comme sur l'incendie on voit fuir la fumée...</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">Alfred de VIGNY</span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><i>Les Destinées </i></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">一</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">“La Mort du loup”</span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span><p style="font-family: verdana;"></p><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><i>Dans la maison </i>一 aux premiers rayons de soleil</div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;">Tar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;">ō et Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;">ō étaient perplexes.</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">– “</span><i>Daijōbu desu ka</i> [大丈夫ですか, <span style="text-align: justify;">“</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ç</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: justify;">a </span></span><span style="text-align: justify;">va ?</span><span style="text-align: justify;">”</span>], Kazu<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;">ō ?</span><span style="text-align: justify;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> Assis devant eux, entouré de plats dans lesquels il ne cessait de puiser mais plutôt entouré d'un amoncellement de plats entièrement nettoyés et vides, <span style="text-align: left;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō était si occupé à se nourrir à toute allure qu'il semblait ne pas avoir entendu ses amis rentrer... Toute son attention était portée sur la nourriture qu'il dévorait. </span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="text-align: justify;">– “</span>Kazu<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;">ō ?</span><span style="text-align: justify;">” répéta </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;">Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;">ō, avec inquiétude.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: justify;">– “Inutile d'insister. Tu vois bien qu'il ne nous entend pas...</span><span style="text-align: justify;">”</span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">– “</span>Kazu<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;">ō... </span>Kazu<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;">ō !</span><span style="text-align: justify;">”</span></div></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Tar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō posa sa main sur l'épaule de son frère et le ramena doucement à lui, en essayant de le réconforter.</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><span>– “Il est complètement étourdi... Laisse-le tranquille.</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">– “Qu'est-ce qui a bien pu lui arriver pendant la nuit ?</span><span style="text-align: justify;">”</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"> En observant attentivement </span>Kazu<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;">ō</span><span style="text-align: justify;">, </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;">Tar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;">ō ne pouvait que hocher la tête.</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><span>– “Je ne sais pas...</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><span>– “Tu crois que...</span><span>” </span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;">Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;">ō hésitait. </span><span style="text-align: justify;">“Peut-être ?</span><span style="text-align: justify;">”</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">– “Peut-être.</span><span style="text-align: justify;">”</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span>Les deux frères n'avaient échangé qu'un regard, silencieux et soucieux, mais ils s'étaient compris.</div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>– “<span style="text-align: left;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō a dû sortir, prendre l'air</span>... Il nous aura entendus, et peut-être qu'il nous a vus lorsque nous revenions de la chasse.</span><span>”</span></div><div><span>– “S'il nous a vus changés en loups, il a dû être terrifié...</span><span>”</span></div><div><span>– “Je pense bien.</span><span>” </span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span> <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Tar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span> secoua soudain son frère par les épaules.</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span> </span><span>– “Si tu te voyais, mon pauvre </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō..</span><span>. Tu es vraiment à faire peur !</span><span>”</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span> <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ne put s'empêcher d'éclater de rire, dans son désarroi... L</span>es deux jeunes hommes, trempés et transis de froid, étaient tout en sueur, avec des traces d'herbes et de feuilles arrachées, de branches brisées, de terre et de sang partout sur le corps, jusque sous leurs vêtements trop légers, </span>déchirés et débraillés.</div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>– “Toi aussi, tu es tout sale...</span><span>”</span></div><div><span>– “Eh bien, nous avons fière allure !</span><span>” </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Tar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō riait de bon cœur, lui aussi. </span><span>“</span>À la douche<span>, </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ! Pour commencer, nous pouvons porter la dépouille de ce gros sanglier dans notre garde-manger... Et lorsque nous </span><span>serons propres et secs, il y a bien du travail qui nous attend !</span><span>”</span></div><div><br /></div><div> Pendant que <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō portait la dépouille de l'énorme sanglier sur son dos jusque dans la cuisine, </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Tar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō jeta un coup d'œil à Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, qui n'avait pas bougé de sa place mais qui mangeait encore, sans montrer le moindre signe de lassitude. </span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>– “Oui...</span><span>” murmura-t-il, d'un air sombre.</span><span> “Nous aurons fort à faire.</span><span>”</span></div><div><br /></div><div> <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Tar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span> s'approcha de Kazu<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō pour </span>lui p<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">arler très doucement</span>.</div></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><div>– “Kazu<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, tu m'entends ? Dis-moi quelque chose..</span>.”</div><div><br /></div><div> Toujours la bouche pleine, le gros garçon déposa un grand bol vide et se saisit des premiers autres bols de poisson frit et de riz à portée de ses mains. Avant de se jeter sur la nourriture, il se contenta de murmurer.</div><div><br /></div><div><div>– “Encor<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">e..</span>. à manger !”</div><div><div>– “Ne t'en fais pas, Ji<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō va te préparer encore de quoi te régaler.</span>”</div><div><br /></div></div></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"> Tarō se releva, les poings sur ses hanches.</span></div></div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="font-family: verdana;">– “Tu as dû comprendre que Ji<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō et moi, n</span>ous sommes des <i>Yamainugami </i>[山犬神, littéralement, des “esprits de chiens de montagne”] !” expliqua-t-il fièrement. “C'est dans notre nature de vivre ainsi, en marge, entre frères. C'est parce que nous sommes des loups que nous avons toujours été chassés. Nous ne pouvons vivre que dans les bois, où les hommes ne doivent pas s'aventurer...”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> Kazu<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ne semblait pas l'écouter, trop occupé à s'empiffrer.</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana;">– “Lorsque tu as passé le pont, tu n'as plus rencontré que des esprits et des fantômes. Si la nuit était tombée, tu étais un homme mort... Je t'ai trouvé juste assez tôt pour te mener jusqu'à ce refuge, mais peut-être était-il déjà trop tard... On ne pouvait plus te sauver. Dès que tu as pris place à notre table, tu t'es comporté comme je m'y attendais <span style="text-align: left;">一</span> comme nous devions nous y attendre... Tu as tout de suite bien profité. Ji<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō n'a eu qu'à t'inviter à te joindre à nous</span>, et tu t'es goinfré comme un porc !”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Tar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō vint se placer derrière lui pour tâter ses flancs bien rebondis</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">.</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><div>– “Encor<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">e..</span>. Encore à manger...” grognait Kazu<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, la bouche pleine.</span></div><div></div></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><div>– “T<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">u ne t'es même pas rendu compte à quel point tu t'empiffrais, mon gros</span>... Tu t'es laissé aller en ne pensant qu'à te remplir la panse, comme un vrai porc ! Je ne m'en serais pas douté, tant tu étais maigre, mais j'ai tout de suite deviné que l'embonpoint te guettait. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ç</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">a</span></span> n'a pas tardé. Tu as engraissé, tu t'es bien épaissi et arrondi, et maintenant...” ajouta-t-il en promenant sa langue sur ses lèvres. “Maintenant, tu es bien en chair ! Et avec deux jeunes loups affamés comme Ji<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō et moi, tu as quand même compris que nous sommes sauvagement carnivores...</span>”</div><div><br /></div></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> Kazu<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō s'empiffrait toujours, en grognant de plaisir.</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="font-family: verdana;">– “Mange, mon gros... Encore... Autant que tu veux !” s'écria <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Tar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, pour l'encourager. </span>“Nous allons bien te nourrir, et te régaler plus que jamais... Dans quelques semaines, tu seras parfaitement gras à point.”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;">– “Hmmmph... Hmmmph...”</div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Très bien<i> </i>! <i>Motto tabe</i>, </span><i style="font-family: verdana;">motto tabe </i><span style="font-family: verdana;">[もっと 食べ, “Mange encore plus”]. Remplis ton ventre, Kazu</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō... C</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">'est dans ta nature. Tu es un porc, avec un appétit de porc... Un bon gros lard comme toi ne pense qu'à une seule chose : devenir toujours plus rond, de plus en</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">plus lourd et de plus en plus gras, en te goinfrant le plus possible !”</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><div>– “Hmmmph...”</div><div><div><br /></div><div><div> Jir<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō préparait déjà quelque nouveau festin. <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Tar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span> l'appela rudement.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div></div><div><div>– “Dépêche-toi un peu, Jir<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span>. Kazu<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō n'aura bientôt plus rien à manger !</span>”</div><div><div><div>– “Ce sera bientôt prêt...”</div><div><div>– “À manger ! Encore à manger ! Tous ses plats se vident si vite...”</div><div><div>– “J'apporte du riz, du poisson frit et des omelettes aux lardons.”</div><div></div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div><br /></div><div> <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Tar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō sourit. Son petit frère devait être vraiment inquiet à l'idée que leur ami ne mangeait pas à sa faim. </span>Kazu<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō se précipitait toujours pour avaler d'énormes bouchées...</span></div><div><br /></div><div>– “Comme il mange... Comme il<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> a <i>faim</i> ! N'est-ce pas, </span>Kazu<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ?</span>”</div><div><div></div></div></div><div>– “Hmmmph... Hmmmph...”</div></div><div><div><div>– “Mange autant que tu veux !” <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Tar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō l'encourageait. </span>“Nous allons bien te gaver, autant que tu pourras encore avaler... Tu peux faire entrer toutes nos provisions dans ton gros ventre. Mange encore, encore ! À partir de maintenant, c'est toi qui nous tiendras lieu de garde-manger.”</div></div></div></div></div><div><br /></div></div></span></div></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Sous la cascade </i>一 lever de soleil</div></div></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><span><div> Kazu<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, dans la salle à manger, se trouvait entouré d'une quarantaine de plats et d'une quarantaine de grands bols débordant de nourriture, cerné par de longs plateaux de brochettes fumantes, parfumées, assis devant le feu où </span>mijotait <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">un magnifique ragoût de cerf</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">... Il ne manquait pas non plus de bière, avec quatre grandes jattes dont il pouvait se saisir pour boire au goulot, </span>goulument. </div><div> Après avoir préparé un tel repas, si précipitamment, Jirō était à bout de souffle même avant d'aborder les exercices physiques du matin avec son frère. La nuit avait été rude, éprouvante, et la surprise de trouver Kazu<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō si changé leur avait retiré tout le plaisir de cette chasse couronnée de succès, avec la satisfaction d'avoir ramené de si belles proies pour s'en régaler ensemble..</span>. <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Tar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, qui l'observait avec attention, </span>l'invita plutôt à se reposer après une douche rafraîchissante.</div><div> Sous la cascade, dont l'eau était toujours plus glacée, il le prit d'abord dans ses bras pour le réconforter.</div></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><span><div><div>– “Kazu<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō a bien de quoi se régaler !</span>”</div><div><div>– “Oui...” murmura Ji<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō.</span></div><div>– “C'est bien. Qu'il s'empiffre ! Qu'il s'empâte !”</div><div></div><div></div><div><span><span>– “Avec tout ce qu'il a déjà englouti, toute la nuit, je me demande si son ventre ne va pas éclater...</span></span><span>”</span></div><div>– “Ce n'est pas pour Kazu<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō que je m'inquiète</span>.”</div><div><br /></div><div> Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō serra son frère plus fermement contre lui, en pressant ses flancs pour les tâter en profondeur, d'une poigne très affirmée.</span></div><div><br /></div><div>– “Comme je m'y attendais, mon petit Ji<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō... Chaque nuit de pleine lune où nous partons chasser dans les bois, lorsque nous nous changeons en loups, ta silhouette s'affine, s'affine, et tu en reviens svelte, athlétique et tout mince. C'est désolant !</span>”</div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div>– “Je sais bien...”</div><div><div>– “Quand vas-tu enfin te décider à devenir bouffi, joufflu et rondelet ?”</div></div><div><br /></div><div><div> Jir<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō baissait la tête, sous la cascade. Tout penaud de se trouver aussi musclé, si solide et si élancé, il tâtait son ventre devenu presque plat... Son tour de taille avait diminué si nettement qu'il en rougissait, confus.</span></div></div><div><br /></div><div><div>– “C'est toujours comme ça... Je ne sais pas pourquoi.”</div><div>– “C'est parce que tu ne manges pas assez de viande, Jir<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ! Je te l'ai dit et répété. Tu n'es pas assez vorace...</span>”</div><div>– “Et pourtant, ces derniers temps je n'ai fait que me goinfrer de viandes rouges et de poissons frits, de beignets et de toutes sortes de bonnes choses très nourrissantes pour bien m'engraisser.”</div></div><div><div>– “Oui. C'est vrai... mais tu vois, ça ne suffit pas.”</div></div><div><div>– “Je voudrais tellement être dodu, et bedonnant...”</div><div><div>– “Tu avais bien grossi, avec tout ce dont je t'avais gavé ! Mais ça ne suffit pas... Il te faut plus de viande, beaucoup de viande ! De la bonne viande rouge, pour te faire prendre du ventre !”</div><div><br /></div></div></div><div><div> Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō pressait la taille de son petit frère, en insistant sur les bons repas qui les attendaient. Il passait sa langue sur les lèvres, en songeant à ces festins de viandes dont il se montrait si friand.</span></div><div> Son enthousiasme n'était même pas exagéré, mais il forçait un peu le trait pour consoler son frère, et le garder toujours de bonne humeur. Jir<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō n'était pas seulement triste de ne plus être aussi ventru et grassouillet... Pouvait-il ne pas songer à leur futur festin, le plus important, lorsque les deux frères entendaient Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō qui s'empiffrait toujours comme un porc, dans la maison ?</span></div></div></span></div></div><div><br /></div></div><div><div>– “Comme il se presse de manger encore...” Jir<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō frissonnait. </span></div><div></div></div><div><div><div>– “Comme un porc !” insistait Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō avec un sourire carnassier. </span>“Lorsque nous l'aurons dévoré, nos ventres seront bien remplis et nous pourrons passer l'hiver à l'abri dans notre maison...”</div><div></div></div><div><div><div>– “Nous sommes vraiment obligés de le dévorer ?”</div></div></div></div><div><div></div></div></span></span></div><div><span><span>– “C'est la grande Loi. Nous avons trouvé refuge dans cette forêt. Nous devons la protéger.</span></span><span> Les hommes qui s'y aventurent s'y perdent... Leur nature animale reprend le dessus et ils deviennent ce qu'ils ont toujours été, dans leurs profondeurs. Alors, ils sont condamnés à s'entre-dévorer ou à être dévorés... C'est ce qui les attend. Et c'est aussi notre rôle.</span><span>”</span></div><div><span><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Oui, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Tar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span>...”</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Jirō se tenait blotti contre son frère. Il le serrait de toutes ses forces.</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>– “Allons, </span>Jirō, n<span>e sois pas triste</span>... Tu sais bien que tu ne te nourris que des âmes des hommes qui se sont perdus dans les bois, sous la pleine lune. Ces rôtis et ces ragoûts que tu prépares, si savoureux, ne seraient pas du tout nourrissants si nous n'y faisions mijoter les mauvais esprits de ceux qui n'ont pas respecté les lois. Les cerfs que nous dévorons sont les âmes des séducteurs sans cœur, qui ont poussé celles ou ceux qui les aimaient au désespoir. Les poissons que tu prends dans tes pattes sont d'anciens marins pêcheurs qui sont morts en ruinant les rivières, les lacs et les mers... Les canards que j'abats avec mes flèches n'étaient que de mauvais prêtres, des juges corrompus, d'hypocrites prédicateurs qui ne respectaient aucun des principes qu'ils enseignaient. Quant aux sangliers que nous avons chassés, cette nuit, j'ai mon idée à leur sujet... Et puis, tant d'hommes ne sont que des porcs ! Nous dévorons leurs méchantes âmes, c<span>omme le <i>baku</i> [獏] dévore les mauvais rêves.</span><span>”</span></div></span></div><div><span style="text-align: justify;"><span><span>– “Oui, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Tar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span>. Je sais tout ça...”</span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: justify;"><span><span><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: justify;"><span><span><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span> Le monde où vivaient les deux frères</span></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span> </span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana;">était comparable à celui que l'on trouvait représenté dans le</span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> <i>Chōjū-giga</i> [鳥獣戯画, rouleau de</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> “caricatures de personnages animaux”] où des singes et des lions, des lapins et des grenouilles se livrent à une satire de toutes sortes d'activités du temple et de la cour.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span> Sans aucune éducation, Tar</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>ō et Ji</span></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>r</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>ō n'étaient pas seulement de jeunes loups qui avaient dû fuir, harcelés et pourchassés par les hommes, mais ils voyaient clair dans les cœurs comme au clair de lune.</span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><div><span>– “Je sais tout ça, </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Tar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span>... C'est notre destin d'être de méchants loups.”</div></div><div><span>– “C'est notre rôle, </span><span>mon petit </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>Ji</span></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>r</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>ō, p</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>arce que l</span></span>e monde est méchant. Tu as toujours été trop gentil. <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>Ce sont de </span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>méchants </span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>hommes</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span> </span></span><span>qui ont décidé que nous étions </span>de méchants loups !”</div><div><div><span>– “M</span><span>ais </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō n'est pas comme les autres hommes..</span>.”</div></div><div><span>– “Tu l'entends qui mange ? Il se régale... comme un vrai porc !”</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div></span></span></span></div></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>Kazu</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>ō</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> avait déjà englouti une quantité de nourriture si impressionnante que </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>Tar</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>ō et Ji</span></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>r</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>ō en restaient sans voix, une fois revenus à l'intérieur de la maison pour se sécher.</span></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><div><span>– “Il a déjà ingurgité tous ces plats ?”</span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Il faut croire... </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>Tonde hi ni iru koisuru natsu no mushi</i></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">[</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">飛んで火にいる恋する夏の虫, proverbe bouddhique japonais : </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Comme les insectes, en été, volent vers la flamme”], mais c'est à peine croyable !”</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “C'est énorme. Et pourtant, il mange encore... de bon appétit.”</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>Ji</span></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>r</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>ō était visiblement ému et peiné, en voyant </span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>Kazu</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>ō</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> dévorer le contenu d'un grand bol après l'autre, en se pressant pour passer au prochain plat qu'il pourrait porter jusqu'à sa bouche, à bout de bras.</span></div><div><br /></div><div>– “Eh bien...” rugit <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Tar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span>. “<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Tu vois que notre gros </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>Kazu</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>ō</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> a <i>faim </i>!</span>”</div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="font-family: verdana;"><div><div><div><span>– “Je vais de ce pas préparer de quoi lui remplir la panse.”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Toujours disposé à cuisiner</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> en grandes quantités, pour le plus grand plaisir de ses compagnons, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō courut jusque dans la cuisine et il en rapporta bientôt d'énormes plats de riz, de </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>soba </i>[蕎麦], d'</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>udon </i>[饂飩] et de </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>rāmen </i>[拉面], avec d'épaisses tranches de jambon, de gros beignets de crevettes frites, et de vastes plateaux de viandes rôties à point.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> ne se montrait pas autrement surpris, ou inquiet </span><span style="text-align: left;">一</span> peu à peu entouré d'une abondance de nouveaux plats, tous plus appétissants les uns que les autres... Il semblait ne prendre conscience que de ceux qui se trouvaient immédiatement à sa portée.</div></div></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvDPd8Mf_2ASVbWgPIFWo8tWV5RE-TfsUN-BeGqPG6kb2xeE8ZC1cLMoeYzYxndnFytSMGooG0lf4pU3zi-2arlnCPKXkkm_-mxAGRCk4liMFZ0xEvWCYMcCir4TaBODv5Lubp19E-utZGUVwGF63vW6_a3NDBdUnPJJlslNdFYCQoEk8KwldogCtpBDyf/s2174/31-fini.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1352" data-original-width="2174" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvDPd8Mf_2ASVbWgPIFWo8tWV5RE-TfsUN-BeGqPG6kb2xeE8ZC1cLMoeYzYxndnFytSMGooG0lf4pU3zi-2arlnCPKXkkm_-mxAGRCk4liMFZ0xEvWCYMcCir4TaBODv5Lubp19E-utZGUVwGF63vW6_a3NDBdUnPJJlslNdFYCQoEk8KwldogCtpBDyf/w640-h398/31-fini.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Il est toujours perdu dans la brume ?” s'interrogeait </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Son esprit est couché sur le sable...” corrigea Ta</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō. </span>“Il est assis dans le désert de sa conscience, confortablement <span style="text-align: left;">一</span> et il s'engraisse comme un bon gros porc. Dans quelques semaines, il sera parfaitement gras !”</div><div><br /></div></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Dans la maison et dans le jardin</i> 一 journée de brume</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>Kazu</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>ō</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> s'empiffrait tant et tant que </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō devait passer toujours plus de temps dans la cuisine, du matin au soir. Le beau garçon blond ne cessait de porter des plats, surchargés de nourriture, de laver la vaisselle et de préparer encore de voluptueux ragoûts et de délicieux desserts pour son ami, qu'il entourait de coussins, d'attentions et de petits soins... Il faisait de son mieux pour satisfaire l'appétit de </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō </span><span style="text-align: left;">一</span> qui ne lui accordait pas un instant d'attention, entièrement occupé à remplir son ventre.</div><div> À la fin de la journée, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō était épuisé. Il se sentait désemparé, tout en admirant l'appétit insatiable et l'embonpoint de </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, qui engraissait presque à vue d'œil...</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Heureusement, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ta</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō veillait sur lui et le forçait à s'entraîner, à lutter avec lui et à soutenir ses assauts de champion. </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, qui travaillait déjà si durement, pouvait à peine suivre son grand frère dans ses mouvements de lutteur, précis et </span>puissants. Il n'était pas assez vif. Chaque soir, après un copieux repas et une dernière chope de bière, il tombait de sommeil.</div></span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Voilà, mon petit </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō !</span> Tu vas bien dormir.”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Je me sens tellement... pataud, à côté de toi.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “C'est ce qu'il faut</span></span>.” murmurait <span style="font-family: verdana;">Ta</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō pour le réconforter</span>. “Mange bien, dors bien, et tu deviendras enfin lourd, épaissi et bien rembourré pour cet hiver... Mais tu dois encore manger ! Beaucoup, <i>beaucoup</i> manger.”</div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Oui, Ta</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō...</span>”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Et il faut boire beaucoup de bière. Allez, encore une chope !</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></div></span></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></div></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></div></span></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></div></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Ji</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, docile, se forçait à boire </span></span></span><span style="text-align: left;">一 avant de pousser un énorme rot.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “BUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRP</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">...</span>”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></span></div></span></div></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><b style="text-align: left;"><br /></b></span></span></span></div></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> D'un jour à l'autre, Ta</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō veillait à la stabilité de leur petite maison </span><b style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">一 </span></b><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">en réparant ou en renforçant le toit, que menaçaient les intempéries, ou en s'assurant que les soubassements qu'il avait établi avec Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō demeuraient toujours</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB"><i>momoshiki </i>[百敷, </span></span></span></span>“aux assises de pierres, solides”].</div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> Assurément, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>Kazu</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>ō</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> pesait d'un poids considérable sur le plancher de la salle à manger, où il s'empiffrait du matin au soir </span><span style="text-align: left;">一</span> mais les deux frères pesaient lourd, eux aussi !</div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> Les provisions ne faisaient pas défaut. Ils mangeaient gloutonnement, et <span style="font-family: verdana;">Ta</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō avait recommencé à gaver </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō comme un petit canard, à la fin de chaque repas. Il se montrait impitoyable.</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “Mange<span style="font-family: verdana;">,
mon petit </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Jirō ! Encore de la viande ! Encore du riz... Mange !</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “<span style="font-family: verdana;">Hmmmph...
Hmmmph...”</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “<span style="font-family: verdana;">Encore
du rôti</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">...
Encore, encore ! Et du lard, beaucoup de lard...</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “<span style="font-family: verdana;">Hmmmph...”</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “<span style="font-family: verdana;">Et
une banane bien mûre, maintenant... Une autre... </span>Une autre...”</div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “<span style="font-family: verdana;">Hmmmph... </span>Hmmmph... Hmmmph...”</div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “<span style="font-family: verdana;">C'est
bien, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Jirō
! Encore un effort... Ouvre grand !</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “<span style="font-family: verdana;">Hmmmph...”</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><div>– “<span style="font-family: verdana;">Et encore du poisson frit</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">... Encore ! Et reprends des pâtes...</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><div>– “<span style="font-family: verdana;">Hmmmph... Hmmmph...”</span></div><div><div><div>– “Dépêche-toi d'avaler<span style="font-family: verdana;">, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Jirō ! Avale !</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div></div><div>– “<span style="font-family: verdana;">Hmmmph...”</span></div></div><div>– “<span style="font-family: verdana;">Et
un bon gros beignet ! Reste bien lourdaud et mange, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Jirō...</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “<span style="font-family: verdana;">Hmmmph...
Hmmmph...”</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “<span style="font-family: verdana;">Il
faut </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">que
tu manges, ou tu vas encore perdre du poids !</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="font-family: verdana;"><div>– “<span style="font-family: verdana;">Hmmmph...”</span></div></div><div><div style="font-family: verdana;">– “Il faut t'engraisser<span style="font-family: verdana;">, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Jirō... Tu es trop frêle, tu ne veux pas subir encore un hiver comme celui que nous avons connu, il y a trois ans.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><div><div>– “<span style="font-family: verdana;">Hmmmph...”</span></div></div><div></div></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Grâce aux efforts répétés de </span></span>Tarō,<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Jirō avait déjà repris du poids, et son ventre s'arrondissait doucement, </span></span>avec la meilleure <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">volonté du monde</span>.</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Plus rondelet, dodu et rebondi, </span>Jirō se sentait en meilleure forme. Une nuit<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">, enfin, Kazuō se trouva si lourdement repu et rassasié qu'il releva la tête, et </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō l'entendit l'appeler par son nom.</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="font-family: verdana;"><div>– “Kazuō... Comment te sens-tu ?<span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Son cœur battait plus fort dans sa poitrine que s'il avait couru toute la nuit dans la forêt. Il était bien assez lourdaud pour éviter de courir, par une telle nuit.</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"></div></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><div>– “Je me sens... parfaitement rassasié, Jirō. Quels délicieux repas tu me prépares ! Je me régale, mais je ne pourrais plus avaler une bouchée...<span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div></div></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><div><div>– “Kazuō...<span style="font-family: verdana;">” murmurait </span>Jirō, en le prenant tendrement dans ses bras et en le couvrant de baisers, avec des larmes<span style="font-family: verdana;"> de joie. </span>“Kazuō...<span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div></div><div><div><div><div>– “BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRP !<span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div></div><div>– “Mon pauvre Kazuō, ton gros ventre va éclater...<span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div></div><div><div></div></div></div></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Mais non, ne t'inquiète pas pour mon ventre. Il va juste grossir !”<div><div></div></div></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Et cela ne t'inquiète pas, </span>Kazuō ?”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Pas du tout... Au contraire, je sens que j'ai besoin de manger encore. Dès que je me serai reposé, il faudra que je recommence à manger... Il faut que je mange le plus possible !”</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Autant que tu voudras, </span>Kazuō.”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Je ne sais pas pourquoi... Je ne peux pas m'empêcher de me repaître et de m'empiffrer, dès que je trouve quelque chose d'appétissant et de très nourrissant devant moi</span>. De bons petits plats comme tu sais si bien en cuisiner, onctueux et savoureux, et qui font bien grossir !”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “C'est vrai</span>...” Jirō rougissait en souriant. <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">“Depuis quelques jours, je te prépare toutes mes recettes préférées pour combler ton appétit</span>.”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Je n'en veux pas d'autres</span>. Fais-moi toujours aussi bien manger !”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Mais, </span></span>Kazuō... Tu n'es plus du tout inquiet de <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">“trop</span>” manger, comme tu disais ? Ou de prendre <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">“trop</span>” de ventre ?”</div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Je t'ai dit ça, moi ? Au contraire ! Je veux manger encore, et encore... Et prendre autant de poids que je pourrai en porter dans mon ventre. Je veux faire gonfler ce bon gros ventre, jusqu'à ce qu'il soit énorme</span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> !”</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “</span></span>Kazuō...”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> Jirō, le cœur battant, palpitant, ne savait plus quoi lui répondre.</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> </div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Tu sais..</span>.” murmura </span>Kazuō.<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> “Je vous entendais m'appeler et me parler, ton frère et toi</span>.”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Mais tu ne disais rien..</span>. Pourquoi ne nous répondais-tu pas ?”</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “J'étais occupé à manger. C'est le plus important ! Je dois <i>manger</i></span>.”</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Oui..</span>. Oui, Kazuō.”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Je suis bien repu, maintenant. Je vais dormir un peu... Prépare-moi encore à manger, beaucoup à manger ! Lorsque je me réveillerai, j'aurai tellement faim..</span>.”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Oui... </span>Kazuō.”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> Jirō le sentait s'assoupir, alors qu'il le pressait doucement contre lui... Lorsque Kazuō se mit à ronfler profondément, il l'embrassa de plus près. Le beau garçon avait toujours les yeux brillants de larmes.</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Je vais tellement te régaler, </span>Kazuō... Nous allons bien t'engraisser !”</div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Dans la maison</i> 一 après-midi</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ta</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō revenait du village, en portant sur son dos et dans ses bras des provisions de légumes, de pâtes, de riz, de sucre et de bière pour les prochains jours. Il ne s'attenait pas à trouver </span>son frère si occupé, dans la cuisine, et d'humeur si enjouée : toutes les casseroles chantaient, l'huile et le beurre frémissaient sur des surfaces chaudes, les fourneaux étaient brûlants... Jirō l'accueillit à bras ouverts, mais il n'eut pas le temps de lui dire comment Kazuō avait repris ses esprits, momentanément, avant de se remettre à s'empiffrer dès qu'il avait fini sa sieste.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Ces quelques mots échangés avec lui, amoureusement, avaient suffi à motiver Jirō pour le pousser à se remplir la panse jusqu'à ce que Kazuō retrouve l'usage de la parole <span style="text-align: left;">一 même à la limite de l'éclatement...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ta</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="text-align: left;"> avait de plus importantes nouvelles à lui communiquer.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Où en sommes-nous avec ces sangliers que nous avons chassés dans la forêt ? Ont-ils assez fourni de rôtis, de lard et de saucisses ?</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “C'est à peine si nous avons entamé le deuxième quart du premier sanglier... C'étaient de grandes bêtes sauvages, très pesantes, bien en chair !</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Cela nous fait encore énormément de viande.”</span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Et de la viande bien grasse, n'est-ce pas ?</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div></div></div></span></div></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Oh ! oui, certainement..</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">.”</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Eh bien !</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ta</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō déposa son dernier panier de provisions, aidé par son frère. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Je crois pouvoir affirmer qui étaient les deux premiers sangliers.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Ah ? Qui étaient-ils ?</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></span></div></div></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Tous les gens du village en parlaient entre eux. Je n'ai même pas eu à me montrer curieux... Ce qui t'étonnera peut-être, c'est qu'ils devaient s'être égarés dans la forêt à la suite de Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō.</span>”</div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Pourquoi ?</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Ces deux gros sangliers n'étaient autres que le principal client de son ancien employeur, un promoteur immobilier qui avait projeté de modifier le cadastre pour bâtir des logements sur le flanc de la montagne.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Sur ce versant ? Mais c'est trop dangereux ! Et puis...</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Et puis, cette forêt ne se laisserait jamais déboiser ! Mais ça, il ne s'en doutait pas. Je comprends mieux, maintenant, pourquoi il était si furieux lorsque nous l'avons pris en chasse, si féroce dans la lutte, et pourquoi sa carcasse est si charnue, et sa viande si savoureuse !</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “C'est vrai. C'est tout naturel...</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Nous allons nous en repaître, Jir</span></span></span>ō ! Et cette bonne viande rouge nous tiendra au corps, lourdement.”</div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Et le deuxième sanglier ?</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “J'ai toutes les raisons de penser qu'ils s'étaient donné rendez-vous près du petit pont</span></span></span></span>, <span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">après la disparition de Kazu</span></span></span></span>ō. Ou si c'était un hasard, ce serait un étrange hasard... Cet autre sanglier<span style="font-family: verdana;"> devait être ce banquier qui est actuellement recherché par la police.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Par la police ?</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Oui, ses employés avaient alerté des enquêteurs, mais lorsqu'ils ont commencé à regarder de plus près dans ses comptes, il paraît qu'ils ont trouvé de quoi le mener en prison pour le restant de ses jours.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Qu'est-ce qu'ils ont trouvé ?</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Alors, ça... Je t'avoue que je n'y ai rien compris. Tout le monde m'en parlait. Tout le monde avait l'air de comprendre, mais je n'ai pas saisi de quoi il s'agissait. Abus de biens sociaux, détournements de fonds...</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “On croirait que c'était un voleur.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “C'était un banquier...</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">” Ta</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>r</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-family: verdana;">ō haussa les épaules. </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span>“</span><span style="text-align: center;">Évidemment, c'était un voleur. La seule chose que je comprends mieux, c'est pourquoi il était aussi monstrueusement <i>gras</i> !</span>”</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “C'est vrai. En le mettant au garde-manger, sa chair suait la graisse...</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ta</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>r</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-family: verdana;">ō prit son frère dans ses bras, et lui murmura doucement à l'oreille.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “C'est de toute cette bonne viande que nous allons te nourrir, Ji</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>r</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-family: verdana;">ō. Je veux que tu t'en régales voracement, que tu en reprennes plusieurs fois, et que tu t'en remplisses la panse jusqu'à ce que ton petit ventre soit sur le point d'éclater !</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Oui, </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ta</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>r</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-family: verdana;">ō</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “</span>À ce régime, tu vas vite redevenir bedonnant et bien dodu<span style="font-family: verdana;">...</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Ji</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>r</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-family: verdana;">ō ne demandait pas mieux que de prendre du poids ! Il songeait à Kazu</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-family: verdana;">ō, qui s'engraissait avec frénésie </span></span></span></span><span style="text-align: left;">一 mais il laissa son frère le mener par la main jusque dans leur chambre, où </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ta</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-family: verdana;">ō comptait bien le gaver de viandes rôties, disposées en tranches épaisses avec beaucoup de lard, des beignets, des bananes flambées, </span></span></span></span>des crèmes glacées et beaucoup de bière qu'il le forcerait à boire jusqu'à la dernière chope, versée dans son gosier avec un entonnoir... </div><div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB"><div style="font-family: verdana;">– “Mange<span style="font-family: verdana;">, mon petit </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Jirō ! De la viande, et encore de la viande !</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span style="font-family: verdana;">Hmmmph... Hmmmph...”</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span style="font-family: verdana;">Encore, encore ! Des œufs et du lard...</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span style="font-family: verdana;">Hmmmph...”</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span style="font-family: verdana;">Et encore une tranche... Une autre... </span>Une autre...”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span style="font-family: verdana;">Hmmmph... </span>Hmmmph... Hmmmph...”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span style="font-family: verdana;">C'est bien, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Jirō ! Encore un effort... Mange plus vite ! Mange !</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span style="font-family: verdana;">Hmmmph...”</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><div>– “<span style="font-family: verdana;">Encore ! Et </span>un bon gros beignet<span style="font-family: verdana;">... Encore, encore !</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><div>– “<span style="font-family: verdana;">Hmmmph... Hmmmph...”</span></div><div><div><div>– “<span style="font-family: verdana;">Encore ! Laisse-moi te gaver comme un bon lourdaud...</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div>– “<span style="font-family: verdana;">Hmmmph... </span>Hmmmph... Hmmmph...”</div></div></div></div><div style="font-family: verdana;">– “Voilà... Régale-toi<span style="font-family: verdana;">, </span>Jirō<span style="font-family: verdana;"> ! Copieusement, pour bien </span>t'engraisser !”</div><div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><div><div><div><div>– “<span style="font-family: verdana;">Hmmmph... Hmmmph...”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span>À la douce lueur des lampes de papier, le beau garçon blond voyait son ventre grossir et s'arrondir d'une minute à l'autre. Tarō lui présenta enfin l'entonnoir pour achever de l'engorger.</div><div><br /></div><div><div>– “U<span style="font-family: verdana;">n dernier effort, mon petit </span>Jirō !<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Tu te sens tout pataud, tu vas boire quelques chopes de bière et tu vas bien dormir pour bien digérer...</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></span></span></span></div></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Dans la salle de luttes</i> 一 matinée ensoleillée</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span>Jirō n'avait pas trouvé un moment de libre pour confier à son frère que Kazu<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō n'était pas toujours inconscient, uniquement attentif aux quantités de nourriture autour de lui... Il pouvait encore garder ces conversations nocturnes comme un secret. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ta</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō revenait avec du bois pour le feu.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Jirō ? </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">J'ai des nouvelles sur notre dernier sanglier.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Vraiment ? Encore un homme d'affaires ?</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Si tu veux... mais encore pire que les autres ! Il n'en fallait pas moins pour un porc aussi gras, aussi rude et aussi dangereux à chasser.</span></span></span></span></span></span>”</div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “En effet. Il était presque aussi coriace qu'il était obèse !</span></span></span></span></span></span>”</div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “C'était un homme politique. Je ne sais pas très bien ce qu'il préparait avec les deux autres, dans la forêt, mais tout le monde ne parlait que de lui aujourd'hui...</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Pourquoi ?</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Parce qu'il faisait parler de lui</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">. Il avait des ambitions et des relations au sein du gouvernement. Les journaux le présentaient comme un futur premier ministre. Maintenant, ces discours ont changé du tout au tout...</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “</span><span style="text-align: center;">Évidemment, puisqu'il a disparu.</span>”</div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Euh... C'est plutôt parce que l'enquête qui avait commencé pour </span>les deux autres n'a cessé de révéler de nouveaux éléments de scandale<span style="text-align: center;">.</span>”</div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Quels scandales ?</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Comme souvent, quand ils parlent entre eux, je n'y ai rien compris. Je ne sais même plus ce que j'ai entendu... Corruption, fraudes fiscales et fraudes électorales, orgies, détournement de mineures, et j'en passe !</span>”</div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ç</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">a fait déjà beaucoup...</span></span>”</div><div><span style="text-align: left;">– “C'était suffisant, surtout, pour que la police décide d'arrêter toute son enquête... Tout le monde est persuadé que ces trois sangliers </span><span style="text-align: left;">一</span><span style="text-align: left;"> je veux dire, ces escrocs </span><span style="text-align: left;">一</span><span style="text-align: left;"> se sont retrouvés dans les bois pour un règlement de compte, que la situation a mal tourné, d'une manière ou d'une autre, et que les cadavres sont quelque part dans un accident de terrain.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;">– “Finalement, ce n'est pas mal comme déductions... Et leurs âmes si basses, si pesantes, si replètes, sont toujours dans notre garde-manger.”</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span>Jirō avait ranimé les feux, dans la cuisine<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ta</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō retirait ses vêtements pour la douche et pour la lutte.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– “C'est vrai !” dit-il en s'étirant. </span>“À ce propos, que fait Kazu<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ?</span>”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– “</span>À ton avis... Tu ne l'entends pas qui<span style="text-align: left;"> s'empiffre ?”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– “Il mange si voracement, et presque sans s'arrêter... C'est comme une rumeur de branches brisées dans la forêt. Je m'y suis habitué.”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– “Avec tout ce que je viens de lui préparer, il a de quoi s'occuper toute la matinée pour se remplir la panse...</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– “Très bien ! </span>À la douche, mon petit Jirō ! Et puis, un peu d'exercice et un peu de repos te feront le plus grand bien !<span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Ta</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō n'avait jamais été en meilleure forme physique. Vif comme l'éclair, il dominait nettement dans la lutte, même lorsque </span>Jirō était capable de le soulever en le prenant dans ses bras... C'était toujours le plus jeune, bien dodu et lourdement musclé, qui tombait dans le sable.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Après une quarantaine de combats, très brefs mais très agressifs, le pauvre Jirō n'en pouvait plus. À bout de souffle, tout en sueur, il était si pataud qu'il ne pouvait même plus se relever <span style="text-align: left;">一 d'autant plus qu'à la fin de</span> chaque combat, son frère<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> le faisait mordre dans d'épaisses tranches de rôti et lui faisait avaler plusieurs gorgées de bière. Le beau garçon en était naturellement étourdi...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– “C'est</span> bien !<span style="text-align: left;">” rugissait </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ta</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō. </span><span style="text-align: left;">“Je suis fier de toi.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– “Fier ?</span><span style="text-align: left;">” Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō s'étirait lentement, durement éprouvé. </span><span style="text-align: left;">“Je n'ai fait aucun progrès ! Je suis toujours aussi mauvais pour la lutte...</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– “Pas du tout. Si tu n'avais pas progressé, je ne progresserais pas</span> !<span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– “J'ai fait des progrès ? Moi ?” </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– “Mais oui... Tu es plus lourd que tu ne l'as jamais été ! Tu as toujours été bien bâti, avec une carrure plus épaisse, plus trapue que la mienne. Et avec toute cette masse de muscles, tu es assez dodu et sur la bonne voie pour redevenir </span><span style="text-align: left;">bien en chair</span><span style="text-align: left;">, en bonne pâte...”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">Dans la salle de bains, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ta</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō s'amusait encore à taquiner son petit frère.</span></div></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyacgusFc4RisUsOXHF_do12sguyXpXIJIQnobH2O9UHvFLtahQuHhkUtOh9pQt227pWJb5_792sTle9UhPA-AZNg3RaM-6rCX7rV76LOIutn_YPi3P9FXWarGw8ppyVinmFIBH19PNKFB5j8ZUVS5eDyMXGimU0y3bWsrGDIZ-hmNjE2qjIY1ZVe4my9c/s1656/32.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1364" data-original-width="1656" height="528" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyacgusFc4RisUsOXHF_do12sguyXpXIJIQnobH2O9UHvFLtahQuHhkUtOh9pQt227pWJb5_792sTle9UhPA-AZNg3RaM-6rCX7rV76LOIutn_YPi3P9FXWarGw8ppyVinmFIBH19PNKFB5j8ZUVS5eDyMXGimU0y3bWsrGDIZ-hmNjE2qjIY1ZVe4my9c/w640-h528/32.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– “Tu exagères...</span><span style="text-align: left;">” protestait doucement </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, avec un sourire.</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">“</span><span style="text-align: left;">Je ne suis pas assez dodu.</span><span style="text-align: left;"> Pas encore...”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– “Mais tu as bien repris du poids, d</span><span style="text-align: left;">epuis que nous sommes revenus de la chasse. C'est la première fois que tu t'empâtes aussi tôt, et aussi bien. C'est pour ça que je suis fier de toi !</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– “C'est vrai... J'ai bien grossi. Je me trouve bien en chair et lourdaud. Et surtout, je commence à me sentir <i>gras</i>.</span><span style="text-align: left;">” </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span> Ta</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō porta encore une large tranche de jambon jusqu'à ses lèvres, pour que </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>Jir</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB">ō dévore avec appétit </span></span></span><span style="text-align: left;">一</span> et pour lui faire boire encore une grande chope de bière.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– “C'est bien,</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō. Mange ! Mange, et bois</span><span style="text-align: left;">...”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– “Hmmmph</span><span style="text-align: left;">... Hmmmph...”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="text-align: left;">– “Encore</span><span style="text-align: left;">... Encore !”</span></div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– “Hmmmph</span><span style="text-align: left;">...”</span></div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="text-align: left;">– “</span><span style="text-align: left;">Encore ! Allez, montre-toi un peu plus vorace !”</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– “Hmmmph</span><span style="text-align: left;">... Hmmmph...”</span></div></div><div>– “C'est toute cette bonne viande rouge qui te tient au corps. Ce régime te profite bien ! Tu travailles très dur, du matin au soir... Tu as besoin de boire beaucoup de bière, et de manger beaucoup de viande ! Mange !” </div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– “Hmmmph</span><span style="text-align: left;">... Hmmmph... </span><span style="text-align: left;">Hmmmph...</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– “Encore</span><span style="text-align: left;">... Encore ! Il faut t'engraisser, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;">ō</span> !”</span></div><div></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– “Hmmmph</span><span style="text-align: left;">...”</span></div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Pendant que Ta</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō passait le plus clair de son temps dehors, occupé à des travaux dans le jardin, dans les bois ou autour de la maison, </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> se retirait dans la cuisine et préparait encore une abondance de nourriture, dans un état de</span> douce ébriété qui lui permettait de garder le sourire.</div></div></div></div></div></span></div></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span> En apportant encore d'énormes bols et des plats </span></span>toujours <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>débordant de nourriture dans la salle à manger, il</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB"> se répétait ce que son frère venait de lui rappeler.</span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB"><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB"><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Je suis un loup... </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Je suis un loup</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">, un méchant loup... Personne n'aime les </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">grands</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">méchants loups... Et personne ne m'aime, parce que je suis un </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">méchant loup...”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> À peine avait-il passé le seuil de la chambre de </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō laissa glisser son <i>kimono</i> jusqu'au sol, le long de son corps souple, athlétique et dodu, avec un sourire d'un charme irrésistible.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Tu dois avoir <i>faim</i>, mon gros Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō..</span>.”</span></div></span></span></span></span></div></div></span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Dans la chambre de gavage</i> 一 soleil couchant</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō s'empiffrait toujours... Pour</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> le distraire, ou dans l'espoir d'attirer son attention, Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō lui raconta le </span>“<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">conte du chasseur et du </span>bodhisattva” en dansant devant lui, presque nu.</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>– “<i>Mukashi mukashi</i> [昔</span><span>, “Il était une fois”]</span>...”</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Il y a longtemps </span><span style="text-align: left;">一 à une époque où les fantômes, les démons et les animaux sorciers hantaient encore les montagnes et les </span><span style="text-align: left;">forêts </span><span style="text-align: left;">一 un très vieux prêtre vivait dans un petit ermitage où il consacrait tout son temps à la méditation, à l'étude et à l'enseignement des livres sacrés, avec un jeune disciple pour toute compagnie.</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: left;"> On disait que l</span><span style="text-align: left;">e vieil homme, s</span><span style="text-align: left;">age et instruit,</span><span style="text-align: left;"> devenait chaque jour un peu plus </span><span style="text-align: left;">aveugle et qu'il devait se faire assister pour lire et chanter les prières</span><span style="text-align: left;">. Le petit temple qu'il habitait se trouvait loin de tout village. D</span><span style="text-align: left;">ans cette solitude, i</span><span style="text-align: left;">l était impossible de se procurer par soi-même de quoi subsister. Cependant, un grand nombre de paysans des environs, pieux et respectueux, venaient à son aide en lui offrant régulièrement de quoi renouveler ses provisions de riz et de légumes.</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Parmi ces braves gens qui s'aventuraient parfois dans la montagne, u</span><span style="text-align: left;">n chasseur</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span>nommé Hiroshi Tsurumaru <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">[鶴丸 弘</span>] venait déposer un panier contenant toutes sortes de bonnes choses à manger, simples mais saines et bienvenues. Le vieux prêtre le traitait comme un ami.</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> Hiroshi était un jeune gaillard plutôt fruste, renfermé sur lui-même. Il parlait peu, mais il visait bien... La chasse et les nuits passées à veiller dans les bois l'avaient rendu un peu sauvage. Le prêtre s'amusait parfois de ses réponses rogues, murmurées entre ses dents, mais il appréciait aussi sa naïveté naturelle et son gros bon sens paysan.</div><div style="font-family: verdana;">“En fait, mon jeune ami...” lui disait-il. “Votre esprit est tout ensemble tranchant et rond, comme un couteau à beurre !”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> Hiroshi ne comprenait pas, mais il n'y pensait bientôt plus.</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> Un jour où il était venu déposer son aumône dans le temple, le prêtre le fit appeler jusque dans la chambre où il priait.</div><div style="font-family: verdana;">“Mon ami...” lui dit-il. “Je voudrais vous faire connaître les merveilleux événements qui se sont produits ici, récemment. Vous n'ignorez pas que, pendant des années et des années, j'ai récité les <i>sūtras </i>et médité jour et nuit. Peut-être cette faveur qui m'est faite est-elle due aux grâces que pouvaient me valoir de si ardentes et sincères dévotions ? Je n'oserais l'affirmer. Ce qui est incontestable, pourtant, c'est que Fugen Bosatsu est venu visiter ce temple, par trois fois déjà, monté sur son éléphant blanc et rayonnant de lumière !”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><div><i></i></div><div>“Aha ?” répondit Hiroshi. “Merveilleux, en effet...”</div></div><div style="font-family: verdana;">“De mes faibles yeux, je l'ai vu ! Moi si usé, racorni et déchiré comme les pages d'un livre trop souvent lu et relu, j'ai pu contempler <span style="font-family: verdana;">le bodhisattva Samantabhadra, le </span>pleinement <span style="font-family: verdana;">vertueux... le parfaitement auspicieux... Oui ! S</span>on Excellence universelle,<span style="font-family: verdana;"><i> </i><i>Fugen Bosatsu </i>[普賢菩薩, traduction en japonais du nom de ce </span>bodhisattva en sanskrit, <span style="font-family: verdana;">littéralement l'“homme sage dans l'action</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">] qui m'annonçait en termes éclatants l'ascension vers le </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>nirvāṇa</i></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">...</span>”</div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Aha ?” répétait Hiroshi. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Aha...”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Restez ici pour cette nuit, mon ami. Joignez votre prière aux nôtres, et vous pourrez voir et adorer le Bouddha.”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Vraiment...” répondit le chasseur. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“En effet, ce serait un rare privilège que d'assister à une si sainte apparition... Je serais trop heureux et trop honoré de rester avec vous pour cette nuit.”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Après avoir salué le vieux prêtre avec gratitude, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Hiroshi considéra un peu plus attentivement l'intérieur du sanctuaire. Il avait écouté poliment, sans interrompre le récit de son hôte, mais il se demandait si ce miracle qu'on venait de lui promettre était possible. Et plus il y songeait, moins il en était convaincu...</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Il y avait un jeune garçon dans le temple, qui assistait aux cérémonies, mais le chasseur ne l'avait jamais vu. En le </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">rencontr</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">ant pour la première fois, il fut étonné de se trouver en présence d'un adolescent d'environ quinze ans qui bâillait dans la cuisine, à côté de la salle des prières.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Ce </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">garçon se nommait Kenji [謙次] et il était remarquablement potelé, joufflu et grassouillet. Son <i>kimono</i>, tout élimé, ne se fermait plus autour de son ventre rond... Il était assis devant de nombreux petits bols de riz qui entouraient un vaste bol de bouillon où mijotaient des légumes, des nouilles et de gros morceaux de poisson frit.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Alors que son estomac lui </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">semblait déjà lourdement rempli, H</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">iroshi vit l'</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">adolescent </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">se repaître encore comme un goinfre... Il n'était pas difficile de comprendre d'où venait cette abondante nourriture. Lorsque les dieux avaient agréé toutes les offrandes des paysans et des paysannes, le prêtre laissait le soin à son assistant de débarrasser l'autel. Comme, par ailleurs, il mangeait très peu et pratiquait souvent le jeûne lors de ses méditations, son jeune compagnon n'avait qu'à se servir et se préparer de succulents repas, bien arrosés de sauces et même de <i>saké</i> !</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Ses seules occupations devaient être de cuisiner, puis de manger, boire et dormir... </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">H</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">iroshi le voyait encore bâiller, en réprimant un rot, pendant que le prêtre récitait les prières de la journée. Dans ces conditions, il n'y avait rien d'étonnant à voir ce garçon, qui avait dû être maigre et chétif lorsqu'il avait été recueilli dans le temple, devenir si rondelet, paresseux et bien replet... Le chasseur profita de l'occasion pour l'interroger.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Le prêtre m'a confié que </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Fugen Bosatsu viendrait visiter votre temple, pendant la nuit, monté sur son éléphant ?</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div>“Oui...” Kenji opina, en bâillant encore, mais il semblait sérieux.</div><div>“Est-ce que, toi aussi, tu l'as vu ?” </div></div><div>“Trois fois, déjà...” confirma le garçon. “Et son éléphant blanc.”</div><div> H<span style="font-family: verdana;">iroshi se retira dans un coin de la salle des prières, les bras croisés. Il ne mettait pas en doute la sincérité du prêtre et de son assistant </span><span style="text-align: left;">一</span> ils n'avaient pas manqué de voir ce qu'ils déclaraient avoir vu... Pourtant, leurs témoignages laissaient toujours le chasseur dans le doute.</div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Un peu avant minuit, le vieux prêtre annonça qu'il était temps de se préparer pour la venue de </span>Fugen Bosatsu. Les panneaux de bois du petit temple furent ouverts sur le ciel nocturne, et tous s'agenouillèrent <span style="text-align: left;">一 ils attendaient l'arrivée du dieu</span>... H<span style="font-family: verdana;">iroshi se tenait en retrait, cependant.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Une étoile dans le ciel se mit à briller avec plus d'intensité. L'étincelle de lumière blanche se mit à grossir, et semblait s'avancer doucement vers le temple, illuminant bientôt tout le versant de la montagne. Elle se présentait déjà sous une forme plus précise, celle d'un être divin monté sur un éléphant immaculé comme la neige. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> En un instant, l'éléphant et son cavalier radieux s'arrêtèrent devant le prêtre et son assistant émerveillés,</span> paradant et saluant dans une gloire d'étoiles filantes.</div><div> Le vieil ermite, prosterné, commençait à réciter l'invocation sacrée avec une ferveur débordante, les yeux brillants de larmes...</div><div> Alors Hiroshi se dressa soudain, derrière lui, son arc à la main <span style="text-align: left;">一</span> une flèche s'élança en sifflant vers le bodhisattva lumineux, et disparut dans sa poitrine jusqu'à l'empennage. Aussitôt, la lueur blanche s'éteignit et la vision disparut comme un éclair, accompagné d'une rumeur plus terrible que le grondement du tonnerre. Il n'y avait plus rien devant le temple que la nuit ténébreuse...</div><div><div>“Misérable !” s'écria le prêtre, en pleurant d'horreur et de désespoir. “Oh, le plus criminel et le plus endurci des hommes, honte sur vous ! Malheur à vous !... Qu'avez-vous fait ?”</div><div> Le chasseur accueillit patiemment les reproches du vieil homme, sans protester, sans montrer ni regrets ni colère. Il lui répondit doucement.</div><div><div>“Très respecté seigneur, sage et saint, veuillez m'entendre... Vous avez cru que des grâces, obtenues par toutes vos récitations des <i>sūtras </i>et vos longues méditations, vous ont accordé l'honneur de contempler Fugen Bosatsu, face à face... Mais, s'il en était ainsi, ne devait-il pas seulement apparaître devant vous, au lieu de se rendre visible à mes yeux et aux yeux de cet enfant ? Si bienveillant, si clairvoyant que vous soyez, vous avez été facilement aveuglé. Tâtez un peu le ventre de ce gros garçon ! Il ne s'est jamais soucié que de se remplir la panse. Vous vouliez nourrir et enrichir son esprit, lorsqu'il s'appliquait uniquement à engraisser son corps... Comment serait-il digne d'adorer cette apparition majestueuse ? Oh ! vous avez raison, je suis le pire d'entre nous... Je suis un chasseur, fruste et ignorant, et je passe mon temps à tuer de pauvres bêtes pour me nourrir. Le Bouddha n'a-t-il pas en horreur tout ce qui porte atteinte à la plus modeste forme de vie ?”</div><div>“En effet...” bredouillait le prêtre. “En effet...” </div></div><div>“Permettez-moi d'affirmer que ce qui nous est apparu ne pouvait pas être Fugen Bosatsu, mais quelque trait de magie destiné à vous égarer, peut-être même à vous faire périr, l'un et l'autre... Ainsi, je vous prie d'abord d'attendre l'aurore. Nous irons dans les bois, tous les deux, et je vous prouverai la vérité de ce que je viens de dire.” </div><div> Au lever du soleil, le chasseur et le prêtre s'aventurèrent ensemble dans la forêt... Ils retrouvèrent l'endroit au-dessous duquel l'apparition s'était dressée. Non sans peine, ils découvrirent un mince filet de sang. Ils suivirent cette trace pendant une centaine de pas <span style="text-align: left;">一</span> elle les conduisit jusqu'au cadavre d'un énorme <i>kyūbi no kitsune</i> [九尾の狐, un “renard à neuf queues”] : la flèche de Hiroshi l'avait traversé de part en part.</div><div> Sage, instruit et pieux, le vieux prêtre n'en était pas moins devenu la victime des sortilèges d'une puissante <i>yōko</i> [妖狐, une “femme-renarde”] alors que le jeune chasseur, ignorant et sceptique mais doué d'un solide bon sens, avait déjoué ces ruses au premier coup d'œil et détruit, d'une seule flèche, une redoutable illusion.</div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Dans la salle de lutte</i> 一 matin calme d'automne</div></div></span></div><div><br /></div></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō n'avait pas besoin d'être encouragé pour s'empiffrer. </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Tar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō portait tous ses efforts et son attention vers son petit frère... Depuis quelques temps,</span> Ji<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō était soumis à un régime strict, avec quatre grands repas et quatre gavages quotidiens, à base de</span> légumes sautés avec des crevettes et du poisson cru, en friture ou en soupes onctueuses avec beaucoup de sauces, d'énormes omelettes, beaucoup de riz et de pâtes, de beignets, de bananes et de fruits frais ou caramélisés.</div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Ces plats extrêmement nourrissants étaient toujours largement arrosés de bière. </span>Ji<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō en faisait une consommation </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">presque démesurée, pressé par son frère qui le gavait souvent directement à l'entonnoir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;">– “C'est</span> bien !<span style="text-align: left;">” rugissait </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ta</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō. </span><span style="text-align: left;">“Encore, encore... Mange !</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><div><span style="text-align: left;">– “Hmmmph... Hmmmph... </span><span style="text-align: left;">Hmmmph...”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;">– “Encore un petit effort, mon gros </span><span style="text-align: left;">Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ! Ouvre grand, et avale !</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div><div><span style="text-align: left;">– “Hmmmph... Hmmmph...”</span></div></div><div><div><span style="text-align: left;">– “Très</span> bien ! <span style="text-align: left;">Encore un peu de bière, pour bien te remplir la panse...</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div></div></div><div><div><span style="text-align: left;">– “Hmmmph...”</span></div><div></div></div><div><br /></div><div> Ji<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō avalait si gloutonnement que son ventre était toujours sur le point d'éclater, à l'heure où les deux frères devaient se coucher.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;">– “BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRP...”</span></div><div></div></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Lorsque leur repas était englouti, Ta</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō prenait son petit frère dans ses bras et lui massait doucement le dos et les épaules, pour le réconforter</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">.</span></div></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;">– “Je suis vraiment fier de toi, </span><span style="text-align: left;">Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō !</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– “Tu ne m'avais jamais appelé </span><span style="text-align: left;">“mon gros”, </span><span style="text-align: left;">jusqu'à ce soir...</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– “C'est vrai. C'est que tu deviens vraiment bien dodu, et obèse !” </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– “Oui..</span><span style="text-align: left;">.” Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō était un peu rêveur, sous ces caresses. </span><span style="text-align: left;">“</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ta</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– “Oui, mon gros </span><span style="text-align: left;">Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="text-align: left;"> ?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– “</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ç</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">a me plaît que tu m</span></span><span style="text-align: left;">'appelles </span><span style="text-align: left;">“mon gros </span><span style="text-align: left;">Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="text-align: left;">”, mais... T</span><span style="text-align: left;">u sais...</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="text-align: left;">– “Oui </span><span style="text-align: left;">?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– “T</span><span style="text-align: left;">u as pris beaucoup de poids, toi aussi... Tu es vraiment très musclé, tu as fait de beaux progrès mais tu t'es fortement épaissi, toi aussi.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– “Je ne mange pas autant que toi, mais tu as raison... Je dévore ! Et je me suis bien aperçu, moi aussi, que j'étais plus trapu et plus lourd.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– “Nous avons vraiment un appétit de loups... Un appétit féroce !</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– “Tu as raison !</span><span style="text-align: left;">” Ta</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō riait de bon cœur. </span><span style="text-align: left;">“Nous n'avons jamais aussi bien mangé. Il faut dire que notre garde-manger n'a jamais été aussi rempli de toutes sortes de bonnes choses, appétissantes et nourrissantes !</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Les deux frères pouvaient entendre Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō qui s'empiffrait toujours dans la pièce à côté, toujours plus obèse et plus goinfre... </span><span style="text-align: left;">Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō devinait que Ta</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō pensait à ce garçon </span>gros et gras <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">comme à leur prochain festin pour l'hiver. De son côté, Ta</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō savait que cette perspective était pénible pour son petit frère</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">, qui frissonnait sous ses caresses.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">– “C'est vrai, la nourriture n'a jamais été aussi abondante ! Et nous n'en avons jamais profité aussi grassement que depuis que </span><span style="text-align: left;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō est</span><span style="text-align: left;"> entré dans notre maison...” </span></div><div><br /></div></div></span><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Dans la chambre de gavage</i> 一 nuit noire</div></div></span></div></span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span> </span></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō s'empiffrait toujours... </span>Ji<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō lui apportait encore de quoi le régaler, après avoir débordé de créativité au-delà des ressources du</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span><i>Kāmasūtra</i> [कामसूत्र, le traité des <span style="text-align: center;">“aphorismes du désir</span><span style="text-align: center;">”] depuis le coucher du soleil.</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1qQr5U2obiIknebfhD1YLNH0AHy7YQ3I-S-K-gIik4OLGBp6AS8ZI0BOzq58IVbg2fJLGzahGxyvHj9v97QWmkU5hxIpl-irMNpAO7Vgb4IQO_wyMUSuCSxDvYowbveiM0MrhchAf6EZr7HqqVOiX87K6GH7tFVT5x6I4SG7KyPI_mcnzkIrLu68bygib/s2140/33%20fini.bmp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1204" data-original-width="2140" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1qQr5U2obiIknebfhD1YLNH0AHy7YQ3I-S-K-gIik4OLGBp6AS8ZI0BOzq58IVbg2fJLGzahGxyvHj9v97QWmkU5hxIpl-irMNpAO7Vgb4IQO_wyMUSuCSxDvYowbveiM0MrhchAf6EZr7HqqVOiX87K6GH7tFVT5x6I4SG7KyPI_mcnzkIrLu68bygib/w640-h360/33%20fini.bmp" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div>– “J'ai encore bu trop de bière, ce soir...” soupirait-il.</div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Fier de se présenter nu, obèse et lourdaud devant </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō raconta et dansa, pour lui, le </span>“conte du <i>rikishi </i>et de la jeune fille dans l'eau”. Il avait besoin de se dépenser physiquement, et de s'échauffer encore un peu avant de bondir comme un tigre sur sa proie bien en chair.</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>– “<i>Mukashi mukashi</i> [昔</span><span>, “Il était une fois”]</span>...”</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Il n'y a pas si longtemps </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">一 alors que les fantômes, les démons et les animaux sorciers étaient presque tous tombés dans l'oubli</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">一 un <i>oyakata </i>[親方, un maître de </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">lutte <i>sumō</i>] </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">avait fondé une nouvelle école, dans un quartier pauvre de la capitale.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Il se nommait </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Gorōji Gondazaemon [権太左衛門 </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">五郎次]. Grand et fort, bien charpenté, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">le corps </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">harmonieusement arrondi, épaissi et musclé, les yeux noirs et le regard aussi doux que sa poigne était ferme</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">, il inspirait immédiatement confiance.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Avec un instinct très sûr, il recruta d'abord quatre jeunes disciples, tous âgés de quatorze à quinze ans, et les fit progresser très vite grâce à une discipline de fer, sévère mais juste et jamais brutale. En peu de temps, les quatre lutteurs débutants dans cette</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><i style="font-family: verdana;">heya</i><span style="font-family: verdana;"> [部屋, écurie de lutteurs <i>sumō</i>, littéralement la “pièce” où ils combattent] étaient devenus assez imposants et redoutables... On les voyait commencer à monter dans le classement, dès leurs premiers tournois.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Dès sa deuxième année, l'écurie de </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Gorōji</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> attira de nombreux jeunes garçons, désireux d'apprendre et de se perfectionner auprès d'un maître dont ils n'entendaient que des louanges. Le nombre de lutteurs se trouva multiplié par trois </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">一 </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">puis encore multiplié par deux, l'année suivante. La réputation de l'écurie était bien établie.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Une des raisons d'un tel succès </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">tenait au sens de la discipline stricte de </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">maître </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Gondazaemon</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">. Les jeunes recrues étaient mieux traitées que dans toute autre école ou écurie, mais ils devaient se plier au règlement sans discuter, en montrant leur volonté de bien faire et de progresser.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Tout manquement aux règles établies par le maître, lisibles sur chaque mur de la salle commune et apprises par cœur, était passible de lourdes punitions, la plus terrible étant évidemment l'exclusion...</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> L'autre clef du succès pour ces jeunes lutteurs, si durement éprouvés mais dociles et</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> méritants, était la qualité de vie que leur assurait </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Gorōji au quotidien. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">À la différence des autres écuries, où les lutteurs étaient tenus de toujours vivre en commun et de suivre le même programme du matin au soir, les garçons disposaient tous d'une chambre individuelle et d'un peu de temps libre pour se délasser dans la soirée </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">一</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> chacun selon ses goûts... Il leur fallait se lever </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">avant l'aube, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">pour prendre une douche froide et s'entraîner tous ensemble avec la plus grande vigueur, mais dans un bon esprit, sans agressivité inutile... </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">À midi, au lieu de prendre un énorme repas en commun, en se battant à nouveau pour obtenir les meilleurs morceaux de viande ou de poisson, chaque garçon recevait sa propre ration de <i>chankonabe </i></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">[ちゃんこ鍋, ragoût très nourrissant pour les lutteurs </span><i style="font-family: verdana;">sumō</i><span style="font-family: verdana;">]</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> L'une des règles définies par </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Gorōji</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> était que les lutteurs n'auraient pas à se nourrir par eux-mêmes </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">一 </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">mais qu'ils seraient gavés, midi et soir... Depuis qu'il avait formé quelques disciples, c'était une tâche qu'il avait confiée à l'un d'entre eux, qui montrait des résultats plutôt décevants depuis qu'il avait été blessé lors d'un combat truqué et mal arbitré. On ne souhaitait pas qu'il en soit pénalisé... Par la suite, on prit l'habitude dans l'école de confier le poste de </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">cuisinier</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> au dernier du classement, soit à titre temporaire, soit définitivement.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">À la mort de </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Gorōji Gondazaemon, ses élèves pleurèrent longtemps. On décida de prolonger son enseignement, de rendre hommage à ses idées visionnaires et de former de nouvelles recrues selon ses principes stricts mais généreux, et couronnés de succès.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> La discipline, cependant, devait se relâcher un peu...</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Un jour, une nouvelle recrue se présenta. Il se nommait Tsuzuki [都筑</span>]. On l'accueillit avec bonté, mais aussi avec intérêt. Le garçon, visiblement pauvre et sans aucun parent dans la capitale, était plutôt maigre mais il n'était pas frêle. Il était plus grand que la moyenne, bien bâti, souple et, pour tout dire, magnifiquement beau. Il était aussi agréable à entendre, poli et discret. On devinait qu'il n'était pas moins intelligent.</div></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="font-family: verdana;">“Prenons-le toujours à l'essai...” disait-on. “Nous verrons bien, lorsqu'il se sera un peu épaissi et renforcé.”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> Tsuzuki se sentait heureux et honoré d'être admis comme <i>rikishi </i>[力士, littéralement “noble homme fort”]. Sans attendre, il se montra un lutteur de bonne tenue, mais aussi bon camarade, sympathique et toujours de bonne humeur. Son charme naturel en faisait un adversaire encore plus redoutable, puisqu'on hésitait toujours à le frapper. Dans les nombreux combats que Tsuzuki perdait, on le saisissait plutôt pour le soulever ou le pousser hors du cercle.</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> Très tôt, il était devenu le meilleur ami d'<span style="font-family: verdana;">Akira [明], </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">un </span><i>sekitori </i><span style="font-family: verdana;">[関取, un lutteur déjà confirmé, relativement bien placé dans le classement de la compétition] qui avait reçu tant de coups dans sa courte carrière qu'il avait renoncé, découragé. </span>Akira était donc devenu le cuisinier de l'écurie Gondazaemon. Son rôle était de préparer les repas quotidiens pour bien gaver les quarante-quatre <i>rikishi</i> dont il avait la responsabilité, midi et soir. Au moins prenait-il son nouveau rôle à cœur...</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> Comme tous les lutteurs de haut niveau qui avaient été formés dans cette écurie, Akira était très imposant et obèse. Il mesurait presque deux mètres de haut, mais son poids dépassait déjà les 150 kilos lorsque sa carrière était à son zénith... Réduit au rôle de cuisinier, il s'était empâté assez largement et il approchait les 200 kilos.</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> Depuis le premier jour où ils s'étaient croisés, Akira et Tsuzuki avaient ressenti une grande affection l'un pour l'autre... On avait évidemment confié le gavage de ce nouveau lutteur au cuisinier de l'écurie <span style="text-align: left;">一</span> qui ne demandait pas mieux ! De son côté, Tsuzuki écoutait les conseils que lui prodiguaient ses camarades. On lui avait recommandé de se rapprocher d'Akira, qui le prendrait sous sa protection pour le faire progresser plus rapidement dans le classement. </div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> Tsuzuki s'en était très bien trouvé. En quelques mois, gavé avec une rigueur obstinée mais bienveillante, le pauvre garçon trop maigre avait pris une soixantaine de kilos. Il avait grandi et bien grossi. Akira insistait sur l'importance de ces gavages pour son engraissement, mais il n'avait presque pas à le presser ou à le forcer : le beau garçon montrait un appétit féroce, et il se laissait gaver avec un plaisir gourmand !</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> L</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">orsque l'entraînement et les combats du matin étaient achevés, Akira l'appelait </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“<i>O-kamo-chan</i></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> [お鴨ちゃん, </span><span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“mon petit canard”]</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Suis-moi dans la cuisine, mon petit canard... pour que je t'engraisse !”</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> Discipliné, volontaire et obstiné, Tsuzuki dévorait, luttait, s'engraissait et progressait, à la grande satisfaction du maître et de ses camarades, qui l'encourageaient en le voyant prendre des muscles et du ventre...</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> Au début de sa deuxième année, il fut pesé comme les autres lutteurs de son âge : chacun d'entre eux, à son arrivée, avait dû répondre à un questionnaire et se fixer des objectifs en termes de force et de poids, de performances et de discipline... On tenait à s'assurer que les promesses de ces jeunes <i>rikishi</i>, timorés ou téméraires, étaient bien tenues.</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> Parmi ses camarades, Tsuzuki était le seul qui avait dépassé tous les objectifs qu'ils s'était fixés,<span style="text-align: left;"> e</span>t ces objectifs n'étaient pas modestes... En une année, il était devenu plus grand et plus fort <span style="text-align: left;">一</span> surtout plus lourd, et plus gros. Akira l'avait bien engraissé ! Souriant, joufflu et bien en chair, ce jeune lutteur était plus séduisant que jamais... Tout son entourage lui annonçait une brillante carrière, semée d'innombrables victoires.</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> Pendant les deux années qui suivirent, Tsuzuki fut le champion et l'idole vivante de toute son école. À dix-sept ans, il était un <i>sekiwake</i> [関脇, le troisième plus haut rang de la lutte <i>sumō</i>] très prometteur. Du haut de son mètre quatre-vingt sept, il avait fière allure et pesait pas moins de 165 kilos. Akira s'appliquait à le maintenir en bonne forme, en le gavant deux fois par jour et mieux qu'un canard gras.</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> Comme Tsuzuki devenait un jeune homme de plus en plus séduisant et toujours aussi charmant, le cuisinier en était venu à souhaiter satisfaire beaucoup plus que son bel appétit. Ambitieux et vorace, le jeune lutteur n'hésitait pas à supplier son ami de le suralimenter “encore un peu plus” que ses camarades plus âgés, pour “faire le poids”...</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> Sur toute la durée du printemps avant ses dix-huit ans, le beau garçon se mit ainsi à l'engrais afin de s'alourdir et de s'arrondir à vue d'œil.</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Encore un peu, mon petit canard... Tu vas bientôt peser 180 kilos !”</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Lorsque les journées devinrent plus brûlantes et plus étouffantes, avec l'approche de l'été, les lutteurs de l'écurie </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Gondazaemon goûtèrent un repos nocturne bien mérité... On leur accordait même quelques libertés, lorsqu'ils n'étaient pas occupés à s'entraîner pour des combats.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span>Tsuzuki s'accordait une promenade dans les rues paisibles, au cœur de la capitale, jusqu'au <span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>naka no hashi</i> [中の橋, le </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">pont de l'intérieur</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">].</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Il goûtait la fraîcheur du fleuve après ses repas du soir, toujours plus copieux. Akira regrettait de ne pas pouvoir le gaver toute la nuit, comme un vrai porcelet. Sans y penser, ou en songeant seulement à son ami, le cuisinier s'était mis à manger un peu plus, de plus en plus tard, lui aussi, et il commençait à s'empâter rondement !</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Un matin, de jeunes lutteurs vinrent lui parler... Ils </span>s'inquiétaient pour Tsuzuki, depuis qu'ils avaient constaté qu'au lieu de rentrer un peu avant minuit, comme ils y étaient habitués, il devait prolonger ses promenades nocturnes plus loin en ville et il ne rentrait dans sa chambre que peu de temps avant qu'ait sonné la cloche du réveil.</div></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Aha ?” répondit Akira, également surpris.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Dans un premier temps, les lutteurs se contentèrent d'observer </span>Tsuzuki plus attentivement, tout en restant des plus discrets... Leurs soupçons étaient fondés. Après son gavage du soir, le beau garçon s'aventurait par les rues autour de l'école, comme la plupart de ses petits camarades. Repu à point, il aurait dû revenir au plus tôt pour se coucher, dormir et bien digérer jusqu'à l'aube. C'était important pour son engraissement.</div><div> Ce comportement leur semblait un peu étrange. Bien entendu, les amis de Tsuzuki lui prêtaient une relation amoureuse en ville. La discipline un peu plus souple de l'école, durant cette période estivale, les invitait à se montrer indulgents. On ne fit pas de commentaires.</div><div> Il fallait se rendre à l'évidence, pourtant... Ces errances noctambules devenaient inquiétantes ! En quelques jours, Tsuzuki apparut de plus en plus pâle et moins endurant à la lutte. Plus étonnant encore, malgré son appétit resté sain et glouton, le beau garçon ne grossissait plus <span style="text-align: left;">一</span> il leur semblait même qu'il commençait à maigrir...</div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span>Alarmé, Akira le questionna mais il ne put obtenir que des réponses évasives et vagues, qui augmentèrent encore son inquiétude.</div><div> Sans hésiter, les amis de Tsuzuki se saisirent de lui, avant l'aube, pour le mener jusqu'à la balance, où ils purent vérifier que son poids avait nettement diminué. Le pauvre garçon ne pesait plus que 140 kilos !</div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Oho...” murmura Tsuzuki, tout aussi étonné. “C'est grave, et j'ai faim.” </span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Là n'est pas la question !” protestait </span>Akira, très en colère.</div><div> Il décida de le prendre à part, et invita les autres lutteurs à se rendre dans la salle d'entraînement pour commencer leur journée.</div><div>“Tsuzuki, nous avons compris que tu sortais toutes les nuits, depuis une semaine ou deux, pour ne rentrer qu'au petit jour... Et puis, tu as l'air malade et fiévreux. Je te sens affaibli et assoupi. Enfin, je comprendrais que l'amour te fasse perdre deux ou trois kilos de graisse, mais tu en as perdu plus de trente ! C'est vraiment préoccupant...”</div><div>“L'amour ?” murmurait Tsuzuki, rêveur.</div><div>“Oui, enfin... Si ce n'est pas une histoire d'amour, qu'est-ce que c'est ?”</div><div> Le jeune homme était visiblement très embarrassé. Après un moment de silence, il sortit dans le jardin de l'école, suivi de son camarade... Lorsqu'ils se trouvèrent hors de portée de voix, il se confia enfin à lui.</div><div>“Je vais tout te raconter, Akira, mais il faut que j'insiste pour que tu me promettes le plus grand secret à ce propos.”</div><div>“Si tu y tiens...”</div><div>“C'est une affaire d'amour, en effet. Lors de mes promenades, depuis le début du printemps, je croisais parfois une femme qui se tenait penchée sur le <i>naka no hashi</i>. Elle portait un costume de brocard richement brodé d'argent, <i>murasaki </i>[紫, pourpre, noble et luxueux], comme une dame de la haute société... Je trouvais singulier qu'une personne si bien vêtue s'attarde dans notre quartier, à une heure si tardive. Pour autant, je ne me croyais pas en droit de l'aborder ou de l'interroger. Elle se tenait sans inquiétude. Je ne la voyais que de dos, et je ne faisais que passer... Un soir, alors que j'allais passer mon chemin, je me suis senti saisi par la manche <span style="text-align: left;">一 c</span>'était elle qui s'accrochait à moi. Je me retournai alors, et je vis qu'elle était jeune et belle. “Voulez-vous m'accompagner jusque sous ce pont ?” me dit-elle. Sa voix était agréable et douce. Elle me souriait. Il n'était pas possible de résister à son sourire. Je marchai donc à ses côtés, puis je la suivis jusqu'au bord du fleuve... Elle me disait qu'elle m'avait remarqué, allant et venant dans les environs. “Je souhaite que vous deveniez mon époux... Si vous m'aimez, nous serons très heureux ensemble.” Alors, elle me prit par la main en m'invitant à plonger avec elle sous les eaux.”</div><div> Akira retenait sa respiration, en écoutant le récit de son ami.</div><div><div>“Je ne savais pas comment lui répondre, mais elle était si séduisante qu'elle m'entraîna dans l'eau. “Vous n'avez rien à craindre, tant que vous restez avec moi...” Je ne sais comment, je me sentis plus faible qu'un enfant. J'étais comme ceux qui, dans leurs rêves, s'efforcent de courir ou même de voler sans remuer un bras ou une jambe sous les draps. Elle pénétra dans les eaux sombres, et je la suivis dans ces profondeurs. Je n'y voyais plus, je n'entendais plus, je n'éprouvais qu'un vague bien-être dans cet égarement, jusqu'au moment où je me trouvai marchant à ses côtés, à nouveau. Nous nous tenions sur le seuil d'un palais immense, baigné de lumière. Je n'avais pas froid. Je n'étais ni trempé, ni mouillé... Nous traversions des salles vides mais richement meublées, des salons de cérémonie de mille <i>tatami</i>, jusqu'à la chambre nuptiale. Tout ce qui nous entourait semblait merveilleusement accueillant et confortable. Elle m'invita enfin à m'asseoir devant elle, et me fit part de ses intentions. De mon côté, je n'osais pas lui poser de questions... Sur un signe de sa main, des servantes me présentèrent un somptueux repas.”</div></div><div> De plus en plus inquiet, Akira écoutait en silence.</div><div>“Elle m'invita d'abord à manger. En fait, elle m'invita plutôt à <i>beaucoup</i> manger. “Vous êtes un <i>rikishi</i> des plus prometteurs, Tsuzuki. Je n'ai pas pu assister à l'un de vos combats, mais j'ai entendu parler de vous. Vous êtes grand et fort. Vous êtes plutôt dodu... mais il faut vous engraisser encore.” Je lui demandai si elle souhaitait me voir progresser en tant que lutteur. Elle eut un petit rire charmant, puis elle fit signe à ses servantes qui prirent place autour de moi, et qui commencèrent à me gaver. Je ne sais pas combien de temps dura cet énorme repas. Comme c'est toi qui t'occupes de gaver les lutteurs, dans cette école, tu sais que j'y suis parfaitement habitué, mais je dois dire que la manière dont j'étais nourri m'étonnait... J'avais l'impression d'avaler des thons entiers, des bols de riz hauts comme des toits de temples. Oui, elles m'auraient fait éclater comme une bulle... Puis, lorsqu'on me trouva rassasié, ce fut notre nuit de noces. De très bonne heure, elle me réveilla et me dit “Vous êtes vraiment mon époux, à présent. Nous nous sommes unis pour un terme de sept fois sept existences, mais il est indispensable que notre mariage demeure secret. Si vous restez avec moi durant la journée, ce serait la mort pour nous deux ! Je vous en supplie, revenez cette nuit mais ne dites pas un mot de notre union, à personne. Vous me retrouverez sur le pont, dans la soirée... Votre attente ne sera pas longue, et nous serons heureux l'un et l'autre, l'un pour l'autre, toutes les nuits.” Je lui ai promis le secret. Lorsque je suis rentré dans ma chambre, la cloche n'avait pas encore sonné... Depuis cette nuit, je la rencontre et je la quitte de la même manière. C'est étrange, n'est-ce pas ?”</div><div> Akira n'avait aucune intention de sermonner son camarade.</div><div><div>“Tsuzuki, mon pauvre Tsuzuki...” dit-il en le prenant dans ses bras. “Je ne croyais pas que de telles horreurs étaient possibles. Ne t'en fais pas. Je ne dirai rien de ce que tu m'as confié, mais tu dois bien comprendre que tu es victime de quelque manigance cruelle. Comment cette femme et ses servantes t'ont-elles fait perdre autant de poids, lorsque tu me dis qu'elles t'ont gavé toute la nuit, chaque nuit ?”</div></div><div>“Je ne sais pas. Je ne comprends pas...” Tsuzuki, toujours aussi rêveur, était comme égaré dans sa rêverie. “Je t'assure que mon épouse est très attentive à ce que je sois bien nourri. Elle tient beaucoup à ce que je sois gavé, pour me recevoir dans sa chambre lorsque je suis bien repu, mais elle m'encourage aussi à poursuivre mon entraînement à l'école, et ma carrière professionnelle en tant que <i>rikishi</i>.”</div><div>“C'est important pour elle que tu sois... bien gras ?”</div><div>“Oh ! oui... Elle tient beaucoup à moi, et elle veut me voir progresser.”</div><div><div>“C'est important pour elle que tu t'engraisses ?”</div></div><div>“Oh ! oui... Beaucoup ! Elle m'y encourage.”</div><div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="font-family: verdana;">“Elle t'en a parlé tant que ça ?”</div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">“En vérité, elle ne m'a jamais parlé d'autre chose... Je l'entends encore me dire </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Mange, mon beau Tsuzuki ! Tu n'es pas encore assez rondelet à mon goût...” Et </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Tsuzuki ! Tâche de t'empiffrer un peu plus vite... Il faut que tu t'épaississes comme un porc !” </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">C'est comme ça qu'elle m'aime.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Akira</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> se contenta de hocher la tête. Il doutait pas du récit de son jeune ami. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Tsuzuki</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> n'avait jamais menti, à qui que ce soit, depuis son premier jour dans l'écurie </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Gondazaemon. Il n'avait pu lui dire que la vérité, mais cette vérité ouvrait sur de sinistres perspectives... Son aventure n'était probablement qu'une illusion provoquée par une puissance maléfique, à des fins criminelles. Cela le fit frémir.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Dans un premier temps, le cuisinier rappela le lutteur à ses devoirs : Contre toute attente, il avait maigri au lieu d'engraisser ! Il était urgent de le gaver, avant de chercher un moyen de le sauver... Akira entraîna T</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">suzuki da</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">ns la cuisine. Il </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">entreprit de lui faire boire beaucoup de bière et beaucoup de <i>saké</i>, tout en le forçant à ingurgiter beaucoup de riz et beaucoup de poisson, pendant plusieurs heures...</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Bien repu, Tsuzuki s'endormit naturellement. Akira resta auprès de lui, dans sa chambre, pour veiller sur son sommeil... </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">À son réveil, il le tira encore par la main jusque dans la cuisine, où il le fit s'asseoir pour le gaver lourdement de gâteaux et de pâtisseries. Lorsque la nuit tomba, le beau <i>rikishi</i> en était tout étourdi. Akira était très fatigué, lui aussi.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Le lendemain matin, on s'aperçut que </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Tsuzuki avait, inexplicablement, passé la nuit dehors, une fois de plus ! Il venait de rentrer par la petite cour de l'école, et il était plus pâle que jamais... </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Akira, furieux, le saisit par les épaules et le porta jusque dans sa chambre : le pauvre garçon venait de s'évanouir.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> On appela un médecin, et on lui fit boire quelque chose de chaud.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Tu as encore passé la nuit... près du pont ?”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Oui...” répondit Tsuzuki, très faible. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Elle m'attendait...”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">“N'en dis pas plus.”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Akira invita tous leurs camarades à sortir, en annonçant que Tsuzuki avait besoin de calme et de repos. Le médecin qui s'occupait souvent des petits bobos et des soucis de santé des lutteurs de l'écurie </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Gondazaemon les rejoignit bientôt. C'était un vieux docteur, savant et attentionné.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">“C'est curieux...” dit-il. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Ce garçon me semblait parfaitement sain, bien dans sa peau et bien en chair, la dernière fois que je l'ai vu.”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Cette mésaventure est toute récente...”</span></div></span></div></div></div></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">“Mais...” s'exclama le docteur, après l'avoir examiné avec soin. </span>“Ce jeune homme n'a presque plus de sang ! C'est comme de l'eau claire qui coule dans ses veines... Je comprends pourquoi il est si pâle et si affaibli.”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> Horrifié, Akira lui fit part de la perte de poids de son ami.</div><div style="font-family: verdana;">“Ce beau garçon me semble toujours bien musclé, mais sensiblement moins dodu et moins enveloppé, en effet... Son état est critique ! Il sera difficile de le sauver. Il est transi de froid, comme s'il avait passé toute la nuit dans l'eau.”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;">“Eh bien...” Akira n'hésita pas longtemps. “Il y a de ça...”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> Malgré la promesse qu'il lui avait faite, il raconta tout ce que Tsuzuki lui avait confié. La direction de l'école en fut informée aussitôt, et tous ses camarades vinrent le voir pendant sa convalescence.</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> Le vieux médecin avait recommandé le repos absolu et un régime aussi riche que possible en viandes rouges, en poissons gras, en œufs et en riz complet. Il s'agissait de rendre des couleurs à ce malheureux garçon... Akira se retroussa les manches et imposa quatre gavages quotidiens à son ami, qui retrouva d'abord son appétit vorace, puis de bonnes joues roses, puis un embonpoint des plus avenants. Bien corpulent et souriant, le jeune homme inspirait aussitôt la sympathie.</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> Lorsque l'automne acheva de disperser les dernières feuilles rouges sur le fleuve, Tsuzuki put se lever... Il était un peu moins rudement musclé, mais toujours vigoureux et souple. Il avait magnifiquement engraissé, à la grande joie de ses camarades, et il pesait plus de 180 kilos.</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> Comme il était désormais considéré sain et sauf, la direction de l'école lui annonça qu'il serait puni sévèrement pour ses promenades nocturnes. Son aventure était connue... On n'avait pas pu empêcher les rumeurs de se répandre, et la carrière de Tsuzuki était brisée alors qu'il allait s'élever dans le classement. La réputation de l'écurie Gondazaemon était en jeu. On se montra donc impitoyable envers lui, pour faire un exemple.</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> Cependant, lorsque l'exclusion de Tsuzuki fut déclarée et publiée, la direction le convoqua pour lui proposer de rester au sein de l'école, en tant que second cuisinier, pour soulager Akira d'une part de sa tâche, et pour lui témoigner sa gratitude par la même occasion... Tsuzuki accepta cette offre avec empressement.</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> Tout sourire, l'ancien <i>rikishi</i> avait encore un secret à cacher. Pendant sa convalescence, Akira et lui étaient devenus de plus en plus proches. Il lui avait fait promettre de le porter à nouveau à 180 kilos, puis à 200 kilos, peut-être même encore davantage...</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> En tant que cuisiniers de l'écurie Gondazaemon, ils devaient partager les mêmes espaces de travail et dormir dans la même chambre. Ce point du règlement leur convenait parfaitement puisqu'ils dormaient dans le même lit, qu'ils avaient fait en rassemblant plusieurs <i>futon</i>, des coussins et des couvertures. Immédiatement à côté des cuisines, il n'avaient que quelques pas à faire pour se régaler de bons petits plats et se gaver l'un et l'autre, même pendant la nuit.</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> Un matin d'hiver, le vieux docteur vint leur rendre visite. Il se réjouit de trouver Tsuzuki si bien portant, très sain et très lourd, bien en chair avec beaucoup de lard... Le beau garçon lui confirma qu'il avait toujours bon appétit, et qu'il était bien décidé à s'engraisser pour devenir plus dodu et confortablement bedonnant pour son ami. Akira et lui l'avaient mis dans la confidence. Il savaient que le médecin, bienveillant et très discret, les encouragerait à être heureux ensemble.</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><div>“Surtout, pas d'exercices inutiles...”</div><div>“Oh, non ! du repos et des gavages... C'est tout ce qui m'attend.”</div></div><div style="font-family: verdana;">“Et plus de promenades nocturnes ?” dit le docteur en clignant de l'œil.</div><div style="font-family: verdana;">“Certainement pas !” répondit Tsuzuki en riant, de bon cœur. “Mes nuits sont déjà bien occupées... J'ai besoin de dormir pour prendre du poids, et me réveiller plus potelé dans les bras de mon Akira.”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> Cependant, l'allusion à cette mauvaise rencontre sur le pont avait piqué la curiosité de son compagnon.</div><div style="font-family: verdana;">“Je me suis longtemps demandé... Qui était-elle ?”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;">“Qui elle était, je ne saurais le dire...” répondit le docteur. “D'ailleurs, ça n'a plus aucune importance puisqu'elle est morte. Vous vous demandez plutôt ce qu'elle était.”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;">“Elle est morte ?”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;">“Oui, je peux vous l'affirmer. Je vous dirai même que j'ai vu son cadavre, au bord du fleuve, près du <i>naka no hashi</i>.”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;">“On vous avait appelé pour la sauver ?”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;">“Oh ! non... Personne n'a rien vu. Et qui s'en souciait ? Mais moi, lorsque j'ai songé à ce que vous m'aviez raconté, je suis allé y voir d'un peu plus près. Alors j'ai vu...”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;">“C'était donc une créature fantastique ?”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;">“Fantastique ? Comme vous y allez, jeune homme ! C'était une créature, en effet. Vous n'étiez pas sa première victime, hélas !” </div><div style="font-family: verdana;">“Quelle horreur...”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;">“Elle hantait la rivière depuis des temps immémoriaux... J'ai compris en considérant vos symptômes. Ce montre se régale de la chair des beaux garçons, surtout de la douceur de leur graisse, et elle boit leur sang.”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;">“Une femme-serpent ?”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;">“Une femme-dragon ?”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;">“Non, non ! Si vous l'aviez vue comme moi, sous ce pont, à la lumière du jour, elle vous aurait paru bien méprisable, bien répugnante...”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;">“Quelle sorte de créature était-ce donc ?”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;">“Une grenouille, jeunes gens. Une grosse grenouille, très laide...”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> Pour achever son conte, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō but une grande chope de bière, à longs traits... Enfin, tout en sueur après un si grand effort, si soutenu, il rota longuement, grassement et en imitant le coassement d'un crapaud.</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRP...</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span></span></div></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Dans la maison </i>一 soleil couchant</div></div></span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Tar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō avait bien observé le ciel, en travaillant dans la forêt.</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Le temps est menaçant... La neige va bientôt tomber.</span>”</div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Ji</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō l'écoutait sans répondre.</span></div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Tu frissonnes sous la cascade, malgré ton ventre bien rebondi. Tu ne t'es pas suffisamment épaissi.</span>” <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Tar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō n'avait pas besoin d'insister. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“L'hiver approche... Et cette nuit est une nuit de pleine lune.</span>”</div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Oui, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Tar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span>.</span>”</div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Et Kazu<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ?</span></span>”</div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Il est occupé à se goinfrer, tu sais bien...</span>”</div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Kazu<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō est bien obèse. Il est assez gros et gras</span>.</span>”</div><div><br /></div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> La voix de </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Tar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō restait très douce... Il voyait bien que son petit frère, baissant la tête et détournant le regard, avait le cœur brisé.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Je vais préparer le thé...</span>” murmura-t-il, résolu.</div><div></div></div></div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Tar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ?</span></span>”</div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Je sais ce que tu vas me dire, Jir<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span>. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ç</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">a ne me fait pas plaisir d'avoir à le prendre en chasse... Mais c'est ce que nous devons faire, et c'est ce que nous allons faire. </span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō n'est pas à plaindre. Il a bien profité, avec tout ce dont tu l'as nourri et gavé.</span>”</div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Tar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō...</span></span>”</div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Et puis, tu l'as encore bien régalé avec tes histoires, tes poèmes, tes danses, et tout ce dont tu l'as fait jouir encore, toute la nuit.</span>”</div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div></div></div><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div></div></div><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Tu savais ?</span></span>”</div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Mon petit Ji<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, je ne suis pas si bête... J'ai bien compris que tu passais toute la soirée à le gaver à ce point pour le faire sortir de sa torpeur, et partager un moment d'intimité sur l'oreiller. J'avais bien deviné la raison de tes sourires, de ton humeur enjouée... </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ç</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">a ne pouvait pas s'expliquer seulement avec toute la bière que je te faisais boire.</span></span>” </div><div><br /></div><div> Jir<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō était très embarrassé. </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Tar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō le prit dans ses bras.</span></div></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “C'est aussi bien comme ça... Tu l'as bien engraissé. Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> est bien en chair, ventru, bouffi et joufflu à souhait. Nous allons nous régaler !</span>”</div><div></div></span></div></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Tar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ? S'il te plaît...</span></span>”</div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “</span><span style="text-align: center;">Écoute-moi, </span>Jir<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">... Malgré ton bel embonpoint, tu sais aussi bien que moi que tu n'es pas assez gras pour cet hiver... La neige va tomber en gros flocons, en bourrasques. Le lac et le pont seront couverts de givre. La cascade ne sera qu'une colonne de glace. Et tu frissonnes déjà...</span></span>”</div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Ce n'est pas le froid qui me fait frissonner</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">.</span><span style="text-align: center;">”</span></div></div><div><br /></div></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Tar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō était prêt à pousser un long cri de loup, sur le seuil, pour annoncer leur nuit d'</span><i>Inoshishigari </i></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">[猪狩り</span>,<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> la </span>“chasse au sanglier”] avec un plaisir sauvage, mais il était sensible à la détresse de son petit frère.</div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Sois raisonnable, Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">... Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō a déjà puisé trop largement dans nos provisions ! Si nous le laissons nous quitter, nous n'aurons même plus assez de nourriture pour survivre... Et </span>avec son appétit, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">s'il restait avec nous, il aurait bientôt achevé d'engloutir ce que nous avons mis de côté dans la réserve.</span><span style="text-align: center;">”</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “C'est vrai...</span>”</div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “On ne peut pas vivre longtemps avec un porc, tu le sais bien.</span>”</div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Oui, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Tar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō...</span></span>”<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Ji</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō soupira profondément. </span>“<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Tu as raison.</span></span>”</div><div></div></div></div></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Et puis... Tu as <i>faim</i>, mon petit </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ! Tu as besoin de plonger tes crocs dans une belle pièce de viande rouge, bien juteuse, bien épaisse...</span>”</div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> Le beau garçon blond, mis en appétit, ne répondit pas mais il laissait passer sa langue sur les lèvres.</div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “C'est vrai...</span>”</div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Je pense bien !</span>” murmura <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Tar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, avec un sourire carnassier. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Cela fait des jours et des semaines que tu n'as plus mangé que du poisson, des crevettes, des œufs et des légumes, pendant que je me régalais avec toute la viande... Je me demandais si tu allais en réclamer.</span>”</div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Non, non...</span>” Ji<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō tâtait son ventre bien rebondi. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“J'étais assez repu.</span>” </div><div></div></div><div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Mais maintenant que je t'en parle, tu as <i>faim</i> !</span>”</div><div></div></div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Oui, </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Tar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">...</span>”</div><div></div></div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Tu ne veux pas faire de mal à notre gros Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">. Je le sais. Alors, je t'ai préparé un thé noir, comme pour moi, pour réveiller le loup qui dort en toi... Mais j'ai préparé un mélange qui te laissera plus somnolent.</span>”</div><div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Pourquoi ?</span>”</div><div></div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Parce que tu es plus fort que moi... Lorsque nous luttons, tu manques un peu d'adresse ou d'agilité, mais tu pourrais m'assommer d'un coup de poing ! Tu ne l'as jamais fait, parce que tu te bats loyalement, mais s'il s'agissait de protéger </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ? Et lorsque tu es changé en loup, tu es à peine moins vif que moi. Tu es plus lourd, plus imposant et plus puissant que moi... Enfin, j</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">e ne veux pas que tu m'empêches de bondir sur notre proie, cette nuit. Tu me comprends.</span>”</div><div></div><div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Oui</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">...</span>”</div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Je ne veux pas t'imposer de me suivre non plus, si tu ne veux pas...</span>”</div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Je ne t'ai jamais laissé chasser seul, Ta</span>r<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō.</span>”</div><div></div></div><div></div></div><div></div></div><div></div></div></div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “C'est vrai</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">... Tu t'inquiètes toujours pour moi, quand je suis dehors.</span>”</div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Tu t'inquiètes pour moi aussi</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">... La preuve !</span>”</div><div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “</span><span style="text-align: center;">Évidemment. </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Tu es mon petit frère, Ji</span>r<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō. Je tiens à toi, e</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">t je t'aime.</span>”</div><div></div></div><div><br /></div><div> <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Tar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō lui tendit la coupe de thé.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div></div></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “Bois cette tasse de ténèbres, et puis... dors.”</div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><i>Dans la forêt </i>一 pleine lune, nuit d'orage</div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Sous les arbres, l'obscurité demeurait si dense que Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ne savait pas dans quelle direction se tourner. Lui-même se sentait si rond et si épais qu'il éprouvait quelque difficulté à trouver son chemin.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Il n'avait pas encore croisé d'esprits ou de fantômes...</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Lorsqu'il avait enfin repris conscience, gavé à bloc et lourd comme un rocher, </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Tar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō et Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō l'avaient aidé à se lever pour le mener doucement jusque sur le seuil de leur maison, puis sur le petit pont qui avait </span>craqué lugubrement, gémi et protesté sous son poids.</div><div></div></div><div></div></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> La nuit résonnait d'une lointaine rumeur d'orage. Par instants, un éclair déchirait le ciel, et le tonnerre grondait </span><span style="text-align: left;">一</span> courant longuement par toute la montagne, comme une caresse sur l'échine d'un fauve.</div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō avançait lentement, pas à pas, lourd et déjà un peu essoufflé... Ses pieds nus s'enfonçaient profondément dans la terre, dans la mousse et les feuilles mortes </span>trempées de pluie. À chaque pas, il sentait son gros ventre bondir et rebondir de toute sa masse.</div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Que faire ? Je suis trop gras et trop lourdaud pour m'aventurer dans les ténèbres...</span>” soupira <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Jir<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span> m'a tellement bien </span>rassasié<span style="font-family: verdana;"> !</span>”</div><div><br /></div><div> Il n'avait pourtant pas un instant à perdre. Pendant qu'il errait sur cette pente de la montagne, deux loups sauvages <span style="text-align: left;">一 </span>ou plutôt deux flèches de muscles, de poils et de crocs, l'une blonde et l'autre brune <span style="text-align: left;">一</span> s'étaient lancés à sa poursuite pour le prendre en chasse... et le dévorer.</div><div> La lumière de la pleine lune était son seul point de repère. Elle brillait, de plus en plus proche, à mesure qu'il s'avançait dans sa direction, en évitant de trébucher pour ne pas rouler comme une boule jusque dans la vallée... <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō devait avoir atteint une clairière.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “C'est curieux...</span>” se disait-il<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Où sont passés tous ces grands arbres qui me faisaient si peur ? Je ne vois plus que des arbustes...</span>”</div><div><br /></div><div> L'air pur et frais de la nuit l'invitait à reprendre son souffle. La pluie le caressait, en coulant à longs traits sur son visage et tout son corps.</div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō respirait profondément. Il se sentait largement obèse, massif et pesant comme une montagne posée sur la montagne, mais il se sentait imprégné d'un calme étrange, d'une sérénité parfaite, qu'il n'avait jamais connue jusqu'à ce moment </span><span style="text-align: left;">一</span> et qui contrastait formidablement avec sa situation, lorsqu'il était la proie de deux loups affamés !</div><div> L'orage s'était aussi rapproché du sommet de la montagne. Il voyait les éclairs, autour de lui, qui dansaient en se figeant soudain dans des poses crispées, dramatiques... </div><div> Riant comme un enfant à ce spectacle tout en étincelles, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō dressa l'oreille. Il venait d'entendre craquer des brindilles et des branches... Il devinait une présence qui l'entourait vaguement, comme une haleine fauve.</span> C'était un souffle régulier mais respirant avec effort, comme celui d'une puissante bête sauvage... Il y avait de quoi trembler de peur.</div></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Et pourtant, </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> n'avait pas peur... Il n'aurait su expliquer pourquoi, en devinant l'approche d'une créature qui devait être immense, et dont l'échine semblait toute hérissée de pointes, il se trouvait bien disposé à se défendre ou à se battre avec acharnement.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> En s'efforçant de prévoir d'où pourraient surgir les loups, il portait ses regards dans l'obscurité des bois, dont les arbres noueux s'étendaient à ses pieds </span><span style="text-align: left;">一 mais </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="text-align: left;"> était si gros qu'il n'avait plus vu ses pieds ou ses genoux depuis quelque temps...</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Il</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> sentait que son ventre, toujours </span>bien rempli et <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">lourdement rebondi</span>, l'invitait à pousser un long rot sonore.</div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “GRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAW</span><span style="text-align: justify;">RRRRRRRRRRRRR !!!</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Toute la forêt frémit, et semblait vaciller autour de lui... La montagne grondait en écho de cet appel nocturne de </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, saisie d'étonnement</span>. Il était surpris lui-même en entendant un grognement aussi puissant, aussi rauque et aussi grave...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Il ne comprenait plus ce qu'était devenu le monde dans la nuit. Tout semblait soudain si petit, si réduit, si fragile pour un gros garçon comme lui <span style="text-align: left;">一</span> avec cette vaste carrure, avec ce ventre si énorme et si empâté qu'il rebondissait contre ses genoux, à chaque pas, en frottant la cime des plus grands arbres... La lune était à portée de main, comme un fruit. S'il n'avait pas été aussi pataud, il aurait pu se saisir d'un éclair comme d'une ficelle, mais ils étaient plus fins autour de lui que les fils d'une toile tendue par une araignée. Il dominait toute la montagne de sa silhouette, si ronde et si obèse qu'il en plongeait plus de la moitié dans son ombre !</div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><br /></div></span></div></div></div></span></div></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNpsaxrUdcrrAI1uHKTpmBvtvYWMIsN8POT8T39W6mJ9OsMyQHMj4WiLQ9DXWpzL_UHMuxa0JXM1fU380FkjMvNOuFZY20rxZclcgKrI-3828PR3TUSMc7glaYKPHbybMZoSGeNPHw3UHQbPXGpl7bq5PkVD_cgs4OiBFk-8yiqNOHPniNFNIq8-1kz2Yw/s2016/34%20fini.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1632" data-original-width="2016" height="518" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNpsaxrUdcrrAI1uHKTpmBvtvYWMIsN8POT8T39W6mJ9OsMyQHMj4WiLQ9DXWpzL_UHMuxa0JXM1fU380FkjMvNOuFZY20rxZclcgKrI-3828PR3TUSMc7glaYKPHbybMZoSGeNPHw3UHQbPXGpl7bq5PkVD_cgs4OiBFk-8yiqNOHPniNFNIq8-1kz2Yw/w640-h518/34%20fini.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Il devenait pénible pour Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō de faire encore un pas sur cette pente, tant il se sentait lourd, bedonnant, joufflu et bouffi à en éclater</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">...</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> En baissant les yeux, il aperçut enfin les loups qui couraient dans la forêt </span><span style="text-align: left;">一</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> ils ne lui semblaient pas plus menaçants que des furets, ou des belettes... Pourtant, </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō les avait vus immenses, vigoureux et féroces.</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Il les voyait maintenant comme en arrêt, interrompant leur course</span> et leur chasse, terrassés par la surprise et l'effroi... En fait, les deux loups s'en retournaient déjà. Ils fuyaient devant lui, pris de panique... Toute la faune de la montagne semblait saisie d'un long frisson de terreur.</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō hésita un instant avant de s'asseoir dans cette haute clairière. Il considéra la ligne d'horizon, dont le bleu sombre se ravivait peu à peu, en attendant que le soleil se lève.</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “J'étais bien rassasié... mais, maintenant, j'ai faim !</span></span><span style="text-align: justify;">”</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><i>Devant la maison </i>一 soleil levant</div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Un peu es</span><span style="text-align: left;">soufflé, lent, pesant et pataud, </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō se présenta devant le petit pont. La maison semblait endormie, en son absence. Il grogna pour s'éclaircir la voix, et appela rudement.</span></span></div></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>Kaimon </i>[</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">開門, en ancien japonais : </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">“Ouvrez”] </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;">!</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">”</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Les planches de bois résonnaient sous ses pas. </span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">Épais, </span>lourdaud, </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō entra dans la maison</span>. À peine avait-il poussé la porte, et passé le seuil, qu'il vit les deux frères prosternés devant lui... Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō et Ji</span>r<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō pleuraient à chaudes larmes, </span>se lamentaient et se confondaient en supplications. Tout penauds, ils l'accueillirent en le couvrant de caresses.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span>– “Comment avons-nous pu nous tromper à ce point ?...</span>”<span> s'écriait </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Tar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, désolé</span>. “Comment avons-nous pu te confondre avec le plus commun du commun des hommes, et te traiter comme un gros porc !”</div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span>– “Comment avons-nous pu </span>te prendre pour un porc...”<span> ajoutait Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō en soupirant,</span> inconsolable. “Alors que tu es un ours !”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Nous sommes impardonnables...</span><span>”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Nous ne sommes pas seulement les plus méchants des méchants loups, mais les plus bêtes de toutes les bêtes sauvages !</span><span>”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span> Les deux frères loups n'avaient jamais passé une plus mauvaise nuit... Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō les voyait répandre des torrents de larmes </span><span style="text-align: left;">一</span> comme s'ils avaient commis un crime et qu'ils allaient être punis impitoyablement.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span>Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, </span></span><span>Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō... Peux-tu nous pardonner ?</span><span>”</span></div></div><div><span><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Que pouvons-nous faire pour toi</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> ?</span><span>”</span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span> </span>En les voyant l'embrasser ainsi, passionnément, </span><span>Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō comprit qu'il était revenu mûri et changé après cette nuit de pleine lune dans les bois. Il était toujours très obèse, bien bedonnant, gros et gras à point, mais plus grand que jamais... Il ne dépassait pas Tar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō d'une tête,</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> mais plutôt de trois ou quatre têtes !</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> De son côté, Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō avait encore subi les effets de sa métamorphose en loup, svelte et souple... Son beau ventre rond, si dodu et si appétissant, avait encore fondu comme du beurre au soleil, et il était plus rudement musclé que son grand frère.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span><span>Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō reprit sa place dans la salle à manger, qui lui paraissait plus accueillante que jamais. Il était si grand que son front atteignait le cadre des portes, et si largement épaissi qu'il occupait toute la place devant le foyer. Entouré de gros coussins bien moelleux, il trônait véritablement, de toute sa masse.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span>– “Dites-moi, d'abord... Qu'avez-vous à vous faire pardonner </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">? Si j'ai bien compris le sort qui m'attendait dans cette forêt, vous m'avez sauvé d'une mort certaine et monstrueuse, en m'accueillant dans votre maison. Vous avez toujours travaillé dur pour pouvoir vous chauffer, vous vêtir et vous nourrir </span><span style="text-align: left;">一</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> mais vous m'avez tout de suite entouré de caresses, de couvertures confortables. Tout le monde vous avait rejeté, poursuivi et chassé </span><span style="text-align: left;">一</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> vous m'avez ouvert les bras, et invité à partager vos jeux, vos plaisirs simples et quotidiens</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">... Personne ne vous aimait </span><span style="text-align: left;">一</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> vous m'avez comblé d'attentions, d'affection et de délices sensuelles...</span>”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span>– “Mais nous t'avons engraissé comme un porc !</span>” protestait Ta<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>r</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB">ō.</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB"><span>– “Je ne suis pas d'accord. Vous m'avez invité à bien manger, je me suis régalé... Je ne me doutais pas alors de ce que cela pouvait signifier, pour moi, comme il était important de <i>bien</i> manger.</span>”</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB"> Les yeux toujours brillants de larmes, </span></span></span>Ta<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>r</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB">ō et Ji</span></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>r</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB">ō vinrent entourer leur ami</span></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB"> de plus près, en l'écoutant attentivement.</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB"><span>– “J'avais un gros appétit de vivre, et je ne vivais pas. Quelque chose en moi réclamait le grand air pour respirer largement, profondément, et je restais prisonnier dans des cadres étroits, étriqués, mesquins. Le monde autour de moi était si petit, si rabougri, qu'il m'imposait d'être maigre et chétif... Avec vous, j'ai découvert que le monde était grand et beau, qu'il m'encourageait à m'épanouir et à devenir plus fort, plus imposant, gros et gras </span></span></span></span><span style="text-align: left;">一 </span><span>bien en chair, et bien dans ma peau.</span>”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB"><span>– “Oui, K</span></span></span></span>azu<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB">ō...</span></span></span>”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB">– “Vous ne m'avez pas traité comme un gros porc</span></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">. C'est moi qui me suis empiffré pour m'engraisser comme un ours... Je comprends maintenant pourquoi j'avais toujours faim de toutes sortes de bonnes choses, bien nourrissantes. L'hiver approche, et je me préparais à hiberner avec vous, dans ce terrier si douillet.</span>”</div></span></div></div></div></span></div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB">– “Alors, </span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">K</span>azu<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō... Tu souhaites rester ici, avec nous ?</span>”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB">– “Bien sûr.</span></span></span></span>”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> Il se sentit soudain serré très fort, entre les bras des deux frères.</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Mais si vous tenez à vous faire pardonner, je sais ce que vous devez faire. Toi, Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ? Tu vas nous préparer d'énormes festins, plus savoureux que jamais... Je veux manger encore beaucoup de tes bons petits plats, qui font bien grossir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">.</span>”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB">– “Autant que tu voudras, K</span></span></span></span>azu<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō !</span>”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB">– “Et toi, Ta</span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ? Tu vas prendre soin de moi, de la maison, et surtout de ton frère qui est beaucoup trop mince ! Il faut que tu le gaves comme un petit canard, plusieurs fois par jour, pour l'engraisser</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> comme il faut.</span>”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB">– “Compte sur moi, </span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">K</span>azu<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō !</span>”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Dans la chambre</i> 一 temps de pluie</div><div><br /></div></div></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Allongé sur d'épaisses couvertures et des coussins bien ronds, après un bain chaud, Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ne pouvait presque plus avaler une bouchée. Pendant plusieurs jours et nuits, </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ta</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō et Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō n'avaient pas cessé de lui remplir le gosier avec d'énormes quantités de viandes et de lard, en l'abreuvant de bière et en le régalant encore de beignets et de fruits caramélisés.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Tout en le gavant sans retenue, les deux frères l'adoraient comme une idole, comme un ours qui les dominait magnifiquement par sa taille et son poids, son énorme corpulence et sa masse abondante et grasse. Ils le couvraient de câlins et de baisers... Ils lui murmuraient des mots doux à l'oreille, caressaient son ventre bien rond et lui faisaient l'amour toute la nuit </span><span style="text-align: left;">一</span> passionnément, sauvagement !</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, paresseusement, n'avait qu'à se laisser porter, gaver comme un porc et bercer contre leurs corps aussi bien nourris, épais et musclés. Un soir, il leur demanda ce qui motivait un tel traitement de faveur.</span></div></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB">– “C'est parce que nous t'aimons, </span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">K</span>azu<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō...</span>” murmura <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō.</span></div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Nous t'adorons, c'est bien normal.</span>”</div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Mais je ne fais rien dans la maison.</span>”</div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Comment, tu ne fais rien ?</span>” Ta<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō se dressa soudain</span>. <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">“Mais, </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">K</span>azu<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō... sans toi, nous n'aurions plus de maison !</span>”</div></div></div></span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Plus de maison ?</span>”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Sans toi, il n'y aurait plus de forêt ? Peut-être plus de montagne.</span>”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Je ne comprends pas.</span>”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Tu es un ours, </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">K</span>azu<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ! Un ours <i>énorme</i>, parfaitement gros et gras... Tu ne te rends pas compte ?</span>”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Euh... non.</span>”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> Les deux frères échangèrent un regard désemparé.</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Tu n'as pas compris pourquoi nous étions si stupéfaits de découvrir que tu étais un ours, cette nuit de pleine lune ?</span>”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Pourquoi nous t'avons pris pour un porc, et traité comme un porc...</span>”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Les ours ont pratiquement disparu de cette île. Cela faisait des siècles que cette montagne ne s'était pas trouvée en présence d'un ours aussi imposant que toi !</span>”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Ou aussi bedonnant que toi !</span>”</div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Les esprits d'ours sont les plus rares dans la nature, qui les adore et protège tout ce qu'ils touchent... Tout le monde a dû te voir, cette nuit, lorsque tu te dressais plus haut que son sommet. Grâce à toi, toute la montagne et toutes les forêts qui la recouvrent sont redevenues sacrées, intouchables !</span>”</div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Maintenant, tous les esprits de la forêt t'implorent de les protéger.</span>”</div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Mais... comment ?</span>” demanda Kazu<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span>.</div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Comme un ours, évidemment.</span>”</div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Que dois-je faire, alors ?</span>”</div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Juste ce que tu as fait. Manger, boire, dormir. T'empiffrer, jouir et bien profiter de la vie... et surtout, surtout... t'engraisser comme un ours !</span>”</div><div><br /></div><div> Kazu<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō sourit. Bien repu après un copieux petit-déjeuner, il sentait une vague parcourir tout son corps, qui lui donnait de l'appétit pour un autre festin savoureux et plantureux.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Au travail, </span>Jir<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ! Je veux me remplir la panse de beignets d'ananas, et de bananes flambées avec beaucoup de crème</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">...</span>”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> Le beau garçon blond ne tardait jamais à le régaler, au-delà de toute espérance... En quelques minutes, Kazu<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō fut entouré de plats et de bols débordants de friandises. Pendant qu'il s'empiffrait, Ta</span>r<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō n'oubliait pas ses devoirs et gavait son petit frère de beignets, de compotes de fruits très sucrées et de crèmes.</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Mange toi aussi, </span>Jir<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ! Il faut que tu t'engraisses...</span>”</div><div></div></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Hmmmph... Hmmmph... Oui, Ta</span>r<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō.</span>”</div><div></div></div></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB"> Bien docile, </span></span></span></span>Jir<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō avalait avec gourmandise.</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō s'amusait toujours à les voir ainsi, tout en se régalant. Une idée lui passa soudain par la tête, comme </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ta</span>r<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō forçait Jir<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō </span>à boire encore une chope de bière malgré l'heure matinale.</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB">– “Comme tu gaves ton petit frère, </span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ta</span>r<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō... On croirait que tu veux le voir devenir gros et gras comme un ours, lui aussi !</span>”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><div><div></div></div></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB">– “Tu ne crois pas si bien dire, </span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō !</span>”</div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> Jir<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, la bouche pleine, se tourna vers son frère.</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Comment ça ? Qu'est-ce que tu voulais dire ?</span>”</div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB"> Avec un profond soupir, Ta</span></span></span></span>r<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō se leva. En voyant </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō avec une part de tarte dans chaque main </span><span style="text-align: left;">一</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> et Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō qui lui tendait encore un gros beignet, tout en dévorant une épaisse tranche de porc caramélisé, à belles dents, il sourit.</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB">– “J'aurais dû te dire la vérité depuis longtemps, mon petit </span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō.</span>”</div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB">– “Quelle vérité </span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">?</span>”</div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB">– “Celle qui nous a permis de vivre, ou de survivre, dans cette petite maison... en attendant que </span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō se joigne à nous</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB">...</span></span></span></span>”</div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Je ne comprends pas.</span>”</div></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB">– “Jir<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, tu n'as pas connu nos parents... Tu étais trop petit quand notre mère est morte</span>. C'était une superbe louve, belle, indépendante, fière et sauvage</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">... Elle formait le plus heureux et le plus fidèle des couples avec un grand loup des montagnes, fort et féroce. Je t'ai souvent parlé de lui, mais je n'en avais presque aucun souvenir, parce qu'il est mort peu de temps après ma naissance.</span>”</div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Mais, Ta</span></span></span></span></span></span>r<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō..</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">.</span>”</div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Il faut que je t'explique, maintenant. Lorsqu'elle s'est trouvée seule à errer par le monde, avec moi, elle a rencontré un homme du Nord qui nous a défendu contre des assaillants. Il nous a invité à vivre avec lui, et elle est tout de suite tombée amoureuse. C'était l'homme le plus fort et le plus imposant, mais aussi le plus gentil que j'ai jamais rencontré. </span>Jir<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, c</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">'était lui, ton père... C'était un grand ours polaire et tu lui ressembles beaucoup, à tous points de vue.</span>”</div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Alors, moi aussi... je suis un ours ?</span>”</div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Pas tout à fait, mais tu n'es pas un loup comme moi</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">. Tu es beaucoup trop doux et beaucoup trop gentil. Tu es trop généreux et trop câlin pour être seulement un loup...</span>”</div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Est-ce que ça veut dire que</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">..</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">. je ne suis pas ton frère ?</span>”</div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Si, Ji</span>r<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō. N'en doute pas. Tu es mon petit frère, et je t'aime.</span>”</div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Je suis... à moitié ours ?</span>”</div></div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Et la montagne a reconnu en toi le souvenir du bel ours blanc qui était ton père. C'est ainsi que nous avons pu nous établir dans cette maison.</span>”</div></div><div><br /></div><div><div> Jir<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span> en était tout rêveur.</div><div><br /></div></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Je comprends pourquoi je ressentais à ce point </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">le besoin de dormir, dès que l'automne menaçait, pourquoi je voulais manger comme quatre et prendre du ventre... J'essayais de mieux me préparer à hiberner</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">. Mais pourquoi était-ce </span>toujours <span style="font-family: verdana;">si difficile ?</span>”</div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “C'est parce que tu es trop sensible, mon pauvre petit Ji</span>r<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō. Sensible à la douleur comme à la douceur, à la chaleur comme au froid...</span>” murmura Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, attendri.</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span>“Tu as toute la finesse et la souplesse d'un jeune loup, mais tu voudrais être pataud et bien en chair, bien nourri et rembourré comme un gros ours<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">.</span>”</div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “C'est vrai !</span>”</div><div><br /></div><div> Kazu<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span> les observait, les mains croisées sur son énorme ventre.</div><div><br /></div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “</span>Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō a raison</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">.</span>” dit-il. <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">“Tu es trop lourdement musclé, trop dodu et trop ventru pour un petit loup</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">... Mais, pour un ours, tu es trop fin, trop frêle et trop mince ! <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ç</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">a</span></span> me fait de la peine de te voir toujours aussi... svelte.</span>”</div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Qu'est-ce que je pourrais bien être, alors ?</span>” demanda <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span>r<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span>.</div><div><br /></div><div><div> Le beau garçon blond souriait <span style="text-align: left;">一 </span>Kazu<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō le trouvait plus séduisant, plus appétissant et plus irrésistible que jamais...</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “C'est tout simple, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span>r<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō...</span></span>” suggéra Kazu<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, après un soupir</span>. <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">“Tu es un ourson. Il ne te reste plus qu'à grandir un peu pour devenir un ours.</span>”</div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Juste grandir un peu ? Mais je veux <i>beaucoup</i> grossir !</span>”</div><div><br /></div><div> J<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">i</span>r<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō se jeta dans les bras de son frère</span>.</div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Tu voudras bien me gaver encore ? Comme un petit ours ?</span>”</div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Bien sûr !</span>” répondit aussitôt Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, en riant.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Kazu<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span> va nous apprendre ce que c'est qu'un ours, un vrai gros ours ! Et tu vas pouvoir lutter comme un grand ours et un petit ours, chaque matin, pour faire de beaux progrès...</span>”</div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Oui, </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span>r<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> ! Si tu arrives à réveiller pleinement l'ourson qui dort en toi, tu vas devenir obèse, magnifiquement dodu et rondelet à souhait !</span>”</div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Compte sur moi, Ta</span>r<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ! Et puis... que fait-on de</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> ?</span>”</div><div><br /></div><div> Le gros garçon sentit les deux frères le caresser de regards brûlants.</div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Même pour un ours, nous allons le rendre <i>énorme</i><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">...</span></span>” murmura Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō.</span></div></div><div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Oui, <i>é<span style="text-align: center;">norme</span></i></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">...</span>”</div><div><br /></div></div><div> J<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">i</span>r<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō s'approcha de </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, et le prit dans ses bras </span><span style="text-align: left;">一</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> vigoureusement, avec une tendresse feutrée dont les câlins et les caresses promettaient de se changer bientôt en étreinte passionnée</span>... Le beau garçon était tout ému, tout en sueur, et ses yeux verts étincelaient.</div><div> Il murmura doucement à son oreille :</div></div></div></div></div><div><br /></div></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> <i> kokoro no tsuki wa</i> 心の月は<span style="font-size: small;"> </span>“Dans mon cœur, la lune </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> <i>kumorazarikeri </i>雲らざりけり<span style="font-size: small;"> </span>était sans nuages...”</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Dans la maison</i> 一 soleil couchant</div></div></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> En quelques jours, laissé seul avec</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō pendant que Ta</span>r<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō était parti chercher de nouvelles provisions, de village en village</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">, </span>J<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">i</span>r<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō apprit tous les secrets qui font de l'homme un ours en le révélant à lui-même</span>... La seule différence entre <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō et lui tenait à ce que </span>J<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">i</span>r<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō n'était pas du tout paresseux. Le beau garçon blond débordait </span>d'enthousiasme et <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">d'énergie en déployant toujours des trésors d'activités, depuis la cuisine jusque dans la chambre, si heureux d'être un ourson qu'il entendait bien en profiter le plus largement et le plus sauvagement possible !</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> À tout moment, de jour comme de nuit, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō pouvait s'attendre à de nouveaux assauts de tendresse, à des luttes sensuelles, à des orgies de viande rouge ou à des concours de gourmandise, à d'autres jeux encore plus imprévisibles, à des sursauts jusqu'au fou rire complice ou à de longs moments d'intimité partagée, d'une insondable douceur.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span>À tous points de vue, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō se sentait comblé. Plus encore, il sentait que ce parfait ourson</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> s'épanouissait auprès de lui, si heureux de prendre exemple sur un ours aussi énorme... </span>J<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">i</span>r<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō mangeait plus gloutonnement que jamais. Il buvait plus de bière qu'il n'en avait jamais bu... Enfin, et surtout, </span>J<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">i</span>r<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō s'engraissait presque à vue d'œil ! En quelques jours, il était redevenu gentiment</span> obèse.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: center;">– “Et quand le paysage sera tout recouvert de givre, moi...</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: center;"> je serai bien rembourré de lard !</span><span style="text-align: center;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> “Oui, Jir</span>ō. Comme un vrai petit ourson, très douillet, très doux...”</div><div><br /></div><div> Le bon garçon ronronnait en se blottissant contre Kazuō.</div><div><br /></div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> “Rapproche un peu ce plateau de beignets</span>...”</div></div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> “Tu as encore faim ?</span>”</div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> “<span style="text-align: center;">Évidemment</span>, Jir</span>ō. Toujours ! Mais c'est pour te gaver... Mange !”</div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> “Hmmmph... Hmmmph...</span>”</div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> “Je ne peux pas te laisser avoir faim, toi non plus.</span>”</div><div></div></div><div></div></div></div></div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> “Hmmmph... Hmmmph...</span>”</div><div></div></div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> “Allez ! un petit effort, mon petit ourson... Mange plus vite !</span>”</div><div></div></div><div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> “Hmmmph...</span>”</div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> “Je veux voir ton ventre rempli à éclater, Jir</span><span style="text-align: center;">ō. Tu as encore beaucoup à manger, si tu veux devenir un vrai gros ours comme moi...”</span></div></div></div><div><div></div></div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> “Hmmmph... Kazu</span>ō...”</div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> “Oui ?</span><span style="text-align: center;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Jir</span>ō le tenait enlacé, soupirant d'aise, la bouche pleine.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> “Nous allons nous faire gronder... Tar</span>ō nous avait mis en garde. Il ne nous restera bientôt plus rien à manger, dans nos réserves. Et depuis qu'il est sorti, nous n'avons fait que nous gaver, tous les deux !”</div><div></div></div><div><br /></div><div> Ils entendaient justement des pas sur le pont, et la porte qui s'ouvrait. Ta<span style="font-family: verdana;">r</span>ō était de retour du village, avec des provisions.</div><div><br /></div><div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> “Jir</span>ō ? Kazuō ? Nous sommes sauvés !”</div><div><div></div></div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Tu nous as ramené de quoi... BUUUURRRRP... manger ?</span>”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Mieux que ça ! Nous sommes sauvés. Nous sommes riches...</span>”</div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Riches ? Mais comment ?</span>”</div><div><br /></div><div> Ta<span style="font-family: verdana;">r</span>ō venait de retirer son manteau couvert de neige, et ses vêtements trempés de sueur. Il se tenait devant ses compagnons, presque nu, près du feu. Il devait reprendre son souffle.</div><div> Le beau jeune homme, athlétique et lourd, portait un large seau de bambou avec un couvercle de bois clair. Il en versa le contenu aux pieds de Kazuō. C'étaient de pleines poignées de pièces d'or.</div><div><br /></div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Nous sommes riches, parce que cet or est à nous !</span>”</div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Comment est-ce possible ?</span>”</div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“C'est grâce à </span>Kazuō.”</div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Grâce à moi ?</span>”</div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Oui ! Je n'ai jamais vu les boîtes à offrandes déborder à ce point. T</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">out le monde t'a vu dans la forêt, cette nuit, c</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">omme nous le pensions, Ji</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">r</span>ō et moi<span style="font-family: verdana;">... Ou plutôt, t</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">out le monde t'a vu </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">sur la montagne ! Les commères de village ne parlent plus que de ça. Et tous les journaux ont signalé le phénomène, mais ils se perdent en commentaires.</span>”</div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Le </span>phénomène ?”</div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“C'est ce qu'ils disent...</span>” Tarō riait en voyant la grimace de Kazuō.<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Les journaux ont présenté cette affreuse nuit d'orage comme un </span>phénomène météorologique sans précédent... Ils ne comprennent pas ce qu'ils ont observé, confirmé par tous les témoignages. Un énorme nuage sombre, avec deux étoiles comme des yeux bleus plus brillants que la pleine lune, et des griffes et des crocs...”</div><div><br /></div><div> Tous les trois éclatèrent de rire.</div><div><br /></div><div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Des griffes ? Et des crocs ?</span>”</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Ils m'ont pris pour un nuage ?</span>”</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Un nuage lourd d'orage, alors !</span>”</span></div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Pourquoi pas un nuage couvert de fourrure ?</span>”</span></div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Un nuage de lait dans un thé noir...</span>”</span></div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“En tous cas, les vieux de tous les villages ne s'y sont pas trompés. La forêt en a retenti. Et puis, la montagne n'a pas seulement grondé : elle a <i>grogné</i> ! La nature a repris ses droits sur les environs... Tous les ponts à proximité du petit temple en ruine se sont </span></span>hérissés d'épines, et ils sont re<span style="font-family: verdana;">couverts de ronces.</span>”</div><div><div><div><br /></div><div><div> Kazuō jouait avec une pièce d'or que lui avait tendu Jirō.</div><div><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Tout de même, comment peut-on recueillir de telles offrandes ?</span>”</div></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<i>Nazoraeru </i>[擬える, littéralement </span></span>“imiter”<span style="font-family: verdana;">]...</span>” dirent les deux frères.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Qu'est-ce que c'est ?</span>”</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Mais, </span>Kazuō... C'est le principe même de toute offrande. Un paysan pauvre ne peut pas donner plus qu'un bol de riz ou quelques légumes. Une jeune fille qui rêve d'être libre mais qui ne peut pas racheter sa liberté ne peut donner qu'une petite pièce. Un prêtre errant ne peut offrir qu'une modeste prière. Cela ne fait rien. Tout ce qui compte, c'est qu'en exprimant son souhait le plus sincère d'élever un temple aux esprits, le temple s'élève. En aspirant à la liberté avec une petite aumône, la jeune fille est libre et les esprits la comblent de richesses. Le paysan qui offre de bon cœur une petite part de ses récoltes se voit récompensé par une moisson abondante et une vie paisible...”</div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Alors, tout cet or nous vient de quelques pièces de monnaie ?</span>”</div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Oui, mais les personnes qui nous ont fait ces offrandes souhaitaient vraiment que nous soyons immensément riches. Pour elles, de bonne foi, il s'agissait surtout de satisfaire le grand esprit d'ours de la montagne !</span>”</div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Un grand esprit ? je ne sais pas...</span>” Kazuō réprima un léger rot. <span style="font-family: verdana;">“Mais un gros ours, assurément ! Et un ours qu'ils veulent revoir bien gras...</span>”</div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“D'ailleurs...</span>” ajouta Jirō.<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“L'or, c'est très gentil de leur part, mais ça ne fait pas grossir. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ç</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">a ne </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">se mange pas.</span>”</div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“C'est vrai !</span>” répondit Tarō, avec un clin d'œil complice. <span style="font-family: verdana;">“Pourquoi ne vas-tu pas vérifier ce qu'il nous reste de bon à boire et à manger, dans la cuisine et dans nos réserves ?</span>”</div><div><br /></div><div> Jirō ne s'absenta pas longtemps. Ses deux compagnons l'entendirent pousser un grand cri de surprise, émerveillé... Il faisait de grands bonds de joie, en rentrant dans la salle à manger, avec une vigueur et une souplesse étonnantes pour un garçon de sa corpulence.</div><div><br /></div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Tu avais raison, Ta</span>rō<span style="font-family: verdana;"> ! Nous sommes immensément riches... Tous les fourneaux et toutes les marmites sont remplis jusqu'au bord de bonnes choses à manger, qui mijotent sur le feu. La remise déborde tellement de provisions que la porte ne ferme plus... Et si nous ne vidons pas très vite notre citerne de bière, la bonde va sauter !</span>”</div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Qu'est-ce que tu attends pour te remplir le gosier ? </span>À<span style="font-family: verdana;"> table, Ji</span>rō <span style="font-family: verdana;">!</span>”</div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“</span>À<span style="font-family: verdana;"> table !</span>” rugit le bel ourson blond, les mains sur son ventre.</div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Pendant qu'il</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> entassait une énorme quantité de nourriture dans des plats, son frère</span> s'était assis derrière Kazuō pour lui masser doucement le dos et les épaules.</div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ji</span>rō a bien grossi, pendant que j'étais absent.”</div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Il a un appétit féroce !</span>” répondit Kazuō, en riant. <span style="font-family: verdana;">“Il est plus grand et plus solide aussi, comme toi... </span>À<span style="font-family: verdana;"> ce régime, il ne va pas tarder à devenir un parfait gros ours.</span>”</div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Bien dodu et bedonnant, comme il l'a toujours rêvé ?</span>”</div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Certainement, et peut-être encore plus gras ! C'est une bonne pâte.</span>”</div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Une bonne patte d'ours ?</span>” plaisantait Tarō. <span style="font-family: verdana;">“Tu sais, Kazuō...</span>” </div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Oui ?</span>”</div></div></div></div></div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“J'ai pris beaucoup de poids, moi aussi. Je ne sais pas si ce serait juste de dire que j'ai grossi, mais mon tour de taille est plus large aujourd'hui que ne l'était mon tour d'épaules quand je t'ai rencontré.</span>”</div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“C'est vrai...</span>”</div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ç</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">a aussi, c'est grâce à toi</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">... J'ai toujours rêvé d'acquérir une carrure bien épaisse, athlétique et puissante ! Quand nous étions petits, Ji</span>rō se désolait de ne pas pouvoir devenir gras et je désespérais de prendre de la masse. Je voulais devenir un loup féroce et musclé, un grand méchant loup très imposant... <span style="font-family: verdana;">Ji</span>rō a toujours fait de son mieux pour me nourrir copieusement, et pour se gaver. Il nous manquait seulement la présence d'un ours comme toi, pour que la nourriture nous profite pleinement, pour que nos ventres soient tellement remplis que nous ne pouvions plus rien avaler. Avec toi, nous avons commencé à prendre du poids pour de bon ! Et nous sommes devenus bien lourds, maintenant...”</div><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Et vous avez bien fait !</span>”</div><div><br /></div><div> Tarō vint se blottir contre son dos, pour lui murmurer à l'oreille.</div><div><br /></div><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Prends soin de mon petit frère... Je te fais confiance, mais il n'est ni tout-à-fait un loup, ni tout-à-fait un ours. Je pense, comme toi, que Ji</span>rō est un ourson. Ce n'est pas aussi facile pour lui, et c'est tout nouveau. Il est plus sensible que toi et moi... Il ne demande qu'à aimer. Il faut être gentils avec lui pour l'aider à grossir, comme c'est son plus grand désir.”</div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Nous allons en faire un gros ourson, lourd et bien en chair...</span>”</div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Tu en seras largement récompensé, Kazu</span>ō ! Avec un ourson comme lui en cuisine pour te préparer tous les bons petits plats que tu aimes, la nourriture va tellement te profiter que tu vas t'engraisser à vue d'œil !”</div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Tu crois ?</span>”</div><div></div></div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“J'en suis sûr ! Et puis, tu n'as pas remarqué comme </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ji</span>rō te dévore des yeux, même pendant qu'il te gave comme un porc ?”</div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“C'est vrai...</span>”</div><div><br /></div><div> <span style="font-family: verdana;">Kazu</span>ō était encore tout rouge et troublé quand Jirō vint l'entourer de plats et de plateaux <span style="text-align: left;">一 </span>pour quelque nouveau festin qui lui mettait déjà l'eau à la bouche.</div></div></div></div></div><div><br /></div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“<span style="font-family: verdana;">Kazu</span>ō ?</span>”</div><div><br /></div><div> Jirō apportait encore un plateau avec un petit bol de riz et un verre de bière, pour le mettre en appétit... Les deux frères se tenaient debout devant leur idole. </div><div><br /></div></div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Eh bien, <span style="font-family: verdana;">Kazu</span>ō ? Tu as l'air tout rêveur...</span>”</div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Qu'est-ce que nous pouvons faire pour toi, mon gros ?</span>”</div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Ce que vous pouvez faire pour moi ?</span>”</div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Oui, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Kazu</span>ō.”</div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Tout ce que tu voudras</span>...”</div></div></div></div><div><br /></div></div></div><div></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBaATkv4pH0z75eJy6VpuGPjZSlJlAjX3Z-c8KAw2AHlLEHZswgYe68OMaJy5BiujEe544-nNkHaZezqJiFtJ5BuBGHfDEwNiQIKmkp2jUDutKu4mfnH9Nfsa8K0H1VC5aWOPfF05YzCPJf7OdQGFlY6jr6CrIxzyDEi72H4uYXuozrzIm6zEw8VojpNZb/s1932/35.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1684" data-original-width="1932" height="558" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBaATkv4pH0z75eJy6VpuGPjZSlJlAjX3Z-c8KAw2AHlLEHZswgYe68OMaJy5BiujEe544-nNkHaZezqJiFtJ5BuBGHfDEwNiQIKmkp2jUDutKu4mfnH9Nfsa8K0H1VC5aWOPfF05YzCPJf7OdQGFlY6jr6CrIxzyDEi72H4uYXuozrzIm6zEw8VojpNZb/w640-h558/35.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Kazu</span>ō soupira, et sourit malicieusement.</span></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Vous serez deux <i>niō </i>[仁王], deux <i>kongō-rikishi</i> [金剛力士, divinités gardiennes des temples ou des sanctuaires, représentés sous la forme de géants très musclés et imposants] auprès de moi.</span>”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Oui, Kazu</span>ō !” répondirent les deux frères, enthousiastes.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Je veux vous voir devenir bien lourds et bien en chair, l'un et l'autre, chacun selon sa nature. Faites un effort, et tâchez de grossir un peu !</span>”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> “Oui, Kazu</span>ō.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> “Mais d'abord, il faudra bien m'engraisser !</span>” conclut-il avec un sourire.</div></div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Oh ! oui, Kazu</span>ō...”</div><div><br /></div><div> Les deux frères ne demandaient pas mieux.</div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">La tempête de neige dura </span>plusieurs jours et nuits<span style="font-family: verdana;">... Lorsque l'obscurité se dissipa enfin, Tar</span>ō ouvrit les panneaux devant le balcon. Le lac était entièrement gelé. La tourmente avait cessé. Le soleil faisait scintiller les aiguilles de pins, dans les branches<span style="font-family: verdana;">. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Jir</span>ō préparait un plantureux petit déjeuner. Tarō aidait <span style="font-family: verdana;">Kazu</span>ō à rouler jusque sur le seuil du balcon, pour respirer un peu d'air frais avant de se remplir la panse de pâtisseries et de friandises.</div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Il fait froid... Nous ferons bien de rester sous les couvertures.</span>”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> “Sans oublier de nous gaver, d'abord !</span>” ajouta Jirō.</div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: verdana;">Kazu</span>ō, devant le paysage de neige, récita un ancien poème.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> <i> yuki fureba</i><span style="font-size: small;"> </span>雪ふれば</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span>“Quand la neige tombe,</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> <i>fuyugomori seru</i><span style="font-size: small;"> </span>冬ごもりせる</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span>les herbes et les arbres </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> <i>kusa mo ki mo</i><span style="font-size: small;"> </span>草も木も</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span>engourdis par l'hiver</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> <i>haru ni shirarenu</i><span style="font-size: small;"> </span>春にしられぬ<span style="font-size: small;"> </span>font éclore des fleurs</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> <i>hana</i></span><i> zo sakikeru</i><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span>花ぞさきける<span style="font-size: small;"> </span>inconnues du printemps...”</div></span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Et les trois gros garçons se rendormirent, lourdement repus.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span> Tar</span>ō et </span><span>Jir</span><span>ō restaient toujours blottis contre Kazu</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">ō, de part et d'autre de son énorme ventre, sous la couverture, en le couvrant de caresses et de baisers plus brûlants que la braise. </span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Il neigeait toujours autour de la maison... Lorsque le soleil se leva, les flancs de la montagne et la cime des arbres, l'eau gelée de la cascade et la surface du lac brillaient d'un même blanc immaculé, comme autant de miroirs sous un ciel de brumes, si uni et si paisible que le paysage avait disparu </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">一</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">comme esquissé d'un trait aussitôt effacé sur la page</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b>終わり</b> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">[fin]</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><b>Notes </b>: En japonais, un nom de famille comme</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><i>Kurokumasaki</i></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><i> </i>(</span><span lang="zh-CN"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>黒熊崎</span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">) se traduit par </span>“la pointe de l'ours noir”. <span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> e</span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">st bien un esprit d'ours, comme </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Tar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō est un pur </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB">esprit de loup</span></span></span>.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> L<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>e <i>Chōjū-giga</i> [鳥獣戯画, </span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Caricatures d'animaux”] est un ensemble de dessins où sont représentés, entre autres, des lapins et des renards, des grenouilles et des singes dans des situations de la vie courante ou des parodies de cérémonies du temple et de la cour du Japon impérial au XIIe siècle.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Les quelques mots de </span>Tarō, lorsqu'il tend la coupe de thé à son frère, sont extraits d'un des <i>Trente-trois sonnets composés au secret</i> (début du sonnet n°7) de Jean Cassou, écrits en prison et publiés en 1944. </div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> Le poème dont Ji<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō cite les deux derniers vers </span>est du moine bouddhiste et historien Jien (慈円). Il est inclus dans le<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span><i>Shin kokin wakashū</i> [新古今和歌集, le “Nouveau recueil de poèmes japonais d'hier et d'aujourd'hui”, anthologie compilée en 1205].</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Le poème cité par <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span>est de Ki no Tsurayuki (紀貫之). Il est inclus dans le <i>Kokin wakashū</i> [古今和歌集, le “Recueil de poèmes japonais d'hier et d'aujourd'hui”, anthologie de 1111 poèmes compilée en 905 et dont la traduction intégrale en français est disponible depuis cette année (2023, mieux vaut tard que jamais !) aux éditions Les Belles Lettres].</div></span></div></div></span></span></div></span></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5094005257601699515.post-31466495194964404842023-07-17T13:16:00.187-07:002024-01-26T13:31:17.509-08:00La pleine lune dans les bois (deuxième partie)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9r6Jh8AeZcu419MreF47EckDKe-U-yAvq1O9-AynaOCiEKRqPr8a2cXlh_JE8xI-gMqBmj1x3rlVr_RHzAeQbUrAX8OTPWV91mFarFE2Liyr_WHq7KVZSlicsBmqNHTV95EsL57JWvqj7d-JeczETYU00mncROXkX_MqnpVRahNVOnEI96nEtTdiRyg/s684/Titre.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="518" data-original-width="684" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9r6Jh8AeZcu419MreF47EckDKe-U-yAvq1O9-AynaOCiEKRqPr8a2cXlh_JE8xI-gMqBmj1x3rlVr_RHzAeQbUrAX8OTPWV91mFarFE2Liyr_WHq7KVZSlicsBmqNHTV95EsL57JWvqj7d-JeczETYU00mncROXkX_MqnpVRahNVOnEI96nEtTdiRyg/w400-h303/Titre.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">I</span></b><b><span style="font-size: medium;">I. </span></b></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large; text-align: left;"><b>秋</b></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> [automne]</span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #fce5cd;"><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span>“L'âme du loup pleure dans cette voix</div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> qui monte avec le soleil qui décline</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> d'une agonie on veut croire câline</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> et qui ravit et qui navre à la fois...”</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: left;"><b style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-weight: 400; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: right;">Paul VERLAINE</div><div style="text-align: right;"><b style="text-align: left;"><i style="font-weight: 400; text-align: right;">Sagesse </i><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span> III</span><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: right;">, 9</span></b></div></span></span></div></div></b></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><i style="text-align: left;">Dans la chambre </i></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span> avant les premiers rayons de soleil</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<i>Kimi no onii-san</i> [君 の お兄さん, “ton grand frère”] ?”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="font-family: verdana;">– “Mais bien sûr !”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> Jir<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ne pouvait pas s'empêcher de rire. </span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana;">– “Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō est mon frère. C'est lui qui s'est occupé de moi, depuis que nous sommes enfants... J'étais trop petit lorsque notre mère est morte. Je ne m'en souviens pas, et </span>Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō n'a qu'un vague souvenir de notre père. C'est lui qui m'a élevé, tout seul.</span>”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ne savait plus quoi dire. En le voyant ain</span>si, rouge et confus,<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span>Jir<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō s'allongea doucement sur lui avec un grand sourire.</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “C'est pour ça que je suis si mal élevé. Tu comprends..</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">.</span>” murmura-t-il en tâtant le ventre de son compagnon, toujours aussi coquin.</div><div><br /></div><div> Repu à point, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō appréciait les caresses de son jeune ami. </span></div><div></div></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div>– “Je comprends... Vraiment, c'est un soulagement !”</div><div><div><div>– “Tant mieux, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span>.”</div><div><div><div>– “Je croyais que Tarō était... beaucoup plus qu'un frère pour toi.”</div><div><div><div>– “Tarō a toujours été tout pour moi.” murmurait Jirō, plus caressant que jamais. “Sans lui, je ne serais pas là... Et tu ne serais pas ici non plus, avec nous.” </div></div></div></div><div>– “C'est vrai...”</div><div>– “Nous n'étions pas à l'étroit, dans cette maison. Nous sommes à l'abri, mais c'était un peu triste lorsque Tarō était parti chasser ou chercher des provisions... Il s'inquiète, lui aussi, lorsque je pars pour quelques jours à la pêche. Heureusement, tu t'es joint à nous.”</div><div><br /></div><div> <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō rougissait encore. </span>Jirō le serrait fort entre ses bras.</div><div><br /></div><div><div>– “C'est si important pour Tarō et toi ?”</div><div><div><div>– “Oh ! Oui. Tarō avait tellement besoin d'un partenaire pour progresser, en tant que lutteur... C'est toute son ambition. Il veut devenir très fort, vraiment très fort ! Ça fait un moment que je ne pouvais plus suivre.”</div><div><div><div>– “Tu te débrouilles bien, pourtant.”</div><div><div><div>– “Je fais ce que je peux...” admit Jirō en haussant les épaules. “Moi, je voudrais juste prendre du poids pour qu'il ait un adversaire plus gros et plus imposant à soulever, pour l'aider à mieux lutter plus tard... On était loin du compte. Il lui faudra bientôt un partenaire plus agile mais surtout plus grand et plus fort... et plus lourd !”</div><div><br /></div><div> Jirō pressait gentiment les flancs de <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō. Ils étaient tous les deux bien musclés, mais aussi bien dodus. En se blottissant contre lui, le beau garçon blond posa ses lèvres sur son torse.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><div><div>– “Et moi, j'ai besoin d'un partenaire vraiment gros... et <i>gras</i> !”</div><div><div><div>– “Jirō...”</div><div><div><br /></div><div> En le couvrant de baisers, Jirō le faisait murmurer plus<span> doucement.</span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><br /></div><div><div>– “En tous cas, je suis heureux de me trouver aussi bien avec vous deux, comme entre frères... Tu m'as ôté un grand poids !”</div><div><br /></div><div> Soudain, Jirō se redressa <span style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span> </span>comme si <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō venait de le pincer.</span></div></div><div><br /></div><div><div>– “Ah ? mais non, alors ! Ça ne va pas du tout. Il faut que je te nourrisse encore, beaucoup... et beaucoup mieux, pour te faire prendre du poids !”</div><div><br /></div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Avec un sourire malicieux, il approcha encore un beau beignet d'ananas caramélisé jusqu'à ses lèvres</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">, pour qu'il s'en régale.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div>– “Mange, mon beau <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span>.”</div><div>– “Encore un beignet ? Je n'en peux plus !”</div><div>– “Il n'en reste plus que quatre. Ce n'est rien du tout ! Deux pour toi, et deux pour moi ? Tu vas manger ces beignets, pour me faire plaisir...”</div><div><br /></div><div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō soupira, mais il savait qu'il ne pourrait pas lui résister</span>. </div></div></div></div><div><div><br /></div><div><div>– “Hmmmph...”</div><div>– “C'est bien. Encore...” Jirō le nourrissait d'une main, tout en mordant avec appétit dans un autre beignet. “Encore un autre !”</div><div>– “Hmmmph... Hmmmph...”</div><div><br /></div><div><div> En réponse aux <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">protestations étouffées de son ami, </span>Jir<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō caressait son estomac et murmurait doucement à son oreille. Il n'en prenait pas moins un autre beignet pour le forcer à l'engloutir en quelques bouchées... Il se montrait aussi attentif devant ce bel effort que sensible au plaisir qu'ils éprouvaient tous les deux, dans un tel moment.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Le dernier beignet restait encore dans le plateau, près du lit.</span></div><div><br /></div><div>– “Encore un autre, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span>. Encore !”</div></div><div><div>– “Hmmmph...”</div><div>– “Mange, mon gros ! C'est moi qui te ferai plaisir, ensuite...”</div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><br /></div></div></div></div><div><div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Dans la maison </i><b><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span></span></b> soleil couchant au sommet de la montagne </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div></span></div></div></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō se prélassait paresseusement au soleil, allongé sur les coussins et les <i>tatami</i>, entouré de tous les bols et de tous les plats qu'il avait déjà nettoyés pendant son repas de midi.</span></div><div> En se retenant de pousser un autre long rot sonore, il soupira.</div><div> Jir<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō avait encore passé toute la journée à ne lui proposer que des jeux gourmands ou excitants, et il n'avait pas pu se dérober. Depuis que </span>Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō était parti au village pour ramener des provisions, c'est à peine s'il était sorti de sa chambre... Il ne</span> s'était levé de son lit que lorsque Jir<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō l'avait entraîné sous la cascade, chaque matin, pour une bonne douche fraîche.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Après quelques exercices physiques, sans beaucoup d'efforts de sa part dans la salle de sport, suivis d'un moment de repos dans leur salle de bain, </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span> avait consacré tout son temps à manger avec appétit, ou à laisser </span>Jir<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō le nourrir en le couvrant de caresses... Il travaillait toujours autant dans la maison et les repas, riches et copieux depuis le premier jour, se prolongeaient jusqu'à s'enchaîner pratiquement sans lui accorder de pauses ! </span><span>À</span> tout moment, ce beau garçon se présentait devant lui, nu et luisant de sueur, en portant un grand plateau dans chaque main.</div><div> <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō se sentait </span>lourdement rassasié, malgré la sieste qu'il venait de s'accorder pour permettre à son estomac de se détendre un peu.</div><div> Ils étaient déjà venus à bout des provisions de viandes et de poissons, depuis un moment... Jir<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō préparait beaucoup de riz, </span>de légumes poêlés et de nouilles sautées, d'omelettes aux champignons et aux pommes de terre, avec beaucoup de crèmes glacées, de fruits et de pâtisseries.</div><div> Toujours aussi déterminé, insistant et enjoué, le jeune cuisinier insistait sur les bienfaits d'une alimentation très abondante, naturellement riche en sucres lents et en féculents, chargée en graisses et en sauces.</div><div> Il montrait l'exemple en mangeant toujours de bon appétit <span style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span></span></b> et </span>sans le moindre soupçon de “bonnes manières”... Jir<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō se comportait comme un incorrigible glouton </span>mais il servait son compagnon si généreusement que les quantités de nourritures qu'il ingurgitait semblaient bien modestes en comparaison des festins dont <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō se régalait sans aucune retenue.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Tu prépares déjà le dîner ?”</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Bien sûr</span>.”</div><div><br /></div><div> Comme chaque soir, Jir<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō allait et venait depuis la cuisine, où il nettoyait les plats pour les remplir à nouveau. </span><span>À la seule pensée de son prochain repas, qui durerait encore longtemps après le coucher du soleil, </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō sentait son ventre frissonner, gémir et protester.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div>– “J'ai encore beaucoup trop mangé, aujourd'hui...”</div><div><div><br /></div><div> Jir<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ne se contentait pas de préparer de grands plats, savoureux et copieux. Il disposait des fleurs et des fruits dans le <i>tokonoma</i>, et portait un troisième coussin près du feu.</span></div><div><br /></div><div>– “Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ne va pas tarder à rentrer</span>. Il doit avoir faim !”</div><div><br /></div></div><div> Le retour de Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō était bienvenu... </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō se sentait soulagé.</span><span style="text-align: left;"> I</span>l n'aurait pas à s'empiffrer autant que s'il passait encore une nuit seul avec son frère. Jir<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō était la gentillesse même, toute la journée, mais il était aussi le plus fougueux et le plus passionné des amants. Lorsque la nuit était tombée, c'était presque un autre jeune homme que </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō tenait entre ses bras</span>... Jir<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō n'avait de cesse de l'enivrer pour le faire jouir, débordant de charme jusqu'au vertige </span><b style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span></span></b> et de le gaver pour mieux l'engraisser.</div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> En quelques jours, </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō avait grossi et pris peut-être autant de poids que depuis le jour où </span>Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō l'avait trouvé dans la forêt</span>. Son ventre s'était alourdi et doucement arrondi, à la grande joie de son compagnon. Après un autre long soupir de contentement, il se leva et s'étira lentement. Jir<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō lui suggéra d'attendre et de se reposer dans </span>la salle de bain.</div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Tu as raison, je suis encore tout couvert de sauce et de miettes...”</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div>– “Et il reste de la bière dans ta barbe !” murmura Jir<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō en couvrant son cou et ses joues de baisers sensuels et de coups de langue gourmands.</span></div></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Je suis vraiment si sale ?” protestait </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō en riant.</span></div></span></div></div><div style="font-family: verdana;">– “Au contraire.” Le beau garçon le serrait plus fermement contre lui. “Tu deviens de plus en plus... appétissant.”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Dans la salle de bain </i><b><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span></span></b> soleil couchant </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div></span></div></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Confortablement assis dans le grand bassin vaguement </span>éclairé par les lanternes de papier, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">entouré d'une épaisse vapeur parfumée, avec de l'eau très chaude jusqu'au-dessus des épaules, Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō somnolait encore.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Il entendit </span>Tarō appeler son frère, de loin, devant la maison.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “<i>Tadaima </i>[ただいま, “Je suis rentré”] !”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Il entendit aussi </span>Jir<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō qui accourait pour lui ouvrir et l'accueillir.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> De toute évidence, </span>Tarō revenait chargé de provisions et de victuailles. Après les avoir entendus déposer ce lourd fardeau dans la cuisine, dans le long silence qui suivit, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō devina que les deux frères se tenaient embrassés en se répétant que l'éloignement les faisait trop s'inquiéter l'un pour l'autre et en se promettant de ne jamais s'absenter longtemps.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Il tendit l'oreille pour mieux entendre leur conversation.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;">– “Tu es tout trempé de sueur !” riait Jir<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō. </span>“Tu dois avoir froid...”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;">– “Et toi, tu es tout chaud et couvert de farine comme un petit pain.”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;">– “Tu dois avoir tellement faim !”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;">– “Toi aussi, Jir<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō !</span> Mais, dis-moi...”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> La voix de Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō se faisait plus forte, plus impatiente</span>. <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō </span>n'avait plus à retenir sa respiration pour les entendre clairement.</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana;">– “Qu'est-ce que ça veut dire, Jir<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span> ? Tu n'as pas du tout grossi !”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;">– “Pas du tout ? Oh... un peu, quand même...”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;">– “Pas du tout.” Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō devait tâter l'estomac de son frère. </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō entendit comme une claque sonore. </span>“Tu m'avais promis que tu allais bien manger, pendant que je serais absent...”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;">– “Oui.”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;">– “Et que tu allais te gaver, avec <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō..</span>.”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;">– “Oui.”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;">– “Eh bien, alors ? Je m'attendais à te retrouver un peu plus rond et un peu plus dodu, avec un poids plus conséquent. C'est à peine si tu t'es un peu épaissi, au niveau des flancs... Rien du tout !”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;">– “Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō..</span>.”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> <span>À en juger d'après ses réponses, </span>Jir<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span> devait être tout penaud.</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana;">– “Tu sais ce qui t'attend, mon petit Jir<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō..</span>. Tu vas devoir partir pour nous pêcher de beaux poissons. Et tu vas encore passer des nuits dehors, à moitié nu dans l'eau du lac et des rivières... Tu ne tiendras pas le coup si tu n'entretiens pas cette bonne couche de graisse !”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><div><div>– “C'est vrai...”</div></div><div><div>– “Il faut t'engraisser comme un lardon, Jir<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span>. Tu en as bien besoin !”</div></div><div>– “Oui, Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span>.”</div></div><div style="font-family: verdana;">– “Et moi qui espérais pouvoir m'entraîner bientôt avec un partenaire un peu plus <i>gros</i>, et surtout plus lourd !”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;">– “Oh... Pour ça, ne t'en fais pas.”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;">– “Comment ça ?”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;">– “Lorsque tu verras <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span>, tu me remercieras. Tu ne pouvais pas rêver d'un meilleur partenaire pour faire des progrès, bien lourd et bien gros.” Jir<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span> ajouta en souriant, avec malice. “Et magnifiquement<i> gras</i> !”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Dans la maison </i><b><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span></span></b> nuit de brume </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div> <span style="text-align: left;">En effet, l'impatience ou la colère que montrait </span>Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō en retrouvant son frère pratiquement tel qu'il l'avait laissé, seul avec </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, se changea en réjouissances partagées lorsqu'ils le rejoignirent dans la salle de bain.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Le repas du soir était déjà prêt, mais </span>Jir<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span> dut passer encore quelques moments dans la cuisine pour en augmenter les quantités, l'enrichir et l'assaisonner avec beaucoup de sauces. Lorsqu'il prit place auprès de ses compagnons, ils partagèrent le plaisir de s'empiffrer largement, tous les trois, bruyamment et avec empressement <b style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span></span></b> si heureux d'être ensemble pour se comporter aussi mal...</div><div> Surtout, Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō avait imposé à </span>Jir<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span> de se servir trois ou quatre fois plus que d'habitude, et de se remplir l'estomac très vite, autant que possible. Il se retrouvait ainsi à manger autant que <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, qui se régalait toujours sans faire le moindre effort... </span>Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō gardait l’œil sur l'un et l'autre, même pendant qu'il mangeait sa part, toujours aussi voracement.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div>– “Allez, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ! Mange un peu plus vite... Mange !</span>”</div><div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Hmmmph... Hmmmph...”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div>– “Bois encore un peu de bière... Et finis ta chope !”</div><div><div>– “Hmmmph...”</div><div><div>– “Il faut vraiment t'empâter, mon petit <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span>...”</div><div></div></div><div></div></div></div><br /></div><div> <span style="text-align: left;">Après une quarantaine de bols de riz, quatre énormes omelettes aux pommes de terre et aux champignons, une vingtaine de bols de bouillon crémeux et huit grandes chopes de bière, </span>Jir<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span> ne pouvait presque plus rien avaler. Il sentait son ventre rond prêt à éclater...</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Encore une chope de bière !” rugit Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Déjà bien éméché, </span>Jir<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span> accepta et but à longs traits, goulûment.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div>– “BUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRP...”</div><div><br /></div><div> Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō semblait déjà plus satisfait. Il s'approcha de son frère.</span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></div></div></span></div></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><div><div>– “Allez, mon petit <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, on passe aux desserts... Mange !</span>”</div><div></div></div><div><div><div>– “Hmmmph... Hmmmph...”</div><div></div></div><div><div><div>– “Encore un bon gros beignet<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">... Encore... Encore !</span>”</div><div></div></div><div><div><div>– “Hmmmph...”</div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div>– “Et quelques bananes, maintenant<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> ! Ouvre grand...</span>”</div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div>– “Hmmmph...”</div><div><div><div>– “C'est bien, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ! Encore un effort... Avale !</span>”</div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div><div>– “Hmmmph...”</div><div>– “Encore un beau beignet d'ananas ! Il faut <i>beaucoup</i> manger, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō...</span>”</div></div><div><div><div>– “Hmmmph... Hmmmph...”</div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div>– “Il faut <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">que tu manges bien, pour bien grossir !</span>”</div><div><div>– “Hmmmph... Hmmmph... Oui, Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō.</span>”</div></div><div><div>– “E<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">t pour prendre du poids ! Et pour </span>t'épaissir !”</div><div></div></div><div><div>– “Hmmmph... Oui, Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō... J'en ai besoin.</span>”</div><div><div><div><div>– “Mange, mon petit <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ! Encore... </span>Encore...”</div><div><div>– “Hmmmph... Hmmmph... <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Je veux m'engraisser... comme Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō !</span>”</div><div><div></div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div></div></div><div></div></div><div><br /></div><div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Dans la maison </i><b><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span></span></b> soleil levant </div></div></span></div></span></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> En se réveillant, Kazu</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō se sentit retenu doucement par </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Tar</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, qui tenait à le garder dans ses bras... Ils venaient de passer la nuit ensemble, dans sa chambre.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Tu as bien dormi ?</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="font-family: verdana;">– “Grâce à toi...” répondit Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō. </span>“Je peux me passer d'un bon lit douillet, pendant quelques nuits, mais je ne pourrai bientôt plus me passer de ce beau gros coussin sur pattes.” </div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><div></div></div></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgimmozx168tbm3komVUxiaZNoCvkl0ms6KFlAe8j3_scaQcCgi_Mrktu0LOMUlAZcIoV0ZfVYaANyK_2Se0hAMWJa2BOVeojEr0Mxw3T08fUgxvuuCmyF5tKvzrGNnQMydIEwMnMOfZCn2WBSau-qHnZ9xl6bgPUCW7N5sDrtAwT7OHeYjT8_bwhv2tA/s1456/21.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1196" data-original-width="1456" height="526" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgimmozx168tbm3komVUxiaZNoCvkl0ms6KFlAe8j3_scaQcCgi_Mrktu0LOMUlAZcIoV0ZfVYaANyK_2Se0hAMWJa2BOVeojEr0Mxw3T08fUgxvuuCmyF5tKvzrGNnQMydIEwMnMOfZCn2WBSau-qHnZ9xl6bgPUCW7N5sDrtAwT7OHeYjT8_bwhv2tA/w640-h526/21.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Ils pouvaient entendre Jir</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō qui dormait et ronflait,</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> toujours ivre, allongé près de la terrasse,</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">après avoir été lourdement nourri, et gavé plus que de raison. Il avait dû avaler encore une douzaine de pâtisseries et boire deux chopes de bière, encouragé avec insistance par son frère et </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, avant de sombrer dans le sommeil.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Mon pauvre petit </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō..</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">.” murmurait </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Tar</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">ō. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Il faut que je prenne encore soin de lui, pour qu'il prenne du poids</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">.”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Tu veux dire <i>notre </i></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">pauvre</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">petit </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō !</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">” corrigea </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span>. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Nous sommes d'accord. Maintenant, c'est à nous de prendre soin de lui</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">.”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Oui, </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō... </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ce qui me fait plaisir,</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">c'est de constater comme il a bien pris soin de toi aussi !</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Tar</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">ō caressait les flancs de son compagnon, généreusement arrondis.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “J'ai grossi tant que ça ?</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Pas encore... mais tu as pris du poids, tu as pris du </span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">ventre</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">. Tu deviens pesant et imposant. Je suis fier de toi !</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō soupira. Il avait fait de beaux progrès, en effet : </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō n'avait pas négligé leurs exercices physiques de chaque matin, ce qui l'avait poussé à se renforcer, à s'assouplir et à s'épaissir pour devenir plus massif... Il était sensiblement plus grand que </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Tar</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">ō, maintenant, et il avait bien pris du muscle par tout le corps, harmonieusement. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Cependant, </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō s'était montré particulièrement attentif à le nourrir en abondance </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">de bons petits plats,</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> et à le gaver de friandises jusque très tard dans la nuit, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">en l'abreuvant de toutes sortes de jus de fruits et de boissons fortes..</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Le bel embonpoint de </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō témoignait pleinement </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">de toute l'attention et </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">des petits soins </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">qu'il lui avait accordés.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Je n'y suis pour rien. </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō cuisine tellement bien !</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Je comprends...” souriait </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Tar</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">ō, en tendant les bras pour caresser son ventre. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Et t</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">u ne pouvais pas lui résister.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō rougit en songeant aux autres qualités irrésistibles de </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō... Ce beau garçon blond, si paisible et si </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">gentil</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">, était comme un </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">chaton câlin et un peu maladroit, dans la journée </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span></span></b> mais qui se changeait soudain en tigre sauvage, exubérant et insatiable, toute la nuit !</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Que veux tu ? </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Il a toujours été </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">comme ça... </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ne sait pas se retenir. Quand il fait le ménage, il ne reste pas l'ombre d'un grain de poussière. Quand il cuisine pour deux, il y en a pour huit... Quand il se consacre à une tâche, il se donne tout entier, sans retenue, et jusqu'à en tomber de fatigue. Il faut croire qu'il ne sait pas compter, mais quand on aime ?</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Oui, on ne compte pas</span>...” conclut <span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, toujours très rouge. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Tar</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">ō proposa de lui servir le petit-déjeuner au lit, sans déranger </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō qui dormait toujours </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span></span></b> et qui devait avoir besoin de digérer. On l'entendait ronfler comme un tigre </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">bien repu de gibier</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">, à l'abri quelque part dans la jungle... </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Étendu au soleil sur les <i>tatami</i>, son <i>kimono </i>largement dénoué, ouvert et en désordre, il </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">murmurait dans son sommeil.</span></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><div style="font-family: verdana;">– “Encore... à manger...”</div></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> Il était impossible de décider s'il avait faim, s'il réclamait encore ou s'il encourageait ses compagnons à se remplir l'estomac.</div><div><br /></div><div><div><div style="font-family: verdana;">– “C'est tout lui, ça !” riait Ta<span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō. </span>“Mais il a raison. Il faut bien manger...”</div></div></div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Et lui ?</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></span></div></div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Laissons-le dormir</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">. Ne t'en fais pas, il ne perd rien pour attendre. Dès qu'il sera réveillé, je vais le gaver comme un bon petit canard !”</span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> En quelques minutes, la chambre se trouva envahie de grands plats et de bols remplis de friandises. </span></span></span></span></div></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Il y a quelque chose qui ne va pas ?</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">” demanda </span></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Tar</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">ō.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Non..</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">.” hésitait </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, en prenant un beignet dans chaque main. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Je me disais juste que vous ne vous ressemblez pas du tout</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">... Enfin... que vous ne vous ressemblez pas tellement, </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō et toi.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Oui, peut-être... Pourquoi ?</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Quand je pense que c'est ton frère..</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">.”</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<i>Hai, boku no otōto-chan</i> [はい, 僕 の 弟ちゃん, “Oui, mon petit frère”].”</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Tar</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">ō se retenait d'éclater de rire. Au contraire, il baissa la voix.</span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Tu as raison</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">. En fait, </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> n'est que mon demi-frère...”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Ton demi-frère ?</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Oui..</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">. mais il ne le sait pas, lui-même. Mon père était mort avant sa naissance... Notre mère a rencontré un autre homme, dont elle est tout de suite tombée amoureuse. Un vrai coup de foudre ! Il venait d'une île lointaine, dans le Nord du pays, et il était très blond. Lorsque </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō est né, j'étais juste en âge de me dire qu'il serait mon petit frère. Peu de temps après, notre mère a perdu cet homme avec qui elle voulait refaire sa vie. Et quelques années plus tard, elle nous a quitté aussi... </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō n'avait plus que moi pour le protéger. </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Alors j'ai décidé que je serais toujours là pour lui, que je </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">serais </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">vraiment son grand frère.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Je comprends..</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">.”</span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō se trouvait embarrassé. Il s'était montré indiscret... Cependant, Ta</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō semblait bien disposé pour partager ces secrets avec lui.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Je ne me doutais pas non plus que vous étiez orphelins</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">.”</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “C'est comme ça..</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">.” Le beau garçon brun se contenta de hausser les épaules. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Tu comprends mieux pourquoi nous sommes si pauvres aussi</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">.”</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Oui</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">. Vous me l'avez dit tous les deux, dès le début...”</span></span></div></span></div></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span>– “Même lorsque nous vivions avec nos parents, nous n'avions pas de maison et nous n'avions pas d'argent. Et puis, lorsqu'ils n'étaient plus là, n</span>ous avons remonté tout le cours de la <i>namidagawa</i> [涙川, “la rivière des larmes”], Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">r</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō et moi, </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">sans personne pour nous porter secours.”</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Tar</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō déroula pour lui le récit, brossé en bref, de leur enfance... </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Tout en l'écoutant attentivement, </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō dévorait des omelettes aux pommes de terre sautées, du riz, des beignets d'ananas rôtis et des prunes servies dans des crêpes au sirop.</span></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Je préfère ne plus y penser. C'est mieux ainsi, mais..</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">.”</span></span></span></span></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> La perte de leur mère les avait laissés désemparés, d'autant plus que le monde qui les entourait leur était résolument hostile.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Adolescent, </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Tar</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">ō devait être déjà bien bâti, sinon athlétique </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span></span></b> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">et prêt à se battre à la moindre occasion. Elles ne manquaient pas ! Ils n'avaient nulle part où aller, mais on ne les accueillait nulle part autrement que par des regards inquiets ou furieux, des gestes de refus revêches, des injures ou des menaces.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Dans des villes ou des villages de peu d'importance, on refusait de les laisser entrer lorsque la nuit tombait... Ils ne trouvaient personne pour leur offrir l'hospitalité, même un bol de soupe claire.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Ou bien on nous proposait du travail, pour la journée,</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> mais lorsque nous avions fini nos corvées, on nous jetait dehors !”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Tout le monde se montrait aussi dur envers vous ?</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Oui</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">. Et encore plus durs envers </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō... Impitoyables.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Avec ses cheveux blonds, ses sourcils blonds et ses yeux verts, on le traitait de </span><i style="font-family: verdana;">gaijin </i><span style="font-family: verdana;">[外人, étranger] </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span></span></b> en lui réservant </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">d'autres insultes plus blessantes, par la suite. Les enfants se moquaient de lui. Les paysans lui jetaient des pierres, et les poursuivaient tous les deux jusqu'au bout de leurs champs pour les battre à coups de poings ou à coups de bâton. </span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-GB"> Pour survivre, Ta<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">r</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-GB">ō et </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-GB">avaient été </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">longtemps </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-GB">réduits à vagabonder ainsi, par les chemins de montagne et dans les bois, en se faisant passer pour des <i>monogurui gaki </i>[物狂い 餓鬼, des </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span>“enfants insensés</span><span>”, de jeunes mendiants qui simulaient la folie pour récolter des aumônes</span>].</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “On nous disait </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Va te perdre dans les bois, si tu ne t'y retrouves pas !” et on nous chassait, tout simplement.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Comme les habitants des villages et ceux des campagnes les avaient déclarés </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“inutiles au monde et à la société</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”, ils s'étaient réfugiés de plus en plus haut, jusqu'au sommet de la montagne, dans des clairières de plus en plus éloignées des terres cultivées.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Ayant enfin trouvé un terrain où s'abriter, qu'ils jugèrent favorable pour bâtir d'abord une cabane puis une maison, à la rencontre de la cascade et du petit lac, entre les arbres et la pente rocheuse, ils avaient construit leur ermitage de leurs mains, en ajoutant une pièce après l'autre..</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Kazu</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō pouvait à peine se représenter ce qu'il avait dû leur en coûter d'efforts, de patience et de volonté pour arriver à s'établir ainsi. Avec ses chambres, ses cuisines, son grand salon où ils prenaient leurs repas, la salle de sport et la salle de bain, le chemin de planches qui bordait le lac en terrasse depuis le pont donnant sur l'entrée de la maison, jusqu'à la cascade à l'autre bout du bâtiment, les sols de <i>tatami</i> soyeux et tout le réseau d'eau chaude ou fraîche, ils avaient édifié une véritable résidence de plaisirs, digne des plus nobles seigneurs d'un âge révolu.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Combien de temps avaient-ils consacré à ces travaux ? Il n'aurait pas pu le dire. Il lui était assez pénible d'imaginer comme ils avaient souffert du froid, de la faim, des injures, des coups et de la solitude...</span> </div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Heureusement, nous avons ce toit sur nos têtes maintenant</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">.”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Vous l'avez bien mérité</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">. Vraiment, vous ne manquez de rien.”</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “On pourrait toujours répliquer que nous manquons de tout</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">...”</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Comment ça ?</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Nous avons toujours faim, par exemple</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">.”</span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Kazu</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō rougit, l</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">a bouche pleine.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “C'est vrai..</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">.”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “C'est surtout </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">qui a faim</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">. Et puis, moi, je veux surtout devenir très fort et remporter des tournois de lutte. Pour lui, c'est autre chose...”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Pourquoi ?</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Quand nous étions enfants, </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō se trouvait trop petit, trop chétif... et trop maigre ! Il enviait les enfants des paysans riches, paresseux, gâtés et grassouillets. Il devait se battre </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">aussi</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">, très souvent. Je ne pouvais pas toujours être là pour le défendre... </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ça l'a beaucoup marqué. </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Depuis des années, il ne rêve que d'une chose : devenir plus fort et plus épais, mais surtout <i>gros</i> et <i>gras</i> !</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Vraiment... gros et gras ?</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Oui, bedonnant et bien dodu !</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> C'est sa seule ambition dans la vie.”</span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Jir</span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō se tournait vers eux, toujours allongé, sur le point de se réveiller... En le voyant, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Kazu</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō se sentit attendri, satisfait et rassasié. Un sentiment de bien-être</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">, intense et diffus, s'emparait de lui.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">T</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">u ne crois pas que j'ai déjà trop mangé ?</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Trop mangé ?</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Ta</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō le regardait avec étonnement. Il ne comprenait pas.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Qu'est-ce que ça veut dire, <i>trop </i>manger ?</span>”</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Eh bien..</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">.”</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Ne t'inquiète pas, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Kazu</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">... Lorsque Jir</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō nous aura rejoints, il pensera d'abord à bien te nourrir, et il se préparera un bon repas ensuite.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “C'est vrai</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">. Il cuisine toujours comme ça...”</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <span style="font-family: verdana;">Kazu</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō entendait justement le plus jeune frère se lever, et faire quelques pas pesants en direction de leur chambre. Au lieu de leur annoncer qu'il avait faim, comme ils pouvaient s'y attendre, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Jir</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō leur dit : </span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Bonjour... Eh bien ! c</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">e n'est pas encore cette nuit que j'aurai pris du ventre comme il faudrait... J'espère que vous avez faim, les dormeurs ? Je vais vous préparer des crêpes et des coupes de fruits glacés.”</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Tar<span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō souriait</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">, en clignant de l'œil et en tendant un dernier beignet à son ami, toujours affalé sur les coussins et les couvertures.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Kazu</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō songeait à ce qu'avait dû être leur vie </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><b style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span></span></b> rude et solitaire, à la dure. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">On ne pouvait pas les aimer sans les connaître,</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> mais on ne pouvait pas </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">les connaître sans les aimer...</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Encore un beignet ? Après tous ceux que j'ai mangés ?</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Oui... et avant tout ce que tu vas manger, encore !</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Hmmmph...</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Régale-toi, et ne t'inquiète de rien.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Hmmmph... Hmmmph...</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Tu vois ? moi, je m'inquiète toujours pour <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">Jir</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-GB">ō. S</span></span></span>urtout lorsque je dois le laisser seul</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">. Et même lorsqu'il reste avec toi, j'ai toujours peur... qu'il ne prenne pas assez de poids !”</span></span></span></span></span></div><div><br /></div></span></div></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Dans la maison </i><b><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span></span></b> matinée de brume de chaleur</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">Pendant quelques jours, Ta</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō imposa un régime</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> plus </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">consistant</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> et plus abondant </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">à son frère</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">. De toute évidence, et malgré ses efforts pour bien se nourrir, ses repas du midi et du soir ne suffisaient pas pour le faire grossir. Chaque matin, après avoir préparé les plats, avant la douche et les échauffements dans la salle de sport, </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō était obligé d'engloutir un petit-déjeuner complet, très copieux, arrosé de lait entier... </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">Ta</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō en avait ramené de grandes jattes, exprès pour lui.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Le beau garçon blond en restait tout étourdi, et il luttait </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">plutôt </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">contre le sommeil, dans la salle de sport</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Kazu</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō n'était pas oublié dans ce régime, où le </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">petit-déjeuner avait pris une place si importante... Il était presque aussi bien nourri que </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, dès son réveil ! Dans ces conditions, </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">Ta</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ne rencontrait guère de résistance dans les combats.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">À</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> la fin du repas du soir, il venait se placer derrière son petit frère pour le forcer à ingurgiter </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">toujours plus</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">...</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;"><div><div><div>– “Mange, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō... Il faut bien te remplir l'estomac. Mange !</span>”</div><div></div></div><div><div><div>– “Hmmmph... Hmmmph...”</div><div></div></div><div><div><div>– “Encore des abricots secs et de la crème fraîche !<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Encore... Encore...</span>”</div><div></div></div><div><div><div>– “Hmmmph...”</div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div>– “Et de bons gros beignets d'ananas... Régale-toi.”</div><div><div><div>– “Hmmmph... Hmmmph...”</div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div>– “Encore du lait !<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Presse-toi un peu, et bois !</span>”</div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div><div>– “Hmmmph...”</div><div><div><div>– “C'est bien, mon petit <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ! Ouvre grand...</span>”</div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div>– “Hmmmph... Hmmmph...”</div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div>– “Encore ! Il faut beaucoup manger<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">... Je veux te voir faire du lard.</span>”</div></div></div><div><br /></div><div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō s'était d'abord étonné devant l'insistance de </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Tar</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, mais il en était venu à comprendre son impatience... Lorsqu'ils avaient enfin achevé leur repas, tard dans la nuit, </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō tombait de fatigue </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span></span></b> la bouche pleine et le ventre plein, tellement rond et la peau tellement tendue qu'ils pouvaient croire qu'il allait éclater. Lorsqu'il se réveillait, le lendemain matin, c'est à peine s'il paraissait avoir un peu grossi...</span></div></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> En fait, </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō paraissait plus massif et plus épaissi, mais </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">plutôt alourdi au niveau des muscles des bras et des cuisses</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">, des pectoraux et des fesses. Naturellement bâti en force, il avait seulement l'air plus pataud et plus endurant que jamais... C'était suffisant pour que </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Tar</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō le prenne dans ses bras, longuement, soucieux de réconforter </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">son petit frère</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div>– “C'est bien, tu as repris un peu de poids.”</div><div><div></div></div></span></div></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;">– “Rien du tout... Je ne suis pas assez dodu. Il faut vraiment me gaver !</span><span style="text-align: justify;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;">ō était </span><span style="text-align: justify;">encore</span><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="text-align: justify;">plus désolé que son frère, en tâtant son ventre.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">– “</span><span style="text-align: justify;">Pourquoi je n'ai pas encore une belle bedaine, bien ronde ?”</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;">– “Tu as besoin de manger autre chose que des fruits et des gâteaux.”</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Oui... Je suis quand même prêt à passer quelques nuits dehors, alors je vais pêcher de beaux poissons, des poissons gras ! J'en ramènerai des quantités, je les ferai frire et je préparerai des plats très nourrissants... avec beaucoup de sauces, pour bien nous engraisser !”</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Je compte sur toi...” Ta</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō posa un baiser sur son front. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Reviens vite ! Kazu</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō compte sur toi, lui aussi.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Sur le seuil de la maison, </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō embrassa son frère et </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Kazu</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">avant de partir</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">. Il lui murmura tendrement à l'oreille :</span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “J'aimerais tellement pouvoir prendre du ventre comme toi...”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Devant la maison </i><b><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">— </span></span></b>dans la soirée, ciel chargé d'orage </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Jir</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō était sans doute plus habile ou plus agile qu'il paraissait... Lorsqu'il fut de retour, quatre jours plus tard, il portait tant de paniers d'osier sur son dos, remplis de magnifiques poissons d'étangs et de rivières, qu'il y avait de quoi nourrir ses compagnons et les régaler pour quelque jours.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> En son absence, </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ta</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō et </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Kazu</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō s'étaient entraînés comme ils en avaient pris l'habitude </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span></span></b> en commençant très tôt par des échauffements, pour s'encourager mutuellement à la lutte, puis en se restaurant avec de bons repas frustes mais savoureux, et en prolongeant le corps-à-corps jusque dans leur lit pour toutes sortes de desserts...</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Comme promis, Ji</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> s'était mis au travail immédiatement. Son retour fut fêté avec un véritable festin, le soir même. </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ta</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō insistait pour qu'il se régale largement de poisson frit, de crevettes et de nouilles sautées, en s'abreuvant d'autant de bière. </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō s'empiffrait et buvait toujours jusqu'à tomber de sommeil... Kazu</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō songeait que, peut-être, </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ta</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō encourageait son frère à boire si largement pour pouvoir profiter des dernières heures de la nuit, seul avec lui. Cette pensée n'était pas pour lui déplaire.</span></div></div></span></div></span></span></div></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>– “BUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRP...”</div><div><span style="text-align: justify;">– “Encore une chope, </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;">ō ! Et reprends du poisson !</span><span style="text-align: justify;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: justify;"><div><div><div>– “Hmmmph...”</div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div><div></div></div></span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="text-align: justify;"><div><div><div>– “Mange, mange bien ! On va enfin arriver à te faire grossir...”</div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div><div></div></div></span></div></div></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Avec la meilleure volonté du monde, </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō se gavait pour prendre plus de ventre... Dans le même temps, c'est à peine si </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō s'était aperçu qu'il venait de finir son sixième plateau de <i>sushi</i>, avec encore un grand bol de nouilles sautées ! Il n'avait pas besoin de se forcer pour s'empiffrer.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Dans la matinée, Tar</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō annonça qu'il serait absent à son tour, pour trois ou quatre jours. Il leur fit remarquer que </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">l'automne commençait à rougir et dorer le feuillage, autour de la maison... Il était indispensable, à son avis, de ramener encore des provisions </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span></span></b> encore et encore !</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Kazu</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō avait eu le temps d'observer </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Tar</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō. Il le comprenait mieux, et il devinait ce que signifiait ce besoin compulsif d'amasser des réserves </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">de nourriture</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">dans leur garde-manger : la crainte de manquer ne les avait pas quitté, d</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">epuis qu'ils étaient enfants</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">... </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō avait bien grandi et il était assez fort pour se défendre, mais la </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">peur restait enracinée </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">profondément e</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">t les anciens réflexes trouvaient </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">toujours à </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">s'exprimer, même dans l'âge adulte. Athlétiques et lourds, </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Tar</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō et </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō s'</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">encourageaient </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span></span></b> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">pour l'un, à prendre de la force et du muscle </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span></span></b> pour l'autre, à prendre du ventre et du poids. Des deux </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">frères</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">, </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō était le plus pratique et peut-être le plus paisible, avec une confiance totale dans les capacités physiques de Ta</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Pour ce dernier, cependant, l</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">a seule pensée que </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō pourrait maigrir était insoutenable... L'angoisse qu'il éprouvait alors était bien réelle, et n'avait rien de ridicule. Même nourri en abondance, même gavé au point de s'évanouir, ce beau garçon blond si simple, insouciant et </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">pataud</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">, n'en était pas moins </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">son </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">petit frère</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">. Et il devait avoir faim.</span></div><div><br /></div><div>– “Je reviendrai avec beaucoup de bonnes choses pour Kazu<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō et </span>toi.”</div><div>– “Reviens vite...” murmurait <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō en l'embrassant tendrement. </span></div><div>– “Ne t'en fais pas. Et quand je serai de retour, tu vas <i>manger</i> !”</div><div>– “Oh ! oui, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ta</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō..</span>.”</div><div>– “Tu as <i>faim</i> !”</div><div>– “J'ai faim !” </div><div><br /></div><div> Les deux frères riaient de bon cœur, dans les bras l'un de l'autre.</div><div><br /></div><div>– “J'ai faim, et je veux un beau gros ventre comme Kazu<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō </span>!”</div><div><br /></div><div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Dans la maison </i><b><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span></span></b> matinée chaude et ensoleillée</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> L'absence de <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;">Ta</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;">ō ne pouvait avoir qu'une conséquence.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;">– “</span><span style="text-align: justify;">À</span><span style="text-align: justify;"> table, </span><span style="text-align: justify;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;">ō ! Je crois que j'ai une revanche à prendre</span><span style="text-align: justify;">.”</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;">– “Une revanche ?”</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Oui... </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ta</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō a eu toutes les occasions de prendre soin de toi, et il s'est occupé de tout. Maintenant, c'est à mon tour de bien te régaler !</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> L</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">eurs activités quotidiennes avaient pris un nouveau tournant, selon le programme établi par </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō :</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> après la douche, et les exercices physiques du matin suivis d'un long bain chaud, la lutte était remplacée par des jeux gourmands et </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">câlins... Il n'était plus question de repas : </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Kazu</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō était régalé de bons petits plats, jusqu'à ce qu'il ne puisse plus rien avaler ! Il était réveillé de sa sieste dès que son estomac grognait, sous les douces caresses de son compagnon. </span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> À la différence de son frère, </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō n'avait aucune discipline. Il s'empiffrait avec une telle insouciance qu'il pouvait se servir encore un bol de soupe de poisson avec du riz, après avoir avalé quelques pâtisseries.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Bien repu, il buvait une grande chope de bière. Il espérait avoir rempli sa promesse envers </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ta</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, en remplissant son ventre, et il se consacrait entièrement à </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Kazu</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">dès son réveil</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Debout, mon gros</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> ! Assez dormi pour ce matin... Tu dois avoir faim.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Oui, mon petit </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">...</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> <span>Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō soupirait en le suivant jusque sous la cascade, sans se presser, doucement conduit par la main. Pour un garçon sérieux comme </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ta</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, la douche était une étape importante de la journée, avant l'entraînement et la lutte. </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō était un enfant terrible, beaucoup plus coquin que son grand frère </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span></span></b> et incorrigible. Il se sentait comme emporté dans un tourbillon...</span></div></div></div></div></div></span></div></span></span></div></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div></span></div></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVPUGXPmu3yaXE05A8SAiCr3oOjuxDxM6ZH7SaMaUgS1h6MV4ESTGaNCsTFG8OGI43iirmSmMU2zMYn4KcDR5XnZ4gjJ9D7Atfovs8Ml6H6mL52GWvKzmGTaY9WE5BHD8UxEHurEiyRokaEzfF6PXpGJnLb0JrizWzu6av0rTcxc7rBC-BWqisOtmSFA/s1668/22%20baiser.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1294" data-original-width="1668" height="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVPUGXPmu3yaXE05A8SAiCr3oOjuxDxM6ZH7SaMaUgS1h6MV4ESTGaNCsTFG8OGI43iirmSmMU2zMYn4KcDR5XnZ4gjJ9D7Atfovs8Ml6H6mL52GWvKzmGTaY9WE5BHD8UxEHurEiyRokaEzfF6PXpGJnLb0JrizWzu6av0rTcxc7rBC-BWqisOtmSFA/w640-h496/22%20baiser.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Kazu</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, t</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">u me donnes <i>faim</i>, toi aussi</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">... J'ai hâte de te nourrir encore et encore ! Lorsque ton gros ventre sera parfaitement rempli, je sais que je vais me régaler... Et toi, je veux que tu en profites encore plus !</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">...</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Pendant plusieurs jours et nuits, les deux jeunes hommes ne firent que s'amuser sans malice, boire et manger en quantités peu raisonnables, multiplier les jeux sensuels et partager des moments intimes d'une telle intensité que la nuit en était illuminée, jusqu'à se gaver l'un et l'autre et jouer comme avec le feu... </span><span>Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō pouvait à peine reprendre son souffle, parfois, lorsque </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ronronnait comme un jeune tigre </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">prêt à bondir d'un moment à l'autre</span>.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Si Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō avait comparé </span><span>Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō à un </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">“beau gros coussin sur pattes</span><span>”, son petit frère était un feu d'artifices perpétuel,</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span>avec ses yeux verts toujours scintillants de désir,</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span>comme des <i>onibi </i>[鬼火, des feux follets] au sommet de la montagne </span><span><b style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span></span></b> de tout son corps, bien bâti et bien épais, monté sur ses cuisses puissantes et son bon petit ventre bien rempli</span>.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Toujours gentil et câlin, </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō était si exubérant que </span><span>Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō en était pris de vertige... Il lui semblait passer, dans une même nuit, des profondeurs volcaniques de la terre jusqu'au déchirement soyeux des nuages, dans le ciel, en ayant goûté aux délices de tous les torrents et de toutes les forêts </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><b style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span></span></b> prêt à éclater, comme une outre trop remplie, comme s'il venait de boire tous les océans d'une seule gorgée... </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō était </span>irrésistible, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">tout simplement. </span><span>Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span>se sentait débordé de toutes parts. <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">P</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ouvait-il résister lorsque son compagnon</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> ne songeait qu'à lui faire plaisir ?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> La question qu'il lui posa, tard dans la nuit, l'étonna d'autant plus.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Kazu</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, dis-moi</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">... Tu es heureux avec nous ?</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “H</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">eureux ? Comment, avec Ta</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō et toi ?</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Ou</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">i</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">... Est-ce que tu es content ? Je ne sais pas... satisfait ?</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ne lui demandait pas s'il était heureux </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">“</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">avec lui</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”. Après tout le bon temps qu'ils venaient de passer ensemble, il ne devait pas en douter ! </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Bien sûr, je suis plus que satisfait, plus que content... Je sui</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">s heureux avec </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ta</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō et toi.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Le beau garçon blond se blottit contre lui, en le serrant dans ses bras.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Moi aussi, je sui</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">s heureux avec </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">toi.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō...</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div></div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Alors, j'espère que tu ne vas pas nous quitter. Nous en avons discuté, avec </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ta</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō. Il m'a bien recommandé de prendre soin de toi, pendant qu'il nous ramenait des provisions, mais de te dire que nous serions tristes de te laisser partir, même si tu dois avoir envie de rentrer chez toi.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">” </span></div><div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Rentrer</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">... chez moi ?</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div></div><div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Kazu</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō y pensait si peu qu'il n'aurait même pas pu donner son adresse à un passant, pour se faire </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">indiquer le chemin... Depuis combien de temps s'était-il perdu dans les bois ? </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Il n'en avait aucune idée, mais il n'avait aucune intention de revenir à son ancienne vie !</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Sans doute, </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ta</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō et Ji</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō supposaient qu'il y était plus à son aise, mieux logé, mieux vêtu, mieux entouré </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><b style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span></span></b> mieux nourri ? Non, tout de même...</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Ne t'en fais pas, </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō... Je ne souhaite pas vous quitter</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">. Et puis, tu sais...</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">” ajouta-t-il, en voyant que le beau garçon qui le tenait dans ses bras était réellement soucieux. </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">“</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Je suis beaucoup trop gros pour rentrer chez moi !</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Comment ça, <i>trop</i> gros ?</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div></div><div></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Oui... Ce n'était vraiment pas grand, </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">chez moi.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> K</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">azu</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō amusa beaucoup Ji</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō en lui décrivant une sorte de minuscule terrier, où à peine un lapin ou un renard aurait pu établir son gîte. Le rire du jeune homme était si spontané, si réconfortant qu'il invitait à d'autres confidences, d'autant plus que les caresses sur son ventre rond n'avaient pas cessé. </span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Enfin, il faut reconnaître que j'ai beaucoup grossi...</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Beaucoup grossi ? Comment ça ?</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div></div><div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Tu ne trouves pas ?</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō le regardait comme s'il ne comprenait pas. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">K</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">azu</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō avait lu ce même regard dans les yeux de Ta</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, lorsqu'il lui avait suggéré qu'il avait </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">“trop mangé</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”. Sur le moment, la ressemblance entre les deux frères devenait frappante. L'idée même d'excès devait leur être totalement étrangère...</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Pour un fauve comme </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">, c'était une évidence.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Tu as grossi, c'est vrai... Tu dois être fier !</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div></div><div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Heu... Fier, je ne sais pas, mais je me trouve bien gros.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div></div><div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Oh ! oui, tu es bien gros...</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">” ronronnait </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “C'est que tu me nourris bien, et que je mange beaucoup. Dans la ville où je vivais, on m'aurait dit de moins </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">manger</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">... Beaucoup moins !</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div></div><div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><div><div><div><div></div></div></div></div></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Moins manger ? Mais pourquoi ?</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div></div><div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><div><div><div><div></div></div></div></div></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Je ne sais pas... Pour me faire maigrir.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div></div><div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><div><div><div><div></div></div></div></div></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Mais K<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">azu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span>, qui serait assez cruel pour vouloir te faire maigrir ?</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div></div><div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><div><div><div><div></div></div></div></div></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> La réaction de </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">étonna </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">K</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">azu</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō. Il voyait des larmes briller au coin de ses yeux, et il le sentait frissonnant d'indignation, presque de colère.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Je ne sais pas, </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">... C'est ce qu'ils m'auraient dit.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div></div><div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><div><div><div><div></div></div></div></div></div></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><div><div><div><div></div></div></div></div></div></span></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Ce sont des gens</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> comme ça parmi lesquels tu vivais ?</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div></div><div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><div><div><div><div></div></div></div></div></div></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><div><div><div><div></div></div></div></div></div></span></div></span></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">K</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">azu</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō éprouva soudain les sentiments que </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō devait ressentir pour lui, dans toute leur force. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">À</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> moitié </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">allongé sur lui, le beau garçon blond le tenait fermement par les épaules, d'une poigne qui aurait pu broyer un jeune tronc d'arbre... Il rapprocha doucement son visage du sien.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Tu ne nous quitteras pas, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">K</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">azu</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">! Je ne veux pas que tu t'en ailles...</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div></div><div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><div><div><div><div></div></div></div></div></div></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><div><div><div><div></div></div></div></div></div></span></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Mais non, je ne vous quitterai pas. Promis.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div></div><div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><div><div><div><div></div></div></div></div></div></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><div><div><div><div></div></div></div></div></div></span></div></span></div></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Je ne veux pas que tu sois malheureux, ou maigre...</span>”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Non, </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Je veux que tu prennes plaisir à tout ce que tu fais...</span>”</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Oui, </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Que tu te régales, largement !</span>”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Oui, </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">...</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">À sa grande surprise, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">K</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">azu</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō vit son compagnon fondre en larmes et le serrer très fort contre sa poitrine, en le couvrant de baisers passionnés.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div>– <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">“</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><i>Ai shiteru </i></span></span><span style="text-align: left;">[</span>愛してる<span style="text-align: left;">, </span><span>“Je t'aime”] !</span><span>”</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Je t'aime aussi, Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">... Je t'aime...</span>”</div><div><br /></div><div> Ils restèrent un long moment inextricablement enlacés.</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><div><div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">K</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">azu</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō...</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Le jeune homme le regarda droit dans les yeux, haletant, le cœur battant. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Tu ne dois plus jamais avoir </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">faim ! Je veux satisfaire tous tes appétits. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Je vais te gaver, te repaître et t'engraisser... </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Je veux que tu jouisses et que tu t'épanouisses pleinement !</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div></div></div></div></div></span></div></span></div></div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Oui, </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">. Donne-moi encore à manger...</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div></div></div></div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Je vais bien te nourrir, </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">K</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">azu</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"></div></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Oui, </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">. Et moi... je vais encore grossir !</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"></div></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Tu auras toujours de l'appétit, mais tu n'auras plus jamais faim...</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Non, </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Et tu nous expliqueras ce que tu voulais dire, lorsque tu auras </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">“trop</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">” mangé ou si tu penses avoir enfin </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">“</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">beaucoup</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> grossi...</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Rassuré, le beau garçon ne pouvait pas s'empêcher de se montrer aussi coquin qu'il pouvait être tendre. Même ses caresses lui brûlaient la peau.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Tu ne trouves pas que j'ai déjà beaucoup grossi ?</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Non, </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">K<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">azu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span>.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Tu veux encore... beaucoup m'engraisser ?</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div></div></div></div></div></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Oh ! oui</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">, </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">K<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">azu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō...</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō souriait mais il ne riait pas. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Lorsque ton poids ou ton tour de ventre aura doublé, par exemple... ce sera tellement plus simple pour </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ta</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">r</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">ō </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">et moi, s'il s'agit de te partager. Tu vois, pas de jaloux.”</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Le regard qu'il lui adressa, en achevant sa phrase, était si profond et si lumineux que </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">K</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">azu</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō se sentit fondre comme s'il avait été un mannequin sculpté dans du beurre...</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Oui, </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">... P</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">as de jaloux.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"></div></span></div></div></span></div></div></span></div></span></div></div></div></span></div></span></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;"><span> La nuit s'annonçait plus chaude et plus vaporeuse que jamais.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;"><span><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Je suis si heureux que tu restes avec nous, </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">K<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">azu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span>.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"></div></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;"><span><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Moi aussi, </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">...</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"></div></span></div></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></div></span></div></span></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div></div></span></div></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;"><span><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Ta</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ne sera pas moins satisfait de te garder comme partenaire</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"></div></span></div></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></div></span></div></span></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div></div></span></div></span></span></div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;"><span><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Comme partenaire ?</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"></div></span></div></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></div></span></div></span></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div></div></span></div></span></span></div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;"><span><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Oui, dans la lutte</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">...</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"></div></span></div></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></div></span></div></span></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div></div></span></div></span></span></div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;"><span><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “C'est vrai. Je suis son partenaire, si tu veux</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">...</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"></div></span></div></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></div></span></div></span></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div></div></span></div></span></span></div><div><br /></div><div> <span style="text-align: justify;">K</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;">azu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;">ō songeait, toujours doucement enlacé par </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;">Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;">ō.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;"><span><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Mais, pour toi</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">... Qu'est-ce que je pourrais être ?</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"></div></span></div></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></div></span></div></span></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div></div></span></div></span></span></div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;"><span><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Pour moi ?</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Oui, </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō. Pour toi</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">... Qu'en dis-tu ?</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"></div></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></div></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"></div></span></div></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></div></span></div></span></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div></div></span></div></span></span></div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;"><span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></div></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></div></span></div></span></span></span></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></span></div><div><div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Je ne sais pas. C'est vrai que je ne vous suis pas, dans la lutte..</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"></div></span></div></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></div></span></div></span></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></div></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “On pourrait juste dire que je suis ton ami ?</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"></div></span></div></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></div></span></div></span></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></div></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō le regarda malicieusement.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<i>Boku no t</i><i>omodachi </i>[僕 の 友だち, “mon ami</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">” ou</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">mon copain”] ?”</span></div></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Oui..</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div></div></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><div><div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div><div></div></div></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;"><div></div></span></div></div></div></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Tu sais, je n'avais pas vraiment d'amis, lorsque j'étais petit... Je me tenais plutôt à l'écart. J'étais méchant comme un chat sauvage.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Après les confidences de Ta</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">r</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-GB">ō à ce sujet, </span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">K</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">azu</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō savait à quoi s'en tenir</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">.</span></div></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-GB"><br /></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-GB"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Tu préfèrerais autre chose ?</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div></div></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><div><div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div><div></div></div></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;"><div></div></span></div></div></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"></span></span></div></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-GB"><div>– “Oh ! oui...” Le sourire de Ji<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō redevenait irrésistiblement coquin. </span>“Pour moi, K<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">azu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, tu es beaucoup plus qu'un simple copain !</span>”</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Euh... Ji</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ?</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Tu es ma <i>proie</i>..</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div></div></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"></div></div></div></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-GB"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><i style="text-align: left;">Sur la terrasse, devant la maison </i></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span></span></b> soleil couchant</span></div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></span></span></div></span></span></span></div><div> <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ta</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō était rentré, les bras chargés de paniers, en portant sur son dos de grandes caisses de bois remplies de victuailles. Son frère était là pour l'accueillir et l'aider à tout entreposer dans leur garde-manger.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div>– “Eh bien ! il me semble que tu as un peu grossi ?”</div><div>– “Oui, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ta</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span>.”</div><div><br /></div><div> Jir<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, les mains sur les flancs,</span> le laissa <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">tâter son estomac.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div>– “C'est encore loin d'être suffisant, mais j'ai recommencé à grossir.”</div><div><div>– “Tu as dû beaucoup manger pour y arriver.”</div><div><div>– “Oh ! oui...”</div></div><div><div>– “C'est bien. Continue de t'empiffrer !”</div></div><div><br /></div><div> <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ta</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō le serra tendrement dans ses bras.</span></div><div><br /></div></div></span></div><div>– “Tu dois avoir tellement faim, toi aussi...”</div><div><div><div>– “Oh ! oui... J'ai faim !”</div></div><div><div><div>– “Je vais te servir un bon repas. Tout est déjà prêt en cuisine.”</div></div><div></div></div><div></div></div><div>– “Et <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, où est-il ?</span>”</div><div>– “Dans la salle de bain.”</div></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><div>– “À cette heure-ci ? Mais que fait-il ?”</div></div><div></div></span></div><div>– “<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ? Il dort...</span>”</div><div><div>– “Comment ? Il dort encore ?”</div></div><div><div><div>– “Oh ! oui, le pauvre... Il est épuisé !”</div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div><div><div>– “Il a mal dormi ?”</div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div><br /></div><div><div> Ji<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō adressa un clin d'œil complice et coquin à son frère.</span></div><div><br /></div></div><div><div><div><div>– “Nous avons passé une très bonne nuit, au contraire, tous les deux ! Et je peux te dire qu'il est encore bien rassasié, en ce moment...”</div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div>– “Oh...”</div></div><div><br /></div><div> Un nuage vaporeux se répandait dans le couloir depuis la salle de bain.</div><div><div></div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div></div><div><br /></div><div><div><div>– “BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRP...”</div></div><div><br /></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;"> Avec un grand sourire, </span><span style="text-align: justify;">Tar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;">ō rejoignit son partenaire de lutte dans l'eau.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">– “Je suis ravi que voir que Ji</span><span style="text-align: justify;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;">ō s'est bien occupé de toi !</span><span style="text-align: justify;">”</span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">– “Oui..</span><span style="text-align: justify;">.” répondit K</span><span style="text-align: justify;">azu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;">ō, encore un peu somnolent.</span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">– “Il faut te nourrir encore, pour que tu prennes du poids</span><span style="text-align: justify;">.”</span></div></div><div><div><div>– “<span>Ji</span><span>r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō se contente de bien me nourrir</span>...”</div></div><div><br /></div></div><div> Aidé par ses deux compagnons attentionnés, qui le soutenaient en le frottant avec leurs éponges et en l'enveloppant dans un vaste <i>kimono</i>, Kazu<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō sortit du bain. Après quelques pas, il s'assit dans la grande salle, où un repas copieux et </span>appétissant les attendait.</div><div> Il se sentait lourd, vautré contre de gros coussins confortables.</div><div><br /></div><div><div><div>– “<span>Ji</span><span>r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō me nourrit tellement bien</span>...”</div><div><div><div>– “Et tu te régales !”</div></div><div><div><div>– “Il m'engraisse avec soin. Et moi... je deviens obèse.”</div></div></div></div></div><div><br /></div></div><div> Kazu<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō se sentait entouré d'affection, et de douces attentions... </span><span>Ji</span><span>r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō le servait largement, et l'encourageait à s'empiffrer autant que lui. Sous la cascade, dans la salle de lutte ou autour du foyer, Ta</span><span>r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō se montra aussi câlin et la journée s'écoula sans qu'ils voient le temps passer. Lorsque la nuit s'établit autour de la maison, claire et limpide, ils en étaient à peine aux desserts.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><div><div>– “Kazu<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ?</span>”</div></div><div><div><div>– “Hmmmph...”</div></div><div>– “Nous allons devoir te laisser seul pour la nuit, demain soir.”</div></div></div><div><div><div><div>– “Hmmmph... Pourquoi ?”</div></div><div><div><div>– “C'est une nuit de pleine lune...” expliqua <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ta</span><span>r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō.</span></div></div></div><div><div><div>– “Oui, en effet.”</div></div></div><div><div>– “Par une telle nuit, nous allons chasser, Ji<span>r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō et moi</span>.”</div></div><div><br /></div><div> Ce n'était pas la première fois que Kazu<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō restait seul à dormir dans la maison. Il l'avait presque oublié, pourtant... Les nuits passées avec </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ta</span><span>r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ou avec Ji</span><span>r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō étaient infiniment plus mémorables.</span></div></div></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><div><div>– “Oui, j'espère que nous arriverons à tuer un sanglier. Depuis quelques temps, j'entends des bêtes rôder dans les environs. Ce doit être un beau mâle, bien en chair, et qui ne se déplace pas seul... Ce serait une belle prise. Nous avons besoin de viandes !” insistait <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ta</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō.</span> “Il nous faut de la viande, de la bonne viande rouge...”</div></div></div><div><br /></div><div><div> Toute la journée suivante, Kazu<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō resta paresseusement occupé à se gaver, en se prélassant sur les couvertures et les coussins que Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō avait nettoyés. Il faisait si bon dans la chambre, ouverte à toutes les brises de l'été qui caressaient les arbres et les eaux du lac.</span></div><div><span> Tar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō préparait encore un thé noir pour Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span> et lui... Dans la soirée, les deux frères sortirent de la maison, légèrement vêtus et armés pour la chasse au sanglier. Ils embrassèrent leur compagnon avant de passer le pont en direction des bois.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">– “</span></span><i style="text-align: left;">Oyasuminasai</i><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">[おやすみなさい, </span><span>“Bonne nuit”] </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span>.”</span></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div></span></span></span></span></div></div></span></span></span></span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><i style="text-align: left;">Dans la chambre </i></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span></span></b> nuit de pleine lune</span></div><div><br /></div><div> Le vent s'était apaisé. La lumière de la lune rendait les cloisons de la chambre plus fines ou plus frêles, miroitantes... <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō n'arrivait pas à trouver le sommeil. Il lui manquait plus que des caresses sur son ventre bien rempli ou quelques mots murmurés, tendres et coquins.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Il lui manquait le poids d'une présence à ses côtés, la douceur d'un souffle chaud sur sa poitrine, la sueur légère et le parfum des cheveux qui reposaient parfois jusqu'à la base de son cou.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Dans ce silence nocturne, </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō distinguait seulement des</span> <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">rumeurs dans les feuillages de la forêt, au lieu de la respiration profonde de Tar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ou du ronronnement sauvage de Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Il lui semblait entendre des cris de bêtes, des mouvements de branches prises dans quelque course fantastique, des grognements de porc et des hurlements de loup très vifs, volontaires et violents...</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Tout ce tumulte restait lointain, mais </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō en ressentit une sorte de terreur. </span>Lorsque les premiers rayons du soleil vinrent colorer la chambre d'une lumière douce et cuivrée, il se sentit enfin mieux et s'endormit.</div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></span></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><i style="text-align: left;">Dans la maison </i></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span></span></b> matin de pluie </span></div><div><br /></div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō se tourna vers la porte ouverte de sa chambre.</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Il était toujours allongé </span>confortablement<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">, délicieus</span>ement caressé d'un souffle de vent, dans le silence somnolent de cette matinée ensoleillée... Il se sentait si lourd et rassasié que tout lui autour de lui semblait transparent, lointain et léger <b style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span></span></b> comme si un abîme s'était ouvert entre le feuillage sombre des arbres, le lac miroitant et la petite maison solidement établie sur le flanc du rocher.</div><div> Ses terreurs nocturnes s'étaient dissipées... Le temps était clair. <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Assez tôt dans la matinée, </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Tar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō et Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō étaient déjà de retour.</span> </div><div> Les deux frères faisaient peine à voir. Couverts de boue, d'herbes et de feuilles, trempés jusqu'aux os et frissonnant de froid, ils étaient encore tout penauds de se trouver sans gibier ni armes à ramener chez eux... </div></div><div><br /></div><div>– “Qu'est-ce qui vous est arrivé ?”</div><div>– “Juste une mauvaise nuit...” dit <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, tristement.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Vous n'avez pas trouvé le sanglier que vous aviez vu ?”</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Ah, pour ça ! nous l'avons trouvé...” répliqua Ta</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, en colère. </span>“Et nous l'avons vu... On ne pouvait pas l'ignorer. Quelle bête ! un vrai monstre !”</div><div><div>– “Un monstre ?”</div><div><div>– “On ne pourrait pas le décrire autrement. C'était bien un sanglier, mais d'une taille si énorme qu'on ne l'aurait jamais cru si on nous avait mis en garde. Et pourtant, nous avions deviné une chose...”</div><div><div>– “Quoi donc ?”</div><div><div>– “Il ne se déplaçait pas seul. Il y avait trois sangliers.”</div><div><div>– “Tous aussi énormes ?”</div><div><div>– “Plus ou moins, mais le plus gros était vraiment monstrueux.”</div><div><div>– “Et <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ta</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō avait raison de croire que c'était un porc bien gras</span>.”</div><div><div>– “Monstrueusement gras ! Mais âpre à la lutte...”</div><div><div>– “Nous n'avons pas pu le capturer, ni l'abattre.”</div><div><br /></div></div></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Furieux et découragé, Ta</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō était tout enveloppé de vapeur, tant la sueur coulait </span>sur son front brûlant, son cou et ses épaules, fraîche comme de l'eau de pluie. </div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><br /></div><div><div>– “Et nous devions ramener de la viande pour notre ragoût !”</div><div><div>– “Nous repartirons en chasse, bientôt...” suggéra Jirō.</div><div>– “Oui, mais si ces sangliers vont s'établir plus loin dans les vallées ou les collines, il sera trop tard !”</div></div></div><div><div>– “Ils vont peut-être rester dans ces bois.”</div><div><div>– “Peut-être...” murmurait <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ta</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō entre ses dents. </span>“De si beaux sangliers, de bons gros porcs, bien gras... Toute cette bonne viande !”</div><div>– “Oui, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ta</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-family: verdana;">ō</span></span></span></span>.”</div></div></div><div><br /></div><div> Jirō serrait doucement son frère dans ses bras, en essayant d'essuyer ses larmes. À l'occasion, il pouvait se montrer aussi réconfortant et aussi apaisant qu'il ne pouvait s'empêcher de provoquer le désir et l'appétit...</div><div><br /></div><div>– “Le tranchant du couteau blesse aussi la main qui le tient. Nous avons tort de chasser ou de pêcher autant... mais nous avons faim.”</div><div><div>– “Oui... J'ai faim, et tu as faim... Et tu as besoin de <i>grossir</i> aussi !”</div></div><div><div>– “Oui, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ta</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-family: verdana;">ō</span></span></span></span>.”</div></div><div><br /></div><div> Kazuō se sentait troublé de les voir si malheureux. Toujours embrassés, les deux frères se tournèrent vers lui en souriant, tristes et résignés, mais toujours malicieux.</div><div><br /></div><div>– “Et toi aussi, Kazuō, il faut que tu engraisses !”</div><div>– “Oh ! oui, vraiment... Il nous faut de la viande rouge.” </div></div></span></span></div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span></div></div></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><i style="text-align: left;">Dans la maison </i></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span></span></b> soleil couchant</span></div><div><br /></div><div> Pendant quelques jours, Tarō exprima encore de la frustration et de la colère en songeant à cette chasse désastreuse. Son frère faisait tout son possible pour le distraire et lui rendre sa bonne humeur. </div><div> Pour enrichir les repas qu'il mitonnait avec soin, il allait encore pêcher de beaux poissons. C'était insuffisant pour apaiser Tarō, mais Jirō avait un dernier moyen à sa disposition, en le laissant le gaver chaque soir, de manière assez forcée, peut-être justement pour que son frère se sente mieux avant de dormir. </div><div><br /></div><div><div><div><div>– “Allez, mon petit <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, encore du poisson frit... Mange !</span>”</div><div></div></div><div><div><div>– “Hmmmph... Hmmmph...”</div><div></div></div><div><div><div>– “Encore du riz<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">... Encore, encore ! Beaucoup de riz...</span>”</div><div></div></div><div><div><div>– “Hmmmph...”</div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div>– “Et une banane bien mûre, maintenant... Une autre...”</div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div>– “Hmmmph...”</div><div><div><div>– “C'est bien, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ! Encore un effort... Ouvre grand !</span>”</div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div><div>– “Hmmmph...”</div><div>– “Et un bon gros beignet de mangue ! Avale, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō...</span>”</div></div><div><div><div>– “Hmmmph... Hmmmph...”</div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div>– “Il faut <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">que tu manges, ou tu vas finir par perdre du poids !</span>”</div></div><div><br /></div><div> Malgré tous ces efforts et cette bonne volonté, Tarō n'était pas content. Kazuō ne pouvait pas lui donner tort : Jirō montrait l'exemple en se laissant gaver après avoir bien bu et bien mangé, il était gentiment dodu et son ventre présentait une belle rondeur <span style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span></span></b> </span>mais il n'engraissait plus ou presque plus...</div><div><br /></div><div><div>– “Mange, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō... </span>Il <i>faut</i> <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">que tu manges !</span>”</div><div><div>– “Hmmmph...”</div></div></div><div><br /></div><div> Rien n'y faisait. Nourrir <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō revenait à jeter de l'huile sur le feu...</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span>Kazuō comprenait pourquoi le pauvre garçon avait tant de difficultés à engraisser. Tarō pratiquait la lutte à un niveau très respectable, mais son frère l'accompagnait toujours dans ses échauffements et ses exercices physiques, et il portait souvent de plus lourdes charges que lui.</div><div> Surtout, pendant que Ta<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō et Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō enchaînaient une quarantaine de combats, il travaillait sans relâche et il ne ménageait pas sa peine, aussi bien en cuisines que dans toute la maison.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Il n'y avait rien d'étonnant à le trouver si lourdement musclé, si bien bâti et si épais. Son appétit était aussi justifié par toutes ses activités.</span></div><div> Cependant, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō devait avoir conservé les mêmes angoisses que son frère, les mêmes hantises, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">et la même crainte de manquer de nourriture depuis qu'ils étaient petits</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Dans son cas, cela se traduisait par un besoin, profondément enraciné en lui, de nourrir les autres avant de se nourrir... C'était un véritable réflexe. </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ne s'en était pas aperçu tout de suite : même lorsqu'il lui montrait comment s'empiffrer sans retenue, </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō se jetait seulement sur la part du repas dont il pensait, avec raison et d'un coup d'œil infaillible, que Tar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō et lui ne mangeraient pas.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Pour rien au monde il n'aurait privé son grand frère de la nourriture dont il avait besoin. </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Tar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō devait prendre du poids, lui aussi ! Pour </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, il était certainement prêt à se sacrifier afin de pouvoir encore le gaver et l'engraisser... Il agissait ainsi, tout simplement, et il n'en parlait pas.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Lorsqu'ils passaient la nuit ensemble, pendant que </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Tar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō était parti dans la forêt pour tendre des pièges, en préparant leur prochaine chasse, </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō régalait </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō si généreusement que son ventre gémissait et grognait en signe de protestation...</span></div><div><br /></div><div><div><div><div>– “Encore un bon beignet d'ananas.<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">..</span>”</div><div></div></div><div><div><div>– “Hmmmph...”</div><div></div></div><div><div><div>– “Régale-toi, mon beau <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">...</span>”</div><div></div></div><div><div><div>– “Hmmmph, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō... Je n'en peux plus ! Mon ventre est tellement rempli que </span>tu vas le faire <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">éclater. Je n'ai fait que manger, toute la journée...</span>”</div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div>– “Tu as bien fait...” ronronnait <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō en caressant son ventre.</span></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div>– “Hmmmph...”</div><div><div><div>– “<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Encore un effort... Un bonne part de gâteau à la crème ?</span>”</div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div><div>– “Je ne sais pas si je peux encore avaler une bouchée...”</div><div>– “Ouvre grand !”</div></div><div><div><div>– “Hmmmph... Hmmmph...”</div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div>– “C'est bien... Il faut <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">que tu manges, </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō.</span>”</div></div><div><div><div><div>– “Vraiment, j<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">e ne peux plus rien avaler ou mon estomac va éclater !</span>”</div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div><div><br /></div><div> <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō vint se blottir contre lui, souple comme un grand félin, et caressa son ventre d'une main en mordant soudain dans la part de gâteau qu'il lui proposait.</span></div><div><br /></div><div>– “Fais-moi plaisir, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō... Mange encore un peu.</span>”</div><div><br /></div><div> En l'entendant soupirer, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō s'allongea sur <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span> en tenant ses épaules dans ses mains, et approcha ses lèvres de son visage avec la part de gâteau qu'il tenait entre ses dents. Aussitôt, </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ouvrit la bouche et avala goulument, sans réfléchir...</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Sa bouchée s'achevait sur le plus gourmand des baisers.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><div></div></div></div><div><div>– “Tu ne pensais pas que j'allais manger ta part de gâteau...”</div><div><div></div></div></div></div></span></span></div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div>– “Tu aurais pu la manger, vraiment.”</div><div><div></div></div></div></span></span></div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div>– “C'est en te régalant que je me régale.” Les yeux de <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō étincelaient dans l'obscurité. </span>“Et puis, Ta<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span> m'a gavé comme un vrai porc, ce soir... Je me sens bien repu et bien lourd !”</div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><div></div></div></div></span></span></div><div><br /></div><div> <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ne se privait pas de tâter ses flancs agréablement nourris, ses fesses bien musclées et rebondies, et ses cuisses vigoureuses.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div>– “Oui, tu es vraiment... bien en chair, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō !</span>”</div><div><br /></div><div> Le beau garçon blond, si sensible au moindre compliment, le prit dans ses bras pour le rassasier définitivement de baisers.</div><div><br /></div></div></span></span></div></div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div>– “Fais-moi plaisir, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span>... Tu vas bien manger.”</div><div><div></div></div></div></span></span></div><div>– “Tout ce que tu voudras !”</div></div><div><div></div></div></div></span></span></div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div>– “Tu vas grossir encore, encore...”</div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div>– “Autant que tu voudras !”</div><div><br /></div><div> <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō n'était pas loin de ronronner. </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō souriait.</span></div><div> </div><div><div></div></div></div></span></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></span></span></div></div><div><div></div></div></div></span></span></div><div></div><div>– “Tu veux vraiment que je m'engraisse... comme un porc !”</div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div></span></span></div><div><div>– “Bien sûr. Après tout...” murmurait <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō. </span>“Tu es ma <i>proie</i>.”</div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div>– “Je suis ta proie...”</div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div>– “Et je veux que tu sois bien en chair... gros et gras !”</div><div><div></div></div></div></span></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></span></span></div></div><div><div></div></div></div></span></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></span></span></div></div><div><br /></div></div></div></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><i style="text-align: left;">Sur la terrasse, devant le lac </i></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span></span></b> clair de lune</span></div><div><br /></div><div> <span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō buvait trop de bière... Cependant, son heureuse nature le mettait dans les meilleures dispositions, lorsqu'il était ivre, pour en faire le plus divertissant et le plus enjoué des compagnons.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> En fin de repas, même lorsqu'il s'efforçait de se gaver de bananes, Ta</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō et Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō l'encourageaient à boire encore deux ou trois grandes chopes, et à improviser un poème amusant devant eux.</span></div><div><br /></div></div></span></span></div></span></div></span></span></div></div><div style="font-family: verdana;">– “Je ne pourrais pas vous chanter un <i>tatohé uta </i><span style="font-family: verdana;">[たとへ 歌, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“chanson ou poème imagé</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”] convenable, ce soir...</span>” protestait modestement <span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-family: verdana;">ō, en buvant toujours, à longs traits. </span></span></span></span>“Je n'ai aucun don pour vous proposer des jolies choses. Je suis vraiment trop fruste, trop rude, et je me sens tellement <i>lourdaud</i> en ce moment ! Je ne sais pas pourquoi.”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span> À</span> peine avait-il achevé sa phrase qu'il poussa un énorme rot.</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: left;">– “BUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRP...”</div><div><br /></div><div> Ses compagnons éclataient de rire.</div><div><br /></div><div><div>– “Trop lourdaud pour chanter, dis-tu ? On se demande bien pourquoi...”</div></div></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Ta</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-family: verdana;">ō </span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">le taquinait, assis à côté de lui, puis il le poussa d'un léger coup de pied pour le faire pencher et rouler sur le côté. </span>“Alors tu vas danser... Danse, mon petit <span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-family: verdana;">ō bien dodu !</span></span></span></span>”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> Le beau jeune homme blond se releva en souriant, un peu étourdi.</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><div><div style="font-family: verdana;">– “Danser ? D'accord, avec plaisir !”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> Laissant son <i>kimono </i>à sa place, derrière lui, <span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">Jir</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-family: verdana;">ō fit quelques pas sur le balcon. Il était bien enivré, presque entièrement nu </span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span></span></b> et désarmant de charme... Ses gestes manquaient d'élégance ou de raffinement mais ses pieds se posaient avec une grâce naturelle sur les lames de bois, pour les faire vibrer ou résonner sous son poids, et il était bien assez souple pour se lancer dans un étonnant <i>sarugaku </i>[猿楽, </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">musique de singe”, parade préfigurant l'ancienne comédie populaire japonaise]. Bondissant et dansant, il prenait parfois la pose pour marquer de brefs moments de repos et reprendre sa respiration. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Sans y prendre garde, ces attitudes mettaient tout son corps en valeur d'une manière presque fantastique, surnaturelle... </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-family: verdana;">ō, frissonnant de désir, en était fasciné.</span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div>– “Je sais ce que je pourrais faire... Si je vous récitais un conte ?”</div><div><div>– “Un conte ?”</div><div><div style="text-align: left;">– “Un <i>kaidan</i> [怪談, un conte d'horreur ou de fantômes japonais] ?<span style="text-align: justify;">”</span></div><div><br /></div><div> <span style="font-family: verdana;">Kazu</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-family: verdana;">ō se tourna vers Tar</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-family: verdana;">ō, en l'interrogeant du regard.</span></span></span></span></div></div><div><br /></div><div><div>– “Ji<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō aime les contes qui font frémir et frissonner de peur...</span>”</div><div><br /></div><div> En clignant de l’œil en direction de Kazu<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-family: verdana;">ō</span></span></span></span>, <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Tar</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-family: verdana;">ō</span></span></span></span> invita son jeune frère à se mettre en condition... Il se plaça lui-même, au bord du balcon, pour l'accompagner<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> dans son récit dansé.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div>– “Quel dommage que nous n'ayons pas de <i>taiko </i>[太鼓, tambour] !”</div><div></div></span></div><div><div>– “Ce n'est pas grave...” répondit Jir<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-family: verdana;">ō en frappant des deux mains sur son ventre, avec un claquement sonore. </span></span></span></span>“Je marquerai le rythme sur ce gros tambour bien rond !”</div><div><br /></div><div> Les deux frères riaient aux éclats. Tarō proposa plutôt des battements réguliers, de ses paumes, de ses pouces et de ses poings sur le seuil pour mieux s'accorder avec un long récit... Jir<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-family: verdana;">ō </span></span></span></span>se mit à genoux pour se concentrer. Après un moment de silence, il se mit à conter d'une voix grave, chaude et envoûtante, avec le plus grand sérieux.</div><div></div></div></div></div></span></span></span></span></div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span>– “<i>Mukashi mukashi</i> [昔</span><span>, “Il était une fois”]</span>...”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Avec d'admirables</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> talents de conteur, </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-family: verdana;">ō évoqua pour </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-family: verdana;">ō l'histoire de la jeune </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Aoyagi [青柳, prénom ancien signifiant </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“saule vert”].</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Il y a longtemps <span style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span></span></b> </span>à une époque où les fantômes, les démons et les animaux sorciers hantaient encore les montagnes et les plaines <b style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span></span></b> une jeune fille <i>samouraï</i> vint, accompagnée de ses parents, pour prendre possession d'une grande maison dans un quartier élégant et prospère.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Elle était si belle que tous les jeunes hommes qui l'apercevaient depuis la rue, en faisant le tour de son petit jardin, tombaient amoureux d'elle.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Bientôt, des dizaines de samouraïs de bonne famille assaillirent ses parents pour exprimer leur intention d'épouser la ravissante </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Aoyagi... Selon la coutume, la décision d'un fiancé pour la jeune fille à marier leur revenait, mais le père et la mère montraient un tel attachement pour leur enfant qu'ils firent savoir à tous ces soupirants qu'elle resterait libre de choisir son futur époux.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Ceux qui désiraient obtenir sa faveur avaient permission de la courtiser. Ainsi, de nombreux jeunes gens se présentèrent et furent introduits dans la maison </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span></span></b> entourés de respect, tout en leur imposant de se tenir aussi bien à quelque distance respectueuse...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Chacun la courtisait, sans se décourager, avec d'immenses bouquets de fleurs et de beaux feux d'artifices, de suaves sérénades </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">c</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">omposées en son honneur, des cadeaux somptueux ou des promesses d'un amour qui se prolongerait sans se corrompre jusque dans leurs existences futures.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">À tous ces amants empressés, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Aoyagi répondait calmement... </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Elle les charmait, avec ses yeux profonds et clairs, son fin sourire et ses gestes délicats. Elle leur accordait toujours quelque espoir de la conquérir, mais elle leur imposait d'étranges conditions.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Chacun de ses soupirants devait, sur sa parole d'honneur de samouraï, en passer par trois épreuves pour lui montrer sa véritable valeur, et afin de lui prouver son amour </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span></span></b> i</span>l leu</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">r était interdit de révéler à quiconque la nature de ces épreuves... Tous acceptèrent ces conditions. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Cependant, après avoir été mis à l'épreuve une première fois, nombre d'entre eux échouaient ou abandonnaient tout espoir de séduire </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Aoyagi</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">. Pour ceux qui s'étaient soumis à la seconde épreuve, on ne les voyait plus... Presque toujours, ils quittaient la ville pour se rendre chez des parents ou des amis dans la campagne. Enfin, les rares jeunes hommes qui avaient participé aux deux premières épreuves avec succès fuyaient aussi sans retour, mais en laissant se répandre une rumeur inquiétante. Assurément, ils avaient dû être terrorisés mais on ne pouvait obtenir que de vagues insinuations, de la part de leurs proches </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span></span></b><b> </b></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">à quoi s'ajoutaient les plaintes amères et les récriminations de leurs familles...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Ceux qui ne savaient rien du mystère entourant </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Aoyagi murmuraient que la belle jeune fille devait être un</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB"><span>e </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB"><span><i>kitsune otome</i> [狐 乙女, </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“jeune fille renard”] qui dissimulait un cœur de démon, d'une cruauté monstrueuse, sous une apparence si pure et si charmante.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Lorsque tous les hommes de haut rang et des familles les plus en vue ou les plus riches eurent déserté la maison d'</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Aoyagi et</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> de ses parents, un jeune marin entra dans le port et parcourut quelques rues en ville... Les habitants du quartier l'observaient, du coin de l’œil. Il ne manquait pas d'allure. Il semblait courageux, loyal et de bonne éducation <span style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span></span></b> </span>mais toutes ses possessions terrestres devaient tenir dans le sac qu'il portait sur son dos, ce qui fit naître quelques sourires acides et se dresser bien des sourcils narquois dans son sillage.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Or, il n'avait qu'à longer le jardin </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">d'Aoyagi pour la voir sans avoir songé à la rencontrer. Il n'avait jamais entendu parler d'elle, dans ses voyages, mais il n'avait qu'à la voir pour en tomber amoureux <span style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span></span></b> passionnément, éperdument</span>... Il ne songeait déjà plus qu'à elle.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Apprenant son nom, il allait et venait en le chantant sur tous les tons, ou en le murmurant rêveusement.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Courageusement, il se présenta et fut reçu par les parents </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">d'</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Aoyagi</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">. Ce nouveau soupirant se nommait </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left;"><span><span lang="en-GB"><span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Saburō Fukakusa [深草 三郎, </span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Saburō</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> est un </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left;"><span><span lang="en-GB"><span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">prénom traditionnel pour désigner le </span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">“troisième fils</span><span style="text-align: justify;">”]. Il venait d'avoir dix-neuf ans, et il semblait très peu fortuné... Pourtant, les gens de la maison lui firent bon accueil, et on lui laissa entendre que la jeune fille n'était pas restée insensible en croisant son beau regard bleu de mer.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"> Dans la soirée, </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Aoyagi lui apporta elle-même le modeste repas de l'hospitalité, le servit admirablement et lui dit qu'elle serait heureuse de le voir revenir. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Saburō n'avait jamais été aussi heureux, et sa joie ne se trouva pas dissipée lorsqu'elle lui fit prêter le même serment que tous les précédents prétendants. Il y consentit, et elle déclara qu'il lui faudrait subir trois épreuves, et en sortir vainqueur pour la conquérir...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “La première épreuve !” annonça </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Tar</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, en frappant du plat des deux mains sur le seuil du balcon, pendant que Ji</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō effectuait un mouvement de danse, prenait la pose et reprenait son récit</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Saburō</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> fut invité à se présenter en portant le joug sur son dos, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">avec deux grands seaux</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">, comme un porteur d'eau... Le plus vieux serviteur de la maison lui ordonna de le suivre jusque dans le manège où les chevaux s'exerçaient ou paradaient, tenus en bride. Toute la journée, il assista les palefreniers dans leurs tâches domestiques. Il devait apporter de l'eau pour abreuver, brosser, rafraîchir et bouchonner les bêtes.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Le soir venu, le </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">vieux serviteur appela </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Saburō</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> et lui ordonna de se tenir debout sur l'escabelle de la charrette familiale. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Rien de plus simple !” se disait-il, même si le jeune homme ne pouvait poser qu'un pied à la fois pour rester en équilibre. Ce n'était pas si simple, puisqu'il devait toujours porter son joug et ses seaux. Lorsqu'il se fut placé au sommet du char, les serviteurs les remplirent d'eau jusqu'à ras-bord.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Les hommes dirent alors à </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Saburō</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> qu'il</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> aurait à veiller</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> trois fois trente-trois nuits ainsi, sans qu'une goutte d'eau ne se répande.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Il était libre de dormir ou de se reposer pendant la journée... S'il donnait satisfaction, il serait enfin reçu par la belle </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Aoyagi</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Dès lors, que ce fût sous l'averse ou la bourrasque, ou même pendant les nuits les plus sombres, il veillait debout sur son escabelle. Chaque matin, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">à l'aurore,</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> les serviteurs venaient le soulager de son douloureux fardeau. Le pauvre jeune homme tombait de fatigue...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><div> Cependant, Saburō était déterminé à remporter cette épreuve. Pas une goutte d'eau n'avait été versée sur le sable du manège. Même pendant les nuits de fortes pluies, où l'on ne pouvait s'assurer de sa discipline, l'épreuve n'en était que plus difficile !</div><div> Le vent ne pouvait le tenir éveillé toute la nuit. Le froid engourdissait bientôt ses membres. Et tout son corps était tendu, sans cesse, comme la corde d'un arc, dans cette impossible immobilité... La souffrance ou la frustration aurait pu le rendre fou, le faire s'évanouir <span style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span></span></b> </span>ou hurler comme un loup ! Et pourtant, il gardait le silence et honorait sa promesse. Toute la domesticité de la maison en était saisie d'étonnement et de respect.</div><div> Lorsque quatre-vingt-dix-neuf nuits furent passées, la centième nuit lui fut accordée pour s'entretenir avec Aoyagi.</div><div> “De tous mes prétendants, aucun n'avait montré tant de patience ou une telle résistance !” lui dit-elle, avec un léger sourire. “Je voulais d'un mari qui sût rester maître de lui, lorsque les circonstances l'exigeraient. Vous avez prouvé votre valeur. Mes parents approuveront notre union et je serais heureuse de vous voir remporter la deuxième épreuve, car je sens qu'alors je pourrai vous aimer...”</div><div><br /></div><div><div>– “Quelle épreuve pénible !” s'écria Kazu<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-family: verdana;">ō en frémissant.</span></span></span></span></div><div><br /></div></div><div> <span style="font-family: verdana;">Jir</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-family: verdana;">ō avait observé une immobilité remarquable, pendant son récit. Ses gestes tendus, suspendus et athlétiques dans leurs courbes gracieuses, devinrent plus libres et plus proches de la danse, en suivant les courbes sensuelles de son corps bien en chair. Il était tout luisant de sueur, mais il reprit calmement le conte où il venait de le laisser.</span></span></span></span></div><div><div><br /></div><div> Ayant remporté la première épreuve, Saburō fut autorisé à se rendre chez la <i>nakōdo </i>[仲人, la marieuse]. Dans son échoppe, la vieille femme l'invita d'abord à se dévêtir, car elle avait reçu comme consigne de le mesurer et de le peser avant d'aborder la deuxième épreuve.</div><div> Saburō ne se fit pas prier. À jeun et nu, en se tenant debout sous la toise, il était plus grand qu'il n'y paraissait au premier abord. Et i<span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">l</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB"><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span>pesait vingt-quatre <i>kanme </i>[</span></span></span><span style="text-align: justify;">貫目, environ 3,75kg </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><b style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span></span></b> soit</span> un poids de 90kg] </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">bien portant et </span><span style="text-align: left;">vigoureux</span><span style="text-align: left;">,</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">comme on pouvait l'attendre d'un jeune marin déjà rompu à tous les exercices du corps.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> Avec un soupir, l</span>a <i>nakōdo </i>lui dit alors que, s'il comptait se présenter pour la deuxième épreuve, Aoyagi lui <span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">imposait d'abord de fournir à ses parents un <i>koku </i>[</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">石,</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> environ 150kg] de riz </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">complet, </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">ainsi que cent <i>s</i><span style="text-align: justify;"><i>ho </i>[</span><span style="text-align: justify;">升, environ</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> 180 litres]</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> de bière, en une seule livraison d'autant de sacs et d'autant de jarres qu'il serait nécessaire...</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Cela représentait une dépense exorbitante ! Nul n'ignorait que </span>Saburō était trop pauvre pour l'envisager. Cependant, depuis qu'il résidait dans le quartier du port, son visage agréable, son tempérament intrépide et ses manières accommodantes lui avaient attiré la sympathie de très nombreuses personnes... On organisa une collecte, qui permit de réunir assez vite une bonne part des quantités de riz et de bière demandées. Saburō dut s'endetter considérablement pour compléter le chargement qu'il devait porter jusqu'à la maison d'Aoyagi et de sa famille. Il ne se décourageait pas, et il parvint enfin à frapper à leur porte avec toute la nourriture et toute la boisson qu'ils attendaient, comme convenu.</div><div> Cette démonstration de sa bonne volonté le fit accueillir favorablement. Les parents d'Aoyagi ne cachaient pas qu'ils étaient impressionnés. En lui adressant la parole comme à leur futur gendre, ils invitèrent Saburō à prendre un bain et à se reposer toute la nuit dans une eau bien chaude et dans une douce vapeur, imprégné de parfums apaisants.</div><div> Le beau jeune homme se croyait le prince d'un palais de rêves, d'or et de soie, tendu de blanc et de bleu, où la mer et le ciel se confondaient dans l'immortalité de quelque immense brume lumineuse !</div><div> Le lendemain matin, avant l'aurore, une vieille femme de la maison vint le réveiller en le rudoyant... Saburō fut poussé, de pièce en pièce, jusque dans une étable obscure et qui semblait à l'abandon. Là, un cuisinier en tablier blanc, robuste et obtus, le fit entrer de force dans un petit enclos, dans un coin du bâtiment, et referma la clôture de planches derrière lui.</div><div> Encore étourdi, le jeune homme se trouva soudain assis en tailleur sur un <i>tatami</i>, devant une table basse où un énorme plat de riz au safran l'attendait, avec du poulet au curry, des bananes, beaucoup de sauce et une immense chope de bière...</div></div></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “La deuxième épreuve !” annonça </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Tar</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, en frappant à nouveau sur le seuil du balcon</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">. </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō posa ses poings fermés sur le sol et reprit son récit.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Le cuisinier </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">lui avait dit </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Mange !” sur un ton rogue, avant de le laisser seul, comme s'il s'était adressé à une bête dans l'étable.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Rien de plus simple !” se dit </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Saburō, qui avait faim après un réveil aussi brusque</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">, et même s'il n'avait pas l'habitude d'un pareil festin.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Il se mit aussitôt à manger, de bon appétit. La sauce était savoureuse et très riche... Les bananes étaient bien mûres. Le poulet offrait de gros morceaux bien tendres. Tout le plat était rempli de riz complet, des plus nourrissant, et qui pesait lourdement dans son estomac ! Enfin, la bière devait avoir été tirée depuis peu de temps <b style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span></span></b> rafraîchissante à souhait, mais plutôt forte pour un garçon comme lui...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Saburō</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> en était à peu près à la moitié de son repas lorsqu'un groupe de trois cuisinières, acariâtres et revêches, ouvrit la clôture de son enclos et posa un nouveau plat débordant de riz complet, couvert de germes de soja sautés et de sauce caramélisée, avec une quarantaine de brochettes de bœuf toutes chaudes. La dernière portait encore une chope de bière.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Ces trois vieilles femmes, turbulentes et bavardes, lui adressèrent des reproches très vifs, en voyant qu'il n'avait pas encore fini de manger son premier repas de la matinée. Elles firent encore quelques commentaires cuisants, pour lui faire honte, en lui ordonnant finalement de boire et de manger </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">plus vite, plus vite</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Lorsqu'il fut seul, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Saburō</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> considéra la nourriture dont il était entouré. Il essayait de comprendre exactement ce que tout le monde attendait de lui... Haussant les épaules, il se mit à manger à vive allure. Il s'efforçait de s'empiffrer de toutes ces bonnes choses, sans oublier de se régaler.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Avant que le soleil perce entre les quelques tuiles brisées du toit, son ventre était bien rempli mais les cuisinières se présentaient à lui pour la troisième fois... Elles prenaient les plats et les bols pour s'assurer qu'il avait tout ingurgité, puis elles lui ordonnaient de manger de nouveaux plats copieux et imposants, avec beaucoup de riz, d'énormes <i>sashimi </i>de saumon, de thon ou d'autres poissons gras </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span></span></b> toujours accompagnés </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">de beaucoup de sauce et </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">de beaucoup de bière.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Lorsque le soleil fut sur le point de se coucher, le pauvre </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Saburō</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> ne pouvait plus rien avaler, malgré tous ses efforts, ce qui lui attira encore d'amers reproches et des commentaires acerbes. Son ventre était sur le point d'éclater ! Le maître des cuisines revint le voir, l'air mauvais. Il se saisit de lui et le poussa jusqu'à la salle de bains où il avait passé une si douce nuit, la veille...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Tu n'as pas assez mangé, aujourd'hui !” lui dit le cuisinier, hargneux, en lui donnant une claque sonore sur les fesses. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Il va falloir <i>manger</i>, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">si tu espères remport</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">er cette </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">épreuve !”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Saburō </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">fut allongé sans ménagements sur une table de bois couverte d'un drap, dans la vapeur de la salle d'eau, où un <i>mōmoku no hōji</i> [盲目 の 僧, un moine aveugle] l'attendait. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">C'était presque un adolescent... Il s'inclina respectueusement lorsqu'il entendit Saburō soupirer. Il se présenta et </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">lui expliqua qu'il pratiquait le <i>momiryōji </i>[揉み療治, l'art du massage thérapeutique] selon les rites consacrés... On l'avait remis entre ses mains pour l'aider à se détendre, après cette dure journée.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">À bout de forces, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Saburō se laissa faire. Tout en l'enduisant d'huiles sur tout le corps, le masseur aveugle lui parla de manière douce, apaisante, et lui donna de précieux conseils.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Les instructions que nous avons reçues sont très simples, mais très exigeantes, surtout en ce qui te concerne ! Tu vas devoir rester enfermé dans l'enclos, toute la journée, pendant </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">quatre-vingt-dix-neuf jours... Avant que ce temps soit achevé, il faut que tu aies bu toute la bière que tu avais apportée dans cette maison, et que tu aies consommé tout le riz, accommodé comme il plaira au maître des cuisines ! Tu en as goûté un léger échantillon</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">, aujourd'hui</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> : beaucoup de poissons et de viandes, beaucoup de sauces, de curry et d'autres épices, beaucoup de lard...</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">” </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> En l'entendant énumérer ainsi les plats, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Saburō</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> gémit. Pourtant, il ne perdit pas courage. Puisqu'il venait de comprendre le défi qu'on lui avait imposé, il </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">était bien décidé à remporter cette </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">deuxième</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">épreuve.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Le lendemain matin, il prit place dans son enclos, assis </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">devant la table basse </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span></span></b> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">et il ne tarda pas à s'empiffrer pour affronter l'énorme quantité de nourriture qui lui était servie, jusqu'à la tombée de la nuit... Chaque gorgée de bière se prolongeait autant qu'il était possible, et il s'efforçait d'avaler de grandes bouchées,</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">en poussant le riz jusque dans son gosier pour l'engloutir plus goulûment ! On ne lui accorderait pas un instant de répit, mais il avait compris que le temps lui était compté.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div><div> À la fin de cette journée, son ventre était bien rempli, bien rond et la peau tendue plus que de raison... Le cuisinier le considéra en grognant, d'un hochement de tête approbateur. Un massage était bienvenu, tant le pauvre jeune homme était repu à point !</div></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span>“Tu as bien mangé, aujourd'hui...” lui dit son ami le masseur, alors qu'il enduisait son dos et ses épaules d'huiles. “Nous saurons bientôt si cela était suffisant, ou s'il te faudra faire encore un effort pour qu'il ne reste plus une goutte de bière au fond de la dernière jarre, et plus un grain de riz au fond du dernier sac.”</div><div> Pendant une semaine, <span style="font-family: verdana;">Saburō</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> ne fit que boire et manger sans retenue, assis dans son enclos et bien docile lorsque les cuisinières lui apportaient encore </span>de grandes quantités de bœuf grillé avec des légumes sautés, de grandes quantités de poulet au curry et aux bananes, mijoté dans le lait de coco, et encore d'énormes plats de riz complet toujours préparé dans des sauces très riches, sucrées et salées, difficiles à digérer...</div><div> En se montrant aussi goinfre et relâché que possible, <span style="font-family: verdana;">Saburō</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> se sentait lourd. Il espérait avoir fait disparaître une quantité assez appréciable de provisions, mais son ami le masseur dut le détromper en lui faisant part de ses craintes concernant l'issue de l'épreuve.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span>“Le maître a grogné, aujourd'hui...</span>” lui dit-il avec calme. “Et, d'après les murmures de nos cuisinières casanières, ce n'était pas un grognement de satisfaction ! Il va falloir faire un petit effort.” </div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Saburō</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> poussa un soupir, mais il ne se découragerait pas.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Dès lors, il tâcha de mettre à profit tout le temps qu'il passait dans son enclos pour se goinfrer le plus possible, du matin au soir... Les plats se succédaient, copieux et nourrissants. Les cuisinières le traitaient comme un porc que leur maître aurait mis à l'engrais. Il se régalait largement de tout ce qui lui était servi, s'enivrait en buvant trop de bière et réclamait encore à manger ! Surtout, il ne laissait pas un grain de riz au fond d'un bol, à la fin de chaque repas.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Quelques jours passèrent, puis une semaine entière</span>... <span style="font-family: verdana;">Saburō</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> semblait s'être peu à peu résigné à son sort. Une nuit, pendant l'un de ses longs massages quotidiens, son ami aveugle lui confia qu'il le trouvait un peu épaissi, plus tendre et plus onctueux sous ses paumes. Il lui demanda la permission de le tâter pour mieux s'assurer de ces progrès... </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Saburō</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> ne demandait pas mieux. Il se leva et laissa son jeune ami palper, soupeser et presser tout son corps, avec des gestes précis et experts, entouré de vapeur où il transpirait à grosses gouttes.</span></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“C'est ce que je pensais</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">...</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">” lui dit-il, en le tâtant patiemment. “Tu n'as pas tardé à engraisser. Tu étais plutôt mince, après la première épreuve. La différence est déjà bien sensible. Notre cuisinier doit commencer à te trouver un peu dodu. Nous allons bien te nourrir, et tu sais qu'il te reste d'énormes quantités de riz à engloutir. Si tu désires vraiment remporter cette épreuve, ton corps ne pourra pas rester si fin et si élancé !</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Saburō</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> comprit que son ami le mettait en garde, sans lui adresser de reproches mais non sans finesse, contre les conséquences même de sa victoire, s'il se montrait à la hauteur de leurs attentes... Malgré tout, il lui répondit qu'il ne renoncerait pas.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"> Pendant plusieurs semaines, </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">Saburō</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> consacra tout son temps et tous ses efforts à bien se remplir le ventre </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span></span></b> en se gorgeant de nourriture et en s'abreuvant de bière à longs traits. Assis devant la table basse, tout nu dans l'enclos, il se pressait pour avaler d'énormes quantités de riz, de viandes et de poissons, de légumes sautés, de beignets et de bananes. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Tous les plats étaient recouverts de sauces, grillés avec beaucoup de beurre ou remplis à ras-bord de bouillon gras... Il se comportait presque comme un porc : il mangeait bruyamment, et rotait sans s'excuser après avoir bu sa chope, d'une gorgée ! Les cuisinières se moquaient de lui et le pointaient du doigt, piaffant et caquetant après avoir déposé encore un plat débordant de riz et de poulet au curry. Elles n'étaient pas trop de trois pour les porter...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Saburō</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> ne les écoutait pas. Il ne perdait pas de temps pour s'empiffrer, en saisissant de pleines poignées de riz et de viandes en sauces pour les porter jusqu'à sa bouche, des deux mains à la fois. Sans doute, les sacs de riz qu'ils avait apportés devaient disparaître, l'un après l'autre, dans la remise. Chacun de ses repas s'achevait sur de savoureux desserts, et un régime entier de bananes pour accompagner ses chopes de bière.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"> “</span><span style="text-align: justify;">Tu engraisses, </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">Saburō. Tu es devenu tendre et tout potelé...</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">” disait son ami</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> pendant qu'il le massait, chaque nuit. “Et d</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">ans peu de temps, nous t'aurons si bien nourri que tu seras terriblement rond et bouffi !</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Un peu ivre, et bien rassasié, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Saburō écoutait les recommandations de son ami, mais il se contentait de hausser les épaules... Assis dans son enclos, il ne songeait qu'à s'empiffrer, sans aucune retenue !</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Cependant, les jours passaient. Ce que le masseur aveugle avait suggéré devait se vérifier : le jeune marin s'empâtait... Son visage émacié devenait joufflu, à mesure que sa barbe poussait, et il devenait si bedonnant qu'il devait définitivement renoncer à retrouver sa taille fine.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Autour de lui, les commentaires des cuisinières allaient bon train... Les serviteurs murmuraient. Le maître des cuisines se contentait de grogner, satisfait, lorsqu'il l'empoignait pour l'enfermer dans son enclos, à l'aube, et pour le faire sortir à la nuit tombée. Après quelques claques sonores, pour mieux le tâter sur tout le corps, il lui disait seulement de se remplir et de s'arrondir la panse </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span></span></b> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">comme un vrai porc. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Saburō passait tout son temps à se repaître et à s'engorger, de mieux en mieux, en gémissant de contentement... Il ne devait pas être possible de lui faire avaler encore une bouchée, lorsqu'il avait fini son dernier plat du soir !</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Les jours passaient. Les quantités de nourriture augmentaient devant lui, à chaque nouveau repas. Seule sa détermination n'avait pas changé. Il faisait face, bien décidé à relever le défi, et il </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">semblait s'être résigné à son sort, une fois pour toutes...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"> “</span><span style="text-align: justify;">Tu engraisses, </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">Saburō. Tu es devenu tout pataud, onctueux et dodu...</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">” disait son ami le masseur aveugle, chaque nuit. “Et d</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">ans peu de temps, nous t'aurons si bien nourri que tu seras terriblement lourd et replet !</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> C</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">es recommandations</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> étaient devenues inutiles. Pleinement repu, à la fin d'une longue journée, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Saburō écoutait toujours son jeune ami mais il se contentait de hausser les épaules...</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> et il poussait encore un énorme rot, qui résonnait à travers toute la maison.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Les semaines passaient. Le beau et séduisant marin, si svelte lorsqu'on l'avait enfermé dans l'enclos, était devenu monstrueusement obèse</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">. On ne parlait plus que de lui, partout en ville. D</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">epuis ses pommettes jusqu'à ses chevilles, et depuis sa nuque jusqu'à ses talons, t</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">out son corps</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> était bien en chair et </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">rondelet, comme rembourré avec trop de viande..</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Toujours attablé, tout nu et tout en sueur, les joues rouges, et la peau tendue au point qu'il semblait devoir éclater d'un instant à l'autre, son ventre ne cessait de gonfler, encore et encore </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span></span></b> à vue d’œil,</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> comme une bulle, avec chaque nouvelle bouchée qu'il ingurgitait !</span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"> “</span><span style="text-align: justify;">Je ne voudrais pas te bercer d'espérances illusoires, </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">Saburō...</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">” lui dit enfin son ami, tard dans la nuit. “Mais t</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">u as bien mangé ! Tu t'es si bien engraissé que</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> j'ai l'impression de pétrir de la pâte, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">en te massant ainsi</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">... L</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">es provisions de bière et de riz complet ont bien diminué mais il</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> ne te reste plus beaucoup de journées à passer, enfermé dans ton enclos. Il te faudra faire encore un petit effort !</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> Saburō</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> ne demandait pas mieux. Il reprenait espoir. S</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">a détermination était restée intacte, inflexible comme l'acier, depuis qu'il avait accepté de se soumettre à cette épreuve. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Cependant, son corps s'était bien </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">épaissi et appesanti... Le </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">jeune moine</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> lui suggéra de l'accompagner, à l'aube, lorsque le cuisinier viendrait le chercher.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Son aide était bienvenue. Le plat de riz complet qui attendait </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Saburō, dans son petit enclos, était une véritable montagne couverte de viandes et de sauce au curry. Après lui avoir fait décrire cet imposant festin en quelques mots, le jeune moine invita </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Saburō, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">véritablement intimidé,</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> à s'asseoir confortablement et à se détendre pour le laisser le gaver.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> En le maintenant immobile, avec une main fermement posée contre sa nuque, il saisissait de pleines poignées de nourriture</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">et il les enfournait dans le gosier de </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Saburō, qui grognait et gémissait,</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">mais qui avalait tout ce qu'on le forçait à ingurgiter.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Avant la fin de la matinée, un serviteur prit le jeune aveugle en pitié... Son assistance fut acceptée avec empressement, et </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Saburō se trouva si bien nourri qu'il put quitter son enclos, à la tombée de la nuit, sans qu'il reste un grain de riz ou une miette de thon grillé dans les plats ! Il ne pouvait qu'apprécier sa dernière chope de bière, avant d'aller dormir. La peau de son ventre était plus tendue que celle du plus gros tambour de cérémonie, dans le temple voisin.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Les journées passaient... Les provisions diminuaient. Toute la ville et le port résonnaient de ses éloges, comme tout le quartier résonnait de ses rots... </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Saburō se laissait gaver, de bon appétit et de bonne compagnie, bien docile. Après un dernier plat de riz, le plus monumental qu'il ait dû affronter, il avait bien le droit de savourer quelques chopes de bière avec des bananes et des beignets de friture </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span></span></b> jusqu'à ce qu'il ne reste plus rien de ce qu'on lui avait demandé d'apporter !</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"> “Voilà un prétendant qui fait enfin le poids !</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">” dit le cuisinier, fier de lui.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> La victoire de </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Saburō fut annoncée en ville comme un événement de la plus haute importance. Tout le monde en était émerveillé... Alors qu'il se reposait pour reprendre ses esprits, o</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">n lui fit savoir </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">que la belle </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Aoyagi souhaitait ardemment le revoir. Il était vraiment épuisé, cependant, et toujours si somnolent que le moine aveugle qui le servait recommanda qu'on le laissât d'abord dormir et digérer pendant quelques jours.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> Lorsqu'il se sentit rétabli, l</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">a </span><i style="font-family: verdana;">nakōdo</i><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> lui déclara qu'elle devait encore le peser pour marquer la fin de cette épreuve... </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Saburō</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> ne demandait pas mieux. Ap</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">rès s'être empiffré avec insistance pendant des mois, et après avoir été gavé pendant des semaines </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">comme un canard gras</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">il devait bien avoir pris du poids </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span></span></b> et du lard </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Les murmures se répandaient, comme en écho, en le </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">voyant venir</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Sa silhouette élancée, fine et souple, s'était généreusement arrondie... Ses muscles rebondis et saillants étaient tout enrobés, comme englués, sous une épaisse couche de graisse. Il avait un peu taillé sa barbe, mais on devinait qu'il était joufflu à souhait. Il avait abandonné sa taille de tigre bondissant pour une belle bedaine d'éléphant, largement épanouie et qui se balançait mollement, à chaque pas... Adipeux et pataud, s</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">a démarche était devenue plus lente et plus séduisante. Il se présentait d'autant mieux que tout le monde se souvenait de l'avoir vu famélique et malingre </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span></span></b> et </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">nerveux comme un coup de fouet. Il luisait de sueur, et il souriait. Tout son corps, magnifiquement bien en chair, respirait la santé.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Son appétit devait être insatiable, et cette bonne opinion que l'on s'en faisait l'aidait à paraître sous son meilleur jour.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> On l'avait mal jugé... Il était plutôt avenant, sympathique et de bonne mine. Un jeune homme dodu </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">et lourdaud </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">comme lui ne pouvait être qu'une </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">bonne pâte</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">” !</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> Ce grand et beau garçon avait bien changé, en effet. En un peu plus de trois mois, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Saburō</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">avait grossi de plus de dix-huit </span><i style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">kanme </i><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">[presque 68 kilos, soit un poids de 160kg]...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> La confirmation de cette nouvelle fut reçue avec joie par </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Aoyagi.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> “De tous mes soupirants, aucun n'avait montré un tel appétit ou une telle aptitude à bien profiter !” lui dit-elle, avec un fin sourire. “Je voulais d'un mari qui prît goût à la vie et qui pût se surpasser, même en excès, lorsque les circonstances l'exigeraient... Vous avez prouvé votre valeur. Mes parents approuveront certainement notre union, pour le meilleur et pour le pire... Et je serais heureuse de vous voir remporter la dernière épreuve, car je sens qu'alors je vous aimerai passionnément !”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div><br /></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div>– “Quelle épreuve délicieuse...” murmura Kazu<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-family: verdana;">ō, en frémissant de plaisir.</span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Avec beaucoup de talent, Ji</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō avait fait partager les émotions de son héros et les péripéties de son aventure à ses camarades. L'exercice était physiquement exigeant... D'un geste, il releva ses cheveux blonds qui retombaient sur son front, couvert de sueur. Il s'était appliqué à évoquer l'engraissement du personnage, son attitude courageuse et l'appréciable renommée que lui attirait son obésité, bien méritée.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Reprenant son souffle, il adopta une pose plus solennelle et sa voix se fit plus grave, dans la fraîcheur de cette nuit d'automne.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Dès lors, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Saburō</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> pouvait être considéré comme le fiancé d'</span>Aoyagi, avec son consentement. <span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Pendant quelques jours, il </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">fut traité comme le </span>nouvel homme de la famille, entouré d'attentions et de petits soins par toute la domesticité, admis à la table de ses futurs beaux-parents avec de grands égards et remarquablement bien nourri pour l'aider à mieux se reposer.</div><div> Durant ces repas, si chaleureux,<span style="text-align: left;"> </span>qui lui permettaient de reprendre des forces, de s'établir dans un nouvel équilibre et même de prendre encore un peu de poids,<span style="text-align: left;"> i</span>l manquait seulement celle que <span style="font-family: verdana;">Saburō</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span>désirait garder toujours auprès de lui pour que l'harmonie fût parfaite.</div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Aoyagi ne se montrait jamais dans ces occasions, où sa compagnie lui aurait procuré tant d'agrément. Ses parents évitaient d'aborder ce sujet. Elle restait retirée dans sa chambre, et ne retrouvait son fiancé qu'à une heure très avancée de la nuit...</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Un soir, elle lui fit enfin savoir qu'il devrait se tenir prêt pour l'épreuve décisive, la dernière qu'elle lui imposait.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “La troisième épreuve !” annonça </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Tar</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, en martelant le seuil du balcon avec ses poings</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">. </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō respira profondément et, après quelques nouveaux pas de danse un peu lourds et patauds, volontairement appesantis, il se redressa </span>paisiblement et reprit son récit.</div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span>Aoyagi revint après minuit, toute vêtue de blanc, comme une âme, et elle fit signe à Saburō de la suivre où elle irait, sans prononcer un mot. Ils se hâtèrent hors de la maison. Toute la ville dormait...</div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Le temps était lugubre. Il faisait un </span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>oborozuki yo</i> [朧月 夜, </span></span></span></span>“nuit de lune brouillée”]. C'était par une telle nuit que les fantômes, les démons et les animaux sorciers aimaient à se promener jusque dans les rues de la ville. Aoyagi montrait le chemin à <span style="font-family: verdana;">Saburō</span>, d'un pas rapide et assuré. Les chiens hurlaient sur leur passage, comme des loups. Ils parvinrent au-delà des dernières petites maisons, jusqu'à des collines ombragées par de grands arbres, où se trouvait un ancien cimetière... Aoyagi ouvrit la barrière qui grinça quelque peu. Elle entra <b style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span></span></b> comme une ombre blanche et solitaire dans les ténèbres.</div><div> Le jeune marin marchait lentement derrière elle, pesant, silencieux et soucieux... Peu à peu, ses yeux s'étant habitués à cette obscurité, il la suivit <b style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span></span></b> et soudain, il la <i>vit</i> !</div><div> Elle s'était arrêtée près d'une tombe fraîchement creusée, en lui faisant signe d'attendre. Les outils du fossoyeur traînaient encore, çà et là... En saisissant l'un d'eux, elle se mit à creuser furieusement, avec une hâte et une force étranges. Elle frappa le couvercle d'un cercueil, l'arracha d'un geste sec et révéla un cadavre <b style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span></span></b> un petit cadavre d'enfant ! Alors, avec des mouvements frénétiques et démoniaques, elle arracha un bras du cadavre, blanc et potelé, le brisa et se mit à le dévorer avec délices.</div><div> Puis, jetant à Saburō l'autre bras de l'enfant mort, elle lui cria “Mange, si tu m'aimes ! Mange, car voici de quoi je me nourris !”</div><div> Or, il n'hésita pas un seul instant. Accroupi de l'autre côté de la tombe, Saburō mangea la moitié du bras en disant à sa fiancée “<i>O</i><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><i>i</i></span><span><i>shii da yo</i> [美味しい </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">だよ, </span>“C'est délicieux”]... J'en mangerai volontiers, chaque nuit !”</div><div> En effet, ce petit bras tout blanc et dodu était fait du meilleur <i>kashi </i>[菓子, pâtisserie] que l'on pouvait trouver dans la région. Alors, la jeune fille se releva d'un bond, en éclatant de rire.</div></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><div> “De tous mes fiancés, si fiers de leur courage et de leur volonté, tu es le seul qui ne se soit pas enfui... Je voulais d'un mari qui ne connût point la peur, ou qui saurait la surmonter. C'était l'ultime épreuve que je pouvais t'imposer. Tu viens de me prouver ta valeur. Mes parents approuveront mon choix et notre union. Tu es un homme, et je t'aime !”</div><div> Aoyagi vint s'asseoir à côté de Saburō, ouvrit largement les pans de son <i>kimono </i>et lui présenta toute une petite famille de poupées à figures d'enfants qu'elle avait confectionnées pour lui, en lui proposant de le gaver de ces pâtisseries jusqu'aux derniers grains de sucre... Son beau et gros fiancé ne demandait pas mieux <b style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span></span></b> si bien que son ventre en était lourdement rempli lorsqu'ils rentrèrent dans leur nouvelle demeure, en tant que jeunes mariés. </div></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><div>– “Quelle épreuve terrible !” conclut Kazu<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-family: verdana;">ō en riant, non sans un dernier frisson de terreur </span></span></span></span>délicieuse<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-family: verdana;">. </span></span></span></span>“Mais ça finit bien pour notre héros. C'est une histoire amusante, et riche d'enseignements...”</div><div><br /></div></div></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><i style="text-align: left;">Dans la chambre </i></span><span style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span></span></b> aux dernières heures de la nuit</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Le récit dansé par Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, qui aurait pu épuiser complètement le conteur, et dont l'achèvement invitait les assistants à plonger</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> dans un profond sommeil, les avait tous saisis d'un frisson voluptueux et frénétique.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Après avoir échangé un regard complice, Ta</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō et </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō s'étaient placés de part et d'autre de Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō pour l'embrasser sur les deux joues, pour le caresser sur tout le corps et pour en apprécier toute la masse, bien en chair et repu comme il l'était après un repas si copieux et si prolongé.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Toujours plus coquin que son frère, </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ne se contentait pas de câlins et de doux baisers. Il couvrait le torse et le ventre de Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō de coups de langue et mordait ses tétons </span>délicieusement<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">, ses poignées d'amour ou le renflement dodu et douillet sous son nombril,</span> toujours au plus sensible.</div><div> Avec quatre mains toujours appliquées à pétrir son corps comme une boule de pâte, qui ne cessaient de l'envelopper, de le saisir, de le chérir, de le dorloter, de le faire bondir et rebondir, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō découvrait l'extas</span>e de se trouver le plus grand, le plus gros... et le plus gras.</div><div> Même lorsque <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ta</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō et </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō se tenaient enfin allongés, dormant à ses côtés, avec toujours une main sur sa cuisse ou doucement blotti contre lui, un frisson courait sur sa peau et se communiquait à ses compagnons jusque dans leur sommeil, peut-être jusque dans leurs rêves...</span></div><div></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzixucQrSaF1774jyTNr-BbyNxkCriKd7kYK_H75zmW99FPEuomRAlqb5ySaT-828AM54RpzUx-ajVJ9WkaPV6eIwOqnzdQIvMdr5p0ZRIvmVKeyb1fvzyJEn1m1uI2prNGATJKyd-DlFBDF0598rjkw77nKoICcrvM87cruqYUDpvyuGwc9KKE-O_qu9L/s3084/23%20Trio.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1563" data-original-width="3084" height="324" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzixucQrSaF1774jyTNr-BbyNxkCriKd7kYK_H75zmW99FPEuomRAlqb5ySaT-828AM54RpzUx-ajVJ9WkaPV6eIwOqnzdQIvMdr5p0ZRIvmVKeyb1fvzyJEn1m1uI2prNGATJKyd-DlFBDF0598rjkw77nKoICcrvM87cruqYUDpvyuGwc9KKE-O_qu9L/w640-h324/23%20Trio.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></span></div></div></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Décidément, je suis comblé..</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">.” songeait </span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Ils ont raison, tous les deux</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">. La vie que nous menons ici ensemble est trop douce pour que nous n'en profitions pas pleinement. Au contraire ! ça me fera plaisir de pousser T</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō à lutter avec plus d'acharnement... et Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō n'attend que la prochaine occasion pour me gaver comme un gros porc !</span>”</div></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></div></span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><i style="text-align: left;">Dans la maison </i></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span></span></b> matin nuageux</span></div><div><br /></div></div></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ta</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō et </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō étaient enfin de retour. La nuit avait dû être terrible pour eux... Ils étaient encore tout terreux et boueux, avec des feuilles mortes dans leurs cheveux et des brins d'herbes dans les poils de leurs barbes, mais triomphants : chacun portait sur son dos la dépouille d'un énorme sanglier. Ce n'était pas un gibier ordinaire... Posées sur le sol, les bêtes étaient plus grandes que des hommes.</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">Kazu</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">ō pouvait les considérer sans danger. Tar</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">ō n'avait pas menti, et il n'avait même pas exagéré en présentant le sanglier qu'il avait abattu comme </span></span>“monstrueux”, prodigieusement gros et gras... L'autre mâle n'en avait pas moins fière allure <b style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span></span></b> et ils avaient dû se montrer redoutables, lorsqu'ils couraient encore dans les bois !</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> Il y avait bien là de quoi les nourrir pendant des mois. <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">Tar</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">ō pouvait être enfin rassuré sur leur sort, en songeant à l'hiver qui approchait.</span></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">– “</span></span>À table !” annonçait Ji<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">r</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">ō.</span></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"> Rien ne pouvait mieux rassurer </span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">Tar</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">ō, ni lui causer un plus vif plaisir, que de voir son petit frère manger </span></span>toujours plus copieusement,<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"> avec un appétit vorace </span></span><b style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span></span></b> et de constater que ce régime à base de viande rouge, bien entrelardée, le faisait enfin engraisser de jour en jour...</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">– “Je te l'ai toujours dit. Tu as besoin de viande ! De la viande fraîche, de la chair bien épaisse avec du bon lard...</span></span>”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Oui, <span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">Ta</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">ō</span></span>.”</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Mange, Ji<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">ō ! Régale-toi... Et tâche de t'empâter encore un peu !</span></span>”</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Hmmmph, hmmmph... Oui, <span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">Ta</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">ō</span></span>...” répétait-il, la bouche pleine.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Pendant plus d'une semaine, les trois jeunes hommes se consacrèrent uniquement à se gaver du matin au soir. </span><span style="text-align: left;">Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left;">ō passait des heures devant ses marmites et ses fourneaux, et s'appliquait ensuite à manger presque autant que Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left;">ō.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left;"> Leurs repas étaient aussi complets qu'ils pouvaient le souhaiter. </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">Ta</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō dévorait la viande qui lui était servie, à belles dents... Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">ō ne se montrait pas moins </span></span>vorace, en mangeant aussi bien du poisson, des œufs, du riz, des pâtes, des fruits et des pâtisseries.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Ses efforts étaient récompensés. Chaque matin, le beau garçon blond se levait en se tâtant le ventre, avec un sourire aux lèvres.</div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></div></span></span></div></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></span></div></span></span></div></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">Ta</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">ō, j</span></span>e ne rêve pas<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"> ? Il me semble que j'ai engraissé...</span></span>”</div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></div></span></span></div></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></span></div></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Oui, Ji<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">ō</span></span>. Tu as grossi... Tu deviens dodu, et bien en chair.”</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></span></div></span></span></div></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Bientôt, je serai vraiment gros !”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– “C'est certain, <span style="text-align: left;">Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;">ō</span></span>. Je te fais confiance, tu vas bien manger.”</div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Bien manger ? Mais je vais me <i>gaver</i>, plutôt !”</span></div></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left;">Tout fier de son embonpoint et de ses belles rondeurs, Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">ō préparait des plats de plus en plus savoureux, et de plus en plus nourrissants, qu'il </span></span>faisait mijoter longtemps pour mieux en régaler ses compagnons.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"> Sans surprise, </span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left;">ō en recevait largement sa part. Si </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left;">Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō se montrait enfin mieux disposé à s'arrondir et à s'engraisser, il n'oubliait pas de bien nourrir et de gaver sa </span>“proie”, aussi souvent que possible <b style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span></span></b> et le ventre de <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left;">ō gonflait presque à vue d'œil !</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> De son côté, </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">Ta</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō prenait du poids d'une manière étonnante, presque tout en masse musculaire, ce qui le rendait plus imposant mais toujours élancé, fin, souple et nerveux, lorsque les deux autres jeunes hommes devenaient de plus en plus empâtés et obèses...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left;">Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō s'amusait beaucoup à jouer de son côté </span>“pataud”, lorsqu'il allait et venait en portant du linge ou divers ustensiles de cuisine ou de ménage, pendant que <span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">Ta</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō et </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left;">ō luttaient dans le sable.</span></div></span></span></div></span></span></div></span></div></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Que c'est bon de sentir cette bedaine bien ronde et bien lourde, alors qu'on n'a pas encore mangé !” leur disait-il joyeusement.</div></span></span></div></span></span></div></span></div></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Oui, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left;">Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō.</span>”</div><div><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Entraînez-vous bien ! J'espère que vous avez faim...”</div><div><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Oui, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left;">Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō... Prépare-nous un bon repas.</span>”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div>– “Vous allez vous régaler ! Moi, j<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left;">e vais me remplir la panse de poissons, de viandes, d'omelettes aux pommes de terre, de riz, de légumes et de nouilles sautées... et de crêpes </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left;">encore, pour m'épaissir avec du lard !</span>”</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div></div><div></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Oui, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left;">Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō.</span>”<br /></div><div></div></div></div></span></span></div></span></span></div></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ta</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;">ō ne se laissait pas distraire.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;">– “C'est pourtant vrai qu'il est lourd..<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">.</span>”</span></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> L</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">e rapport de forces n'était déjà plus le même, entre Tar</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">ō et </span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">Kazu</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">ō, pendant leur entraînement ou dans l'enchaînement des luttes... Dans la salle de sport, chaque matin, </span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō était nettement plus gros, plus rond et plus gras. Il était aussi plus lent, mais il encaissait d'autant mieux les coups et </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">Ta</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō trouvait là un adversaire à sa mesure, qu'il arrivait à peine à soulever ou à pousser hors du cercle </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span></span></b> mais qui ne répondait presque jamais comme il aurait dû, ni assez vite, ni assez fort.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Leurs combats devenaient assez vite lassants ou languissants.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Pourtant, <span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">Ta</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ne se décourageait pas et il restait concentré. Après leur dernière lutte, sous la douche, son adversaire du moment redevenait son partenaire, qu'il </span>entourait d'affection et encourageait à persévérer.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">– “Quand tu seras devenu un vrai champion, Ta</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;">ō...</span><span style="text-align: justify;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">– “Oui, Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;">ō ?</span><span style="text-align: justify;">”</span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Tes admirateurs auront du mal à croire que tu t'entraînais seul avec un partenaire aussi lourd et aussi obèse que moi !”</div></span></span></div></span></span></div></span></div></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></span></span></div></span></span></div></span></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbJa8XKH7cYwB52a1swSa_jguWDrrfBP7RjCxmqHT7Oe-XWDClWTv9DmIu62th6yIz4yKXwEuE7st77EN1nX_Bd3dSF300Ay-R_6m4Ht2Gzsndt2EUvZIMun3_s6r4p3KEVVMEYPUmyue9ZkkaF5Nqml_Tk_CtYl2zDsfp38lGq2jQ3-8r_YoC3aZWDgLw/s1724/24.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1308" data-original-width="1724" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbJa8XKH7cYwB52a1swSa_jguWDrrfBP7RjCxmqHT7Oe-XWDClWTv9DmIu62th6yIz4yKXwEuE7st77EN1nX_Bd3dSF300Ay-R_6m4Ht2Gzsndt2EUvZIMun3_s6r4p3KEVVMEYPUmyue9ZkkaF5Nqml_Tk_CtYl2zDsfp38lGq2jQ3-8r_YoC3aZWDgLw/w640-h486/24.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Au contraire !” riait Tar</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">ō.</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“C'est tout à ton avantage, que tu sois bien lourd et obèse... Je te présenterai comme mon </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>sensei</i> [</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">先生, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“maître”], avant les tournois.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div></span></span></div></span></span></span></div></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Vraiment ? Il faut que je m'entraîne un peu mieux, alors</span>.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Oh, oui ! Pour commencer, tu vas bien manger.</span>”</div></span></span></span></span></span></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “Je vais encore engraisser...</span><span style="text-align: justify;">”</span></div></div></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Tu peux te le permettre, tu sais</span>... Je ne progresserai plus, si tu ne pèses pas de plus en plus lourd. Et puis, je ne voudrais pas te frapper au point de te faire mal... Alors, une bonne couche de lard, bien épaisse ? Il n'y a rien de mieux pour te protéger !”</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">– “Tu as raison...</span></span>” rougit Kazu<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">ō.</span></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"> Toute la maison embaumait du fumet des viandes.</span></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">– “</span></span>À table ! À table !” Ji<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">r</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">ō les appelait, depuis la cuisine. </span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">“Vous en mettez du temps, sous la douche... Venez vous gaver avec moi, tous les deux. J'ai <i>faim</i> mais je veux vous voir vous empiffrer, vous aussi !</span></span>”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div></span></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><i style="text-align: left;">Devant la terrasse </i></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span></span></b> crépuscule et brume sur la forêt</span></div><div><br /></div><div><div> <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">Kazu</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">ō</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> se servait encore un grand bol de ragoût. Déjà bien rassasié, il tenait à récompenser Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">ō qui venait d'achever le conte d'un guerrier des temps anciens, devenu pèlerin, qui devait déjouer les ruses de certains fantômes qu'il rencontrait dans la montagne..</span></span>. Son récit chanté, dansé avec entrain, et la grâce toujours un peu pataude du beau garçon blond et magnifiquement dodu, était palpitant et très amusant.</div></div><div> Dans la forêt, les cigales bruissaient doucement.</div></div></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “J'écouterais bien encore un autre conte...” dit-il, la bouche pleine.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Tout de suite ?”</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">ō, tout en sueur, avait besoin de reprendre son souffle.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Bois une bonne chope de bière...” suggéra <span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">Ta</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">ō</span></span>.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Avec plaisir !”</span></div></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> En acceptant encore un bol rempli de viandes en sauce et de nouilles sautées, </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">Kazu</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">ō montrait plus que de l'appétit... Son estomac était déjà bien rempli, mais </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">Ta</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">ō et Ji</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">ō l'encourageaient vivement à s'engraisser.</span></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">– “Mange encore un peu, toi aussi...” disait </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">Ta</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">ō à son frère.</span></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Tout de suite... Ce conte m'a donné faim !”</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “C'est normal. Les journées commencent à décliner... Nous sommes déjà entourés de brume. Bientôt, le froid s'imposera et la neige tombera. Nous devons nous y préparer...”</span></div></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Tu as raison.”</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Alors mange, </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">Ji</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">ō ! Régale-toi encore </span></span>largement, avec<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"> Kazu</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">ō...</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span>Il faut accumuler d'importantes réserves de graisse pour affronter l'hiver.”</div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Oui, <span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">Ta</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">ō</span></span>.”</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></div></span></div></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Assis sur les <i>tatami</i>, les deux gros garçons s'empiffraient en silence.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRP...”</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Et si tu chantais quelque chose </span>pour nous distraire <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">?” suggéra </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></div></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Pendant que vous dévorez toute cette viande pour faire du lard ?”</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Oui...”</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> Ta</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">ō n'était pas naturellement porté à chanter ou danser. En refermant doucement, l'un après l'autre, les grands panneaux de bois autour de la maison, il récita d'une voix claire :</span></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> “</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">頓て死ぬけしきは見えず蝉の声”</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> (Elles vont bientôt mourir,</span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> les cigales </span><b><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span></span></b> mais leur chant</div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> n'en dit rien...)</span></div></div></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><i style="text-align: left;">Dans la chambre </i></span><span style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span></span></b> avant les premiers rayons de soleil</span></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Toujours aussi inquiet de ne pas disposer de provisions suffisantes pour surmonter un hiver qu'il prévoyait rigoureux, <span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">Ta</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō s'absentait souvent et revenait chargé de lourds paniers, de grandes caisses de bois, de pleines brassées de légumes, d'innombrables mesures de riz et de pâtes, </span>de farine, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">d'œufs et de jarres de fruits et de bière. Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō et lui entreposaient tout cela dans les réserves qu'ils avaient creusées profondément dans la roche, juste derrière leurs cuisines. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Satisfait, sinon rassuré, </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">Ta</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō se reposait avec ses compagnons pour la nuit, mais il sortait bientôt </span>couper du bois et il se rendait jusqu'aux plus proches villages pour le vendre et acheter encore et toujours plus à boire et à manger...</div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō n'était pas en reste. Il pêchait régulièrement de beaux poissons, et récoltait avec soin les derniers légumes et les tubercules de leur jardin.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Ce dont vous devez faire provision, surtout...</span>”<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> insistait Ta</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">ō. </span></span>“C'est de viande rouge et de graisse ! Alors je compte sur toi,<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"> Jir</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">ō,</span></span> pour préparer de bons petits plats très copieux et très nourrissants<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">...</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Mangez encore et encore, tous les deux</span>, sans relâche<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> ! Faites </span>un effort, p<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">uisez largement dans les provisions mais je veux vous trouver plus potelés, plus replets, bien </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">bouffis et <i>bien en chair</i>, à mon retour. Compris ?</span>”</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></div></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Je te promets, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ta</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">ō</span></span>...</span>”<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> répondait Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">ō en riant. </span></span>“Nous allons bien nous engraisser, comme deux petits canards, comme deux vrais porcs !”</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></div></span></span></div><div><br /></div></div></span></span></div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Dès le lendemain matin, avant l'aurore, Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō trouvait son compagnon devant son lit, prêt à mettre ce programme à exécution... N</span>u, athlétique et dodu, le ventre bien rempli après un solide petit-déjeuner, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō n'était plus seulement </span>“désirable” ou “<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">irrésistible</span>”... <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō </span>devinait qu'il avait déjà cédé, qu'il était déjà trop tard. Il <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">désirait, d'avance, tout </span>ce qu'il lui offrirait. La présence de <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō dans sa chambre était plus évidente et plus nécessaire que l'air qu'il respirait.</span></div></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ? Tu as <i>faim</i>..</span>.”</div><div><br /></div><div> Ce n'était pas une question.</div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “J'ai faim ! Donne-moi à manger.”</span></div><div>– “J'ai fini de cuisiner. Je vais tellement te nourrir...”</div><div><div>– “Oui, Jir<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span>.”</div><div><div><div>– “Je vais te gaver comme un porc.”</div><div></div></div><div>– “Oui, Jir<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span>. Nourris-moi comme un vrai porc...”</div><div><div><div>– “Je vais t'engraisser... comme un gros porc !”</div></div></div></div></div><div><div>– “Oink, oink !”</div><div><div></div></div></div><div><br /></div><div> Le beau garçon blond retira les couvertures, et posa un grand bol avec une douzaine de bananes sur le lit pour <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><div><div>– “On va commencer en douceur, avec quelques bananes.”</div><div></div></div></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div>– “Oui, Jir<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span>...”</div><div><div></div></div></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div> Même choisies avec soin, et de belle taille, ces bananes restaient bien modestes, en effet, en comparaison de ce que le beau garçon présentait à <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, pour le régaler encore longtemps.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp5U-CMl9yWVwK7ryXscQwwHUFOXdHytATD61aTuG-7TITEOzE6chPyZmBz0TAumgZ8ip0JtnAHJMXVe2hWvMntd37jMgQojV-p_Z-9gNRePrN6duRYQuOwN-glieTnSVGYPNbr5jiY0BfRv5bZnnzlr7Z60zLWjHRC2B049U6gf9VN-apMHEX7hRIJw/s1630/25.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1262" data-original-width="1630" height="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp5U-CMl9yWVwK7ryXscQwwHUFOXdHytATD61aTuG-7TITEOzE6chPyZmBz0TAumgZ8ip0JtnAHJMXVe2hWvMntd37jMgQojV-p_Z-9gNRePrN6duRYQuOwN-glieTnSVGYPNbr5jiY0BfRv5bZnnzlr7Z60zLWjHRC2B049U6gf9VN-apMHEX7hRIJw/w640-h496/25.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div>– “Laisse-moi faire, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō... </span>Je vais bien te nourrir.”</div><div>– “Hmmmph... Oui, Jir<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span>.”</div></span></div><div><div>– “Mange, mon gros<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">... </span>J'ai préparé de bons plats pour te régaler.”</div></div><div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Hmmmph... Hmmmph...”</span></div><div></div></div><div>– “Encore une banane<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">... Encore !</span>”</div></div><div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Hmmmph... Hmmmph...”</span></div><div></div></div></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Je suis fier de toi, </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span>... Tu es devenu bien obèse ! Et grâce à toi, je deviens doucement obèse, moi aussi...”</div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Hmmmph... Oui, Jirō.”</span></div><div></div></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Je suis si heureux d'être tout rondelet... Je veux devenir énorme !”</span></div><div></div></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Hmmmph...”</span></div><div></div></div><div>– “Régale-toi, mon beau <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō... E</span>ncore une banane<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">.</span>”</div><div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Hmmmph... Hmmmph...”</span></div><div></div></div></div></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div>– “Je vais t'engraisser encore, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ! Encore, encore</span>...”</div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Hmmmph... parce que... je suis ta proie ?”<div></div></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Oh ! oui...” répondit </span>Jirō, dans un même éclat de rire complice. “Parce que tu es ma proie ! C'est pour ça qu'il faut que tu deviennes <i>bien gras</i>.”</div><div><br /></div><div></div></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></div></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></div></div></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō se sentit saisi du plus étourdissant vertige</span>.</span></div></span></div></span></span></div></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Jirō... Fais-moi manger encore, encore !”</span></div><div></div></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></div></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Autant que tu voudras, Kazuō...”</span></div><div></div></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></div></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “J'en ai besoin, Jirō. Je veux que tu me gaves comme un porc.”</span></div><div></div></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></div></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div></div></span></div></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Oui, Kazuō...”</span></div><div></div></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></div></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> La voix du jeune homme était aussi chaude et caressante.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Je veux que tu m'engraisses comme un gros porc !”</span></div><div></div></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></div></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div></div></span></div></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Oui, Kazuō...”</span></span></div></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Je veux grossir pour toi, devenir énorme pour toi...”</span></div><div></div></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></div></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div></div></span></div></span></div></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Kazuō...”</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Je suis ta proie.”</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Oui, Kazuō... Tu es ma proie. Et je t'aime...”</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Et quand je serai devenu énorme, obèse, gras à point ?”</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div></div></span></span></span></div></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div></div></span></span></span></div></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div></div></span></span></span></div></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div></div></span></span></span></div></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “</span>Oui, Kazuō ? Eh bien, je vais te <i>dévorer</i>...”</div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Avec un sourire coquin, </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō lui remit une banane dans chaque main, et posa un baiser sur ses lèvres, puis sur son cou, en descendant jusqu'à son nombril avec de petits coups de langue gourmands. </span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō dévorait une banane après l'autre en voyant ces beaux cheveux blonds s'éloigner puis disparaître, comme les derniers rayons du soleil à l'horizon de son gros ventre</span>. Puis, en retenant un profond soupir avec une autre bouchée de banane, il entendit <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō rugir doucement comme un tigre...</span> </div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><i style="text-align: left;">Sur la terrasse, devant le lac </i></span><span style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span></span></b> nuit de pleine lune</span></div><div><br /></div><div> Pendant plusieurs jours et nuits, en compagnie de <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span>, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō devait perdre connaissance de ce que pouvaient être les </span>“jours” et les “nuits”. Tout ce qui pouvait occuper les hommes, quelque part ailleurs dans le monde, du matin au soir et du soir au matin, ce qu'ils pouvaient dire et entendre d'intéressant ou de futile, ce qu'ils pouvaient réaliser d'utile ou d'inutile, tout cela était aussi loin de lui que si on avait essayé de lui décrire des mouvements de poussières à la surface d'une autre planète.</div><div> De retour d'un village dans la vallée, Ta<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō avait ramené avec lui, parmi de lourds paniers de provisions, un peu du parfum et de ces rumeurs de la terre... Il avait aussi porté à l'attention de son frère la présence du dernier sanglier qu'ils avaient chassé.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Il est de retour. Comme tu l'avais pensé, il a eu le temps de profiter un peu, et il s'est magnifiquement engraissé !”</span></div><div>– “Tu veux que nous le prenions en chasse, alors ?”</div><div>– “J'ai déjà posé tant de pièges... Il n'y a pas une nuit à perdre.”</div><div><br /></div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ne pouvait pas dormir...</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Malgré le soin avec lequel Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō </span>avait repassé les couvertures sur son <i>futon</i>, disposé les coussins, parfumé la chambre et laissé des coupes de fruits et de friandises, un peu partout... Il avait perdu l'habitude d'être seul pendant la nuit.</div><div> L'éclat de la pleine lune était voilé par trop de nuages. Ta<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō avait bien annoncé que l'hiver s'annonçait froid, rude et sec.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Sans </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō à ses côtés, bien en chair, chaleureux et doux, </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō sentait l'air nocturne se glisser dans la maison</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> jusque dans sa chambre, </span>jusque dans son lit. Malgré l'épaisseur de la couche de graisse qui le recouvrait, dont ses compagnons faisaient si souvent l'éloge, il se sentait frémir. Son front était couvert d'une sueur glacée.</div><div> Ce n'était pas le froid, mais la peur qui le faisait trembler.</div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div>– “Qu'est-ce qui m'arrive ?” se demandait-il à voix haute.</div><div><br /></div><div><div> La forêt bruissait d'innombrables rumeurs menaçantes... Il distinguait encore, au-dessus des sifflements du vent et du frôlement des branches, les grognements d'un sanglier furieux <b style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span></span></b> accompagnés de hurlements qui ressemblaient à ceux des grands loups sauvages<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">.</span></div></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span><span style="text-align: center;">É</span>tait-ce un rêve ou la réalité ? En fermant les yeux, il se prit à imaginer ce que devait être cette course fantastique dans les bois. </div><div> Quelle ne fut pas sa stupeur lorsqu'il s'aperçut que, dans cette forêt sombre, il ne voyait nulle part de sanglier... Il voyait défiler à vive allure des branches et des troncs d'arbres. Il entendait seulement les loups qui hurlaient, dont les pas légers semblaient se rapprocher inéluctablement.</div><div> Il n'y avait pas de sanglier... Pourtant, c'était bien un sanglier que ces loups chassaient. C'était lui qu'ils chassaient ! Il était ce sanglier, ce gros porc bien gras que Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō avait décrit pour mettre son frère en appétit.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ? Ji</span></span>r<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ?</span>”</div><div><br /></div><div> Il se leva de son lit, très agité, saisi par l'angoisse.</div><div><div><span> En songeant au </span>thé noir que Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō préparait seulement </span>pour son frère et lui, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō </span>se disait que ce devait être un mélange spécial qui les aidait à rester éveillés toute la nuit... Une pensée lui vint alors, sans qu'il puisse la retenir pour l'exprimer de manière cohérente, raisonnable.</div><div> Il n'y avait pas songé, à aucun moment. Et pourtant...</div><div><br /></div></div></div></span></span></div></span></div></span></span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><i style="text-align: left;">Sur la terrasse </i></span><span style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span></span></b> avant l'aurore</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō n'avait pas cessé de tourner en rond, dans sa chambre.</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div></span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Des loups... Des nuits de pleine lune...”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><span> </span>Il n'osait pas sortir de la maison... Le vent s'était apaisé, malgré tout, et il n'entendait plus ni hurlements ni grognements. Les loups avaient dû bondir sur leur proie <b style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">—</span></span></b> et dans la matinée, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō et Ji</span></span>r<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō seraient tout fiers de lui montrer le dernier sanglier qu'ils avaient pris pour lui servir encore d'énormes plats de viandes avec beaucoup </span>de sauces, de riz et de bière !</div><div><br /></div><div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Des loups... La proie des loups ?”</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span> Un magnifique repas l'attendait près du feu, pour son petit-déjeuner... Il y avait là tous ses plats préférés</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">, dont il s'était régalé si copieusement depuis le jour où </span>Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō l'avait introduit dans cette étrange maison.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span><span>Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō s'aperçut alors, avec horreur, qu'il avait <i>faim</i> en voyant tous ces plats, si appétissants, si nourrissants, servis en abondance.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Ji</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">r</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō me l'avait bien dit... Je suis s</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">a proie ! Je suis leur proie...”</span></div></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span><span style="text-align: center;">Égaré malgré lui dans la maison, il ouvrit la porte de la cuisine. Il n'y était jamais entré...</span><span style="text-align: center;"> Ce qu'il y découvrit porta son sentiment d'horreur à son comble : il y avait de si grandes marmites, de si grands fours, de si grands plateaux et une telle quantité de nourriture déjà prête à être cuisinée pour le gaver qu'il recula aussitôt, tout en ayant déjà l'eau à la bouche..</span>. Si <span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span>r<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō s'était trouvé là, devant lui, près du garde-manger, il n'aurait rencontré aucune résistance pour le gaver comme un gros porc insatiable,</span><span style="text-align: left;"> jusqu'à lui faire éclater la panse !</span></div></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Dieux tout puissants !</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">” s'écria<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> soudain </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō. </span>“</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Je suis tombé dans un piège. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ce sont des<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span><i>yōkai </i>[妖怪, des créatures fantastiques]. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ils voulaient seulement me gaver pour m'engraisser... pour me dévorer !</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Tout tremblant, incapable de prendre une décision, Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō s'assit près du feu et se mit aussitôt à manger... La nourriture qu'il engloutissait à toute allure lui apportait le seul réconfort sur lequel il pouvait compter, maintenant. Replié sur lui-même, grassement arrondi et obèse, il devait ressembler à une énorme boule de pâte.</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Le soleil tardait à se lever... Dans la grisaille d'une brume légère errant sur le lac, il devina les silhouettes de Ta</span>r<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō et de </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span>r<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō qui rentraient enfin avec la dépouille du troisième sanglier. </span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Ses soupçons se trouvaient confirmés. Dans l'ombre ténébreuse des arbres, les deux jeunes hommes s'étaient changés en loups pour la nuit. Ils reprenaient figure humaine aux premières lueurs de l'aube.</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō... Tu es déjà levé ?”</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Nous avons fini par avoir raison de ce sanglier !</span>”</div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Et il était encore plus gros et gras que nous l'espérions ! Lorsque </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span>r<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō l'aura préparé comme il sait si bien le faire, il sera délicieux. </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Maintenant, tu vas pouvoir te régaler pleinement !</span>”</div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Eh bien, </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ? Tu en fais, une tête...</span>” </div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “On jurerait que tu viens de voir un fantôme !”<br /></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div></span></span></div></span><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: right;"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">À suivre</i>...)</div><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="background-color: #fce5cd; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="background-color: #fce5cd; font-family: verdana;"><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><b>Notes </b>: En japonais, un nom de famille comme</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span><i><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: #3a3a3a;">Ō</span>kamiyama</span><span style="color: #3a3a3a;"> </span></i><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">(</span><span style="color: #202122;">狼</span><span lang="zh-CN">山</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">) se traduit par </span>“la montagne des loups”. <span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">Tar</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">ō et </span></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō sont bien des loups ou des loups-garous dans la montagne...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> En tant que nom de famille, </span><i style="font-family: verdana;">Fukakusa </i>(深草) <span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">se traduit par </span>“herbes profondes”. L'histoire de S<span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">abur</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">ō, contée par </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, </span>est adaptée d'un vieux récit de fantômes recueilli par Lafcadio Hearn dans son livre <span style="text-align: center;"><i>Glimpses of Unfamiliar Japan</i></span> (traduit en français sous le titre <i style="font-family: verdana;">Pèlerinages japonais</i> et disponible depuis 1993 dans l'anthologie intitulée <i style="font-family: verdana;">Le Japon</i>, au Mercure de France, autour de <i>Kwaidan,</i><span style="text-align: left;"> <i>histoires et études de choses étranges</i></span>).</div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"> Le <i>haïku </i>que cite </span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">Tar</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">ō est encore un poème de Bash</span></span>ō. Il en existe de nombreuses traductions, plus ou moins évocatrices. Je propose celle-ci, qui respecte le compte global de dix-sept syllabes (7+7+3) à défaut de respecter la coupe “classique” (5+7+5) du haïku.</div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><b>Un peu d'histoire du Japon</b> : Traditionnellement, un koku (石) de riz correspondait à la quantité qu'un homme adulte consommait sur une année... Le koku servait aussi de salaire versé en nature, et permettait alors d'évaluer la richesse d'un chef de clan ou le nombre de soldats et de serviteurs à sa disposition.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> En 1600, </span></span><span style="text-align: left;">Ieyasu</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">Tokugawa (徳川 家康), le plus riche seigneur du Japon, disposait d’un revenu d’environ deux millions et demi de koku, plus du double que tout autre </span><i style="text-align: left;">daimyo </i><span style="text-align: left;">[大名, seigneur féodal].</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Un dernier mot : Les japonais sont xénophobes. On ne prétendra pas le contraire, mais l'expression </span><span>“inutile au monde</span><span>” relève du droit coutumier français, depuis le Moyen-Age. On n'a même pas besoin de s'éloigner de chez soi pour être confronté à la xénophobie...</span></div></span></div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5094005257601699515.post-55219833610058921622023-02-05T10:14:00.177-08:002023-11-01T15:11:28.742-07:00La pleine lune dans les bois (première partie)<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.21cm; margin-top: 0.35cm; text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9r6Jh8AeZcu419MreF47EckDKe-U-yAvq1O9-AynaOCiEKRqPr8a2cXlh_JE8xI-gMqBmj1x3rlVr_RHzAeQbUrAX8OTPWV91mFarFE2Liyr_WHq7KVZSlicsBmqNHTV95EsL57JWvqj7d-JeczETYU00mncROXkX_MqnpVRahNVOnEI96nEtTdiRyg/s684/Titre.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="518" data-original-width="684" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9r6Jh8AeZcu419MreF47EckDKe-U-yAvq1O9-AynaOCiEKRqPr8a2cXlh_JE8xI-gMqBmj1x3rlVr_RHzAeQbUrAX8OTPWV91mFarFE2Liyr_WHq7KVZSlicsBmqNHTV95EsL57JWvqj7d-JeczETYU00mncROXkX_MqnpVRahNVOnEI96nEtTdiRyg/w400-h303/Titre.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">I</span></b><b><span style="font-size: medium;">. </span></b></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large; text-align: left;"><b>夏</b></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> [été]</span></div></div></span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> “</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">雲 折折 人 を やすむる 月見 哉”</span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> (Les nuages, parfois,</span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> nous reposent</span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> d'admirer la lune...)</span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">Matsuo BASH</span><span style="color: #3a3a3a; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">Ō</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> (芭蕉)</span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: black;"><p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Dans les montagnes, à perte de vue</i> 一 plein soleil</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Depuis plus d'une heure, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">Kazu</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">ō</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">s'était éloigné de son itinéraire, </span></span></span>sans s'en apercevoir, <span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">en quittant les sentiers réservés aux promeneurs et aux cyclistes pour s'aventurer dans les bois. L</span></span></span>e jeune randonneur<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"> s'était levé avant l'aurore </span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">comme chaque matin, par habitude, </span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">mais il s'était aperçu que le soleil l'avait enfin rattrapé dans sa course... </span></span></span>La chaleur était accablante. Il préférait quitter la plaine écrasée de lumière pour l'ombre des arbres, toujours plus dense et plus accueillante. Vêtu d'un simple pantalon de toile et d'une veste aussi légère, il marchait d'un bon pas.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="text-align: center;">À seulement </span>vingt-quatre ans, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Kurokumasaki</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> (</span><span lang="zh-CN"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">黒熊崎 </span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">一雄</span></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">) </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">venait d'être nomm</span></span>é arpenteur de première classe, fraîchement recruté par le troisième bureau de la commission établie par le ministère des eaux et forêts pour les relevés topographiques et des ressources naturelles dans la sous-préfecture <span style="text-align: center;">d'Ishikari (石狩国), dans le Nord du pays.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"> Volontaire, ambitieux et dynamique, il </span></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">était le plus jeune employé du bureau et ses collègues faisaient appel à lui pour se décharger de toutes ces </span>missions sur le terrain, dont ils traitaient ensuite les dossiers pour les présenter sous un jour plus favorable afin d'être mieux notés par leur hiérarchie... En conséquence, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span>passait le plus clair de ses journées en plein air et sa carrière dans l'administration se présentait mal.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Il ne savait plus exactement où il était... Son téléphone sonna, mais ce n'était pas un appel entrant.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Presque plus de batterie, déjà ?” <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> considéra les environs. </span>“Et il n'y a pratiquement pas de réseau, sous ces grands arbres...”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Il ne courait plus, et il sentait la pente de la montagne qui s'élevait peu à peu sous ses pas... Le sol grondait sourdement, menaçant, comme un orage lointain. En se retournant pour reprendre son chemin, il trébucha soudain sur une racine. Perdant l'équilibre, il ne se releva qu'après une longue glissade sur des rochers humides et de grands bancs de mousse.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Assis dans l'herbe, un peu étourdi et endolori, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō n</span>e retrouvait plus son téléphone dans la poche intérieure de sa veste, qui s'était déchirée. Son portefeuille avait dû tomber aussi, pour se perdre parmi les herbes et les cailloux. Il n'avait même plus ses clefs pour rentrer chez lui...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div>– “Décidément, je n'ai pas de chance aujourd'hui.”</div><div><br /></div><div> Un ruisseau miroitant serpentait, en contrebas. Un petit pont de bois se courbait au-dessus pour l'enjamber. <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō se redressa enfin et s'avança prudemment. Le sol était trempé de pluie. Après un instant d'hésitation, il décida de retirer ses chaussures et ses chaussettes pour marcher avec un peu plus d'assurance dans cette clairière.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Sa chemise était boueuse et déchirée... Il la retira pour s'assurer qu'il ne s'était pas blessé, dans sa chute. Comme il ne trouvait pas de traces de sang sur ses vêtements, il soupira en constatant qu'il était seulement meurtri mais qu'il ne s'était ni coupé ni écorché.</span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"> De l'autre côté du pont, sur une petite éminence du terrain, à l'orée de la forêt, se dressait un petit sanctuaire abandonné dont il ne subsistait que le <i>shinmei</i> <i>torii </i>[神明 鳥居</span></span></span>, la porte droite et monumentale d'un sanctuaire shinto] d'un très beau rouge et, au bout d'un petit chemin et de quelques marches de pierres disjointes, le <i>heiden </i>[幣殿, un bâtiment pour recevoir les offrandes des fidèles] de dimensions réduites, tombant en ruine malgré la présence de plusieurs plats remplis de légumes, de fruits et de dons devant la <i>saisen bako</i> [賽銭箱, littéralement la “boîte à offrandes”]. Pour les habitants de la région, ce temple si modeste portait le nom sonore et solennel d'<i>Ōkami Daimyōjin</i> [大神 大明神, le “grand temple du plus grand des esprits de la terre”] <span style="text-align: left;">一</span> <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> trouvait presque à rire d'un contraste aussi marqué.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Il n'était pourtant pas d'humeur à plaisanter. Pieds nus, il appréciait la solidité de la pierre nue mais il n'était pas rassuré. La forêt l'entourait seulement de silence, et le soleil commençait à décliner... Il s'aperçut alors qu'il ne retrouvait plus ses chaussures. Où les avait-il posées ? S</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">a chemise sembl</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ait s'être évanouie aussi, comme un nuage en lambeaux. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Assis contre une borne, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span>croisa et referma ses bras autour de ses genoux, et il se mit à pleurer. Il ne pouvait plus retenir ses larmes...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Une rumeur étrange lui fit dresser l'oreille. Essuyant ses joues avec sa manche, il se tenait sur ses gardes en écoutant attentivement. C'était un souffle régulier mais respirant avec effort, comme celui d'une puissante bête sauvage. Il y avait de quoi trembler de peur.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Et pourtant, </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> n'avait pas peur... Il n'aurait su expliquer pourquoi, en devinant l'approche d'une créature qui devait être immense, et dont l'échine semblait toute hérissée de pointes, il se trouvait disposé à se défendre ou à se battre avec acharnement.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Ce n'était pas une bête sauvage, mais un bûcheron des environs qui portait une lourde charge sur son dos </span><span style="text-align: left;">一 e</span>t ce n'étaient pas des piquants ou des pointes, mais de grandes branches de bois sec mêlées de longues brindilles et retenues en fagots dans des cordes grossières.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> En le considérant de plus près, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> comprit qu'il s'agissait même d'un homme de son âge. Il serrait les cordes dans ses poings pour porter tout ce bois jusqu'à sa chaumière. Deux grands et lourds paniers remplis de légumes frais, de </span>fruits mûrs et de provisions pendaient de chaque côté, ses coudes tenant leurs anses serrées contre lui. Chargé au point d'en tituber, il tressaillait et soufflait à chaque pas.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> lui adressa un salut poli, mais ce </span>jeune bûcheron était si insolite qu'il ne savait comment l'aborder. Il portait le <i>kimono</i> court d'un paysan des temps anciens, qui montrait ses jambes nues, élancées et musclées, avec de simples <i>waraji </i>[草鞋, des sandales faites de cordes de paille de riz] usées par la marche et le temps.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Non sans difficultés, le bûcheron releva la tête pour se tenir droit devant lui, en évitant de laisser son chargement s'effondrer. <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> rougit lorsqu'il sentit son regard se poser sur lui... Il devait avoir seulement quatre ou cinq ans de plus que lui </span><span style="text-align: left;">一 </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">et c'était un beau garçon aux traits juvéniles, </span>avec des yeux d'un bleu parfaitement pur, des cheveux bruns juste un peu plus clairs que les siens et une barbe bien fournie.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">– “Je porte de vieilles savates, c'est vrai...” dit-il en souriant. “Mais ce n'est pas plus malin de s'en aller pieds nus pour marcher dans la forêt. Quelle drôle d'idée !”</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"> Ils éclatèrent de rire, tous les deux, comme deux amis heureux de se retrouver après un long temps de séparation. Cependant, ils ne s'étaient pas encore nommés, ni l'un ni l'autre.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">– “Je m'appelle <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span>...”</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “<i>Hajimemashite </i>[</span>はじめまして, “Enchanté de faire ta connaissance”].”</div><div><br /></div></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv0G3_owWkKgRNV9nJfWDrJwHWmrQfyDrgl47IgGIh1Ws7OhMe1M3AuqLTiBeszMu_kupf0KdmNs_AEuKvA17Y9hIjbBc5cNMeA2KorYbthf_-icMGxxrNZqoluIhoCE07ysU62IuYLOSw_4I9Gf1YJW5cEjGP13PY3iFpgcw0v6j92p_8HV2BId1MPw/s1822/11%20Kazuo.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1434" data-original-width="1822" height="504" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv0G3_owWkKgRNV9nJfWDrJwHWmrQfyDrgl47IgGIh1Ws7OhMe1M3AuqLTiBeszMu_kupf0KdmNs_AEuKvA17Y9hIjbBc5cNMeA2KorYbthf_-icMGxxrNZqoluIhoCE07ysU62IuYLOSw_4I9Gf1YJW5cEjGP13PY3iFpgcw0v6j92p_8HV2BId1MPw/w640-h504/11%20Kazuo.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"> Le jeune bûcheron s'inclina, puis bomba le torse en se relevant.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">– “Moi, je me nomme Tarō... <span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">Tar</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">ō </span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: #3a3a3a;">Ō</span>kamiyama</span><span style="color: #3a3a3a;"> </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">(</span><span style="color: #202122;">狼</span><span lang="zh-CN">山 </span>太<span lang="zh-CN">郎</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">)</span>.”</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div>– “C'est une chance que nous nous soyons rencontrés ainsi. En vérité, je suis un peu perdu...”</div></div><div>– “Je suis content de t'avoir trouvé, alors. Où voulais-tu aller ?”</div><div>– “Je cherchais mon chemin de l'autre côté du ruisseau, avant ce pont.”</div><div>– “Aha ?” s'interrogea Tarō, en hochant la tête. “Il y a bien des ruisseaux sur les pentes de ces montagnes, et il y a bien des ponts tout le long de ces ruisseaux, mais je n'irais pas jusqu'à dire qu'il y a des chemins dans cette forêt où l'on ne fait jamais qu'aller et venir, à l'aventure...”</div><div><br /></div><div> <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> était bien embarrassé pour lui répondre.</span></div><div><br /></div><div>– “Qu'est-ce qui est arrivé à tes vêtements ?”</div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">– “Ils se sont déchirés lorsque je suis tombé. Je les ai perdus...”</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">– “Et tes souliers ?”</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">– “Je les ai perdus aussi...”</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">– “Et tu ne portais rien d'autre sur toi ?”</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">– “C'est-à-dire...”</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">– “Tu l'as perdu encore ?”</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">– “Oui...” murmura <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō en rougissant.</span> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">– “<i>Kimyo na</i> [奇妙 な, “C'est étrange”]...” conclut Tarō. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"> En faisant quelques pas de côté, le bûcheron retira ses sandales.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">– “Ça fait vraiment beaucoup de choses perdues en une journée...” dit-il. “Tu ne dois pas être habitué à marcher sur ces pentes abruptes et sur ces rochers. Je te prête mes sandales pour que tu puisses me suivre.”</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">– “C'est très généreux de ta part, mais je ne peux pas accepter...”</div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">– “Allons, ne discute pas.</span></span>” dit Tarō, doucement mais avec fermeté.<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span>“Je suis pressé de rentrer... L<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">orsque nous serons arrivés, tu pourras porter des <i>komageta </i>[駒下駄, des </span></span>“sandales de poney”, à semelles de bois] plus confortables.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– “D'accord... Merci.” murmura <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō.</span> “Merci, vraiment.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Et puis, lorsque nous serons rentrés, tu pourras te reposer et partager notre repas... Je n'ai pas grand-chose à t'offrir, même pas une paire de sandales neuves, mais un bon repas est toujours bienvenu.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō le suivait sans peine, à présent. Le jeune bûcheron devait faire de grandes enjambées, avec ses fagots de bois sec et ses paniers de provisions, mais il semblait habitué à porter de lourdes charges sur son dos ou à effectuer de durs travaux.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div>– “Depuis combien de temps étais-tu perdu dans cette forêt ?”</div><div>– “Je ne sais plus... Depuis ce matin.”</div></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Tu dois avoir <i>faim</i> !”</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Euh...” <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ne tenait pas à s'imposer, trop heureux de trouver un accueil si simple et si chaleureux dans un refuge pour la nuit, mais son estomac répondit pour lui </span><span style="text-align: left;">一 </span>en criant famine.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div>– “Rien n'est plus lourd et plus douloureux à porter qu'un ventre vide...” dit <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Tar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, avec un sourire. </span>“Lorsque nous serons dans la maison, il faudra te servir un bon repas pour que tu puisses reprendre des forces !”</div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Dans la forêt, près du sommet de la montagne</i> 一 soleil couchant</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> L'atmosphère restait oppressante, dans l'ombre des grands arbres sous lesquels ils marchaient. La chaleur remontait du sol et de la végétation, que de longs bancs de brume recouvraient en se répandant lentement, lourdement, comme une danse de fantômes... </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">Kazu</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">ō</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> suivait, tant bien que mal, le jeune bûcheron qui allait droit devant lui sans se soucier de l'obscurité ou de la torpeur étouffante de cette fin de journée.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Alors que la pente devenait vraiment forte et dangereuse, même pour d'intrépides marcheurs, la vue s'éclaircit enfin à l'approche du sommet.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> La rumeur des forêts devenait plus précise, et </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">Kazu</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">ō</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> leva la tête pour contempler une belle cascade qui soulignait d'un trait d'argent le flanc rocheux, jusqu'à un petit lac bordé de cèdres immenses.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Derrière cette étendue d'eaux plus somnolentes, une maison basse au toit de chaume, toute en façade, toute en longueur et aux piliers aussi massifs que des troncs de pins centenaires se tenait à couvert, comme blottie contre la paroi de la montagne. </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Tar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō eut tôt fait de passer le pont, droit et plat, aux planches solides et bien entretenues, jusqu'à une petite remise où il déposa son fardeau de bûches et de brindilles.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div>– “Il vaut mieux que tu retires ces vêtements. Ils sont trempés.”</div><div><div>– “Mais... Je n'en ai pas d'autres.”</div><div>– “Ça ira très bien comme ça...” répondit Tarō en haussant les épaules. “On te prêtera un <i>kimono </i>pour cette nuit, et <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō nettoiera tes vêtements demain, dans la matinée</span>.”</div></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ?</span>”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “C'est lui qui fait la lessive, et le ménage. Mais en ce moment...” </span>Tarō sourit malicieusement. “Il doit être occupé dans la cuisine !”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> En voyant le jeune </span>bûcheron <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">retirer son <i>kimono</i>, avant d'entrer dans la maison, </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">Kazu</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">ō</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> ne pouvait qu'admirer son physique avantageux.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span><span style="text-align: center;">À peu près aussi grand que lui, avec des épaules larges, rondes et vigoureuses, les bras et les avant-bras bien épais, les muscles pectoraux et abdominaux </span><span style="text-align: center;">luisant de sueur </span><span style="text-align: center;">tant ils étaient saillants, la taille fine et bien proportionnée jusqu'à ses flancs résolument mâles, portés par des cuisses puissantes et des jambes moulées à souhait, </span>Tarō n'était plus vêtu que d'un mince <i>kuroneko fundoshi </i>[黒猫 褌, un sous-vêtement de tissus, très léger, surtout porté pour le bain] très près du corps. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span>Comme il le suivait toujours, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">Kazu</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">ō</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> n'avait qu'à baisser les yeux pour se sentir troublé en considérant ces fesses magnifiquement fermes et rebondies, bien en évidence... </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Assurément, </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">il devait </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">être rompu à toutes sortes de travaux, même les plus exigeants !</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “<i>Tadaima </i>[ただいま, “Je suis rentré”] !” annonça Tarō.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Une voix claire et chaleureuse lui répondit, depuis la cuisine.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-GB"> </span></span></span></div><div>– “<i>Okaeri </i>[お帰り, formule de bienvenue, ou “Bonsoir”] !”</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"> La pièce principale était toute organisée autour du <i><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">ro</span></span> </i>[炉, un petit foyer construit dans le plancher pour creuser un espace de forme carrée, peu profond, doublé de fonte noire et partiellement rempli de cendres pour entretenir un pot au feu]. </span></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">Kazu</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">ō</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> allait de surprise en étonnement... La façade et le long balcon de la maison donnant sur le lac étaient des plus modestes, mais parfaitement propres et accueillants. L'intérieur en était plus séduisant encore, entretenu et rangé avec soin. Dans un coin, il n'y avait que deux grands coffres de bois pour tout mobilier, mais les pièces respiraient le calme, le bon ordre, la fraîcheur et le bien-être.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"> Un autre jeune homme sortit de la cuisine et vint embrasser </span></span></span>Tarō en le serrant fermement contre lui pour l'accueillir.<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"> Il était aussi peu vêtu, et entouré d'une vapeur onctueuse qui sentait bon et ouvrait l'appétit. </span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"> En les voyant se tenir ainsi dans les bras l'un de l'autre, </span></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">Kazu</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">ō</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> comprit beaucoup de choses tout de suite... </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">Jir</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-GB">ō </span></span></span>était certainement un peu plus jeune que son compagnon. Il était sensiblement plus petit mais bâti en force, plus massif et plutôt enveloppé : tout son corps était parcouru de muscles généreusement épaissis, naturellement lourds mais comme en surcharge <span style="text-align: left;">一</span> ce qui ne pouvait manquer de le rendre plus lent et moins agile que Ta<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">r</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-GB">ō</span></span></span>, d'autant plus que ses flancs <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-GB">étaient autrement rebondis. On ne pouvait que deviner la présence de muscles abdominaux, enfouis, autour de son nombril qui semblait inviter à la caresse...</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-GB"> Justement, </span></span></span>Tarō tâtait l'estomac et les flancs du jeune homme qui lui murmurait quelque chose à l'oreille avant de l'embrasser sur la joue. <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">Jir</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-GB">ō portait une belle barbe, lui aussi, mais blonde. Au-dessus de sa nuque et jusqu'à ses tempes, ses cheveux étaient d'un beau brun clair puis </span></span></span>d'un blond éclatant, jusqu'aux pointes de ses longues mèches soigneusement relevées. Ses sourcils, également blonds, rehaussaient le charme de ses yeux d'un vert lumineux, tout en douceur et irrésistiblement séduisants.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Tu n'as encore presque rien mangé, aujourd'hui...”</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– “<span style="text-align: center;">Évidemment, j</span>e t'attendais. Je nous ai préparé un bon repas.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">Kazu</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">ō</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> se sentit soudain mal à l'aise, comme un intrus dans la maison, en présence d'une intimité </span>si harmonieuse, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">câline et complice... </span>Tarō le tira de sa torpeur en le présentant à son compagnon.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">– “</span></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-GB">Nous avons un invité, ce soir</span></span></span>.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">– “Vraiment ? Si j'avais su...”</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"> Au premier regard, </span></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">Kazu</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">ō</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> comprit qu'il n'était pas seulement accueilli comme un invité de marque dans cette maison, mais qu'il était chez lui comme de retour au foyer. </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">Jir</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-GB">ō le prit dans ses bras si tendrement et si sincèrement que la pensée lui vint aussitôt qu'ils n'allaient pas </span></span></span><span style="text-align: center;">“devenir les meilleurs amis du monde”, selon l'expression consacrée, mais qu'ils avaient toujours été </span><span style="text-align: center;">les meilleurs amis du monde !</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> C'était incompréhensible. C'était inexplicable. Cependant, </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">Kazu</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">ō</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> n'avait pas plus envie qu'on lui explique ce qu'il ressentait qu'il n'éprouvait le besoin de le comprendre. C'était ainsi, et c'était vrai... Il se sentait chez lui, accueilli et réconforté comme un frère par ces deux beaux garçons.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Il n'y avait pas à s'interroger sur la nature de leur relation. </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">Kazu</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">ō</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> n'y trouvait rien à redire. Au contraire ! il </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">comprenait mieux comment</span> deux jeunes hommes pouvaient vivre ainsi retirés dans les montagnes <span style="text-align: left;">一</span> à la dure, privés de tout confort moderne mais à l'abri des préjudices et des cruautés qu'ils auraient subis au quotidien, dans une grande ville.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">– “Tu dois être fatigué.” commentait </span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">Jir</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-GB">ō. </span></span></span>“Tu as besoin de prendre une bonne douche, même un bon bain chaud pour te détendre.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Sous la cascade et dans la salle de bains chauds </i>一 crépuscule</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> reçut aussitôt une grande serviette de bain, une autre serviette plus petite et une grosse éponge naturelle. Tar</span>ō ouvrait un panneau de bois après l'autre pour le mener jusqu'à la cascade, à l'autre bout de leur petite maison. Une part de son tumulte s'écoulait à l'intérieur, où il était réchauffé au-dessus d'un grand feu intérieur avant de se verser dans un très grand bassin rond, cerclé de planches de bois clair avec des bancs de pierres lisses, éclairé par quelques lanternes de papier dans la vapeur qui remplissait la pièce. L'eau chaude s'écoulait aussi en direction de la cuisine, où Ji<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span>ō veillait à la cuisson du repas.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> En l'invitant à sortir pour se rafraîchir et se laver sous la cascade, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Tar</span>ō vint murmurer à l'oreille de Kazuō.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">– “</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō est très... affectueux</span>. J'espère que ça ne te dérange pas. Il est toujours comme ça. Il te proposera certainement de te frotter le dos.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">– “Pourquoi pas ?” sourit </span></span>Kazuō. “Et toi ?”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">– “Moi ? Je suis plus doué pour les massages.”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;"> Le regard et le sourire de </span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Tar</span>ō en disaient plus long, et Kazuō se sentit doucement troublé... S'il ne rougissait pas déjà, il devint rouge comme une pivoine en voyant <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō les rejoindre </span><span style="text-align: left;">一 </span>et en se trouvant soudain en présence des deux jeunes hommes entièrement nus pour plonger sous la cascade, visiblement heureux de profiter de ce moment ensemble.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Ce qu'il découvrait à présent tenait largement les promesses de ce qu'il avait pu voir de leurs corps si bien proportionnés, si généreux, souples et musclés...</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Tar</span>ō était plus adroit, plus agile et plus élancé, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō un peu plus pataud et un peu plus épais, </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">mais aussi </span>vigoureux et probablement plus endurant que son compagnon.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> En les voyant s'asperger si gaiement, Kazuō abandonna ses dernières hésitations en laissant tomber ses sous-vêtements, et il plongea pour les rejoindre dans l'eau froide... Il fallait bouger sans cesse, s'ébrouer ou se frotter pour se tenir chaud.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Tu t'es beaucoup dépensé encore, aujourd'hui...” disait <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō en frottant le dos de son compagnon avec son éponge. </span>“Tu as besoin d'un bon bain.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Et toi aussi !” </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Tar</span>ō le saisit soudain dans ses bras pour lui faire perdre l'équilibre, et le plonger dans les remous de la cascade.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span style="text-align: center;">“C'est toi qui </span><span style="text-align: center;">es tout en sueur !”</span></div><div><div>– “Tu passes toute la journée dans la cuisine...<span style="text-align: center;">”</span> <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Tar</span>ō le taquinait comme un enfant. <span style="text-align: center;">“</span>Tu sens le bouillon de légumes, le riz bien cuit, la vapeur et la viande grillée, si appétissante !”</div><div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div></span></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Et toi, tu sens le sous-bois humide, les troncs et la mousse trempés de pluie, le feuillage doré au soleil et les fruits frais...<span style="text-align: center;">”</span> Jirō le câlinait en retour. <span style="text-align: center;">“Tu en es tout imprégné, tellement t</span>u transpires !”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">– “Tu transpires au moins autant que moi ! Tu es comme cette éponge...<span style="text-align: center;">”</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span></span></span></span>Kazuō s'amusait à les voir se quereller ainsi, amoureusement.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Mais toi, c'est parce que tu travailles toujours trop, et sous un soleil de feu... Moi ?” ajouta Jirō, avec un sourire juvénile et malicieux. “C'est parce que je suis <i>dodu</i> !”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div></div></div></span></div></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQTDY4KN_kc8Qob3BHI0ArWwePpKV17KFRCRQZUvrGKq3MuUPTAfMKK_FmEAu5Du8uShfG1mDWti-3DVGez6E_jfjHCtj9d6CY0aN9inRNw7ZRzjJhexAHneVb0sZ7JBpp3d1U5Sk3YxS77B5XihR6gtcO7JBYb10n6yDoAyHdfsoA3knMdAmRXaD6Xw/s1640/12%20Jiro%20et%20Taro.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1188" data-original-width="1640" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQTDY4KN_kc8Qob3BHI0ArWwePpKV17KFRCRQZUvrGKq3MuUPTAfMKK_FmEAu5Du8uShfG1mDWti-3DVGez6E_jfjHCtj9d6CY0aN9inRNw7ZRzjJhexAHneVb0sZ7JBpp3d1U5Sk3YxS77B5XihR6gtcO7JBYb10n6yDoAyHdfsoA3knMdAmRXaD6Xw/w640-h464/12%20Jiro%20et%20Taro.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"> Lorsqu'ils se sentirent propres et frais, les trois jeunes hommes prirent place dans le grand bassin pour se reposer... <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> leur faisait face et disposait de la moitié du bassin pour étendre ses bras et ses jambes. Ta</span>rō tenait Jirō contre lui pour lui masser les épaules, avant de le laisser lui frotter le dos et le torse. Tout en restant dans les bras l'un de l'autre, ils s'encourageaient avant le repas du soir.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Tu dois avoir faim...” suggér</span>ait Jirō.</div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Toi aussi, tu as <i>faim</i> !” insistait </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ta</span>rō<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">. </span>“Tu as tellement faim...”</div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Tu as besoin de bien manger, ce soir.”</span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">– “Il faut que tu manges bien, aussi. Et beaucoup !”</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">– “J'ai préparé un bon repas. Tu vas bien manger...”</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">– “Toi, tu vas <i>beaucoup</i> manger ! Tu en as besoin.”</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"> <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> ne comprenait pas pourquoi </span>Jirō pouvait avoir besoin de manger autant, alors qu'il venait de lui prouver qu'il avait pleinement conscience d'être plutôt “dodu”, mais il ne parlait que de nourriture, des bons petits plats qu'il avait préparés pour ses compagnons et des plaisirs simples de la vie, comme une occasion de pouvoir manger en grandes quantités. Leurs estomacs commençaient à grogner, en l'écoutant ainsi !</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"> L'atmosphère de la salle de bain, chaude et vaporeuse, invitait à la rêverie... Même s'ils étaient nus, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span> se sentait à l'aise et il n'avait aucune envie de sortir de l'eau. Et il n'avait aucune envie de quitter cette petite maison dans la montagne... Il<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> songeait à son nouvel appartement, dans le centre-ville, encombré par les cartons du déménagement : Il n'y avait même pas la place de les ouvrir pour ranger ses affaires !</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"> Comme <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ta</span>rō l'avait annoncé, Jirō se tourna bientôt vers <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span>pour lui </span>proposer de le frotter et de le nettoyer, avec son éponge et à mains nues. Un sentiment de douceur et de bien-être l'envahit peu à peu, sous ces caresses insouciantes, et il se sentait déjà fondre dans l'eau chaude qui circulait autour de lui.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">– “Toi aussi, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, t</span>u as besoin de manger.”</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div>– “De bien manger...”</div><div><div>– “De <i>beaucoup</i> manger !”</div></div><div><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Dans la maison </i>一 nuit, orage au loin</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">– “<i>Itadakimasu </i>!” [いただきます, “Bon appétit !”]</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"> Assis devant la marmite, </span></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span> remplit son grand<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"> bol de bouillon avec de belles pièces de blanc de poulet, des nouilles, des oignons, du chou, des carottes et d'autres légumes bien assaisonnés.</span></span></span> Tout était délicieux.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Jirō, qui allait et venait depuis la cuisine, lui servait des bols de riz pour accompagner le bouillon, des assiettes de <i>sashimi</i> [刺身, poissons servis en tranches crues], des brochettes de canard et des <i>gyoza </i>[餃子, raviolis poêlés] tous plus appétissants les uns que les autres.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Le repas était remarquablement savoureux et copieux, arrosé de bière artisanale servie dans des chopes de bambou... <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> s'était déjà servi deux fois, mais Tar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> l'invitait à se servir encore. Lorsqu'il n'était pas en train de le servir lui-même, ou de retour de la cuisine avec toujours plus de riz blanc, </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">des <i>sashimi </i>en tranches épaisses ou des omelettes </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">toutes chaudes, </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō était trop occupé à manger pour pouvoir parler.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Les deux jeunes hommes mangeaient de bon appétit, à vive allure, ce qui poussait naturellement </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> à se presser</span> pour les accompagner. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Tar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> avalait de grandes bouchées de riz et </span>mordait dans les brochettes de canard, à belles dents !<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Quant à </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, il </span>s'empiffrait positivement de tout ce qui se trouvait à sa portée, comme s'il était décidé à ingurgiter les plus grandes quantités de nourriture possibles avant d'aller dormir...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Le temps a été lourd, toute la journée...” finit par dire <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, entre deux grandes bouchées de poisson frit. </span>“Nous aurons une tempête, cette nuit.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Tar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> haussait les épaules. L'orage ne lui faisait pas peur.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> se sentait confortablement rassasié... </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō lui avait servi un </span>plat de <i>sashimi</i><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> avec de beaux poissons de rivière, marinés et bien relevés, une plantureuse omelette aux champignons </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">et encore un grand bol de riz. Quelques minutes plus tôt, il avait </span>plongé la louche dans la marmite de bouillon et il l'avait resservi pour la sixième fois ! Tout en mangeant comme quatre, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō n'hésitait pas à partager</span> la nourriture qu'il cuisinait, aussi généreusement. <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> se régalait, mais il avait besoin d'une pause pour reprendre son souffle...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div>– “Qu'est-ce que vous faites, dans la vie ?”</div><div><br /></div><div> Les deux jeunes hommes, silencieux, échangèrent un regard <span style="text-align: left;">一</span> un peu étonnés, comme s'ils ne comprenaient pas cette question de <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō... Ils étaient</span> uniquement occupés à manger. Après un instant, Ta<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō répondit.</span></div><div><br /></div><div>– “Je coupe du bois. Je chasse à l'arc, de temps en temps. C'est moi qui ai pris ces beaux canards dont nous nous régalons, en ce moment... Je m'occupe d'un petit champ, sur le flanc de la montagne. C'est moi qui vais au marché pour nous procurer quelques produits comme les bâtons d'encens que nous faisons brûler dans la chambre, ou du poulet ou des œufs. Et <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō...</span>”</div><div><br /></div><div> Son compagnon finissait d'avaler son grand bol de bouillon.</div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div></span></div></div></div></span><div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō chasse avec moi, mais il préfère la pêche. C'est lui qui prend tous les beaux poissons qu'il sert en <i>sashimi</i>, ou qu'il met à frire. Il s'occupe de notre petit jardin potager. Il fait la cuisine</span>...”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Et la vaisselle...” ajouta </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, en buvant une grande rasade de bière.</span></div></div></div></span><div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Et le ménage.”</span></div></div></div></span><div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Et je nettoie le linge.”</span></div></div></div></span><div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Et tu entretiens le chauffage dans la maison...”</span></div></div></div></span><div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Ta</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō entretient nos instruments de travail. Il aiguise les couteaux, et il prépare lui-même les flèches dont il se sert pour chasser</span>.”</div></div></div></span><div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> avait de quoi être impressionné. Rien de ce qu'ils venaient de décrire ne correspondait à l'idée qu'il se faisait d'un emploi, ou recouvrait plusieurs emplois dans des domaines d'activité peu valorisés... Tar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> et Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> ne semblaient pas se rendre compte à quel point ils menaient une existence dénuée de tout confort </span><span style="text-align: left;">一</span> même des choses les plus évidentes, comme le courant électrique.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Et cependant, la lumière des bougies dans les lanternes de papier lui semblait si chaleureuse, si accueillante...</div></span></div></div></span></div></div></span></div></div></span></div></div></span></div></div></div></div></span><div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Et toi, </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> ?</span>”</div></div></div></span><div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Oui ?”</div></span></div></div></span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– “J'espère que ton travail te permet de manger à ta faim.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Je ne sais pas...” <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> hésitait à se prononcer sur cette question. </span>“Je n'ai pas eu le temps de suivre l'évolution de mes collègues, comme ils restaient le plus souvent au bureau, en m'envoyant sur le terrain, mais j'ai observé qu'ils devenaient presque tous obèses avant quarante ans.”</div></span></div></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><div>– “Oh... Comment font-ils ?” demanda <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō.</span></div><div>– “Ils doivent bien se nourrir !” suggéra <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Tar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō.</span></div><div><br /></div><div> Ils<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> semblaient s'intéresser à cette question en priorité.</span></div><div><br /></div><div>– “Je ne pense pas... Au contraire, je crois qu'ils mangeaient très mal.”</div><div>– “J'espère que tu ne mangeais pas comme eux, alors !”</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> De toute évidence, Ta<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō faisait le nécessaire pour que </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō et lui aient toujours de quoi </span>“<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">bien se nourrir</span>”,<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> et ce dernier redoublait d'efforts </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">pour qu'ils </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">mangent <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">bien, avec</span></span> de bons plats, sains et savoureux <span style="text-align: left;">一</span> servis en grandes quantités, avec beaucoup de bière...</div><div> <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> songeait à ce qu'il mangeait avant de les rencontrer. Un bol de fumée, où trempaient des tartines de poussière ? Merci bien ! En voyant le bel assortiment de poissons que </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō avait disposé devant lui, avec un bol de riz blanc et un bol de nouilles sautées, il s'en saisit soudain pour se régaler sans retenue. </span></div><div> Le beau jeune homme blond souriait en le voyant manger de si bon appétit, et il ne tarda pas à suivre son exemple, avec enthousiasme.</div><div><br /></div><div>– “Je suis heureux que tu trouves ce bouillon à ton goût...”</div><div>– “C'est délicieux, vraiment ! Je n'ai jamais rien mangé d'aussi bon.”</div><div>– “<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō aime beaucoup cuisiner.</span>” dit Ta<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō. </span>“<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Il cuisine </span>vraiment <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">bien, et il fait de son mieux </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">pour nous préparer de bons petits plats, chaque jour, consistants et </span>savoureux...”</div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div>– “Et qui font grossir !” ajouta <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, en tâtant son estomac bien rebondi, après avoir fini son neuvième bol de bouillon.</span></div><div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div></span></div></span></div></div><div><br /></div><div> <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> venait aussi de vider son grand bol de nouilles et de poulet frit. La bouche pleine, il interrogeait ses nouveaux amis du regard.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div>– “Pourquoi des plats qui font grossir ?”</div><div>– “Parce que...” répondit Ta<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō.</span> “<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō a besoin de grossir !</span>”</div><div>– “<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ?</span>” murmura <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, qui cherchait encore à comprendre.</span></div><div><br /></div><div> Le beau garçon achevait de boire une autre grande rasade de bière.</div><div><br /></div><div>– “BUUUUUURRRRRRRP...” </div><div><br /></div><div> Il se servait déjà un autre bol rempli de poisson, avec un grand sourire.</div><div><div><br /></div><div>– “<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō a besoin de prendre du poids !</span>” expliqua Ta<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō en riant.</span></div></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Toi aussi, tu as besoin de prendre du<i> </i>poids...”</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ne comprenait toujours pas.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “</span>Ta<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō est un champion de lutte, le meilleur de toute la région !</span> Nous avons une petite salle de sport pour nous entraîner, mais il a besoin d'un adversaire de son niveau pour mieux se préparer physiquement...”</div><div><div>– “<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō est bien assez fort et résistant. Il est juste un peu maladroit, et il manque de souplesse... Mais il peut me soulever de terre, et il encaisse vraiment bien les coups !</span>”</div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div>– “Je fais ce que je peux, mais je n'ai pas encore réussi à le battre...”</div><div></div></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Comme si tu pouvais me battre à la lutte !</span>” réagit Ta<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, en éclatant de rire. </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">“Le seul souci, c'est que nous avons atteint notre limite, tous les deux. Pour que je progresse encore un peu, il me faut un partenaire plus <i>lourd</i>...</span>” Il lui semblait nécessaire d'insister.<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span>“<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Beaucoup plus lourd !</span>”</div><div><div>– “Et plus gros...”</div><div><div>– “Et plus gras !”</div><div><div>– “BUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRP...” </div></div></div></div><div><br /></div><div> <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō avait bien bu et très bien mangé. Il sourit en se donnant une petite claque sur son ventre rond, rempli à point.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><div>– “Ouf ! je suis repu. Je vais bien dormir...”</div><div><br /></div></div><div> Ta<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō s'approcha pour caresser son estomac, tendrement.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div>– “Encore un petit effort, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō... Il faut manger pour prendre du poids !</span>”</div><div><div>– “Heureusement, il nous reste les desserts...” répondit le jeune homme en se levant, avec un sourire très doux.</div><div><br /></div></div><div> Pendant que <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span> était occupé dans la cuisine, Ta<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō revint à sa place et prit </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō en confidence.</span></div></span></div><div></div></div><div><br /></div><div><div>– “Mon pauvre petit <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span>...” dit-il, de manière à ne pas être entendu de loin. “Il est si gentil, et il aime vraiment bien manger, mais il n'arrive pas à prendre du poids comme il le souhaiterait. Il fait tout ce qu'il faut pour s'alourdir, pour devenir plus massif et plus épais... mais il faut vraiment qu'il s'empiffre, ou il faut que je le gave pour obtenir un résultat.”</div></div><div>– “C'est triste...” murmura <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Certainement, </span>Ta<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō mangeait beaucoup moins que son partenaire, mais il consommait aussi de grandes quantités de viandes et de poissons, de nouilles et de riz, de légumes et de </span>féculents. Il devait bien se dépenser physiquement pour rester aussi élancé, fin et sec, et prendre surtout de la masse musculaire...</div><div><br /></div><div>– “Tu sais, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ?</span>” suggéra doucement Ta<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō. </span>“<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō s'est donné beaucoup de mal pour préparer cette belle marmite de bouillon, et je pense qu'il préfèrera passer aux desserts, maintenant, mais il ne reste que deux ou trois louches pour la finir. Tous tes bols sont vides. Si tu faisais l'effort de nettoyer le plat, en l'accompagnant avec le riz qu'il me reste ? Rien ne lui ferait plus plaisir</span>.”</div><div><div>– “Vraiment ?”</div><div><div>– “Oh ! oui, vraiment. Tu vas voir...”</div><div><br /></div><div> <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō empoigna la marmite de fonte, et versa directement le contenu dans son bol. Le bouillon était particulièrement riche, avec de nombreux petits morceaux de poulet, des miettes de poisson frit, et tout le fond d'oignons et de légumes. Tout cela sentait si bon... En quelques grandes lampées, gourmandes et volontaires, il acheva de nettoyer le grand plat.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><div>– “<i>Subarashii </i>[素晴らしい, “Magnifique”] <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō !</span>” </div><div></div></div><div><br /></div></div></div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Pour leurs desserts, Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> avait préparé </span>des coupes de fruits frais, des bananes, des mangues et des beignets d'ananas rôti, ainsi que diverses sortes de <i>mochi </i>[餅, gâteaux à base de riz] et de <i>dango </i>[団子, brochettes de boulettes de <i>mochi </i>parfumées].</div></div><div> En revenant ainsi chargé de plateaux et de friandises, il se demandait pourquoi Ta<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō applaudissait leur invité. Lorsqu'il vit la lourde marmite de fonte complètement vide, et tous les plats et les bols devant </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, il posa les desserts qu'il apportait pour le prendre dans ses bras.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><div>– “<i>Omedetoo Gozaimasu </i>[おめでとうございます, “Félicitations”] <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō !</span>”</div><div><br /></div><div> Lourdement rassasié, celui-ci ne savait pas quoi répondre. </div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div>– “BUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRP...” </div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō rougit de se trouver aussi grossier, en compagnie de ses hôtes. C'était bien mal les connaître : le visage de Ta</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō s'était épanoui avec un grand sourire et </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, souriant lui aussi, en avait les larmes aux yeux.</span> </div><div><br /></div></div></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Tu as vraiment bon appétit... <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ç</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">a donne </span></span>envie !</span>”</div><div></div></div><div>– “Je n'ai pourtant pas l'habitude de manger autant, mais tu cuisines si bien... Je suis certain que vous partagez sans peine une marmite comme celle-ci.”</div><div>– “<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ç</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">a </span></span>nous prend plusieurs soirées. Surtout par ce temps-ci, en été...”</div><div>– “Même pour toi, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ?</span>”</div><div><div>– “Moi<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> ?</span>” répondit le jeune homme en riant de bon cœur. “Mais pour que j'avale tout le contenu d'une telle marmite, il faudrait que <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ta</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō me gave jusqu'à l'aube, comme un petit canard ! Je suis si heureux de voir que tu manges bien...</span>”</div><div><br /></div><div> Sans surprise, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō </span>disposa une abondance de desserts devant lui, en l'invitant à se régaler... <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō était émerveillé mais il n'avait plus faim depuis longtemps, et son estomac grondait presque autant que l'orage qui approchait.</span></div><div> En levant la tête, il croisa le regard de son jeune cuisinier blond et il se sentit soudain terriblement gêné... Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō et </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō attendaient qu'il se serve en premier, pour l'accompagner.</span></div><div><br /></div><div>– “Tu ne trouves rien à ton goût dans ces desserts ?”</div><div><div><br /></div><div> Il y avait une telle tristesse dans ces yeux verts que <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō se sentait maintenant prêt à dévorer tous ses desserts </span><span style="text-align: left;">一 </span>non seulement ceux qui venaient de lui être servis, mais aussi ceux de ses amis !</div><div><br /></div><div>– “Au contraire ! Tout a l'air si appétissant que je ne savais pas lequel dévorer en premier...”</div><div><br /></div><div> Il ne pensait pas se précipiter sur la nourriture pour autant, mais ses mains se saisirent des premiers bols à sa portée avant qu'il ait pris une décision... Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō et </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō l'observaient en souriant, avec sympathie, et ils finirent bientôt leurs desserts. Il en restait encore un peu pour lui.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Que c'est bon !” s'extasiait <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, en s'empiffrant.</span></div><div><div><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Vraiment, ça te plaît ?” lui demanda Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, qui entassait les assiettes, les bols et les plats pour les envoyer à nettoyer dans la cuisine.</span> </div><div><div><div style="text-align: justify;">– “C'est délicieux...”</div><div><div><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Et tu peux être sûr que c'est préparé avec soin...” riait <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō en allant et en venant de la cuisine avec d'autres coupes de fruits, d'autres gâteaux et d'autres friandises. </span>“Et que ça fait bien grossir !”</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></span></div></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Devant la chambre</i> 一 nuit noire</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div> <span style="text-align: left;">Pendant que </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō nettoyait la vaisselle dans la cuisine, </span>Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō préparait un thé vert pour qu'ils puissent bien digérer pendant leur sommeil.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō s'était beaucoup trop régalé. Il en était le premier surpris... Ses deux amis le félicitaient pour son appétit, mais il n'avait jamais autant mangé. Il n'avait même jamais eu l'occasion de si bien manger !</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Tu dois être fatigué, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span>.”</div><div><div><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Je tombe de sommeil...”</div><div><div><div style="text-align: justify;">– “<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō a déjà préparé ta chambre</span>. C'est tout petit, mais confortable. Si l'orage ne te dérange pas, tu devrais bien dormir.”</div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: justify;">– “<i>Domo arigatoo</i> [どうもありがとう, “Merci”], Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span>.”</div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> La chambre n'était pas très grande, en effet, mais <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;">ō songeait que son appartement tout entier aurait pu tenir entre ces quatre murs... Sur des <i>tatami</i> [畳, nattes rembourrées et assemblées en damiers sur le sol] d'une propreté impeccable, on avait posé deux <i>futon</i> [布団, matelas], l'un sur l'autre, avec divers coussins et une couverture légère. Une épaisse couverture faite de fourrures couvrait la moitié inférieure du lit.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;"> Un bâton d'encens brûlait dans un coin, sur un reposoir. Le parfum était reposant et </span>capiteux <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">dans l'obscurité. </span>Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō et </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō dormiraient dans leur chambre</span>, de l'autre côté de la paroi, juste à côté de lui.</div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> En l'invitant à disposer de sa chambre et de son lit exactement comme s'il était chez lui, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Tar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō se confia encore à </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Notre maison doit te paraître petite et modeste. <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō et moi, nous ne sommes pas policés ou civilisés. Nous n'avons pas de bonnes manières, ou de bonne éducation... Non ! nous sommes frustes et plutôt sauvages, rudes et grossiers, même un peu bêtes pour être tout-à-fait honnêtes</span>.”</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><div>– “Je n'ai vraiment pas à me plaindre de votre hospitalité.”</div><div><div>– “Nous sommes pauvres. Nous n'avons pas grand-chose à t'offrir, mais nous sommes toujours prêts à partager... C'est de bon cœur. Je pense que <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō t'apprécie autant que moi, et il se fera un plaisir de te préparer tous les plats que tu aimes et qui te mettront en appétit.</span>”</div><div><div>– “C'est vraiment très gentil...” <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō rougit en se frottant le ventre. </span>“Et je n'en doute pas, mais je crois que je ne pourrais plus rien avaler avant un bon moment... Si j'avais dû engloutir encore un beignet, je serais sur le point d'éclater comme une bulle, maintenant !”</div><div>– “Tu as besoin de te reposer... <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō a besoin de dormir aussi, pour bien digérer. Tu te sentiras mieux, demain matin, et tu devrais avoir faim !</span>”</div><div><div>– “Nous verrons bien...” soupira <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, en réprimant encore un rot.</span></div><div>– “Nous n'avons rien, ou presque rien, mais tu ne manqueras de rien.”</div></div><div><div><br /></div><div> Avant de <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">le laisser seul, </span>Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō déposa un baiser sur son front.</span></div><div><br /></div></div></div></div></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="text-align: justify;">– “</span></span><i>Oyasuminasai</i> [おやすみなさい, <span style="text-align: justify;">“Bonne nuit”] </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;">ō</span><span style="text-align: justify;">.”</span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Devant la maison, au bord du lac </i>一 nuages gris, temps de pluie</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span>Kazuō n'avait aucune envie de s'en aller si tôt et de quitter Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō et </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō lorsque ceux-ci semblaient vouloir faire plus ample connaissance</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">. L'orage avait enfin cessé </span><span style="text-align: left;">一</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> a</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">près une nuit agitée,</span><b style="text-align: left;"> </b><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">où il n'avait cessé </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">de </span>gronder, farouche, en <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">faisant trembler jusqu'aux poutres de la maison,</span> en <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">mêlant aux rumeurs du tonnerre des rugissements de fauves, des craquements et des sifflements d'incendie, des échos furieux de tremblement de terre et des clameurs </span>fantastiques, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">étourdissantes,</span> dans le roulement régulier de cymbales du feuillage comme d'immenses vagues déchirant la mer <span style="text-align: left;">一 ses nouveaux amis ne cessaient de lui fournir des raisons de rester.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div>– “Il a plu toute la nuit. Ce n'est pas prudent de s'en aller sur des pentes aussi abruptes, par ce temps...”</div><div><div>– “La pluie ne cessera pas avant un ou deux jours. Il vaut mieux rester à l'abri, et boire quelque chose de chaud.”</div><div><div>– “Malgré la pluie, le temps est lourd... Il est préférable de te reposer.”</div><div><br /></div><div> Pendant plusieurs jours, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō profita ainsi de leur hospitalité.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span>Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō et </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ne suivaient guère les conseils qu'ils lui donnaient, puisque l'un ou l'autre était souvent absent pour quelques heures, parfois pour toute la journée, parfois même toute la nuit...</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Comme il l'avait annoncé, </span>Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō partait couper et collecter du bois pour assurer le chauffage de leur maison. Il s'en allait aussi au marché, dont il revenait chargé de légumes et de fruits, de poulets, d'œufs et d'autres provisions. Au bout de trois ou quatre jours, il s'aventurait dans les bois avec son arc et chassait quelques canards ou d'autres belles pièces de gibier pour agrémenter leur ragoût quotidien.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Dans la matinée, presque tous les jours, il entraînait son compagnon dans la salle de sport qu'ils avaient aménagée entre la cuisine et la salle de bains. Elle était assez spacieuse, le sol couvert d'une couche de sable assez profonde pour amortir leur chute, encadrée par quatre chemins de planches. La pièce sentait la sueur et les feuilles de bambou séchées. </span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Il n'y avait, pour tout équipement de musculation, que des pierres plus ou moins lourdes, </span>grossièrement arro<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ndies...</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō et </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō les </span>soulevaient ou les portaient en faisant divers mouvements, lents et prudents, </span>pour se renforcer. Après ces échauffements, ils s'exerçaient à la lutte.</div><div> <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō se contentait de les observer. Il n'avait pas besoin d'arbitrer. </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō soulevait toujours des poids plus lourds que </span>Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, mais il n'arrivait pas à se saisir de son adversaire durant les combats. </span>Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, plus fin et plus vif, ne manquait jamais d'échapper à sa prise et, dans le même mouvement, d'empoigner </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō par la taille pour le renverser ou le pousser, d'un seul élan, hors du cercle dont ils ne devaient pas sortir.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Leurs combats duraient seulement trois ou quatre </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">minutes, et ils les enchaînaient presque</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">sans s'accorder la moindre pause... </span>À la fin de la matinée, une conclusion s'imposait : Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō avait remporté la victoire plus d'une quarantaine de fois ! Au moins, </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō était bon perdant. Couvert de sable et à bout de souffle, il était le premier à rire de sa maladresse. Son compagnon le prenait dans ses bras pour le réconforter.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><div>– “Il va falloir prendre encore un peu de poids, mon petit <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō !</span>”</div><div><div>– “Un peu de poids, ça ne suffira pas... Je n'ai toujours pas réussi à te soulever de terre, malgré tous mes efforts, et tu y arrives sans peine.”</div><div><div>– “Tu dois avoir faim ! Et il faut beaucoup manger pour bien t'alourdir.”</div><div><div>– “Une bonne douche, et je finis de nous préparer un bon repas !”</div><div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Malgré son allure un peu pataude, Ji</span>r<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō travaillait très dur. La cuisine, la lessive et le nettoyage avaient de quoi le tenir occupé, comme il tenait à ce que l'intérieur de la maison soit toujours </span>accueillant, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">propre et bien ordonné... Si </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō s'étonnait, lorsque le temps était à la pluie ou dans la fraîcheur du soir, de sentir les <i>tatami</i> toujours chauds et doux sous ses pieds nus, l'explication était simple.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div>– “Toute l'eau que je fais chauffer pour le bain s'écoule dans un long réseau de tuyaux qui serpentent sous le plancher. La chaleur remonte du sol... Ainsi, l'eau qui retombe dans le lac, sous le seuil de la maison, est presque aussi froide que lorsqu'elle était détournée de la cascade.”</div><div><div>– “Oh ? C'est ingénieux.”</div><div><div>– “Ce n'est pas bien malin...” <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span>r<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō </span>souriait en rougissant. “Juste un truc à moi. Et toute l'eau chaude nous sert plusieurs fois, même celle dont je me sers pour cuisiner.”</div><div><br /></div></div></div><div> En fait, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span>r<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō faisait littéralement feu de tout bois, et montrait une belle habileté dans le maniement des ressources naturelles ou des déchets... Ainsi la graisse de cuisson, des </span>écorces pelées de divers agrumes qu'il servait en dessert et la cendre du foyer lui servaient à confectionner son propre savon pour nettoyer le peu de linge dont ils disposaient, ou plus simplement à réaliser de petites bougies parfumées pour leurs lanternes de papier qu'il disposait ici et là.</div><div> Il ne restait pas toujours dans la maison, puisqu'il s'occupait d'un petit jardin potager dont il tirait surtout des pommes de terre, des oignons et des herbes aromatiques. Tous les deux ou trois jours, il s'aventurait dans les bois en fin de journée pour passer la nuit à pêcher de gros poissons de rivière qu'il ramenait dans de grands paniers, et qu'il mettait à frire ou à mijoter longuement dans leur ragoût quotidien.</div><div> Lorsqu'il revenait de pêcher, avant l'aube, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span>r<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō </span>était trempé comme une éponge et transi de froid, mais tout heureux de ses belles prises... Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō l'accueillait avec une grande serviette pour le réchauffer, et un thé vert l'attendait avec le petit-déjeuner qu'il avait préparé la veille.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō et </span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span>r<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō avaient réparti leurs </span>activités à parts égales. Pour un jeune homme volontaire<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">, </span>athlétique et affiné comme Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span>, la perspective de remporter un championnat régional ou national devait être une priorité. En s'entraînant comme il le faisait, il n'en aurait que plus de mérite.</div><div> Visiblement, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span>r<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō le soutenait dans ce projet, en participant activement à son entraînement et en l'encourageant de son mieux. En conséquence, sa principale occupation était de cuisiner pendant des heures, du matin au soir, et </span>de préparer d'énormes quantités de nourritures afin de fournir le trop-plein d'énergie dont ils avaient le plus grand besoin au quotidien.</div><div> Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō devait se forcer un peu pour manger autant, matin, midi et soir. Il montrait un bel appétit, surtout après un entraînement assez intense ou en revenant d'une de ses longues journées de chasse. Mis en conditions, il se montrait particulièrement vorace !</span></div></span></div><div> Cependant, ce n'était rien auprès de ce que <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō engloutissait durant les mêmes repas, lorsqu'ils mangeaient l'un à côté de l'autre, devant Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō. Le jeune homme blond consommait à peu près autant de légumes et de viandes que son partenaire, mais presque deux fois autant de poissons, et il faisait de beaux efforts pour manger beaucoup de riz et de nouilles sautées, en buvant beaucoup de bière pour mieux prendre du poids.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Leur attitude était toujours aussi relâchée. S'ils se tenaient droit pour manger, </span>Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō se jetait sur les plus belles pièces de poulet ou de poisson frit à sa portée. Il pouvait lui échapper un rot sonore lorsqu'il avait avalé un peu trop vite... De son côté, </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō s'empiffrait toujours autant et rotait longuement, naturellement, après une longue gorgée de bière.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><div><div>– “BUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRP...” </div><div><br /></div></div><div> <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō souriait en les voyant manger ainsi, et se remplir le ventre. Il ne se trouvait pas à plaindre, puisqu'il était servi si généreusement qu'il avalait bien deux fois plus de poissons et de viandes que </span>Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span>, à chaque repas, et que <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō lui présentait presque deux fois plus de riz qu'il n'en mangeait lui-même. Il y avait </span>encore tant de <i>sashimi</i>, de brochettes de canard et de nouilles sautées aux crevettes qu'il avait fort à faire pour les accompagner... Heureusement, il recevait encore plus de bière que ses deux compagnons n'en buvaient ensemble, pour l'aider à digérer un tel festin ! Lorsqu'il était temps de passer aux desserts, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō pouvait à peine se lever de son coussin...</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> C'était encore un divertissement que de voir </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō avaler un <i>mochi</i> après l'autre ou de pleines coupes de mangue, en </span>s'efforçant de le suivre à<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> son rythme. Enfin, lorsqu'il se déclarait</span> “bien <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">rassasié</span>”<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">, </span>Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō venait s'asseoir derrière lui et l'enveloppait doucement dans ses bras. Il portait alors une banane ou un beignet d'ananas jusqu'à ses lèvres, en l'encourageant à manger encore un peu </span><span style="text-align: left;">一 </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">et </span>encore un peu.</div><div><br /></div><div><div>– “Allez, mon petit <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, un petit effort... Mange !</span>”</div><div></div></div><div><div><div>– “Hmmmph... Hmmmph...”</div><div></div></div><div><div><div>– “Encore une banane, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō... Encore une bouchée... Encore !</span>”</div><div></div></div><div><div><div>– “Hmmmph...”</div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div>– “Et un beau gros beignet, maintenant<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> ! Ouvre grand, et avale...</span>”</div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>– “Hmmmph...”</div><div><div><div>– “C'est bien, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ! Encore un petit effort...</span>”</div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div><div>– “Hmmmph...”</div><div><div>– “Encore un beignet... Il faut que tu manges, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">...</span>”</div></div></div><div><div><div>– “Hmmmph... Hmmmph...”</div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div><div><div>– “Il faut beaucoup manger<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">, pour grossir et prendre du poids !</span>”</div></div><div><br /></div><div> <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ne pouvait s'empêcher d'être totalement captivé, même un peu admiratif, en observant comment </span>Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō gavait son partenaire de </span>beignets et de bananes. <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō se laissait faire, docilement. Il n'avait pas exagéré en déclarant à </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō que son compagnon le gavait comme un canard pour le pousser à s'épaissir et à devenir plus lourd.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><div></div></div></div><div>– “Tu devrais prendre exemple sur <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, qui a si bon appétit</span>...”</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div></span></div></span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Dans la maison </i>一 plein soleil </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō faisait la sieste, en écoutant les </span><i>semi </i>paresseuses [蝉, cigales du Japon] bercées dans les branches des arbres doucement agitées par le vent, buvant la rosée des feuilles et se prélassant au soleil en chantant de l'aurore au crépuscule.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> En étendant ses jambes et ses bras, il avait la satisfaction de ne pas atteindre les bords de ses couvertures. Elles sentaient bon. <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō les avait déjà nettoyées et changées trois fois, depuis la première nuit qu'il avait passée dans cette chambre. Il éprouvait un sentiment de bien-être qui le faisait sourire et soupirer.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> La maison où vivaient </span>Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō et </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō était petite et toute en longueur mais si bien agencée, si confortable que </span>Kazuō souhaitait ne jamais la quitter. Il en connaissait toutes les pièces, en-dehors de la cuisine et du foyer attenant, dans le flanc de la montagne... La salle d'entraînement était aussi devenue son espace de jeu depuis qu'il accompagnait ses amis pendant leurs échauffements, chaque matin. Il se contentait encore de les observer, lorsqu'ils luttaient, mais Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō semblait bien disposé à le prendre pour adversaire dans de futurs combats, pendant que </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō serait occupé à leur préparer un repas consistant et très copieux.</span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō encourageait </span>Kazuō à s'exercer pour prendre des forces, à bien manger, à se régaler sans retenue, à boire beaucoup de bière et à se reposer longuement après chaque repas... L'une de ses priorités devait être de bien dormir, pendant la nuit, malgré la chaleur de ces longues soirées d'été, malgré les rumeurs parfois persistantes des orages et de la cascade, ou malgré les cris des bêtes sauvages qui pouvaient rôder de l'autre côté du lac. Lorsqu'il avait fini de s'entraîner, il n'avait aucune tâche domestique à effectuer, ni aucun travail en-dehors de la maison.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Depuis combien de jours était-il leur invité ? Peut-être deux semaines... Peut-être un mois... Ou davantage ? Il n'aurait su le dire... Cependant, Kazuō avait le sentiment d'avoir fait quelques progrès remarquables, en leur compagnie. Et il se sentait heureux et fier de ces progrès.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> En se promenant dans la maison, simplement vêtu de son <i>kimono</i> court repassé à neuf, légèrement parfumé aux écorces de mandarine, Kazuō savourait l'atmosphère paisible de la pièce principale, ouverte sur le lac inondé de soleil. À cette heure silencieuse, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō devait encore être occupé en cuisine, ou quelque part dans le jardin, et Ta</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō était parti couper du bois, comme à son habitude.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō avait disposé des coupes remplies de </span>bananes, de mangues et de noix de coco coupées en dés et couvertes de miel, d'ananas rôtis et de sorbets parfumés aux baies sauvages, où Kazuō était invité à se servir largement. Il y avait même, au lieu du traditionnel bouquet de fleurs, un grand plat de beignets des plus appétissants placé dans le <i>tokonoma </i>[<span style="font-size: 11pt;">床の間</span>, petite alcôve décorative, au plancher surélevé].</div></div></div></div></span></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div></div></span></div></span></div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd4xAl-cYJxtWVKF0LJ29HtRPuzKJdjo-rmoZToWns71KdNGsEA6cL4W00PflBvjpcMge8470CJZVr4gfXxsnyvcA4wTWb6J9DAiHyA7Jxtg2wbTLDWBGFgN-Xz5RS4bU5rHpWEJ6bzEWpUjRVOrJ8E1IK2_UhdyWLdy-HggXl1SiRi8n_HxeH9qyvdQ/s1936/13%20Kazuo%20gros.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1482" data-original-width="1936" height="490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd4xAl-cYJxtWVKF0LJ29HtRPuzKJdjo-rmoZToWns71KdNGsEA6cL4W00PflBvjpcMge8470CJZVr4gfXxsnyvcA4wTWb6J9DAiHyA7Jxtg2wbTLDWBGFgN-Xz5RS4bU5rHpWEJ6bzEWpUjRVOrJ8E1IK2_UhdyWLdy-HggXl1SiRi8n_HxeH9qyvdQ/w640-h490/13%20Kazuo%20gros.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="text-align: justify;">Kazuō</span><span style="text-align: justify;"> avait bien changé. Ce n'était plus le jeune employé de ministère frêle et inquiet, qui s'était perdu dans les bois. Sa barbe avait poussé, abondante et bien taillée, plus sombre que celle de </span>Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō. </span>Il lui semblait qu'il avait un peu grandi... Assurément, il s'était bien épaissi et renforcé.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Entouré d'attentions et de soins, entraîné avec les encouragements de ses amis, nourri en abondance et uniquement occupé à dormir, toute la nuit et tout l'après-midi, <span>Kazuō</span><span> avait bien profité. Il avait pris du poids et du muscle sans perdre de sa souplesse. Même son appétit s'affirmait un peu plus, de jour en jour.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span> Il s'épanouissait dans cette nouvelle vie avec ses deux camarades. </span>Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō veillait sur lui et lui massait le dos sous la douche après avoir lutté toute la matinée, en s'assurant qu'il ne prenait jamais de risques pour ne pas se blesser pendant ces exercices. Et Ji</span>r<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, qui était la douceur même, le régalait généreusement de toutes sortes de plats, tous plus savoureux et plus nourrissants les uns que les autres.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span><span>Kazuō</span><span> n'était pas à plaindre, dans cet environnement confortable, sain, dynamique et chaleureux... Il était admirablement bien traité ! C'était un plaisir pour lui de se montrer reconnaissant, dans la salle d'entraînement avec </span>Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō et lors des repas que préparait </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span>r<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Sa prise de masse intéressait </span>Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, qui s'amusait à le </span>soulever parfois, et à le prendre dans ses bras pour le porter en faisant plusieurs fois le tour de leur salle de lutte, dans le sable ou sur le chemin de planches.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Alors que </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span>r<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō était obligé de s'empiffrer, midi et soir, en se forçant à engloutir le plus possible de légumes, de poissons et de viandes, jusqu'à une douzaine de bols de riz ou de nouilles sautées avec de la sauce, et en buvant six chopes de bière pour favoriser sa prise de poids, </span><span>Kazuō</span><span> ne faisait que savourer ce qu'il avalait, sans aucun effort,</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">et</span> pourtant c'était lui qui grossissait le plus naturellement, de jour en jour, en prenant de la masse musculaire et en s'arrondissant nettement...</div><div><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Quelle chance tu as, <span>Kazuō</span><span> ! J'aimerais pouvoir en faire autant</span>.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Il me semble que tu as un peu grossi aussi, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span>r<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span>.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Le jeune homme blond, un peu essoufflé, caressait son ventre rond.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Ce n'est rien du tout... Je ne suis pas encore assez dodu. Et pourtant, je fais de mon mieux pour me servir copieusement et bien manger !”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div>– “C'est vrai. Tu manges bien autant de riz que moi.”</div><div><div>– “Et je bois presque autant de bière...”</div><div><div>– “<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span>r<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō a raison</span>.” interrompit Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō. </span>“Ce n'est pas suffisant ! Il faut finir tes desserts, avant d'aller dormir. Viens dans mes bras, mon petit <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span>r<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, pour que je te gave...</span>”</div><div><br /></div><div> En souriant mais en soupirant, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span>r<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō vint </span>se placer confortablement dans les bras de son compagnon, entouré de grands plats remplis de bananes et de beignets... Il y avait tout un assortiment de desserts savoureux pour <span>Kazuō, mais </span>Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō s'en tenait à des fruits et des gâteaux lourdement nourrissants pour son partenaire.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><div><div><div>– “Un petit effort, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō... Avale !</span>”</div><div></div></div><div><div><div>– “Hmmmph...”</div><div></div></div><div><div><div>– “Encore un beignet<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">... Encore un autre, </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">... Encore !</span>”</div><div></div></div><div><div><div>– “Hmmmph...”</div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div>– “Encore un peu, mon petit <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ! Encore une banane...</span>”</div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div><div>– “Hmmmph... Hmmmph...”</div></div><div><div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div>– “Il faut que tu manges beaucoup, beaucoup, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō... Ah ! si tu mangeais comme </span>Kazuō, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">pour prendre du poids et devenir... bien en chair !</span>”</div><div><div><div><div>– “Hmmmph ! je vais faire un effort...” souriait <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, la bouche pleine.</span></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div></div><div><div><br /></div><div> Repu et gavé à point, le ventre rond comme une boule de <i>mochi</i>, il prit les bols, les assiettes, les plats et les plateaux vides pour les nettoyer dans la cuisine. Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō préparait un thé noir.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><div>– “Nous allons nous reposer une heure ou deux, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō et moi, </span>mais nous partirons chasser dans la forêt lorsque la nuit sera plus avancée.”</div><div><div>– “Cette nuit ?”</div><div><div>– “Oui, nous avons besoin de nous fournir en viandes... Avec un peu de chance, nous arriverons à prendre un cerf ou un sanglier.”</div><div><br /></div><div> <span>Kazuō</span><span> admirait la détermination de </span>Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō. Le vent s'était levé. La nuit serait très froide, dans les bois... Les rumeurs menaçantes du feuillage se mêlaient aux murmures de la cascade et de l'eau courante, lorsqu'ils entendirent Ji</span>r<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō pousser un rot très long, résonnant et rassasié, qui les fit sourire. Son compagnon avait disposé deux tasses pour le thé.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><div>– “Malgré ces rumeurs hostiles, tâche de bien dormir, cette nuit. Nous ne serons pas rentrés aussi tôt que d'habitude... C'est une nuit de pleine lune, et nous devons ramener de quoi manger pour les prochains jours. Il faut rester prudents. Il y a des bêtes sauvages qui rôdent... Surtout, reste confortablement bordé dans ton lit et ne t'inquiète de rien, même si nous sommes absents.”</div><div><div>– “D'accord.”</div><div><div>– “Cela nous rassure, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō et moi, de savoir que tu es dans la maison</span>. Nous avons toujours été inquiets lorsque nous la laissions vide...”</div><div><div>– “<i>Wakarimashita </i>[わかりました, “j'ai compris”].”</div><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div><br /></div><div> Bien repu, rassasié, <span>Kazuō</span><span> ne demandait pas mieux que d'aller dormir.</span></div><div><span> En voyant </span>Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō </span>verser le thé noir pour son compagnon, il songea que ce devait être un mélange spécial pour les tenir éveillés toute la nuit... Une pensée lui vint alors, sans qu'il y ait songé.</div><div><br /></div><div>– “Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ?</span>”</div><div><div>– “Oui<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> ?</span>”</div><div><div>– “Tu trouves que je mange de bon appétit, n'est-ce pas<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> ?</span>”</div><div><div><div>– “Oh ! oui...<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Et je trouve cela vraiment admirable.</span>”</div><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div>– “<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span>r<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō </span>mange de bon appétit, lui aussi.”</div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>– “Bien sûr ! Il aime beaucoup s'empiffrer... Mais tu vois qu'il a besoin de manger encore beaucoup plus, beaucoup plus, pour prendre du poids et s'épaissir comme il faut<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">. C'est triste que nous en soyons réduits à devoir le gaver comme un petit canard pour qu'il grossisse un peu !</span>”</div><div><div>– “En effet...” <span>Kazuō</span><span> approuvait, en hochant la tête.</span> “Mais si cela devait m'arriver, par exemple, si je n'arrivais plus à prendre de poids malgré tous ces bons petits plats dont vous me nourrissez si généreusement, est-ce que...”</div><div><div>– “Oui<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> ?</span>”</div><div><div>– “Est-ce que tu me gaverais aussi, comme<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span>r<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">?</span>”</div><div></div></div><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div>– “Bien sûr...” répondit Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō,</span> avec un sourire complice.</div><div><br /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Devant la maison</i> 一 matinée ensoleillée</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><br style="text-align: justify;" /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="text-align: justify;">Ta</span><span style="text-align: justify;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;">ō n'avait pas menti en annonçant que la nuit serait agitée. Le vent sifflait et s'exaspérait dans les branches... Il lui semblait avoir entendu jusqu'à des hurlements de loups, au cœur de la tourmente. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;"> Douillettement allongé sous des couvertures épaisses et soyeuses, en se reposant contre des coussins moelleux, il avait laissé sa lanterne de papier s'éteindre et il s'était endormi.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Tout était calme lorsqu'il se leva, dans la matinée. Le petit lac miroitait, sous un ciel doucement nuageux. Le paysage était verdoyant et respirait la fraîcheur. Seul dans la maison, <span>Kazuō</span><span> restait nu pour aller et venir à son aise d'une pièce à l'autre... Pourquoi songea-t-il alors à ses anciens vêtements, qu'il avait laissés accrochés dehors ?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span> Ils étaient suspendus à une corde à linge mais, à la grande surprise de </span><span>Kazuō, ses </span>vêtements <span>étaient </span>en lambeaux, avec des traces de griffes et de crocs, comme s'ils avaient été lacérés par des bêtes fauves...<br /></div></div></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></span></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div><span style="text-align: justify;">– “Encore déchirés ? Décidément, je n'ai plus rien à me mettre !”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: justify;"><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span> </span>Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō l'avait mis en garde contre l</span>es loups qui pouvaient rôder dans ces bois... <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō haussa les épaules et prit le premier <i>kimono </i>qu'il trouva. Il éprouvait avec satisfaction que le tissu le serrait un peu autour des bras et dans le dos. Puis il s'assit à sa place pour son petit-déjeuner.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Ji</span>r<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō avait bien fait les choses, comme toujours. Il y avait suffisamment de nourriture, bien appétissante, pour le tenir occupé jusqu'à leur retour de la chasse... </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō se régalait en soupirant, avec gourmandise, et en avalant de grandes bouchées, avec voracité !</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Il les entendit revenir, alors que le soleil était déjà haut dans le ciel.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> La nuit avait dû être rude, en effet... Ils étaient tout maculés de terre, avec des brins d'herbes et des feuilles dans les cheveux, et tout luisants de sueur. </span>Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō avait l'air d'un guerrier qui n'aurait pas cessé de se battre, seul contre une troupe de mercenaires armés jusqu'aux dents... Il était légèrement blessé, mais le sang qui le couvrait n'était visiblement pas le sien, et il portait deux couples de canards pendus à son cou.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Ji</span>r<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō n'était pas en reste. Avec son <i>kimono</i> boueux, largement ouvert, il avait l'air d'un lutteur plus imposant que son compagnon, qu'il suivait en titubant un peu et tout ruisselant, tant il transpirait : il portait un grand cerf sur son dos. La bête était magnifique. Elle devait peser très lourd !</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Nous avons eu de la chance...” dit-il, en reprenant son souffle. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Quelle nuit !” soupirait Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, en posant son arc sur le seuil.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><span><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><div><div><div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Mais quelle belle prise ! Lorsque nous aurons dépecé ce cerf, il faudra que je le découpe avec soin et je le mettrai à mijoter longuement pour nos prochains ragoûts...”</div></div></div></span></span></span></span></div></span></div></div></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></span></span></div></div></span></div></span></div></div></div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><span><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><div><div><div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Nous n'aurons plus besoin de chasser pendant un bon mois.”</div></div></div></span></span></span></span></div></span></div></div></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></span></span></div></div></span></div></span></div></div></div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Et lorsque nous aurons mangé toute cette bonne viande, nos ventres seront bien remplis !” ajouta <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span>r<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō en souriant et en passant sa langue sur ses lèvres. </span>“C'était un grand et jeune mâle. Sa chair doit être tendre et entrelardée à point. J'espère que tout ça nous tiendra bien au corps...”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ne doutait pas qu'il en recevrait une bonne part. Tous les efforts de </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span>r<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō </span>pour prendre du poids ne le rendaient pas moins généreux, ou moins disposé à partager toute la nourriture qu'il préparait. Au contraire. Il admirait l'appétit de <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, et il se montrait toujours </span>désireux de le régaler jusqu'à la plus complète satiété.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō n'avait même pas besoin d'insister ou de lui suggérer de resservir largement leur ami, lors des repas. </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span>r<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō était la gentillesse même, et il ne manquait pas d'inviter </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō à lui montrer comment il fallait s'y prendre pour mieux se remplir la panse, </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">s'arrondir et </span>s'empâter.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div>– “BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRP...” </div><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Comme tu manges bien, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ! C'est un vrai plaisir</span>.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– “C'est un plaisir...” confirmait Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, avec un sourire amusé</span>.</div></div></div></span></span></span></span></span></div></span></div></div></span></span></div></div></span></div></span></div></div></div><div><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div></span></span></span></span></span></div></span></div></div></span></span></div></div></span></div></span></div></div></div></div></div></span></span></span></span></span></div></span></div></div></span></span></div></div></span></div></span></div></div></span></div></div></span></div></div></span></span></div></div></div></div></span></div></span></div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Devant la salle de lutte </i>一 journée paisible</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div> Kazu<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">était heureux de voir ses amis prendre un peu de repos, bien mérité, en les voyant se frotter le dos ou se tenir doucement enlacés sous la cascade. Ils tombaient de sommeil...</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span>r<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō eut fort à faire, p</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">endant plusieurs jours, pour </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">préparer un ragoût riche et savoureux, dont ils se régalaient en se servant copieusement et en s'empiffrant sans aucune retenue. Cependant, il devait encore passer plusieurs jours et nuits dehors, pour pêcher de beaux poissons dans la rivière et sur le grand lac, au cœur de la forêt</span>. Leur consommation était naturellement plus importante, depuis qu'ils étaient trois à vivre sous le même toit...</div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> En son absence, </span><span>Tar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō et </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō avaient tout le temps pour s'entraîner. Tous les matins étaient consacrés à leurs échauffements, à des exercices de force et de souplesse, avant de passer plusieurs heures à la lutte.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō avait suffisamment progressé pour affronter </span><span>Tar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō. Il se sentait même assez fort, et assez lourd, pour faire le premier mouvement et </span>le provoquer parfois en combat singulier.</div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “N'allons pas trop vite...”</span> recommandait <span>Tar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, prudemment. </span>“Je suis heureux de te voir si bien disposé à la lutte. Tu t'es bien épaissi et bien renforcé, mais il ne faudrait pas te blesser.”</div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Qu'est-ce qui te fait peur ? Que je te soulève ou que je t'écrase ?”</span></div></div></span></span></span></span></div></span></span></div></span></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCjUzhV26eNpBXnahJnSwFyWx2CNGRGZxnZJRmX01kEdqk2emL_cZzg_bOK80pRgPCd9Qio6eKB0ji8rMM7CZbxn_WuHhYL3Oi85xZK2_RFE5zBxHJO60GcB9u3dQ1kq2BBEZIF0Xqsxgvv6pwNUT06SDTsOcTCNAjsFEKl_s_V1NjglDeTXArxtU2lQ/s1500/14%20Taro%20et%20Kazuo.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="984" data-original-width="1500" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCjUzhV26eNpBXnahJnSwFyWx2CNGRGZxnZJRmX01kEdqk2emL_cZzg_bOK80pRgPCd9Qio6eKB0ji8rMM7CZbxn_WuHhYL3Oi85xZK2_RFE5zBxHJO60GcB9u3dQ1kq2BBEZIF0Xqsxgvv6pwNUT06SDTsOcTCNAjsFEKl_s_V1NjglDeTXArxtU2lQ/w640-h420/14%20Taro%20et%20Kazuo.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="text-align: left;">Le ragoût de cerf préparé par </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span>r<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō devait faire merveille, sans oublier les innombrables petits plats dont il était accompagné, appétissants et nourrissants. Depuis quelques jours, </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō se sentait bien appesanti et empâté. Il avait pris du ventre, et il commençait à engraisser. Il était fier de ces nouveaux progrès, si imposants pour son adversaire.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Si tu n'essaies pas de me soulever, c'est moi qui vais te renverser !”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span>Tar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ne demandait pas mieux que d'être invité à se dépasser ainsi.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Après avoir mené plusieurs combats, où </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō restait dominé mais ne se laissait pas aisément terrasser, ils reprirent leurs </span>exercices... Tout en portant de lourdes pierres, à bout de bras, ils faisaient le tour de la salle en marchant comme des canards ou en se relevant avec précautions. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">– “Tu soulèves des pierres de plus en plus lourdes !” appréciait </span></span><span>Tar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō. </span>“Je suis impressionné... Dans quelques semaines, tu soulèveras celles que Ji<span>r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō utilise pour son entraînement</span>.”</div></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: justify;">– “J'espère bien !”</span></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: justify;">– “Tu commences à devenir bien lourd, aussi...”</span></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Les deux jeunes hommes soufflaient et transpiraient à grosses gouttes, tant leurs mouvements étaient éprouvants, intenses et répétés... <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō avait faim et soif. Autour d'eux, la chaleur devenait étouffante.</span></div></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: justify;">– “Oui, je sens que j'ai pris du poids.”</span></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: justify;">– “Et tu le portes bien.”</span></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Je n'ai jamais fait beaucoup de sport ou d'activités physiques. C'est étonnant de se trouver ainsi plus musclé, plus épais, plus lourd...”</div></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: justify;">– “Et plus gras !”</span></span></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">– “</span></span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ç</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">a...” répondit </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō en riant. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“C'est parce que vous me nourrissez si généreusement. J'ai l'impression de grossir un peu plus, chaque jour !”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Tu sais comme ça nous fait plaisir. Jir</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">ō apprécie de te voir manger ses bons petits plats, de si bon appétit. Tu peux en profiter encore...</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: justify;">– “Ses bons petits plats le font bien grossir, lui aussi !”</span></span></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">– “Oui...” répondit </span></span><span>Tar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō en soupirant, avant de déposer sa pierre dans le sable. </span>“Il a fait de beaux efforts, récemment. C'est vrai. Il a pris un peu de poids, et un peu d'embonpoint... Je suis vraiment fier de lui, mais il a besoin de grossir beaucoup plus ! Il doit manger <i>beaucoup</i> plus.”</div></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: left;"></div></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></span></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span></span><span>Tar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō n'avait pas tort. Pendant plus d'une semaine, </span>Jirō avait fait de son mieux pour engloutir d'énormes quantités de nourriture et se remplir la panse plus que de raison, en suivant l'exemple de <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō. Et chaque soir, en fin de repas, </span><span>Tar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō l'avait gavé avec soin </span><span style="text-align: left;">一</span> avec ménagements mais sans relâche, jusqu'à ce qu'il se trouve repu à la limite de l'éclatement !</div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Il n'en fallait pas moins pour le faire progresser.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span>À la fin d'une semaine, en suivant un tel régime, Jirō se tenait droit sur ses jambes, avec ses cuisses puissantes et ses fesses bien rebondies, en caressant son ventre avec soulagement... Il se trouvait récompensé de le trouver un peu plus lourd, un peu plus tendre et un peu plus rondelet entre ses mains. Il en soupirait avec un sourire rêveur.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: justify;">– “C'est grâce à toi, s'il a pris du poids comme ça.”</span></span></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">– “Grâce à moi ?” riait </span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, non sans éprouver une satisfaction toute particulière à l'idée qu'il avait peut-être joué un rôle, en effet.</span> “Je dirais plutôt que c'est grâce à ce ragoût de cerf qu'il a préparé, si savoureux et si gras ! Il cuisine si bien, il a raison de s'en régaler autant...”</div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">– “</span></span>Jirō n'est pas du genre à se vanter. Il a le don pour préparer des plats qui devraient <span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">nous faire tous grossir à vue d'œil... et qui ne lui profitent même pas ! I</span></span>l faut l'encourager, vraiment, et le forcer encore pour qu'il prenne du poids et une belle bedaine bien ronde comme il le souhaite.”</div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: justify;">– “Alors tu peux compter sur moi !”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Assis dans le sable, les deux jeunes hommes échangèrent un regard. Ils avaient chaud. Ils avaient soif <span style="text-align: left;">一 e</span>t ils avaient <i>faim</i>...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Tu penses à lui, en ce moment ?”</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Bien sûr. Et je m'inquiète pour lui.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Jirō doit pouvoir se défendre...” </div><div></div></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: justify;">– “Oui, mais je n'aime pas le savoir loin de la maison. C'est comme ça.”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span></span><span style="text-align: justify;">Tar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;">ō posa doucement sa main sur l'épaule de </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;">ō.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><div>– “Nous avons besoin de prendre une bonne douche. Et puis, nous avons besoin de bien manger, pour reprendre des forces.”</div><div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><div>– “Oui...”</div><div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><div>– “Et puis, tu auras besoin de bien dormir, pour bien grossir.”</div><div><div>– “Oui... J'ai faim !”</div><div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: justify;"></span></span></div></div></div></span></span></div></div></span></span></div></div></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><div>– “Et lorsque tu seras couché... Que dirais-tu si je venais te masser le dos, pour bien te détendre ?”</div><div><br /></div><div> <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō rougit lorsque </span><span>Tar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō le prit doucement dans ses bras.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div>– “Oui...” murmura-t-il sans réfléchir. “Oui...”</div><div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: justify;"></span></span></div></div></span><div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: justify;"></span></span></div></div></div></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><i>Dans la chambre </i>一 après-midi, dans l'obscurité</div><div><br /></div></div></div></span></div></span></div></div></div></span></div></span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Le repas, toujours aussi copieux, avait été rapidement expédié... <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ne s'était jamais empiffré aussi voracement ! </span><span>Tar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō avait commencé à lui masser le dos et les épaules sous la cascade </span><span style="text-align: left;">一 </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">puis les jeux de mains et les caresses n'avaient plus cessé, depuis la salle de bain jusqu'à la pièce principale, autour du repas. Les bouchées et les baisers se succédaient à vive allure. Les plats et les bols se vidaient comme de la neige fond en plein soleil. </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō dévorait absolument tout ce qui se trouvait de bon à manger à sa portée. Tout était absolument délicieux... </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Enfin, </span><span>Tar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō était venu s'asseoir derrière lui, sur son invitation, et l'avait gavé de desserts jusqu'à ce qu'il n'en reste plus une miette.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Que c'était bon !” gémissait </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div>– “Oui, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span>...”</div><div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: justify;"></span></span></div></div></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Et que c'est bon d'être gavé ! Je me sens si bien repu et rassasié...”</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Tu as bien mangé...” </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span> Tar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō </span>murmurait à son oreille, avant de le faire frémir avec un baiser dans le cou. Puis il caressa son gros ventre rempli à bloc. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Et tu vas bien grossir !”</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div>– “Oui...”</div><div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: justify;"></span></span></div></div></span></div></div></div></span></div></span></div><div><div>– “Et prendre du poids... Beaucoup de poids.”</div><div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: justify;"></span></span></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div>– “Oui...”</div><div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: justify;"></span></span></div></div></span></div></div></div></span></div></span></div><div></div></div></div></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><div><br /></div><div> <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō se laissait faire... Il se sentait parfaitement comblé </span><span style="text-align: left;">一</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> à tel point qu'en fermant les yeux il se croyait presque léger, flottant au loin comme un nuage sur les eaux.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Il ne rêvait pas : </span><span>Tar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō le portait dans ses bras jusqu'à sa chambre. En déposant </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">doucement sur son lit, le beau jeune homme brun laissa ses doigts caresser sa barbe toute récente </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">et </span>ses lèvres se posèrent sur les siennes pour un long baiser.</div><div><br /></div><div>– <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">“<i>Dai suki da yo </i></span></span><span style="text-align: left;">[</span>大好き だよ<span style="text-align: left;">, </span><span>“Je t'aime”] </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span>...”</span></div></span></span></div></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><i>Sur le balcon, la forêt à perte de vue</i> 一 clair de lune</div><div><br /></div></div></div></span></div></span></div></div></div></span></div></span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"> Jir</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-GB">ō avait ramené quatre grands paniers de poissons. Cette belle pêche lui avait demandé plus d'efforts et de patience qu'il ne l'aurait souhaité. Il était pâle, épuisé, encore trempé, avec les lèvres glacées... De leur côté, </span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Tar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō et </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō </span>n'avaient pas vu le temps passer.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “J'imagine que vous n'avez fait que lutter toute la journée, sans moi.”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Les deux beaux garçons bruns rougissaient, en espérant que <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ne remarquerait pas qu'ils avaient un peu délaissé leur entraînement pour d'autres activités, non moins physiques.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div>– “Alors vous devez avoir faim... Et moi aussi, j'ai besoin de manger !”</div><div><br /></div><div> En peu de temps, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō reprit ses marques dans la cuisine, et les repas reprirent leur cours </span><span style="text-align: left;">一</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> toujours aussi savoureux, et toujours </span>un peu <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">plus copieux... </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō était quelque peu gêné, lorsqu'il le servait encore trop généreusement et l'encourageait à se régaler avec un grand sourire.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> L'attitude de Ta</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō lui donnait à réfléchir. Toujours calme, maître de soi, il avait aussi repris sa place auprès de </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō et le traitait comme si aucun incident fâcheux n'avait eu lieu pendant son absence... </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō n'en était que mieux nourri, et couvert de caresses lors des repas.</span></div><div><br /></div><div>– “Tu as bien grossi, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō..</span>.” admirait <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, tout en s'empiffrant.</span></div><div><div>– “Tu as raison !” confirma Ta<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, malicieusement. </span>“Il a pris du ventre, et il <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">mange de mieux en mieux, depuis quelques jours</span>. Prends exemple sur lui pour reprendre du poids...”</div><div>– “Oh ! j'ai bien l'intention de me remplir la panse...”</div></div><div><br /></div><div> Pendant plusieurs jours, Ta<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō fut aux petits soins avec </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō. Il l'entourait de câlins et lui procurait de bons massages revigorants. Il se montrait toujours exigeant lors des échauffements et des exercices d'agilité, de force ou de souplesse, mais il le laissait passer la moitié de la matinée dans la cuisine pendant qu'il affrontait </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō à la lutte... La complicité entre eux était toujours aussi remarquable.</span></div><div> Surtout, Ta<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō poussait son compagnon à manger comme quatre, plus que jamais ! </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō était un </span>“bon vivant”, naturellement athlétique et bien “enveloppé”. Il portait admirablement son poids... Il n'avait pas tardé à reprendre son bel embonpoint, qui avait quelque peu fondu en passant ses nuits dehors, et il faisait de son mieux pour s'empiffrer de viandes et de poissons afin de prendre encore un peu de poids et de ventre.</div><div> À la fin de chaque repas, Ta<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō le prenait dans ses bras, tendrement, pour le réconforter et lui murmurer quelques mots d'encouragements à l'oreille. Puis, lorsque </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō se sentait plus détendu, il le gavait de beignets et de bananes jusqu'à ce que le beau garçon blond ne puisse plus rien avaler... </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō en était presque jaloux, en le voyant mis à l'épreuve</span>.</div><div><br /></div><div><div><div><div>– “Encore<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> un petit effort, </span>mon petit <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">... Mange !</span>”</div><div></div></div><div><div><div>– “Hmmmph... Hmmmph...”</div><div></div></div><div><div><div>– “Encore une banane, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō... Encore un beau gros beignet... Encore !</span>”</div><div></div></div><div>– “Hmmmph... Hmmmph...”</div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div>– “C'est bien... Je suis fier de toi. Il faut beaucoup manger<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">, pour prendre du poids et faire s'arrondir ton ventre !</span>”</div><div><div><div>– “Hmmmph...”</div><div><div>– “Mais dis-moi, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ?</span>” suggéra Ta<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, comme si de rien n'était. </span>“<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō a encore un peu de place dans son estomac... </span>Ne penses-tu pas que <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">nous devrions le gaver, lui aussi, pour qu'il soit parfaitement rempli à point ?</span>”</div><div><br /></div><div> Ce fut comme un coup de foudre, qui fit sortir <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō de sa torpeur.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><div>– “<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ? Mais comment n'y ai-je pas songé... Je suis impardonnable !</span>”</div><div><br /></div></div><div> Sans qu'il ait eu le temps de comprendre pourquoi ni comment, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō se trouva soudain entouré par ses deux amis et quatre grands plats de desserts. </span>À tour de rôle, Ta<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō et Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō consacrèrent le reste de la soirée à le gaver, en l'encourageant à se régaler sans aucune retenue...</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><div>– “Encore<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> un petit effort, </span>mon petit <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span>... Mange ! Mange !</span>”</div><div><div>– “Hmmmph... Hmmmph...”</div><div><div><div><div><div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></span></div><div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> La nuit était claire. La pleine lune d'été resplendissait. Pendant que <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō était occupé à nettoyer la vaisselle, </span>Ta<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō se rapprocha de </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō pour lui tâter le ventre et lui confier ses sentiments.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Tu as bien mangé, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span>.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><div><div>– “Je suis tellement repu... Je vais éclater !”</div><div><div><div><div><div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></span></div><div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><div><div>– “<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō a bien mangé, lui aussi</span>... Maintenant, il a besoin de se reposer.”</div><div><div><div><div><div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></span></div><div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><div><div>– “Oui...”</div><div><div><div><div><div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></span></div><div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><div><div>– “Nous allons le faire boire, et il va bien dormir.”</div><div><div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><div><div>– “Boire ? À cette heure-ci ?”</div><div><div><div><div><div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></span></div><div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></span></div><div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><div><div>– “Par ce beau temps, sous la pleine lune, il ne demandera pas mieux...”</div><div><div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><div><div>– “Tu veux qu'il boive encore de la bière ?”</div><div><div><div><div><div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></span></div><div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div></div></span></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><div><div>– “Beaucoup de bière...”</div><div><div><div><div><div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></span></div><div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div></div></span></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></span></div><div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div></div></span></div></div></div></div><div><br /></div><div> Comme il l'avait prévu, Ta<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō n'eut qu'à suggérer à son compagnon que la nuit était claire, et combien la lune était belle. </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō disposa trois belles nattes, avec des coussins et une lanterne sur le balcon.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div>– “C'est vrai. La lune est très belle, cette nuit.”</div><div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: justify;"></span></span></div></div></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></div></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div>– “C'est une occasion à célébrer !”</div><div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: justify;"></span></span></div></div></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></div></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div>– “Moi, je n'ai plus faim...” s'empressa de dire <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span>.</div><div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: justify;"></span></span></div></div></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></div></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div>– “Moi non plus...” soupira <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō en caressant son ventre douloureusement tendu et arrondi. </span>“J'ai bien mangé, je me sens lourd ! Je crois même que je ne pourrais plus rien avaler pour aujourd'hui...”</div><div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: justify;"></span></span></div></div></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></div></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><div><div>– “Tu pourrais toujours boire un peu.”</div><div><div><div><div><div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></span></div><div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div></div></span></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></span></div><div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div></div></span></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><div><div>– “Du thé vert ? Si vous en souhaitez...”</div><div><div><div><div><div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></span></div><div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div></div></span></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></span></div><div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div></div></span></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><div><div>– “Mais non, pas du thé... De la bière !”</div><div><div><div><div><div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></span></div><div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div></div></span></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></span></div><div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div></div></span></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><div><div>– “Si tu y tiens...”</div><div><div><div><div><div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></span></div><div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div></div></span></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></span></div><div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div></div></span></div></div></div></div><div><br /></div><div> Ta<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō fit un clin d'œil en direction de </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, lorsque </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō apporta trois grandes chopes presque </span>débordantes <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">de mousse. En peu de temps, le jeune homme blond avait déjà vidé sa chope, à longs traits. Cependant, tout en participant distraitement à la conversation, il ne s'apercevait pas que </span>Ta<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō et </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō versaient de temps en temps tout le contenu de leurs chopes dans la sienne...</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Lorsqu'il eut fini de boire, </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō lui proposa de servir une deuxième tournée. Sans attendre, </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō se rendit à la cuisine et revint avec plus de bière pour ses amis.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><div><div>– “C'est bien, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span>... Maintenant, bois !”</div><div><div><div><div><div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></span></div><div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div></div></span></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></span></div><div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div></div></span></div></div></div></div><div><div>– “Hmmmph...” soupira le jeune homme en s'exécutant.</div><div></div></div></div></div><div><div>– “Une bonne bière comme celle-ci, ça te fera bien grossir !”</div><div><br /></div><div> La lune était très haute dans le ciel. <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō tenait bien l'alcool, mais </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō le voyait s'appesantir et s'assoupir lorsqu'il restait assis un moment... La discussion restait animée, vive et très enjouée. Soudain, le beau garçon blond se redressa et bondit presque sur le balcon, où il se mit à effectuer des mouvements lents et souples </span><span style="text-align: left;">一</span> comme une danse ondoyante...</div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Il était ivre, et il était presque nu, mais il riait en chantant d'une voix grave et chaude, dont la douceur ne retirait rien à son caractère mâle et vigoureusement affirmé. <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span> improvisait un poème traditionnel pour son ami </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō,</span> dansant et chantant devant lui.</div></div></div></div></div></span></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"> <i>Dans la nuit d'été</i>,</div><div style="text-align: left;"> <i>je roule </i>一<i> rempli comme une</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"> <i>outre, à satiété </i>一</div><div style="text-align: left;"> <i>le ventre plein de la lune,</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"> <i>éclatante de santé</i> 一</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> En le voyant danser ainsi, sans éventail ni vêtements, </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> ne savait pas quoi répondre... Alors qu'il essayait de lui adresser au moins un mot de compliment, il se trouva réduit à roter bruyamment.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div>– “BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRP...” </div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span>Ta<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ne pouvait pas s'empêcher de rire mais </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, encore un peu ivre, semblait vraiment ému par ce </span>“cri du cœur” <span style="text-align: left;">一</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> ou ce </span>“cri du ventre”. Ses yeux verts scintillaient, au-dessus d'un large sourire...</div></div></span></div><div><br /></div></div></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><i>Dans la maison </i>一 soleil couchant</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Le ragoût était assez copieux pour que les trois jeunes hommes restent bien nourris pendant quelques semaines, mais Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō souhaitait chasser encore de beaux canards pour que ses amis se régalent de brochettes bien grillées, de viandes bien rôties et de bonnes chairs qui ne pouvaient manquer de les faire s'engraisser.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Tâchez de bien manger, en mon absence...” leur dit-il.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><div><div>– “Ne t'en fais pas pour nous !” répondit <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō en riant. </span>“Nous allons rester un peu entre <i>gros</i>, et bien nous gaver.”</div><div><div><div><div><div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></span></div><div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div></div></span></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></span></div><div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div></div></span></div></div></div></div><div><br /></div><div> <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ne s'attendait pas à un tel calme, dès que </span>Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō fut parti... Les échauffements, les exercices et l'entraînement n'avaient rien à voir avec ce dont il avait pris l'habitude, lorsqu'il suivait l'exemple de </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Assurément athlétique, très fort et bien proportionné, </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō était capable de soulever de lourdes charges, et de les porter dans ses bras tout en marchant, mais il était plus pataud et plus maladroit que </span>Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō. Il n'avait pas cette souplesse et cette agilité de fauve qui caractérisaient si bien son compagnon... En revanche, il était plus résistant, plus endurant, et il encaissait parfaitement les coups. Il n'était pas non plus moins vif. </span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Il </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">était surprenant dans la lutte... </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō parvenait à saisir et soulever son adversaire mais il évitait de lui porter de véritables coups. En fait, il ne frappait jamais </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, même lors des combats</span>.</div><div> La chaleur devenait éprouvante. Ils transpiraient abondamment.</div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ? Tu dois avoir <i>faim </i>!</span>”</div><div><div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><div><div>– “Oui...”</div><div><div><div><div><div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></span></div><div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div></div></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></span></div></span></div></div></div></span></div></span></div></div></div></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Je vais nous préparer un vrai festin. Rien que pour toi et moi !”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Au moment de passer sous la cascade, </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō sentit les mains de </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō qui se posaient tendrement sur ses flancs. Il se sentit frémir.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ?</span>”</div><div>– “Oui ?”</div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Depuis combien de temps Tar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō passe-t-il la nuit avec toi ?</span>”</div><div><br /></div><div> <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō rougit profondément. </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō avait dû comprendre ce qui se passait autour de lui, dès le premier jour. Il n'était tout de même pas si bête !</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div>– “Je ne sais plus... Euh...”</div><div><br /></div><div> À sa grande surprise, il entendit <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō éclater de rire derrière lui.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div>– “Ne t'en fais pas, petit coquin !” dit-il en lui donnant une claque sur les fesses. “Je comprends mieux pourquoi tu avais si bon appétit !”</div><div></div></span><div></div></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div>– “Tu n'es pas fâché ?”</div><div></div></span></div><div><div>– “Non, pourquoi ? Mais puisque tu as si bon appétit, je vais te faire bien manger ! Nous avons du poids à prendre, tous les deux...”</div><div><br /></div><div> En l'invitant à s'asseoir devant une magnifique marmite de ragoût, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō lui servit un bol après l'autre, en tâchant de manger autant que son ami pour mieux l'accompagner. </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō était encore tout frissonnant, mais </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō se montrait toujours si gentil qu'il arrivait à le mettre à l'aise. En peu de temps, la moitié de la marmite se trouva engloutie et les deux garçons commençaient à se sentir lourdement rassasiés.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Maintenant qu'il n'y avait plus de secrets entre eux, </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō éprouvait un peu de peine pour </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō qui passait régulièrement des nuits dehors, et qui avait dû dormir seul par la suite... Ce gentil garçon blond méritait d'être mieux traité. Après tout, il faisait </span>son possible<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> pour prendre du poids, et de belles rondeurs,</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">mais il n'était pas beaucoup plus lourd ni beaucoup plus dodu que lorsque </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō l'avait vu pour la première fois... Et il ne ménageait pas </span>ses efforts <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">pour s'étoffer, avec une bedaine grassement rebondie,</span> mais il aurait plutôt maigri durant son dernier séjour sur le lac et dans les ruisseaux de montagne !</div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div>– “Tu manges bien, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō... </span>Régale-toi !”</div><div>– “Oh ! oui, je me régale.”</div><div><br /></div><div> Le crépuscule descendait sur les cèdres, mais <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō semblait bien décidé à ne pas interrompre leur repas de si tôt. Il encourageait </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō à bien s'empiffrer comme lui, en le servant largement de tous les plats, encore et encore ! La marmite de ragoût était presque vide...</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Encore un bol, </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span>.”</div><div><div><div><div><div>– “Hmmmph...” protestait-il, la bouche pleine.</div><div></div></div></div></div><div></div></div><div></div></span></div><div></div></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Tu es devenu grand et fort... et gros ! Et gras !” riait </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō. </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">“Tu pourrais avaler encore une douzaine de bols comme celui-ci, et une douzaine de bols de riz, pour bien prendre du poids !</span>”</div><div>– “Hmmmph... Hmmmph...”</div><div><br /></div><div> Allant et venant depuis la cuisine, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ne cessait de lui présenter des plats, tous plus délicieux les uns que les autres. </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō pensait ne plus pouvoir avaler encore une bouchée, mais ce beau garçon blond n'avait pas son pareil pour lui donner de l'appétit...</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> La nuit tombait. </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, entouré de plats et de bols qu'il avait nettoyés, reprenait </span>son souffle peu à peu.</div><div><br /></div><div><div>– “J'aimerais tant pouvoir manger autant que toi, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span>.”</div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><div><div><div><div>– “Hmmmph...” grognait le jeune homme, à bout de forces.</div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Tu vas grossir. Ton ventre va bien s'arrondir... Quelle chance tu as !</span>”</div><div><div>– “Oui...”</div><div><div>– “Encore un peu de gâteau de riz ?”</div><div><div>– “Oh ! Par pitié, non... Je ne pourrais plus rien avaler.”</div><div><div>– “Si tu ne peux plus avaler, il faut que je te gave...”</div><div><br /></div><div> Même dans ses rêves les plus fous, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō n'aurait jamais imaginé que </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō viendrait s'asseoir ainsi, derrière lui, pour le gaver de bananes et de beignets, en le tenant fermement embrassé contre lui pour mieux caresser son ventre, longuement et langoureusement.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> C'était au-delà de tout ce dont il aurait pu rêver. Si Ta</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō montrait les meilleures dispositions pour la lutte, </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō avait un don naturel pour gaver son compagnon et lui donner envie de dévorer encore et toujours plus de nourriture, à force de caresses...</span></div><div></div></div><div></div></div><div></div></div><div><br /></div><div><div>– “Voilà, mon beau <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span>. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ç</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">a passe tout seul... Encore !</span></span>”</div><div><div><div><div>– “Hmmmph... Hmmmph...”</div><div></div></div><div><div><div>– “Encore un beignet<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">... Encore un autre, </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span>... Encore !</span>”</div><div></div></div><div><div><div>– “Hmmmph... Hmmmph...”</div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div></div></div><div>– “Allons, ne te décourage pas. Je suis là... Je vais te gaver<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">.</span>”</div><div>– “Hmmmph... Tu vas me rendre obèse !”</div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div>– “Oui, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">...</span></span>”</div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō souriait en murmurant ainsi à son oreille, mais il était sérieux.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div>– “Je vais bien te nourrir et te gaver, mon beau gros <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">...</span></span>”</div><div><br /></div><div> La bouche pleine, à bout de souffle, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span> éprouvait un tel sentiment de réconfort, de douceur et de bien-être qu'il laissa <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō le gaver </span>encore, sans se presser, avec une bonne demi-douzaine de bananes avant de le pousser à finir le plateau de beignets d'ananas rôtis.</div><div> Tout en le nourrissant avec soin, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō se confiait à lui.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div>– “Tu vas grossir, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, et prendre du ventre</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">.</span></span>”</div><div><div><div>– “Hmmmph...”</div><div><div>– “Ton ventre est déjà bien formé<span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">... Quand tu seras bien gros et gras, je voudrais avoir un ventre rond et dodu comme le tien.</span></span>”</div><div><div>– “Hmmmph... Hmmmph...”</div><div></div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div><div>– “C'est un beau ventre comme le tien que je désire..<span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">.</span></span>”</div><div><div></div></div></div></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div>– “Vraiment ?” répondit <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō. </span>“C'est mon ventre que tu désires ?”</div><div><div>– “Oui...”</div><div><br /></div><div> <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō avait répondu sans hésiter, sans le moindre soupçon de timidité, en jeune homme sûr de ses sentiments, de ses goûts et de ses préférences.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> Les derniers beignets venaient d'être engloutis. </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō vit </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">r</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō se lever lentement pour se placer devant lui... D'un geste souple et sensuel, il retira son <i>kimono</i> et se présenta, en toute simplicité, nu et comme offert pour accompagner le dessert.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div>– “Ce beau ventre, bien rond, bien nourri... C'est ce que je désire.”</div></span></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></div><div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div></div></span></div></div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div></div></span></div></div><div><div><div><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></span></span></div></div></div><div></div></div></div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div></div></span></div></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><i>Dans la chambre </i>一 nuit noire</div><div><br /></div></div></div></span></div></span></div></div></div></span></div></span></div></div></div></span><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span></span>r<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō était plus doux que le miel, qu'il répandait si généreusement sur les fruits et les beignets qu'il préparait pour </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span>.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Allongé sur son lit, le grand et gros jeune homme brun ne pouvait détacher son regard de ce beau garçon blond qui le régalait plus que de raison <span style="text-align: left;">一</span> tant de friandises que de caresses, de bouchées de mangue gourmandes et de baisers passionnés...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Il aurait pu perdre la tête : il ne pensait plus qu'à prendre du ventre !</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div>– <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">“<i>Ai shiteru </i></span></span><span style="text-align: left;">[</span>愛してる<span style="text-align: left;">, </span><span>“Je t'aime”], </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span><span>.”</span></div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span>r<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō..</span>.”</div></div><div><br /></div></span></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTjqazxC1VLNz2xtxdPOjr9kO0bYDISc8wkSTl5CRx8sGLY7PxpSeOZ6Tn9hYrjbT6QnhHX372RSx5yIvxMuFguXn8yRA7Q4CVOteCo1LG601XRhD65vbSKGC6_3yPmaijCU3WUvX4_ZusMKTNJrVKuHUOlb9PowWlTjQ7uovnG6w40jQcb7zgGZweHQ/s1472/15.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1128" data-original-width="1472" height="490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTjqazxC1VLNz2xtxdPOjr9kO0bYDISc8wkSTl5CRx8sGLY7PxpSeOZ6Tn9hYrjbT6QnhHX372RSx5yIvxMuFguXn8yRA7Q4CVOteCo1LG601XRhD65vbSKGC6_3yPmaijCU3WUvX4_ZusMKTNJrVKuHUOlb9PowWlTjQ7uovnG6w40jQcb7zgGZweHQ/w640-h490/15.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “Je vais te préparer d'autres beignets.”</div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span>r<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, j</span>e t'en prie...”</div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “Tu n'as plus faim ? Je vais te régaler, </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">mon beau </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō... </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Il faut encore bien te remplir la panse ! Crois-moi, tu as <i>faim</i>...</span>”</div><div><div>– “Oui... Oui, j'ai faim !”</div><div><div>– “Alors tu vas manger...”</div><div>– “Je vais manger... autant que tu voudras !”</div></div></div></div><div><br /></div><div> Heureusement, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span>r<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō n'était pas moins empressé auprès de</span> <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō que celui-ci était impatient de le voir revenir au plus vite. Malgré un repas extrêmement copieux, </span>extrêmement nourrissant <span style="text-align: left;">一</span> et qui aurait dû être plus que suffisant pour faire éclater son estomac <span style="text-align: left;">一</span> les desserts et les gâteaux n'avaient pas cessé d'affluer jusque dans sa chambre et jusqu'à sa bouche...<span style="text-align: left;"> pour le gaver.</span></div><div> Cependant, Jir<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span> était si gentil, et son sourire était si complice, câlin, tendre et coquin, qu'il en devenait irrésistible. Tout en sueur, il ruisselait de charme dans l'obscurité... <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, fasciné, s'émerveillait de le trouver encore plus brûlant que son partenaire Tar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō !</span></div><div><br /></div><div><div>– “De bons beignets tout chauds, pour mon beau gros <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō !</span>”</div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div>– “Hmmmph... Hmmmph...”</div><div></div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div></div></div><div>– “Comme tu manges bien. Comme je t'aime, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span>...”</div></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><div><div><div><div><div>– “Hmmmph... <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span>r<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span>...”</div><div><div>– “Oui ?”</div></div><div><div>– “<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span>r<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span>... Je t'aime aussi... Je t'aime !”</div></div><div><br /></div><div> En murmurant ces mots, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō faillit s'évanouir entre les bras de son jeune ami, qui le serra fermement contre son torse dodu et bien musclé. Ils venaient de jouir pour la quatrième fois, depuis la fin de leur repas...</span></div><div><br /></div><div><div>– “Nous avons tout le temps, mon <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span>... Cette nuit est à nous.”</div><div><div><div>– “Oui, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span>r<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span>...”</div><div><div>– “<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, si tu m'aimes... Si tu m'aimes, t</span>u vas <i>manger</i> !”</div><div><div>– “Oui, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span>r<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span>... Je mangerai autant que tu voudras !”</div><div></div></div></div><div><div>– “<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Si tu m'aimes, t</span>u vas <i>grossir</i>...”</div><div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div>– “Oui, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span>r<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span>...”</div><div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div>– “Je vais bien te gaver... Tu vas <i>beaucoup</i> grossir.”</div><div><div><div>– “Autant que tu voudras, mon beau <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span>r<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span> !”</div><div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div>– “<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Si tu m'aimes, t</span>u vas prendre du ventre... Beaucoup de ventre !”</div><div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div>– “Je grossirai autant que tu voudras me faire grossir, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span>r<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō.</span>”</div><div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div><div><div></div></div></div></div></div><div><br /></div><div> <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō souriait en dégustant un autre savoureux beignet.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><div>– “Après tout, Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō veut aussi que je prenne du poids !</span>”</div><div></div></div><div><div><div><div></div></div></div></div></span></div><div><div>– “Ce n'est pas la même chose, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō...</span>” murmura <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span>r<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div>– “Comment ? Si je mange bien...”</div><div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><div>– “Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō veut que tu prennes du poids, c'est vrai... Mais moi, je veux que tu <i>engraisses</i>, et que tu prennes du ventre. Un beau ventre bien rond !</span>”</div><div></div></div><div><div><div><div></div></div></div></div></span></div><div></div></div></span></div><div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>– “Fais-moi prendre du ventre... Beaucoup de ventre !”</div><div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div><br /></div><div> <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span>r<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō le couvrit de baisers, passionnément, pour le remercier.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> En peu de temps, </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō avait dévoré le dernier beignet. Dans la lueur mourante de la lanterne de papier, il devinait les yeux de </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Ji</span>r<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, d'un vert étincelant, pendant qu'il couvrait son torse et son ventre de longs coups de langue sensuels, en pressant doucement ses flancs bien nourris entre ses mains. Il y mêlait de doux baisers ou de petits coups mordants pour le tenir éveillé.</span></div><div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><div>– “Je vais tellement te gaver, <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō !</span> Je vais bien t'engraisser...”</div><div><div></div></div></div><div>– “Jir<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span>...”</div></div><div><div>– “Je vais te gaver comme un porc... Comme un sanglier !”</div><div><div></div></div></div><div><div>– “Oink... Oink...” grogna <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, avec un large sourire.</span></div><div><div></div></div></div><div><br /></div><div> La nuit devenait plus profonde, plus enflammée, plus chaude et plus parfumée, à mesure que Jir<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō prenait soin de procurer toujours plus de plaisirs à son ami, déjà bien rassasié.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><div>– “Jir<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span>...”</div><div></div></div><div></div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div></div></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><div>– “Oui ?”</div><div></div></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><div><div>– “Dis-moi... Tu ne penses pas que Tar<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō sera jaloux ?</span>”</div><div></div></div><div><div><div>– “Pourquoi ?”</div><div></div></div><div><div><div>– “Eh bien... Tout de même...”</div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><div><div>– “Nous verrons, lorsqu'il sera de retour.” dit Jir<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō, insouciant. </span>“Je ne vais pas lui mentir, par exemple.”</div><div><div><div><div><div><div>– “Sans doute. C'est très bien, mais...”</div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><div><div>– “Hmmm ?”</div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><div><div>– “Tout de même... Je suis votre invité, dans cette maison. C'est lui qui était le premier à m'accueillir. Maintenant, je lui enlève son partenaire.”</div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><div><div>– “Pardon ?”</div><div><br /></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> Jir<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō</span> éclatait de rire, de bon cœur. Il serra son ami dans ses bras.</div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>– “Jir<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō ?</span>”</div><div></div></div><div></div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div></div></div><div></div></span></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">– “</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Kazu</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō..</span>. Qu'est-ce que tu as imaginé ? T<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ar</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō est mon grand frère !</span>”</div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></span></div><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">À suivre</i>...)</span></div><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: right;"><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><b>Note </b>: Au Japon, </span></span><span><i><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">Tar</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">ō </span></span></i></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">(</span></span>太<span lang="zh-CN"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">郎</span></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">) et </span></span><i><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">Jir</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-GB">ō </span></span></span></i><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en-GB">(</span></span></span><span lang="zh-CN"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">次郎</span></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">) sont des prénoms </span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">d'un usage très courant, </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">traditionnellement pour désigner le </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">fils aîné</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> et le “second fils”, ou le </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">fils cadet</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">Tar</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">ō </span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">est donc bien le frère aîné de </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Jir</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">ō.</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><b>Un peu de japonais</b> : L'expression <i>Suki desu</i> [好き です] est la forme la plus courante (et la plus neutre) pour dire “Je t'aime”, mais il y a de très nombreuses nuances... </span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Tarō déclare <i>Dai suki da yo</i> [大好き だ よ] pour témoigner de sentiments déjà plus forts et plus affirmés</span><span>. Enfin, </span><span>Jirō </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">dit </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>Ai shiteru</i><span> [愛してる], expression la plus intense et la plus passionnée pour dire “Je t'aime” à Kazuō</span></span><span style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Un détail, qui n'est pas anodin : Des japonais comme Kazuō, Tarō et Jirō ajouteraient toujours des suffixes, dans leurs dialogues, qu'ils soient neutres (Kazuō-<i>san</i> : 一雄さん), affectueux (Kazuō-<i>chan</i> : 一雄ちゃん), respectueux envers un aîné (Tarō-<i>sempai </i>: 太郎先輩) ou plus familiers envers un plus jeune (Jirō-<i>kun</i> : 次郎君), etc. Il y a tellement de nuances possibles qu'il était préférable d'en faire l'économie...</span></span></div></span></div></div></div></div><p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.21cm; margin-top: 0.35cm;"><a name="translationName"></a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5094005257601699515.post-58758203804948662992022-12-31T12:25:00.024-08:002023-05-06T07:52:20.860-07:00The Augustine Murders - Season 3, Episode 6<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4lBX8L49lwBk-VKB24BTZKujv78pkK9lichUt3iZsOr46pqy_UHiGVDGSzN8385DpV8poFp10gSHSwyoXM2vul1pGWBi8LICmD1GHy2_6mYnMp_f90vVVB8RYxMKbR6W91ioYnFQlokrZF8Gu3nkYXGEahwrtbBkhHfSQEr_hJzUhD3OzTy6wY42eZg/s1601/The%20Augustine%20Murders%20-%20Title%203.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="712" data-original-width="1601" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4lBX8L49lwBk-VKB24BTZKujv78pkK9lichUt3iZsOr46pqy_UHiGVDGSzN8385DpV8poFp10gSHSwyoXM2vul1pGWBi8LICmD1GHy2_6mYnMp_f90vVVB8RYxMKbR6W91ioYnFQlokrZF8Gu3nkYXGEahwrtbBkhHfSQEr_hJzUhD3OzTy6wY42eZg/w400-h178/The%20Augustine%20Murders%20-%20Title%203.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p><b style="font-family: verdana;">III.6</b></p><b style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-weight: 400; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> “Quelque part où il soit, il mange, et s'il<br /></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> revient au monde, c'est pour manger...</span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-weight: 400; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> <br /></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> (Wherever he may be, he's eating, and should he<br /></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> come back from the Beyond, it will be to eat...)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: right;"> Jean de LA BRUYÈRE</div><div style="text-align: right;"><b style="text-align: left;"><i style="font-weight: 400; text-align: right;">Les Caractères </i><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;">– </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">“</span><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;">De l'homme</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">”</span><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: right;">, 122</span></b></div></span></span></div></div></b><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span><span><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><i>April 2th, 1990</i> – Monday</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> Even with the rain pouring heavily over their heads, the two wet and fresh young men were certainly dragging their feet, as they were about to leave the <i>Fat Trout</i> trailer park... There was always time for one last, long kiss for Scott when the doors were closed and he was seated in the trailer, next to full bags of dirty clothes and big, empty boxes of food. </div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> Phil was in no hurry to get back to work, knowing that everyone at the hospital wanted to put him on a diet so strict that they would never go for it themselves... Patting and pressing his waist with both hands, Scott commented on the fact that he didn't look much thinner, no matter how much physical exercise he had performed all week-end – day and night.</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><div>– “What can I say? Some people can eat and eat, and stay pencil thin... I was never meant to be that thin.”</div><div>– “I know...” Scott teased. “You're <i>thick</i>! Like a mighty Sequoia.”</div><div>– “Nothing you can't handle, right?” Phil smiled, blushing a bit.</div><div>– “Let's say I'm... getting used to it.”</div><div><br /></div><div> Scott's hands were on his friend's hips now, and the sweaty blonde boy was only wearing a tight, well-worn pair of jeans and one of his white T-shirts. His green hospital shirt was waiting for him on the driver's seat. He could certainly endure to be handled that way, and he looked ready to show Scott how they could always push things a little bit further, in a most persuasive way.</div><div><br /></div><div><div>– “Easy! Easy, big guy... You know how far I can bend, but I swear you could break me like a twig.”</div><div>– “In your dreams...” Phil embraced him and kissed him deeply. “Isn't that why I keep telling you to eat large, healthy and wholesome meals?”</div></div><div>– “You mean barbecued red meat, sausages wrapped in bacon, deep-fat fried and starchy foods? Pasta drowning in cream sauce, pastries topped with an avalanche of whipped cream... and more sweets than the tooth fairy could count?”</div><div>– “Call me a fairy again. See how many teeth you have left, handsome.”</div><div><br /></div><div> Phil was fondling his friend a lot more sensually, as he had put on a little more weight. Scott was definitely not going on a diet anytime soon!</div><div><br /></div><div>– “Is that your idea of going easy on me?”</div><div><br /></div><div> The fat boy had to catch his breath. Scott couldn't understand how Phil wasn't totally exhausted after everything they had done together, but he was still exhilarated and – from the way his friend smiled and held him in his hands, he wouldn't go anywhere until everything was said and done. Phil looked so devilishly charming, in his gentle ways, it was impossible not to fall into a trance under that dark and sparkling green gaze...</div><div><br /></div><div>– “You wouldn't follow me through thick and thin... I can tell.”</div></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “We both know you'll have to get thin. At least for a while.”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “Then you have to get <i>thick</i>, for me.”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “For you...”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “Yes, please?” Phil kissed him playfully on the lips. “Eat more food than ever... Put on a little more weight? Stuff yourself as much as you want, whenever you want! Grow thicker and bigger, and rounder... and fatter!”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “Then you'll get thin... for a whale?”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> Phil chuckled along with his friend but, as the blonde beast hugged him tight and licked his neck up to his jawline, Scott couldn't help feeling like he was his prey – and those deep, loving green eyes were looking at him appraisingly. Phil might as well lick his lips and growl, at this point!</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “I won't be on a diet forever...” He whispered into his ear with a deep, low tone. “Maybe you should get ready for it, because I'll be one <i>hungry </i>bear then.”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “Hungry for... more of this?”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> On a dare, Scott slapped his plump side, and they both saw how much his empty belly was jiggling and wiggling – waves of fat rippling through his tender, pale skin...</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> Much to his surprise, however, Phil let out such a deep moan or sensual groan that it sounded exactly like a bear's growl. It made the hair on the back of his neck rise, his spine prickle with shivers and his lips tingle all at once. He couldn't tell whether it was good or bad that Phil was looking down, right now – as if he was struggling with something... Phil heaved a deep sigh, then he hugged him tight, once again, nestling his head on Scott's softening chest and rubbing his well-fed, round belly seductively.</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “I'm already hungry for this...”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “I can feel it.”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “And you're going to make it worse.”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “So much worse...” Scott chuckled.</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> Maybe he could have his way with that wild beast, after all!</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> He could hardly wait to bind him in leather and spank him to teach him a lesson – no matter what that “lesson” may be... Phil was a natural. A guy like him should rather teach someone a thing or two about their own deep, dark and hidden desires... That laid-back, dumb blonde bear was surprisingly honest and open about his own most personal triggers – not to mention overly generous to a partner with similar tastes.</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> Scott was only struggling with the top buttons on his pants, right now.</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> The only way he could get them to close was to let his belly hang out in front, well over the waistband. Then Scott couldn't button up his shirt. It felt painfully tight around his shoulders. He couldn't even pull his T-shirt all the way down to his pants!</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> Phil was done with the manager of the trailer park, and he was coming back to their truck. The sun was slowly rising over the mountains. They could hit the road. Lucky for them, only a few people had come to spend the week-end camping in the park. Their little escapade on the lake had gone totally unnoticed.</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> As he was about to put on his light green hospital shirt and get the key into ignition, he felt that something odd was going on in the trailer.</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “Scott? Are you okay in there?”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “I'm... No... I'm stuck!”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “You're stuck in the trailer?”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “No! It's that damn T-shirt... It's riding up on me even more than you!”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> It didn't take a doctor to understand that Scott had definitely outgrown his last pair of pants, along with his last T-shirt and designer shirt.</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “Oh? Okay, you're...”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “I'm stuck! I can't pull these up... I can't pull those down.”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “Well... Obviously, no.”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “What can we do about this?”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “Well...”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “Come on! Don't just stand there... I can hardly breathe in this thing! Do something... And don't look at me like this!”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “Okay. Well then...”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “Don't give me that look.” Scott snapped. “Fuck! You're so dumb... I have no doubt that you can play along and be faithful like Lassie, but I'm not stuck in a well!”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “No, you're not. You've rather been stuck in a diner's booth, lately.”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> Scott's belly looked even rounder as it was squeezed between his tight pants and a very tight T-shirt, encased in an even tighter, paper thin shirt. He was tugging his clothes down again, furiously. Phil had to stop him before he would tear the fabric to shreds.</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “This won't help. If this is how far you can get your T-shirt down, leave it as it is. As for your shirt...”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “I can't show up to work like this!”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><div>– “Of course not. You have some shopping to do.”</div><div><div>– “In Biberton...” Scott frowned and shook his head. “I'll ask the clerk for the latest trend models in their “lumberjack” collection.”</div></div><div><br /></div><div> Phil was coming back with a large pair of shears.</div></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “Okay, Scott. First things first... Plaid shirt on a hot guy? Hot!” The blonde bear was serious about this. “Now, we have to get creative in our own way. You're not going to take off your leather jacket today, right?”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “I don't see your point.”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “You may not want to see this anyway.”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> With a few swift and precise moves, Phil cut his friend's T-shirt just below the chest, where his midsection rounded out too much for its tight fit. Then he held Scott by his shoulders, turned him around and cut the back of his shirt almost all the way up to his collar.</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “What the...” Scott gasped, startled.</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “There you go. You can button it up and tuck it in, I guess. Business in front, party in the back... No need to suck in your belly, and no one will notice. Can you go through the day like this?”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> Scott was only convinced when Phil was done helping him to put on his jacket. Fully dressed and comfortably sitting in the passenger seat, he let out a long sigh of relief.</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “I didn't expect this. I've really grown...”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “Like a perfect greedy boy!” Phil nodded in approval.</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “It's good that we got these buttons to close, at least.”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “I don't want to see your shirt buttons close. I want to see them <i>pop</i>!”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><div><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span></div></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> Going back to Biberton's general hospital early in the morning came with its lot of surprises. It was meant to look like any other day at work for Phil. Scott couldn't tell how soon the nurses may notice that Rick was no longer in his bed, but they didn't expect everyone to be already on red alert...</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> It didn't look like a search party either. Everyone was standing by the entrance desk, with Nurse Vickers handling the phone. She looked busy calling people like parents or relatives of their inpatients.</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> Nurse Rockwell came to ask Phil as soon as she saw him.</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><div>– “We couldn't reach you over the phone, last night! Doctor Lipton wants to see you at once.”</div><div>– “What happened, last night?”</div><div>– “We don't know... We can't explain it any more than we did when it happened to mister Wingrave. But it's really serious, this time!”</div></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “Did something happen to Rick? I mean... mister Wingrave?”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “You should know. You were there!”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> Scott and Phil exchanged a look of panic. They had been so careful the whole time when they snatched Rick out of the hospital, and out of town. Did someone spot them on the parking lot? On the road?</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “I don't understand.”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “It's those sick students from Saint Augustine Bells.”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “What about them?”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “You should take a good look at them. When I came to wake them up, this morning, they were complaining and groaning like pigs... There was nothing unusual about that but it didn't feel the same, somehow. I pulled the curtains open, then I immediately noticed how much the boys had... ballooned overnight!”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “They were stuffed? Like mister Wingrave?”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “Oh! Very much so... Round and bloated, and full to the brim!”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “All of them?”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “Yes, even that German exchange student... We have moved them to individual bedrooms, but doctor Lipton didn't know what to do.”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “Don't worry, I will take care of this.”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “I guess I shouldn't mention this, but...” Nurse Rockwell sounded more hesitant. “This situation rather reminds me of another student from that dreadful school, if you catch my drift.”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> Phil knew what she meant. Scott also understood that they were both thinking about Michael Astern, the first victim in this case. It was such a taboo subject that they had not talked about him for some time. It was of major importance for him too – in his previous life, as a journalist... Maybe he could try and call Ms Astern again? </div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> There was a moment of silence, soon interrupted and almost shattered when Dr Lipton joined them, huffing and puffing, walking down the stairs in a hurry, followed by nurse Brinell.</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “Phil, finally!” He shouted. “You have some damage control to do!”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “Yes, sir...”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “Follow me.”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><div>– “Right behind you, sir.”</div><div><br /></div><div> Scott didn't linger, once they were gone. Nurse Vickers was still busy at the desk – and the other nurses were desperately trying to look busy, so they wouldn't have to think about this new mysterious turn of events in their hospital.</div><div> One dead student sent to their morgue was already a bit much. A fat security officer stuffed to the size of a beached whale in their intensive care unit only made matters worse for them. Now, if that same situation was to be repeated six times over...</div><div> Scott felt a sudden shiver run down his spine. They had not checked on Rick yet, so everyone thought that he was still in his bed, sleeping like a prized pig in his pen.</div><div> It was better for him to come back later.</div></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott wanted to look good on his first day at the Sheriff's Office, and he didn't like the way his clothes fit him. Phil had helped him save face in front of the hospital staff and people who would happen to pass by, but his pants were still painfully tight – and he was uncomfortable with half a T-shirt covered by a loosely buttoned shirt.</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> Sheriff Maxwell was about to leave. He left the door open and told him where he would find his stuff: uniform, equipment and keys... Scott let out a sigh of relief when he was alone in the department's locker room.</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> He got rid of his clothes immediately and for good !</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> There was a complete set of uniform shirts and pants, folded on the bench with his badge, cap and ties, next to a cardboard box containing gloves, shoes and more personal protective equipment. Clearly, Scott's new boss was attentive to his needs, without being fussy about it.</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> It was no surprise that his dark blue shirt didn't fit too tight on him, as he put it on. There was room for him to grow, so they could last some time... Give it six to eight weeks, Scott thought, before he may consider moving on to a larger size.</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> He went through the equipment, and he liked what he found in that box: bulletproof vest, shades, whistle, walkie talkie, flashlight, duty belt, handgun holster, nightstick, knife, mace and...</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana;">– “Oh, goody!”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott was holding a pair of handcuffs in each hand – high quality, shiny stainless steel, chained, strong and surprisingly heavy. Smith & Wesson, no less. It was the kind of stuff his dreams were made of.</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> When he was all dressed up, the new sheriff's deputy went for a short tour of the office. There was a shooting range next to a room with a few empty holding cells, downstairs. The Police department was a one-story building with limited space, surrounded with tall Douglas fir trees, on the outskirts of Biberton.</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> There was a different kind of box waiting for him, on sheriff Maxwell's office, with a note attached to it.</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> The note said “Hi Scott! Feel free to grab a doughnut or two”.</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana;">– “We're going to be quite a team...”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> Last but not least, the box of doughnuts was placed on an catalog of guns and gears, opened at the correct page for his choice of handgun. Scott took a good look at the different models available. His mind was working on overdrive now... He had to train for it with the sheriff, but he could carry a gun everywhere he would go.<br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> His head was still swimming after he had eaten two doughnuts, then he remembered something. He grabbed his new car keys, closed the office and drove to Saint-Augustine Bells.</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott avoided the main entrance, of course. It looked like the school had hired two muscled, grim looking bouncers to watch the gates, so the security office was officially closed and temporarily empty... Scott knew better, of course. Parking his car a few yards away from the gates, by those tall, smooth and unscalable walls with their special, crooked steel spikes at the top, Scott opened the door the rear garden. Rick used to live there, in his one-bedroom apartment, adjacent to Phil's. It was such a discrete building, surrounded with such walls that most people ignored its existence. There was a similar small door in the opposite wall, leading to the school's gardens, the students' dorms, the chapel, the gym and all the other main buildings. </div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> These were the only two unguarded doors, therefore this was the only way in and out of that fortress-like institution, and Scott held the keys in his hand! For a moment, he keenly felt the power he had been given.</div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> He entered Rick's office without attracting anyone's attention. That back door was never locked, on purpose... Scott was well aware that the students used it to leave boxes and boxes of pastries as little </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“offerings</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">” to Rick </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> a</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">nd bribes.</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><div>– “Just as I thought, they're still hoping for it. Good news for you, boys! I'm still around, and I'll take care of these... You gotta have hope.”</div><div><br /></div><div> There were no less than eight big boxes on Rick's desk: two very large, very appealing pies, three dozen doughnuts with all kinds of filling and frosting, four dozen cupcakes in two packed boxes, and one magnificent triple fudge chocolate cake...</div><div> Scott looked around, to make sure that he was alone. Then he slipped his hand under the cardboard at the bottom of each box, grabbing all the hundred dollar bills that were stashed in there.</div><div> He didn't want to get caught counting money, but he guessed that he would be leaving with roughly three grands in his pocket. Not bad for his first day on the job. Scott took a closer look at the initials left on the edge of each box and wrote their names down, using Rick's stationery paper and his secret code for all registered students. Then he pinned the sheet on the board, with that list as a reminder. Two nights from today, he would help those ten boys get out in the evening and come back the morning after.</div><div> It was also a sign for the others, that Rick's little scheme would remain in force. Students could keep going for their occasional nights out on the town – thanks to Scott...</div><div> On his way out, he thought about the more minute details of it. There was no need to tell Phil about any of this. He could work as the school's head of security and be just as clueless as ever.</div></div></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><div> Eight boxes meant a lot of food, and Scott had no intention of eating all those pastries by the end of the day. There would be more boxes in the morning. It was no wonder that Rick had grown so large and so heavy!</div><div> Driving back to Biberton's Police department, Scott took four boxes out of the trunk with some of the heaviest doughnuts and cupcakes, one of the pies and that impressive chocolate fudge cake... He left them on the sheriff's desk, with a note attached to the box on the top.</div><div><div> The note said “Hi boss! Feel free to grab a doughnut – or twelve”.</div><div><br /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><div></div></div></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> Scott went back to Biberton general hospital. He had every reason to do so. Number One: he was curious about the six students, how stuffed they could be and how they were holding up. Number Two: he wanted to check if the nurses had found out that Rick was no longer there. Number Three: he wanted everyone to see him wearing his new uniform, looking so dashing and in command... There was an optional number Four: Scott had nothing better to do until his boss would come back to the precinct.</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> Nurse Vickers, who had already seen him in his usual classy but casual clothes, earlier in the morning, only recognized him because she couldn't imagine that a Police officer would ever show up with spikey, bleached blonde hair... That was enough to catch her eye, then she was no longer shocked but surprised to see him like this.</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “Mister Girder? Is that...”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “New job. I'm still in charge of investigating the students' case...” Scott confirmed, feeling smart and confident. “It looked like we all needed to take a step up and face the challenge, so... there it is.”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “Are you really a member of our Police force, now?”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> She immediately regretted doubting him when he shot her a stern look, tugging his shades down to the end of his nose with one hand.</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “Did you have an appointment with doctor Lipton?”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “Not with doctor Lipton. The other one...”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “Doctor Hewdge?”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “Right. Do I need an appointment to see him?”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> On any regular day, nurse Vickers was usually quick to respond with a snappy answer – but not today... Clearly, Scott was ready to stand his ground. The two doctors were climbing down the stairs, so there was no need for her to act so stubborn or defensive.</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> Dr Lipton looked rather distraught. He paused and looked Scott up and down for some time before speaking to him. Didn't he just look stunning in his uniform? Scott's return was so unexpected, for the hospital staff, when they were in the middle of such an unlucky streak. The element of surprise worked in his favor – so much so that they would no longer ask questions about his comings and goings. </div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “What, mister Girder? Is it “Officer Girder”, now?”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “I'm just the new sheriff's deputy...” Scott smiled.</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> He could afford to play it down, at this point.</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “I guess you came back to see Phil?” Dr Lipton grumbled. “Very well... Follow us in my office. It may be better to do this with witnesses.”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> Scott had questions about the students in their custody, but the angry old man had more pressing matters at hand.</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “They are locked in their bedrooms.”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “All of them?”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “Yes. That's six occupied beds in six private rooms. No visitors.”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> There was no point arguing with him... Dr Lipton had already turned his attention to Phil. It was time for the young doctor's weigh-in.</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “Take your clothes off, soldier.<span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">” He demanded.</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“</span>I hope you've behaved yourself, this week-end... The last thing I need now is to tell the board of administrators at Saint Augustine Bells that they will have to deal with a <i>chunky </i>security officer!”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> Scott tried his best to repress a smile, while his friend was sitting down to take off his shoes. The very idea that Phil should have “behaved” over the week-end was enough to make him chuckle – and feel frisky. </div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “Would you mind closing the door behind you?<span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">” <span style="text-align: justify;">Dr Lipton</span> asked him, a bit sharply.</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“</span>We're all grown up men here, and there's no need for our nurses to watch this.”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> Phil was now stripped down to his boxers. Standing next to Scott, fully dressed in his uniform – with his brand new shirt and pants, shiny badge and buttons, leather belt and shoes – the blonde guy had to feel very naked, as he was about to be evaluated by his boss.</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> As Phil was about to step on the scale, the old man shrugged.</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “Of course, some men are more “grown” than others...”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “Sir?”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “On the scale, soldier!”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> Dr Lipton slowly adjusted the slides and took the measurement.</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “228lbs... This is worse than I thought.”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> Phil blushed and looked down, like a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar and about to get scolded. He didn't have to wait for long...</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “There is so much <i>meat </i>on your frame, it should weigh you down even more!</span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">” The old man snarled at him.</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“You leave me no choice. </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">I want to see significantly less </span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">carbs in your diet, from now on... </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">You will have to cut down your intake like you've never cut down before, soldier boy! </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">No more sweets, no more bread, rice or pasta, for starters...</span><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> Clearly, you've been living on sweets and fatty foods for quite some time!</span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">– “Sir...”</span></span></span></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">The old man would hardly let him breathe, let alone talk back to him.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> Scott was a bit taken aback by how aggressively the doctor confronted </span><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">his friend.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> Phil was his </span><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">assistant, of course, but he was venting out his anger on him just as a mean kid would </span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">ruthlessly </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">beat a stray dog.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> He was itching to reach for his nightstick when he noticed Phil's hands twitching too. The blonde </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">soldier boy</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> was silently holding it in, as much as he could </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– but i</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">f he only clenched his fists, right now, Scott's weapons would prove quite unnecessary to cause major damage!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Jotting down numbers in his notebook, D</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">r Lipton didn't notice any of this. He was still mumbling.</span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Southern boy through and through, of course... </span></span></span><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Helping yourself with most of the pastries you bake for the community, I should say?</span></span></span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> He poked at Phil's tummy with his pen.</span></span></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “No more of that. And no more beer, of course!</span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #f0f0e1; color: #555555;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Actually, Dr Lipton couldn't remember seeing </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">his assistant </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">with a beer in his hand, even on a </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“special occasion”, </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">but that was beside the point </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– of course, Phil drank beer... <i>Biberton Brewing Brothers</i> beer, no doubt! The tastiest, most caloric kind... Too much beer, every day! </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">and the old man wasn't done </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">yet.</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “You'll be on a strict diet until further notice... Very strict, with weekly weigh-ins and measurements. I want you to lose no less than thirty pounds, so we can consider you fit to work as a doctor, set an example again, and properly handle your responsibilities.”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> Those last words had to hurt the most. Scott could tell. Suggesting that Phil had been slacking on the job or taking advantage of his position in any way was going to haunt him for some time.</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> Such a diet was also totally uncalled for... At almost 230lbs, the dumb blonde Southern boy was healthy, active and laid-back, strong and beefy with a good appetite – maybe slightly overweight, but Dr<span style="text-align: left;"> Lipton kept scolding him as if he was a disgustingly flabby and obese blimp!</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Turning to Scott, the old man closed his notebook. It felt like Phil was being arrested and handled to the sheriff's deputy.</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “He's all yours.”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> This sounded much better to Scott, and much more appropriate. It dawned on him that he didn't like it when someone got too close to Phil, no matter what they did. Scott didn't want to watch a handsome young man like Gunnar hug him like a Teddy bear and flirt with him all night. He didn't want to watch an old guy to treat him so badly either. They had no right to do this – any of this! Not because it was immoral or illegal, or just plain wrong... They had no right to get so close to Phil, because Phil belonged to him.</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><div><div><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><div></div></div></div><div><br /></div><div> Scott closed and locked the door as soon as Dr Lipton was gone.</div><div> Left alone in his office, the two young men seemed to be engaged in a bare, wild and seductive stare fight for a moment, almost as if they kept circling each other.</div><div><br /></div><div>– “You look so good in your uniform.” Phil offered.</div><div>– “You look so much better with no clothes on...”</div><div><br /></div><div> Scott could tell that the blonde beast was ready to drop his boxers and pounce on him passionately... Teasing him like this was more dangerous than playing with matches, in a back alley, over a poodle of gasoline.</div><div> Somehow, Phil managed to keep a level head so he could suggest some other kind of game to his friend.</div><div><br /></div><div>– “Your turn, Scott. We have to weigh you too.”</div><div><br /></div><div><div><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 17.12px;"> The young physician felt compelled to put on his hospital clothes again, while Scott was </span>neatly <span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 17.12px;">folding his shirt, T-shirt and pants on a chair. Phil also spent a few minutes carefully washing his hands with soap and cold water. Then he turned the faucet on hot and caused such a splash in the sink that his green shirt was drenched and he had to take it off.</span></div><div><br /></div><div>– “Look what you've done, you clumsy bear!” Scott laughed.</div><div>– “Look what you've made me do...” The playful blonde boy answered, toweling his hairy chest with his shirt.</div><div><br /></div><div> Scott always used to feel cold in a doctor’s office, with their white walls and uncomfortable furniture, depressing posters and pamphlets, potted palm trees and the whole set of glistening surgical instruments – but not this time... With someone like Phil setting his lips on fire so softly with a smile, he couldn’t care less about the room’s temperature.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>– “You really don’t feel comfortable in a hospital, do you?”<br />– “I really don’t like hospitals. And since I’m no longer sick or poisoned, or anything... Staying here felt like renting a room at a bad motel.”<br />– “We can’t hold a candle to the Paddington hotel, of course. But you got poisoned there, remember? That was a pretty close call... ”<br />– “True.”</div><div>– “While you got to get nursed back to health, here... and be reasonably well-fed!” Phil grabbed and slapped Scott's underbelly from behind, with both hands.</div><div>– “Hey! Watch it, you beast...”</div><div>– “Let's watch this together.”</div><div>– “On the scale?”</div><div>– “You bet...”</div><div><br /></div><div><div> It was really hard for Scott to hold a conversation when Phil kept him so comfortably nestled in his arms, rubbing his belly in loving, long and slow circles with a few gentle, well-placed squeezes.</div></div><div><br /></div></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">
– “I find it better to warm you up before I ask you to step on the scale.”<br />
– “Do you treat all your patients like this?”<br />
– “Only really rare and special cases...”<br />
– “Special, huh?”<br />
<br />
Scott could try to call the shots and keep teasing Phil but he had to admit that, for the time being, the blonde doctor was leading the game like a master. They could go on and on, and he could
keep him turned on like this all day... Scott only pulled himself together when he
felt a finger poking his plump side.<br />
<br />
– “Okay, you should be ready.” Phil kissed the back of his neck.<br />
– “What am I, a turkey in the oven?”<br />
– “Time for your post-Thanksgiving check-up, then. On the scale, Scott! Let's see what a good butterball you've been...”<br />
<br /> Stripped down to his underwear, Scott stood on the scale and waited. He had already been through all this, less than two months ago, but i</span>t didn't feel the same... There was no need to remind him how much he had been eating or overeating, lately – Scott could only see the far edge of the scale, looking down!</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">
The dial spun around and finally came to an audible stop.<br />
<br />
– “248lbs.” Phil answered the question he didn't want to ask right now.<br />
– “Huh... Wow! That's really something. I had no idea that I could put on so much weight over a few days...”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">– “It's only a few more pounds. You've been pushing it a little bit further, like a good glutton, but I can't say I'm surprised with your result.”<br />– “You mean you could tell?”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">– “After I had to cut your clothes with scissors? Yes, I could tell you had to weigh around 250lbs. You've grown bigger, rounder and larger...”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">– “And fatter...” Scott completed the puzzle.</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">– “You're probably still full from your breakfast, just as you were on your latest weigh-in. Did you enjoy a really big breakfast, this morning?”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"> Stepping away from the scale, Scott suddenly turned and pinned the beefy blonde guy against the wall, pushing him with his belly...</span> Phil felt just like a fuzzy Teddy bear, with his upper body pressed like this and his arms locked at the wrists above his head.</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “You cheat... Of course, I've scarfed down an enormous, rich and filling breakfast, this morning. You should know! You always cook breakfast for me, every morning. And every meal, every day... You're such a beast, a dumb blonde basting beast... And of course, I've enjoyed it! When have you seen me not clean my plates? It's almost time for lunch, and I'm still full, and stuffed, and...”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> He let out a gritty, rattling and obnoxious belch to his friend's face.</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “BUUUUUURRRRRRP!.. and I want more!”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> Scott used both hands to keep Phil in position, aggressively, straddling his hips a bit as he moved slowly to try and intimidate him. The blonde boy closed his eyes and chuckled – and retaliated with a kiss on the lips. Even backed in a corner, he was much stronger than Scott imagined, and he didn't need to sound any edgier than he truly was, deep down, as he hugged him tight and whispered into his ear.</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><div>– “Aaaw, Scott... You are so <i>cute</i>.” He teased him with a smile. “And I am so happy that you feel hungry for more...”</div><div>– “A lot more!”</div><div>– “You really want me to feed you like a pig, don't you?”</div></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><br /> He had to look away from that fascinating, sparkling green gaze... Phil kept a full-length mirror on the wall,
next to the scale. Standing straight, the well-fed young man could check the damage already done to his
waist. His whole midsection looked round like a massive soft ball hanging over
his boxers – not quite sagging yet, but it was only a matter of days with the
current size of his meals... His bellybutton felt like the hole of a generous, home-baked doughnut. It was surrounded by such a swollen bag of
blubber that Scott felt like his lower midsection had been inflated into some sort
of fat buoy, with his budding love handles ready to grow thicker and wider...<br /><br />– “So... What is it going to be?” </span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">– “I want more...” Scott patted his belly with both hands. </span>“More to eat and more to drink. More everything... I need more!”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">– “Okay.”</span> Phil comforted him.</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">– “You will cook larger meals for me. Breakfast, lunch and dinner... and leave snacks and treats and pastries for me, all around our apartments.”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">– “I can do that.”<br />– “I mean <i>plenty</i> of those... And meals like full-on family feasts!” </span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">– “You need to be fed like a grown up glutton.”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">– “Exactly.”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">– “Fed like a baby.” </span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">– “Oh, yes...” Scott moaned.</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">– “Like a pig...”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">– “Oink! Oink!”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"> Phil </span>grabbed his friend's sides in his big paws and kissed him deeper.</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><br />
– “Let me help you to the massage table, so I can examine you.”<br />
– “Okay.”<br />
– “And massage you, of course.”<br />
– “Oh, good... And take your time.”<br />
– “Sure thing.”<br />
<br />
It was not lost on Scott that Phil’s expert massages kept growing more and more sensual as he kept growing bigger and fatter... The Southern blonde doctor kneaded all the flesh on his frame like cookie dough.<br />
Besides, he always kept cookies and soft drinks next to the table.</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">
– “How are your six sickly piglets?” Scott asked after a few minutes.<br />– “Nurse Rockwell didn't exaggerate when she described their condition.” Phil told him everything he needed to know. </span>“They are just as <i>stuffed </i>as they can be! Their stomachs are bloated to the limit, so full of food they feel painfully tight...”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “Would you say they are distended to the point of bursting?”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">– “I shouldn't tell you, but that is precisely what they keep complaining about... It's not just their stomachs, but their entire digestive systems that look swollen, churning and aching under a thick layer of lard.”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">– “This looks like Rick's condition all right. All over again... Did they tell you how they got stuffed full so much?”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">– “Not a clue. Not a word...”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">– “What did they tell you?”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">– “Not much, honestly... They were groaning just as much as their guts. All six of them, just the same!”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">– “They were all sleeping in the same big bedroom.”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">– “Yes, they were.”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">– “What did you mean by </span>“just the same”? They're just stuffed full.”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">– “That's right... And it is something I don't understand.”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"> Phil kept massaging Scott as he talked to him, always focused on what he was doing </span>– while the oiled up fat boy was slowly drifting into a hazy state of bliss... He could hardly wait for his dumb blonde friend to get to his lower, lower back with his gentle paws and magic fingers!</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">– “What is it that you don't understand now?”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">– “Six young men were sleeping in the same room, and their door was locked. Something happened to them during the night, and now they are stuffed full, sick and exhausted... They can barely walk. A few of them can barely breathe!”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">– “I don't see what you didn't understand.”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">– “The only reasonable explanation for this situation would be that they have been stuffing themselves all night, but they had no access to food. We didn't find any leftovers, empty plates or wrappers. Nothing...”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">– “Someone else had to do it. Someone found a way in and out, then he brought a lot of food to stuff them like pigs!”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">– “It would require such massive amounts of food... Doctor Lipton asked me to put three of them on the scale, so we could try and figure it out. Each student must have ingested twelve to fifteen pounds of solid food... That's a lot of food! I can't imagine that they would force themselves to eat and gulp down so much.”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">– “I agree. Did you say twelve to fifteen pounds... each?”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">– “Yes. Let's say ten pounds, at least. That's no less than sixty pounds of solid food you had to bring to their bedroom</span> during the night<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">, coming in and going out </span>unnoticed, somehow. And that kind of feeding takes time! They couldn't get to this point, this morning, unless they were engorged and stuffed together at the same time...”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">– “The six of them, <i>at the same time</i>?”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">– “That's how it looks.”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"> Scott had to think about it. No intruder could be so efficient, so stealthy and so strong at the same time... Of course, those piglets would squeak and scream if someone was assaulting one of them! Of course, someone had to be there to see what was going on, at some point... Of course, there must be crumbs left all over the bedroom floor </span>– what kind of food were they forced to eat anyway? </div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">– “So we have to consider a group of people with serious equipment and accomplices... Do you think your coworkers could be in on this?”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">– “I doubt it.”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">– “Not even your boss, doctor Lipton?”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">– “I really couldn't say... He looked genuinely surprised and worried.”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">– “I bet they could easily fool you.”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"> Phil was a hopeless case </span>– but he was massaging his friend's quivering hips and buttocks so deeply, so sensuously... There was no need to ask him what was on his mind, right now.</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">– “So we're down to person or persons unknown?”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">– “If they had access to their victims like this, we can assume that they are not so unknown as to us... Whoever did this had to know a lot about this place and the people who work here.”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">– “And they knew how to feed them like pigs.”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">– “Exactly... Doctor Lipton is going to pump their stomachs out, so there will be plenty for us to analyze.”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">– “What they were forced to eat?”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">– “Our first concern was to check if the victims test positive for poison, as is standard procedure... I could also take a guess at what they had to eat, but it is already clear that no major allergens were involved.”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “Did you get Rick's test results?”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">– “They're on my desk. I've seen them... It's a good thing that we didn't keep him under
observation much longer. There wasn’t enough poison in his food to cause cardiac
arrest, when we took him to the hospital, but he had every reason to believe that someone was trying to kill him as he was forcefed a lot more.”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">
– “Maybe stuffing him with more food was a way to cover it up?”<br />
– “It's a possibility, and it could be even worse...” Phil sighed. “Rick had to be tied to his bed. He was under a lot of stress. Intoxication or food poisoning can be so sudden and so violent, the pressure in his stomach would only make it worse. I've found traces of digoxin in his blood. He couldn't possibly eat that much, not by himself. At some point, Rick's heartbeat was so fast that he could hardly grab food and lift it up
to his mouth.”<br />
– “What’s it like? Too much coffee?”<br />
– “Way too much coffee.”<br />
– “I see...”<br />
– “He was a big eater, and the six other victims were almost trained to be shamelessly chubby gluttons, but that amount of massive overeating can only be observed in rare and specific cases... Most professional pie-eating contestants couldn't keep up with what they've been through.”<br />
– “So you agree with him. Someone was there to stuff them full.”<br />
– “And poison them too... That’s what their symptoms would suggest.”<br />
<br />
Scott thought about it for a moment.<br />
<br />
– “Isn’t that just how Michael was killed?”<br />
– “Not exactly. Michael was allergic to something he was forced to eat.”<br />
– “We’ve been over this... When we first discussed Michael's death, you were convinced that it was an accident rather
than first degree murder, that he had been fed something that was fatal
for him but the guy who stuffed him didn’t know. Now, what if he knew?”<br />
– “Then it would be a real murder.”<br />
– “Rick’s a strong guy. I can’t imagine that there’s anything in this world
that he couldn’t eat. Maybe that's why the killer had to use poison.”<br />
<br />
Phil kept massaging Scott in silence. He had to think about it too.<br />
<br />
– “So you are suggesting that this is the same M.O.”<br />
– “Yup.”<br />
– “And whoever killed Michael also tried to kill Rick?”<br />
– “Duh... That should be clear as day, even to you.”<br />
– “Why did I only find traces of digoxin in Rick’s blood, then?”<br />
– “I don’t know...” Scott shrugged. “Mr Swayn told me that everything is
poison, after a certain point, but he’s no chemist. Maybe the killer didn’t know the
exact lethal dose... You’re the doctor, you tell me.”<br />
– “When it comes down to poison, killers go for too much rather than too
little... I’ve seen it before. I’m not convinced.”<br />
– “Then the killer must be smarter than you. A lot smarter, no doubt...”<br />
<br />
Scott felt Phil’s warm hands pressing and massaging his back and his shoulders.
The Southern </span>blonde guy was so laid-back he didn’t seem to mind being called dim-witted, once again, but he was always so focused on healing and pleasing his friend – also feeling just how plump he was, in the process.</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">
<br />
– “We don't know </span>what kind of pattern was followed or what the purpose was behind all this, but if there was just the right amount of poison...” Phil suggested.
“You’re right. That would be pretty smart.”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">
– “What do you mean?”<br />
– “It’s really hard to prevent anaphylactic shock, when you’re allergic... You can’t stop it without immediate medical assistance, or </span>keep it under control.
Besides, food poisoning doesn’t fall into the same category as other
intoxications.”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">
– “Okay...”<br />
– “In Rick’s case, poison may have been used to make him weak, then the killer
forced him to keep eating until he would fall unconscious. With all that food
still in his throat and in his mouth, as you have found him, he would have to
choke at some point. Then, if he stopped breathing for a few minutes, even a
small amount of digoxin could keep his heart racing and going wild until it
stopped beating.”<br />
– “Wow! Okay... And there would be no evidence of poisoning?”<br />
– “I don’t know... If Mr Scupper had found him a few hours later, in the morning for
instance, Rick’s metabolism may have processed most of the poison and it would
be much harder to trace. There wouldn’t be enough to convince a judge or a jury.”<br />
– “Then it is the same method. Same murder, same killer.”<br />
– “Or killers...”<br />
<br />
For some reason, Scott was feeling perfectly comfortable with the fact
that there was a killer on the loose. Phil’s massages never failed to make him
more than loose, of course... He was more than comfortable, right now – he was hard and horny as a
teenager.<br />
<br />
– “At least Rick’s out of harm’s way, now.”<br />
<br />
Scott wished for his friend to move on to some more pressing matters. Then a thought came to him.<br /></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">– “You're going to pump the boys' stomachs out... What if they had their stomachs pumped full, for starters? With a machine, you know...”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">– “A feeding machine?”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">– “Exactly.” Scott's mind was going into overdrive, just as he was ready to hump his massage table. </span>“How long would that take?”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">– “I don't know... Assuming they were forcefully fed heavy, soft food, it could be done in a matter of minutes, but it would be painful and dangerous.”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">– “What if the victim was still asleep?”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">– “That would be even more dangerous, honestly.”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">
– “But it could be done! Massive, discrete and quickly.”<br />
– “I guess...”<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, they were interrupted by nurse Rockwell – who
didn’t care to knock before opening the door. Phil may have been alone or
with a patient. It was just the same as keeping a tool hanging in its place on
the wall or being used to operate on the table.<br />
<br />
– “Doctor Lipton wants to see you. Now! On the double!”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;">
Phil had to leave the room immediately. Scott rolled over and grabbed a few cookies... He could imagine what was going on in that busy, busy beehive of a hospital. <br /></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"> They must have finally found out that Rick was missing.</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: left;"></span></div></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Lunch break at Saint-Augustine Bells was the most peaceful moment of the day. After their massive meal was served in </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“reverse buffet</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”, where third and fourth helpings were brought to each student in his booth, they went for a mandatory two-hour nap before their afternoon classes</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> It was an opportunity for the teachers and administrators to enjoy tea time in Mr Porkenham's office. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">Mr Swayn would tell them about the next improvements of his <i>Quiet Diet</i> policy and the current </span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">areas of research and development</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">. Most of his previous points had already been approved and put into force,</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> such as the principle of a complete lack of empathy towards the students, or the many benefits obtained from their growing obesity... He was always working on it.</span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">– “Researchers have worked on an experimental model of “compulsive binge eating” by providing
a rich chocolate diet for only one hour each day, while the
control group was given a standard laboratory diet. Within two weeks, the group
exposed to the sweet diet exhibited binge eating behaviors and ate no less than
four times as much as the control group. The experimental binge eaters also
exhibited compulsive behaviors and they put themselves in potentially risky
situations in order to get to their sugary food, while the control group
avoided such risk.” </span></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">– “Indeed...” </span></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">– “Evaluating
risks and making decisions are functions executed in the prefrontal and
cortical regions of the brain. So our team of researchers have performed tests to check if the abundance of
Sigma-1 receptors in those regions was abnormal in the binge eaters.” </span></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">– “And their
assumption was correct...” </span></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">– “Now they are beginning to test new drugs that will block the Sigma-1
receptor to reduce what they consider </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">binge eating</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">. Early experimental data showed how the drug can reduce binge eating by 40 percent... It would also encourage the binge eaters to eat more
slowly. It would also block the risky behavior they previously exhibited.” </span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “How
extraordinary!”</span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> The conversation, or the presentation, was interrupted when the phone rang on Mr Porkenham's desk.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span>– “What is it?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “Mister Wingrave is no longer at the hospital.</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span>– “Did they let him out? So soon?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “No, he's...</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="text-align: center;">– “Is he...</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– “He's missing... His bed is empty, and they can't find him.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"> There was a long moment of silence in the office.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “What can we do about this?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “Call sheriff Maxwell. Mister Wingrave can't be far gone...</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="text-align: center;">– “How about his replacement?</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="text-align: center;">– “We have already discussed this... That Southern dumb blonde doctor and P.E. teacher will do, for the time being.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– “With all due respect, I had expressed doubts about that decision and I wasn't the only one who voted against it. While doctor Hewdge is quite a useful member of the local community, we agree that he can't be trusted with our students... Now that we are about to bestow more responsibility upon him, don't you find mister Wingrave's disappearance suspicious, to say the least?</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span> Mr Porkenham was familiar with that kind of power play. He knew what could happen when pawns advanced into a formation, ready to capture a better chess piece. He had to make a quick decision.</span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Call Cal.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “Who?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div></div></span><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “Mister Calloway's grandson. </span>Callum Calloway<span style="text-align: center;">.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span></span></div></div></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">■ ■ ■</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div><i>April 3rd, 1990</i> – Tuesday</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> From his first day on this new job as a school security officer, Phil could tell that he was walking on the edge of a cliff... When he came back for a few hours at the hospital, mostly working night shifts, he was given the cold shoulder by his boss and the nurses but it was nothing compared to the hostility he felt in Saint Augustine Bells.</span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> His working conditions were worse than ever. He was required to open and close the gates in the morning, then do constant tours of the school grounds, wearing his uniform but always jogging, always on the move.</span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> His access to their gym had turned into mandatory training: Phil had to spend hours </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">on the treadmill and rowing machines,</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">every morning </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">and he had to lift weights in the afternoon... By the end of the day, the poor guy was so dazed he could hardly walk back to his sleeping quarters.</span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US"> Phil found solace in weight training. It
helped him relax and it gave him something to focus on, no matter how stressful his day could be... He was serious about it and seriously good at it too, when he was left alone.</span></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US"> It was also a the only opportunity for him to take his shirt off and wear a loose fit tank top sleeveless shirt. His new un</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">iform </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">trousers and shirts</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">, provided by the school, were at least two sizes too tight.</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> O</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">n purpose. </span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> The seams of his pants were squeezing his manly hips and his meaty, bulbous buttocks, not to mention his crotch... The waistband almost cut into his sides, causing him to constantly shift and tug at it,</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">in vain. Phil's shirt was clinging to his chest so much, with its collar tied too narrow around his neck and its buttons ready to pop like bullets with every move he made, it looked like he could hardly breathe. His leather jacket was also </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">painfully thick and stiff around his shoulders. Phil couldn't fully zip it without feeling that he may choke at any time,</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> and he had to carry a backpack </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">full</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">of useless but heavy equipment on his daily tours... Even his shoes were one size too small!</span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Everyone who took a look at him or talked to him made it a point to tell him, in one way or another, that his clothes weren't too tight for him but he was too fat for the job. He was out of breath simply because he was out of shape... His leather jacket wasn't too thick to let him breathe, but he was too thick around the middle to wear a uniform. He could never do a good job in security, because he was just lazy </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">and </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">weak, and so dumb he was worthless beyond saving</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Phil was fed such a </span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">flurry of disparaging and dismissive comments </span></span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">all day, every day </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– and h</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">e wasn't fed much else, at this point. </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">His diet was even more strict than he expected, and he was kept under constant scrutiny to make sure that he wasn't cheating.</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span lang="en-US"> A fine sheen of </span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span lang="en-US">sweat was glistening on his beefy body, </span></span></span><span style="text-align: center;">from the early morning sun... E</span><span style="text-align: center;"><span lang="en-US">very muscle in his chest, shoulders, arms and back was pretty much popping out with the efforts he had put in all the tasks he was already done with, at the gym</span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span lang="en-US">. </span></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span lang="en-US"> There was a lot more for him to do, of course.</span></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> His paycheck was usually late. Phil had to deal with it for some time... There was a letter on his desk with a new amendment to his contract and his adjusted salary. Neither his salary adjustment nor the calculation method were explained to him, but the result felt like a slap in the face.</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> By the end of the day, the blonde guy was looking down and holding his tears, as he was slowly walking out of his office, by the gates.</span> Then he was sweating so profusely that no one would ever notice if he was crying too <span style="text-align: center;">–</span> or they would simply suggest that it could make him drop some <span style="text-align: center;">“</span>water weight<span style="text-align: left;">”</span>...</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “Welcome home, Scott.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 17.12px;"> Phil was in the kitchen, washing his hands. He welcomed Scott with a soft hello, closed the door behind him and completed his </span>“<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 17.12px;">good evening</span>” with a kiss that was much less gentle but much more passionate.</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"><br style="font-family: verdana;" /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “How was your day?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div></div></span><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"></span></span></div></div></span><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “I'm glad it's over.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “I can see that...</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Something was always cooking in </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">the</span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> kitchen, or the kitchen next door, and both apartments were constantly filled with mouth-watering smells.</span></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 17.12px;"> Scott's had moved in with Phil, and everything was going smoothly. It felt like he was back and staying at the hotel </span><span style="text-align: center;">– n</span>ot the Paddington hotel, but certainly the next best place Biberton had to offer. With Phil running the kitchen and providing such impressive <span style="text-align: center;">“</span>room service<span style="text-align: left;">”</span> at any time, day and night, it was definitely the hottest spot in the whole county...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 17.12px;"> Now that they were </span><span style="text-align: center;">roommates with two apartments at their disposal</span><span>, they had to live by a set of rules. Scott kept a list of those posted on the fridge and he kept making new ones, so the list was already quite long after their first day together.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span> The rules were simple, at least. Scott wanted both apartments to be tidy and pristine, so Phil had to clean up the place, wipe and dust the furniture, scrub the sinks, swab the toilets, </span>mop the floor and so on. He had to pick up, wash, dry and iron their clothes, and fold them so neatly in their drawers they looked brand new.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Of course, he had to cook for Scott's breakfast and dinner, bake plates and platters of all kinds of pastries to put on display in every room, and provide more snacks for the Sheriff's deputy to keep on the passenger's seat in his car.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Phil also had to keep the bedroom and bathroom welcoming, clean and warm, with bed sheets changed every day and fresh towels hanging next to the shower <span style="text-align: center;">– so they could always be just so dirty</span><span style="text-align: center;"> as they wished</span>.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> At some point, even a disciplined, caring, dim-witted guy like Phil would take a hint that he was the slave in their relationship. Scott wanted to tell him, and hear him say so. He would keep pushing for it.</div></span></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil had taken a cool shower so he was all wet, but fresh </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– h</span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">is blonde hair was all shiny, soft and silky to touch. He was wearing an apron to cook,</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> and nothing else. H</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">is body felt warm and feverish, s</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">omehow</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">.</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> Scott pressed his friend's arms when he hugged him and they felt thick with solid red meat, like stainless steel bars wrapped in juicy beefsteaks...</span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “Are you hungry, Scott?</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “You bet!</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div></span></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “Dinner's almost ready. Appetizers are on the living-room table.</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span style="text-align: center;">– “Good...</span><span>” </span></span></span></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span> Scott's mouth was already watering. </span></span></span></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span>– </span>“You're hungry too, right?</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– “So hungry...</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span><span> Phil's stomach was growling.</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– “Okay, new rule!</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">”</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> Scott gushed as he grabbed and slapped his friend's waist with both hands. </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“From now on, w</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">hen we're alone together, like this, you're not allowed to wear <i>anything</i>. No pants, no shirt, no T-shirt, no jock, no necklace and no bracelet. Nothing.</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span style="text-align: center;">– “Honestly, the only piece of clothes that still fit are my socks...</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span style="text-align: center;">– “Right. And no socks. I want you to go barefoot, you meaty big bear.</span><span>” Scott teased as he pulled Phil's apron. </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“Now, what's this?</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">” </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> </span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– “Personal protective equipment...</span><span>” Phil pleaded sheepishly. </span></span></span></span></span></div></span></span></span></span></div></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– “Drop it.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span><span><span> Scott didn't have to tell him twice. Phil was not so easily embarrassed, even when his friend was still wearing a Police uniform and bossing him around like an arrested suspect in a criminal investigation. He wouldn't wait for an interrogation, because there was no question about it.</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> </span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> The</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> blonde guy had to follow orders, like the disciplined soldier he was, and that was it. From their first night together as </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“roommates</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">”, Phil had responded to that cruel streak he felt in Scott's behavior, and he played along perfectly.</span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span><span><span><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– “Down on your knees, soldier. Help me take off my shoes...</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span><span><span> A few minutes later, the two young men were naked and their bodies locked in a timeless and passionate embrace, pressing and rubbing each other. Phil kept holding his friend tight and pulled him closer for another kiss, while Scott was fondling his firm, well-shaped butt.</span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span><span><span><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Did you bake these yourself, today?” </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Yup, my own recipe for honey-glazed apple pies. I had a whole bunch of juicy apples and a half-hour to kill, this afternoon...” </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “You don’t say... These pies are just to die for.” </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scoot took the glass of warm milk from Phil’s hand, and gulped down...</span> Then he groaned and loudly belched to his face.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span><span style="text-align: center;">– “BUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRP!</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– “Dude... Are you hungry or stuffed?</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Now that felt good! How many more did you bake?” </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Eleven. There's more in the oven, since you obviously enjoyed those. No need for a spoon. Dinner will be ready soon.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil was back in the kitchen, looking over the oven and ready to baste the turkey, yams and vegetables with the pan drippings.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– “I'm ready for your appetizers.</span><span>” Scott whispered, licking his lips. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="text-align: center;">“Now, for tonight's entertainment, you go get the box in my bedroom and put on some leather for me.</span><span>”</span></div></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– “Okay...</span><span>” Phil nodded, but he was shivering.</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Good boy. There you go.</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> Scott slapped his buttocks again... By the time he was sprawled on the couch, ready to grab another palm-sized apple pie, Phil was back with his cardboard box full of leather gear and his spanking paddles.</span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “You still need a hand to tie that harness?</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “Yes, please. And... Scott?</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span><span style="text-align: center;">– “Hmmmph?</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– “Is it okay if I don't wear that leather jockstrap anymore?</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– “Why?</span><span>” Scott asked, gulping down his pie with a glass of milk.</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– “We've been over this...</span><span>” Phil was blushing. </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“That jock is just too tight for me, and leather has no give. It's not just chafing, it's... It's really too much pressure on my crotch.</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span>– “We've been over this, all right. And I've showed you. It's the biggest, largest model they've ever made.</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span>– “</span>I can't help it. It's just too tight. I'd rather not wear it, please...</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– “Fine.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span> Leave it to Phil to find 6XL codpieces too </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“confining</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">”. Even so, Scott had to admit that he had a point. It was just so painfully tight for his genitals as his uniform was to the rest of his body. Even for a day, or a late evening, it had to feel like torture...</span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> It may be that a </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">codpiece</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> was just not meant for a guy like Phil. Why did they call it a </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“codpiece</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">” anyway? There was nothing special about a cod, Scott let his mind wander as he tightened the leather bands and harness on his friend's arms and chest, before attaching him to a ring on the wall. Phil would never fit into anything less than a </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“sharkpiece</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">”, to say the least </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– there was a million dollar idea for men's underwear.</span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– “Okay, so... No jock. You'll be bottomless, from now on?</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;"> Phil turned to hold him and kiss him deeply.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– “You know you're the only bottom I want.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– “Okay...</span><span>” Scott let out a sigh. He was feeling weak in the knees before they had even started. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“You know what? If you don't want your trousers to squeeze so painfully around your hips ans waist, you should probably butter your buns next time...</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">■ ■ ■</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i style="font-family: verdana;">April 4th, 1990</i><span style="font-family: verdana;"> – Wednesday</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="color: black;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span> Scott felt like he was in Heaven, at Biberton's Police department </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> he could eat anything he wanted, whenever he wanted to eat, as much as he wanted and without a care in the world!</span></div><div><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> Rick was officially </span><span style="color: black; text-align: center;">“</span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;">absent without leave</span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;">”. He was nowhere to be found, and no one could tell when he would be seen again. By an ironic twist of events, Scott was assigned to finding him. He knew where he was better than anyone, after Rick</span><span style="text-align: left;"> had given him a phone call. He was staying at his parents' house in Philadelphia for a few days. There was no need for Scott to get out of his office and chase ghosts in the windy, cold streets. He could always pretend that he was following a lead...</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"> Everyone at the hospital blamed Phil for this. Scott found it absurd, of course, but he couldn't help laughing about it because Dr Lipton and the Three Stooges they had hired as nurses were perfectly aware that Phil wasn't supposed to be there when Rick was gone. They chose to ignore the evidence, decided that he was to blame </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> and they were right!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> That was a lucky shot, but still a shot in the dark. Of course, they also blamed Phil for what was happening to the students in their custody.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> It was still happening... The six boys were locked in separate bedrooms and tied to their bed frames during the night, very much like Rick. And, just the same, they woke up in the morning with their stomachs so full of food and so swollen </span><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span style="text-align: left;">their round bellies felt so heavy and churning so loudly that they were reduced to groans and moans all day.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> Phil had to spend some time tending to their needs, when he was at the hospital, and pump their stomachs out as a preventive measure so they wouldn't choke...</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> It was too soon to tell if there was poison mixed to their food. Scott only knew as much as everyone else at the hospital: every student had gained </span><span style="text-align: left;">at least fif</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">teen pounds over the last few days, and they were constantly bloated and dizzy with the unusually large amounts of food forcefully stuffed in their guts. Mr Swayn may have commented that they were </span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">“quiet</span><span>”, but everyone around those patients was puzzled, queasy and buzzing in anxiety... It was a locked door mystery all over again.</span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– “I wonder how they do this. It can't be that easy...</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span> Scott had brought left five boxes of pastries on sheriff Maxwell's desk. There were just as many boxes for him to go through the day, with a big pot of coffee </span></span><span style="text-align: center;">– and no less than eight grands in his pocket.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"> The front door was opened. Through the </span>frosted glass panel, <span style="text-align: center;">Scott saw a very </span><span style="text-align: center;">tall man enter, </span><span style="text-align: center;">dressed in a lumberjack's plaid shirt and a long, worn leather jacket... He immediately recognized </span><span style="text-align: center;">those</span><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span style="text-align: center;">broad shoulders and that magnificent, thick, bushy mahogany beard. </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">It had to be </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Bj</span></span></span></span><span style="text-align: center;">ørn</span><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span style="text-align: center;">– and it </span><span style="text-align: center;">was him, of course, </span><span style="text-align: center;">waving hello and </span><span style="text-align: center;">carrying a big envelope in his hand. </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Scott was always amazed by the man's good looks, his </span><span style="text-align: center;">hairy chest</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> and his firm, honest handshake...</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Bj</span><span style="text-align: center;">ørn was just so surprised to find Scott in the Sheriff's Department, wearing this uniform and sitting at his desk, next to a pile of pink boxes with dozens of doughnuts.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “So you're deputy Scott, now?</span><span>”</span></span><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “That's right. Crazy, huh?</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “I've seen crazier stuff.</span><span>” </span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Bj</span><span style="text-align: center;">ørn shrugged. </span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">“Besides, it's important to be on good terms with the local Police force. You never know when you may have to answer a call, or make yourself scarce...</span><span>”</span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “True.</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><span>– “Then it's good to know someone like you... I will certainly feel better knowing you're on our side when it comes down to some touchy subjects that no one needs to talk about?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><span>– “Yeah...</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “It's even better when I happen to know where you've been last week and over the week-end, and what you've done.</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span> Scott didn't like that turn in their conversation.</span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– “Did you come here to tell me something?</span><span>”</span></span><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></span></div></span></div><div style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></div></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div> <span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Bj</span></span></span></span><span style="text-align: center;">ørn suddenly burst out laughing.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “Don't tie your undies in a knot. I'm here to</span></span> p</span>rovide you with an alibi.<span style="text-align: left;"><span>”</span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– “An alibi?</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– “Not exactly. Not yours but it could be, since you were there... Except you don't want anyone to know that you were, right?</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div> Opening the big envelope, <span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Bj</span></span></span></span><span style="text-align: center;">ørn produced a</span> ledger with the names of everyone at the <i>B4 </i>Club who had registered for Wednesday night. There was Phil's name and signature at the top of one page.</div><div><br /></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “Doctor Lipton has already called the <i>Fat Trout</i> trailer park, but Phil had already told everyone that he would be there for a few days... They figured that they should double check, so one of their nurses called me.</span><span>”</span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “I see...</span><span>”</span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “I said I could confirm, under oath, that Phil had spent the night at my club with a number of people, including my nephew Gunnar. They won't ask questions, when they get a copy of this page. Do you have a printer around here?</span><span>”</span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “I guess.</span><span>”</span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span> There was a Xerox machine in the corner. </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Bj</span></span></span></span><span style="text-align: center;">ørn printed a fine copy and gave it to Scott with a broad, mischievous smile.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “Your secret is safe with me.</span><span>”</span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="text-align: center;">– “Well, thank you for that.</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– “I don't know what you boys have been doing behind everyone's back. Honestly, I don't care... You know why? Because I know Phil will tell me if I ask him and he knows I won't ask, because I trust him.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– “You told me Phil couldn't be trusted.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– “I didn't set it in stone, did I? I wouldn't trust him when my nephew's around him, but you could also say that I wouldn't trust Gunnar if I left him alone with his favorite Teddy bear... This is different.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– “Okay.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– “Maybe you should show him that you trust him in this situation.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– “What do you mean?</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– “You haven't noticed something about that register?</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– “I've seen his names, among other names... What's to be noticed?</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– “Well... There's what you see and what you don't get to see.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– “Huh?</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– “Phil let you </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>sign first, because it was the last slot at the bottom of the page, then he registered at the top of the following page. And that's the only page his boss will get to see, or your boss for that matter, because they're only looking for his name in the list. You didn't think that Phil did it on purpose?<span style="text-align: left;"><span>”</span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “No...</span><span>” Scott responded quite bluntly. </span></span></span></span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">“It's so unlike him to make such a clever move like this.</span><span>”</span></span> </div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “It's totally like him to find a way to protect the people he cares for.</span><span>”</span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span> Scott didn't know what to say. </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Bj</span><span style="text-align: center;">ørn was on his way out.</span></div></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “Think about it sometimes. And feel free to come by the house. I know Gunnar will be happy to meet you for the first time.</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span> Alone in his office, Scott had plenty of time to think. He also had plenty of pastries, and it was time for his coffee break...</span></span></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">■ ■ ■</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;"> Callum Calloway was your typical brand of former high school jock. He checked all the boxes:</span></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"> tall, dark and handsome, </span>cocky and arrogant, local sports team's rising star, the kind of shamelessly good-looking guy who never had to try hard in his life, because everything always came so easily to him... To top it all, both his parents were important members in the board of trustees who pulled the strings in Saint Augustine Bells.</div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;"> From the first moment he stepped into Mr Porkenham's office, Cal was strutting about the place like he owned the school. He was quite athletic, with a razor sharp jawline and fine, chiseled features. His chest looked strong under his elegant shirt, and he kept posing or making faces like someone on the cover of a fashion magazine. His only reflection for the day had to be in the bathroom mirror, every morning... Cal loved himself and his muscular body, his male model face and his perfect smooth tone of voice when he felt like seducing someone from the opposite sex.</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;"> Scott knew the type only too well. In a previous life, it looked like he had been promised just the same good fortune </span></span></span><span style="text-align: center;">– until his dreams were crushed with his football injury.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"> It was hate at first sight when he met Cal. Everyone else looked up to this </span><span style="text-align: center;">“new guy</span><span style="text-align: left;">” who had been called to the rescue, for some reason, but they were on their guards. Scott knew the team well enough to get that they didn't trust him any more than they trusted each other. </span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"> Mr Porkenham had to reassure them.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span>– “He may be </span>callous, but not callow...</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;"> Those were the best words of praise he could come up with. Cal didn't need as much to make a remarkable first impression, from the moment he shook hands with every member of the staff in the old man's office.</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">– “Greg, is it? Right?”</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">– “I beg your pardon, young man?” Mr Porkenham went pale.</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">– “Please, call me Cal... I like to know people on a first name basis. It means something, when you get to deal with the most important players in the game. So, Greg?”</span></span></span></div></span></div></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Gregory Porkenham, indeed.”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Great. Greg...”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> He turned to meet a few more people.</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “And who do we have here? Miss... Misses?”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “I'm Miss Spread, Saint Augustine Bells executive chef. I manage the kitchens and our team of cooks.”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Spread, huh? Spread... Middle age, no doubt.”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> The short, bespectacled woman blushed so suddenly that her glasses looked fogged up.</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “So you're a chef... Peggy? Is it Peggy?”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “My name is Diana.” Ms Spread stuttered a bit. </span>“Why would anyone call me... Peggy?”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “I don't know. It's the closest name I could think of to <i>Piggy</i>.”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Everyone in the office looked down in dead silence for a minute, but Cal kept going like this with each new member of the staff he met in the morning. Naturally, when he was introduced to the </span>“new guy in charge of security”, there was a remarkably wicked glimmer in his deep blue eyes.</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> It was almost lunchtime, and Cal was surrounded with a little group of administrators, managers, teachers and educators, like courtiers around their prince... They had made a complete tour of the main buildings, and they entered the gym as Phil was done with his morning routine.</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “So, this is what I have to work with...”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> Phil held out his hand, but Cal reached right past it to give him a little manly slap on his stomach, served with a cold and haughty smirk. Then he looked the dumb blonde guy up and down appraisingly. Phil's T-shirt was drenched with sweat, and he was quite out of breath, at this point... Catching him off-guard like this didn't help.</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “I can see why you need my help.” Cal said to the group. “When you told me about a “lump of clay” I would have to mold and get into shape, I didn't picture... this. You should have told me it was all dough.”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> He jabbed his prey in the chest a few times.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “First things first, rules! Rule number one: No talking! You only open your mouth to answer when I ask you a question. Rule number two: No talking back! You keep your mouth shut... Rule number three: You only get to call me </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“sir”, like a good little soldier</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Is that clear? Am I making myself clear, dough boy?</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Yes, sir...”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Louder! I can't hear you.”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Sir! yes, sir!”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Not bad. You're a natural...” Cal was beaming with pride. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Last but not least. Rule number four: I'm in charge of coaching you. I'm in command. You obey my orders, you follow my lead, you do as you're told and that's it. Got that, dough boy?”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil nodded, looking down.</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “How much do you weigh? 250lbs? I bet you don't even know...</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> There was a big industrial scale in the school's gym. </span>Mrs Spread was standing next to it, so Cal immediately requested her assistance. It was one of those mechanical weigh beam physician scales, with a heavy-duty solid steel platform... To make matters worse, Phil had to take his shirt and shoes off in front of the whole staff, so he could go through his first weigh-in. It could hardly get more embarrassing for him, and every man around him, with a woman operating the scale.</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> Ms Spread adjusted the slides and took the measurement.</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">–</span><span style="text-align: center;"> </span>“227... 228lbs?” She announced, giving Phil a dark, judgmental look. </div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “Let's say 230!</span><span style="text-align: left;">” Cal smirked. </span><span style="text-align: center;">“Boy! do we have work to do...</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> Phil caught it and looked down at his stomach, holding it sadly. He was hungry, and his tummy protested with a distinctive rumbling... It made Cal smile even more broadly.</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">–</span><span style="text-align: center;"> </span>“What do you know? Sounds like someone didn't forget that breakfast is the most important meal of the day!<span>” </span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span> Cal kept on </span><span style="text-align: left;">jabbing him again, hard in the ribs. </span>The future young coach felt entitled enough to grab Phil's sides and give him a sneaky squeeze, before he burst out laughing in front of the whole staff.</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “I wasn't expecting such a mess, really... and such a mass!</span>”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><div> Phil couldn't help bristling, right now, but he kept his mouth shut and his fists clenched. They were off to a bad start, for sure, and he knew he would have to train with Cal every day. </div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “See you tomorrow morning at the gym, dough boy...” Cal waved. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“And don't forget to bring like a gallon of water, because I'm going to make you sweat just as much!”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">■ ■ ■</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i style="font-family: verdana;">April 6th, 1990</i><span style="font-family: verdana;"> – Friday</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> For the next few days, Phil was forced to run all the time, without rest, like a squirrel in the wheel</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> or, more accurately, like a bear on a treadmill. He would jog from his apartment to the hospital, early in the morning, then back to school... He had to carry his backpack everywhere, so he could put on his clothes at the hospital and his uniform in his office. He only wore shorts and a loose tank top in the streets, which may cause a few heads to turn but it was the only moment in his schedule when he was free to take a breath.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span> His new coach </span>Cal used every dirty trick in the book to make him feel chubby, heavy and out of shape...<span style="text-align: center;"> T</span>hen he forced him to work-out so hard that a professional powerlifter would throw the towel by the end of the afternoon. Phil only hung in there by a thread, but it didn't look like he was ready to give up anytime soon.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Cal seemed to appreciate a challenge too. It was always better to bully someone who could actually fight back... He had turned the gym into his new home, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">office, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">headquarters and pleasure grounds.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Ms Spread's assistance was requested for more than Phil's </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">weigh-ins. Cal suggested from the beginning that their daily training and coaching should be some sort of </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">attraction</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">”</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> for everyone to see, so th</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">e </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">bleachers were placed against the wall and they were often packed with students between classes... After a day or two, Ms Spread set up a whole buffet next to the stands, with a large choice of snacks, and she kept offering fresh smoothies to Cal </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> he didn't want to get a sore throat, and he was yelling all day at his lazy, weightlifting </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“dough boy</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">”</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Naturally, Phil wasn't allowed to eat and he could only drink water. Cal agreed that the smells of so much delicious food were a nice touch...</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Training in front of an audience had some sort of positive effect, however. Cal couldn't get too far in his comments when young men were present, or when Ms Spread was around. When they were alone inside the gym, he </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">slapped Phil's ass unabashedly.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “You'd b</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">etter keep wearing a jock, dough boy! Can't rip the seat if it's not there... Now, give me a hundred push-ups, you lazy fat ass! On the double! And you keep counting them for me... Loud!</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></div><div style="color: black;"> Phil had to do it right, or he would have to start all over again.</div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Guy like you, I bet you're going commando anyway...</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Training like this was exhausting, but Phil could endure it... His absurd diet caused him the most pain. Sometimes, the blonde sweaty guy felt so hungry and so drained that he almost collapsed in the evening.</span></div><div><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Hard-boiled egg whites, steamed broccoli and cauliflower, lean chicken breasts with spinach, lentils spiced with curry and crunchy green salad </span><span style="color: black;">– that was his diet. No bread, no rice, no pasta, no potatoes. No butter, of course. Phil drank half a gallon of </span>skimmed milk every day, but only two glasses of orange juice... They didn't want to spoil him with sweets.</div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott could tell that his friend was hungry </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> <i>really </i>hungry... A guy like Phil must have already experienced hunger pangs, but it was still painful to watch him squirm when his stomach rumbled and growled so angrily.</span></div></div></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Naturally, the Southern dumb blonde guy was addressing this issue </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">in a typical, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Southern </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">dumb blonde manner</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">, cooking one large feast of a stir-fried meal after another shamelessly large, deep-fried meal... Phil wasn't just </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">overcompensating, as he watched Scott gobble down all that food and lick his lips when his plate was refilled or the next dish was served. He almost enjoyed every bite with him.</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil would smell the grilled meats and sausages, the sauces and spices, and the frosting on the cakes. Then, as he presented Scott with another forkful of delicious desserts, it wasn't so clear whether he wanted to grab a bite of fresh, plump pear with chocolate mousse, biscuit, meringue and ice-cream </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> or maybe he was ready to pounce on his well-fed friend and devour him like a tiger.</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Needless to say, Scott didn't mind... By the end of dinner, he couldn't possibly eat another bite or his stomach would burst. Phil had to insist in his most gentle, most persuasive tone of voice, and he was rewarded for his gluttony with some of the most ravenous, most athletic sex he could wish for. Maybe Phil was </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">overcompensating after all, in his own way?</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott took a moment to think about it. Phil was definitely not an angel but, if he had to be an angel, he would be a mighty dark one. Living with him was like falling head down into a whirlpool of pleasures and passions so deep that even the seven deadly sins would get lost and dissolve like sparkles or bubbles.</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Gluttony had to be considered first, for blatantly obvious reasons. Scott had never enjoyed such delicious food, in such generous amounts, from early morning to late-night desserts in bed...</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Naturally, good food was also the first step to wicked foreplay and great sex. If he had to be among the </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">fallen ones</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">”</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">, Phil was the angel of Lust. Thinking about it more closely, Scott could only award him that title with a special honorary mention: Phil was the </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">guardian angel of Lust </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">– t</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">here was so much more than</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">generosity</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">” in what he did to him, and for him.</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> Scott couldn't deny that he had it easy, lately. His new job allowed him to be lazy like a well-fed sloth. Everyone encouraged him to sit down, lean back, relax and enjoy. Phil kept him comfortably sprawled over that fluffy cloud of bliss, but he wasn't the only one to blame for it.</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> While he had everything to do with Scott's Gluttony, Phil had nothing to do with his Greed... His bank account and his pockets were flushed with money. Scott had so much cash in his hands that he didn't know where to hide it. Even h</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">is wallet felt fat, like a ham wrapped in leather...</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> Scott wasn't sure if that qualified as Greed </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> but he knew he wanted more. More food, more cash, more sex. Basically, that was how Scott felt about Envy... What he wanted most was easy enough to understand. He wanted Phil,</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> but he wanted the dumb blonde sexy guy to be all his. One hundred percent. </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">Body and soul</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">”</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">, as the saying goes </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> mostly body, for sure, but down to the last pound of flesh and bone.</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> That was the closest Scott could get to Wrath. He couldn't possibly get angry at Phil, with everything he did for him. As he was used to keep raising the bar, it was already amazing that his friend was always up to the challenge, but it was only a matter of time... Scott had just put his finger on it. He needed to make sure that Phil belonged to him, that he <i>owned </i>the clueless blonde boy, like a servant </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">– l</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">ike a slave... That's why he felt so angry about him sometimes.</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> Maybe Phil was guilty, then, in the way he made him angry? How about Pride? Scott laughed when he thought about it, last but not least... He wouldn't have to march for that one! Scott couldn't be prouder, as he was walking the school grounds, with everything he had</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> and </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">everything he was looking for</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">.</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> He had parked his car by the chapel. There were twelve more boxes of pastries to share with sheriff Maxwell, in his trunk. He had already made it clear with Phil.</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Let me take care of it. You don't want to touch any of those...”</span><br style="font-family: verdana;" /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> The sun was barely rising over the trees, but the early morning mass was over. Scott saw a small group of people coming out and leaving the premises. It wasn't any ordinary mass, at this hour, on that day... They were celebrating </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Good Friday. </span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil was there, shaking hands with father Knox... As they exchanged a few words, it looked like they were in no hurry.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “I forgot, Phil is a good Catholic boy. So much for a dark angel...”</span><br style="font-family: verdana;" /></div></div><div style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> He couldn't exactly eavesdrop and listen to their conversation, from the driver's seat. He lowered down the car window, and pricked up his ear. Father </span><span style="text-align: left;">Knox </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">was raising a finger as he spoke.</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></div><div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> “As surfeit is the father of much fast,</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> So every scope, by th'immoderate use,</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> Turns to restraint.</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> Phil responded with a nod.</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> “Our Natures do pursue,</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> Like rats that raven down their proper bane,</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> A thirsty Evil... And when we drink, we die.”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> Father Knox nodded too, and concluded their little exchange with a pat on the younger man's shoulder. </span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">– “You should know, Phil... That was precisely what I had in mind.</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> Scott waited for the two of them to be on their way before he started the car. He had not understood a word they had said to each other...</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">■ ■ ■</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil look so good in that tight leather harness, and his buttocks were always so firm and so bouncing when Scott spanked him. He made him keep count, while he only encouraged him to </span>“look tough”.</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> The spanking paddle clearly hurt him. Scott was often hitting too hard or missing his butt, so his hips and thighs took the blow. It made him startle and his eyes would well up with tears, </span><span style="text-align: left;">sometimes, </span><span style="text-align: left;">but there was no hurdle Phil wouldn't jump through to please his friend. Somehow, Cal had already trained him for it.</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></div></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 17.12px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “I guess you’re right...</span></span>” Scott finally offered, between two mouthfuls of chocolate fudge cake. “As much as I love your cakes and pastries, I know I’ll be hungry for a nice, thick, juicy steak soon...”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 17.12px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “That’s my boy...” Phil joined him to rub his soft belly.<br />– “And let’s be honest for a minute, if it wasn’t for your pies and cookies and... BUUUURRRRP! stuff, I would let myself starve to death rather than touch those industrial platters of food and mashed whatever they serve in our school...”<br />– “I know, Scott. I know... I wouldn’t let you approach one of those.”<br /> <br /> Phil was comforting him better than a man-sized Teddy bear would do, in a tight hug. Scott felt like sinking his teeth into that well-muscled, round shoulder as he was pressing his lips against it. That was some tasty cut of juicy, all-natural USDA grade A beef!<br /> <br />– “Ouch! Seriously, Scott... Bite me?”<br />– “Told you... I’m growing hungry for something more than pastries.”<br /> <br /> The two boys </span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">exchanged a playful look and a smile. Phil closed his arms around his friend for a short fight of tickles, rubs and kisses, until he pushed him on the bed covers. Scott had to surrender and beg him to stop, as he was seriously aroused by now...</span></span></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “Are you absolutely sure that you're no longer hungry for pastries?”<br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “What do you mean, you Devil?”<br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “I mean...” Phil leaned forward to kiss Scott's tummy, working his way South and stopping at every weak spot, as only he knew how to push his friend's buttons so dangerously hard. “Banana pudding...” </div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> He kept going, pushing his friend over the edge. </div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “With my own recipe for vanilla wafers and meringue...” </div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> He wasn't even slowing down. Scott was boiling in his own sweat.</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “And more whipped cream...”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “Oh God! More?”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “And my homegrown pot brownies...” </div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “Have mercy on me, you beast!”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “And one last batch of my special, homemade chocolate ice-cream...” Phil concluded, licking Scott's most sensitive spot.</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> The fat boy had to catch his breath and hold him still, in a firm grip... Scott could come at any moment, just listening to Phil's low, soft voice.</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– “You're definitely going to make me... BUUUUURRRRRP! burst...”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> The blonde bad boy responded with a swift move and a playful kiss.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– “We're in bed together... I would feel sad if I didn't make you burst.”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> The two lusty young men didn't stop kissing as they lay back down in bed. They had already had sex twice since Phil's early and almost non-existent breakfast, but they were always greedily enjoying each other’s bodies... Scott was beginning to feel like his friend could actually devour him, even with his so skillful lips and tongue </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> and the more he told him how hungry he was for more food, or how much he was looking forward to grow fatter, the more Phil wanted to feed him and make it happen...</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> The athletic dumb blonde boy leaned in, cupped his hand behind Scott’s head and pulled him in for a deep, passionate kiss. </span></div></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="en-US">Why don't we just take things one bite at a time?”</span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="en-US">– “Like what... being reasonable? Is that what you mean?</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">”</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="en-US">– “Something like that. Anything you want... Everything you want...</span></span></span></span>”</span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="en-US"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"> The fat boy nodded, leaning back in to kiss Phil and relaxing more with every new kiss and every new mouthful thereafter.</span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “Banana pudding coming on, Scott... Open up!</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">”</span></div></span></div></span></div></div></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></div></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="text-align: center;"><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><div><i>April 9th, 1990</i> – Monday</div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Scott had never fully grasped how much he loathed his old, dead-end job, as an </span><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">“</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">aspiring journalist</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">, but he loved his new job at the Sheriff's Department! They had come up with their own, daily routine with </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">sheriff Maxwell, and t</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">hey got on really well together. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Damon Maxwell was delighted to find big boxes full of pastries, </span><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">pies and cakes, </span><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">cupcakes and muffins, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">peanut butter pinwheels, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">chocolate éclairs, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">cinnamon rolls, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">sugar buns, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">doughnuts </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">and cookies on his desk, early in the morning </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> every morning. By the end of the day, the whole, small mountain of food was gone, washed down with a gallon of milk...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Way to make yourself employee of the month, Scott!” Sheriff Maxwell cooed as he had to open his belt, once again, to keep on eating his share of pastries </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> so tasty and so rich, so thick and so fattening he moaned with every bite.</span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Naturally, the tall and large black man made sure that his deputy was eating no less than he was. When Scott left five boxes of pastries on his boss's desk, he had to keep six boxes for himself.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Damon made sure of it... Whenever Scott found an even number of boxes in Phil's office, at school, he had to eat more. Twelve boxes didn't mean </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">six for you, six for me</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> It had to be </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">five versus seven</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">, or </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">five-and-a-half versus six-and-a-half</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">” </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">– i</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">t was a good moment for them to share over the last box of cakes or cookies.</span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Sheriff Maxwell also made sure that Scott was drinking plenty of whole milk, all through the day. Then they almost always ate lunch together at the <i>Double D</i>, going for greasy burgers, buckets of fried chicken, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">onion rings </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">and fries... He would pat him on the shoulder, when they got back to the precinct.</span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “I made it quite clear that you were hired to encourage me to grow fatter and rounder, and grow fat and round as you followed me around.” He patted his deputy's full belly. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“I think you've made your point.”</span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “I have?”</span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “You've been stuffing me so full of pastries, I'm beginning to feel puffy. And you're growing faster than I expected... Take a good look at yourself when you pass by a mirror, tubby! I should be careful that you don't try to outgrow me, in a couple of months...”</span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott felt his face redden a little. He was not even generous with these. Sheriff Maxwell was actually doing him a favor when he stuffed himself with so many pastries, and putting on some weight in the process.</span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “I believe this calls for a raise!”</span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “A raise?”</span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “It's your f</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">irst paycheck, I know, but it's more than I used to pay my previous deputy. And I've decided to give it to you in advance.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Wow! </span><span><span style="font-family: verdana;">First
paycheck in a long time...” Scott hooted.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> He sniffed </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">the envelope, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">as he picked it up </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> as if it could contain more than just a check, thin as it was, then he sighed with contentment... It could hardly be compared to the huge load of cash he had picked up in the morning, but it was a really comfortable amount of money.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Is that enough for you?”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Are you kidding me? That's a lot more than enough!”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “How does that make you feel?”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “What do you mean?”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “How does it make you feel, right now? Rich?”</span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Honestly? More like... Fat!”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Fat?”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Yeah... I'm not saying I don't feel like I deserve to be paid, but... It's a lot of dough, and it makes me feel like one of those spoiled kid on Christmas. So, yeah... Definitely. It makes me feel fat!”</span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> It was such a significant salary jump, compared to his previous jobs, it was a real surprise for him... Clearly, sheriff Maxwell's intentions were to spoil Scott and encourage him to spend a good chunk of his money on snacks and tasty treats </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">– as much as he could possibly eat on the side, between large and filling meals!</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> With all the money that was stashed at the bottom of the empty boxes from Saint Augustine Bells, Scott also felt a little light-headed,</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">having so much cash in his hands. It was overwhelming.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> The sheriff smiled. God! that man was so handsome...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Then it's the right amount. How do you like being my deputy now?”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="en-US">– “Getting
paid to sit on my ass all day, </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">at this desk,</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="en-US">handling the phone lines and </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">hardly pushing paper, with no need for coffee breaks</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="en-US">? I’m living the American corporate dream...” He joked</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="en-US">, grabbing another large piece of pie from the box.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="en-US">– “Then you're good to go, Scott.”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">I’ve been looking forward to this for </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">so long! That's such a relief.”</span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Sheriff Maxwell gave him a shove on his shoulder. </span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">– “If you don't have any plans for tonight, Maria would like to invite you over for dinner... She will be away for a few days</span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">, </span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">visiting her parents</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;"> on Easter holiday</span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Tonight?”</span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"> P</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">hil was working night shift again, at the hospital. It was perfect.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"></span></span></div></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “I would love to spend the evening with you.”</span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Just go casual, and wear your roomiest pair of pants.”</span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">– “I see...”</span></span></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">– “Maria wants to make sure that she can leave me alone for a week and I won't waste away too dramatically... That would break her heart.”</span></span></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"> The two men nodded in agreement, patting each other's bumpy belly.</span></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">– “Just so you know, she's looking forward to spend time with her family but she's a bit anxious about it too... Let's say, she's feeling her roots. Don't be surprised if she throws a lot of Spanish words at you. You know she'll throw a lot more Mexican food into your plate!”</span></span></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"> Scott didn't have much choice in his closet, at the moment. He had only bought one pair of baggy pants. They looked only okay, according to him, but they were comfortable and they had some give, which was what he would need the most on such a night out.</span></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"> P</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">hil was done with all the cakes, pies, pastries and cookies he had baked in the kitchen. He was ready to go back to work, just as Scott was putting a touch of gel in his hair to get them nicely spikey... His blonde friend joined him in front of the mirror for a good night kiss.</span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “You are always so dapper... Where are you going tonight?”</span></div></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Just another evening with my boss and his wife.”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Just like that? I had something more special in mind.”</span></div></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “She will be away for a few days, so it's like... Game night.”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Game night?”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Huh huh...”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil looked a bit puzzled, when Scott was in a hurry to leave. It was almost 8PM. He already had his jacket on, and the keys to his car were in his pocket.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “What kind of games are you playing with them?”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott flashed him with a broad, cocky grin.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Hungry Hungry Hippos</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">...”</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div>■ ■ ■</div><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></span><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> If Scott had ever tried to curb his appetite before, he was now trying to push it to the brink every day... A</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> dinner invitation at the Maxwells was the perfect opportunity for him to outdo himself, and he could overeat with the best and most encouraging company</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Damon welcomed him at the door. His shirt was already fully open and he wasn't wearing a T-shirt.</span></div></span></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Just as I thought, always so overdressed...” He rolled his eyes, with a smile on his face. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Come in, come in. Maria wants to check our weights, before we both sit at the table.”</span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “She wants to weigh us?”</span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “In your underwear, too... if you're okay with it.”</span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Huh...” Scott only hesitated for a second. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Sure! I'm game.”</span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> He had seen Phil go through this a few times, after all. The only difference was that Damon had to help him step on the scale, so he would stand straight and in the center of its platform. He couldn't read the numbers either. </span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “So... How much is it?” Scott asked bashfully.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">¿Cuánto peso gané?</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Ms Maxwell was there to check up on their results. She exchanged a smile with her husband, as he was about to tell his deputy.</span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Well... Well over 250lbs.”</span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span><span style="text-align: justify;">– “How much?”</span></span></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span><span style="text-align: justify;">– “256lbs, exactly.”</span></span></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span>– “</span>Muy
bien!</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">”</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> Maria gushed. </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“</span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">¿Has ganado peso otra vez?</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">”</span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott held his reasonably empty belly with both hands. He had gained eight solid pounds during his first week, working with sheriff Maxwell...</span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> It was Damon's turn to be weighed, and the tall handsome man was eager to step on the scale for his loving wife.</span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “298lbs! </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Muy bien, m</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">uy bien...</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Okay!</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">” Sheriff Maxwell thumped his belly. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Time to eat...</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Of course! You haven't reached 300lbs yet!</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">” Maria complained.</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">T</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">engo un marido irritantemente delgado e increíblemente guapo... Obviamente tendré que engordarlo y cambiar todo eso!</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> She held her sexy, well-fed husband in a tight embrace. Then she took a good look at Scott and he saw a glimmer of delight in her eyes.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: left;">– “Necesitamos un montón de comida para engordarlo mucho y rápido.” </div><div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Sorry... What did you say?”</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “You're going to eat a lot... and she means <i>a lot</i>. That's all you need to know.” Sheriff Maxwell smiled.</span> “She wants us to eat and gain weight.”</div></span></span></div></span></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"> Maria made Scott and Damon sit down at the dinner table.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-align: justify;">Es la hora de tragar!”</span></div></span></span></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br style="font-family: "Times New Roman";" /></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> And s</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">o, for the next four hours, the two grown men gorged themselves on Mexican food, wearing only their boxer shorts...</span></div></span></div></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> They were both leaning over their plates, so that their forks only had to travel a few inches to get to their mouths. Then they kept shoveling in mouthful after mouthful of food, as if they hadn’t eaten for weeks.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Tequila shots were served with Maria's </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">“appetiz</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">ers</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">” for her big boys </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> a variety of baked halloumi skewers served in </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">large portions</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">,</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> with onions and peppers, chubby empanadas filled with chicken, bacon or beef chilli with sour cream, and thick Jalapeño poppers filled with cream cheese, served with a pot of genuine jalapeño jelly.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “How do you like being a sheriff's deputy?”</span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “I love it! It's great!</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">” Scott responded enthusiastically.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">I've never had such a... BUUUUUURRRRRRP... cushy job in my life!”</span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Me alegra de oír eso.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">” Maria patted his stomach.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“I'm g</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">lad to hear it.”</span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> As she was going back and forth to the kitchen, sheriff Maxwell winked at his new deputy and handed him another beer.</span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “She meant to say she wants to hear you burp some more, tonight...”</span></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Oh? Well... If she keeps going after me like this with food and drinks, she won't be disappointed.”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> The feast truly kicked off to a start when she brought tacos, tostadas, burritos, enchiladas and freshly fired fajitas, still sizzling from the kitchen, with a generous amount of sour cream, cheese, guacamole and salsa.</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> Scott's fingers were already greasy with all that food...</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Traga como un puerco, ándale!</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Maria kept encouraging her husband to eat like a pig, pushing him even as he tried his best to eat faster... Then she complimented Scott on his appetite but insisted that he should challenge her husband too, and eat like a greedy, messy piglet.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> She brought platters of <i>arroz con pollo</i> topped with cheese sauce and served with tortillas, and <i>h</i></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><i>uevos rancheros</i>, eggs topped with red sauce, rice and beans. There was enough food for an entire troop of boy scouts.</span></div></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="font-family: verdana;"></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">You expect me to eat all this?</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott felt a little overwhelmed.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><div style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span>If you want to get ahead of the game, you’ll have to!</span>”</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div></div></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> There was more to come: Baja </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">chicken</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">bowls with roasted </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">breasts and rice cooked in coconut sauce, served in large tortilla bowls topped with sour cream and chilli peppers, sweet potato fries and corn on the cob...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> Scott was treated with even </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">more plates of bacon and grits,</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> which he had to wash down with more beer. Damon pushed </span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">another half-pint glass of strong brew in front of him, without spilling any foam... His first six-pack of <i>Biberton Brewing Brothers </i>light blonde beers was already gone.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Ooof...” He complained. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Do you want me to choke, burst or </span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">pass out from alcohol poisoning</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">?”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “No para envenenarte, pero sé cómo</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> te llenaré hasta hacerte reventar.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Huh... What did she say?”</span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “She's not planning to poison you. She </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">just</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">wants to see you so stuffed as you can get. Stuffed to your tits... Take a breath and eat some more!”</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Maria showed no mercy. Cramming more and more and more food into Damon, she rubbed her husband’s gut when it looked like he would pass out from the stuffing, taunting him about how ballooned he was getting and how he was going to grow so much fatter...</span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Traga más rápido... Ahora engordarás, puercote!</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">” She </span>took a massive forkful of food up to his mouth.</div><div><br /></div><div> Scott was not forgotten, of course. The Maxwells kept rushing him to eat like a pig. His belly had blown up to the point of wedging firmly into the edge of the table... His eyes glazed over as his hands fell to rest on the growing ledge at the top of his ball gut.</div></span></span></div></span></div></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 17.12px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “BUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRP!”</span></span></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “You're a good eater, but you're still so puny!</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Maria patted and rubbed his belly. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">No me extraña que sigas más delgado que una tira... </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">También deberías alimentarte mejor para engordar!</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Hmmmph?”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Maria thinks you should be fed better, if you want to grow...”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Huh...” Scott was distracted, huffing and puffing.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Grow fatter. Eat more. Get fed.”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Okay...”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Get fed more. Better! Every day!”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Huh huh...”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Maria put another large plate of spicy pork roast in front of him.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Ahora un plato más para ti, muy nutritivo...</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">”</span></div></span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;">“Are you sure? </span><span style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="en-US">I’m really full, like... full, full! Oh, well... I guess I could go for another one...”</span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="en-US"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="en-US"> Scott marveled at his own appetite and resilience, despite clearly struggling with the discomfort of being so completely stuffed.</span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div>– “Debes tragar mucho más para engordar muchisimo... Y luego voy a atiborrarte de todo tipo de comidas grasientas!”</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> After shoving in the last forkful, which he carefully ran around the plate to get every last drop of sauce, Scott fell back in his chair. Letting out a long groan and dropping his hand on the top arc of his growing belly, where his chest edged into the swell of his fat-filled bulge, he grunted that he was absolutely stuffed.</span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div><br /></div><div>– “I couldn't eat another bite if you forced me to do it...”</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">– “Did you eat everything in your last plates?” Sheriff Maxwell asked. </span></div></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Yup.</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Damon hauled his huge body out of his chair and, with his gut swaying from side to side, he swaggered out to the bathroom and back. Then h</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">e cradled his friend's stomach in his hands, jiggling it between
his palms. That prompted another monstrously long, loud and obnoxious belch from the depths of
Scott's gut.</span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />
– “BUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRP!”</span></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Well done, Scott... We're definitely off to a good start!</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Maria was coming back from the kitchen with desserts.</span></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Y ahora un delicioso postre </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">para ti</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; line-height: 17.12px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Oh! God...</span></span>”</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> There were more, large portions of thick and greasy churros, which Maria served with fresh strawberries and chocolate sauce</span></span>.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Vas a comer hasta que estés a punto de explotar!</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; line-height: 17.12px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Hmmmph... Hmmmph...</span></span>”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott had so much churros crammed in his cheeks that he could barely close his mouth to chew.</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"><div><i>April 13th, 1990</i> – Friday</div></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span lang="en-US"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 17.12px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span lang="en-US"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 17.12px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “</span></span>No! No, soldier! Your position is wrong!” Cal yelled at Phil, as if he was cautioning him while the blonde, sweaty guy was squatting. </span></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; line-height: 17.12px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Better, sir?</span></span><span style="text-align: justify;">” Phil stood straight, arching his back like a pro.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; line-height: 17.12px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “No, no... You're not worth a damn, dough boy!</span></span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; line-height: 17.12px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Sir! yes, sir...</span></span><span style="text-align: justify;">” The blonde guy had to keep going.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 17.12px;">– “</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Keep your neck up! Activate your core, if you have any...” Cal nodded, patting his own chiseled stomach as if to demonstrate.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Scott hated guys who kept telling others what to do at the gym </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> but this was worse than anything he had experienced or witnessed.</span></div></span></span></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Cal kept slurping on his smoothie. Ms Spread prepared them herself, just for him. </span></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The young coach's comments and criticisms kept coming in fast and thick throughout the day. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Phil looked beaten down by the end of their evening sessions...</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span lang="en-US"><br /></span></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span lang="en-US"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; line-height: 17.12px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Time for your weigh-in! Get your fat ass over here.</span></span><span style="text-align: justify;">”</span></span></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Dr Lipton was a bit reluctant to do it in his office, but Cal was raring to put Phil on the scale to taunt him and publicly shame him in front of a group of students.</span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Ms Spread was back with another large pitcher for his smoothie. </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">The gym was also packed with students, sitting in the bleachers or standing before the buffet. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">It looked like Cal was trying out-do himself, analyzing and nitpicking at everything Phil did in order to make himself look better, stronger, superior.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Cal was </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">the man</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> around this gym </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">or so he thought. As much as the boys sneered around him, they</span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> had </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;">no interest in sparring with him. He wasn't the bigger man in the room so much as he was the biggest jerk in school. That was some hard-won title, considering the competition. All those students were bullies, so this felt like off-hours class for them.</span></div><div style="color: black;"><br /></div><div style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span style="font-family: verdana;">If you were paid by the pound instead of the hour, you could retire by Christmas!</span>” Cal kept yelling at him. </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; line-height: 17.12px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“O</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">n the scales, now.”</span></div><div style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil did as he was told, a bit out of breath again. </span></div><div style="color: black;"><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Stand still...” Cal commanded,</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> slapping him on the back. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“That's what you do best, dough boy.!”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Ms Spread moved and</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> adjusted the slides.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “How much?”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “A little under 225lbs.” Ms Spread announced.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “I thought as much.” Cal smirked. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“We all put so much time and efforts into this for you. What for? Hardly one pound of lard off this bacon dog!”</span></div><div style="color: black;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott was done with his boxes of pastries for the day. He had plenty of time, a</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">t the precinct, for his shooting practice and self-defense exercises with his boss. It was another regular, lazy morning for him.</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> Back in Saint Augustine Bells, he also felt satisfied that his system with the secret code and boxes of pastries worked, allowing a few students to come and go without anyone noticing a thing. </div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> When he found that he couldn't stuff his wallet with more cash, Scott decided to leave four hundred dollar bills on the fridge, attached to his blonde friend's list of chores. He didn't put much thought into it, but Phil was overwhelmed.</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott was immediately rewarded with a tight, heartfelt Teddy bear hug that was even more bear-like and comforting than Phil's usual tender, loving hugs.</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “What's that money on the fridge for?”</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Food, of course. I thought you could cook something tasty for me.”</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “You got it...” Phil kissed him passionately.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> There were genuine tears of joy in the hungry guy's eyes</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">. They never talked about it, but Scott knew how badly Phil was strapped for cash...</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Sure enough, there was more food on the table for his breakfast and dinner, full plates and bowls of cupcakes, cinnamon rolls and timbits in every room, bigger snacks for his lunch break, more elaborate recipes and more generous amounts of spicy, fried foods on the side of his main course, a wider variety of cakes and pies for dessert, and an endless flow of homemade ice-cream, milkshakes and sweets before bedtime.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">looked really good and self-satisfied, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">in his uniform, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">as he </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">walking the school grounds again</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">in Saint Augustine Bells.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> It looked like father Knox was in the middle of argument with Mr Scupper, the school's gardener. Scott didn't want to interfere, but he saw them shake hands and go their separate ways... Then he followed the man of the cloth.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Good afternoon, father.</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Mister Girder? I mean... officer Girder. How nice to see you! I heard that you were willing to spend some time on the premises, every day, to increase security.</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Huh... Yeah, that's the point. Was that mister Scupper with you?</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “It was.</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">” Father Knox sighed. </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“Rambling as ever...</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “What was he rambling on? His ghost story again?</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “You've met him, you know how pig-headed he is about this. He must have been reading </span><i style="font-family: verdana;">The Turning of the screw</i><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">, recently.</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> Scott remembered about it. He had borrowed it at the hospital's library, but he had only read a few lines and gone to sleep.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “What's so remarkable about this?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “You know how that story goes. The children are allegedly possessed by the ghosts of two dead servants, and their nurse is determined to find that supernatural or unnatural influence.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Okay...</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Since the servants were having an affair, it is implied that the boy and his sister are tempted into incest by the ghosts who would possess their bodies and have some sort of intercourse.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “What? Is that what it's about? I mean... What does it have to do with what's happening around here?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Mister Scupper suggested that the ghost he keeps talking about gets to possess the six students who are currently at the hospital.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “What for?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “To make them gorge on food, apparently. Did you hear anything about them, by the way? How are they doing today?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “According to the nurses at the hospital, they're always stuffed like piñatas in the morning. Every morning... They had to remind people not to bring food or feed them at any time, like they tell you at the zoo. I believe the boys aren't allowed visitors anymore, but they keep putting on weight like this.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “And they have no explanations about it.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Not that I know of... I had no idea that there would be a ghost so hell-bent on gluttony.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Ghosts are usually vengeful spirits.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Do you get to preach or talk a lot about gluttony?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div></div><div><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span>– “I do... There's a lot to be said about gluttony, you know.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></span></div><div><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span>– “Really?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></span></div><div><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“The Church follows the teachings of Saint Thomas Aquinas, who listed five forms of gluttony...” Father Knox explained. “There is <i>Laute</i>, which means “eating too expensively”. Then <i>Studiose</i>, which means “eating too daintily”. <i>Nimis</i>, eating too much”. <i>Praepropere</i>, “eating too soon”. And <i>Ardenter</i>, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“eating too eagerly”... </span><i style="font-family: verdana;">Ardenter </i><span style="font-family: verdana;">is often considered the most sinful, since it is a passion for mere earthly pleasures.”</span></div><div style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “Is that something you discussed with Phil too, recently?</span>”</span></div><div style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> Father Knox turned to Scott. He was about to open the door to his office, next to the school's chapel.</span></div><div style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “Phil Hewdge, our male nurse and new security officer?</span>”</span></div><div style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “Yes.</span>”</span></div><div style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “Why would we talk about gluttony? Maybe we did. I see him every now and then, and we get to talk about so many things. Are you friends with Phil?</span>”</span></div><div style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “Yes... We're friends.</span>”</span></div><div style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “Very good.</span>”</span></div><div style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “Forgive me father, but... I recently heard you talking about... I forgot. Something about surfeit and fast?</span>”</span></div><div style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “Oh... Yes, a few days ago.</span>”</span></div><div style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “I wasn't eavesdropping or anything, but...</span>”</span></div><div style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “It's quite all right. I guess you didn't understand why we were playing one of our little games with lines from a Shakespearean play.</span>”</span></div><div style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “You were quoting Shakespeare?</span>”</span></div><div style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “<i>Measure for measure</i>, if memory serves me correctly.</span>”</span></div><div style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “Okay... Phil knows a lot of </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Shakespeare, it's true, but I had no idea...</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="color: black;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “Not just </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Shakespeare</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">. Our dumb blonde soldier is quite familiar with the whole Elizabethan and Jacobean repertoire. I keep teasing him with little known plays by Marlowe, Kyd, Jonson, Middleton, Dekker, Marston, Fletcher, Chapman, Beaumont, </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Ford</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> and Webster... I haven't even scored a single point in that game yet.</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “It's a strange game to play...</span>”</span></div><div><br /></div></div></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Father Knox chuckled.</span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “I'll let you in on a little secret, since Phil's your friend.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “Yes?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “It's a code between us. When Phil wants to tell me something, and he doesn't feel comfortable about it or we don't want anyone around to listen to us, he quotes something from Shakespeare... We've been doing this for over a year. It's proved very useful, especially during confession.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “Confession?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “Phil is catholic, you know.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “Yeah... I knew that. I was just thinking... Would you say he's a good catholic boy?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: left;"> There was a moment of silence. Father Knox looked puzzled.</span></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “I guess... It's a good question. I don't know how he was raised, but I bet there was no religious education for him before he joined the Army. I bet that is also when he started studying Shakespeare and the others. Truth be told, Phil doesn't consider himself a good catholic boy... and that's precisely why I think he is.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “I don't understand.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “There are things that he is willing to tell me in confession, but there are things so sinful he doesn't trust me. That's when we play around </span><span style="text-align: center;">Shakespeare. Then, if it's something really dark, </span><span style="text-align: center;">he quotes a few lines from Marlowe.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Marlowe...</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “Christopher </span></span><span style="text-align: center;">Marlowe</span><span style="text-align: center;">. He was like... Shakespeare's evil twin brother.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “Seriously</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">?</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “They were born the same year. He wrote seven plays. He was a self-proclaimed atheist and homosexual. He may have been a spy for queen Elizabeth. And he was killed before he turned thirty, so...</span></span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “Yeah... I get the evil twin vibe.</span></span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “Then, if we have to discuss something unspeakable, we go for some scene by Webster or Ford. Beautiful, poetic plays but dealing with incest, poison, murder and madness, even werewolves...</span></span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “Werewolves</span></span><span style="text-align: center;">? No shit!</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “When you meet Phil again, sometimes, ask him to run a few lines. Go for some Christopher Marlowe. You'll see...</span></span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> It was raining again. Clouds were gathering endlessly over the horizon. The wind was howling through the trees, and it was getting dark... Some storm had already broken in the distance, and it got closer.</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> Scott was coming home to a seemingly empty apartment. He took off his coat, his shirt and his T-shirt as he was entering the kitchen.</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> There were big bags of groceries on the table and by the fridge but Phil wasn't cooking at the moment, and the lights were off. Throwing his wet T-shirt on the floor, Scott saw Phil's own uniform shirt neatly folded on a chair. It was also wet, and sweaty. His shoes were by the door.</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “Phil?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Scott followed a trail of clothes on the floor: T-shirt, trousers, socks...</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> His blonde friend was lying stretched out </span><span style="text-align: left;">on their bed, fast asleep and, much to Scott's satisfaction, naked. For one thing, Phil was supposed to go without clothes when they were alone together, but his </span><span style="text-align: left;">boxer shorts were always too tight </span><span style="text-align: center;">– and not quite like </span><span style="text-align: left;">the clothes he was currently forced to wear.</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> It was only 9PM... Scott didn't turn the lights on. He could picture how Phil had come back from the local stores and supermarket, thrown the small change from his four hundred bucks in the big glass jar he kept on the kitchen counter, wanted to start cooking but choked in his painfully tight, wet and sticky shirt and passed out. It was just like any other day for him, but he had every reason to be </span>exhausted.</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> Phil was a sound sleeper, and remarkably discrete. The way he snored felt like a big cat's purr, or a tiger's... He must have fallen on the covers and he was now spread in bed with his hands almost over his head.</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> Scott took a good look at him, then he came up with a wicked idea. Going back to the kitchen, he took a hammer and a small hook from a drawer and proceeded to plant the hook on top of the headboard. It was done in a second, and Phil didn't even flinch in his sleep.</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> Taking the handcuffs attached to his duty belt, Scott swiftly put them on his friend's wrists and pulled them up to get the chain in that hook. Hauling him up like this caused Phil to stir and slowly wake up.</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “Huh... Dad... Don't...</span><span style="text-align: left;">” He mumbled in his sleep. </span><span style="text-align: center;">“What?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> Unfortunately, Scott was too big to take off his shoes by himself... He pulled his pants down with his underwear to join Phil in bed, ready to prey on him and tease him as he wished.</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “Scott?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “Wakey wakey, big bear...</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “What are you doing? Why did you tie me up like this?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “Careful, these are my Police handcuffs. Solid steel and everything... I suggest you don't yank those chains.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “They're hurting me, Scott...</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Phil was doing what he could to sit up in bed, so his arms wouldn't be too painfully stretched out, but Scott kept him in position as he lay both hands on him </span><span style="text-align: center;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> caressing the blonde fur on his chest and going down his magnificent happy trail, pressing his thigh and moving to his crotch.</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “Your balls are always so <i>heavy</i>... and bigger than peaches.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> He couldn't hold them in his hand. They were just too massive.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “Scott, I mean it. These cuffs are hurting me...</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Suddenly, Phil's stomach also protested with a long, hungry and almost beastly growl. Scott chuckled and patted his friend's flat tummy.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “What's that, big bear?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “I'm hungry...</span><span style="text-align: left;">” Phil looked down in embarrassment.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “What do you know, I'm hungry too... and I didn't see anything in the kitchen for me. Who's been a sleepy, sleepy bear?</span>”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Scott's teasing was always so effective. No matter how uncomfortable he was, right now, Phil was getting impressively hard under his touch.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> It was still pouring outside and a distant, ominous rolling thunder was echoing the blonde boy's rumbling stomach.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “What time is it?</span>” Phil asked, a bit confused.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “9PM, I think. It should be time for my main course...</span>”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “Let me out of these cuffs, please. I'll start cooking right away.</span>”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Phil kept squirming helplessly in his tight cuffs, struggling as he was still trying to turn his wrists in them. They were sore and rubbed raw... His stomach was aching and his whole body was stiff.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “I don't know... It's </span><span style="text-align: center;">already </span><span style="text-align: center;">too late. I'm feeling hungry for a big, thick and juicy, pan-seared porterhouse steak. What do you think? Should I baste you with butter, you meaty big bear?</span>”</div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Phil was panting heavily... He may not know what to say, but his body responded in the best possible way.</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> Scott was really squeezing him too hard, keeping his hand at the hairy notch of his crotch </span><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">–</span><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> to the point of strangling him, in a way </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> and he kept teasing him with his left hand, his little finger slowly caressing Phil's long and thick, bobbing shaft </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">up to the </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">ridge behind his cock head...</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Please, Scott... Let me out of these cuffs, please.</span>”</div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Okay, but I want you to say it right.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “I just asked you...</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Nuh huh... Say it like you mean it.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “How?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div></span></div></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I want to hear you say it: Let me out of these cuffs, please... SIR!</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoxW9sVUJKTYFuO1K89F0BOA6fpk4bCO1MT2jRviKHqNqkAG6hY9lAEhTVwEV8jfNmr0Ovi47qofDVapptflWwkctSFuDz-kFPdkPh8sWrtqzTuWJU7E7gq7wGk2Gff5-o0Jhpfv_DMCMb06x6yhG1RuSgMGtBDrc9ue1kiKvuoAWovLq4_nmB1TI3Qg/s3184/The%20Augustine%20Murders%2020%20-%20Sex%20Teasing%20big.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2656" data-original-width="3184" height="534" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoxW9sVUJKTYFuO1K89F0BOA6fpk4bCO1MT2jRviKHqNqkAG6hY9lAEhTVwEV8jfNmr0Ovi47qofDVapptflWwkctSFuDz-kFPdkPh8sWrtqzTuWJU7E7gq7wGk2Gff5-o0Jhpfv_DMCMb06x6yhG1RuSgMGtBDrc9ue1kiKvuoAWovLq4_nmB1TI3Qg/w640-h534/The%20Augustine%20Murders%2020%20-%20Sex%20Teasing%20big.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Phil looked into Scott's eyes.</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Sir?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “That's right.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></span></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “Seriously, I've been doing this all day...</span>”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “With Cal? It doesn't count. Say it for me.</span>”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Let me out of these cuffs, please, sir...</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Louder!</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Let me out of these cuffs! Please, sir!</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Louder! Say it like you mean it, soldier!</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"> Phil couldn't even say those words again, but Scott was merciless </span><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span style="text-align: left;">and he wasn't done. </span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Cal has been training you all wrong. You know why? He wants to keep this wild, growling beast locked inside a cage, in the basement... You want to set that big, wild bear free!</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Right now, I only wish for you to take those cuffs off.</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “You're such a helpless, lost bear in the woods.</span></span></span></span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> Scott suggested with sparkles in his eyes. </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">I know what we should do!</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “What?</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “We should get you to loosen up a little.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Sorry, what?</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span> With his pants and undies down to his ankles, Scott reached for one of his bags at the bottom of the closet. He had stashed a lot of bottles from the mini-bar in his bedroom at the Paddington Hotel.</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div></span></span></span></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “There you go!</span><span>” Scott uncorked a tiny whisky bottle then pushed it between Phil's front teeth. </span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“Drink up and feel like a giant.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Hmmmph...</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span> Scott forced his dumb blonde friend to drink bottle after bottle: vodka, bourbon, gin, tequila, whiskey, brandy, rum, </span></span></span></span></span><span style="text-align: left;">scotch</span><span style="text-align: left;"> and more... It was painful for Phil, who couldn't help making a face and sticking his tongue out after every shot.</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“Feeling a bit dizzy, huh, Southern boy?</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“Scott... Please stop. I'm not feeling well.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“Come on, you'll feel all warm and ticklish in a moment.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“I mean it, Scott... I've hardly eaten anything since noon.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“I know, I know... You're hungry.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span> More bottles were pressed against his lips, and Phil had to take shots after shots, with Scott quickening the pace </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="text-align: left;">on purpose..</span><span style="text-align: left;">. At some point, the blonde guy protested.</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“Please, Scott... Stop this. I'm really feeling sick.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“Please, big bear. You can take it.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> Scott kept the drinks pouring into his friend's mouth, until Phil startled and had to spit it all out. There was a strong and very distinct smell of perfume with the drink spilled all over his chest.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“Yikes! This is awful...</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“Huh? Oh! Right... That was a sample from the hotel's cologne.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> Phil was no longer squirming. His whole body was shivering and there was that mysterious, fierce kind of fireworks in his sparkling green eyes.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Let me out of these cuffs, sir! Please... Now!</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Scott was fascinated by this perfect soldier's tone of voice. It was even more impressive than anything he had been looking for.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Okay, let me find my keys and...</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“Scott!</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“What?</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span> Suddenly, Scott heard a strange, crackling noise. It had nothing to do with lightning outside... Phil was jumping out of bed and running to the bathroom with his hands still caught in Scott's steel cuffs </span></span></span><span style="text-align: center;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> and tumbling straight to the can.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span> For a moment, Scott was left dumbstruck... There was a small hole in the wall and plaster where the hook had fallen. Then he heard his friend throw up all the alcohol he had just been forced to drink.</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span> There was another moment of silence, then the toilet was flushed. Scott stood up, put on his trousers and joined Phil in the bathroom. The blonde beast was a mess, shivering in front of the mirror, with his hair tousled and tears rolling down his cheeks. He kept his arms crossed before his chest, as he was brushing his teeth.</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> At this point, Scott didn't know what to say.</div></span></div></div></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “Keys. Now.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Phil didn't have to raise his voice.</span></div><br /><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Look at what you've done, you free beast...</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">Scott already had the key in his hand.</span><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">The chain is broken, these cuffs are bent, and they are my only pair of handcuffs. I use this for my job, it's not a toy... </span><span style="text-align: center;">What am I going to tell sheriff Maxwell?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “You can tell him whatever you want, and the short of it should be the Truth.</span><span style="text-align: left;">” Phil snapped, but his voice broke. </span><span style="text-align: center;">“Truth be told, </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">I'm not a toy...</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><br /></div></div><div> Turning away from the sink, Phil pounced on Scott like a ravenous bear and held him in a hug to kiss him passionately. His tongue was still stiff from those drinks but his breath was so fresh and so hot at the same time, Scott felt weak.</div><div><br /></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“Why did you do this?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“I just wanted to play.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“Why didn't you wake me up? We could play...</span><span>”</span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“I wanted to wake up the wild beast inside you... Everyone at school and at the hospital treats you like a dog.</span><span>”</span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“I know...</span><span>” Phil held him in a tight, comforting embrace.</span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“You're not their dog. You don't belong to Cal, or doctor Lipton.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“I know...</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“Because you belong to me.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></div><div><br /></div><div> Phil looked deep into his friend's eyes.</div><div><br /></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“I do?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“Get down on your knees. Help me take off those shoes.</span><span>”</span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span> Scott's tone was insidious and possessive... When Phil patiently pulled down his pants and boxers, he told him to stay down. </span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“You know... Those idiots you work for? They don't just treat you like a dog. They really think you're a dog... A hungry dog. A stray dog, going down the streets and back alleys, looking for scraps of food and some temporary shelter behind the dumpsters...</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“Scott?</span><span>”</span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“And they're right about it.</span><span>” Scott insisted. </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“Or they're only half right, because you're not really a dog... but you're a beast! A really big beast, like a bear. A wild bear everyone keeps poking and taunting, and baiting, because they keep you locked inside a cage. That's why they do it. They wouldn't feel safe if you weren't staying behind bars. You've been cuffed before, right? You've been arrested and put behind bars before.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“Yeah...</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span> Phil looked down. Standing naked on his feet and knees, on the kitchen floor, he looked like a fallen gladiator. With his arms stretched out by his sides, Phil's hands weren't the only part of his body that touched and rested on the cold ceramic tiles... Towering over him, Scott stripped him further down with his words.</span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“They want to take you out. I bet they would shoot you like a brown bear, if they could. They just want you to go, give up and leave. Not just the hospital or this godforsaken school, but leave town. Leave Biberton.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></div><div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“I know...</span><span>”</span></span></span></div></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“You do?</span><span>”</span></span></span></div></span></span></span></div><div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“Of course. It may be that I'm not bright, but I'm not blind. I know t</span>he school's plan is for Cal to replace me... They expect me to be a failure.</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">”</span></div></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“That's what they want, and you're bound to fail.</span><span>”</span></span></div></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“We'll see about this. I don't care about their plan...</span><span>” Phil whispered in a surprisingly dark tone.</span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“Neither do I!</span><span>”</span></span></div></span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“You don't?</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“Because you belong to me! Everyone in this town wants you out on the streets, where you belong. Not me... They want you to fail and keep running aimlessly, like a caged tiger. Not me... They want to remind you that you aren't worth the sweat off your own back.</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Scott kept piling it on him more aggressively, beating him down to the point where any man's last shred of self-esteem would be taken away <span style="text-align: center;">– that is, </span>until Phil quietly begged him to stop and looked up to him.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> There was always some kind of raw, masculine sparkle in those green eyes, but Scott was immediately silent... An alpha male wolf would have lost that stare fight. Phil looked both ferocious and afraid <span style="text-align: center;">–</span> not afraid of him, but afraid of what he might do to him.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“You should be more careful with what you wish for, Scott...</span><span>”</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“Why?</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“Take a good look at me.</span><span>” Phil straightened up a bit. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“I'm fallen and I'm not sure I can get up. I'm cold. I'm hungry... I think I've never been so naked in my whole life. I won't sing you a song or anything... I'm lost for words. Is this really what you want?</span><span>”</span></div></span></span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“Lost for words? How about a few words by William Shakespeare?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> Phil looked deeply shaken, like a man about to fall down the edge of a cliff, but</span><span style="text-align: center;"> Scott knew his friend well enough – asking for a few words from a Shakespearean play was like throwing him a life line.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> “What's mine is yours, and what is yours is mine</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">...</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “What's that?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “You asked for something by Shakespeare. So it goes.</span><span>”</span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Which play is that?</span><span>”</span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “<i>Measure for measure</i>. Not the easiest one to follow...</span><span>”</span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Definitely not. I don't follow... What's yours is mine, and what's mine is not yours to share! And you belong to me just the same.</span><span>”</span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"> Phil looked lost all over again.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Huh... Okay.</span><span>”</span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I bet mister Shakespeare has something to say about it too. Right?</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Actually... Yes, he does.</span><span>”</span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Does he now?</span><span>”</span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “<i>Richard II</i>...</span><span>” Phil whispered.</span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “How does it go?</span><span>”</span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> “Your own is yours, and I am yours, and all</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">...</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “That's much better. You're mine...</span><span style="text-align: left;">” </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Yes, sir!</span><span style="text-align: left;">” Phil </span></span><span style="text-align: left;">kissed him on the lips. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “And </span><span style="text-align: center;">mine...</span><span style="text-align: left;">” Scott kissed him back and deeper, more possessive than ever. </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“And </span><span style="text-align: center;">mine, and mine..</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">. and mine!</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> For a long moment, they let their bodies free to go on pure instincts, while their stomachs were groaning.</div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I want you to be my personal cook, my baker, my candy maker, my delicious fudge packer...</span><span>”</span></span></div><div><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Of course.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></span></div><div><span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Be my partner in crime, my massage assistant, my bodyguard...</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div><span><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Count on it.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Be my private servant, my devoted houseboy, my slave...</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span> Phil looked a bit taken aback.</span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– “Your slave?</span>”</span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– “Told you.</span>” Scott slapped his friend's firm butt. </span></span></span></span><span style="text-align: center;">“I own these buns.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– “So you want me to be your... sex slave?</span>”</span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– “I want you to know that you're my slave, all the way!</span>”</span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– “All the way...</span>”</span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span> Scott felt his friend embracing him tighter than ever.</span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– “Okay...</span></span></span></span></span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span><span><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="text-align: center;"> He nodded. </span></span></span></span></span><span style="text-align: center;">“As long as you r</span><span><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">emember what I told you...</span></span></span></span></span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “What did you tell me?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“I've warned you, Scott... Whatever happened, you asked for it.</span><span>”</span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span></span></span></div></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “So I did.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"> Phil's grip on him suddenly got more arousing and firm. He whispered in a more menacing tone, licking Scott's neck and playfully pressing his teeth to his throat, pushing him dangerously close to the edge.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“Don't put me in cuffs like this... ever... again.</span><span>”</span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span></span></span></div></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“Okay.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“We should choose a safety word, too.</span><span>”</span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span></span></span></div></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“Safety word?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“Yeah...</span><span>”</span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> Scott thought about it for a second.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Spit.</span><span>”</span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“You want me to spit on you?</span><span>”</span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“No. That should be our safe word.</span><span>”</span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“Huh... Okay.</span><span>”</span></span></div><div><br /></div><div> Phil treated Scott as if he had already forgotten about that incident.</div><div><br /></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“You must be hungry. I should cook a big meal for you, master...</span><span>”</span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“Master?</span><span>”</span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“You want me to call you </span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“sir</span><span>”? Just sir?</span><span>”</span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“One or the other... I like it.</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: center;">– </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“Time for your bedtime treats, sir.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span><span><span> Scott had to sit down on a chair. He could feel those warm waves of lust washing over his helpless, naked plump body. Phil looked like a very hungry, very horny beast, next to him.</span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Why don't you go full </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“bad boy</span><span>” for me, and treat me with something by Christopher Marlowe?</span><span>”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Marlowe... Are you sure?</span><span>” Phil smiled like a wolf on the prowl.</span></span></div><div><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I'll take my chances.</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Well, again, you've been warned...</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> Phil went for a small bottle of milk in the fridge, and gulped it down. Then he took a bottle of water and poured it all over his head, shoulders and chest, as he slowly walked to Scott.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div></span><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: center;"><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> “In silence of this solemn evening's walk,</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> Making the mantle of the richest night,</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> The moon, the planets and the meteors light,</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> There angels in their crystal armours fight</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> A doubtful battle with my tempted thoughts...</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> Scott was fascinated, as Phil lifted him up and carried him in his arms.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I'm going to fatten you up like a suckling pig, slap and pound your fat ass all night... Then I'll make you surrender to me, and I will devour you raw to the bone. I want a lazy, overfed, pampered and satisfied master!</span><span>”</span></span></div></span></div></div></span></div></div></span></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>April 14th, 1990</i> – Saturday</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div> Everyone in Saint Augustine Bells avoided Cal. Students kept showing up when he trained Phil, but their attitude during these work-outs was surprisingly quiet... They grabbed a bite at Ms Spread's buffet, just like him, but they didn't talk so loud as usual and they didn't comment or ask questions.</div><div> The teachers felt like they had nothing to do with what was happening inside the gym, and they didn't want to get involved. Cal was always so annoying that they didn't want to cross paths with him in any way. </div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Mr Porkenham only commented on Cal's behavior once, reminding his staff the old saying “Treat him mean, keep him keen.”</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> The only person who couldn't get away from Cal was Phil, of course... Every time his coach said something, the dumb blonde guy </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">looked like he had just been caught doing something he shouldn’t.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><br /></div></div></span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span style="text-align: center;">– “</span>Keep your back straight, dough boy!” Cal shouted as he watched Phil complete another series of sit ups in the middle of the room. </span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span style="text-align: center;">– “Yes, sir!</span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span style="text-align: center;">– </span>“No, no! You’re never going to burn any fat with such lame attempts!” </span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span> He pretended to complain, </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">hideously </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">overstating it and forcing Phil to flop on to his mat, red in the face.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “</span>Try it again, soldier! Again! Again, you dough boy!” He barked. </span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil redoubled his efforts, sitting up slowly as Cal watched him closely. </span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “</span>That’s not any better... How did you ever make it in the Army?”</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Cal only </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">enjoyed seeing Phil give up on his exercise after nine or ten long, exhausting series... He kept pushing him worse than ever, and he made it so much harder for all the </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">extra weight</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">”</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> he claimed Phil carried on his frame. </span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span style="text-align: center;">– “</span>You know what?” Cal sneered, slapping Phil's stomach. “I think you’ve actually put on a few pounds, recently. Take a good look at you! There's no way a dough boy like you can ever lose weight...”</span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span> He pushed Phil in front of the wall mirror, </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">roughly,</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> as he reached down and pressed both hands on his hips. </span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span style="text-align: center;">– </span>“And your ass is always so meaty. Can't you feel it, dough boy?” </span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span> Phil could only </span>feel Cal's strong grip, but he was only allowed to nod. Cal pinched his side, looking for what may be considered love handles. </span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “</span>You’re a real softie, a big Teddy bear. I knew it from the start. Clearly, you need to work out more, and more often! Harder. Better. Got that?” </span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “Yes, sir.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></span></div></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “I think y</span>ou’re just so chubby as you were when we started this work-out routine!” Cal teased, basking in his own glow.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Ms Spread was bringing him another big milkshake.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “Okay, t</span>ime to <span>get you weighed now!” Cal announced. </span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span>“Again<span>? So soon?” Phil gasped. </span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span style="text-align: center;">– “I suggested that we </span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">perform more frequent and consistent weigh-ins with measurements for you, dough boy, since you are clearly behind with the administrators' schedule. Weight is a good indication of fitness and so are measurements, wouldn't you say?” </span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> The scale big industrial scale was waiting for them.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “</span>Come on! There you go, tubby...” Cal insisted, patting Phil’s firm but bulbous rump as he stood just below the step of the scale. </span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> The sweaty blonde guy </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">sighed and stepped on as he was told. Mrs Spread was standing behind the scale. She adjusted the slides and took the measurement.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Huh... 232lbs!” She announced, looking puzzled behind her glasses.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> There was a general uproar from the bleacher, for once.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil couldn't believe it. How could he possibly gain weight, as it was?</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “</span>I’ve been cutting down so much. I don’t understand...” He whispered, both hands on his flat stomach. </span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span>“What do you know? You must have gained like five pounds, dough boy! You’re disgusting...” Cal concluded, slapping Phil’s allegedly overfed gut. “What the hell have you been eating again? Deep-fat fried food, am I right? I can smell all that greasy Southern cooking on you...” </span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> As soon as Phil turned to face his coach, still standing on the platform, there was a distinct clicking sound with the scale's counterweights... Cal had put his foot down during his weigh-in and he was backing off now. That was a sneaky underhanded trick, and it felt all the more humiliating that he may have fallen for it even for a moment.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Ignoring the students' cheers and sneers, Phil politely asked Ms Spread to weigh him again, as he was standing at attention with </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">his arms by his sides and </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">his fists clenched again.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span>“224lbs.” Ms Spread confirmed.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span>“</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Come on then, dough boy! Time for a shower!” Cal moved Phil along, feeling a little impatient with him </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> as he found himself with egg on his face. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“We should make you go through some more cardio... You haven't lost a pound and you're still so chubby, we should try some different kind of </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">game sometimes</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“What kind of game?”</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“How about basketball? Not a sissy game. Can you go through it?”</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div></span></div></span></span></div><div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Cal didn't notice the fierce fire in Phil's eyes, as he was strutting out of the room with a grin on his face. </span></div></div><div><br /></div></span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> <span style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="en-US">There
was a mess of dirty plates and bowls, empty buckets and boxes all over the apartment, from the kitchen counters to the coffee table, when Phil came home with the groceries. Scott was sprawled across the sofa, looking like he had not even bothered to take a shower today.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="en-US"> Once they were both naked and ready for the evening, Phil asked his master not to waste time on s</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">panking. Scott knew that he often went too hard on him, but he didn't know when to stop... As long as he had more cake or pastries in front of him, he would keep spanking. His wrists and elbows felt sore, </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">sometimes, </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">and he could tell that Phil was holding his tears... It was always better for him to keep his master lazy and well-fed, pampered and horny.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> Phil was doing an amazing good job: Scott felt stuffed to his tonsils, every night, with the most delicious foods he could wish for!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> With his new allowance, the poor guy could actually provide huge amounts of food for his master,</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> so much that Scott had to be fed most of his desserts in bed.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> The most remarkable consequence in their new relationship </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">along with their </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">mind-blowing</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">, explosive and immensely fulfilling sex life </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– was how Scott gained weight faster and how it showed more obviously on his face and body.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> Phil didn't insist on it when he massaged Scott, but there was so much more for him to fondle that the blonde guy felt like offering him some well-deserved praise.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “You have been really eating well, lately.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Thank you... You've been cooking really well.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Thank you, sir. Maybe...</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">” </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil kept rubbing his lower back, while Scott was stuffing his face on a variety of tasty appetizers.</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Maybe I should cook something lean for you too?</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">” He sounded a bit concerned. </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“To be honest, Scott, I didn't expect you to put on so much weight so quickly...</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div></div><div><div><div><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 17.12px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Cook something lean? You? Phil, your food is always so fattening as it is delicious. Stick to what you know... Bacon, lard, chicken fat, butter, cooking oil and grease!”</span></span></div><div><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 17.12px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “I know... I'm cooking to fatten you up and I'm thrilled that you keep growing so well, but I find your weight gain really fast and impressive.” </span></span></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Of course, I'm eating pastries all day...”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “That's good. I'm always there to bake quite a few of them.”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “For the community, right?” </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “I'm glad to see them find their way to your mouth and stomach...”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott felt his friend kissing him between his shoulder blades.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Of course, I couldn't get so fat on your cooking alone!”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “What do you mean?” </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “My boss, sheriff Maxwell, wants me to eat so much during our lunch breaks. He's invited a few times over dinner too, when you weren't here to cook for my evening meal.” </span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “I understand... The Maxwells?”</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “You've met them, right?”</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “I know them, but I've never been to their house... Maria participates in the program, with cakes and cookies for the children's hospital.”</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “So you know her.” </span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Of course.”</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Memories from his latest late-night feast with the Maxwells brought a broad smile to Scott's face.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Maria is such a good cook...” He almost closed his eyes, and licked his lips. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“She wants her husband so fat, and she feeds him so well for it!”</span></div><div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Scott?”</span></div></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “I guess you're right... I couldn't grow this big, bouncing belly on your cooking alone.”</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Sitting up on the massage table, Scott patted his own belly a few more times, feeling both satisfied and hungry for more.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil's cooking was rich, delicious and abundant... It was very fattening, but Scott could tell that his personal cook and servant was also a soldier and a physician, attentive to his needs and determined to please him all the way but also anxious to keep him healthy, active and well-balanced.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “As a matter of fact, I was told I should be fed better!”<br /></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> It was time for his main course... There was a huge feast prepared for him, set like a buffet on the table and counters in the kitchen. He didn't wait for his friend. He didn't even waste time on piling food on a plate, going for every dish with his hands or with a large spoon and making a pig of himself.</span></div><div> Phil stood silent. It looked like a knife had been stabbed into his heart. </div><div> As he joined him in the kitchen, Scott let a long, loud and obnoxious belch erupt from the depths of his gut – directly into his face.</div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><div><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 17.12px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRP!”</span></span></div><div><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 17.12px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 17.12px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil moved to stand next to the buffet, pouring beer for his </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“master”.</span></div></div></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 17.12px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “So... This is not enough for you?”</span></span></div></div></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “Hmmmph...”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “Is this not enough for you... sir?”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> As he handed him a tall, pitcher-sized glass of beer, Phil's hands moved in a way to include both the food in front of Scott and himself, standing like a porn star in that dim-lit kitchen – more like sexy Lucifer rising...</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “What do you mean?” Scott asked with his mouth full.</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “You've heard me, sir.”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– “Is it about the Maxwells? Are you... what, jealous?”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> Phil moved closer, grabbed a thick ham toasted sandwich, smothered in melted cheese, rolled it and stuffed it into his friend's mouth.</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Maria is a very good cook. Obviously. Then I don't mind...</span><span style="text-align: left;">” Phil leaned in to whisper into his friend's ear. </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“But, master? If you ever cheat on my cooking with some cheap, greasy junk food, I will roast you.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott knew he had crossed a line. There would be no going back... </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil <span style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="en-US">wrapped his arm around Scott’s chest, then he made him turn his
back to him and face the buffet on the counters, inviting him to eat more while his other hand explored the soft chunk of his love handles.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="en-US"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="en-US">– “I could pound your growing fat ass right here, right now, master...” He whispered always so seductively.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="en-US"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="en-US"> He
could feel Scott melting under his touch... Then, without a word, the overfed boy </span></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="en-US">widened his stance a bit and almost pushed his ass cheeks into Phil’s
groin. The hunky, dumb blonde servant had already lubricated his cock, and he knew
exactly how everything was going to play out. Phil eagerly slipped straight inside,
holding Scott firmly with both arms now wrapped around his chest</span></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="en-US">. </span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="en-US"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="en-US">– “You want to grow big, round and plump buttocks for me, Scott...” He
whispered, </span></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="en-US">slowly
building up a pace</span></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="en-US">.
“You want to feel your meaty ass cheeks jiggling before I start really pounding into you.” </span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="en-US"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span><span lang="en-US"> Scott mumbled with pleasure and widened his stance as much as he
could.</span></span></span> Phil held him in his arms so well that his lower belly rested on the table and he kept devouring everything within his reach...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">– “Eat all you want, Scott. Eat with your boss. Let the Maxwells feed you as much as they want. You need to grow fatter for this... Much fatter!”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">– “God, Phil! This is so good... Forgive me.</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Enjoy yourself, Scott. No need to ask for my forgiveness...”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil brought another large piece of fried chicken to his mouth.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Eat, master...”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Hmmmph... </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Have mercy on me.”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">– “No..</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">.” Phil breathed fire down his neck. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Eat and grow fatter for me!”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> When Scott was finally done with his last piece of cherry pie, he was ready to burst and come at the same time. His devoted blonde slave was such a b</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">ad boy that he was still wriggling and squirming...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">– “Time for desserts in bed, sir.</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">– “Hmmmph... More desserts?”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">– “And sex, of course.”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">– “I need to catch my breath...” Scott begged him.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;"> Phil carried him to the bedroom and gently put him to bed.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">– “I am sooo stuffed... sooo much!”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">– “You've been eating well, master.”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">– “How about you clean up this mess before you bring me my desserts?”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;"> Scott didn't mind that Phil was ready to clean his soft, smooth belly like a bear, only using his tongue, but the dirty blonde boy was on a diet </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">– and he could also behave like a perfectly clean and decent servant</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> After toweling him for a few minutes, Phil also went for a short break in the bathroom, drank another glass of milk and came back to bed. Scott asked him to walk slowly and tease him like a perfect Southern hustler. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">– “I guess you're feeling bad tonight, master? Really bad?”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">– “Definitely. You go bad for me, all the way...”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">– “All the way? Really?”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">– “More Marlowe?”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">– “There's always more to go with Marlowe... There's more to come, but you've really hurt my feelings, tonight.”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;"> Scott gulped down.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">– “I'll have to go full-on </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">John Ford for you, fat boy</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">...</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil was harder than stainless steel, shining with sweat and draped in steam as he walked to join Scott in bed, with a heavy punch bowl full of pastries in each hand.</span></div></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> “All pleasures are but mere imagination,</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> Feeding the hungry appetite with steam</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> And sight of banquet, whilst the body pines,</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> Not relishing the real taste of food</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">...</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">”</span></div></span></div></div><div style="color: black;"><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> Scott's stomach was already groaning or moaning in delight.</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> His whole body was aching with all the food he had devoured </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> and all the food he was about to be fed and stuffed</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><i>April 16th, 1990</i> – Monday</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> Cal's idea of a basketball game was pretty much him going for brick shot after brick shot and parading on the playground. Phil could only try to follow as he ran and jumped like a professional player, only to bite the dust in the end.</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> Phil's tank top was too tight around his chest but he was free in all his moves, for a change <span style="text-align: center;">–</span> and he ran fast, jumped high and was perfectly capable of shooting from different angles. </div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> If this wasn't a one-on-one game, everyone would expect him to pass the ball to another player. He maintained perfect spacing, worked on his own offensive rebounds and he kept moving all the time.</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> The game was over in a matter of minutes. It was humiliating...</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> Cal's weaknesses were obvious from the start. Tall, strong and thick as he was, he couldn't run so fast. He kept protesting and complaining that Phil's three-pointers shouldn't be counted, in vain. The students who had gathered in a crowd to watch were cheering and sneering, just as they did inside the gym. </div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> Of course, they didn't care whose ass was getting kicked.</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> Phil kept trying to teach and make them practice basketball, but they were too lazy to attend those classes <span style="text-align: center;">–</span> just as they were encouraged to drop gym class or anything like P.E... Most of them had never seen him play, and Phil proved to be quite the master free-throw shooter.</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> Cal was furious. When it became clear that protesting wouldn't do the trick, he gave up and took a ball to throw at his opponent with all his strength... Caught off-guard, Phil was hit on the side of the head. He lost his balance, fell down and remained knocked-out unconscious <span style="text-align: center;">–</span> flat on the ground for a few minutes.</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> Everyone left in a hurry. The show was over... Cal was already gone to his bedroom, in the main building, fuming about the whole situation as he mumbled in frustration on his way off the grounds.</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> There was a long moment of silence <span style="text-align: center;">–</span> until father Knox showed up to check on Phil... He had been watching the game from a distance, so he was there to witness what a mess it had turned into. As an all-American sports fan, he felt sorry about such a waste of a good game.</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span>“Phil? How are you holding up?”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> The blonde guy was stirring and slowly sitting up, still confused and out of breath. He helped him get to his feet.</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span>“You're bleeding.”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– </span>“I know... It's nothing.”</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> The priest stood in front of him, as if they were about to pray.</div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> “</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">And why on me? why should the envious world </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Throw all their scandalous malice upon me?</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Come on, father. You're not t</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">he witch of Edmonton...</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Very good.</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">” The old man nodded.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> Father Knox came to sit next to him on the bench.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Why are you going with <i>The Witch of Edmonton</i>?</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">” Phil asked.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I couldn't say... I guess because you have been burned enough?</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “You could say that.</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Then you remember how it goes, in that play..</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">.</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> “</span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I am now ignorant. Would some power, good or bad,</span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Instruct me which way I might be revenged?</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> Phil only shrugged to it.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “What's the point? <i>M</i></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>ihi vindictam</i>, <i>et ego retribuam</i>...</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “<i>Vengeance is mine</i>, says the Lord, <i>and retribution</i>. Saint Paul knew a thing or two about a wrathful God...</span><span>” Father Knox approved. </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“And, just as I thought, you don't look too convinced.</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “In that old play, the Devil is a black dog... Are you implying that God works in the same, mysterious way because payback's a bitch?</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> The man of the cloth laughed and tapped him on the shoulder. Phil was still running a cold sweat in his tight and dirty tank top, with no towel at hand. He looked drained and disoriented... Father Knox figured that the young man couldn't get up from that bench without his help again.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Whoever said you're dumb shouldn't feel proud that they're so smart.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I guess...</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">” Phil let out a sigh, looking at the night sky. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“It is going to smart in the morning.</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> It was a fine dry night, with a gentle breeze over the lawns and paved garden paths as clean as a ballroom floor. The street lamps, unshaken by any stronger wind, drew a regular pattern of light and shadow.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> The phone was ringing when Phil came back to their apartment. Scott had not come back yet.</div></span></div></span></div></span></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> It was Dr Lipton.</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Hello?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Phil? Are you listening?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I am. What is it?</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “What do you think? It's those damn students!</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “What's wrong with them now?</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I'm not sure...</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> Dr Lipton stuttered. </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">I think they're all dead!</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span></div></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: right;">(<i>To be continued</i>...)</div></span></span></div></span></span></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5094005257601699515.post-45907052047701784132022-11-23T07:56:00.091-08:002024-01-04T11:33:01.340-08:00The Augustine Murders - Season 3, Episode 5<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRLy-EfN_aaNP_uU1Xu9eBZ_llNzohvXOwDD1GmPTFGJmHe47hPtSztY0nxPgYd2OMDyD6N8Mci_Z8iAlI6rg00PEKgu4w3XAfamdJtreVqifqhWsZX6Tl6FgF-p2L7PLEahNIpHMgPFR29UJixfspePD33Y9XFhwQaFE6Qv49zUXZBJB-pTOr3M_hjQ/s1601/The%20Augustine%20Murders%20-%20Title%203.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="712" data-original-width="1601" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRLy-EfN_aaNP_uU1Xu9eBZ_llNzohvXOwDD1GmPTFGJmHe47hPtSztY0nxPgYd2OMDyD6N8Mci_Z8iAlI6rg00PEKgu4w3XAfamdJtreVqifqhWsZX6Tl6FgF-p2L7PLEahNIpHMgPFR29UJixfspePD33Y9XFhwQaFE6Qv49zUXZBJB-pTOr3M_hjQ/w400-h178/The%20Augustine%20Murders%20-%20Title%203.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p><b style="font-family: verdana;">III.5</b></p><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> “And then, till love came round again,</span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">lie and be gentled like a child</span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span> and feed on intimacy...</span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: right;"> William Stanley MERWIN</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: right;"><i>The dancing Bears </i><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span style="text-align: left;">“Fable</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div></span><span style="color: black;"><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div style="text-align: left;"><i>March 27th, 1990</i> – Tuesday</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Scott woke up later than usual, staying in bed for a few hours after Phil had to go back to work at the hospital. He could spread himself under the covers and enjoy the full size of the mattress, tossing and turning to move where it was still warm, soft and musky... Then the smells coming from the kitchen slowly reached him, as they filled the air, so he got up with a broad smile on his face. Of course, Phil had cooked another tasty, rich and remarkably large breakfast for him.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> As he walked out of the bedroom naked and yawning, rubbing his belly, Scott considered how the kitchen table and worktops almost disappeared under all the plates and salad bowls, baskets of muffins and chocolate cupcakes, boxes full of doughnuts, pies and pastries, big jugs of milk or freshly squeezed orange juice, tall towers of pancakes topped with butter and maple syrup looking over mounds of scrambled eggs, sausages and bacon... There was more food in that small space than the Paddington Hotel put on display for their breakfast buffet.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> And it was meant for him to enjoy <span style="text-align: center;">–</span> everything, only for him... No one would get in the way to dispute one bite of food. Scott wouldn't have to snarl or cast a dark look at anyone. No one was there to comment on it either. There was no rush, no need for him to hurry up and fight over the last cup of strawberries and whipped cream. He could enjoy every scoop. That was reassuring. Against all odds, staying with Phil proved to be so much better for him than staying at the hotel.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Sitting down next to the table, Scott immediately started devouring everything <span style="text-align: center;">– </span>and he only paused when he had to move away from the table to reach all the food still waiting for him on one kitchen worktop, then the other. When he was finally done, gulping down his orange juice to the last drop, he let out a contented sigh that quickly turned into one proud belch.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “...UUUUURRRRP... Ooof! I feel so much better, now.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"> Scott patted his full stomach, feeling the weight and size of his belly as it rested in his lap like a ball of dough, then he lazily scratched around his bellybutton. He felt full, and more than full. Scott felt fat. He was fat. Weighing in around 240lbs didn't mean anything to him, although it took him back to the heaviest he had ever weighed, back in the dark old days when he had to give up on Football. He was over it. The way he felt right now had nothing to do with such sad memories. He leaned back against the table and he enjoyed himself so much, as he grabbed thick handfuls of his own flesh. The apartment was so quiet, it was a moment of pure bliss. Nothing else could possibly matter to him, at the moment.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"> His belly felt round and warm, so generously well-fed. Scott tried to rub his sides so softly as Phil had done pretty much all night, but he couldn't mimic such perfect lusty moves </span><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span style="text-align: left;">so subtle, so devilishly arousing with almost surgical precision, but always so passionately instinctive... For one thing, he couldn't find himself at both ends of that cuddly game, and he lacked that gentle touch. It was an impossible challenge. Thinking of his blonde teddy bear and his big paws, Scott found himself both turned on to the point of moaning and frustrated because he was alone in the kitchen... He had to get dressed and meet him at the hospital.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"> They had work to do.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span></span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> When he saw himself in the wall mirror, Scott lingered for a moment in the hall. He had his hair recently cut, bleached and spiky just the way he liked, back home. He would have to find a decent hairdresser in Biberton now, and show him how it should look... Then he considered the curve of his belly, jutting out of his opened leather jacket and encased so tight his his designer shirt, giving it a few appreciative pats.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I'm really getting fat...</span><span style="text-align: left;">” He whispered, proudly.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Scott saw the three nurses standing together by the desk and talking about hospital gossip, while taking their coffee break. Clearly, they were having some sort of argument over Phil's appointment as security officer at Saint Augustine Bells to replace Rick.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Since that was pretty much a done deal, nurse Vickers and nurse Rockwell were taking their frustration on the rest of their medical team. Doctor Lipton was doing a full check-up on his younger colleague in his office, </span><span style="text-align: left;">at the moment</span><span style="text-align: left;">.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> They welcomed Scott half-heartedly. He provided little distraction, but he didn't feel out of place in their conversation </span><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span style="text-align: left;">and they had chocolate cupcakes with their tea.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"> Nurse Vickers was still leading the debate.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “A young physician shouldn't let himself go. At the very least, this new job will be an opportunity for all of us to remind Phil that he needs to get back in shape, and get it straight.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Well...</span><span>” Scott smirked. </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“Good luck with that.</span><span>”</span></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> All heads turned to him, in the lobby... Scott wasn't much concerned with his friend's weight or physical condition. According to him, Phil was in great shape. He only chuckled at the impossible challenge it would be to try and <span style="text-align: center;">“</span>turn him straight<span style="text-align: left;">”</span>. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Nurse Vickers considered that he had already caught on.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Have you also noticed it?</span><span>”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “You mean...</span><span>” </span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span> Scott didn't quite know what to say. He chose to keep it vague.</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “About Phil?</span><span>”</span></span></div><div><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Exactly.</span><span>”</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Oh... Huh, yeah.</span><span>”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Phil's not that big...</span><span>” Nurse Brinell saved him right on time.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “He is beefy and he is <i>thick</i>!</span><span style="text-align: left;">” Nurse Vickers insisted on it. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“He's always been a bit too sturdy, in my opinion. A bit too stocky... Now that he's put on weight, he is downright hefty!</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span> She could go on like this forever. Scott was fascinated as he listened to her describing his own, secret teddy bear so vividly.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “It wasn't so bad when he started working with us...</span><span style="text-align: left;">” Nurse Brinell kept defending the young doctor.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “That's true...</span><span>” Nurse Rockwell agreed. </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“</span><span style="text-align: center;">Of course, h</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">e was still very much </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">a soldier back then. F</span><span style="text-align: center;">resh out of the Army, </span><span style="text-align: center;">honorably discharged... You could expect him to be </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">strong, but lean and sinewy</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “So he was.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “How quickly you two forget.</span><span style="text-align: left;">” Nurse Vickers broke in on them. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“He was a mess. You could see right through him. At least I could...</span><span>”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “What was wrong with him, then?</span><span style="text-align: left;">” Scott asked.</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I don't know exactly, but he behaved like a stray dog who's just been adopted by a family. You have to make sure that he is safe to handle and work with, then you have to train him for basic manners and habits.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span> Scott found her approach a bit harsh </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– but interesting.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “So you've been his family...</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “You can say that again. We are his only family.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"> At least the nurses could agree on that.</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><div><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “What's wrong with him now?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></span></span></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “According to doctor Lipton, he is no longer the physician, the surgeon or the assistant he used to be.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></span></span></div></div><div><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Because... he's too fat?</span><span>” Scott suggested, cutting her to the chase.</span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Exactly. Because he is too fat.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span> She was dead serious about this. Scott could shrug it off, but it worked better for him if he played along.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></span></span></div></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Now that he will have to work as a security officer in that special Prep School for the underserved and overly privileged...</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> Nurse Vickers didn't show too much emotional empathy for the six chubby, overfed students placed under their care.</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“Doctor Lipton has to put him on a strict diet!</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Very strict.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Very...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> They all nodded over their mugs of tea.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">You can have the last cupcake, young man.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"> Scott didn't know how he was supposed to accept it </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– as he did</span>.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Was it okay for him to eat such a tasty but rich cupcake, or was it the easiest for them to prevent Phil from having one? Did they consider him <span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“lean</span><span style="text-align: left;">”, so he could afford to eat some more? Was he already too fat to be put on a slimming diet again? Or did </span>Nurse Vickers just not care about his weight, and he could eat all the chocolate pastries he could get his hands on?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> For some reason, that cupcake didn't taste so good.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Phil's cupcakes always felt thick and moist like fluffy clouds of chocolate topped with sweet frosting as if they were touched by a gentle breeze. Scott often wished for him to bake pastries the size of large pillows so he could rest his cheeks against them as he stuffed his face... Truly meant as <span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“</span>comfort food<span style="text-align: left;">”, it</span> felt like the pastries cared for Scott and wished for him to be happy, well-fed and warm, as they swiftly filled his stomach to become part of his growing body...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> That dumb blonde bear really had a knack.</div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span></span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Everyone got back to work. Scott didn't have to wait for long by the door. Phil was coming out of doctor Lipton's office. He looked a bit pale, and bewildered. Scott noticed how his hand rested on his flat stomach, then brushed his work shirt down. He must have been scolded for some time about his weight and size, his appetite, his attitude towards food in general <span style="text-align: center;">– </span>maybe even his cooking skills...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> When he saw Scott, Phil only nodded and beckoned him to follow him down the hall. They knew what they had to do, right away.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “How's Rick?</span><span>” Scott asked.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I've moved him to your bedroom.</span><span>”</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span> Scott agreed. Sleeping in a room at the end of that part of the building, next to the parking lot, it would be easier to let Rick get out and escape. They only needed wheels. Phil had found a way to borrow a truck that wouldn't look conspicuous.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “When do we smuggle him out, then?</span><span>”</span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Tonight.</span><span>”</span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Already?</span><span>”</span></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Tomorrow may be too late, if we want to save Rick. He's really...</span><span>” Phil hesitated only for a second. </span><span style="text-align: center;">“He was </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">very much stuffed when he woke up, this morning.</span><span>”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Again?</span><span>”</span></div></div></div></div></div></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “More than ever... Worse than ever before.</span><span>”</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Are you afraid that he may burst?</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “No...</span><span>” Phil frowned. </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“People don't burst, Scott. A man's stomach never really bursts, but it can get so badly bruised that you pass out from the pain... I'm a lot more worried about Rick's liver. For some reason, it feels like he's been drinking a gallon of beer during the night...</span><span>”</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “It doesn't make sense!</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I can only make a diagnosis, based on what I observe. I have no idea how food or beer keeps finding its way to him during his sleep. His door was locked. There is no other way to enter his room.</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “And he's on the second floor.</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “He was on the fifth floor, before. It didn't make a difference.</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “That's true...</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “At this rate, I'm afraid that he may fall into liver failure.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span> Scott nodded.</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “How about the boys?</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “They're stuffed too, but only because they keep stuffing themselves.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “And how about you?</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span> Phil stopped as he was about to open the door to his office.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “What about me?</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “The nurses kept talking about you, and...</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Yes, that...</span><span>” Phil blushed.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Are you really going on a diet?</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “It's not like they give me much of a choice.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “How bad is it?</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Honestly, pretty bad...</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “How much weight do you have to drop? Ten pounds? Fifteen?</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “More like... thirty pounds.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span> Scott gave a whistle of surprise.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “They really want you lean, lean, lean...</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Yes.</span><span>” Phil looked down.</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Lean and mean.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Doctor Lipton wants me to stay around 200lbs, possibly go below that line too... He has already planned weekly weigh-ins and check-ups.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span><span><span> Phil let out a sigh.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I'm not sure if I can do it.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Come on.</span><span>” Scott teased him to comfort him. </span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“You've helped me lose weight like a pro. I turned out okay.</span><span>”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Rightly so...</span><span style="text-align: left;">” Phil smiled and leaned forward to kiss him.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Remember our agreement. For every pound you drop, I will gain two.</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Sounds good to me...</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Then you will have plenty of cooking and baking to do.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Of course.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span><span><span><span> That was enough to bring Phil back to his senses </span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– and he was by far the most sensual man Scott had ever met. His train of thought was like a train wreck but he had the infallible instincts and reflexes of a wild beast, which made him quicker to act and respond than any man with a brain.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “So we do this tonight.</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “You and I will do a lot more than this.</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “How so?</span><span>”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “We're going away for a few days. Doctor Lipton has just allowed me to take a few days off, before I take over where Rick left off... He made me promise that I would exercise and start a new work-out program, get plenty of fresh air...</span><span>”</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “And stay away from food!</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “That too...</span><span>” Phil teased Scott back with his lips and tongue. </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“We also need an alibi, you and me. We help Rick escape tonight, when everyone thinks that we're already out of town. Away from all this.</span><span>”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Far away...</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I've already packed what we need to sleep and spend time there. You can ask your new boss, sheriff Maxwell. Check if he's okay with this.</span></span></span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “As long as I assure him that I'll be well-fed, we have no problem...</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Then we're all set. Come back in an hour. We will leave at once.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> There were only a few cars in the parking lot. Maybe Scott expected a farmer's truck on the parking lot? He didn't notice the truck until Phil came out of the driver's seat. Scott almost chortled. It was Biberton's ice cream truck, painted in garish shades of red, white and blue <span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– the kind of truck their community service parked next to a lemonade stand at the county fair. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Is this your idea of a discrete vehicle?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Of course. It's a truck we use every week on different locations, all around town. People are so used to seeing it, they no longer notice. These colors are so gaudy that the whole truck is invisible.</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Okay, so your batmobile comes with an </span></span>ice-cream machine, a hot dog maker and all the supplies for pop corn and cotton candy..<span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Why not?</span><span style="text-align: left;">” Phil shrugged, with a boyish smile.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Scott smiled in return. It was Phil, after all <span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– always so gung ho, but keeping in mind</span><span style="text-align: center;"> that his friend may be hungry for something sweet or savory. Following him was an adventure of its own kind...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “There's also quite a large and enclosed space, in the back. Rick won't be seen by anyone, as we drive through and out of town.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Right... And he needs that kind of space.</span><span style="text-align: left;">” Scott considered the back of the truck with its trailer, solid doors and tailgate.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> They were already on their way. Phil made sure to follow the usual route, just as he kept driving at an easy speed. No one waved or even turned their heads as they passed by. Once they were on the interstate, he headed straight to the <i>Fat Trout</i> trailer park... It was a little over one hundred miles away, up in the mountains.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Scott had not ventured out of town yet. The landscapes around Biberton were impressive for a city boy like him. After miles and miles of corn fields and other croplands, with a farm sometimes peaking out in the distance, against an immensely wide and low horizon, the road went up and through a dense forest, pointing to their destination surrounded with snow-capped mountains.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> The owner of the <i>Fat Trout</i> trailer park welcomed Phil with open arms. He had to know him well enough for them to be allowed short time camping on one of their best spots, by the lake <span style="text-align: center;">–</span><span style="text-align: center;"> </span>and on such short notice. Phil followed the instructions and parked the truck. There were only two other trucks to be seen, a few yards away.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Scott agreed that they needed to meet those people and mingle, so there would be more witnesses from the beginning of their stay. Their best option was to go swimming or at least hanging by the lake, so they changed and came out of the truck wearing swimsuits. Phil kept the keys attached to his wristband, as he carried a beach ball and towels, with plenty of food in an icebox.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> They couldn't find anyone in the open field, and Scott didn't feel like going all the way to knock on their door. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Maybe they've gone hiking...</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Let's sit down. We can still be there when they come back.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Phil agreed. He was already laying the towel on the grass.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Would you check the water for me?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Okay.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Scott enjoyed watching his friend go, dipping both feet in the stream on his way down to the lake. The water had to be quite cold, but he went for a dive as soon as he found it was deep enough... He made quite a splash. Phil had to swim swiftly and actively, breathing deeply and toning his muscles so he wouldn't freeze.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> When he came back to Scott, dripping wet, he was chilled to the bone.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> They were alone, and Phil looked so pale after such a swim that he was almost like the marble statue of an ancient god <span style="text-align: center;">– except for the fact that his dirty, sandy blonde hair was all messed up, his chest hair was too abundant and he was too beefy, according to the artistic canons of body proportions. Scott knew only too well that the boy was too generously thick and meaty...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Cold, right?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “So cold... But so good. Would you join me?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “No way. I don't think you should go back right now, or you'll go stiff.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “What would you want to do?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> A gentle and temperate breeze was caressing their bodies. Scott could lick his lips as he lay his eyes on his friend's body. He kept thinking that Phil shouldn't be allowed to wear any kind of clothes.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “We have all the time in the World to play ball...</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCxoP2kyLKiz04mol2tvYULYFf0wJ0DY5l4yPeb3UZ3UhpfMHdeiWTo2VtYdEzQRjFl6IBI4eFxmCdbB_2Sgc7asKrM7eZZZUhb9V2sg6qiIsTkIjxgkyHldGyZILzgn7o0HsRG7RpBZjX9mJXMRAea0CUvenyoXv7PFo-gwI_KW_fPnKIaeKyiZ3Dsw/s3112/The%20Augustine%20Murders%2019%20-%20Hiking%20scene%20big.bmp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2704" data-original-width="3112" height="556" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCxoP2kyLKiz04mol2tvYULYFf0wJ0DY5l4yPeb3UZ3UhpfMHdeiWTo2VtYdEzQRjFl6IBI4eFxmCdbB_2Sgc7asKrM7eZZZUhb9V2sg6qiIsTkIjxgkyHldGyZILzgn7o0HsRG7RpBZjX9mJXMRAea0CUvenyoXv7PFo-gwI_KW_fPnKIaeKyiZ3Dsw/w640-h556/The%20Augustine%20Murders%2019%20-%20Hiking%20scene%20big.bmp" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> Phil understood what his friend meant </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– and wanted.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “You must be hungry for something more than ice-cream sandwiches.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “You bet...</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Let's go back to the truck. It doesn't look like anyone will come to us any time soon... I'll get you something warm to eat.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Hot dog!</span><span style="text-align: left;">” Scott gushed.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Okay, let's get the ball rolling</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">.</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> They spent the better part of the afternoon in their trailer. The constant creaking from the suspension and the loose, rocking motion of the back of their truck were the only signs to indicate their presence for a long while, if anyone happened to drive or walk by their spot <span style="text-align: center;">– leaving little room to the imagination.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Admit it, this is not what you had in mind...</span><span style="text-align: left;">” Scott laughed, munching on his sixth hot dog.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Not quite.</span><span>” Phil smiled sheepishly. </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“We have only met the owner, and we will go back to the hospital tonight. I was counting on this camping spot to be far enough, but anyone who would question our whereabouts can figure out that we could go back and forth, at this point.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Definitely...</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span> Scott couldn't argue with the fact that these campgrounds were both a cold spot to chill out in the open air and the hottest of hot spots on Earth at the moment </span></span></span><span style="text-align: center;">– n</span><span style="text-align: left;">ot to forget the massive cloud of cotton candy he was going through.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span> Phil ran his fingers through his hair, catching his breath.</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Okay. We need a plan B.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> They hit the road again.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Where are we going?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “We need to spend the evening in some place where we can be seen, without attracting too much attention.</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Road house diner?</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “That would do, but there are no diners on our way to Biberton...</span><span>”</span></span></span></span><span style="text-align: left;"><span> Phil was considering their options. </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“Unless...</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Unless?</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I know where we can go.</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Phil stepped on the gas.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Okay, what kind of a place is it?</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I'm taking you to the <i>B4C</i>.</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “What's the <i>B4C</i>?</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “The <i>B4 </i>Club, or the <i>Before Club</i>. It's a bowling alley.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Why is it called a Club?</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “It's also a clubhouse.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Okay...</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “It belongs to a friend of mine, Bjorn.</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “So it's Bjorn's Club?</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “His full name is actually Bj</span></span></span></span><span style="text-align: center;">ørn </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Bj</span></span></span></span><span style="text-align: center;">ørnstjerne </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Bj</span></span></span></span><span style="text-align: center;">ørnson</span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">.</span></span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “No shit...</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “No kidding. No one knows if the fourth B stands for bowling, or beer... Bjorn claims that both are equally appropriate.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “He should have named it <i>The Hive</i>, seriously, because... Man! that's a lot of bees.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> The <i>B4 Club</i> didn't look like much of a clubhouse. There were only half a dozen bowling lanes, four pool tables and darts games with a large bar counter in the back, going wall to wall. The place was crowded, after working hours. They would have to wait and watch other people play.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Phil introduced Scott to the owner of the club. <span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Bj</span></span></span></span><span style="text-align: center;">ørn was a 6'8 tall man in his mid-forties, with broad shoulders and a thick, bushy mahogany beard</span><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– the classic Paul Bunyan type of giant, dressed in a lumberjack's plaid shirt with two buttons opened to show off his densely hairy chest.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> Scott was amazed by the man's size and looks </span><span style="text-align: center;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> and handshake... He was also taken aback with the way </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Bj</span></span></span></span><span style="text-align: center;">ørn</span><span style="text-align: center;"> welcomed Phil, hugging him so tight and tousling his hair even more, as if he was going to wrestle him like a bear. For a moment, they almost looked like frat boys...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Bj</span></span></span></span><span style="text-align: center;">ørn</span><span style="text-align: center;"> responded with a broad smile when he saw how confused Scott was. Even Phil didn't look so embarrassed, being handled so roughly.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “This man has saved my life, you know.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “You did?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Phil only nodded, still teased by </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Bj</span></span></span></span><span style="text-align: center;">ørn like a big brother.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “He sure did... Good cabbage for a cad.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Cabbage?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “CABG. That's a coronary artery bypass graft.</span></span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Bj</span></span></span></span><span style="text-align: center;">ørn</span><span style="text-align: center;"> explained with a roaring laughter.</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> “I was suffering from coronary artery disease, or CAD.</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> I had to go for a surgical operation, two years ago... And this blonde bear showed up right on time. I was your first serious patient, right?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Yup.</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span> Again, Phil only nodded and laughed along with him... It was hard to imagine that such an impressive, strong beast of a man could suffer from a heart condition that would require surgery. Right now, it felt a lot more likely that the third button in his shirt would pop out like a bullet.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “You boys must be thirsty. First round's on me.</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Scott followed them to the counter... For some reason, </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Bj</span></span></span></span><span style="text-align: center;">ørn</span><span style="text-align: center;"> looked positively thrilled that Phil and he had come over to his club. Turning to them with a large beer mug in each hand, he kept saying that he </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“didn't expect Phil to show up</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span><span style="text-align: center;">. It sounded a bit puzzling.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Did you expect him to be here tonight, in the first place?</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Not really... That's why I'm so pleased that you're here with us, and with a friend too. You know Gunnar will be thrilled!</span><span>”</span></span></span></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Who's Gunnar?</span><span>” Scott asked, in an aside.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Bj</span></span></span></span><span style="text-align: center;">ørn's nephew</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">.</span><span style="text-align: left;">” Phil explained. </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“Where is Gunnar?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Downstairs, of course.</span><span style="text-align: left;">” </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Bj</span></span></span></span><span style="text-align: center;">ørn</span><span style="text-align: center;"> took an inquisitive look at Phil.</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> “Wait a second... Did you not receive word about tonight?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “What about tonight?</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Don't tell me you forgot.</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Honestly? I don't know what you're talking about. Did you send me one of your cards at the hospital? I think nurse Vickers has tightened her screening process lately.</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Oh...</span><span>” </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Bj</span></span></span></span><span style="text-align: center;">ørn</span><span style="text-align: center;"> looked genuinely sorry. That didn't last long. </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“Who cares? You're here now. Tell me you're staying for the night.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Of course!</span><span>” Scott stepped in immediately.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Good.</span><span>” </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Bj</span></span></span></span><span style="text-align: center;">ørn</span><span style="text-align: center;"> smiled broadly and poked Phil's chest. </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“Then you are in.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"> Scott turned to ask Phil. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “What's so special about tonight? Some kind of bowling tournament?</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Bj</span></span></span></span><span style="text-align: center;">ørn</span><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">chuckled, then he leaned over and lowered his voice.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Phil knows what I'm talking about... The bowling club closes around 11PM, then we move the party downstairs.</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Okay... What's downstairs?</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “The club part of this bowling club. And tonight's a special invitations only. Like the card you should have received.</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “You mean... An underground gay night club?</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span> Phil was blushing, confused that he may have received his invitation... He had no problem being invited to a gay bar like this. Scott saw the two men in a different light, suddenly.</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Don't get any funny ideas.</span><span>” Phil threw him a sideways glance that felt hotter than a branding iron. </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Bjo</span></span></span></span><span style="text-align: center;">rn</span><span style="text-align: center;"> isn't gay</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">. He's not even bi. He's </span><span style="text-align: center;">“</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">gay-friendly</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">, if you really want to put a label on it... His club hosts all kinds of parties, for all kinds of people. I guess tonight is open mic night, too?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Of course! But that's not even the best part.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “What is?</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span> </span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Bj</span></span></span></span><span style="text-align: center;">ørn</span><span style="text-align: center;"> could have hugged him again, smiling as he was.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Tonight's <i>Bear dance</i> night.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “...Bear dance night?</span><span>” Scott repeated, puzzled.</span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “That's right! Bear dance. Night of the dancing bears... Phil! You have to take part in it. Gunnar will never forgive you, or me, if you don't!</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span> Phil felt the weight of the two men's gaze. He nodded, with a sigh.</span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “You know I'm terrible at this. It will be embarrassing for everyone.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Have you done this before?</span><span>” Scott's curiosity was peaked.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Three or four times. I always come out last...</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Bj</span></span></span></span><span style="text-align: center;">ørn</span><span style="text-align: center;"> certainly didn't disagree.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Come on! I want to see you dance.</span><span>” Scott insisted.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Okay, then...</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Good! I'm glad to see you getting on board with this...</span><span>” </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Bj</span></span></span></span><span style="text-align: center;">ørn</span><span style="text-align: center;"> was beaming, as he presented them with a large ledger. </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“You can both add your names to the list and sign.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Scott and Phil shared a look of understanding. This would constitute a good proof that they were out of town for the entire night. They couldn't hope for a better piece of evidence, if anyone should ask them later.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “That will be 100$ for the two of you.</span><span>” </span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Bj</span></span></span></span><span style="text-align: center;">ørn</span><span style="text-align: center;"> concluded.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Oh...</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span> Phil shared a very different kind of look with Scott. He clearly didn't have that much money on him, tonight. </span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “How much is in your wallet?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “About twenty dollars. I rarely have more on a regular day...</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Why didn't you bring any more cash?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I could hardly bring money I don't have.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Scott had even less cash on him. He was used to having Phil pay for what he ate or drank, but this cost a lot more than the usual few brews they could kick back at a local bar... </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Bj</span></span></span></span><span style="text-align: center;">ørn</span><span style="text-align: center;"> saw how deeply uneasy Phil felt, and he spared them the embarrassment.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “You boys are really rugged and adventurous after my own heart.</span><span style="text-align: left;">” He said, putting the ledger back in his counter's drawer. </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“But you...</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"> He grabbed Phil by the neck and pulled him into another tight hug.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “You are a bear after my own heart, true blue...</span><span style="text-align: left;">” He whispered into his ear. </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">I want to see you dance like a bear tonight, with the others, and be a good sport... We both know you'll get squashed and trampled, but who cares? If you do this for us, you boys can go downstairs for free and I won't tell anyone.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><br /></div></div></span></div></div></span></div></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Late bowlers and nine-darters were slowly leaving. Sitting by the bar, Scott could finally enjoy a moment of conversation with Phil <span style="text-align: center;">– except </span>he was helping <span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Bj</span></span></span></span><span style="text-align: center;">ørn</span><span style="text-align: center;"> with the preparations for tonight's party and the </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“bear dance</span><span style="text-align: left;">” they had planned.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Even that incessant going back and forth was interrupted when a young man literally pounced on him and hugged him like a teddy bear.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Scott immediately learned that this was </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Bj</span></span></span></span><span style="text-align: center;">ørn's </span><span style="text-align: left;">nephew, Gunnar. There was no doubt that this member of the </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Bj</span></span></span></span><span style="text-align: center;">ørnson family was gay, at least.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> Gunnar stood a little under six feet tall but he had something of his uncle's good looks, and he was flamboyant in every possible way </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– from his walk to his talk, and from his extravagant manners to his lush red hair and thick beard that looked like shiny scraps of copper all meshed together in a bundle... His freckles made him look even younger than he was </span><span style="text-align: center;">–</span><span style="text-align: center;"> and he could hardly be much over twenty-one years old.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> Scott couldn't deny that the boy was a gorgeous redhead, and he was also welcomed with a big, enthusiastic bear hug... Deep down, he only wished that this bear cub didn't hold on to Phil so closely as he did.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “This man has saved my life!</span><span style="text-align: left;">” He poked and patted the doctor's chest.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “What, you too? You couldn't possibly need heart surgery...</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Heart surgery?</span><span style="text-align: left;">” Gunnar burst out laughing. </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“No! Nothing like that... Phil didn't have to cut my heart open. He wouldn't even break my heart.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"> He finally let the two of them together. Obviously, </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Bj</span><span style="text-align: center;">ørn didn't want his nephew to cause a scene... The boy had work to do, and he should know better than to chit-chat with their customers like this.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"> As for Scott, he was holding back as best he could, so he wouldn't tell him to get his hands off <i>his </i>teddy bear...</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"> The club scene had to be ready, </span><span style="text-align: center;">downstairs</span><span style="text-align: center;">. </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Bj</span><span style="text-align: center;">ørn </span><span style="text-align: center;">poured a coffee for Phil, as he sat back with Scott.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “So... What's their story?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “What story?</span><span>”</span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “How did you get to save Gunnar's life? And why did you have to save him, for starters?</span><span>”</span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span> Phil took a deep breath.</span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “A few months ago, </span></span></span><span style="text-align: center;">Gunnar came out to his parents. It was a difficult and brave thing for him to do. That's when </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Bjo</span><span style="text-align: center;">rn took him in to live with him, as they do now.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I see... Did Gunnar's parents kick him out of home?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “They did, but only because he managed to get away before it was too late. His father and his brothers were ready to kill him. If they had not already thrown him out on their driveway... They may have not stopped beating him and bashing his head against the ground until...</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Scott didn't say a word. Phil had tears in his eyes.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Fortunately, Gunnar's mother was already horrified at that scene. She called her brother over the phone, and </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Bjo</span><span style="text-align: center;">rn</span><span style="text-align: center;"> came in the nick of time to defend the boy..</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">. He was in a truly terrible state, unconscious with so many bruises and a concussion to his head. He stayed in a coma for three days. When he woke up, it was a relief that he had suffered no brain damage... Then he had to rest and sleep for a few more days, and he couldn't be left alone. We had a number of long talks with </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Bjo</span><span style="text-align: center;">rn</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">. Not the kind of talk a doctor usually has with a patient's relatives... Gunnar needed help. </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Bjo</span><span style="text-align: center;">rn</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> couldn't provide it alone. It required a lot more than good parenting. I couldn't help him either, not openly at least...</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Phil had already wiped his tears, but his voice almost broke then. Scott understood that he was feeling guilty, somehow.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “You can't let too many people know that you're gay.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"> The blonde doctor nodded, looking bereft and helpless.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Scott covered his friend's hands with his own, warming him up a bit.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “It's okay... You were right. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">You can't win every fight. You couldn't win this battle alone. You were there for him when he needed you, at least.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “When Gunnar was out of harm's way, </span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Bj</span><span style="text-align: center;">ørn</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> invited him to stay and work with him. Then they started running this place together. After some time, Gunnar felt ready to get on with his life and not be haunted by all this</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">. I don't know who suggested it, but that's how they started devoting one night every other month for the local gays and lesbians in his club. It caught on quickly... People come from all over the county for these underground events. Some even cross state lines to join such parties. It's kept very much under the radar... That's why you only get personal invitations, with the possibility of slowly spreading the word with a friend you may bring along.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Friends like me?</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Friends like you.</span><span>” </span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span> Phil smiled, and his smile was all the more irresistible for the way his green eyes sparkled through recent tears. He leaned forward and kissed Scott. The bar was deserted, after the last customers had just left.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “What time is it?</span><span style="text-align: left;">” Scott asked.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Party time...</span><span style="text-align: left;">” Phil whispered, hardly breaking their kiss as he </span><span style="text-align: left;">moved closer to hold </span><span style="text-align: left;">Scott in his arms delicately, before the two of them got up and followed </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Bj</span><span style="text-align: center;">ørn</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">downstairs.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> The basements of the <i>B4 </i>Club were not meant to host large parties, when <span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Bj</span><span style="text-align: center;">ørn had started opening it to a selected number of guests. He must have carved out large caves in all directions, </span><span style="text-align: center;">with smaller niches on the sides</span><span style="text-align: center;">... As a result, the disposition of the dance floor, the scene for eventual musicians and the sitting arrangement in comfortable leather booths around each table was highly original.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> There was a complete set of drums and percussion instruments on the stage, against the wall. A young man in a worn jeans jacket was already sitting there, tuning his guitar.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> Since they were among the first to attend <i>B</i></span><i>ear dance</i> night, <span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Bj</span><span style="text-align: center;">ørn invited </span>Scott to sit down in one of the booths in the middle, overlooking the fact that they were only two and that Phil would have to participate as one of the <span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“</span>dancing bears<span style="text-align: left;">”.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> After a few minutes, the musicians began to play to set the mood and get themselves ready for a long night. They were only three on stage, the guitar and two drummers, next to an empty stool for open mic. All lights were set in sconces that pointed at the dance floor.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Soon, the lights got dimmed and turned to such a shade of red that it was almost dark. Scott could still see the groups of men and women who came down. There were people of pretty much all ages and styles, big bikers in leather jackets or lumberjacks like <span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Bj</span><span style="text-align: center;">ørn</span>, lesbian coming single or in couples dressed in bright uniforms like lion tamers at the circus...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Scott enjoyed that parade even more, when he noticed how many of them wore leather gear like horse riding boots, harnesses, jockstraps, collars and leashes. He only wished that he had brought his own, but Phil wasn't even sitting next to him right now.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Gunnar joined him in his booth, almost jumping to the cushions. He was wearing very cool leather pants <span style="text-align: center;">– </span>and nothing else. In context, this party outfit looked quite acceptable, almost coy but not shy... Scott had to admit that the young man was a natural charmer. He made everyone he met feel like they were the most awesome person in the world, and he pulled it off without ever openly flirting. He had to be everyone's little heartthrob, around here... Scott had already forgotten how close he was to Phil. No one could possibly hold a grudge against him. In any case, any man foolish enough to hurt him would have to face punishment from a certain giant lumberjack bear who could probably wield lightning just so easily as an ax!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Is this booth comfortable enough for you? We have more pillows you can throw around you...</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I couldn't complain. It's quite a club you are running here.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Yes, my uncle </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Bjo</span><span style="text-align: center;">rn </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">is the best. And I didn't want to run anymore. Now... If you want to get really comfortable, and not stand out in the middle of the crowd, you should really take off your shirt.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Gunnar was right, even as he watched Scott strip down.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “So... Scott, is it?</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Yeah.</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “You and Phil... Are you an item? Like, boyfriends or...</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “What? No!</span></span></span></span><span style="text-align: left;">” Scott blushed deeply, caught by surprise. </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">No, no, no... Nuh huh. Not boyfriends. Nothing like that... No way.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I'll take that as a </span></span></span></span><span style="text-align: center;">“</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">No</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span><span style="text-align: left;">. But you came down here together..</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Yeah.</span><span>”</span></span></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “</span></span><span style="text-align: left;">So... Forgive me for asking, but I know Phil. What's your deal?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “We're more like... partners in crime. That's about it.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Partners, huh...</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span> The boy tilted his head and took a closer look at Scott, quizzically.</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I can imagine what kind of criminal activities you two are involved in.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “The best kind, you bet. I mean... You boy don't want to know...</span><span>” Scott sipped more beer, so he wouldn't have to talk too much.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I feel like I didn't even had to ask... But no </span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“B word</span><span style="text-align: left;">” between you</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “In my book...</span></span></span></span></span><span style="text-align: left;">” Scott huffed. </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“T</span><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">he </span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“B word</span><span style="text-align: left;">” </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">is <i>Bullshit</i>.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I get it.</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="text-align: left;">” Gunnar didn't sound too convinced. </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“</span><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">You're not the type to settle down. No argument from this corner. You're probably right. And, in your book, Phil is not exactly </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“boyfriend material</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">... Am I right?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Something like that.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “You know he's...</span><span>”</span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span> Just as Gunnar was getting closer, there was a big announcement that the bear dance was about to start, if anyone wanted to join the group. Much to Scott's surprise, not even the bigger men in the room rose to that challenge... </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Bj</span><span style="text-align: center;">ørn opened a door and eight men entered, all wearing tight shorts of stretchy black denim.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> Phil was <span>among them</span>, as expected, but Scott was still shocked to see him like this. As they scattered</span><span style="text-align: center;">, </span><span style="text-align: center;">barefoot,</span><span style="text-align: center;"> to join their friends and get some encouragement before the dance,</span><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span style="text-align: center;">their hairy bodies couldn't be more exposed for everyone to behold. Phil was the shortest and clearly the least imposing member of that team... All the other men had to be a bit taller than Scott </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– and </span><span style="text-align: center;">weigh at least 300lbs.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> As Phil leaned down to gently cup his face and kiss him lightly on the lips, Scott felt that there was something different about his friend.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Wait a second... Did they put make-up on you?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “It's only a little eyeliner.</span><span>” Gunnar commented, obviously smitten.</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I'm ridiculous, I know...</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span> As he stood up straight and looked at the two young men sitting in that booth, there was hardly anything to laugh about in his looks or attitude. </span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span> In that dark red light, they could only guess that he was blushing with shame, very much intimidated as the bass drum started to beat heavily. His heart was racing and pounding in his chest.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span> Phil let out a sigh and whispered, like a soldier's prayer.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> “They have tied me to a stake. I cannot fly,</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> But bear-like I must fight the course...</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span> Scott didn't understand.</span></span></span></span></div></span></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “What's that?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Phil was already joining the group, as they were about to form a scrum.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “What did he say to us?</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “You don't know? It's from the Sottish play...</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “What Scottish play?</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Gunnar chuckled. He couldn't help himself.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I rest my case. Your name is Scott, you are Phil's... partner in crime, as you said, and you don't know the Scottish play? The best crime drama of all time...</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “And you know it?</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Don't get me wrong. I only read it because Phil gave me his own copy of the book, when I was bored out of my mind at the hospital. You're not supposed to say it out loud... They say it brings bad luck.</span><span>” Gunnar came close to whisper into Scott's ear, always so sensually. </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“It's an old play, called <i>Macbeth</i>... Phil could play it by heart for you.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “You think I should ask him sometimes?</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Then you'll be in for quite a show!</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> The bass drum held a steady, slow beat as it was quickly joined by all the other drums... <span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Bj</span><span style="text-align: center;">ørn and other guys placed around the dance floor also played a part in that very primitive concert.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> Scott turned to Gunnar one last time.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “What were you about to tell me, before?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I don't remember.</span><span>”</span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Something about Phil and me.</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Oh, that? Well...</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span> Gunnar got up and rested a hand on Scott's shoulder.</span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “You should know... Phil's the best.</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span> As the <i>Bear dance</i> was beginning to gain momentum and speed, with the eight men stomping the floor with their feet, clapping their hands together and slapping their thighs or their chests with little coordination, Gunnar turned to watch.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Okay, so he's really not good at this... But he's the best.</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span> According to Scott, none of them were any good... Phil was doing his best, with two or three others, although the result was mediocre at best. That impression faded a bit as the beat got faster and faster. Soon, they were all dancing and turning around in a circle limited to the dance floor, with the drummers urging them to keep going.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span> It was extremely instinctive, primal and tribal. Far from </span></span><span style="text-align: left;">shuffling across the floor, at this point, they had to keep on s</span><span style="text-align: left;">winging and turning on their feet, moving their bulk </span><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span style="text-align: left;">faster and faster, </span><span style="text-align: left;">faster and faster...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> They were all covered with a sheen of sweat. </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Bj</span><span style="text-align: center;">ørn shouted something</span><span style="text-align: left;">, and the topless waitresses next to the drummers started throwing full pitchers of ice-cold water on the dancers.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Once again, Phil was dripping wet today...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> It was impossible to tell if any of them noticed water being thrown to their faces. They kept dancing, if one could call it dancing, only following the fast beat of the drums.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Phil wasn't doing so bad. That kind of exercise was enough to break a man down, so he must have already switched to autopilot in order to keep going... This meant that there was no one left but the soldier inside him </span><span style="text-align: center;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> hard-working, hard-hearted and well trained for this. If anything, he was the most disciplined on the dance floor.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Unfortunately for him, the bears who danced around him were much taller, much bigger and much heavier... This caused him to be slapped a number of times, and bounce against one fat bear after another.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> That awkward group dance didn't last too much longer... Scott didn't understand why all the men and women around started shouting too. It felt like they were attending some strange sort of wrestling game.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Scott wasn't wrong. </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Bj</span><span style="text-align: center;">ørn initiated a new, quick-paced rhythm that felt more like an ominous military march, then six bears formed a circle around the other two. The crowd kept shouting </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“Fight! Fight! Fight!</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span><span style="text-align: center;"> and waitresses gave something to each dancer... It </span><span style="text-align: center;">looked like a short and shiny blade.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Before he could open his mouth and cry out for fear, Scott understood what it was the dancers were holding in their hand, already atrociously red and glowing under the spotlights. </span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span> It was lipstick.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span> The drums got louder and louder, as each bear dancer had to engage in a one-on-one fight with the others. Scott couldn't tell if there were rules to this game... Even so, the men trapped in that circle were already too exhausted to follow any other rule than their survival instincts.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span> While this meant that Phil was probably the only one in the bunch still aware of his surroundings and what he was doing, this was one of the battles he couldn't win... Dancers were meant to move quickly and mark their opponent somewhere with lipstick, leaving long traces of red or deep pink on the other guy's shoulders, his chest or his face. Each fight had to keep going until one of them fell to the floor, then they had to get up to their feet and keep it up </span></span><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span style="text-align: left;">faster and faster</span><span style="text-align: left;">...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Clearly, Phil was the underdog in that tournament. It was only too easy for the others to fall on him when he tried to grab them by the waist of their shorts or push them to the edge of the circle. They would tumble down together, but Phil got squashed all over the floor, again and again. In the end, there was no contest. He had lost all the fights, and the dance kept going faster and faster </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– so much that all the men collapsed in one big heap and he was buried under that sweaty mass...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> There was a long round of applause from the whole room. The dancers, dazed and dizzy, were pretty much lifted off the floor. Scott was afraid that Phil would be booed off the scene but people only commented on how clumsy the poor guy was, or they nudged him and teased him a bit as he walked back to Scott. </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Bj</span><span style="text-align: center;">ørn and </span><span style="text-align: center;">Gunnar had to help him stand up.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> Phil was covered with traces of lipstick, like gashes of all shades of red.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Bj</span><span style="text-align: center;">ørn covered the poor guy with no less than two large towels to get him cleaned up and dry before he would catch a cold... Scott saw his blonde friend as he had never seen him before </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– bruised and marked, and badly beaten, rough and rugged, so exhausted and out of breath he couldn't say a word... Calling him a fallen soldier would be an insult.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> There was something about him, then </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– s</span><span style="text-align: center;">omething Scott had always dreamed of, hoping against all hopes... There, standing before him, was the wildest and most masculine beast he could ever wish for.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> And it was his catch.</span><span style="text-align: center;"> And own. And do everything he wanted to do with him... Did Phil see right through him, as he looked so deeply into his eyes? He was such a mess, still struggling to get rid of the lipstick on his cheeks, and he was sweating so much that he looked positively fiery.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> It was Scott's turn to blush. Phil's look was so intense, he didn't expect him to smile </span><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span style="text-align: center;">but there was nothing innocent about it... The blonde boy still had his own little tube of lipstick in his clenched fist. He opened it and carefully applied a dark shade of red on his lips. Then he sat down in Scott's lap, facing him and leaning over to give him a long kiss on the lips before he let his tongue come into play.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Now you are marked too...</span><span style="text-align: left;">” He whispered into his ear, before standing back up and wiping it off with his towel.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> This beast was too arousing for words.</span><span style="text-align: center;"> Scott didn't know what to say, when </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Bj</span><span style="text-align: center;">ørn kept trying to get his nephew to look away... There was no need for Phil to apologize for the way he behaved. Not after he had been shaken so brutally on the dance floor.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> Bj</span><span style="text-align: center;">ørn patted his shoulder, like a bigger brother.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “You've done all right.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></span></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I'm done, all right...</span><span style="text-align: left;">” Phil sat down heavily, next to Scott.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I'll come back to you scamps, in a moment.</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> The drummers were also tired, and they were taking a break. The air was thick and almost foggy with sweat and the smoke from cigars. A few older men were smoking in a distant corner. There was only the guitar player left on stage to keep everyone in the mood.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Phil turned to Scott, caressing the back of his neck as both his arms were extended over the edge of their leather booth.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I couldn't look more ridiculous, right?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I wouldn't say that...</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I bet I still have lipstick all over my face.</span><span>”</span></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “It's only make-up.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I know, it will wear off.</span></span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> Phil took a deep breath.</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> “</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">It's the rest of me that won't wear off... And I don't want it to wear off.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “What do you mean?</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div><br /></div></div><div> Moving slowly, like a tiger, Phil came to hold Scott in a soft embrace.</div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Take a good look, Scott. This is who I am... This is what I am.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Okay... This is you, I know.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Listen to me. What you see now is what you should expect. I may not be much of a bear, but... I'm a bear. Deep down, this is how I feel.</span><span>”</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “It's not buried so deep. You're not so deep that I couldn't tell...</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Do I still have eyeliner on my eyelids or is that gone too?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “It's still there, but I don't mind.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Okay, then... I wish I didn't have to hide it. I wish I didn't have to get my hair cut. I've had more than my share of that buzz cut when I was in the Army... I wish I didn't have to shave my chest... And I wish I didn't have to shave my face.</span><span>”</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Who said you had to?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Are you serious, Scott? Do you know why I have a goatee like this?</span><span>”</span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Because... it looks good on you?</span><span>”</span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Because it's the most facial hair I could get people to accept, where I work. It was one hard-won victory too, but... If it was up to me, I would grow a real man's beard...</span><span>”</span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Like Bjorn's?</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I don't know... His beard is truly magnificent but I would rather grow my own full beard.</span><span>”</span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I understand.</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Why do we have to keep pretending to be what we're not? It's okay for a young man like Gunnar to have doubts and look for a model, so he can grow up as he truly wants but you and I, Scott... We're all adults here. And we're only having harmless fun.</span><span>”</span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I agree.</span><span>”</span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span> Scott understood how emotional Phil could get, right now. He was still catching his breath and he may feel a bit humiliated after that </span></span><span style="text-align: center;">“</span><span style="text-align: left;">bear dance</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span><span style="text-align: left;">, even when no one came over to rub it in.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “You know what?</span><span>” Scott suggested. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“I like it when I tousle your hair... And I can so easily picture you with a full, sexy beard.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “You do?</span><span>” Phil smiled, a little less flustered.</span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “You're one rugged, cuddly bear. And you know it.</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> Proving his point, Phil hugged him tight.</span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “No buzz cut... No close shave...</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “And no diet.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Fuck! no...</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span> Scott was startled. Phil never used the </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“F</span><span style="text-align: left;">” word.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I'm sorry, but... Demanding that I lose thirty pounds to work as a security guard, that's not even a diet. It's the kind of forceful, heavy-duty training that makes prizefighters and wrestlers go crazy.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><br /></div><div> He couldn't stand to think about it but that thought kept coming back to haunt him, obviously... That was enough to explain why he was still breathing so nervously, as if he was pacing around their booth <span style="text-align: center;">–</span><span style="text-align: center;"> </span>like a caged tiger.</div><div> <span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Bj</span><span style="text-align: center;">ørn startled him as he was coming back to see how they were doing.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Aren't you boys hungry?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><br /></div><div> Phil also turned to ask Scott.</div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Are you hungry?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Not so much. I mean... It's getting late, and...</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> Right on cue, Scott's stomach growled so loudly <span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Bj</span><span>ørn chuckled.</span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Since when do you let your friends go hungry like this?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"> Scott looked at Phil. <span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Bj</span><span style="text-align: center;">ørn's </span>comment had just hit a bull's eye. All the dread he could feel about going on a diet was suddenly gone. It was nothing compared to this... The very idea that Scott could be hungry and there was no food within his reach was unacceptable for a guy like Phil. He had to do something.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “We can't afford a meal at your club, tonight... It was already too kind of you to let us come to your party.</span><span>”</span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Come on... You've really earned that ticket, and more.</span><span>”</span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “If you say so...</span><span>” Phil muttered, shaking his head. </span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “How about this? You do something else for us tonight and your friend here can eat for free. Fair deal, no need to thank me. I'm not calling any favors here.</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I can't possibly go for another dance.</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “No... I wouldn't ask the others to go back for another round either. How about this?</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></div><div><br /></div><div> <span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Bj</span><span style="text-align: center;">ørn </span>wrapped his well-muscled arm around Phil's neck, and told him about his request so softly that no one could hear him over the music.</div><div> No matter what he was offering and asking in return, his blonde friend didn't look comfortable about it.</div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I don't know if I can do this...</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div></div></span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Why? Because you've been squashed flat by the whole team? When you've got that far into the shame game, what do you have to lose?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Phil didn't know how to respond.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I have to think about it...</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “No, no... I know you, Phil. You're not much of a thinker. Go for it.</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Okay, I'll do it.</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span> Scott saw </span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Bj</span><span style="text-align: center;">ørn </span><span style="text-align: left;">raise his arms, fists closed, ready to shout </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“Hurrah</span><span style="text-align: left;">”.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I'll do it, but...</span><span>” Phil still hesitated. </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“No dice. We order food after it's done. If I make a fool of myself, all bets are off. And I get to choose how I go for it, first. Deal?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Deal.</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span> The two men shook hands. </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Bj</span><span style="text-align: center;">ørn was so pleased that he insisted on having another round of beers served to their table. Scott could go for another large mug of beer, and Phil had to be thirsty as well.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> Sitting back in their booth, the blonde bear looked like he was about to hit rock bottom... He kept his head buried in his hands. When he looked up to answer Scott, he was on the verge of tears.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “What's wrong? What did he ask you to do?</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Not much, I have to be honest. At least, not much... for anyone else. I really need to pull myself together.</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span> Phil drank his beer down to the last drop, almost in one long gulp. He needed it that bad, but it wasn't the best move for him at the moment.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Are you feeling okay?</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “No...</span><span>” Phil sounded tipsy. </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“And it's only going to get worse.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “What do you have to do?</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Tonight's open mic night. Bjorn asked me to get on stage and sing.</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Sing for the crowd?</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I mean... sing? Bjorn knows I'm well over twenty percent deaf...</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><div></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Wait a second. You're deaf?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div></div></span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I thought I had told you about... that.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div></div></span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Oh, yes. The Army. That accident. I forgot...</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> There was a moment of uneasy silence between them.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “He wants me to go for two songs in a row. Start with something slow and wistful, so his guests stay in the mood and keep kicking them back down, then I should move on to something more upbeat as an invitation for others to take their turn on stage.</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Two songs, then?</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Yeah...</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “It's not like you don't know any song.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> Scott remembered. </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">I've often caught you humming a number of little tunes and folk songs I had never even heard of before.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Well, yeah...</span><span style="text-align: left;">” Phil mumbled, feeling woozy.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “You have to know a song or two, that will make these big boys happy. It will be just like karaoke.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “This is not karaoke, Scott. There's no prompter or anything...</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “So what? </span></span><span style="text-align: center;">As long as you know the tune, you'll be okay.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I guess you're right...</span></span></span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> Phil let out a desperate sigh. </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">It's better to sing along with someone playing the guitar or beating the drums. I really couldn't follow the machines that run a karaoke.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Then it's settled.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Okay...</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> He had to take another deep breath. Taking a look at the crowd around their booth, Scott saw <span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Bj</span><span style="text-align: center;">ørn </span>and his nephew talking to the musicians... They were about to clear the stage a bit and start open mic.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “They don't expect you to be any good, anyway...</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Phil kept his head buried in his hands for a while, once again. He didn't want to move away from the table, out of their booth. Then Scott saw him shake it off, as if he had been covered with a heavy, invisible cloak.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “You know what? I'm going for it...</span><span>” </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Yes?</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span> As he got up, Phil couldn't stand straight but he looked determined.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Bjorn's right. You're right... What do I even have to lose?</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Exactly.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “No matter what happens between us tonight, and all the good people in this club, we have to go back to work in a few days. We have to wake up tomorrow, no doubt with a hangover... But tonight? Tonight is ours, just as we belong to the night.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span> That last sentence brought back such vivid and strange memories to Scott that he only looked up to his friend in astonishment.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Scott? Hello?</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “What is it?</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Do I still have much make-up on me?</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Only red on your lips. And black around your eyes.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Okay then.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> For some reason, Phil smiled in a most naughty and alluring way.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Eternity was in our lips and eyes...</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “What's that?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Shakespeare.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Scott burst out laughing.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “You don't know shit, but you know Shakespeare.</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “You can't know everything. You can't ignore everything...</span><span>”</span></span></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Bj</span><span style="text-align: center;">ørn was standing on stage, in front of the crowd. Phil had to join him as he was called. He shook hands with the musicians and they took a moment to talk about the songs they would play to accompany him. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Okay... Good evening to you all?</span><span style="text-align: left;">” Phil tried his best not to blink as all the spotlights in the room were now turned on him. </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“I'm Phil. Those who know me will tell you that I'm about twenty-five percent deaf... And those who don't know me already guessed that I'm seventy-five percent dumb. So, bear with me...</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"> The guitar player struck a chord, tuning his instrument up a bit while Phil was sitting down on his high stool.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “What key?</span>”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"> Phil didn't understand the question.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “From the way you talk, you sound like a pretty solid low baritone...</span>” The guy offered a perfect chord so he could get in tune. </span><span style="text-align: center;">“I'd say B flat is good for you. Just don't be too flat on the notes... right, bucko? We have an audience to entertain.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"> The guitar started playing, softly, not too fast, allowing Phil to start singing just as if he was about to start a conversation with everyone who stood in the dark, around him.</span></div><div><br /></div></div></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> “</span>We both lie silently still </div></div><div> in the dead of the night...<span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"> As he started singing with better and clearer pitch, he slowly closed his eyes and straightened up, then leaned a bit forward. Scott was puzzled, watching him from their booth. Holding still, Phil kept the mic close to his mouth... He was definitely not shouting, but his deep voice made everyone shut up and listen in a matter of seconds. With his free hand, he covered his left ear so he wouldn't get distracted, trying desperately to dampen his heartbeat or his heavy breathing. He focused on the bass notes emanating deep from within his chest, and he </span><span style="text-align: left;">listened closely to the fine harmonics that soon filled the air like some sort of electricity.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div> <span style="text-align: center;">“</span>Although we both lie close together, </div><div> we feel miles apart inside. </div><div> Was it something I said or something I did? </div><div> Did my words not come out right?<span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"> Phil's discrete but natural Southern accent was perfect for this song. He actually sounded like a down-and-dirty, forlorn cowboy who would wake up after a full night of steamy, passionate sex </span><span style="text-align: center;">– Scott had to admit that anyone who would make that assumption really didn't fall far off...</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div> <span style="text-align: center;">“</span>Though I tried not to hurt you, </div><div> Though I tried, but I guess that’s why they say...<span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"> When Phil sang the chorus, Scott felt his hair rise like bristles on the back of his neck and his heart stood still... The atmosphere in the club could only be compared to a Summer's scorching hot evening with heavy weather </span><span style="text-align: center;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> the quiet before the storm.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"> There was no quiver in Phil's voice as he brought more emotions to the fore. The musicians had to listen to him and follow, but they seemed to play better and better as they came along. </span></div><div><br /></div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> “</span>Every rose has its thorn, </div></div><div> just like every night has its dawn,</div><div> just like every cowboy sings his sad, sad song. </div><div> Every rose has its thorn...<span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"> The song went on but when Phil's voice died away and the guitar struck the last note, Scott couldn't tell if the silence that followed made him cry out of the blue, or if tears weren't already rolling down his cheeks... His friend had gone for it one hundred percent. It felt like a free fall with no parachute... There was nothing but darkness around them, like infinite skies and no stars to point at. It was amazing to see him like this.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"> Phil had to take a second to catch his breath. His heart was clearly pounding like a battering ram against his rib cage, and his hairy chest was glistening with beads of sweat under the harsh lights. There was no applause. Everyone was sitting or standing in stunned silence... Scott saw all the bears and the </span><span style="text-align: center;">“</span><span style="text-align: left;">tough guys</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span><span style="text-align: left;"> in the room gaping or quietly weeping just as he was, too moved to move.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"> It didn't last more than a few seconds </span><span style="text-align: center;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> but that moment captured enough joy and sadness to last a lifetime. The guitar moved on to the second song, followed by the rhythm section and Phil, warmed up and eager to make a good impression before leaving the stage, rose from his stool and began to sing. Eyes still closed, he was almost jumping up and down, following the faster pace of the drums.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> “</span>I don't know what it is that makes me love you so. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> I only know I never want to let you go...<span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Scott was stunned all over again. For one thing, he didn't expect Dusty Springfield right after a <i>Poison</i> power ballad</span><span style="text-align: left;">... Such contrast almost felt like a slap in the face, but in a good way.</span><span style="text-align: left;"> It also felt like a breath of fresh air, in that densely sweaty and smoked up basement,</span><span style="text-align: center;"> boosting and bursting with positive energy. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="text-align: center;">“</span>'cause you started something, oh! can't you see </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> that ever since we met you've had a hold on me?<span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> When </span><span style="text-align: left;">Phil finally opened his eyes, he flashed the crowd with the most radiant boyish smile ever, turned to face Scott still sitting in his booth and pointed his finger at him to finish the chorus:</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="text-align: center;">“</span><span style="text-align: justify;">It happens to be true. I only want to be with you...</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> It felt so natural and so provocative at the same time, Scott blushed deeper than ever. Phil didn't ask to stand on that stage. That kind of attention was not for him... Even now, he was nervous, fidgeting with his mic, but spontaneous like a puppy </span><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span style="text-align: left;">or a genuinely wild beast </span><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span style="text-align: left;">and the way he wore his heart on his sleeve was just too hard to resist... He had a right to play such a trick on the guys who had backed him in a corner or squashed him on the dance floor.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> “</span>It doesn't matter where you go or what you do, </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> I want to spend each moment of the day with you...<span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> More unexpected than anything, the drummers and a few waitresses starting singing <span style="text-align: center;">“oh</span><span style="text-align: left;">” and </span><span style="text-align: center;">“ah</span><span style="text-align: left;">” like backing vocalists... Phil immediately caught on and he hummed the melody before the second verse, keeping their little group together as they all felt raptured and drawn to Heaven.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="text-align: center;">“</span>Well, look what has happened with just one kiss. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> I never knew that I could be in love like this. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> It's crazy but it's true, I only want to be with you...<span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> The song ended suddenly, but on such a high note that the response from the audience was immediate,</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> unbidden and loud </span><span style="text-align: center;">–</span><span style="text-align: center;"> with thunderous applause surging from every corner of the club and echoing everywhere. All the topless waitresses shouted </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“Woo!</span><span style="text-align: left;">” several times, at the top of their lungs... Beer mugs and glasses were clanked on the tables, and all the fat guys made the floor vibrate as they kept stamping with their feet in a frenzy.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Phil didn't bow to them so much that he almost collapsed on stage. He had to be exhausted after such a raw and kick-ass row... Thankfully, the musicians were there to hold him standing up, and help him stumble without falling back to ground level. It was an opportunity for them to take a well-deserved break.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Well done, sandy blonde Sandy.</span><span>” </span></span><span style="text-align: left;">They tapped his shoulders or slapped his back as a way to congratulate him.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> As he walked back to sit next to his friend, Phil was doused again with beer and water,</span><span style="text-align: center;"> even sparkling water, with every step he made... There were so many ice cubes thrown at him, he couldn't help shivering. Dazed and disoriented, he was also hugged or tackled by a number of guys who happened to stand in the way. A few </span><span style="text-align: center;">vigorous </span><span style="text-align: center;">pats on his back had to be enough to let him go, Scott thought, then he saw Gunnar pounce on him like a tiger cub.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Phil!</span><span style="text-align: left;">” The young man cried out, and closed his arms around his chest in such a tight embrace that would make any other guy pass out. </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“You hard rock climbing bear... Moonlight of my Life!</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Phil had to feel dizzy, at this point. There was really no need for Gunnar to keep rubbing his back and chest like that, pressing his face against his pecs so hard he was obviously dying to kiss him or bite his nipples.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Naturally, </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Bj</span><span style="text-align: center;">ørn wasn't far behind to hold up his end of their bargain.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “You've been hiding this from us all this time. Bad boy...</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> The two men made their peace with a bear hug.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Scott will have the Texan T-bone special.</span><span>” Phil told his friend. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“Medium well-done. Pepper and barbecue sauces. Cheese sticks, onion rings, and a saddlebag of fries the size of a true stallion's saddle... You only get to guess that there's a table where my friend's dinner is served. He wants it covered with mounds of red meat and fried food.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span> That was so alpha of him, so unexpected after all this </span></span></span><span style="text-align: center;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> Scott could groan and moan. He was so horny for his blonde sing-and-dance bear...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Bj</span><span style="text-align: center;">ørn did not back down on this.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “How about desserts?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Scott noticed that he kept asking Phil. This was a game between them. He was there to swipe the stake </span></span><span style="text-align: center;">– which, in this case, meant steak and cake. Phil looked grateful that he would take him at his word.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Chocolate ice-cream sundae. Butterscotch sauce. Fudge and brownies on top, with chopped hazelnuts. Whipped cream, in a can. Cherry pie on the side, and fresh strawberries </span></span></span><span style="text-align: center;">“</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><i>à la</i> Bjorn</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">. Scott is feeling hungry and playful tonight...</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Bj</span><span style="text-align: center;">ørn smiled as he took that order. A deal was a deal. That was a pretty fair deal, and he was a man of his word.</span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="text-align: center;"> A few minutes later, Scott found himself facing a real feast of red meat with large baskets of fries, onion rings and cheese sticks. Phil was there to cut his T-bone steak in fine slices and sometimes feed them straight to his mouth, when Scott wasn't already stuffing himself.</span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="text-align: center;"> Open mic night was over sooner than expected. Was his blonde friend such a tough act to follow, or were they not so interested in singing than in passing judgement on the people on stage? He couldn't tell, as he was only focusing on that delicious, thick, juicy and abundant steak he was devouring now...</span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="text-align: center;"> Topless waitresses kept coming and going, taking the empty baskets of fries away and sometimes bringing more back to their table. It was not lost on Scott that they were all coming on to Phil, who looked sleepy and a bit tipsy after his second beer.</span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="text-align: center;"> All the lights in the club turned to a dark shade of electric blue. It was late enough for some slow dances on the dance floor.</span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="text-align: center;"> Always so quick on his feet, Gunnar threw himself at Phil and asked to dance with him for a few songs. He knew his blonde friend wouldn't turn him down, no matter how tired he may be. Scott didn't mind. The young man was careful enough to take off his shoes and socks, so he wouldn't risk hurting his dancing partner. Phil was still barefoot, after all.</span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="text-align: center;"> As they were walking away together, arm in arm, </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Bj</span><span style="text-align: center;">ørn joined Scott to check how he was doing... There wasn't much left on the table, and he was only grazing on fries and cheese sticks with a few last cocktail olives and peanuts. A waitress was on her way with two large mugs of beer.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “You have quite an appetite. I guess it's time for desserts?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Sure. Bring them on.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Scott's ice-cream sundae cup was even bigger than expected... </span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Bj</span><span style="text-align: center;">ørn was certainly not cheap with the portions of food and the liquor when he treated his </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“special </span><span style="text-align: center;">guests</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span><span style="text-align: center;">.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “What are strawberries <i>à la</i> Bjorn?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Ha ha! You've heard that... It's fresh strawberries, cut in half and dipped in vodka for a whole night in your freezer. You serve them in a bowl with long sticks, marshmallows and a small saucepan full of hot, melted black chocolate. The strawberries have to be almost frozen, and keep a lingering aftertaste of vodka.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Nice... Do you drink vodka to wash them down too?</span><span>”</span></span></span></div></span></span></span></span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Sometimes.</span><span style="text-align: left;">” </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Bj</span><span style="text-align: center;">ørn </span><span style="text-align: left;">chuckled.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"> A good number of couples were dancing slowly in the electric blue dark. </span></span><span style="text-align: left;">He turned his head to make sure that his nephew was still in good hands. Gunnar was holding on to Phil so closely against his chest that he could fall asleep right there, eyes closed, with a broad smile on his face.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Would you like a glass of vodka with your strawberries?</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I don't know...</span><span>” Scott mumbled, his mouth still full of ice-cream. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“This is already so generous of you.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Forget about it. You look like a man who can hold his liquor.</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Yeah.</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"> There was a moment of pause, but the dancers seemed to ignore when one song was over and a new one began. </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Bj</span><span style="text-align: center;">ørn smiled.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Not like our good, dumb blonde friend... Right? Phil can't have more than three brews, then he's drunk like a skunk.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Oh... Yeah. I don't know.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “With his husky frame and his husky eyes, and his musky masculine scent... Underneath all that, Truth be told, he's actually a light weight.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I guess...</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> Bj</span><span style="text-align: center;">ørn came closer to him and lowered his voice.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “You know he's the Devil, right?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div></span></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span> Scott had to stop guzzling his beer.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “What?</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Look at him dance with the other bears. I mean, look at them... Then take a good look at him.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “What about them? What about him?</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Most of those guys, including some of the big, fat bears you've seen dancing earlier, they're actually family men. They're married. They have kids. They have jobs, and homes, and cars, and life insurance policies... They have money in the bank. They live a few blocks away from their parents. I could go on...</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “So?</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Phil doesn't have any of those things.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Well... I knew that.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “For my regular customers, this kind of night is a truly special event. It's some sort of adventure... They may be cheating on their wives, or these women may be cheating on their husbands. It's an opportunity for them to be what they want to be, look the way they want people to look at them and feel no shame about it.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “How's Phil any different from those guys?</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “This is not an adventure for him. It's life outside he has to struggle with, everyday life. This club is not a place for him to escape or evade from the mundane... It's a place that could almost feel like Home for a bear like him.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “So you're saying that he's like a real bear, trapped in a man's body?</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “It doesn't feel far off... I'm actually not quite sure about him. He is by far the most helpful, kind and dependable man I know but... Deep down, I keep hearing a growling wild beast, yearning to be set free.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Bj</span><span style="text-align: center;">ørn grabbed a strawberry. Scott looked really full from all that ice-cream, the brownies and the fudge... There was a whole cherry pie left for him to demolish.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “So, you're saying...</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “You can't trust him.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Come on. He's just a friend... He's your friend.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></div></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “He really is... Don't get me wrong. I love my nephew, but he always behaves like this when he's around Phil. No flirting or anything, but he's like a six-year old on Christmas, with a mountain of shiny new toys and boxes to unwrap... He can't help himself.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Are you saying that Phil has such an effect on him?</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Definitely.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span> Scott didn't know what to say. He had just met Gunnar, so he wouldn't know... Did Phil have such an influence on him, since he had come to Biberton? Maybe there was more to Phil than even he had laid eyes on. </span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I said he was helpful. That doesn't cut it... I couldn't possibly imagine that someone would go arm-wrestling with Death and win that fight to save your life. Or dive into the deepest circles of Hell and bring you back to safety...</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Right.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “</span><span style="text-align: center;">Phil has pulled it off for Gunnar, just as he was there for me.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I get it, but... Wouldn't that make him more like an angel?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Bj</span><span>ørn almost spit his drink, laughing.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “No, no, no... Phil is definitely no angel.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Fallen angel, if you insist...</span><span>” Scott shrugged.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Then you agree. Lucifer was a fallen angel. Or was it Satan? Or both? I'm not much into that biblical stuff. Just saying... You should be careful.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “What could Phil possibly do to me, really?</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span> Scott was rubbing his round, smooth belly, wiping off melted ice-cream and some of the barbecue sauce he had spilled all over his chest with his juicy steak. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Bj</span><span style="text-align: center;">ørn flashed him a very broad grin.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “He could so easily turn you into a Behemoth, for starters.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I guess...</span><span>” Scott smiled contentedly. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“This has nothing to do with him. I am a greedy boy... You said so yourself. It's not like I can hide it now. Phil is always there to keep me comfortable and well-fed, that's all.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “And I bet he's doing his best so you can enjoy yourself to the fullest.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span> There was a soft round of applause. The musicians were leaving.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Bj</span><span style="text-align: center;">ørn didn't insist, but the smile on his face was enough for Scott to understand that this giant lumberjack didn't mind him eating and eating and eating like a prized hog...</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “For a city boy, you look like you've found yourself a new home.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Biberton has been pretty good to me, so far.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Then maybe you could do something for your blonde friend.</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “What's that?</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"></span></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"></span></div></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Some people will tell you that he doesn't belong here, because he's a little too much </span><span style="text-align: center;">“</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><i>Southern Comfort</i></span><span style="text-align: left;">” </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">for their own delicate palate... That's bull. Phil shouldn't go away. He can't go away, he's needed here.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “In your basement?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “In our town. <i>Biberton</i>... <i>Big</i>. <i>Bear</i>. <i>Town</i>. It's right there in the name!</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I thought it stood for Beaver, not Bear.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “If you ask my wife, maybe it does... Seriously, take a look at the guys around us tonight and tell me that you believe they could possibly use too much teeth on hard wood.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span> Gunnar was there to help Phil as he was staggering back to Scott, in their booth. They both looked spent, worn out but relaxed </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="text-align: center;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> still arm in arm, after their pause on the dance floor. Phil placed both hands on top of his fat friend's belly, with a goofy smile.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Bj</span><span style="text-align: center;">ørn and his nephew</span> left them alone to enjoy each other's company.</span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “No food left, Scott? You must feel... so... full...</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “No kidding.. I'm stuffed! I couldn't possibly eat another strawberry.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></div></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Did you enjoy those?</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Oh! Yeah...</span><span>” Scott nodded. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“But I was thinking... Of all the places we could go to, on our way back to Biberton, you had to take a stop at this club. The <i>B4 </i>Club... A gay bar right up your bowling alley? Seriously, did you bring me down here to show me what a sexy bear you can be, or...</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span> Just as if he wanted to prove him right, Phil slowly poured one last full pitcher of ice water all over his head, shoulders and chest </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span style="text-align: left;">still towering over Scott, sitting in his friend's lap with his tight jeans shorts stretched out and pressing against his swollen underbelly. He straightened up and shook himself off swiftly, spraying shiny water drops all over his face and body... In the dark blue light, Phil's green eyes were sparkling bright like distant fireworks.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “</span></span></span></span></span><span style="text-align: center;">Oh! </span><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">I don't know...</span><span>” He rubbed and scratched his chest hair with both hands, so enticingly Scott felt ready to come in his pants. </span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“Would it be so bad if I did?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>March 29th, 1990</i> – Thursday</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Phil needed some sort of energy drink to stay awake behind the wheel. Black coffee would have to do... They were in a hurry, as they left the <i>B4 </i>Club with one last, long hug from <span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">Bj</span><span style="text-align: center;">ørn and Gunnar around 3AM.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Rick was waiting for them, so patiently as he could.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> He needed their help to get out of his room, and the hospital, as they opened the door before him. The poor guy had to weigh almost 500lbs... His belly was so round that his extra large hospital nighties couldn't quite cover him entirely, stretched to their limit as they were. With each slow and ponderous step, Rick looked like he was about to give up and go back to bed <span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– but he was determined to leave town</span><span style="text-align: left;">.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “There you go, Rick... Baby steps.</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span> When Rick was safely sitting inside the trailer, Phil closed the truck's back doors and jogged around to the driver's seat. Scott was staying with the fatter man as he was about to say goodbye.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Talk about a Behemoth!</span><span>” Scott mumbled to himself, considering Rick's enormous belly, next to him.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span> They felt the truck moving around and turning at street corners.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span> Phil was careful to drive below the speed limit. The last thing they wanted now was to get pulled to the side of the road by a cop.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span> Alone with Scott in the trailer, Rick looked grumpy. They were on their way to save him from some mysterious but lethal threat to his life, and he still didn't behave like he was grateful to either of them.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Scott...</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Yeah?</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I have to tell you something. Before I leave town.</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– </span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“Okay</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “You should be more careful... More careful than I was, at least.</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Okay...</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Don't trust the guys who keep setting the rules at school. They didn't get to kick you out, and they're furious about it. Serves them right. But it's not like them to give up so easily. They will try to get rid of you, one way or another...</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I'll keep that in mind.</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “There's something else...</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Yes?</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Well... Someone else.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Who?</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span> Rick lowered his voice.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Your dumb blonde friend, our driver right now...</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Phil?</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Yes... You can't trust him.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Come on. I can't trust anyone in this godforsaken town?</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Okay, no... I didn't mean it that way. It's not the same.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span> Scott really didn't need to be reminded how Phil was the only guy who showed up to save him, when he was poisoned. That was their first night together </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– and Rick didn't have to know about any of it.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “What's wrong about him?</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “You must have heard rumors, and I bet that someone in Augustine Bells was eager to warn you against getting too close with our students' blonde bear mascot.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Why's that?</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Because...</span><span>” Rick shrugged. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“He really is their secret mascot.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “What, like a secret heartthrob?</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Something like that, but that would imply that they have a heart. On the other hand, it's no secret in this town that our young medical doctor has a soft spot for </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span>boys... Fat boys. The fatter, the better...</span></span></span></span></span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span> Rick winked at Scott, who didn't like his tone any more than the wicked glitter in his gaze as he went on to suggest something which he openly disapproved </span></span></span></span></span><span style="text-align: center;">– but which fascinated him at the same time</span><span style="text-align: left;">.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"> Scott had met people like Rick before in his </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“career</span><span style="text-align: left;">” as a journalist, in the course of interviews. He was the kind of guy whose ultimate dream in life was to be appointed as member of the jury for a long murder trial involving sexual assault, abuse and rape on an underage girl...</span></div><div><br /></div><div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “It didn't strike me that Phil would get anywhere close to them.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Take a look sometimes. A lot can happen in an examination room.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> That brought a discrete smile to Scott's face. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“Oh! sure... Been there, done that. Done him, too.</span><span style="text-align: left;">” He thought.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Everyone I've met looks down on him, at school. Even the students at the hospital seem to resent him. I would understand if they flirted with him as a means for them to gain access to drugs... Right?</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> Rick scratched his pudgy, thick and unshaven double chin.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div>– “Nah... Phil doesn’t do
drugs, and he doesn’t sell drugs. I would have caught him... But, of course, he understands these fucking kids better
than we do.”</div><div>– “Why's that?”</div><div>– “I think he was
a nasty piece of work when he was their age.”</div><div>– “Huh...” Scott wasn't convinced. “I thought he was dirt poor. All those students are filthy rich!”</div><div>– “Oh yes. He was
nothing like them, for that matter. That makes it a lot worse... I've never
been able to make Phil talk about his teenage years, but I can’t be wrong about
this. He was a seriously messed up, resilient and violent kid.”</div><div>– “You would never
guess when you see him now.”</div><div>– “Nuh huh. You can totally get
that vibe if you know how to look at him, more closely. Most people act nicely and politely
because they were taught to act that way... As they grow up in a healthy, wealthy and comfortable environment, they find out that the can get away with some level of misdemeanor, like stealing little things of no particular value but so shiny... Lying to your parents about what you've done... Bullying someone younger because he's weak and you can outrun his bigger brother... In any case, you learn how to misbehave and get away with it. You get creative with your excuses, and see how far you can go. You've seen our students, at Augustine Bells. They can never be so bloated as they are entitled... That's how our modern society works, and doesn't work. Anyone who feels that he can make the rules bend to his wishes grows a taste for disorder. Since everything they do is accepted in the end, they have to keep pushing those boundaries. “Order eventually falls in love with Chaos”, old Porkenham told me once. Of course, those who burn their wings as they soared too high fall down and get sent to us...”</div><div>– “And in Phil’s
case?”</div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “It's the complete opposite. He follows the rules because he needs to know that there are rules in this world. Discipline is not an attitude for a soldier like him. I've seen a few veterans like him, only one step away from nervous breakdown, who would collapse if their set of rules was shaken or even questioned. The guy's a mess. He has to take everything one step at a time. That's why he keeps looking so fucking dumb. Sure, he's doing his best to hide it but it's not like he can fool anyone...</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><br /></div><div> As much as Scott hated to admit it, Rick had a point.</div><div><br /></div><div>– “Phil is like... I'd say, a
drug addict in rehab. He knows how fierce and brutal he can get, but he doesn’t want to be rough or even rude to anyone. As former delinquents get to pull it off sometimes, he can be quite the gentleman. What needs to be hidden, he keeps it in the dark... He knows how to respond like the perfect soldier, because he can read you at first sight while you have no clue about that green-eyed blonde beast... That's the urban jungle cat in him. Modesty and Southern good manners couldn’t
explain his behavior.”</div><div>– “What did you make of it, then?”</div><div>– “I've figured it out recently. Phil can’t afford
to be antagonistic to anyone. He's been living check to check his whole life. Scanty paychecks too... I bet he barely scrapes by. Many people depend on him in this town, not just at school or the hospital. Important people too, but what matters is that he is working for them. Down and below them. He can do pretty much everything, but he never gets to decide on anything. That's how it works around here... Simple, stupid, silent. More secure and more reassuring for everyone.”</div><div>– “I see.”</div><div>– “If you start shaking things up around Phil, if you unleash the beast that is growling inside him, I’m not sure that he would be
able to stop it before this whole town is on fire! Make no mistakes, because there's no such thing as a quiet place when it's built on top of a volcano and things could get violent, like... physical. Real violence, no holds barred. Nothing like the pranks and shenanigans those rich
brats in Augustine Bells keep boasting about.”</div><div>– “You mean...
bloodshed?”</div><div>– “I mean
bloodbath...”</div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div> Back at the <i>Fat Trout</i> trailer park and camping before dawn, Scott and Phil took things easy... They had to catch up on some sleep before they could even put their thoughts in order. It was late in the afternoon when they woke up.</div><div> Phil got up first and came out of the trailer of their truck, yawning and scratching his tummy like a big, hungry bear coming out of hibernation.</div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “You must be hungry...</span><span style="text-align: left;">” He turned to Scott, who was still sprawled out on the blankets and large, fluffy throw pillows on the floor of the trailer.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Yeah... How's the weather outside?</span><span>”</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “It's okay. Not too cold, but windy. It may be raining tonight...</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I'm not going anywhere if it's going to rain.</span><span>”</span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “More hot dogs?</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “And pop corn!</span><span style="text-align: left;">” Scott was quick to answer.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"> He also reminded Phil that he would eat no such food. Scott wasn't too concerned that his friend had to go on a slimming diet, but he wanted all that comfort food for himself.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"> As usual, Phil had made sure that they would be fully packed, with enough food supplies for a large families. Scott allowed him to eat all the orange juice he wanted, and most of the milk. He could have some lean chicken, fresh salad, carrots and apples,</span><span style="text-align: left;"> but candied apples were meant for him. Naturally, sweets were out of question.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Face it, big guy. You need to cut down on all those carbs in your diet, really cut down your food intake like you've never cut down before! And no more beer or alcohol.</span></span></span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Wow...</span><span style="text-align: left;">” Phil's voice dropped. </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“Cold turkey, then.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Certainly no Thanksgiving turkey for you... Your body is clearly too susceptible to sweets and carbs. And you already can't hold your liquor, so it's only going to get worse!</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> Scott spent the whole evening teasing his friend, while he kept going from one hot dog to the next, with fried chicken, yams and pop corn, followed by Phil's homemade chocolate chess pie and banana pudding with wafers, washed down with jugs of beer straight from the keg...</span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> Early in the morning, Phil went down to swim in the lake again then he started making waffles and cotton candy for Scott. The weather was still cloudy and threatening to rain on their day out, as he was manning the barbecue for lunch.</span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> Sitting on a towel and backed up with pillows and the icebox, Scott devoured more burgers than he could count with tick, rich beef patties and plenty of sauce, sausages, ham and taters.</span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “BUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRP...</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></div><div><br /></div><div> Phil chuckled, still watching over the barbecue with his tongs.</div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Easy there, big boy. If you keep this up, you'll really pack on pounds faster than I can ever manage to lose the half of it...</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><br /></div><div> Scott ignored him, grabbing another burger with both hands.</div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “It's not my fault if everyone thinks you're too fat for your new job.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I know...</span><span>”</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “You must have gone on a diet before.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Not that I really had to put my mind to it...</span><span>”</span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Of course. That would require thinking about it.</span><span>”</span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “When I was in the Army, I was reasonably lean. Going home, I had a hard time landing on my feet so I didn't really have that much money to buy food... I lost a few pounds, and that really didn't feel good.</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “You've had it a lot better here, in Biberton.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I should think so...</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div> Phil was a hard-working young man, but with such a laid-back attitude that he didn't even notice as he naturally slimmed down before Summer, or as he put on a little weight in the Fall or during the Holidays season.</div><div> When he suggested that they could go hiking in the afternoon, while it was still sunny, Scott frowned and shook his head in disapproval. He didn't want to move from their spot, where they had such a great view over the lake <span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– and he could get his hands on more grilled sausages for hot dogs with Phil's special hot sauce.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Have you ever been hiking?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I have.</span><span>”</span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I doubt you can read mountain weather properly.</span><span>” Scott grumbled.</span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “We don't have to go too far into the woods.</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Yeah... I imagine we'd get lost. What then?</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span> Phil let out a sigh, but he was smiling.</span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “What's that?</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “You can be so funny sometimes, Scott...</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Funny...</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span> Scott had never felt so lazy in his life, but there was nothing funny about it. Phil offered him another plate of burgers, but they were clearly running out of food. He paused and whispered lovingly to his friend.</span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “The woods are ruthless, dreadful, deaf and dull...</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Huh? Is that... Shakespeare too?</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “You bet it is...</span><span>” Phil turned to Scott with an impish smile. </span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“We should pull ourselves together and move on.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div></span></span></span></span></span></div></span></span></span></span></span></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “One last hot dog?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “We're out of buns for today.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"> Phil helped him get up, holding him in his arms.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Oh yeah?</span><span style="text-align: left;">” Scott slapped his friend's tight ass. </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“How about yours?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “You must be </span><span style="text-align: center;">really</span><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">hungry...</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Hungry for bear meat.</span><span>” He growled, teasing Phil more than ever.</span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Careful far you're hungry for. You know what they say... Don't sell a bear's skin before you've killed the beast.</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span> Then he hugged Scott so tight and kissed him so passionately that the fat boy felt his eyes rolling back in his head all over again.</span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “You're killing me, you beast.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Okay, let's get this ball rolling</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">...</span><span style="text-align: left;">” Phil smiled and kissed him again as he grabbed the fat boy's waist with both hands, causing his budding love handles to jiggle.</span></div><div><div><br /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Phil could spend hours outside and not say a word as he was busy cooking more waffles for Scott's breakfast, swimming and skinny dipping in the lake, prowling like a beast in the morning mist, watching the sun rise over the mountains and tidying up what little space they had in the trailer for their sleeping pad.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Sleeping on the floor like this wasn't the best. Besides, it was only reasonable to assume that the truck's suspension would give anytime soon or the whole trailer would fall apart if they spent another night like this. At least it didn't reek of crude oil, gas cans and spare tires like the back of most trucks. Scott could take in the smells of pop corn, caramel, hot cocoa and marshmallows, which made his mouth water already...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> When he came out of the truck, he found Phil standing on the pier by the lake, next to few boats, with a hand over his eyes like a visor.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “There's a small island in the middle of this lake.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Oh yeah? I didn't notice...</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “And there's a house, or a shelter. We should go over and take a look.</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Why?</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “It's definitely going to rain tonight. Nothing like a gentle drizzle... I mean, you can already feel it in the air. There's a storm gathering up, and you don't want to spend the night in the back of a metal truck...</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “What makes you think we'll be safe in that lonely hut, on an island?</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Let's find out.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span> With an oar in each hand, Phil sat down in the next boat. It was only tied to the pier. Scott hesitantly joined him and settled so comfortably as he could in front of him.</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span> Phil was a strong and excellent rower, at the stern. No surprise there... H</span></span></span></span></span><span style="text-align: left;">e must have spent hours and hours on that kind of machine, at the gym. Scott considered how still and dark the water was, around their little boat. That lake was deeper than he thought, in some places.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> The islet in question was shaped like a short pyramid with a small wood house on top, surrounded with a few big rocks, grassy slopes and thin, tall trees swinging their branches in the wind.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Scott slouched and dragged his feet, hands in his pockets, as he was followed his friend to the hut. Phil turned the handle and pulled the door open immediately.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “You really have no problem, breaking and entering like this?</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Who's breaking anything here? The door was closed, but there is no lock. We can come in.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Oh, well... It's a shanty. It's a shack...</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “So it is.</span><span style="text-align: left;">” Phil took a look inside. </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“Come in and shack up with me?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> This bad boy could be too irresistible for words, sometimes <span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– especially when he switched to full-on </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“bad boy</span><span style="text-align: left;">” mode</span>. Scott didn't comment on it, but he was actually impressed... He didn't expect Phil to be so devil-may-care or adventurous, when they only needed a safe place to spend the night. They could always find a motel somewhere.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Scott couldn't deny that exploring this shelter together was a lot more daring than checking in to end up in a cheap hotel room... It made him consider just how much of a romantic his friend could be.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> The place had to be a hunting hut. The entire building was pretty much one vast living room with sturdy furniture and a large stone fireplace. As he was going around it, looking for smaller adjacent rooms, Scott found the kitchen corner. There were empty shelves and a sink, but no faucet and no plumbing anywhere <span style="text-align: center;">– n</span>o electricity either.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Phil looked satisfied with what they had.</div></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “We should be fine. There's a good mattress on that bed. There's dry wood next to the fireplace. The chimney flue looks okay to me...</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Come on, the place is cold and damp. This mattress is almost wet.</span><span>”</span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “We have time to make it dry and toasty.</span><span>”</span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Toasty... Now that you mention it, how about dinner?</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I'll bring in all the food we have in the truck, and our blankets, and our pillows. Once there is a good fire burning in this room, it will feel just like a bear's den.</span><span>”</span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span> For a guy like Phil, these had to be magic words. Scott wasn't quite convinced yet, but he had no better solution to offer.</span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “You'd better hurry up. It looks like you were right about that storm.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"> Phil had to go back and forth six or seven times between the hut and their truck but he managed to carry everything they needed, park their vehicle somewhere safe and pull the boat up the dirt track before the wind started blowing more ominously...</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “Can you start a fire in this place without burning down the house?</span>”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “These logs are all dry and splintered. They will catch on fire easily.</span>”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"> A few minutes later, a crackling fire was burning in the grate.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"> Phil had to move most of the furniture around the room. He brought the bed in front of the fireplace and spent some time warming up the mattress, almost ironing with his frying pan full of cooking oil after he had made grits for Scott. When he found it warm and dry, he spread a comforter, drapes and bed covers so it was almost fluffy and more than inviting by that light.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"> With all the plates and glasses on display on a low table by the bed for dinner, the only thing that Scott could possibly find missing would be a champagne ice bucket with two glasses. They had a full keg of beer left. That would work just the same.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"> Phil was done with his friend's desserts. Cooking by the fire made him sweat more than usual, especially after he had carried armchairs, tables and a whole bed with a heavy wood frame and post.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “Dinner's ready. Right on time, too. It's going to be a rough night...</span>”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"> Scott caught him by surprise, hugging him from behind with some kind of cloak in his hands.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “Look what I've found!</span>”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “What is it?</span>”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “It's a bear skin. This place really is a hunter hut...</span>”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"> Phil took it in his hands and caressed the furry pelt slowly. This was the genuine hide of an adult brown bear. It made him look sad, somehow. Phil was no hunter, and it felt like he was sorry for the animal who had been shot to provide such a large piece of interior decoration.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"> The storm was getting closer by the minute, and lightning caused the windows to suddenly flash with bursts of white light.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “Are you hungry for dinner?</span>”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “More like... dinner and a show.</span>”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “What do you mean?</span>”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"> Scott grabbed the collar of his friend's jeans vest and looked deep into his green eyes,</span><span style="text-align: center;"> then the bear skin, then back to him.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Put it on.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “It's not a coat, Scott... It's a rug.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Then put it on, you rugged beast of a man!</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></div><div><br /></div></div></div><div> Phil didn't know what to say.</div><div><br /></div><div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “Come on, you big lug. Take off your vest, your shirts and pants. Get naked for me and put on this bear skin... Okay?</span>”</span></div><div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “Okay...</span>”</span></div><div><br /></div></div></div><div> Still somewhat unsure, Phil slowly took off his shoes, then his vest and his plaid shirt, pulled off his T-shirt, his socks and his worn-out jeans, leaving them scattered on the floor. Once he was standing in his tight boxers, he looked at Scott a bit more defiantly.</div><div><br /></div><div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “What do you want me to do?</span>”</span></div><div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “Take this.</span>” Scott threw the bear skin to his face. </span><span style="text-align: center;">“Put it on and dance for me. Like a bear...</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “You've already seen me dance like this. You know how silly I look.</span>”</span></div><div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “No, no... This is different. You're not dancing to entertain anyone at a local gay bar. You're doing this alone, and on your own. Just for me.</span>”</span></div><div><br /></div></div></div><div> Scott could tell, from the wild glitter that sparked in his friend's eyes, that he was already on board with this. As he was facing the grate, it could always pass as a reflection of the fire, but he knew better. Phil's hairy chest couldn't look more tanned or more sensually blonde, under that glowing and shifting light.</div><div><br /></div></div></div><div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “No rhythm? No beat?</span>”</span></div><div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “Beat this...</span>” Scott laughed, as the thunder was rolling across the sky.</span></div><div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “Well, okay.</span>”</span></div><div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “It could be worse... You won't get shoved or pushed or roughed up by anyone, or bounce against a tall, fat man's sweaty belly as you go.</span>”</span></div><div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “How about you?</span>” Phil answered with a mischievous smile.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span style="text-align: center;">– “Oh? Yeah... If you dance well for me, and behave, you can bump into this when you're done.</span>” Scott grinned as he rubbed his round, soft belly.</span></div><div><br style="text-align: justify;" /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Phil didn't hesitate <span style="text-align: center;">– as if there was any doubt about him not responding to his friend's demands. Naked and with both fists clenched to wear that large bear skin like a mantle, he started slowly stomping the wood floor with his feet, finding a beat that felt like a match with the storm and the long rolls of thunder roaring outside.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> He spent some time focusing on his legs and lower body, for starters. When the rumors of that growing thunderstorm became more precise, closer and more threatening around their little hut, Phil was already following nicely with his hips and his chest, then he started waving his arms up in the air </span><span style="text-align: center;">– and he suddenly broke into quite an accurate bear dance, something so spontaneous and primitive as a rain dance.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> There was nothing silly or ridiculous about it. Scott was fascinated.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> The lower frequencies of such a storm worked better for a guy like him, who suffered from minor hear loss </span><span style="text-align: center;">– he was moving along with every roll of thunder, and he followed the more subtle outbursts of the rain on the windows like some sort of cosmic movement...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> As he started dancing with faster, more sudden and affirmative moves, Scott couldn't help thinking that Phil kept playing with that bear skin just as he had seen guys do with the rainbow flag on top of parade buses during Pride. There was a major difference. They were prancing, showing off their guns and torsos, wearing leather gear and having fun together. Phil was alone, facing the fire in a dark and stormy night. It looked like he was celebrating the sheer, indomitable and overwhelmingly masculine forces of nature that were almost at his fingertips as he kept going...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> He wasn't alone. Fire, lightning and thunder were dancing with him.</span></div></span><div> The wind was howling in the chimney, and the casement windows were rattling with every sudden clash of thunder. When it felt like the storm couldn't get worse, it kept growing louder and the walls shivered more than ever... It didn't take long for Scott to feel quite scared and cower, huddling up in the covers. Phil wasn't just ignoring this, he embraced it completely. Jumping up and down, moving his whole body with wild and almost ecstatic energy, he looked like he could almost growl.</div></div><div> Scott couldn't tell how it happened. It looked as if Phil was no longer following the long, fierce rhythms of the storm, but he was commanding the elements as he stretched out his arms, moved his hands all over his chest and almost drew electricity from his bear skin. Was he taunting the wind and the rain, or were they acting as his devoted servants, bursting with joy as he set them free to roam over the Earth, just as his dance had to be driving them wild and eager to set the whole night sky on fire?</div></div></div></div></div></div><div> Phil was surprisingly limber and light on his feet, moving his bulk in such a quick and graceful way... He was dripping with sweat, his blonde hair sprinkling when he shook his head. The storm was so close, so loud and so constant that he could afford to pause and wave his hands slowly, carefully <span style="text-align: center;">–</span> as if he was holding Nature itself at arms length. He could so easily take off all the veils that were covering her, reveal the Darkness that was his true realm and dominion...</div><div> It was the strangest and the most arousing thing Scott had ever seen. Both men were fully erect, and throbbing, but he was also terrified in a totally unexpected way. Phil was still dancing, huffing and puffing like a beast... With his mouth half-open, he finally looked straight at Scott and almost groaned as he licked his perky red lips.</div><div> Something snapped inside Scott's head. Laying over the bed with a fire purring behind him, he felt like the last little pig in the tale standing before the big bad wolf <span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– although he was probably meatier and more appetizing than the celebrated three little piglets, and Phil wasn't a </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“big bad wolf</span><span style="text-align: left;">” but a mighty beefy bear who appeared to bestride an electric thunderstorm like most surfers only dream to ride a wave...</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"> Phil saw it and understood at once, somehow. The bear skin fell to the floor and he joined his friend in bed, holding him in a gentle bear hug.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “What's wrong? Are you feeling a draft?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “No, no... I'm good. I was just...</span><span>”</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “What?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “It's silly, really...</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Told you. I can't sing and I can't dance.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “No, that's not it... Honestly, you can sing pretty well, and you dance like the trees in the forest should follow your moves. No, that was... Huh, that was really something.</span><span>”</span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “What's wrong, then?</span><span>”</span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “It's just that... You looked so fierce and fiery, just now... I thought you were about to devour me like the big bad wolf feasts on the innocent little piglet.</span><span>”</span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span> Scott had no sooner told his friend that they both burst into laughs.</span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “You know what makes me feel silly about this, Scott? You haven't even touched your dinner. There's plenty for you to eat and drink.</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “At least it didn't grow cold, next to the fire.</span><span>”</span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Go for it, then. Innocent little piglet?</span><span>”</span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I know...</span><span>” Scott laughed in return. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“As if there was anything innocent about this. Or me. Or you...</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"> Phil went to his duffel bag to grab a towel and wipe off the sweat. Scott was already stuffing his mouth full of scrambled eggs with bacon, grits and more. Guzzling beer from his jug, he welcomed Phil back to bed with a loud and proud belch.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “It looks like watching this little dance has really whet your appetite.</span><span>”</span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “You bet...</span><span>” Scott mumbled with his mouth full. </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“And this is my dinner. My food! You can have one of the apples from your basket.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"> With a sigh, Phil reached for a fresh and juicy apple... Then, as he was about to grab a bite, he moved closer to Scott and playfully pressed it against his lips until the fat boy kept it placed in his mouth for a second.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Do I really look like a pig to you?</span></span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Not quite, but you can eat so much like a pig, sometimes...</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Yeah? So I can eat more than this tonight.</span><span style="text-align: left;">” Scott shrugged.</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> “And y</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">ou won't get any of this... You're on a diet.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"> Phil moved on to sit next to him, wrapped his brawny arms around his shoulders and slowly cupped his face to kiss his greedy friend on the lips. Scott felt all tingly again, but he couldn't be more turned on when Phil whispered into his ear like the perfect bad boy he was at heart.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Who said I'm not going to devour you?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> It was still raining outside... Phil kept the fire going in the hunting hut, and Scott kept him going for round after round of the wildest and most athletic sex these woods had ever hosted. Phil was so much more than the classic hunky blonde surfer dude type of guy <span style="text-align: center;">– young, dumb and full of cum, for sure. Overflowing more than full.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> Scott had definitely given up on keeping count... Phil always kept him panting, on the edge of ecstasy, and made him come so hard that they both passed out and collapsed on top of each other in bed.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> There was no need to challenge him, as Scott was used to tease and taunt his partners to keep raising the bar. Unprecedented as it was for him, he was pretty sure that he wouldn't win at such a game against Phil... This sexy teddy bear put his partner's pleasure </span><span style="text-align: center;">and</span><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span style="text-align: center;">comfort</span><span style="text-align: center;"> above his own </span><span style="text-align: center;">– </span><span style="text-align: center;">rough and cuddly to better rumble and tumble... One could say that his top priority was his bottom's </span><span style="text-align: center;">satisfaction and </span><span style="text-align: center;">happiness</span><span style="text-align: center;">.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> After years of priding himself as a most accomplished power bottom, Scott found himself so completely lazy, pampered and spoiled so much he could hardly keep up... He didn't want it to stop anytime soon. He already wanted more, and he was so impatient for it knowing that he would get exactly what he wanted </span><span style="text-align: center;">– more and more</span><span style="text-align: center;">...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> As a result, they spent the day in bed, nestled in each other's arms.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Are you feeling okay?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I'm good and I'm stuffed... Did you bring more doughnuts?</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span> Phil was quick to respond, and naughty, as he kissed and licked Scott's lips when there was a bit of frosting left for him to taste.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Hey! Watch it, you greedy bear. You're on a diet.</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I know... I'm so hungry...</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “A diet is a diet.</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I can't live on carrots and apples only. I'm not a horse.</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Well... Okay.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Scott didn't comment on it. When Phil pounded ass in the dark, or as he was standing naked in front of him now, he felt and looked hung very much like a stallion. Feeling and looking hungry was different, and it was his problem.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “You're not going to lose thirty pounds if you eat leftover doughnuts.</span>”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “Have you ever left a doughnut in your plate?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “Not the ones you bake, for sure</span><span style="text-align: center;">. They're so... tasty.</span><span style="text-align: left;">” Scott teased.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “I can live without pastries, or sweets</span><span style="text-align: center;">. That won't make me lose much weight. I have to hit the gym, hard, and I don't know how I can find the spare time to do it...</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> He drank his glass of milk and sighed listlessly.</span></div></span></div></span></span></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Tell me something I don't know.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Phil looked at Scott then at the blue, cloudy sky by the window.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> “Sometime we see a cloud that's dragonish,</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span>a vapour sometime like a bear or lion,</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> a towered citadel, a pendent rock,</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> a forkèd mountain, or blue promontory</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> with trees upon't that nod unto the world</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> and mock our eyes with air...</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span> Then he sat by the bed, leaned over again and took his sweet time to kiss his friend playfully and passionately with his lips and tongue.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “That was awesome...</span></span></span><span style="text-align: left;">” Scott whispered.</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="text-align: center;">“</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">What was it?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Shakespeare. <i>Antony and Cleopatra</i>, somewhere in act four, I think.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “And you can play it by heart, like this?</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I just know it by heart. I couldn't act on a stage...</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Okay... Tell me more.</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “More Shakespeare?</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Sure. Why not?</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “You really are insatiable...</span><span>” Phil smiled and kissed him again.</span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span> As he kept holding him nestled against his chest, the blonde bear whispered in the most mesmerizing soft tone </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="text-align: center;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span> punctuating his speech with kisses,</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="text-align: left;"> which kept Scott captivated and helpless like a prey put in some hypnotic trance:</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> “My story being done,</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span>she gave me for my pains a world of sighs.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> She swore in faith 'twas strange, 'twas passing strange,</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> 'twas pitiful, 'twas wondrous pitiful.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> She wished she had not heard it, yet she wished</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> that Heaven had made her such a man. She thanked me</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> and bade me, if I had a friend that loved her,</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> I should but teach him how to tell my story,</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> and that would woo her...</span></span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Woo...</span><span>” Scott repeated, moaning and shivering.</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span> He suddenly turned to face Phil and kissed him with all the passion, excitement and lust he felt surging and soaring again in his previously numb and limp body.</span></span></span></span></span></div></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Was that also Antony?</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “No...</span><span>” Phil kissed him back deeply, as he fondled his chest and belly more passionately.</span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> “That's Othello.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> He could go on, quoting more Shakespearean stuff from <i>A Midsummer Night's Dream</i> or some other play as he kept whispering to him so softly.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “God, Phil...</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="text-align: left;">” Scott was already totally aroused and quivering under his touch.</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="text-align: center;">“</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">No one talks dirty like you do...</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span></div></span></span></span></span></span></div></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i>March 31st, 1990</i> – Saturday</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> They had to leave the hut, drive the ice-cream truck out of the trailer park and go back to Biberton.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> It was still pouring. Phil had taken the opportunity to <span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“shower</span><span style="text-align: left;">” a few times, as he went out on the lawn with a small bar of soap. The rain was so thick that he couldn't see the pier or the banks of the lake. Coming back to dry himself with a towel, the wild blonde bear was shaking and shivering from the cold.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Scott watched him tidy up the place and pack all their things in his bags and duffel bag. He didn't want to go back. He didn't even want to get out of bed. The only reason why he agreed to move was that he had eaten all the food left in the hut...</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I don't want to get dressed.</span><span style="text-align: left;">” </span><span style="text-align: center;">Scott</span><span style="text-align: left;"> sighed. </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“And I don't want you to get dressed either... You should stay like this.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Seriously? I don't like wearing clothes any more than the next guy, but I would get beaten to a pulp if I walked down the streets naked...</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I don't care about the next guy. And you're a beast.</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Phil didn't want to insist, as he was putting on his tight, white T-shirt.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> He didn't want to coerce Scott into getting dressed or anything. When he was almost done, still barefoot but ready to leave, he took his friend's hands in his big paws with an indulgent smile.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> “I think he be transformed into a beast,</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> For I can nowhere find him like a man...</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– “Don't tell me. That's Shakespeare again.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “It is... <i>As you like it</i>.</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Yeah, I kinda liked that. Okay, new rule! When you quote a line from Shakespeare like this, we go for another round.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Deal.</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span> </span></span><span style="text-align: left;">Scott needed some help getting out of bed. Phil held him up in his arms, like the caring big brother and cuddly teddy bear he was with everyone. Scott had seen him embrace Gunnar like this, at the club. This was different, of course. Phil couldn't help getting closer and wrap his friend in some sort of invisible, fluffy blanket with his hands.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Tell you what, Scott... I'm not so sure that I am the beast, right now. You have showed me some new side to your character, something dark and passionate about you I had not seen before...</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Really? How?</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> After the days and nights they had spent together in that hunter hut, Scott was under the impression that he had found new depths in his friend's character </span><span style="text-align: center;">–</span><span style="text-align: left;"> not the other way around...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “You've been so... insatiable.</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Oh? That...</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I'm sorry that I didn't bring enough food. Or pillows and covers.</span><span>” Phil apologized. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“But I wonder if you know how much food you can put away, or how much your belly can hold...</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I get it. I'm a pig.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “No, Scott...</span><span>” Phil teased him with a kiss. </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“You've told me so yourself. You're no innocent little piglet. You're like... a wild boar.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Hey! Watch it.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I will feed you as much as you want.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span> Scott felt his mind drift and fade to white, just as his legs turned to jelly once again, considering what this devilish bad boy was offering him.</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Is that a promise?</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I'll do my best, and that's a promise.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I'm going to get so fat!</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “You're going to grow fatter... and fatter... </span></span></span></span><span style="text-align: center;">and fatter...</span><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span>” Phil nuzzled him with a warm, heartful smile. </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“And I will be there to make sure that you are fat and happy.</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “I want you to feed me like this.</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Okay.</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “More!</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Okay...</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Does that make me a beast?</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">– “Maybe... Let's find out.</span></span></span></span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> Phil made his friend lose it completely with another passionate kiss.</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> “</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">In any case, you know how much I am into the belly of the beast...</span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> He had a point. Maybe Scott was the one who shouldn't be trusted.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: right;">(<i>To be continued</i>...)</div></span></span></div></span></span></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5094005257601699515.post-35662040111411005342022-11-04T09:25:00.009-07:002022-12-18T03:33:56.725-08:00The Augustine Murders - Season 3, Episode 4<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0pLzVziuwLMKhEVbiLzRUHuK-OlNExZgyPFMhCTHglzImTT4uOzEIByhLd1tPfRme8gOgtrPzGs9-QSe28Tm-3iVZ27u_tm1-Z_hf3FbfTfpvj6puOvDGd9zoiQWFDEEw6sJt0vbj3Z7B4YfQS-f0C0NGmZ2dJxo4Q5jnDNKEiKKEDj2iVJ6WAfv_2g/s1601/The%20Augustine%20Murders%20-%20Title%203.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="712" data-original-width="1601" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0pLzVziuwLMKhEVbiLzRUHuK-OlNExZgyPFMhCTHglzImTT4uOzEIByhLd1tPfRme8gOgtrPzGs9-QSe28Tm-3iVZ27u_tm1-Z_hf3FbfTfpvj6puOvDGd9zoiQWFDEEw6sJt0vbj3Z7B4YfQS-f0C0NGmZ2dJxo4Q5jnDNKEiKKEDj2iVJ6WAfv_2g/w400-h178/The%20Augustine%20Murders%20-%20Title%203.JPG" width="400" /></a></div></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b style="font-family: verdana;"> III.4</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
“...en ósviðr maðr<br /></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> kann ævagi <br /></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
síns of mál maga.” </span></span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> <br /></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
(...but the glutton never knows <br /></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> how much his belly is able to hold.)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: right;"> <i>Poetic Edda</i></div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: right;"><i>Hàvamàl</i>, 21</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>March 15th, 1990</i> – Thursday</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Scott lay still on his high, white hospital bed. He was staring at
the ceiling. It had to be the least interesting thing in the world, and
he stared at it with loathing. He knew every last minute crack on its nice,
clean surface... He had connected all the dots and fine lines he had spotted,
made maps of the resulting figures and gone exploring on those islands and
shores – discovering or conquering one vast continent, with
shadowy mountains, flowing rivers and disputable borders... It had to represent
the Kingdom of Boredom, surrounded with various realms such as Frustration,
Despondency and Contempt, with Anger and Envy treacherously lurking in the
background. At this point, Scott could feel angry for no reason. Only he knew
he had every reason to be angry.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> That empty ceiling
opened never-ending landscapes to his imagination, like mist spreading over a
snowy desert. There was practically nothing else he could do but look at that
ceiling, right now, and he hated the sight of it.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Wandering and getting lost in that white blizzard of plaster was
better, however, than getting lost in his own thoughts... Scott was supposed to
look sick and exhausted... and stuffed to the point of
bursting – when he had only eaten too much and too fast, all
night, with the help of a friend who had the means and motivation to cook
delicious food, lots of it, and keep him overeating until he almost passed
out – so he could claim that he had been supernaturally forcefed,
like Rick... Even then, his physical condition was not so severe. Any
comparison with the school's security officer would make him look
rather weak.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Scott knew that the poor
guy was no longer in ICU, but he was still under close observation with
respiratory aid during the night, at least to prevent sleep apnea.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Now, with the six
students sent by Saint Augustine Bells and put to rest together in some sort of
improvised dorm at the hospital – after it looked like they had also
been properly, forcefully stuffed, maybe poisoned too, but with no real threat
to their lives – Rick’s case was still a mystery, of course, but it
wouldn’t be considered exceptional. It was only reasonable for Scott to think
that his own case wouldn’t be considered at all.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Way to blend in with the
team...”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Scott had already proved
he could be quite the greedy “city boy”, as he visited Biberton and
enjoyed its many tasty, local products – with such a large choice of
the most refreshing beers and delicious foods in such abundance that Scott’s jeans
size had gone from a relatively loose 30 to a painfully tight 34 in only two months. Home-made cakes, pies and pastries, among other goodies, had finally
forced his leather belt down to its very last notch, and it was desperately
close to surrender...</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Or it would be if
Scott wasn’t wearing one of those awful, loose hospital robes during the day.
Since he always slept naked, even those were on the floor, next to empty
boxes of cinnamon rolls and chocolate frosted doughnuts... There
were three more boxes waiting for him, within hand's reach – of
course, Phil would never let his friend run short of pastries.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> The blonde doctor was
always so considerate, but he was just so clueless as one may be. Underneath
those boxes, he had left a copy of the morning newspaper, the <i>Biberton
Bugle</i>. Scott remembered his visit to their office, a few weeks ago, and how
disappointed he was because they didn't keep records ancient enough to provide
him with information he needed. It didn't look like he could apply for a job
either, as he was vaguely hoping. No available position corresponded to his
profile.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Scott let out a sigh. He
wasn't interested in the local news, and it put him ill at ease like a painful
reminder of his own failure as a journalist. Phil didn't know, but it was a
clumsy move on his part... Scott reached out and grabbed another big doughnut.
He had been munching on those all morning. It didn’t even feel like a
distraction for him, at this point. He kept on eating and only noticed how much
he had put away when there was nothing left in the box. Then he would move on
to the next box.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> And yet, no matter how
much he was stuffing his face, no matter how much weight he may have gained,
Scott's “supernatural experience” was only a trick, which felt worse
for being fake. Rick was still unconscious and he wouldn't comment on it. The
six sick students may have been told about him, maybe not – in any
case, it was almost certain that they didn't care. Only Scott knew that he
didn't belong in this peculiar group of dangerously overfed young men.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> One way to prevent it from
eating him inside like this was to devour everything in sight... Maybe Phil
leaving so many tasty snacks by his bed was part of some sort of therapy? </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> He certainly felt better
about himself when he was comfortably full.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> The only detail in
Scott's story that would raise suspicion was how he had been
found delirious, seemingly unconscious and almost suffocating to
death by Mr Scupper, exactly where they had found Rick earlier that
day: same place, same situation, same position, same lack of a
logical explanation. It was one of those cases where lightning could
strike twice, which caused people to ask more questions when answers were
nowhere to be found. </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> There were no clues to
help his investigation, as to the how and why and who had committed those
crimes. Not a shred of evidence – crumbs didn't count.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Scott may have stuffed
himself just a little bit less than the obese Head of Security, but he was not
poisoned – not this time... He wasn't so sure that the others had
been poisoned either. The school may issue an official statement for the
parents and the other students, that didn't make it true... Everyone's
experience was questionable, at this point – except Rick's. Scott was
there. He knew what he had seen, and he could start from that point on.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> He only had to wait so he
could interrogate him. In the meantime, he should look like the second victim
of the same aggressor. For a moment, Scott wondered if there could be enough
pastries in the whole hospital for him to look convincing. Besides, Rick could
probably not even look at another honey-glazed cinnamon roll, no matter how
delicious it would feel on his tongue, while Scott was scarfing them down by
the dozen. </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Even Phil understood that
he wasn't supposed to eat so well and look so healthy. Leave it to a Southern
dumb blonde like him to recommend moderation to his patient then provide him so
much comfort food at all times, from timbits to three-layer chocolate cake,
with such generous and wholesome meals served in his room four times a day...
Even at the Paddington Hotel, Scott had never enjoyed such a vast buffet
selection for breakfast! Only they had to keep this a secret... Phil knew
exactly where Scott's room should be located – one story above the
hospital's kitchen, in an aisle where he would be alone and quiet, with ready
use of the dumbwaiter lift.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> It allowed Scott to pass
as terribly sick, for a few days. It also allowed Phil to join him, after
hours, and spend the rest of the night healing him in the best possible ways
Scott could think of.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Phil trusted him to look
the part for the rest of the staff and eventual visitors from Augustine
Bells, but even he was genuinely worried when he found out that his friend
kept tossing and turning in his bed all day, that he hardly noticed when
someone was in the room or that he hardly said a word when a nurse helped him
to put on clothes and take a short walk outside. If he expected Scott to act
like a difficult patient, look tired and pretend that he wasn’t hungry,
everyone else agreed that the young journalist was definitely quite
sick – and grumpy!</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Unfortunately, Phil
couldn't help so much when he wasn't there. And he was busy somewhere else,
most of the time. </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Scott had spent three
nights and days at Biberton’s General Hospital, and nobody suspected a
thing – least of all, the truly shameful secret which Scott kept to
himself. His old boss Mr Horn had fired him. Just like that, over the phone. </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> That was his final
decision. He had finally hit rock bottom. Hard. Scott felt awful.
Even he was more graceful in the way he used to dump his dates or short-term
girlfriends, back in his glory days, when he was the rising star in his
Football team.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Finding himself without
a job, once again, brought back so many unpleasant memories that he didn’t need
to fake it and look sick... Why did his boss send him to this godforsaken town
in the first place, to cover such a dreadful non-event, investigate in murky
waters so deep that he would drown, assuming sharks didn't go after him as soon
as he made his presence noticeable? Was it meant to be a trap, from the very
beginning? So much for a way out.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Scott’s anger made him devour another large doughnut in three
bites. He was already feeling rather stuffed, but he couldn't care less...
These may be his last tasty doughnuts in Biberton, if he had to leave
soon.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> For all the bad blood between them, Scott couldn’t understand why his
editor wasn’t interested in what he had to report. Maybe Michael Astern’s death
didn’t sound like much of a case, as mainstream news goes, but there were a few
elements that were too disturbing to ignore. Then Mr Huggins’ murder
may not be front page news either, but still another mystery surrounding Saint
Augustine Bells. Someone should investigate. Scott felt like someone had to. He
had found enough evidence to start building up a solid case... Why wouldn’t
they let him go for it, do his job and find out the truth about that weird
school for the wicked weird?</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> More unpleasant thoughts kept crossing his mind... Scott understood
that the movers and shakers who kept the place running would want to sweep
everything under the rug. He was itching to kick and cause a scandal, make the
whole thing burst like a bubble. During visiting hours, Scott had asked for
Sheriff Maxwell to come and talk to him privately, but he wasn't available at
the moment. Scott was also hoping for Mrs Astern to help him. A woman in her
position could make his boss change his mind, then he could keep his Press
card. He kept trying to reach her over the phone, but he couldn’t even get to
her secretary. Was she too busy to take his call? Angry and frustrated, Scott
couldn’t admit that she may have lost interest in solving her own son’s murder...</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Then maybe that was his fault. His first articles had been refused
or badly edited. His reports to Mrs Astern were honest and thorough but maybe
not too convincing... There were so many obstacles in his way, it was only
natural that Scott had made little progress so far. People always expected to
get positive results by the time they had finished expressing their demands.
Scott was disappointed too... He wasn’t a professional detective, after all. He
wasn’t much of a journalist either, to be honest.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Being fired was the last straw. Was it simply bad luck, or his own
undoing? Was he really such a failure? Scott had taken his sweet time to
proceed with this case, while he enjoyed life as usual – with as much
good food and opportunistic sex as he could get, late hours in bars or
club-houses and long hours in bed when the sun was already up – just
following his own nature, really... There were still only twenty-four hours in
a day. One would have to be a magician to unlock such mysteries in less than a
week.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Scott was down to his last doughnut, in the last box. He gave it a
little push, so it slipped from the edge of his bedpost and fell on the
previous one on the floor.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> The overfed young man let out one last sigh, and suddenly realized
how thirsty he was. His tongue was all sticky with frosting. He looked at the
jug of milk on his personal “breakfast buffet” – empty... And
there was no orange juice, apple juice or pineapple juice left either.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “I've told Phil about this...
How am I supposed to finish breakfast with only half a gallon of milk and a few
pitchers of juice?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> He took a look at the
clock. The hospital should be buzzing like a hive, right now. It was time for
him to put on his robes and go for his morning tour. Maybe he could find
someone to talk to. And maybe he could find his way to the kitchen, where he
knew Phil kept all his favorite flavors of <i>Biberton Brothers</i>' brews in
store...</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Scott knew his way
around the building. As he proceeded down the halls, on ground floor, he
followed his own intuition rather than the directions or the signs on the
walls. It allowed him to eavesdrop on the staff when they discussed medical
stuff, or patients whey they talked in private – as long as he
managed to pass by swiftly, silent and stealthy.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> While he couldn't be
compared to a mouse in any way, Scott was getting really good at this game. In
any case, it was the only kind of adventure he could go for at the moment, on
his own.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “You never know when and where
you'll find a clue. Most clues don't even look like anything you'd be looking
for, anyway...”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> The least conspicuous
place to meet someone was the library. As it was pretty much at the other end
of the hospital, Scott would always be caught with a book in his hand. He kept
borrowing books and bringing them back, as an excuse for his morning errands.
He hardly ever took time to read them...</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Unfortunately for him,
there was no one in the library at the moment. Scott put his book back on
its shelf and grabbed two others, without even looking... One big, one thin,
that would do. He didn't want to carry an entire Encyclopedia around all day.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Doctor Lipton was in his
office. Scott didn't have to get too close to the door. It was closed, but the
old man's voice was naturally booming and quite clear. He was having some sort
of conversation with Phil, and he didn't sound at all pleased about it.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “For the last time... I had to
negotiate all day on behalf of the Hospital, but you can only say no to these
people so many times!”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “I understand, Sir...”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “You ? Understand ? Don't make
a fool of yourself even more... That last call from their headmaster may well
be the last time we hear from them. What then?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “I... I don't know, Sir.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “I can't hold myself
accountable for your mistakes again!”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “I'm very sorry, Sir.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Sorry won't cut it, soldier!”
Dr Lipton paused. “We've all been very lenient with you, young man. Very
patient... Well, not anymore.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Scott heard a soft thud,
like a mass of papers falling on the desk.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “This will be your new
schedule, until further notice. Morning calls... Afternoon calls... Surgical
procedures and operations to be performed in the next few days. Late hours...
Night shift... Any questions?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “No, Sir.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “No more to discuss, then.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Phil must be about to
leave the office. Scott moved a bit further away.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “One more thing, soldier...”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Sir?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “In this instance, I am willing
to accept your version of the events, because you happened to be the on-call
doctor that night. As for the way this situation may unfold... you, and only
you, will be held responsible.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Yes, Sir.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> There was one last moment
of pause.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “There may be a way to settle
this. I'm not in favor of arrangements made on such terms, but if it comes to
that...”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Sir?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Now that you have brought him
in, that meaty meathead... What's his name... Windbag?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Wingrave, Sir. Richard
Wingrave.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Yes. What is his condition
right now?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “He should be out of harm's
way, but he is still shocked...”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “So he is. Well, in the
meantime, Saint Augustine Bells has to carry on without a Head of Security.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Mister Wingrave is certainly
not fit to perform his duties. He should remain under observation until he
recovers from his... assault.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Quite. One man down, you of
all people know how it goes.” Dr Lipton paused again. “The board of
administration would consider it favorably if you offered to replace him, on a
part-time basis.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Sir...”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “This would be a temporary
position, of course. You can't possibly spend all day on school grounds, but
you could go for a round of observation every morning and every afternoon. They
will find a way to hire someone to replace mister Wingrave, eventually, but
they need some quick and efficient action. What do you say?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “I wouldn't want to be rude and
turn down your offer, Sir, but... with this new schedule, I can hardly think
that I could fill Rick's shoes.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “No one asked you to step in
his place!” Dr Lipton yelled at Phil. “This came out of the blue, and I'm
afraid that we can't let them down. Your current schedule is certainly not
compatible with their demands, so we will work on it together... ”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Scott had a hunch that
Phil's daily activities and working hours would be decided as part of some team
effort – only he would be the last to know about it, and no one asked
for his opinion in the matter. </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Trust me on this, I've tried.
When they suggested this, I reminded them how you're already working part-time
for them. Then I reminded them how dumb and clumsy you can be, sometimes... You
know, just to get the ball rolling.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> It was quite possible that
Dr Lipton meant Rick.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Scott was under the
strange impression that taking him to the hospital, stuffed fuller and larger
than a beach ball water balloon, was considered a blunder on their
part, especially on Phil's part – as if a doctor like him could
ignore such a strange case of physical abuse...</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “I understand, Sir.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Then, if I may add a
suggestion of my own...”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Sir?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “It would look a lot better for
everyone involved in this, if you gave them a call. Today.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Yes, Sir. I will...”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “I will reconsider your working
hours at the hospital accordingly. In the process, it would be appreciated if
you resigned from your previous job as a male nurse for the students in Saint
Augustine Bells. You should expect to be offered this new, part-time job
immediately, and the board of administrators won't have to spend any more of
their valuable time on... well, this whole mess.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Scott moved even further
away from Dr Lipton's office. He opened the door to an empty room and waited
there for a moment. Phil was coming out with a stack of papers and files in his
hands. He looked flushed and confused... When he was gone, Scott went on his
way down the hall.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “I should have a good talk with
Phil, too.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> As he turned the corner,
he saw a number of large trays of pastries carried by people wearing the school
uniform, to be delivered in one of the waiting rooms. It was one of those quiet
observation rooms with windows in every wall, capturing the maximum amount of
natural light.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Now, now... What do we have
here?” </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Just as he had been
looking for them without success for the last two days, Scott could tell that
the sick students from Augustine Bells were resting together in there. When the
school personnel was gone, he found the perfect spot to take a look into that
room without attracting anyone's attention. Sitting in an armchair next to a
potted palm tree, he only had to look like he was reading his book.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> The teenage boys were
lying on recliners, in a white room with a large bow window opening on to an
interior garden. It looked like a Japanese garden, a well-combed dry landscape
garden, with rocks of various sizes and one tall pine tree.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Their chairs were
surrounded with large boxes of snacks, doughnuts and toaster pastries, to go
with soft drinks and piles of comic books. No surprise there... They had a
visitor, at the moment. Scott backed off immediately, when he saw Mr Swayn
talking to one of them – who had to be German. Scott didn't
understand a word, but he got the picture.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> And such a picture was
definitely worth a thousand words...</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> The educator was
encouraging him to keep eating. It looked like he was coaching him, with some
insistence, when the sick boy already had his mouth full... Wearing only a
loosely opened bathrobe, like a prizefighter, he looked very chubby and his
cheeks were positively puffy from all the Strudel and whipped cream that was
forced on him.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Du musst täglich reichlich essen, von allerhand vortrefflichen und
nahrhaften Sachen, um dich gut vollzustopfen! Wir werden dich kräftig heranfüttern,
damit du mehr und mehr zunimmst, immer mehr, und eine gehörige Speckschicht auf
deine Rippen bekommst.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> The six boys around Mr
Swayn were stuffing themselves like piglets eating from their personal troughs.
It was fascinating and frightening at the same time. Scott couldn't take his
eyes off that scene in front of him. Thinking about it later, he found it a bit
sickening...</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> It could hardly be
compared to any official pie-eating contests Scott had ever attended. These
boys kept on gorging themselves, only taking a moment to pause and let out a
long belch. Going from one boy to the next, Mr Swayn had a few more words of
encouragement in German for the underdog of the group.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Unsere Köche werden euch immer mehr füttern und mästen, damit Sie schnell
Fett ansetzen!”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> When the last piece of
Apfelstrudel, pie or chocolate cake was gone, Mr Swan made the boys stand up
from their recliner chairs. It didn't look so easy for them... Finally, Scott
could take more than a peak. Standing straight with their bathrobes opened like
this, there were six enormously round and overhanging bellies almost as if on
display. It made the young man blush – and feel a little
self-conscious about his own size.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “These kids are even more obese than
I thought...”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Scott didn't feel like
loitering, and he was already on his way when Mr Swayn was still patting the
six boys' bellies appreciatively.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Time to rest... Weigh-ins and
measurements tomorrow morning.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Rick's bedroom was on the
fifth floor. Scott didn't have to wait too long for the lift, but he heard the
machinery struggling and groaning on his way up. Maybe he should take the
stairs, on his way back...</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> As he was about to knock
on the door, Scott heard a feminine voice. Rick wasn't alone. One of the nurses
was tending to his needs – but it sounded like she was scolding
her patient, rather than comforting him.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “I can't imagine how you pulled
it off, but I will notify Doctor Lipton about this at once. There will be
consequences in your treatment too.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “I swear...” Rick's voice was
raspy, low and muffled somehow, as if he was still chocked up. “I haven't
eaten anything for breakfast. I didn't eat a thing at dinner last
night, or after dinner.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “A young man like you should
know better. I have never seen such a case of the munchies, not even with the
six students we have in custody at the moment.” </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “You have to believe me, Nurse
Rockwell... I haven't asked for a meal, or snacks, or drinks, since I've been
brought here. I swear, I'm not even hungry...”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Then how do you account for
this ?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Scott heard a
slap – not on Rick's cheek. Loud as it was, it had to be on his
belly.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “That's why I need to talk to
the doctor. Now...”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Doctor Lipton is very busy
today. With your employers, no less.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “I meant Doctor... Huh, Graham.
I mean, Phil. What's his name?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Doctor Hewdge's schedule is
even busier than Doctor Lipton's.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Tell him, please. I need to
see him... Talk to him...”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “What should I tell him,
really? Your stomach is full to the brim, and your breath smells of beer and
bacon and crisps, and chocolate frosting. Obviously, you have found your way to
the kitchen, last night.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “I haven't left my bed. I can
barely...”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Nervous as he was, Rick
suddenly broke off – interrupted by a long, loud, obnoxious and
booming belch...</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRP!”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Scott moved away from the
door, just in time. Nurse Rockwell wouldn't say a minute longer with such a
helplessly rude young man.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “I will recommend that your
bedroom stays locked at all times. And you should remain bound to your bed. And
no visitors...”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> That was just Scott's
luck. He couldn't sneak in and talk to Rick, now.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Back in his bedroom, Scott
felt a lot better. He had every reason for it. Number one: he could tell that
Saint Augustine Bells was buzzing all over the place, as if someone had stirred
up the hornet's nest. With Rick and him, and six students at the hospital, all
the bees in the hive seemed to be looking for a way out. Number two: something
was happening to Rick, something strange he couldn't explain but he was
determined to find out... Number three: Phil had prepared another large lunch
or brunch for him, Southern style. </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> The platters where placed
just the same for Scott's breakfast and late dinner, presented like a buffet:
pimento cheese sandwiches and cracker spreads for appetizers, crispy fried
chicken and fried okra for his main course, with fried green tomatoes, spicy shrimp
and grits, black eyed peas and collard greens, then cinnamon roll king cake,
chocolate chess pie and peach dump cake for desserts...</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Scott rubbed his stomach,
as it was growling hungrily.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “How can I stay mad at that
dumb blonde bear when he treats me like this? And with two six-packs of my
favorite beer...”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> There was a jug of mint
julep ready for him. Scott raised his glass.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Okay, then... Time for
action.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Scott took his time to
finish his meal. Everything tasted so good. When he was done, he took the
platters, salad bowls, plates and cutlery, put them together into a big pile
then loaded it lazily into the dumbwaiter, to send it back to the kitchen
downstairs.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Going back to bed, he felt
better that he didn't have to wear pants or underwear.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “BUUURRRP! Ooof... I could go
for a nap.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Laying in bed, he took a
moment to take a deep breath and relax.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Reading might do the
trick. Scott had come back from the library with a collection of Tales by Edgar
Allan Poe. He opened the book, and started with <i>William Wilson</i>.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">“In truth, it was a dream-like
and spirit-soothing place, that venerable old town...” </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Scott could relate to such
a feeling.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “I don't want to leave town...
Ghost or no ghost, it would haunt me if I did. I could never go back to my old
Life. Not like this, not after all this.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> There was a discreet
knock at the door. It had to be Phil. Nurse Brinell knocked like the rhythm section
of a jazz band, which made sense since she was always humming some kind of
cheerful tune... Nurse Rockwell didn’t knock. She opened the door without
warning her patients. Nurse Vickers wasted even less time on civilities. She
only gave directions to visitors, without leaving the front desk.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Scott remembered that he
was supposed to look sick and tired – and grumpy. He let out one
last, short belch and brought a frown to his face.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> It was Mr Swayn.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Somehow, Scott's eyebrows
and lips were definitely set into a frown. His pouting expression of repressed
anger, impatience and disgust was a lot more convincing.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Good afternoon, mister Girder.
May I come in?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Still grumpy, as if
he was wallowing in dark thoughts, Scott groaned.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Sure... Take a seat. I was hoping for the doctor, really...”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “It may be a bit early for
them. I was just looking after our students, with their attending
physician. I have to go back to my office at school, but I thought that I could
pay you a visit on my way out.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Maybe Scott could get him
to talk – but he had to be cautious. It was not like Mr Swayn to go out of
his way to help or check on a stranger.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “How are they holding up?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “It is too soon to tell, but
their condition seems to improve already... With some reasonable amount of
physical exercise, and specific tests to be run soon, I believe they should be
fine and back to class in a matter of days.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Is that so... Very well,
then.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “How are you recovering?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Scott let out a sigh. He
was genuinely worried.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Honestly? I don't know. Maybe
I should join your group of students, if they're doing so well...”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “I wouldn't recommend it.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Why not?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “As I said, these are... very
specific tests.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “How specific?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Mr Swayn sat back in his
chair.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “I don't know if you are
familiar with the sigma-1 receptor system and its antagonists.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Huh... I can't say that we've
been formally introduced.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “In layman's terms,
the sigma-1 receptor is a chaperone protein that is part of the endoplasmic
reticulum.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “...Okay...”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “As a transmembrane protein, it
has been implicated in medical research several for a number of phenomena such
as bipolar disorders, including depression and schizophrenia,
cardiovascular problems and the effects of drugs.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Huh huh... Serious stuff.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Scott hardly understood a
word in all that technobabble. For starters, why would proteins need a
chaperone? </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “It is a vast and fascinating
field of research... On the side, sigma-1 receptor antagonists have
recently been considered in the treatment of binge eating disorders.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “...Binge eating?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Binge eating disorders and
abnormal eating behaviors, to be precise.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Mr Swayn had a way to tie
the most simple things into a knot. At least Scott was beginning to understand
what it was all about.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Sigma-1 receptor proteins tell
your body when it should feel “full”, so you stop eating and let your
metabolism run its course. As most things genetic, they can be deficient or
absent from your system at birth. It is naturally quite rare but, in such
a medical condition, a subject will find himself never feeling sated, no matter
how much or how compulsively he is eating. So he would feel prompted to keep
eating.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Just like that?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “It is a far more complicated
process, of course. Sigma-1 antagonists are studied in the treatment of
opioid abuse, but tests are currently performed laboratory rats and mice, with
very promising early results.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Rats and mice...”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “You have to start somewhere.
Would you believe me if I told you that the same experimental tests with
beetles provide similar results?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Beetles? Really?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Of course, beetles have an exoskeleton and a fast metabolism, so the bloating effects are quite different and not so representative. Better stick to the Rat Pack,
don't you think?”</div></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “So... what happens to them?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Lab rats? In this test case
study, most of them found a way to stop overeating before their tiny stomachs
would burst. I have to say that our results are still inconclusive, but we're
at the early stage of the process.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “I see...”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “This would fit perfectly with
our <i>Quiet Diet</i> policy... Think about it, a treatment that would put
our students on rehab, enhance their appetite, increase their potential, reduce
their metabolic inhibitions and alleviate the symptoms of their disorder. They
would be fully functional and well-adjusted to society...”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Scott would only remember
that “most of them” making it out alive meant that a number of those rats
had stuffed themselves too much, choked and dropped dead... He couldn't tell
if Mr Swayn made much of a difference between mice and men – or
between junkie teenagers forced to eat in binge patterns and lab rats subjected
to a new generation of drugs and too much food for their own good...</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> In any case, he smelled
the rat.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> As night was slowly
descending upon the trees and buildings, Scott still didn't feel
comfortable enough to take a nap. Mr Swayn was gone, but he had left quite an
impression on him. When Scott closed his eyes, he could only picture tubby rugrats
running in a glass cage, with legs too short for their oversized
potbellies, and forcefully inflated like water balloon by some mechanical
contraption to the point of bursting, while a mad scientist was towering over
them, making announcements in some fantastic foreign language and cackling with
a sharp accent...</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> That made him wake up with
a start.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Why did the mad scientist have
to be German?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> He was running a cold
sweat. As he went on thinking about Mr Swayn's twisted College science fair
project, with none of the technical terms and big words he was so fond of,
Scott admitted that he couldn't imagine what would happen if he was enjoying a
really great meal and there was no way to know when he should stop.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> When his plate was licked
clean, he leaned back in his seat and he was done – but what if food
kept coming and piling up on his plate?</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> When everyone else
got up from the table, he followed them and went back to work or
something – but what if he was alone to eat and all the food was
meant for him? Wouldn't he lose track of time?</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Then, what if there was no
sign coming from his own body? No twinge or pinch or pang in his
stomach to tell him that he should feel sated, bloated or “full”? Would he
keep stuffing his face? And what if he was facing an automatic force-feeding
machine, like the one they were hiding at school? Would he get stuffed until
his belly exploded? </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Scott felt dizzy, after
such an insanely high dive in the dark...</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “They're crazy... That's it.
That school is one scary, crazy place... And now I feel hungry.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> There was a discreet knock
at the door. At this hour, it had to be Phil.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Good evening, Scott. May I
come in?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Sure... I was hoping for room
service, really.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> The doctor was always
so efficient as he was discreet. Clean-shaven, except for his sexy hillbilly
mustache and goatee, his golden blonde hair a bit too long for his line of
work, Phil looked too innocent and too guilty for words at the same
time...</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Ask and you shall receive,
then... I was hoping that you may find some room for cookies and a glass of
milk before you go to sleep.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Cookies and milk?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Warm milk... one bottle. Cold
milk... another bottle. Chocolate-chip cookies... with a bucket of ice-cream,
of course. And timbits. And pie.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “What kind?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Apple pie.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Is it fresh?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “I baked it early in the
afternoon, you know... It's...” Phil looked up to Scott with a smile. “My
special recipe of spiced toffee crumble caramel apple pie?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Scott let out a long moan
of shameless, unrepressed delight.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Good God... Phil, you're the
Devil but I forgive you. Come in.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> As Phil joined him with
“some milk” – which, for a guy like him, meant a tall glass and
almost a gallon to drink – there was that sweet scent of apples, salted
butter toffee and hot fudge about him. Scott could almost purr, as the Southern
doctor was offering such a large box full of goodies to his favorite patient.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> With a timbit in his
hand, covered with icing, Phil came close to him.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Okay, then... Open wide.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Hmmmph...”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “And
another?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Hmmmph, hmmmph...”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “You sound hungry
tonight.” Phil fed him two more timbits gently. “So hungry, I could
growl... I was too confident about the amounts of food I cooked for your lunch.
That wasn't enough to satisfy your appetite?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Scott nodded and grumbled,
like a pouting child. Phil kept comforting him with his soothing voice.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Another handful?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Hmmmph... More!”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “How about some cookies and
ice-cream? There will always be more timbits for you, later...”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Okay.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> The greedy boy enjoyed the
crisp feeling of freshly baked cookies, as he grabbed a bite, then the sweet
and creamy goodness of vanilla ice-cream slowly melting in his mouth –
then the soft contact of Phil's lips against his, in a long kiss where he
teased and massaged Scott's tongue with his own.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> It made him moan again,
begging for more – and smile.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Finally...” Phil commented,
kissing his cheek before another spoonful of ice-cream. “There you go,
enjoy...”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “What do you
mean, “finally”? Hmmmph...”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Feeling a bit better?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Hmmmph... Sure. Why?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “According to nurse Brinell, you've been “grouchy” all day, yesterday...”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Grouchy?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “That's what she said... That's
what they were all talking about, over their morning coffee. Is there
something bothering you?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “I don't enjoy staying
in a hospital. Who likes hospitals anyway?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Come on, there’s nothing you need to be worried about. You’re doing fine...
What’s wrong?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “You’re the doctor. You tell
me.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Phil gave him a few more
cookies to munch on.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “I have to say... I had no idea that you were such a comedian. I’ve never
seen anyone in such good health look so sick and tired.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “What do you know, I guess I am sick and tired... Tired with all
this.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Now, now... You're certainly
not getting tired of these.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Scott would never turn
down such delicious pastries and ice-cream.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “It’s boring, I know, but it’s
only for a few more days...” Phil rubbed Scott's tummy in long circles,
warming him up with his big paws. “Then you will go back to normal...
Back to the grind.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Scott flinched then
growled as he gulped down. Phil was too good at this guessing
game – and making him grind.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> When the last cookie was
gone and there was little ice-cream left in the bucket, Phil invited Scott to
lay in bed for his next treats.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “You didn't look up the news?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “No...” Scott took a moment to
breathe. “You know what? It's all your fault. Why do you keep bringing me
the morning news, anyway?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “It's only the <i>Biberton
Bugle</i>. I guess it was less insensitive than giving you a copy of your old
newspaper...”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “My old... what?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “The one you used to work for.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Phil was already holding
him in his arms. He looked deep into his eyes, which caused Scott to blush
again.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “How did you know? I didn't
tell anyone about this.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Well... You didn't say a word
about it, for sure, but anyone who would listen got your message loud and
clear. You’ve been talking to your boss over the phone... Am I right?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Huh huh...”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Is it that bad?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Well... Good news is... He’s no longer my boss.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “I see.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “It was a suicide mission from the get-go. Mister Horn knew about it. That's why he chose me... I should have turned it down.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Maybe so...”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “In any case, it's over.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Did you quit your job, or...”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “No. I got fired.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “I'm sorry...”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> He gave him a hug
then he kept holding his hand, like the perfect big brother. It came to
him naturally. There was nothing more he could say or do for Scott, right now.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “I thought maybe you would take
a look at the job section.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “I didn't even think about it.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Okay... Hungry for more?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Scott nodded. Phil fed him
a few more timbits, while he kept the bottle of warm milk in his hand to wash
them down.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Job hunting is really hard!”
He complained. “And I'm not like you...”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “What do you mean?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “I have to look and apply for a
job, while people around here are hunting you down like... literally. Someone
should tell them that there is no open season for bears.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Phil looked down and
smiled. Scott knew how turned on he was when he called him a bear – or when he
reminded him that he was quite the perfect specimen, which would make him one
of a kind.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “I have to juggle jobs to make
ends meet. Even so, I barely scrape by, but you already knew that...”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Of course, but who could guess
that you have so many skills? MD, field surgeon in the Army, now male nurse at
Saint Augustine Bells... What next, security officer? Law enforcer?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Scott kept looking at him
with a shifty smile.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Why, I was wrong... You have
been following the news.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Did you give them a call?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “I had to.” Phil let out a
sigh. “It will be a patch-up job...”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Of course. I really don't see
you as a prison warden.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Thinking about it, Scott
pictured him more as an inmate, a convict – a delinquent of some kind.
Captive and helpless... The best kind. Phil was still bringing timbits to his
mouth, and he ate with a renewed appetite.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Are you suggesting that I
wouldn't look good in uniform?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “I've seen pictures of you,
soldier boy. I'm not saying you would look bad. It's just that you don't look
the part.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “How so?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “I don't know, but you look
nothing like Rick.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “You're not wrong... Besides,
doctor Lipton doesn't approve. According to him...” Phil was remarkably honest
about it. “He told them I looked too dumb to make it convincing.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Too dumb, huh...”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Scott wrapped his free
hand around the back of Phil's neck. He was not so gentle in his touch.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “You know what? Your boss is wrong.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “He is?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Totally. Not that you wouldn't
look dumb, of course... But that will do the trick. You should look
dumb.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “I should?...”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “That's what they expect. Don't
even think about it. Go for it.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Are you sure?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “It's not like it will be your
first day at school. You already know them, you know the gist of it, and they
know you for what you are...”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “I guess you're right.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “It will work to their
advantage. With everything they have to uncover, right now... or rather, hide
to their students... I bet they will appreciate a security officer like you.
Not just “dumb”. More like... clueless.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Clueless... Okay, I can do
that.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Thinking isn't one of your
strengths.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Is that like... common
knowledge?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Pretty much. You should stop
thinking about it... Stop thinking about anything, and just follow your
instincts.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Phil didn't need to be
told twice, when he caught Scott peeking at the chest hair sticking out of his
shirt.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “You're right. I'll take it off.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Please... You should already
be naked when you knock at my door.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> It was only a matter of a
few minutes. Phil never failed to provide such a good show. Scott could finally
gaze at his body at full length... This blonde dude was a bit too bulky or too
beefy to qualify for a swimmer's body. He was too hairy anyway – but such a
massive, mind-numbing hunk of masculinity for Scott to catch and play with.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Looking at his reflection
in the mirror for too long would probably cause brain damage, if not total
blindness. No wonder he was so dumb... </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Scott couldn't help
licking his lips, still tasty and sticky with ice-cream.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “How about a good shower?” Phil
invited him with a smile.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> At the end of such a long
day, he was naturally glistening with a sheen of sweat, and his BO had an
effect on Scott that was more effective and hit him harder than any aphrodisiac
on the market.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “How about that apple pie?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Save it for later?” Phil
smiled. “You know you'll be hungry again...”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> They had the decency to do
it in the shower, so they could clean up and get dirty at the same time. While
Phil was surprisingly quiet in action, as he did all the heavy lifting, Scott
was often really loud. His bedroom was in that rather secluded part of the
hospital for a reason.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> If anyone happened to
knock or just open the door, Scott could always come out of the bathroom and
leave his friend in the shower. There was no longer need for condoms, and they
were safe from others as well.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> All in all, this was the
best “safe sex” experience Scott could wish for.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Unfortunately, they had
little time for pillow talk after such a feat – and there was no room for
two grown men like them in Scott's high, white hospital bed... Phil could
only carry him and ease him to sink into sleep.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Even so, they weren't
running short on kisses and tongue play.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “So... Good night for now?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Good night...”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Do you think... I'll be all
right, tomorrow?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “You will be fine, Scott.” Phil
kissed him on the forehead, for a change, like a caring big brother. “You
have nothing to worry about.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Okay then... You will do fine
too.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “I will?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Be yourself. Look dumb, it's
what they want. You know how things are run in Augustine Bells. With their big
heads, their taste for the abstract and words too long to fit inside a book,
they will feel more comfortable having someone like you at the gate, to protect
them.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “I shall work on it, then. Do
my best...” Phil smiled, aiming for Scott's lips with another long, wet kiss.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Scott felt like he may be
ready for more, when Phil brought a large piece of toffee crumble
caramel apple pie to his mouth. It was simply to die for... The greedy boy
devoured it in a few bites, and another piece of pie followed immediately – and another...</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> They could keep on playing
like this all night, but there were only a few timbits left. Scott felt
comfortably full, at least. And spent.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “I should let you get some
sleep.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Yeah...” Scott's voice was
getting a bit blurry. “You know what you should do? For your new job...”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “What should I do?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Look <i>tough</i>... You need to
look tough, like Rick. Like a big brute... You should work on that.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Huh, okay... I'll think about
it.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Don't think about it. Just do
it...” Scott teased him again. “Did you not listen? Do as you're told...
Big, dumb blonde... bear.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Phil was about to leave,
when the sleepy young man grabbed his hand.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Scott?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Tell me... What will happen to
Rick?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “I couldn't say. I'm only a
temporary replacement, but... I doubt that he will go back to work. My guess
would be that Rick will be declared no longer fit for duty.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Are you sure about this?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Yes.” Phil sounded genuinely
sad. “I've seen it before...”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “I see... You've been there,
too.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “I know how it's done.” Phil
didn't want to sound too negative. “Rick should be okay in a few days, free to
go... I'm not sure that he will ask to get hired back into such a problematic
job.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “I guess not... I'm worried
about him, as it is.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Why?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Rick is not doing okay. Have
you seen him today?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Not since we brought him here,
really... Doctor Lipton insisted that I focus on the students. Is there
something wrong with Rick?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “I don't know... I wanted to
check on him, but I couldn't. You should really visit him tomorrow.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Okay, then...” Phil gave
him one last kiss on the cheek. “We'll go and see him together, after your
check-up in my office. Okay?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Okay... Wait, what check-up?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “We have a ten o'clock
appointment. Did you forget?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “No...” </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Scott didn't even know
what day it was. </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “I will see you when I'm done
with those six students from Augustine Bells. I figured maybe, if you happen to
come in advance, you can spend a moment with them in the waiting room?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “No way...”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Who needs to know? Just be
there... Casual, you know.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> This was better than any
interview Scott could ask for.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “So... This check-up you have
planned for me...”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Yes?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “What's it about?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “A complete, full body massage for
starters...”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Oh, goody!” </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “And weigh-in.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Oh, crap...” Scott grunted
again.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>March 16th, 1990</i> – Friday</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Scott woke up to the
smells of grilled sausages, scrambled eggs and slices of bacon, tall stacks of
silver dollar size pancakes with honey and whipped cream, thick
butterscotch toffee cookies, flan with caramel sauce, frozen yogurt
and strawberries in a fruit salad, freshly squeezed orange
juice, chocolate milk and a number of large pies, right out of
the oven... It brought a broad smile to his face. Phil was treating him quite a
substantial breakfast, once again.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> He sat down and started
with a few cookies. Everything tasted so good that he didn't even consider how
much food he kept stuffing in his mouth, or how fast he was
feasting – positively devouring everything he could get his hands
on... And Scott didn't feel particularly hungry, after last night!</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> At some point, he
understood why Phil had prepared so much food for him, this morning. Scott
would join the sick boys in the waiting room outside his office. If he wanted
to engage in a conversation with them, he had to look appropriately stuffed
full...</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Okay, breathe in... Belly
out.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Wearing only pajama pants
under his loosely tied hospital gown, Scott stepped into the waiting room only
a few minutes before the boys were brought in. Nurse Rockwell raised an
eyebrow when she saw him sitting in a corner, with his book, but she didn't comment
on it.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Scott waited for the six
students to settle in comfortably. Their cheeks were always so chubby, as if
they had just scarfed down an even fuller breakfast than his own – which
would require truly enormous amounts of food... They couldn't find a good
sitting position, and the chairs were all groaning under their weight. </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Brad was sitting in the
opposite corner, away from him... Scott didn't mind. They had a talk before,
and the boy would see him over dinner at the <i>Pounding Panda Bear </i>buffet,
as soon as they could get out of the hospital. It was more interesting to
establish contact with someone else.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> The six boys were reading
comics, except the one sitting next to Scott. He didn't know him. It was just
his luck.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> He was reading a small black
book, with the title printed in red letters.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “You really are the curious type, aren’t you.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Sorry, I didn’t mean to...”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “It’s okay. Want to take a look?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> It was a relatively light book, with ink blots and smudgy
letters printed on cheap paper. Scott couldn’t get to pronounce the
author’s name.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Okay... <i>The Satanic Bible</i>?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Yes.” The boy grumbled. “And yes, it’s exactly what you think it is.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “I think it does have an...
ominous ring to it.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> The boy made a “so so” gesture with his hand.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Honestly, I’m disappointed... There are a few good things thrown in here and
there, like chunks of black chocolate in cookie dough, but on the whole it’s
rather tame. Not what I was expecting.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Really?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Give it back. I’ll read you a bit...”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Okay. What's your name?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Huh... It's Duncan. And you're that guy, right?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “It depends. What guy did you
expect me to be?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “I don't remember... You're a
journalist, I think.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “That's right.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “See? I knew it.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Is that so obvious?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “As if you were carrying a
sign, or a card. You do that, don't you?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Yes. I am a card-carrying
journalist.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Duncan flipped through a
few pages.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “There it is... “Gluttony is simply eating more than you need to keep
yourself alive. When you have overeaten to the point of obesity, another
sin – Pride – will motivate you to regain an appearance
that will renew your self-respect.” See? That is so... tame.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Okay, lame.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “This is negative morals...”
Duncan burst with the impatience of a young reader. “Negative morals? Still
morals... So dull.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Okay, dull...”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “According to this guy, a balance between sins would provide the same results
as a balance between virtues.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Wouldn't it?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “If that was true, you could just so easily claim that Heaven and Hell are
basically the same... If you find a balance involving all the sins you can fall
into, you can't pretend that you live without sin. There is nothing daring
about sins that would bring down other sins and put each other into
perspective... A truly sinful system should make Gluttony and Pride work
together, for instance, so that you feel prouder as you eat larger and larger
amounts of food, and grow beyond all boundaries...”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Right... Now I see what you meant.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> The boy was definitely
edgy – round and soft as he was.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Nothing in this book comes even within spitting distance of “The road
of excess leads to the palace of wisdom.” Simple. Not stupid.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Scott repeated the sentence in his mind. It did sound better, a lot
more striking and illuminating – dark, pure and brilliant, like a shiny piece
of coal taken straight out of the mine.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom...”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Key word: excess.” Duncan nodded. “There’s a thought that will keep you
guessing for some time... That's genius.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “I must have heard it before.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “William Blake.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> That name sounded familiar.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “William Blake...”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “It's one of the first <i>Proverbs of Hell</i>.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> The boys were measured and
weighed-in. They were well over 300lbs, so plump and tubby with quite excessive
curves on their midsection...</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Phil was washing his
hands. He welcomed Scott, closed the door behind him and completed his “good
morning” with a friendly hug – and a kiss that was too passionate to
be considered “friendly”. </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Scott used to feel cold in
a doctor’s office, with the usual white walls, tasteless furniture, depressing
posters and pamphlets, potted palm trees and the complete set of glistening,
sharp surgical instruments... This was different. With someone like Phil
setting his lips on fire like this, he couldn’t care less about the room’s
temperature.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> He stripped down to
his underwear, and stepped on the scales. Scott had been there before, and his
last weigh-in was recent enough – about three weeks ago... There was no need to
tell him how much he had been eating or overeating lately – the well-fed
journalist could only see the far edge of the scales, as he looked down.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> The dial spun around and
finally came to an audible stop.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “238lbs.” Phil answered a
question.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “No way!”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Not joking. That's what the
scales say...”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Seriously?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “All our measuring equipment
has been recently calibrated.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “How much is that since my last
weigh-in?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “You weighed 205lbs then, so...
about 33 pounds.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “I had no idea that I had put
on so much weight!” </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Phil wrapped a long
measuring tape around Scott.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Honestly, Scott? I'm not so
surprised.” He hugged him when he was done with the tape. “Think about it... First, you are still <i>full </i>from a pretty big breakfast, this morning.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Oh... Yeah, that's true.
Awesome breakfast too...” Scott licked his lips absent-mindedly. “I guess
you're right. That was quite a lot of food...”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Did you struggle to clean your
plates?”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “I don't remember. Maybe so...
You always cook such <i>rich </i>meals!”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Of course!” Phil smiled. “And
you have grown... quite an appetite.”</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Scott grabbed his belly with both hands, and jiggled it for a moment. </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Also keep in mind that your weight was down to 205lbs only because the people in charge at Augustine Bells demanded that you go on a diet. You were fasting, and hungry.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “And <i>grouchy</i>, I remember... You're right.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “It's only natural that you gained back all the weight you had lost.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Yeah...” Scott patted his sides. “Looks like it came back to haunt me, with a vengeance! Talk about rebound...”</div></span><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"></span><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"></span></div></span><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “We should get you weighed-in on an empty stomach.”</div></span><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"></span></div></span><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"></span></div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “That's not going to happen anytime soon...”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Are you feeling... hungry?”</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– “You bet I'm hungry! It's almost lunch time.”</div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “It's time for your massage, first.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div> Phil was all cuddly again.</div><div><br /></div><div><div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Oh... Well, I'm hungry for it. I need it too...”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “I should think so. You are feeling a bit tense.”</div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></div></span><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"></span></div></span><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"></span></div></span><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"></span></div></span><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"></span></div></span><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"></span></div></span><span style="color: black;"></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “It's those damn kids. They give me the heebie-jeebies.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Because they keep growing fatter like they are doomed to a perpetual cycle of massive overeating and sleeping in captivity?”</div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></div></span><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"></span></div></span><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"></span></div></span><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"></span></div></span><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"></span></div></span><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"></span></div></span><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"></span><div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “No...” </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Scott was impressed that Phil didn't shy away from the subject.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> It was a fascinating subject. Scott would have to think about it too...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– “I mean... They're just creepy.”</div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></div></span><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"></span></div></span><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"></span></div></span><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"></span></div></span><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"></span></div></span><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"></span></div></span><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"></span><div> </div></div></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></div></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Phil's massages were definitely what Scott needed most in his life – that kind of “happy ending” massage with warm-ups and foreplay by the table, deep rubdown and sensual moves all over his body, as he was lazily flipped over, and over and over again, amazing lips and tongue action completed with poppers to be inhaled before their third half-time in the shower – no wonder he was hungry for lunch.</div><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></div></span><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"></span></div></span><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"></span></div></span><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"></span></div></span><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"></span></div></span><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"></span></div></span><span style="color: black;"></span><div style="text-align: justify;"> Fortunately for him, there were pies and pastries ready for him in the kitchen... As they went downstairs together carefully, stumbling a little and smiling as they tried not to cross paths with anyone, Phil kept holding his hand. He would hold him back too, when they were all alone, to fondle him with a few more kisses.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div>– “Why do I really feel hungry for steaks, right now?” Scott suggested, as he slapped Phil's tight pants.</div><div><div>– “It's not so easy to go barbecue indoors.” The dizzy blonde doctor responded all too well. “When you and I get some time off work...”</div><div><div>– “I've never seen you even take a break.”</div><div><div>– “Hey! I can manage, and take my time. Like this...”</div><div><br /></div></div><div> Phil teased him back, still holding him in a tight embrace, as he started massaging his tongue with his own in long, surprisingly unpredictable and sensual moves. It felt like a rerun of their previous massage games, like a clash of the titans watched on a small-screen TV. </div><div> Scott had to catch his breath.</div><div><br /></div><div>– “Okay, now that's... Good micromanagement there.”</div><div><div><div>– “Maybe we should cool down a bit?”</div><div>– “Yeah...”</div></div></div></div><div><br /></div><div> Scott had a hunch that they could keep it up and do it in the hospital's refrigerated store area... He heaved a sigh of relief when Phil came back with a large bucket of ice-cream for him.</div><div> The hospital kitchens had to be Phil's own little kingdom, with so many ovens and equipment and food supplies to help him prepare meals for the patients and staff, but also vast amounts of pastries and pies and other goodies for the local community.</div><div> As he was gobbling down one pie after another, Scott saw him going swiftly back and forth, looking over large boiling pots made of stainless steel. All that kitchenware was of industrial size and Phil almost looked like a mechanic in the engine room of a steamer... </div><div> Modest as it was in its organization, with limited budget and a reduced staff, Biberton's Hospital could be proud that it didn't serve badly, highly processed food. None of that notoriously bland, inedible hospital swill...</div><div><br /></div><div>– “No, Sir...” Scott mumbled, between a mouthful of home-made ice-cream and a mouthful of hot apple pie with caramel sauce.</div></div><div><br /></div><div> Phil was all sweaty again, but boxes and boxes of all kinds of pastries were piling up in front of him. He put them in the next room, for the people from the community service who had a key, as they would come by in the afternoon.</div><div><br /></div><div><div><div><div><div>– “How are you doing, down there?” Scott asked with his mouth still full of apple pie filling.</div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div>– “I'm almost half-done with your dinner for tonight.”</div></div><div>– “Hmmm, hmmm?”</div></div><div>– “Sadly, no steaks. Sorry...”</div><div>– “Huh, huh... What's cookin', doc?”</div><div>– “You want me to give you a clue?”</div><div>– “I wish more people gave me a clue... Okay, one word.”</div><div>– “Italian.”</div><div><br /></div><div> Scott let out another long moan. His stomach even added a groaning bass line to his somewhat vocal marks of appreciation.</div><div><br /></div><div>– “God, Phil... You are the Devil incarnate! Don't tell me...”</div><div>– “Tell you what?”</div><div>– “Don't tell me... another word.”</div><div>– “Lasagna.”</div><div><br /></div><div> Phil was changing shirt. He really looked like the Devil in the flesh.</div><div> Scott couldn't possibly eat another bite – and his appetite was wet for more. He could hardly wait for his next meal!</div><div><br /></div><div>– “You are the worst...”</div><div><div>– “Well... You know me.” Phil hugged him, and whispered in his ear. “And I know you...”</div><div>– “I could devour you.”</div></div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><div><br /></div><div> Scott was right about Rick. Much to Phil's surprise, the former head of security at Saint Augustine Bells was not allowed visitors. He didn't even leave his room, bed bound as he was...</div><div> Phil had a master key, of course. Unfortunately for them, nurse Rockwell was in the hallway as they were about to enter Rick's room. As soon as she saw Phil, she called out to him and the blonde doctor had to leave Scott. People would leave him alone around lunch hours, because everyone knew he would be busy in the kitchen, but it was after 2PM and they counted on him for a number of tasks at hand.</div><div> Taking a deep breath before the door, Scott knocked and came in. He didn't know if he had to suck in his full gut or push it out... This was different. He didn't have to play games with Rick.</div><div><br /></div><div>– “Hey there? How are you holding up, big guy?”</div><div><br /></div><div> Scott only heard a long and sleepy groan, first. It sounded pretty much like a pig waking up in his sty. Then Rick looked pretty much like a full-grown pig, laying in bed like this, with the covers up to his mouth. There was something strange about it, however... Scott couldn't quite tell, but he felt sorry for the guy.</div><div><br /></div><div><div>– “Scott... What are you doing here?”</div><div><div>– “I've come to see you.”</div><div><div>– “Why?”</div><div><div>– “You know how curious I am... When I was told that no visitors were allowed to see you, I knew I just had to come by.”</div><div><div>– “Huh... Who told you about it?”</div><div><div>– “I heard someone talk. So it is true.”</div><div><div>– “It's worse. I'm not allowed to leave my room, now... As a matter of fact, I'm not allowed to get out of bed until further notice.”</div><div><div>– “How so?”</div><div><div>– “Would you... pull these covers down? They're itching me anyway.”</div><div><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div> It felt like an odd request, but Scott understood as soon as he rolled down the bed covers... Rick's wrists were bound to the bed frame with well-adjusted straps and cuffs.</div><div> Pulling down the covers also brought Rick's enormous belly very much in evidence. Scott could hardly ignore such massive man boobs, with tits the size of Silver Eagle coins. A light sprinkling of dark hair covered them, from the deep crevice they formed over Rick's billowing belly, all the way up to his neck – or rather, the part of his chest connected to the thick fold of his double chin.</div><div> With his hands tied, Rick's chubby fingers looked a bit red. They could easily be mistaken for German sausages.</div><div><br /></div><div><div>– “Okay...” Scott sounded genuinely worried, fascinated as he was. “Why did they do this to you? What's happening to you?”</div><div>– “You're not going to believe it... I asked them to bind me like this.”</div></div><div>– “Let's assume that I believe you. Why did you ask?”</div><div>– “Because they didn't believe me. I mean...” Rick lowered his voice. “They didn't want to admit that I was telling the truth...”</div><div>– “The truth about... How you got here in the first place?”</div><div>– “Yes. But what's a lot worse... How I am still stuffed to my tits, when I haven't even looked at a doughnut for a week!” Rick sounded less raspy as he protested. “It's been a week, right? I've lost all sense of time...”</div><div>– “You mean to say that you feel just so stuffed now as you were then?”</div><div>– “I don't just feel it. I know.”</div><div><br /></div><div> Rick looked straight at Scott, almost defiantly.</div><div><br /></div><div>– “Scott, can I trust you with this?”</div><div>– “Of course.”</div><div>– “Would you... Would you rub my stomach?”</div><div><br /></div><div> Scott raised an eyebrow. It didn't look like Rick was pulling his leg. Was his jutting stomach itching too? The fat man couldn't scratch himself, of course... Then it was a slippery slope if Scott started rubbing his sweaty paunch. What would be next? Fingering his navel? Punching him?</div><div> If this was a joke, it certainly deserved a good punch or slap.</div><div> He placed his hand on top of the obese man's stomach, slowly. As he was going to give it a few cautious rubs, he suddenly stopped... Scott was startled. He understood exactly what Rick meant. His stomach felt hard, hot and aching, as if he had just left the table after a really rich and filling lunch meal!</div><div><br /></div><div><div>– “Wow... You're right. You stomach feels...”</div><div><div>– “Like it's about to burst!” Rick leaned back, snuggling even more into the pillows. “Told you... I am stuffed like I never thought possible.”</div><div><div>– “I don't understand.”</div><div><div>– “Neither do I... That's just how it is.”</div><div><div>– “You didn't eat something this morning?”</div><div><div>– “I haven't be eating for days!” Rick sounded pissed. “People keep asking me the same stupid questions... As if I would touch their hospital slop! Now they make me the hospital slob!”</div><div><br /></div><div> Scott didn't feel like contradicting him, at the moment.</div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><br /></div><div><div>– “Okay, Rick... Okay, I believe you.”</div><div><div>– “You do?” The chubby man turned his face, looking at Scott. “Thank you... I have to say, I would feel a lot better if I wasn't alone in this.”</div><div><div>– “Come on, you're not alone. I mean...”</div><div><br /></div></div><div> Maybe Scott shouldn't tell him how he had been admitted to the hospital. It could hardly be compared to Rick's predicament.</div><div><br /></div></div></div><div><div>– “Phil will believe you too.”</div><div><div>– “You think?”</div><div><div>– “I'm sure of it. You have to tell him.”</div><div><div>– “I guess you're right... He's the only guy who cares for others in this godforsaken place. And he's so dumb, he would believe anything.”</div><div><div>– “How is that a problem?”</div><div><div>– “People would trust me even less if I ask the hospital's Santa Claus to convince them. I'll do better on my own. You have to pick your battles, and not turn them into a lost cause.”</div><div><div>– “Why? Because Phil is a Virginian?”</div><div><div>– “Huh? No, he's not... that kind of Southerner. He's just helpless here. Who cares? His opinion doesn't count.”</div><div><div>– “Maybe so, but we wouldn't be talking if I didn't have this.”</div></div><div><br /></div><div> Scott showed him Phil's master key. Did Rick fully understand what was going on? He would pay more attention to his friend's suggestions.</div></div></div></div></div><div><br /></div></div></div></div></div><div><div>– “Okay, then... If you say so, I need to tell him... Where is our honey sucker Teddy Graham anyway? Why is he not with you?” </div><div><div>– “Did you mean... honeysuckle?” Scott had little doubt that Rick meant exactly what he'd said. “He was with me but nurse Rockwell was around too, and she almost rugby-tackled him before we could come in.”</div><div><div>– “You guys have to come back, soon.”</div><div><div>– “We will.”</div><div><div>– “I mean it. To tell you the whole truth, I'm... afraid.”</div><div><div>– “What are you afraid of?”</div><div><div>– “Huh...” Rick didn't know how to put it. “Nightfall.”</div><div><div>– “What, are you afraid of the Dark? We're in a hospital, but please... What happens after nightfall?”</div><div><div>– “That's the thing... When it's late, and dark, and I'm alone in bed... I don't know how, but it must be when I get stuffed like this. Every night.”</div><div><div>– “Stuffed like... in your sleep?”</div><div><div>– “Something like that.”</div><div><br /></div><div> Scott felt the hair on the back of his neck raising.</div><div><br /></div><div><div>– “And you don't hear someone entering your room?”</div><div>– “Nope... I wake up in the morning with my stomach stuffed like a fucking piñata. I feel the tastes of greasy bacon and beer in my mouth, but I can't remember eating or drinking during the night...”</div></div></div></div></div></div><div>– “So that's why your door is locked, now?”</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div>– “Huh huh... And that's why I asked the nurse to tie me to my bed. When she comes back tomorrow morning and I'm... like this again, she won't accuse me of playing a trick on her!”</div><div>– “Okay... Okay.”</div><div>– “Maybe you guys can help, after all... I don't know how much more I can take. It's been a few nights and I already feel like a beached whale! Now I'm afraid...”</div><div><br /></div><div> Rick didn't seem like the kind of guy who would be so easily scared – at least not the kind of guy who would let anyone know about it.</div><div><br /></div><div><div>– “Are you really.... afraid?”</div></div><div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US">– “Hell yeah!</span>” Rick was dead serious about it. “I'm beginning to think that my stomach could burst at any moment, like... Ka-Boom! I spend my whole day in bed, trying to take in all that food and when I wake up in the morning, I'm stuffed to my gills... One more night in this Hell
hole and I will be spilling my guts like you don't want to watch...”</div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"> </div></div></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> As he left Rick's room, Scott didn't know where to go. He didn't even know where he stood, at this point. Rick's testimony didn't make much sense, convincing as he may be... It was a lot to process, and he was more puzzled than ever.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> He had to tell Phil, but they had to be alone. No one else should know about this. Scott was wandering in the hall, daydreaming...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> The library was a good place to sit down and try thinking about all this more clearly. Scott needed some peace and quiet. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> It looked like nurse Rockwell was still having some sort of argument with Phil. Scott understood that the news regarding his “promotion” as head of security at Augustine Bells was not well received. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Clearly, she was ignoring the subject altogether as she chose to nag him over the first petty matters that came to her mind. Scott thought better to stay away from such a scene. It was easier for him to hide and wait behind the bookshelves.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div>– “As if it weren't enough that we have to tolerate the way you dress and shave, or rather <i>don't </i>shave... What can you expect from a doctor with a goatee like this? And such long hair? I can't say I see a physician when I look at you... Besides, we hardly get to see you recently. Whenever we need your help, you are in the kitchen or somewhere... Never at your station, where you belong. Now Doctor Lipton tells us that you will work part-time?”</div><div><div>– “He may decide otherwise. We can't tell yet.”</div><div><div>– “We think you've been spending more than enough time around that school, and around these boys...”</div><div><br /></div></div></div><div> That last bit was a really mean sting. Phil did not exaggerate when he told Scott how careful he was to avoid such a touchy subject... He had every reasons to be anxious.</div><div><br /></div><div><div>– “If you have to work as a temporary replacement for mister Wingrave, I should advise you to lose some weight while you are there.”</div><div><div>– “I beg your pardon?”</div><div><div>– “Everyone has noticed how you have been <i>beefing up</i>, lately. You will be working as a security officer. You know the students and they know you... If you don't put in some effort into this assignment, you are bound to fail again!”</div><div><div>– “I should look more... convincing?”</div><div><div>– “Forget convincing. You need to look <i>intimidating</i>.”</div><div><div>– “Look tough?”</div><div><div>– “That would be some improvement. How can you look “tough” when you have been growing soft and bulky?”</div><div><div>– “You're right. I will work on it.”</div><div><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div> Nurse Rockwell wasn't quite done with him but they were almost out of earshot for Scott, on their way to the operating room... He moved to the windows and sat down in an old armchair.</div><div> He wasn't alone. Someone else was walking silently behind the shelves.</div><div> It was Mr Scupper.</div><div><br /></div><div><div>– “Why, mister Girder? Good afternoon.”</div><div><div>– “Good afternoon...”</div><div><br /></div></div></div><div> He wondered what the old man was doing here, at this hour.</div><div><br /></div><div>– “Some temper she has, am I right?” Mr Scupper sat next to Scott, with a thin smile. “You would expect a nurse working with patients to be more patient... How are you doing today, mister Girder?”</div><div><div>– “Between you and me... I'm a bit at loss of words, at the moment.”</div><div>– “I am not surprised. I have been considering a few things too, trying to cast some new light and focus on the issue at hand.”</div><div>– “Things like...”</div><div><br /></div><div> Mr Scupper sat back in his chair, looking very much like a professor.</div><div><br /></div><div>– “Something like <i>modus operandi</i>, since we are dealing with murder.”</div><div>– “Yes?”</div><div>– “There was something quite remarkable about Michael Astern's murder, and the recent incident with the other students. Even mister Wingrave...”</div><div><br /></div><div> Scott had to give up on his hopes of being considered in the same category as the other victims... He didn't insist. If the school's quirky gardener could come up with something that might help him unlock the riddle he had to unpick, he was all ears.</div><div><br /></div><div><div>– “What about them?”</div><div><div>– “Have you ever considered, mister Girder, how murder by stabbing, firing a gun or strangling someone are almost the same?”</div><div><div>– “Really? I'd say they are really different...”</div><div><div>– “Each case may be different, but these fall into the same category. If someone was shot, you look for a bullet and a gun. If he was stabbed, look for a knife or some kind of blade. If he was strangled, look for a rope. In any case, you can take a close look at the wound and follow the same line of deduction.”</div><div><div>– “That's true.”</div><div><div>– “Then you see that we are facing a problem of a different nature.”</div><div><div>– “Because... there's no weapon involved?”</div><div><div>– “Not quite. We have already come to the conclusion that the question regarding the nature of the murder weapon is irrelevant, in this case.”</div><div><div>– “Okay...”</div><div><div>– “Have you been listening to me?”</div><div><div>– “I thought I was.”</div><div><div>– “Guns, ropes, knives and razors or whatnot... These would all be <i>quick </i>murders. No, no. We to take it <i>slow</i>... so to speak.”</div><div><br /></div><div> Scott had to think about it. The old fool had a point. He knew only too well that stuffing his stomach full to the brim took time... Forcing someone to eat until he would pass out and possibly burst would have to take all night. In Michael's case, Phil had told him how hard it was to establish a precise time of Death, based on <i>rigor mortis</i> alone, since an allergic reaction was involved and the analysis of stomach content was basically pointless.</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><br /></div><div>– “You're right. Our killer definitely takes his sweet time...”</div><div><div>– “Quite unusual, isn't it? Consider how the pieces of the puzzle fit together. A closed room. No sign of forced entry. Murder after nightfall. No weapon involved. No marks on the victim's body. No trace of leftover food or containers... I am quite positive about the nature of the killer. He has to be a ghost, or some sort of spiritual entity we may call a ghost for the sake of clarity.”</div><div><div>– “But mister Huggins was strangled.”</div><div><div>– “Yes...” Mr Scupper frowned. “He was.”</div><div><br /></div><div> The old man looked angry at the victim, who failed to fall in line with his cooked-up theory. Scott didn't want to bother him. He had better things to do, on his own time.</div><div><br /></div><div><div>– “I believe you are in the right track. For some reason, this ghost likes to take his time...”</div><div><div>– “He certainly does.”</div><div><div>– “Have you considered that... Maybe he didn't want to kill his victim?”</div><div><div><br /></div><div> Mr Scupper looked up to him.</div><div><br /></div><div>– “Interesting... No, I didn't think about it like this.”</div><div><div>– “After all, the six students who are now in custody seem to be getting better. Rick did not die during the night either.”</div><div><div>– “You are correct. He didn't...” Mr Scupper grumbled. “Not yet.”</div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div></span><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span></div><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Scott was done skimming through the job offers. The <i>Biberton Morning Bugle</i> was a third-rate newspaper, in his opinion, and he found himself with very limited options. What position should he apply for, if he could no longer be a journalist?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> That was enough to spoil his appetite. Scott wasn't much of a stress eater. He enjoyed his food and he took his time to appreciate a really tasty, wholesome meal. Besides, Phil was such a talented cook – and he made good food part of a far more intriguing, far more interesting, filling and fulfilling experience...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> And he had made a whole batch of lasagna, just for him.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Scott could almost purr like a cat – like Garfield – when Phil knocked on his door and his nostrils flared as he took in the smell of that perfect marriage of layers upon layers of home-made pasta, sun-dried tomatoes and onions with plenty of ground meat, green peas and minced carrots cooked together with sliced mushrooms in a rich white sauce, then one last, thick layer of pasta on top, spread with marinara sauce and covered with melting grated cheese, still bubbling as it was generously sprinkled with spicy olive oil. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> He wasn't actually drooling: his taste bugs were so excited that they were weeping with joy!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> There was enough food for a party of eight, but Scott felt like he could snarl and bare his teeth to anyone one who would dare to get close to <i>his </i>batch... Phil could tell – it only made him smile.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> At the end of such a long day at work, that easy-going blonde guy was quite content with celebrating the little joys and simple pleasures in life – like spending quality time with a handsome young man who appreciated his cooking and his company.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Phil may be just so dumb as everyone made him out to be. Scott found him all the more attractive for being so simple, in his raw and rugged way, so naturally sensitive to other people's needs and feelings. Maybe he didn't have what it takes to think straight. Maybe he didn't have to think, when his senses were honed so fine that he could probably read Scott's thoughts as they unfolded – even more than he was ready to let on. Right now, Phil was serving him another large piece of lasagna.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Scott's worries were long gone by the time he was done with his fifth helping... He was just hungry for more, and there would always be more for him. It didn't stand to reason, but he had no doubt about it.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “I'm glad to see you eat so well</span>...<span style="text-align: center;">” Phil commented, as Scott was almost done with the lasagna.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Hmmmph?”</span></div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “You told me this afternoon that you didn't feel so hungry.”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “That was then. This is now.”</span></div><div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Pace yourself a little, and enjoy... There's no hurry</span>.<span style="text-align: center;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"> He had a point. Scott paused to catch his breath.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “BUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRP!</span><span style="text-align: center;">”</span></div><div></div></div><div><br /></div></div><div> That was such a loud, rude and crude belch, the two men burst into laughter. Phil brought a towel to his friend's face to wipe off the oil and sauce, then he kissed him on the cheek.</div><div><br /></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Well done...” He whispered. </span><span style="text-align: center;">“Make room for some dessert.”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"> Then he kissed him on the lips.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Dessert?” Scott asked in a haze. </span><span style="text-align: center;">“What's for dessert?”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Cheesecake.” Phil kept whispering in the most enticing way.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Oh, God... </span><span style="text-align: center;">I mean, huh... What kind?”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Chocolate.”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"> Scott only made a noise that sounded like a really deep growl. It grew even deeper and louder w</span><span style="text-align: center;">hen his caring cook knelt before him with that baked goodness presented on a large plate. It had to be no less than 12 inches round and 4 inches tall, covered with butterscotch sauce. Leave it to Phil to make it well over 12 inches...</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Oh you sweet, sweet Devil...” Scott cooed as he took a piece of cake in each hand and grabbed one huge bite after the other. </span><span style="text-align: center;">“You wicked, wicked sweetness..</span>. <span style="text-align: center;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “There's no need for you to eat so fast.”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Yes, there is... I feel that need. And I need more!”</span></div></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Okay, there's more...” Phil offered another generous piece of cake.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"> He saw that glint in his greedy friend's eye.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “You want me to feed it to your mouth, don't you?”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"> Scott nodded, his mouth still full but ready to open wide.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"> Phil fed him a few more pieces in a matter of minutes, then Scott shook his head to tell him that he was looking for something else. Answering with a smile that was too hot not to get burned, the blonde hunk put the plate on top of a few pillows already thrown on the floor. He helped Scott get down on all fours, rubbing his full belly fondly as it was beginning to sag with the weight of all the food he had already devoured.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"> Scott enjoyed being a pretty messy eater, at least when he was with someone who didn't mind. Phil didn't mind... H</span><span style="text-align: center;">e could tell. As he went on eating and grunting like a pig, he felt his friend's big paws fondling, kneading and </span><span style="text-align: center;">slowly</span><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span style="text-align: center;">parting his buttocks,</span><span style="text-align: center;"> encouraging him to grow fatter and fatter...</span><span style="text-align: center;"> That big dumb blonde bear could hardly wait for his partner to sport a magnificent wide, round, plump and plush butt </span><span style="text-align: center;">– for painfully obvious reasons.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><div><div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRP!”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> When he was f<span style="text-align: center;">inally able to breathe, Scott opened his eyes and noticed that they had moved back into the shower again, feeling the warm water still running all over their bodies.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> Standing behind him in the cabin, holding him in a loose embrace, Phil looked sleepy as if he was inviting him to go to sleep.</span></div></span></div><div></div></div><div> Scott looked around and chuckled, waking him up.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “The shower..</span>. In front of the mirrors... Against this wall... And this one too... The curtains... Throw pillows in that corner... And over there... Phil, do you realize that we've done it everywhere in this bedroom like... ten times, but <i>not </i>in bed?<span style="text-align: center;">”</span></div><div></div></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></span></div></span></span><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “Well, I'm stuffed...</span><span style="text-align: center;">”</span><span style="text-align: center;"> Scott rubbed his sides contentedly. </span><span style="text-align: center;">“</span><span style="text-align: center;">If you don't fill Rick's shoes, it looks like I'll soon fill his shirts!</span><span style="text-align: center;">”</span></div><div><div><div></div></div><div><br /></div><div> Phil was pretty much tucking him into bed.</div><div><br /></div><div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “I don't know..</span>. Phil was really something at his job.<span style="text-align: center;">”</span></div></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Not like he's one of a kind! You at least can follow in his footsteps.”</span></div><div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “We'll find out soon enough, what they've decided and what to expect</span>.<span style="text-align: center;">”</span></div></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “You should expect to lose some weight</span>.<span style="text-align: center;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"> Scott cast an impish look at his friend, with a smile.</span></div><div><br /></div></div></div><div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “You think</span> I should lose weight?<span style="text-align: center;">”</span></div></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Well, don't you? We're talking security, order and intimidation here</span>... I've told you before, you have to look <i>tough</i>. Work on it! And trim down! I bet more people have told you about this.<span style="text-align: center;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Yes, they have..</span>.<span style="text-align: center;">” Phil let out a deep sight.</span></div></div></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “It's bad enough for nurses to be treating obese, overfed patients all day, but if you turn into one of those <i>fat </i>bears...</span><span style="text-align: center;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Come on! I haven't put on so much weight lately.”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “</span><span style="text-align: center;">You're definitely a bit thicker in the middle</span>.<span style="text-align: center;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Yeah, I wonder how that happened</span>...<span style="text-align: center;">” Phil stroke his sleepy friend's hair, getting closer to kiss him again.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><span>– “What can I say?</span><span>” Scott moaned. </span></span><span style="text-align: center;">“You're such a bad influence on me</span>.<span style="text-align: center;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><span>– “How much, then?</span><span>” Phil kept playing with his lips. </span></span><span style="text-align: center;">“How much weight should I lose?</span><span style="text-align: center;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span>– “10 pounds for starters, but y</span><span style="text-align: justify;">ou should aim for 15 pounds.</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “Easier said than done</span>.<span style="text-align: center;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span>– “I know</span><span style="text-align: justify;">... It will be so hard!</span><span>” Scott chuckled.</span></span></div></span></span></div></span></span></div></span></span></div></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><span><span>– “Will you help me with this?</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><span><span>– “I will</span><span style="text-align: justify;">... Tell you what? For every pound you lose, I'll gain two.</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><span><span><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><span><span> Phil suddenly hugged Scott so tight and kissed him so hard that the fat boy slipped down in bed, almost losing his balance.</span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><span><span><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><span><span><span>– “Let's face it, I'm not cut for Rick's job..</span><span style="text-align: justify;">.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><span><span><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span><span><span>– “Someone has to look after those weird, weird kids</span><span style="text-align: justify;">.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></div></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><span>– “Yeah... I don't know</span><span style="text-align: justify;">. Maybe you should apply.</span><span>”</span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><span> The two men suddenly looked at each other in amazement.</span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><span> That was it. For days and days, Scott had been looking for a solution to all his problems when it was right in front of him.</span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span><span><span>– “I should totally do that</span><span style="text-align: justify;">.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></div></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span><span><span>– “You could, but don't get your hopes up. We both know that they don't want you on the premises</span><span style="text-align: justify;">...</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span><span><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span><span><span>– “Right..</span><span style="text-align: justify;">. I can't get Rick's job, but I know what to do.</span><span>”</span></span></span></span></div></span></span></div></span></span></div></span></span></span></span></div></span></span></div></span></span></div><div><br /></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Scott had made up his mind that he would go back to his home town in the morning. He would set things straight, give back his keys and leave his old apartment. He felt the need to cut ties like that, but now he knew where to start again. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> He had to call Sheriff Maxwell.</div></span><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “You're leaving tomorrow?</span><span style="text-align: center;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “I need</span> to pick up my things. That's all. <span style="text-align: center;">I'm not going back to my old life... and</span> I'm not going away.<span style="text-align: center;">”</span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><div></div></div><div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Okay then</span>.<span style="text-align: center;">”</span></div></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"> Phil was about to leave him to sleep.</span><span style="text-align: center;"> Scott grabbed his wrist.</span></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “Don't go!</span><span style="text-align: center;">”</span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “What's up with you?</span><span style="text-align: center;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “Stay. Spend the rest of the night with me</span>.<span style="text-align: center;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “You really need some sleep, and so do I... Honestly, I believe four times should be our limit for one night</span>.<span style="text-align: center;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “Oh yeah? You should take a look at the mirror, big boy... And I mean take a look down. That remains to be seen...</span><span style="text-align: center;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Scott wouldn't just let him go. His friend sat down by the bed.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Are you afraid or something?</span><span style="text-align: center;">”</span></div><div></div></div><div><div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Honesty? I am..</span>.<span style="text-align: center;">”</span></div><div></div></div><div><div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “You know I should already be gone</span>.<span style="text-align: center;">”</span></div></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “You aren't going anywhere tonight..</span>.<span style="text-align: center;">”</span></div><div><div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Where do you want me to sleep?</span><span style="text-align: center;">”</span></div></div></div><div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “I don't care</span>. Stay.<span style="text-align: center;">”</span></div><div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Sleep on the floor, like a dog?</span><span style="text-align: center;">”</span></div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span>– “Watchdog, maybe..</span><span style="text-align: justify;">.</span><span>” Scott blushed.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span><span>– “Forget it</span><span style="text-align: justify;">. I have to get up early.</span><span>”</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “Okay, join me in bed. I'll move over</span>... If you hold me, I won't fall off the side. Get behind me and wrap your arms around my chest, as you always do. It will be a really tight fit, but we can manage.<span style="text-align: center;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> Phil held him tight, as Scott told him, but not quite as he expected.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span>– “I keep trying to tell you..</span><span style="text-align: justify;">.</span><span>” He whispered, kissing the back of his neck and gently biting his earlobe.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></span></div></span></span><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i style="text-align: justify;">March 24th, 1990</i><span style="text-align: justify;"> – Saturday </span><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span></div></div></span><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Scott only spent a day out of town. He had to take his stuff and get out of his old apartment. The house cleaner left early in the afternoon and Scott's landlady looked pleased when she came to visit, so he would get his security deposit back.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> He didn't have to rent a truck. His mother worked in real estate. She had already made the call. Someone would take care of the furniture, in the morning. She wasn't available at the moment. Scott didn't mind. It was probably better that they only talked over the phone.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Most of the pants and shirts in his closet didn't fit anymore. No need to put them in his suitcase or a box. Scott found a few clothes he had kept in the back. They belonged to his <span style="text-align: center;">“bad old</span> days<span style="text-align: center;">”, when he had put on so much weight after his football injury and knee surgery... Somehow, his weight gain looked quite acceptable in hindsight.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Once he was done with his most of his stuff, Scott looked for his hiding place, where he kept his most treasured possessions: spanking paddles, harness, cuffs, belts, wristbands and straps, leather pants and thongs.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> These last items looked brand new <span style="text-align: center;">–</span> they were no longer his size, but Scott kept his complete collection bundled together to serve some darker purpose. He wouldn't go back empty-handed to Biberton.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “If I play my cards right tonight, I should also get my hands on a pair of Police handcuffs</span>...<span style="text-align: center;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> He couldn't wait to be back in Biberton.</div></span><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> The Maxwells had invited him for dinner. The sheriff answered the door and welcomed Scott with such a smile that he wouldn't feel like leaving anytime soon. He knew he would be among friends <span style="text-align: center;">– although he didn't expect Damon to wear a tight wifebeater over his jeans...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “What happened to your shirt?</span><span style="text-align: center;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span>– “A button popped out, last night</span>. Maria will sew it back on again. She has to mend more of my clothes, so she told me I'd stay dressed like this in the meantime.<span>”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Okay..</span>.<span style="text-align: center;">”</span></div><div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></span></div></div><div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></span></div></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “I have already order my uniform in a larger size</span><span style="text-align: center;">.</span><span style="text-align: center;">”</span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Scott expected to find Sheriff Maxwell with a few more pounds to his body, but he almost swooned as he let his eyes drift and roam all over those sensual curves. Damon had every reasons to be proud. Maria must have been cooking up a storm, lately – day after day to make him grow.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Damon rubbed his belly with both hands.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “So you can see, we're going to have a food baby... and I am proud to carry the love of my wife!”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> He flashed him with a bright, broad smile... Scott couldn't accept that Sheriff Maxwell was married, but he couldn't imagine him being single. He was too handsome for his own good.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Maria was still in the kitchen. She came to greet Scott in her own way.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– “We really missed you, guapo...” She hugged him. “You should have joined us for dinner more often, but it looks like you've been eating well!” </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Scott blushed, but he knew how much she appreciated a man who enjoyed to eat just as much as she enjoyed to cook.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– “So it was only a rumor?” Damon asked as he offered Scott a drink.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div>– “What rumor?”</div><div><div>– “That someone tried to poison you... Don't worry, this is tequila.”</div><div><div>– “I didn't know about the rumor, but it's true. ”</div><div><br /></div><div> He downed his glass in one gulp.</div><div><br /></div><div><div>– “I got better...”</div><div><br /></div><div> With more tequila shots than Scott could count, the Maxwells invited him in their living room for a wide assortment of home-made tapas – tortilla paisana, pinchitos, calamares, boquerones, gambas, croquetas, empanadillas, patatas bravas, pimientos, aceitunas, sauteed mushrooms with olive oil and garlic, fried cheese and plenty of chorizo.</div><div> As he was enjoying more than his fair share of food with Damon, Scott told him about his current situation. When he made it clear that he no longer had a job or a place to stay, they looked sorry for him and offered him to move on to the dinner table for a real feast.</div><div> Scott also had to switch to beer or he wouldn't be able to follow his own thought. He had come to ask them for a favor...</div></div><div><br /></div><div><div>– “You have such a healthy appetite!” Maria kept praising him.</div><div><div><div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></span></div></div><div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></span></div></div><div><div><div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Good thing you've made a whole pot of jambalaya</span>...<span style="text-align: center;">” Damon smiled. </span></div><div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></span></div></div><div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></span></div></div><div><div><div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Jambalaya?</span><span style="text-align: center;">”</span></div><div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></span></div></div><div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></span></div></div><div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Maria spent her entire afternoon on it, to cook the chicken, ham, shrimp and smoked sausages all together with onions, celery and bell peppers, carrots, tomatoes, corn, chilis and a ton of rice!</span><span style="text-align: center;">”</span></div></div></div></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"> Sheriff Maxwell was literally licking his lips.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><span>– “Wow..</span><span style="text-align: justify;">. Did she cook such a meal because you knew I was coming?</span><span>”</span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><span>– “That's right, you're our guest of honor tonight</span><span style="text-align: justify;">.</span><span>”</span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><span> Maria brought the pot to the table. There was enough food for a whole regiment of Marines, to get their spirits up if they were told to conquer Cuba on a dare.</span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><span>– “That's for you, Scott</span><span style="text-align: justify;">. Eat up and enjoy!</span><span>”</span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span>– “Are you guys not going to eat?</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span>– “Of course, we are. I get my own half of that cookpot in the kitchen</span><span style="text-align: justify;">.</span><span>”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span> Sure enough, there was just as much food for Damon.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span> The two men sat down and, for the next hour, they gorged themselves full of rice and meat, shrimp, vegetables and more rice... Maria kept coming back with more treats: pita bread, taquitos, corn on the cob and so on. It was too delicious to turn down, but Scott could barely keep up.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span> When he was done with his last spoon of jambalaya, he erupted into a particularly long, loud and crude belch.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span><div style="text-align: justify;">– “BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRP!”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> The Maxwells were delighted. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Damon was already up and helping his wife in the kitchen, while Scott was still facing quite an intimidating abundance of food on the table. His stomach was so stuffed that he could leave his cup of dirty Margarita on top of his belly. </div></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Some guest of honor..</span>.<span style="text-align: center;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “You should be named citizen of honor!” Damon laughed. “In a beer-brewing town like Biberton, such a burp is considered high praise...”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Maria couldn't agree more. She didn't want Scott to leave town.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– “We didn't have time to visit you at the hospital. Damon was working all day, and I...” She paused. “Maybe I will have a word with the people in the community service.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Is there someone you know at the hospital?”</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Just a guy who helps and works with my group of friends. He's collecting funds for the children's hospital. He bakes pastries and cakes or pies for us to sell... Not a bad cook either.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> For a woman like Maria, that was high praise in itself. Scott knew it was well deserved too...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– “That's Phil. You guys know him?”</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– “The guy with the pastries?”</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– “He's not a baker, he's... Never mind.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Scott didn't insist. More food was already coming his way.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– “I would love to help, do some community service...” He suggested a bit sheepishly. “I was thinking, maybe, if you need another deputy...”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Damon smiled. He was working on some hot caramel sauce for dessert.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Be my deputy, Scott? You mean to work with the Police?”</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– “I would love to... It would allow me to stay in Biberton, and...”</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Keep investigating those murders, right?”</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Yes...” Scott blushed.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Of course, holding a badge would carry more weight than being a journalist, in the eyes of those people at school.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Exactly!”</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– “I'm not so sure... And if you want that badge, <i>you </i>will have to carry a lot more weight!”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Scott blushed even deeper. He should have seen it coming.</div></span></div></div></span></span></div></span></span></div><div><br /></div></div></div></div></div></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNXo0X_ytW53XvZkK60OlHFMTu7-B_zSoM72o4zwYJXTKzt0o6vc4K-iNi1ttvHLJLneisp2uyjwKDI4qAS5lZuyLSxoQpgAUJ-jsJXOGobw4R_luHZBxf7YO-G4DJXkONrH74aUN44IHMkuj4d6YyVRXVex3wQgfU9kdZOaSq2DAb5OGJ9Q66rKW2zA/s1601/The%20Augustine%20Murders%2018%20-%20Overeating.bmp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1360" data-original-width="1601" height="544" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNXo0X_ytW53XvZkK60OlHFMTu7-B_zSoM72o4zwYJXTKzt0o6vc4K-iNi1ttvHLJLneisp2uyjwKDI4qAS5lZuyLSxoQpgAUJ-jsJXOGobw4R_luHZBxf7YO-G4DJXkONrH74aUN44IHMkuj4d6YyVRXVex3wQgfU9kdZOaSq2DAb5OGJ9Q66rKW2zA/w640-h544/The%20Augustine%20Murders%2018%20-%20Overeating.bmp" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– “You have to eat a lot more that this!<span style="text-align: center;">” Sheriff Maxwell encouraged him to pile more food on his plate. </span><span style="text-align: center;">“</span>I need you to grow <i>big </i>and <i>strong</i>, if you want to be my deputy...”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “I don't know how much more food I can put away</span>... My pants are down to the last button, I've pulled them down twice since we've started dinner and my T-shirt is no longer riding up on me because it's ready to rip on both sides.<span style="text-align: center;">” </span></div><div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></span></div></div><div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></span></div></div><div>– “So? Take it off, if you have to, but you're not going to sleep without dessert. I think you will be a good addition to our local Police force, but show me what you got. Consider this as your job interview...”</div><div><br /></div><div> Scott gave a few pats to his belly.</div><div><br /></div><div>– “Is this what you call “big and strong”? Because...”</div><div><div>– “I call it big. Strength comes in numbers. We'll weigh you in later.”</div><div><div>– “Okay...”</div><div><br /></div><div> Before he knew it, Scott cleaned all the plates on the table before him. When he was done, Damon came closer and put a hand on his shoulder.</div><div><br /></div></div></div><div><div>– “Your timing couldn't be better, Scott.”</div><div><div>– “Why's that?”</div><div><div>– “I was actually looking for a deputy.”</div></div></div><div><div>– “What happened to Andy? I haven't seen him in a while...”</div><div><div><br /></div><div> Scott had only met Andy once or twice. He remembered a tall, handsome young man – remarkably overweight, well over 400lbs.</div><div><br /></div><div>– “Andy had to leave... We had an agreement, and it was time for him to go. You can start next week, and everyone will be happy to see you in uniform.”</div><div><div>– “Why did Andy have to leave?”</div><div><div>– “When I took him up, he was a thin and insecure green kid.” </div><div><div>– “Thin?” Scott could hardly believe it.</div><div><div>– “Yes, thin. Andy asked for our help to put on weight and grow much bigger, much stronger! And much fatter, of course!”</div><div><div>– “How much... bigger?”</div><div><div>– “Three hundred pounds.”</div><div><div>– “Yikes!”</div><div><div>– “On his last weigh-in, last week or so, he had just achieved his goal.”</div><div><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div> Maria joined them in the living room. Scott was feeling dizzy.</div><div><br /></div><div><div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;">– “El hombre es débil.</span>” she commented. “Y cuando ejerce la profesión de fuerte, es más débil...”</div></span><span style="color: black;"></span></span><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"></span></div><div><br /></div></div><div> Sheriff Maxwell encouraged his future deputy.</div><div><br /></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “I've kept my eye on you</span>. It's only been a few months, but you've made quite an impression. You've gained weight, you've lost weight, now you've gained weight again...<span style="text-align: center;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"> Scott didn't know what to say.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “I'm taking you on your offer. You're hired. Only now</span>...” He smiled, as it was time for desserts. <span style="text-align: center;">“When Maria and I make you put on weight, you will keep the weight! When we make you fat, you will stay fat. And boy! are we going to <i>fatten you up</i>...</span>”</div><div><br /></div></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>March 19th, 1990</i> – Monday</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> One night in bed with Phil was more exhilarating than a whole week on roller coasters at Six Flags. Insatiable as he was, Scott found himself so completely taken over by lust, teased and spoiled and pleasured in so many ways, he could barely keep up...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> In the morning, he could only come up with two thoughts. Number one: he had to up his game and take full advantage of his partner. Since Phil was such a strapping young man who looked and behaved so much like a bear, he would strap him down and tease him even further – tickle him, goad him, slap him and spank him, basically bait him like some kind of wild beast that can't possibly be tamed.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Number two: they had to check on Rick as soon as possible. Scott was tempted to say “before it was too late”. Judging from the puzzled look on the doctor's face, he may have said it out loud.</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div>– “Before it's too late... for what?” Phil asked.</div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “I mean...” Scott blushed furiously. </span><span style="text-align: center;">“We don't want a nurse to get in our way. Let's go see him right now.”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"> Phil agreed. He had not seen Rick for days.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"> The door to his room was locked. As he opened it, the early morning sunbeams made the two young men blink a little. Shining through the branches of the nearest pine trees, the sun bathed the bedroom in rich shades of orange.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"> Rick was still fast asleep, and snoring, with an oxygen mask on his face and a number of tubes inserted in his mouth. Scott has seen him like this before. Phil was used to it. There would be nothing to worry about, if Rick's cheeks didn't look so... puffed out.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Okay, Scott... We have to be careful to wake him up.” Phil sounded genuinely concerned.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"> He took the tubes away first, so gently as he could. Rick was still startled, as he suddenly opened his eyes and took a deep breath. It looked like he was struggling to breathe.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “You guys made it. Thank you!” He groaned, with a sigh of relief.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"> His voice sounded worse than ever, raspy and wheezing... Rick could only whisper, and he kept glancing around nervously. Phil was appalled as he examined him.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"> </span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “I was hoping that you were exaggerating... It's worse than I thought.”</span></div></div><div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Huh?” Rick tried to lift his head up, like a grossly oversized baby.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Please, keep calm... We're here to help.”</span></div></div><div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Graham?” The obese young man blink for a moment. </span><span style="text-align: center;">“I mean... Phil? Did Scott tell you? Did you know?”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Scott told me, but I didn't expect this...”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Put your hand on my stomach.” Rick barked, looking very determined.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Okay...”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"> Phil did just as he was told, careful and slow.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Feel it.” </span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"> Scott was amazed. Rick's stomach wasn't only jutting on top of the huge ball of lard that was his belly.</span><span style="text-align: center;"> I</span><span style="text-align: center;">t looked bloated and flushed. As he got closer, sitting by the bed, Scott could hear some pretty distinctive sounds </span><span style="text-align: center;">– rumbling and grumbling...</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"> The fat boy's stomach was still working on digesting food, like a butter churn!</span><span style="text-align: center;"> Scott jumped to the conclusion.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div></div><div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Rick, you are stuffed!” He almost shouted.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"> It was the only possible explanation, but fascinating to him. He blushed when he saw how his friends looked at him.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Well, duh...” Rick was more interested in Phil's opinion, for the first time ever. </span><span style="text-align: center;">“Then you agree... You believe me. Look at my hands, look at my ankles. I'm still bound to bed, I didn't even ask for a glass of water... Now, I've been stuffed silly during the night. I can barely breathe...”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Don't move...</span><span style="text-align: center;">” Phil took off his straps and cuffs. </span><span style="text-align: center;">“T</span><span style="text-align: center;">here is no need to panic, now that we are on the same page. Tell us, Rick. About last night...”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “What about it?”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “What do you remember?”</span></div></div><div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Not much. I was going to sleep when nurse Rockwell left. That's it. Everything was just as it is...”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “You didn't hear anyone trying to come in?”</span></div></div><div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “No.” Rick made a effort and tried to remember something. </span><span style="text-align: center;">“It's been a week. Every morning, I wake up and my stomach feels like I have swallowed a bowling ball in one gulp...”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Did you have a dream tonight?”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “A dream?”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “I don't know... A bad dream, if you prefer.”</span></div></div><div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “I don't dream.” Rick scoffed. </span><span style="text-align: center;">“Dreams are for sissies...”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Your stomach is extremely full.” Phil rubbed it softly. </span><span style="text-align: center;">“Such massive amounts of food can only be forced on someone... And since I don't see a crumb or a stain on your covers, I should be more precise: the person or persons who forced you to ingest so much had to know exactly how much your stomach can hold... Whoever did this to you knew exactly what he was doing.”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"> Phil was certainly doing his best at reassuring his patient, but that last part sounded more ominous than anything even Rick could take. As he let it sink in, he grew surprisingly pale </span><span style="text-align: center;">– like a ghost.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"> The young man laying in bed now was no longer the cocky, strutting or strolling head of security at Augustine Bells... It finally dawned on him that he was enormously obese, and stuffed beyond belief!</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Guys, guys...” He stuttered. </span><span style="text-align: center;">“You have to help me. I can't spend another light trapped like this, and... stuffed like this... I don't remember anything, I swear. I don't know who did this, or how. I've never really figured how much I could stuff myself, if I put my heart to it. This is... No, it's not just a bad dream. It's a nightmare, and I don't get to wake up or get out of bed...”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"> The poor guy was completely lost. He grabbed Phil's arm and held on to it. Scott knew that move all too well, and he was tempted to tell him to take his hands off his property. </span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “You guys have to help me. I can't get out of here alone... You have to save me. Save me, please...”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"> Phil couldn't possibly quiet him down with a few words. </span><span style="text-align: center;">He had to let him pour it out... </span><span style="text-align: center;">Rick was in such a panic that he burst into tears and sobbed for a moment. He kept pressing the doctor's hand in a vice-like grip, while Phil was caressing his aching wrist gently with his free paw </span><span style="text-align: center;">– behav</span><span style="text-align: center;">ing </span><span style="text-align: center;">like a caring, bigger brother rather than a physician.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"> Then it was just what Rick needed to feel a little better.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"> Still fascinated by the size and softness of Rick's ball gut, quaking and wobbling with each breath and whimper, Scott had a sudden flashback </span><span style="text-align: center;">– as he had secretly caught him frisking and harassing Phil in his office at school, only a week ago.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"> It was a far cry from what was happening right in front of him. Was it the same guy who forced a fellow coworker to strip down to his underwear, and manhandled him as Scott had witnessed? Sweating, huffing and puffing, Rick was looking up to Phil with teary eyes, begging him to let him sneak out of the hospital. No less.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Okay...” Phil said. </span><span style="text-align: center;">“If Scott is up to it, I will help you get out at night.”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"> Scott looked up too, away from Rick's quivering belly.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"> It wasn't so easy to answer such a request. Phil's position at the hospital was hanging by a thread, as it was. He could totally lose his job, if they got caught.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div></div><div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Are you sure?” Scott hesitated to ask.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Rick is right, this is serious... I don't understand how it's done, but we don't have time to investigate. I guess you are feeling fatter and fatter, every morning.”</span></div></div><div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Oh...” The obese man grunted. </span><span style="text-align: center;">“Like you wouldn't believe.”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Okay, then.” Phil didn't insist. </span><span style="text-align: center;">“We will think of a way out...”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"> Rick threw him a sideways glance.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “You? I would feel better if someone else came up with a plan and you acted on it. You're not exactly the brightest bulb in the lighthouse...”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Let's go for it...” Scott offered. </span><span style="text-align: center;">“Phil can be the brawn to my brains.”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"> He tried not to chuckle. They had to leave</span><span style="text-align: center;"> Rick, reluctant as he was to stay in his bed and go back to sleep... He made them promise to come back by the end of the week. </span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"> Well aware of the consequences for his career if something went wrong in their attempt to save Rick, Phil was still eager to help.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “How are we going to pull it off?”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Pull him out of bed? You'd better hit the gym hard and work-out even harder, for a few days, because you'll have some heavy lifting to do!”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “I meant... How do you think we should proceed?”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “No idea.” Scott shrugged.</span></div></div></div></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></span></div></span></span><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> The students were done with their weigh-ins.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Scott joined them as Phil was talking to the German student, who came last in their group.</div></span><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Du hast ein ansehnliches Bäuchlein.”</div></span><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Na ja. Ich fühle so schwer... und fett!”</div></span><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Hab keine Angst... Keine Sorge, ist schon gut... Deine Freunde sind auch stramme Burschen, schon dick und rund.”</div></span><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Und weich.”</div></span><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– “Ja, ziemlich so.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> For some reason, their little talk sounded a lot more comforting than Mr Swayn's exclamations and suggestions. It had to do with Phil's tone and voice, naturally soft and soothing even as he just spoke with a seemingly flawless German accent.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> Scott could at least understand that the boys had received bad news.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> They looked pretty much the same, in terms of size and puffiness </span><span style="text-align: center;">– except for the fact that, according to the scales, they had put on three to four pounds over the week-end...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “</span>Talk about some sinister six..<span style="text-align: center;">.” Scott thought.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"> Brad was still avoiding him. Scott waved but he didn't respond. Owen was sitting next to him, with two other students. It looked like he and Brad were poking, teasing and taunting those last boys. Scott didn't know their names.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Who would think we could be a wild bunch, if they saw us? Right?”</span></div><div><br /></div><div> It was Duncan. Scott sat next to him, secretly pleased that he had found someone to talk to. </div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “You don't look so sick to me anymore. What's with the long faces?”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “Not long... They want us, and our faces, to round up.”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Right.”</span></div><div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “It's the school's policy: eat, drink and be gloomy.”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “The <i>Quiet Diet</i>?”</span></div></div><div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Yeah, as if... We couldn't get quiet about anything. Look at them...</span><span style="text-align: center;">”</span></div><div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Who?”</span></div><div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Owen. Brad.</span><span style="text-align: center;"> Always so jumpy, ready to prey on their next victim.”</span></div></div></div><div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Maybe someone should make them more quiet?”</span></div><div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Then what, obedient? No, no...” <span style="text-align: justify;">Duncan </span>turned to Scott, lowering his voice. </span><span style="text-align: center;">“You should know... Expect poison from the standing water.”</span></div><div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Poison?</span><span style="text-align: center;">”</span></div><div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “We've all heard about you. I found it... interesting.”</span></div><div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Interesting? Someone wants to kill me and that all you've got?”</span></div><div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “If someone tried to poison you, he didn't know his stuff... or he didn't want to kill you. I bet you didn't think about it.”</span></div><div><br /></div></div></div></div><div> Scott was always so annoyed by that kind of smartass, know-it-all kids <span style="text-align: center;">– but he was intrigued.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “You seem to know a lot more than you let on.”</span></div><div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “I know a few things and I'm not allowed to talk. So, yeah...”</span></div><div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “We're talking. Tell me something.”</span></div><div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “It's not like I'm in the mood to talk either, you know.”</span></div><div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “I'm listening.”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"> The boy grunted.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Look at me. Look at us...</span><span style="text-align: center;">”</span></div><div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Okay... So?”</span></div><div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “W</span><span style="text-align: center;">e're all sick and tired. You're like... thick and fired.”</span></div></div></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"> Scott felt the sting, at first </span><span style="text-align: center;">– t</span><span style="text-align: center;">hen he smiled. The boy didn't know that he would be working as a Sheriff's deputy soon and with their security officer, as soon as they got back to school.</span></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div><br /></div></div><div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “I'll tell you something... I'm not leaving. This is only the beginning.”</span></div><div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “We all wish we could leave, and you won't?”</span></div><div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Now tell me something I don't now...”</span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><br /></div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Scott's conversation with Duncan was up to a good start to get him to talk about his friend Michael’s Death.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Michael wasn't his friend, of course, and veryone kept treating that first murder as some sort of <span style="text-align: center;">“l</span>ocked-door mystery<span style="text-align: center;">” </span><span style="text-align: center;">–</span><span style="text-align: center;"> which probably made it </span><span style="text-align: center;">“interesting” for a student like him. </span></div></span><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “</span>Michael's bedroom wasn't locked.<span style="text-align: center;">” Scott cut to the chase.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> <span style="text-align: justify;">Duncan </span>looked puzzled for a moment.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “</span>It wasn't?<span style="text-align: center;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “</span>It was closed, but it wasn't locked.<span style="text-align: center;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “</span>How do you know it was or wasn't?<span style="text-align: center;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “</span>I have my sources...<span style="text-align: center;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> Scott wouldn't tell. The boy frowned.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “</span>So we had it all wrong. It's not a locked-door mystery... It's a closed-door mystery. Woo, frickin' Hoo. What difference does it make?<span style="text-align: center;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “If the door wasn't locked, someone could enter, and...”</span><span style="text-align: center;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “Someone could, but no one did.</span><span style="text-align: center;">”</span><span style="text-align: center;"> <span style="text-align: justify;">Duncan </span>interrupted him. </span><span style="text-align: center;">“Again, w</span>hat difference does it make? <span style="text-align: center;">It's not even like you're back to square one, in your investigation... You've barely made your first move yet.</span><span style="text-align: center;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> Suddenly, <span style="text-align: justify;">Duncan </span>rose to his feet as if he had decided to go for a walk.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> Scott was left there, alone in his corner of the waiting room.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> The other boys were still playing, and it was better to get past them.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “</span>What class are they taking?” Scott wondered. “<i>Advanced bullying</i>?<span style="text-align: center;">”</span></div></span><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> He went back to the library, lost in his own thoughts again. He'd only read a few pages from <i>William Wilson</i>, and not even started another tale. As he was about to put the book back on its shelf, he opened it at random and read : </div></span><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;">“If there is on earth a supreme and unqualified despotism, it is the despotism of a master-mind in boyhood over the less energetic spirits of its companions.”</div></span><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Scott couldn't agree more.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Edgar Poe? Not bad. Are you into mystery novels?</span><span style="text-align: center;">”</span></div><div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"> It was nurse Brinell. Scott smiled back.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Short stories like this... That's okay</span>.<span style="text-align: center;">”</span></div><div><div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Then you should definitely read this one</span>.<span style="text-align: center;">”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"> Nurse Brinell gave him another thin book.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “What is it?</span><span style="text-align: center;">”</span></div><div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></span></div></div><div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></span></div></div><div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></span></div></div><div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></span></div></div><div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></span></div></div><div><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">– “Henry James. </span><i>The Turn of the Screw</i>.<span style="text-align: center;">”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"> Scott spotted Phil talking with nurse Rockwell and doctor Lipton, at the end of the hall. His lips curled up in a smug and mischievous smile.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">– “Definitely looking forward to some more screwing..</span>.<span style="text-align: center;">”</span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div></span></div></span></div></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: right;">(<i>To be continued</i>...)</div></span></span></div></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5094005257601699515.post-8401123421267254342022-08-12T01:56:00.132-07:002023-08-09T16:08:10.392-07:00Hassan & les ogresses (adapté d'un conte kabyle) - deuxième partie<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Allongé sur le dos, Hassan se repose mais il n'a pas sommeil.</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div> Enfermé dans ce silo depuis des semaines et des semaines, des mois et des mois, il ne se souvient plus du jour où l'ogresse Tsériel l'a pris dans son piège. Autour de lui, les parois de briques et de terre cuite sont trop lisses, et le puits dans lequel on l'a fait descendre est si profond qu'il est absolument impossible de s'en échapper...</div><div> Surtout, le beau jeune homme dont l'ogresse a confié la garde à sa fille est beaucoup trop <i>lourd</i> pour tenter d'escalader de telles parois, même s'il y trouvait la moindre prise pour ses pieds et ses mains... Depuis que cette vieille sorcière l'a mis en captivité, les deux femmes ne font que le nourrir sans cesse, jour après jour, en lui apportant de nombreux plats. Elles commencent à cuisiner très tôt avant l'aube, pour finir longtemps après le crépuscule. </div><div> Hassan a tout de suite compris qu'il était leur proie. Tsériel le traite si férocement qu'il n'a aucun doute : sa seule distraction est de <i>manger</i>, ses seuls efforts doivent être de <i>manger </i>encore, son seul réconfort doit être de <i>manger </i>toujours ! Toute son activité se réduit ainsi à enchaîner les assiettes, les tajines et les grands bols qu'il vide et qu'il "nettoie" de bon appétit, de repas en repas toujours plus copieux...</div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> En vérité, il ne laisse jamais se perdre la moindre miette. La cuisine des ogresses est très savoureuse, riche et bien relevée, sucrée, salée, juste un peu épicée... Elles lui préparent presque toujours les mêmes plats et les mêmes desserts, avec peu de variété d'un jour à l'autre mais Hassan n'est pas un garçon difficile. La nourriture qu'elles lui proposent est tout-à-fait à son goût. Il ne s'en lasse pas ! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Dès le premier jour où Tsériel l'a encouragé à manger une douzaine de plats, le jeune homme a été surpris de se régaler autant, à tel point que ces bons repas rendaient son emprisonnement presque tolérable. Il n'est pas dupe, et il a bien compris que tous ces plats si appétissants sont trop savoureux, trop riches et subtilement relevés, salés ou épicés, pour qu'il s'empresse de s'empiffrer — mais aussi pour lui donner soif et pour qu'il se désaltère largement aux tonnelets de bière ou aux grandes jattes de lait contre lesquels il est adossé.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Surtout, les desserts et même les plats qu'on lui sert sont trop sucrés, avec trop de miel, trop de fruits confits ou caramélisés, trop de sirop sur ses pâtisseries et toujours beaucoup trop de pâte d'amande... Hassan en a la langue, les lèvres et les doigts tout poisseux en permanence. Enfin, tous ces plats baignent dans l'huile et le beurre, avec trop de fritures et trop de sauces... </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Son régime, très chargé en viandes et en féculents, est encore alourdi par cette abondance évidemment suspecte de sucreries et de graisses — afin qu'il se sente toujours "bien repu" et satisfait, en fin de repas.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Le beau jeune homme soupire. On lui a donné pour mission de <i>grossir</i>, et de prendre du poids pour satisfaire l'horrible appétit de l'ogresse, qui se réjouit en songeant au monstrueux méchoui qu'elle pourra préparer, lorsqu'il sera devenu "raisonnablement gros et gras". En vérité, les deux ogresses travaillent à le rendre <i>obèse</i>, excessivement joufflu et bouffi !</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Depuis le premier jour, Hassan se régale... et il se remplit la panse.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Il n'a pas tardé à trouver comment faire croire à la vieille sorcière, qui est presque aveugle, qu'il reste "maigre" — certainement "trop maigre" pour être rôti et dévoré... Par chance, il a trouvé quelques ossements dans le fond du silo, ceux d'une ancienne victime des ogresses. Lorsque Tsériel vient le tâter pour évaluer ses progrès, il fait passer un grand os très sec pour son avant-bras.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Cette ruse lui permet de gagner un peu de temps. Il a aussi entrepris de séduire la fille de l'ogresse, Loundja, qui est bâtie en force, courte sur pattes, boiteuse, rondelette et grassouillette, très laide et presque aussi aveugle que sa mère, mais de bon conseil et plus rusée qu'il n'y paraît.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Elle lui a fourni une grande peau de cuir pour en recouvrir l'os et faire patienter la vieille sorcière, qui apprécie de sentir qu'il grossit... un peu, lentement mais sûrement... Ce stratagème permet encore à Hassan de gagner du temps, et de reprendre espoir pour se sauver des griffes de l'ogresse qui attend — avec impatience — le jour où il aura suffisamment grossi pour être déclaré "dodu à point", et bon pour être dévoré !</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Pendant plusieurs semaines, les deux femmes le traitent comme un animal dans son enclos, et le laissent seul — terriblement seul... À toute heure du jour, même tard dans la nuit, elles lui apportent d'innombrables assiettes lourdement remplies de nourritures, sans lui dire un mot... Et le pauvre garçon se morfond, assis dans l'obscurité, très malheureux de n'avoir que ces grands plats, ces tajines, ces assiettes et ces bols, ces tonnelets de bière et ces énormes jattes de lait pour seule compagnie.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Avec un soupir angoissé, Hassan comprend qu'il s'agit d'une méthode bien éprouvée par la sorcière et sa fille pour briser la volonté de leurs proies, si par hasard ils tentaient de résister, jusqu'à leur ôter tout espoir et même toute estime personnelle, afin de les rendre plus obéissants et plus dociles... ou pour les pousser encore à s'empiffrer, sans retenue — toujours plus et toujours plus vite, jusqu'à ce que leurs ventres soient sur le point d'éclater !</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Cette révélation ne le rassure pas du tout. Au contraire ! Il frissonne en s'apercevant que, tout en suivant son raisonnement, il s'est perdu dans ses pensées mais il a aussi englouti le contenu de plusieurs grands bols de nourriture et il tient encore un plat entre ses mains... Il mord déjà dans un gros morceau de poulet dégoulinant de beurre. Il s'en lèche les doigts, puis il saisit une poignée de couscous et une poignée de raisins secs, qu'il ne tarde pas à enfourner dans sa bouche.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> En toutes circonstances, son premier mouvement est de <i>manger</i>, son premier réflexe est de <i>manger</i>, sa seule satisfaction est de <i>manger </i>!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Hassan n'éprouve aucun sentiment de fierté lorsqu'il n'est plus entouré que de plats, d'assiettes et de bols empilés, lorsque les mangeoires sont vides et que les tonnelets et les jattes sont à sec... Quelque chose lui manque. Il ressent le besoin physique d'avoir, à tout moment, quelque chose de bon à manger à portée de main. Et ses mains vont et viennent, toutes seules, sans qu'il y prête attention, pour se saisir des plats et des mangeoires. Elles vont et viennent jusqu'à sa bouche, sans relâche, et partent encore à la recherche d'autres plats bien nourrissants autour de lui. Et le gros garçon continue de se repaître et de s'empiffrer, encore et encore, en s'efforçant de penser à autre chose... Rien n'y fait. Quoi qu'il fasse ou tente de faire, Hassan se régale — et il s'<i>engraisse</i> !</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Le beau jeune homme a compris tout cela. En essuyant ses larmes, il interrompt enfin son repas pour respirer un instant.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Hélas ! Pauvre de moi... Je ne gagnerai rien à me plaindre ainsi sans cesse, surtout si je mange sans cesse, dans le même temps."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Hassan lève les yeux, mais il ne voit pas la moindre lumière passer à travers la grande trappe qui ferme son silo... Il soupire, en se tâtant le ventre en longues caresses circulaires, très doucement.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "C'est la seule issue, mais je ne peux pas l'atteindre... Puisque je ne peux pas sortir, il faut qu'on me fasse sortir. Voilà tout."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Après avoir tâté son ventre, Hassan laisse ses mains partir à l'aventure pour trouver un nouveau plat ou un bol contenant quelque chose de bon à manger. Cependant, il s'aperçoit qu'il vient de finir son "repas" puisqu'il ne trouve que des plats bien nettoyés et des bols et des assiettes vides, empilés maladroitement dans l'obscurité.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "J'ai encore bien trop bu et trop bien mangé, sans m'en apercevoir."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Il se lève, et soulève les tonnelets à côté de lui. C'est à peine s'il restait quelques gorgées de bière et de lait, qu'il avale avec bruit... Satisfait et rassasié, il se hasarde à faire quelques pas, sur place, dans son silo. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Comme il devait s'y attendre, ses pas sonnent "lourds", et il entend la vieille Tsériel s'approcher. Il se rassoit juste à temps, lorsqu'elle ouvre la porte d'observation en lui adressant des reproches.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Si tu n'as rien à faire, Hassan, il faut <i>manger </i>! Donne-moi tes plats, si tu les as bien nettoyés. Bien... Bien... Bien. Et maintenant, mange ! Et tâche de t'empâter un peu ! Il faut que tu sois bientôt... bien en chair."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Elle n'a pas plus tôt fermé la porte que le gros garçon a déjà la bouche pleine : entouré de nourritures, dont les grands plats remplis comme des monticules encombrent tout l'espace disponible dans le fond du silo, il est encore en train de s'empiffrer... </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Il se précipite même, en avalant toujours plus et en plongeant ses deux mains dans deux grandes mangeoires à la fois ! Ce n'est qu'après avoir vidé le contenu de ces mangeoires que le jeune homme comprend qu'il ne peut pas réfléchir et manger en même temps... Hassan doit se faire une raison : sa première pensée, désormais, est de <i>manger </i>!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Hélas ! Pauvre de moi... La vieille ogresse m'a rendu bien docile. Je ne peux pas lutter contre une telle abondance de nourriture..." Hassan songe, entre deux grandes bouchées. "Mon poids a certainement doublé, et plus que doublé... Mais je ne fais que me remplir comme une outre ! Ma panse a pris la place de ma cervelle, et mes idées ne sont plus que ce qu'on me fait ingurgiter... C'est tout ce dont j'ai besoin. Et il faut que j'en profite, puisque je me régale toujours autant !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Le gros garçon donne une petite tape sur son ventre, bien rond et bien rebondi, affectueusement. Il sourit.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Voyons... Je ne peux pas lutter, seul contre tous à la fois. Contre Tsériel, contre sa fille Loundja, et contre tous ces plats si savoureux... et si nourrissants. J'ai pris beaucoup de poids, et de ventre, mais c'est <i>mon </i>ventre ! Si je me sauve, ce sera grâce à lui, pas seulement avec lui. Mon corps n'est pas mon ennemi... Mon poids n'est pas mon ennemi. Et la nourriture aussi n'est pas mon ennemie, puisqu'en me nourrissant elle entre dans mon corps, et la graisse n'est pas mon ennemie puisqu'elle fait partie de moi... Si je me sauve, je dois aussi sauver toute la graisse qui me remplit le ventre, et je dois sauver mon ventre qui pèse si lourd. Mes adversaires, ce sont ces ogresses !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Tout en se remplissant toujours le gosier, Hassan considère son ventre déjà magnifiquement bien rempli, et il caresse son estomac d'une main, lentement et tendrement.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Allons, faisons la paix. J'ai bien grossi et pris du poids, et engraissé... La vieille Tsériel croit avoir l'avantage sur moi. C'est parce que je mange toute la journée qu'elle me laisse tranquille... Toute cette nourriture est une arme qui peut servir à l'un comme à l'autre. Mon estomac est mon allié. Mon poids fait ma force ! Même ma graisse est un atout, c'est mon arme secrète... Et mon corps bien épais, bien lourd et bien en chair, fait ma fierté. Enfin, avec tout ça, j'ai <i>faim</i> !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Et il tend les mains vers d'autres plats pour se repaître de couscous, de pois chiches, de boulettes de viande et de merguez, voracement...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><div><br /></div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Un matin, Tsériel revient enfin le voir et ouvre la petite porte du silo.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Hassan ! Lève-toi, mon gros garçon... Et donne-moi ton bras et ton poignet à tâter !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Hassan l’attendait. Depuis la dernière visite de l'ogresse, il a enveloppé le grand os sec avec la peau de cuir bouilli, en faisant quatre fois le tour pour lui donner encore un peu plus d’épaisseur et pour que l’un paraisse faire corps avec l’autre. Il le place en travers de la porte d’observation pour la vieille sorcière... De ses doigts maigres et de ses ongles longs, celle-ci tâte et presse un peu le cuir. Elle croit ainsi qu’il s’agit toujours de son bras et de son poignet.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Enfin ! Voilà qui est beaucoup mieux, beaucoup mieux... Tu as encore grossi, mon bon Hassan. Je te trouve un peu plus dodu, comme un beau petit mouton, bien tendre."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Oui, je me régale toujours autant !" lui répond simplement Hassan. "Et je m’engraisse..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Pour une fois, le jeune homme est parfaitement sincère avec la vieille sorcière ! Celle-ci appelle sa fille pour faire l’éloge de sa cuisine. Hassan l’entend aussi chanter ses propres louanges.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Il était temps que tu engraisses ! Trop longtemps, tu n'as eu que la peau sur les os, mon pauvre garçon."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Elle ne croit pas si bien dire... Mais elle se réjouit à l'idée que Hassan, enfermé dans son silo, lui montre d'aussi "beaux progrès" ! Paresseux et lourdaud, il dort et il digère magnifiquement... Docile, il se laisse encore gaver comme un canard gras. Enfin, avec un aussi gros appétit, le beau jeune homme devrait bientôt devenir dodu à souhait et... appétissant<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-size: 15.4px;"> </span></span>!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Du lever au coucher du soleil — pour autant qu’il peut en juger, dans l’obscurité de sa prison — Hassan ne fait que se remplir la panse, de gré ou de force... Les deux ogresses lui servent d’énormes repas complets, très nourrissants et très copieux. Et chaque nuit, Loundja vient encore le gaver sans lui dire un mot, jusqu’à ce qu’il ne puisse plus rien avaler.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Dans le noir, le pauvre garçon tâche de se convaincre qu’il lui reste des possibilités de se sauver. Après avoir été engorgé jusqu’à ce qu’il tombe de sommeil, il se trouve réellement "lourdaud"... Hassan comprend qu’il s’est laissé aller. Il a pris beaucoup de poids, peut-être beaucoup trop pour sa propre sécurité. Il s’est bien épaissi, appesanti et empâté, alors qu’il aurait dû se tenir sur ses gardes et s'entraîner pour se défendre ou se préparer à fuir. Il ne peut rien y faire, et il mange de plus en plus !</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Il a maintenant appris une prière personnelle qu'il répète, chaque nuit, pour se donner du courage.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Mon estomac est mon allié. Mon poids fait ma force ! Ma graisse est mon arme secrète, et mon corps bien épais, bien lourd et bien en chair, fait ma fierté..." </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Le jeune homme éprouve durement ce besoin de retrouver un peu de confiance en lui, lorsque la fille de la sorcière vient le gaver, sans un mot, avec une sorte de plaisir frénétique pour qu'il avale très vite, et en très grandes quantités, les plats et surtout les innombrables pâtisseries et les sucreries qu'elle fait mitonner pour lui dans d'immenses bassines de cuivre... Ainsi, d'une semaine à l'autre, elle ajoute quelque nouvelle friandise à la longue liste de desserts dont elle régale son beau Hassan : des loukoums en gros cubes tendres, parfumés à la rose et saupoudrés de sucre, des baklavas au miel très épais, avec des noix finement pilées, parmi d'autres délices à base de pâte d'amande ou de pâte de coing...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Le gros garçon qu'elle nourrit avec une telle insistance accueille ces nouveaux plats et ces nouveaux desserts avec un plaisir évident ! Il fait largement honneur à chaque repas, en rendant toujours des plats, des assiettes et des bols impeccablement vides et comme nettoyés. Tsériel a de quoi se réjouir... Sa proie est en progrès : les quantités de nourriture augmentent sans cesse mais son appétit n'est pas en reste, ce qui lui permet d’endurer au moins ces énormes repas vaillamment, sans trop d’efforts, et même les gavages où il se laisse faire sans protester. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Oh ! Il doit bien avoir pris du ventre..." se dit-elle.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> À la grande surprise de l'ogresse, Hassan l'appelle parfois, ou il appelle sa fille pour <i>réclamer </i>encore à manger ! Loundja n'hésite pas un instant. Elle remplit simplement les grands plateaux qu'il a déjà vidés avec des pâtisseries, de gros beignets, des pâtes de fruits ou des friandises qu'elle tient toujours à sa disposition, en l'abreuvant largement de lait ou de thé à la menthe très sucré... Il se trouve toujours bien assez de mangeailles dans la cuisine pour le régaler ! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Sa vieille mère est juste un peu troublée. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Avec son ouïe si subtile, elle s'approche du silo fermé où se trouve sa proie et elle l'entend qui s'empiffre, se saisit d'une poignée de loukoums et les engloutit avec une grande gorgée de lait, en gémissant. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div>— "Hmmmph... Hmmmph..."</div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Il en mange encore une poignée, et encore une poignée, à vive allure. La vieille sorcière ricane, cruellement, et elle se frotte les mains — ses longues mains maigres et déformées, aux doigts noueux et fins.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Son nez crochu se plisse, un instant, et ses narines s'élargissent.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div>— "Comme ce garçon mange de bon appétit !" murmure-t-elle. "Il fait toujours frais dans ce silo, mais il transpire et sa sueur sent bon le lard, le beurre et la chair fraîche. Oh ! La jolie pièce que ce doit être ! Hassan ne devrait plus tarder à devenir tout-à-fait... <i>succulent </i>!"</div><div><br /></div><div> Elle en a l'eau à la bouche... Tant que la porte d'observation n'est pas fermée, elle entend distinctement chaque bouchée de Hassan qui se hâte d'avaler une poignée de dattes caramélisées ou un beignet dans lequel il mord à belles dents. Il doit avoir la bouche pleine et les mains pleines... </div><div> En fermant la porte du silo, les deux ogresses ont encore la satisfaction d'entendre un rot très sonore, suivi d'un soupir de soulagement.</div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Nourris-le bien, ma fille. Puisque ce gros garçon à faim, qu'il mange ! Qu'il mange... à s'en faire éclater la panse ! Il n'en recevra pas moins de victuailles pour son prochain repas. Les poulets doivent être prêts ! Jette les saucisses dans la poêle, et ajoute encore du beurre... Au travail !" </div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Oui, ma mère..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div>— "Mais surtout, pas un mot ! Puisqu'il reste bien sage, qu'il reste <i>seul </i>!" ajoute la sorcière, d'un ton féroce. "Qu'il reste à mijoter ainsi, à petit feu dans son silo. Il doit bien s'y ennuyer, le pauvre garçon, sans personne à qui parler... Aha ! C'est bien fait pour lui ! Qu'il s'occupe tout seul en se remplissant l'estomac, encore et encore... Il devrait bientôt se gaver lui-même comme une oie ! C'est ce qu'il a de mieux à faire... Ha ha ha !"</div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> En écoutant le rire de la vieille ogresse qui s'éloigne, Hassan a bien de la peine à retenir ses larmes... La bouche pleine, il ne tarde guère à finir le supplément de friandises que Loundja vient de verser généreusement, directement dans la mangeoire en face de lui. Et, dès qu'il a fini de s'en lécher les lèvres et les doigts, tout poisseux et tout collants de sucre, de caramel et de beurre, il s'ennuie...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> La solitude lui pèse au moins autant que son ventre. Assis par terre, il essaie de se lever. Très lentement, il fait quelques pas mais il doit vite se rasseoir. Il est si lourd, et son estomac est si bien rempli qu'il lui réclame du repos avant tout !</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Hassan soupire. Il songe qu'il doit reprendre au plus tôt ses tentatives de séduction avec la fille de l'ogresse, et la séparer d'avec sa mère. C'est la seule possibilité qu'il lui reste pour espérer se sauver...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Il n'attend jamais longtemps pour la revoir, puisqu'elle ne se prive pas d'aller et venir pour remplir sa mangeoire de pâtisseries, le plus souvent possible, avant que la vieille sorcière vienne lui servir encore un copieux repas, très savoureux et plus que nourrissant !</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Loundja lui prépare encore une douzaine de très gros beignets avec un glaçage au beurre citronné, remplis de confiture d'oranges, d'abricots et de mandarines. Elle ouvre la petite porte du silo et les jette directement sur l'estomac de Hassan, qu'elle trouve toujours un peu somnolent, pour qu'il se ressaisisse en les attrapant au vol, et qu'il se précipite pour les manger... En effet, le beau garçon se retrouve aussitôt avec un beignet dans chaque main, et il en a déjà enfourné de larges bouchées.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div>— "Mange bien, mon beau Hassan ! Mange..."</div><div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Hassan relève la tête. La fille de l'ogresse lui a parlé ! Elle rougit, et elle lui sourit. Loundja sourit toujours en faisant la fine bouche, les lèvres en cœur et les yeux baissés pour paraître un peu moins laide. Il en faudrait bien davantage pour qu'elle paraisse à peu près jolie... Mais le cœur de Hassan bondit dans sa poitrine. Il lui sourit, et il mange de bon appétit.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div>— "Reviens vite, ma petite Loundja... pour bien me nourrir."</div><div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Ils n'échangent pas un mot de plus, mais la fille de la sorcière prend tout son temps pour fermer la petite porte du silo...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Tard dans la nuit, terriblement seul, Hassan se lamente en songeant à tout ce que les ogresses lui ont encore fait ingurgiter d’appétissant et de nourrissant, depuis le début de la journée. Il a payé cher son audace, ou son insolence, mais il se sent fier d'avoir aussi bien mangé.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Hélas ! Pauvre de moi..." gémit-il en caressant son ventre bien rond, rempli si lourdement, et en souriant. "J'ai beaucoup trop mangé... Quel festin ! Je suis certainement devenu suffisamment gros et gras pour que Tsériel me trouve bon à rôtir... et me dévore ! Et Loundja me nourrit et m’engraisse encore pour me dévorer des yeux ! Pauvre de moi... Si cette vieille sorcière ne me fait pas rôtir, sa fille va finir par me faire éclater !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Le beau jeune homme cesse ses lamentations. Soudain, il reprend ses esprits et il reprend sa prière, après ce moment de panique.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Il respire profondément, et il se couche sur le dos pour mieux digérer, en écoutant les conseils de la nuit. En songeant à son ventre bien lourd, bien gras, et à sa corpulence dont il est fier, il décide qu’il doit profiter de la situation et ne plus songer à la sorcière ou à sa fille, mais seulement à cette abondance de plats appétissants et nourrissants qu’il reçoit pour chaque repas, et même entre les repas ! Il s’endort en caressant et en tâtant toujours son estomac, si rebondi et si saillant... Il se promet de <i>réclamer </i>encore à manger, au moins deux fois par jour, chaque matin et chaque soir, pour provoquer la vieille sorcière. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Il s'endort en se sentant parfaitement rassuré sur son sort.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Plusieurs jours se passent ainsi, où Hassan reste complètement seul et ne fait que se régaler, se remplir le gosier et s’engraisser. Il s'efforce de toujours manger très bruyamment, avec des soupirs, des gémissements et même des gloussements de plaisir... La sorcière et sa fille sont sous le charme, l’une et l’autre, en l’écoutant se repaître ainsi.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Hmmmph... Que ces plats sont savoureux ! Comme ces poulets sont tendres... et <i>gras</i> ! Je suis tout couvert de sauce et de beurre... Ces noix sont délicieusement craquantes et salées, mais comme j'ai soif ! Je ne me suis jamais autant régalé... Mon estomac va <i>éclater</i>, mais je ne fais que le remplir encore ! Encore !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Avec beaucoup de courage, il relève son propre défi de réclamer <i>encore </i>à manger, chaque jour, le matin et l'après-midi, par gourmandise et par fierté... La vieille Tsériel est trop contente de lui préparer un somptueux couscous garni comme plat de "résistance", avec deux poulets entiers, beaucoup de légumes et de féculents noyés dans l'huile d'olives, des boulettes de viande et des merguez plus épaisses. Le pauvre Hassan ne se dérobe pas devant une telle épreuve, mais il a fort à faire pour tenir sa promesse et rendre à l'ogresse des plats parfaitement nets et vides.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Après un aussi gros couscous et les quelques tajines qu'il <i>réclame</i>, en plus de tout ce dont il est déjà nourri si "généreusement" par les deux ogresses — sans pitié, plutôt ! — il étouffe à la fin de chaque repas, et il aurait besoin d'une longue sieste pour se reposer...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Chaque soir, Loundja vient le gaver encore de pâtisseries, de sucreries et de toutes sortes de mangeailles excessivement nourrissantes, qu'elle enfourne dans son gosier. Hassan sent son ventre s'alourdir et s’arrondir avec chaque bouchée, presque à vue d’œil ! La sorcière se tient toujours près d'eux, pour s'assurer de la bonne tenue de sa fille et de la docilité de leur proie. Sa présence, si indésirable, et qui devait les tenir séparés, les amuse et les rapproche dans une sorte de complicité inattendue...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Approche, mon gentil Hassan..." lui dit Loundja, en tenant sa grande louche pleine de friandises. "Approche-toi plus près, mon petit homme, et ouvre grand la bouche ! Je vais bien te nourrir... Et toi, tu vas enfin engraisser comme il faut... pour ma mère."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Hmmm... Comme tout cela est bon pour me gaver !" répond le beau garçon, en avalant le plus vite possible. "Nourris-moi encore ! Encore... Encore, s’il te plaît... pour que je m’engraisse."</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> La vieille ogresse est enchantée de trouver son prisonnier dans de si bonnes dispositions... En écoutant attentivement comme il dévore, elle l'imagine au moins "convenablement dodu" !</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> De son côté, Hassan fait de beaux efforts pour se repaître et pour ingurgiter de plus grandes quantités, de repas en repas, de jour en jour, du lever au coucher du soleil, et même tard dans la nuit... Et chaque journée passe toujours trop vite à son goût.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> La sorcière et sa fille cuisinent sans relâche pour le nourrir encore, impatientes de le trouver bientôt gros et gras "à point". Même lorsqu’il paraît uniquement occupé à engloutir un plat après l’autre, enfermé dans le silo, Hassan les entend se quereller parfois... Il comprend qu’elles ne sont pas toujours d’accord, et sans doute à son sujet. Il s'amuse même à les interrompre, lorsqu'il sent qu'elles seraient prêtes à se réconcilier, pour réclamer des pâtisseries ou des friandises ! Il entend le pas lourd et boiteux de Loundja, qui ouvre la porte du silo, remplit sa mangeoire avec deux seaux débordant de mangeailles, et referme la porte sans dire un mot... La querelle reprend aussitôt entre les deux femmes, plus criarde et plus envenimée qu'auparavant ! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Le gros garçon s'en réjouit, tout en plongeant ses deux mains dans la mangeoire pour se régaler de loukoums, de beignets, de raisins secs ou de pâtisseries aux fruits confits. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Malgré leur parfaite entente autour des plats, des bols, des tajines et des fourneaux, la vieille sorcière se montre de moins en moins patiente avec sa fille, qui se montre de moins en moins soumise envers elle. En les écoutant s'adresser ainsi des reproches qui témoignent de longues rancunes, aussi aigres et acides que la nourriture qu'elles préparent est sucrée, Hassan sourit... sans cesser de se remplir la panse comme un animal de ferme. Cette distraction le met de bonne humeur. Il tâte son ventre bien rebondi, et il s'engraisse de bon cœur, joyeusement !</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Les querelles entre la mère et sa fille occupent tout le temps où elles ne sont pas au travail, en cuisine, ou devant le silo pour gaver leur proie, qui semble avoir définitivement cessé de se montrer "récalcitrant". </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Pour la sorcière, Hassan est un "bon garçon" maintenant, qui se laisse faire comme toutes les proies qu’elle a capturées au cours de sa longue existence. Elle a pris au piège un voleur de figues maigre, effronté, agile et souple, pour en faire un "bon gros lourdaud" qui passe tout son temps à bien se remplir la panse, qui se laisse gaver sans résister, qui réclame même encore "un peu" à manger, par gourmandise, et qui se laisse aller à engraisser, en restant paresseusement assoupi dans sa petite prison ! Elle commence à songer à son propre festin, avec une magnifique pièce de viande accompagnée de beaucoup de lard...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Loundja la laisse dire, mais elle prétend que sa mère se trompe et que c’est uniquement parce que la nourriture qu’elle prépare pour Hassan lui plaît toujours autant qu’il se remplit le ventre aussi lourdement ! L’une comme l’autre rêve du jour où elles le feront sortir du silo, mais pas de la même manière.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> À la grande déception de Hassan, les deux ogresses lui prêtent toujours aussi peu d’attention, pendant quelques jours. Elles se contentent de lui servir d’énormes repas avec une régularité parfaite, de le gaver comme un canard gras, chaque soir, et de remplir ses mangeoires au moins six fois par jour. Avec beaucoup de nourriture, elles lui prodiguent vraiment trop peu de soins. Hassan se sent très seul, et souvent très malheureux. Il se console en dévorant d'énormes quantités de couscous et de ragoûts de mouton, des tomates farcies, des boulettes de viande baignant dans la sauce, d'épaisses merguez et du poulet rôti avec trop de beurre... Il boit aussi de pleins tonnelets de bière. Il s'engraisse pour se réconforter.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Le pauvre garçon n'a pas d'autre consolation que de <i>manger</i> !</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Devant l’appétit de leur prisonnier, qui semble augmenter de jour en jour et devient presque "insatiable", le nombre des repas et les quantités de nourriture ont encore sensiblement augmenté. Les deux femmes ont fort à faire pour préparer les plats et soutenir cette cadence éprouvante, qu'elles lui ont imposée elles-mêmes...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "BUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRP !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Plusieurs longues journées se passent ainsi, où Hassan ne fait que se repaître, plus que jamais. Ses rots résonnent comme des appels à l'aide, mais la vieille Tsériel considère seulement que sa proie se montre enfin bien disposée à s’engraisser "sans aucune retenue"... La détresse de ce beau gros garçon, bien repu, la met en joie — et, plus secrètement, son appétit vorace met sa fille en effervescence.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Tard dans la nuit, Hassan se couche sur le dos pour mieux digérer. Il se répète sa prière à voix basse, plusieurs fois. Il se tâte les joues et il se trouve vraiment très joufflu. Il se tâte les flancs et il se trouve très dodu. Il se tâte le ventre et il se trouve énormément ventru !</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Le jeune homme soupire. Depuis quelques jours, il est beaucoup trop <i>nourri</i>, vraiment — de plus en plus, trop souvent et trop lourdement, à longueur de journées ! Il a encore grossi et il s’est encore empâté. Bien rassasié, repu et gavé au point où il craint que son estomac éclate d'un instant à l'autre, il se trouve trop lent, somnolent et lourdaud... </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Si la porte de la maison était ouverte devant lui, il ne pourrait peut-être même plus s’enfuir. Il ne pourrait peut-être plus se battre, même contre une vieille femme comme Tsériel !</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Hassan frissonne en songeant au sort qui l’attend, s’il ne peut pas se sauver par la ruse.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Hélas ! Pauvre de moi ! Je n’ai vraiment plus d’autres ressources..." se lamente-t-il, en tapotant son ventre parfaitement rond, et rempli trop généreusement, trop lourdement.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Pour finir, il tâte son propre bras. Il se trouve objectivement "bien en chair", et parfaitement "dodu à point".</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> En soupirant profondément, il reprend sa prière, les yeux fermés.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div>— "Mon estomac est mon allié. Mon poids fait ma force ! Ma graisse est mon arme secrète, et mon corps bien épais, bien lourd et bien en chair, fait ma fierté..." </div><div><br /></div><div> Ses intestins grognent doucement. Il se sent enfin un peu détendu.</div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Hélas ! C'est évident, je suis devenu suffisamment gros et gras pour que Tsériel me trouve "bien dodu" et enfin bon à rôtir ! Pourvu qu’elle s'y laisse prendre, même si elle ne songe qu'à m'égorger, sinon sa fille va encore tellement me nourrir et m'engorger tellement... qu’elle va me faire éclater la panse !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Hassan respire profondément, et il reprend courage. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> En écoutant les conseils de la nuit, le beau gros garçon décide qu’il a bien profité de cette énorme abondance de nourritures, comme des bons et mauvais traitements de la sorcière et de sa fille. En tâtant ses flancs excessivement arrondis et rebondis, le jeune homme conclut qu’il ne doit pas rester enfermé plus longtemps. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> En essayant d’en rire, pour lui-même, Hassan considère à quel point les deux ogresses l'ont déjà poussé à s'engraisser.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Plus encore, ce serait de la gourmandise !" </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Surtout, s’il se laissait aller à manger encore un peu et à se laisser gaver quelques journées de plus, il prendrait encore du poids, et il serait trop tard pour qu’il puisse se sauver de cette affreuse prison, où il est retenu comme un animal de ferme dans son enclos...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Hassan espère seulement qu'il n'est pas déjà trop tard.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Cependant, plusieurs longues journées se passent encore, où le gros garçon s’efforce d’attirer l’attention de la sorcière en enfournant toujours plus de nourritures dans son gosier, toujours plus bruyamment et en poussant des gémissements de plaisir un peu forcés, avec des éloges de tous les plats qu’il dévore, les uns après les autres, jusque très tard dans la nuit où il s'empiffre de toutes sortes de mangeailles...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div>— "BUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRP !"</div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> En vain. Les deux ogresses ne font que lui apporter à manger, toujours plus, et encore un peu plus, et un peu plus souvent... Loundja resterait peut-être un peu plus longtemps auprès de lui, pour lui parler, mais sa mère la surveille de près, d'autant plus près qu'elle est presque aveugle. Elle l'appelle sans cesse et la fait travailler très dur dans la cuisine.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Après quelques jours, même les rots que pousse Hassan deviennent un peu moins sonores. Le gros garçon se sent si seul et si malheureux qu'il n'est pas loin de céder au désespoir.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Cependant, sans dire un mot, la vieille ogresse inspecte tous les plats qu'elle récupère, après chaque repas, en grattant le fond de ses doigts maigres et de ses ongles si longs... Elle sourit et ne peut s'empêcher de pousser un petit rire cruel. Certainement, sa proie <i>engraisse</i> de mieux en mieux, et il ne devrait plus tarder à être parfaitement "à point" !</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Un matin, Tsériel revient enfin pour ouvrir la petite porte du silo.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Hassan ! Lève-toi, mon bon gros garçon... Et donne-moi ton bras et ton poignet à tâter !"</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Il n’attendait que ce moment. Le malheureux garçon a passé toute la nuit à retenir ses larmes, pendant qu'il dévorait toutes les pâtisseries et les pâtes de fruits que Loundja lui avait apportées encore, en cachette, puis à pleurer lorsqu'il avait trouvé toutes ses mangeoires vides autour de lui, et son estomac rempli à éclater.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Après un instant d’hésitation, Hassan repousse le grand os enveloppé de peau de cuir bouilli... Pour la première et la dernière fois, il offre son propre bras à tâter devant la petite porte d’observation pour la sorcière. De ses longs doigts maigres comme des pattes d’araignée, celle-ci tâte et presse longuement le bras et le poignet de Hassan. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Elle en a le souffle coupé.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Oh ? Mais... Mais voilà qui est beaucoup mieux ! Beaucoup mieux... Comment est-ce possible que... Oh ! Comme tu as <i>grossi</i>, mon garçon ! Mais que s'est-il passé ? Tu as énormément grossi, mon beau Hassan... Comme tu as <i>engraissé</i> ! Je te trouve enfin magnifiquement dodu ! Dodu à souhait... Oh ! oui, très dodu !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Je me suis tellement bien régalé." lui répond simplement Hassan. "Et je me suis bien engraissé..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Oui... Oui... Bien engraissé !" reprend la vieille sorcière, en tâtant et en pressant doucement son bras, de plus en plus fébrile et admirative. "Et comment te sens-tu ? Plus épais ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Oh, <i>très </i>épaissi !" répond-il franchement, fier de lui.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Plus arrondi ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Oh ! <i>Très </i>rond... Je suis bien joufflu et rondelet, maintenant."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Plus lourd ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Oh... <i>Très </i>lourd ! Je suis toujours tout en sueur, du matin au soir... Et je bouge très lentement, maintenant."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Et... comment dire ? Plus... <i>gras </i>? Disons "bien en chair", Hassan ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Oh, oui... Je suis bien en chair, et<i> </i>bouffi... et vraiment gras comme du beurre, maintenant !"</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Le jeune homme considère avec attention, mais avec inquiétude, les réactions de la vieille sorcière... Elle murmure comme une marmite en ébullition. Elle aussi semble hésiter, un instant, avant de se décider enfin à passer à l’action.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Aha ! Malheureux garçon ! J’ai longtemps attendu cette journée... Je désespérais de pouvoir te faire grossir, tant tu étais maigre, et sec, et musculeux ! Mais la vieille sorcière Tsériel a toujours plus d’un tour dans ses mains, et tu t’es laissé prendre au piège... Aha ! Ha ha ! Et la vieille ogresse Tsériel n’avait pas capturé une aussi belle proie pour son propre festin, depuis des années et des années... Oh ! comme j'ai attendu ce moment... Mais tu t’es bien régalé, mon garçon ! Tu t’es bien <i>engraissé </i>! Et comme ma fille a bien su te gaver... Tu es parfaitement gros et gras maintenant, Hassan ! Bien tendre et bien appétissant... Et c’est moi qui vais te <i>dévorer </i>! Aha ! Ha ha ha !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Me dévorer ? Oh, non... Par pitié, Tsériel, ne me mange pas. Je ne serai pas bon à manger..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Comment cela, pas bon à manger ? Lorsque tu es bien en chair, bien rondelet et dodu à souhait ? Je vais te faire rôtir comme un agneau pour mon méchoui... Tu seras parfaitement tendre et savoureux !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Hassan proteste faiblement, sans conviction. La sorcière a déjà refermé la petite porte du silo... Elle appelle sa fille et lui ordonne de préparer les repas pour la dernière journée de Hassan, pendant qu’elle va préparer tout ce qu’il faut pour son propre festin. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Demain sera un jour de réjouissances pour elle...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> À la grande surprise du jeune homme, la journée se passe comme les précédentes. Après un petit-déjeuner complet, Hassan se retrouve obligé d’engloutir encore des plats de couscous monstrueusement copieux pour sa dernière journée dans sa prison, et une quantité plus impressionnante que jamais de pâtisseries saupoudrées de sucre, de bananes, de dattes, de figues, de loukoums, de raisins et d’abricots secs, de fromage blanc et de miel, de beignets à la confiture et de pâte d’amande...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> La vieille Tsériel a au moins relâché sa surveillance. Lorsque Loundja vient lui apporter encore de pleines mangeoires de ce qu'elle appelle des "bonnes choses à manger" pour le rendre plus dodu, il l'accueille avec un rot bien grave et bien mâle.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div>— "BUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRP !"</div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Elle rougit, mais elle ne semble pas disposée à lui sourire.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> En essayant de suivre du regard la fille de l'ogresse qui va et vient avec ses énormes mangeoires sans dire un mot, l’air sombre, et comme elle lui jette seulement un regard brûlant de sous-entendus lorsqu’elle ouvre et ferme la porte pour lui apporter plus de nourriture, le jeune homme comprend qu'il va devoir redoubler de ruse et d'amabilités mais que le moment de sa délivrance est proche... si son estomac, soumis à rude épreuve, n’éclate pas d’abord !</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><div><br /></div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> À la fin de la journée, Loundja revient enfin le voir... Elle porte encore d’autres mangeoires, pour achever de le gaver. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Comme elle semble décidée à l’accabler de mangeailles excessivement nourrissantes, Hassan soupire... Tous ces "bons petits plats" qu'elle lui prépare avec insistance depuis quelques semaines sont si riches qu'ils le mettent en sueur, et qu'ils le font s’appesantir et s’arrondir presque à vue d’œil ! Il se montre bien docile, cependant, et il parvient à lui parler doucement pour la convaincre de le sauver, pendant qu’elle l’engorge en le forçant un peu plus rudement que lors des soirées précédentes.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Mais pourquoi as-tu montré ton gros bras et ton poignet bien potelé à ma mère ?" ronchonne-t-elle. "Tu n’avais qu’à lui faire tâter l'os, avec encore une épaisseur appréciable de cuir bien tendre... Nous avions tout le temps devant nous !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "C’est que..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Hassan doit avaler de grandes louches de fromage blanc, de loukoums et d’abricots poêlés au beurre, à vive allure... Son estomac gémit et le supplierait presque de mettre un terme aux "bons traitements" de cette parfaite future petite épouse ! Il prend pleinement conscience qu’il était temps de ne plus encourager Loundja dans cette illusion prénuptiale. Elle gagnerait à épouser plutôt un énorme tonnelet de beurre, ou une outre remplie d’huile à éclater !</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "C’est que... Je n’ai pas fait attention. Je m’étais tellement régalé, grâce à toi, cette nuit... Je ne pensais qu’à mon premier repas du matin, pour me repaître. Je ne pensais déjà qu’à m’engraisser, pour te faire plaisir ! Alors je n'y ai plus pensé, je lui ai montré mon poignet et mon bras, comme elle me l’a demandé... Mais je ne savais pas que ta mère voulait me rôtir, et me manger !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Oh, Hassan... Comme tu es lourdaud !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Par pitié, sauve-moi des griffes de cette vieille ogresse cruelle !" la supplie-t-il, en avalant encore avec efforts. "Sauve-moi, pour qu’elle ne me mange pas..."</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Loundja le regarde sans dire un mot, l’air sombre, tellement sombre qu’Hassan éprouve un frisson qui lui parcourt tout le corps. Elle achève de le gaver de fromage blanc avec les derniers baklavas et les derniers abricots... Puis, en passant à une autre mangeoire remplie de différentes sortes de noix et de friandises à base de pâte d’amande, elle lui sourit et lui murmure son propre secret en confidence.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Approche, mon gros Hassan... Approche-toi plus près, plus près... Et ouvre grand la bouche. Tu n’es pas encore assez rassasié... à mon goût ! Tu vas bien te régaler, encore, pour bien te remplir le ventre..."</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Résolu, résigné en apparence, le jeune homme reste à genoux devant elle... Avec un profond soupir, il ouvre grand la bouche. Aussitôt, la fille de l'ogresse enfourne de véritables pelletées de noix séchées, beurrées et salées, à vive allure.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Dépêche-toi d’avaler, mon petit homme..." l'encourage-t-elle. "Il y a encore beaucoup de bonnes choses à manger. Beaucoup !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> La bouche pleine, Hassan écoute la fille de la sorcière se confier enfin à lui, pendant qu’elle continue de le gaver sans ménagements.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Hmmmph... Hmmmph..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Comme tu es lourdaud, Hassan... Dès que ma mère t’a capturé et enfermé dans ce silo, c’était en pensant à son prochain festin. Si tu as trouvé un grand os près de toi, c’était celui d’un garçon que ma mère a dévoré, il y a longtemps... Et tu n’as été nourri que pour cela. Tu n’as été gavé que pour cela, et tu n’as été engraissé que pour cela ! Tu peux être fier de toi : il paraît que tu as bien grossi... Ma mère doit être fière aussi. La plupart des garçons que nous avons capturés refusaient de se nourrir comme il faut, bien copieusement, ou de se laisser gaver... Même ceux-là résistaient juste un peu plus longtemps. Bientôt, ils se régalaient comme tu t'es régalé... Ils avalaient toujours toute la nourriture que je leur préparais, et les énormes quantités que ma mère leur imposait ! Enfin, bien repus, ils acceptaient doucement leur sort. Cela nous prenait souvent beaucoup de temps pour les dresser, mais il finissaient par se montrer bien dociles et obéissants. Alors ils s’engraissaient eux-mêmes, tout seuls, jusqu’à ce qu’ils soient devenus bien lourds et bien ronds, et dodus à point... Nous avons toujours dû les faire rouler jusqu’au four ! Mais toi, mon beau Hassan, tu n’as pas attendu pour te régaler. Oui, tu t’es mis à grossir tout de suite, et tu as été particulièrement bien traité. Demain matin, nous te ferons enfin sortir de cette prison et nous allons voir comme tu es devenu gros et gras à point... et bien appétissant !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Hmmmph... Hmmmph..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Mange encore, Hassan ! Mange... Oui, nous allons te nettoyer tout le corps, te laver, t’enduire d’huile, te préparer, t’assaisonner et te mettre à rôtir dans notre grand four..."</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Même en rassemblant son courage, Hassan éprouve encore un frisson qui le fait trembler comme le fromage blanc qu’il ingurgite avec effort. Le jeune homme considère avec angoisse toute l’épaisseur, l'ampleur et la souplesse de la couche de graisse qui l’enrobe si généreusement sur tout le corps, en le tâtant de ses deux mains. Il interroge du regard la fille de la sorcière qui le force toujours à se repaître, et qui l'engorge comme un canard gras... La bouche pleine, les yeux fermés, il a bien de la peine à avaler encore des beignets à la confiture et de la pâte d’amande.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Mais... tu vas laisser ta mère... me manger ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "C’est ce que j’ai toujours fait. Et puis, tu t’es bien régalé, toi aussi ! Chacun son tour..." grogne-t-elle, d’un ton rogue. "Dépêche-toi d'avaler encore, mon petit homme ! Plus vite... Avale ! Tu as bien engraissé, à ce qu'il paraît. Ma mère me disait que tu te serais prodigieusement <i>épaissi</i>."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Mais... Ce sont tes bons petits plats qui m’ont fait grossir. C’est parce que tu cuisinais pour moi que j’ai toujours aussi bien mangé, et que je suis devenu aussi dodu. Bien dodu... Oh ! Comme je souhaiterais que ta mère me croie toujours terriblement maigre, et sec... et immangeable !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Vraiment ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Oh ! vraiment... Je ne veux pas être rôti et dévoré par ta mère..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Mais alors... Tu resteras ici, avec moi ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Bien sûr ! C’est tout ce que je désire..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Et tu mangeras encore beaucoup, beaucoup... Oh, Hassan ! j'ai tant de bonnes choses encore pour bien te nourrir !"</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Joignant le geste à la parole, Loundja dévoile une autre mangeoire remplie de crêpes épaisses, couvertes de miel et baignant dans le sirop avec de la pâte de coing, entre autres mangeailles... </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Tout luisant de sueur, Hassan fait un suprême effort et, prenant son courage à deux mains, il reprend son souffle et s’écrie vivement, avant d’ouvrir grand la bouche.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Ma petite fiancée, je t’en supplie... Sauve-moi des griffes de ta mère et je serai ton époux ! Et tu auras tout le temps de me nourrir, et de me gaver... Oui, de me gaver... autant que tu voudras !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Vraiment ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Oh, oui ! Vraiment... Et je serai tout à toi..."</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Heureusement, il n’en fallait pas tant pour convaincre Loundja d’oublier tout-à-fait qu’elle est la fille d’une sorcière, et d’une ogresse qui n'attend plus que le prochain lever du jour... pour le dévorer. À la façon dont elle a régalé son futur époux de crêpes et de pâtes de coing, Hassan ne peut pas s’empêcher de penser que, malgré ses belles promesses, elle reste la digne fille de sa mère — et certainement une ogresse, elle-même !</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Il lui faut encore être patient. Lorsque la jeune femme se retire, après avoir enfin achevé de gaver son "petit homme", Hassan se couche sur le dos pour respirer et mieux digérer, en caressant son énorme ventre douloureusement tendu et en écoutant les conseils de la nuit... Lorsque la petite porte du silo est ouverte une dernière fois, il soupire. Loundja vient encore pour verser quatre grands seaux de pâtisseries et de friandises dans la mangeoire du malheureux, qui en déborde !</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Assis dans le noir, les jambes toujours écartées pour laisser son ventre se reposer sur le sol, le gros garçon s'empresse de saisir des poignées de baklavas, de crêpes, de dattes caramélisés et de gâteaux de fruits confits pour se remplir encore le gosier. Il entend le pas lourd et boiteux de sa "petite fiancée" qui s'éloigne — et il lui semble qu'elle soupire, ou qu'elle se retient d'émettre un petit rire que sa mère pourrait entendre...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Gavé à bloc, Hassan se lamente en songeant à tout ce que la fille de la sorcière lui a fait encore ingurgiter d’appétissant et de trop nourrissant. Il considère toutes les mangeailles dont il se régale encore à cette heure trop tardive, et à tout ce qu’elle a l’intention de lui faire encore engloutir — s'il n'est pas rôti demain !</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Hélas ! Pauvre de moi ! Je suis énormément repu, et tellement lourd que je ne peux presque plus bouger ! Et je crois bien que Loundja veut m’engraisser jusqu’à ce qu’elle m’ait fait éclater comme une bulle..."</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> En respirant profondément, il répète sa prière. Il en a besoin, plus que jamais, pour se donner du courage.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div>— "Mon estomac est mon allié. Mon poids fait ma force ! Ma graisse est mon arme secrète, et mon corps bien épais, bien lourd et bien en chair, fait ma fierté..." </div><div><br /></div><div> À la seule pensée que la vieille Tsériel prépare son grand four pour le rôtir, il sent la peur monter en lui comme une main invisible qui viendrait l'étrangler dans le noir. Il doit lutter contre ces mauvaises pensées... En avalant bruyamment une dernière poignée de loukoums et d'amandes séchées, beurrées et salées, il porte toute son attention vers son ventre en le caressant doucement.</div><div><br /></div><div>— "Décidément, ces femmes en veulent après toi, mon gros... Demain, il nous faudra bien du courage pour leur faire face. Tu as bien travaillé. Tu as bien grossi... Je sais que je peux compter sur toi. Maintenant il faut dormir et bien digérer, pour leur montrer que tu es parfaitement gros et gras... à souhait !"</div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Hassan répète sa prière, à voix basse. Son estomac ronronne comme un gros chat. Pendant qu'il dort, c'est lui qui travaille... et qui l'engraisse. Le beau garçon s’endort en souriant, lourdement repu mais satisfait. Il songe que la sorcière le fera enfin sortir du silo, dans la matinée... Il soupire profondément. Il a besoin de garder la tête froide, et les idées claires. Il s’endort et il digère paisiblement. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Au réveil, il se tâte sur tout le corps et il se trouve bien épaissi, bien empâté, bien dodu, gras et tendre comme du beurre... Il se sent fier de lui, fier de son ventre et de son appétit, et il sourit.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Le jeune homme voit enfin la lumière du jour, au-dessus de lui. Tsériel a ouvert la grande trappe ronde du silo, à deux battants. Hassan avait oublié à quel point le puits en est profond... Ses yeux doivent s’habituer à cette lumière lorsqu’il regarde vers le ciel. Il voit des cordes descendre jusqu’à lui, avec plusieurs grands nœuds coulants.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Hassan ! Réveille-toi, mon bon gros garçon... bien dodu ! Lève-toi, et enroule ces cordes solidement autour de tes bras, sous tes aisselles et derrière tes épaules ! Allons... obéis !"</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Hassan se doutait bien que les deux ogresses allaient devoir le hisser hors de sa prison. Lentement, l’un après l’autre, il passe ses bras potelés dans les nœuds coulants... Il sent bientôt que les cordes se tendent et le saisissent sous les aisselles, en serrant très fortement au-dessus de sa poitrine et au niveau de ses épaules bien rondes, pour le soulever... Petit à petit, le gros garçon se retrouve ainsi en position debout, bien droit, ce qui ne lui était plus arrivé depuis longtemps.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> D’autres cordes descendent dans le puits, avec de plus grands nœuds coulants. Il retient sa respiration.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Hassan !" vocifère la sorcière, au-dessus de lui. "Écoute, mon gros... Enroule ces cordes solidement autour de tes cuisses, et sous tes fesses. Lorsque tu seras bien pris, nous allons les tirer et te faire enfin remonter jusqu’à nous... Allons, obéis !"</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Lentement, Hassan passe une jambe après l’autre dans les plus grands nœuds coulants... Ses cuisses sont bien rondes et bien en chair. Même les cuisses des poulets dont il s’est régalé si copieusement n'étaient pas si dodues... Il sent les nœuds se resserrer. Il est enfin saisi de tous côtés par ces grosses cordes, solidement tressées.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Hassan !" interroge la vieille Tsériel. "Es-tu pris dans ces cordes ? Es-tu bien pris et bien serré ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Oui..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Les deux ogresses échangent un sourire cruel.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Quel bon lourdaud !" dit la sorcière à sa fille. "Il s'est laissé ligoter sans résister, sans protester. Quand je pense que nous avons toujours dû menacer ou tisonner nos proies, par la petite porte du silo, pour les faire obéir ! Comme ce bon gros Hassan est devenu docile... Et bientôt, nous allons pouvoir enfin nous régaler ! Cela sent déjà la sueur, le bon lard et la bonne chair fraîche."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Le gros garçon sent que les cordes se tendent et qu’il va être hissé par l'ogresse et sa fille. Bientôt, ses pieds ne touchent plus le sol... Il se laisse porter. Hassan ne se sent pas du tout léger, au contraire ! même alors qu’il s’élève lentement, lentement...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Tsériel transpire à grosses gouttes, en tournant la roue qui entraîne ces cordes. Sa fille et elle ont fort à faire pour manœuvrer lentement, avec obstination, cette puissante mécanique. Elles poussent de toutes leurs forces puis tirent de toutes leurs forces pour que les cordes s'enroulent autour de l'immense tambour. Et les poulies grincent rageusement.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Quelle épreuve ! J’ai pourtant bien huilé ces roues, et les cordes sont toutes neuves... Je ne pensais pas qu’il était aussi lourd ! Que c’est dur, de le faire remonter jusqu'à nous... Hassan a bien dû prendre du <i>poids</i> !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Lentement, lentement, leur proie remonte jusqu’à la surface, au niveau du plancher puis au-dessus des femmes qui tournent la roue... À la grande surprise d’Hassan, ses pieds ne touchent toujours pas le sol mais il se trouve hissé, toujours tenu si serré dans ses liens, sous ses fesses et sous ses aisselles, jusque sous le plafond de l’étage et sous un jeu de poulies... Il est ensuite conduit, par un jeu compliqué de cordes croisées, jusqu’à une pièce attenante, toute carrelée de blanc et de bleu. Hassan comprend qu’il a été tiré jusqu’à une sorte de hammam, avec un vaste bassin d'une eau très claire, très propre et avec de nombreuses douches, comme la fille de la sorcière le lui avait annoncé.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Après quelques craquements sinistres, les cordes et les poulies cessent enfin de grincer, avec les derniers gémissements que poussent les deux ogresses, qui n’ont certainement pas ménagé leurs efforts ! Elles sont à bout de souffle comme lui, mais épuisées... </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Suspendu ainsi, Hassan est très déçu, et très inquiet, de se trouver immobilisé avec les jambes dans le vide. Il prend conscience aussi de son poids, certainement considérable, et de son embonpoint vraiment démesuré, maintenant que ses pieds se tiennent à un mètre au moins au-dessus du sol. Ses liens le serrent beaucoup trop !</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Hassan entend un robinet qui se tourne, et soudain il reçoit une averse d’eau très froide sur la tête et tout le corps. Pendant quelques minutes, le gros garçon reste immobile sous la douche... Il ne peut que tourner, lever ou baisser la tête, mais il en profite pour se rafraîchir. Cela fait longtemps qu’il n’a même pas bu une goutte d’eau ! Depuis qu’il a été capturé, on l’a seulement abreuvé de lait entier, de thé à la menthe très sucré, de jus de fruits et de bière à base d’orge, d’avoine et de mil, en abondance, pour forcer son ventre ballonné à gonfler...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Désaltéré, Hassan passe sa langue sur ses lèvres. En ouvrant les yeux, lorsque la douche a enfin cessé, il s’aperçoit qu’il n’est pas le seul à se lécher les babines... Après avoir planté de grandes cales de bois pour bloquer la plus grande roue et les cordes, Tsériel et sa fille l’ont rejoint. Hassan frémit. Loundja est déjà en train de le dévorer des yeux... Quant à sa vieille mère, elle s’approche de lui et vient le tâter avec curiosité. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Elle pousse un petit cri en tâtant ses cuisses, puis ses flancs, et en soupesant son ventre magnifiquement rond, bien rebondi et beaucoup trop en évidence à son goût !</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Malheur ! Comme ce garçon est <i>gros </i>!" s’écrie-t-elle, émerveillée. "Et comme il est <i>gras </i>! Moi qui pensais ne pas pouvoir te faire engraisser, même pour te rendre un peu dodu... Oh ! Hassan, mon bon lourdaud... Je n'ai jamais vu un garçon grossir autant que toi ! Oui, tu es devenu obèse, bien en chair, et magnifiquement bedonnant... Mais comment as-tu fait pour prendre autant de <i>poids </i>?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Je me suis juste régalé..." répond Hassan, tout ruisselant après la douche, mais avec une sueur froide qui lui parcourt le bas du dos et ses poignées d’amour bien enrobées.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Oh ? Oui... Oui, vraiment... Aha ! Ha ha ha ! Mais comment as-tu fait pour prendre autant de <i>ventre </i>?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Mais... Je me suis juste régalé, vraiment, et engraissé..." dit-il en rougissant. "Bien engraissé..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> La sorcière ordonne alors à sa fille de préparer le four en entretenant le feu et l'eau bouillante, pour le véritable festin ! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Elle continue de tâter le corps du gros garçon, trop bien nourri, qu’elle va bientôt rôtir... Elle tâte de tous côtés, en le pressant et en le pinçant durement. Elle pousse de petits cris de joie, comme des glapissements de bête sauvage, tant elle trouve sa proie dodue et bien en chair en tous points, dans tous ses membres. Pendant qu’elle l’examine ainsi, de ses longs doigts maigres comme des pattes d’araignée, Hassan retient sa respiration et ses larmes. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Comme elle le complimente, il se lamente d’autant plus.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Aha ! Ah ! Vraiment, voilà qui est tout-à-fait bien !" se réjouit-elle, férocement. "Tu t’es bien régalé, mon beau Hassan... Oui, tu t’es bien épaissi, bien arrondi et bien empâté ! J’en ai déjà l’eau à la bouche..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Hélas ! Pauvre de moi... Vous m’avez jeté un mauvais sort pour que je me remplisse autant la panse et pour que j’engraisse à ce point !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Les cheveux d’Hassan ont poussé, pendant sa captivité. Ils sont très crépus, et un collier de barbe ombre sa mâchoire. La sorcière continue de préparer sa proie pour le festin en coupant ses cheveux très court, soigneusement. Elle rase sa barbe et tâte ainsi ses joues, son menton et son cou avec insistance.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Tu es bien joufflu, mon gros Hassan !" commente-t-elle. "Ton cou est bien large et bien épais... Tu as double et triple menton, et ce bourrelet tout potelé à la base de la nuque me suffit pour me faire une idée de ton embonpoint ! Oh ! La jolie pièce, gras et dodu à souhait... Comme toute cette viande doit être tendre, et savoureuse."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Pauvre de moi... Si je n’avais pas englouti autant de nourriture, je ne serais pas si rondouillard !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Après avoir fini de complimenter Hassan pour son embonpoint, Tsériel sort de la pièce. Le gros garçon est douché une seconde fois, longtemps, puis les cordes se tendent, les poulies grincent et il est ramené dans une grande pièce d'où il aperçoit l’énorme four, déjà rougeoyant... Hassan en frémit ! En tournant la grande roue puis d'autres, plus petites, les deux ogresses lui permettent bientôt de poser ses pieds sur une table.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> La surface lui paraît curieusement froide. Ce n’est pas du bois... La sorcière vient de le déposer au centre d’un grand plat, qu’elle se prépare certainement à enfourner... Hassan tremble d'effroi. Il retient ses larmes mais il ne résiste pas lorsque les ogresses l’invitent à s’asseoir dans cet immense plat.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "C'est bien, Hassan ! Très bien... Repose-toi et détends-toi..." lui dit la sorcière, avec un sourire carnassier. "Tu seras bientôt bon à rôtir... et à <i>dévorer </i>! Oh ! comme je vais me régaler..." </div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Que dis-tu, ma mère ?" demande Loundja.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Euh... Comme <i>nous </i>allons <i>nous </i>régaler, ma fille !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Assis à peu près comme il l’était dans son silo, Hassan peut enfin voir clairement à quel point il a engraissé. Le malheureux garçon est devenu monstrueusement obèse... Sa poitrine est bien en chair. Son ventre est rond, démesurément rond... Il y a longtemps qu'il ne peut plus atteindre son nombril, et il pose ses mains croisées sur cette énorme masse... Ses épaules et ses bras sont très dodus aussi. Ses flancs largement rebondis, avec d’énormes poignées d’amour, servent de reposoirs pour ses coudes. Il ne voit pas ses cuisses, ni ses genoux, ni ses jambes, ni ses pieds... Dans cette position, il doit avoir l’air d’une énorme boule de pâte !</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> La vieille Tsériel se montre toujours aussi peu patiente avec sa fille, qui va et vient dans tous les sens... Avec un frisson, Hassan la voit qui porte de gigantesques mangeoires, débordantes de boulettes de chair fraîche.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Eh bien, ma fille ? Eh bien... Au travail ! Occupe-toi plutôt de <i>notre </i>boulette de chair fraîche, pour commencer !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Loundja s'essuie le front avec la manche de sa robe... Sur la table, elle prend une assiette chargée de très gros loukoums saupoudrés de sucre, curieusement moins roses et plus pâles que ses loukoums habituels. Comme elle s'approche de lui pour le nourrir, Hassan ne comprend pas.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Ouvre grand la bouche, mon gentil Hassan... Détends-toi, laisse-toi faire. Tu vas bientôt dormir profondément."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Elle lui sourit, en faisant toujours la bouche en cœur. Ce n'est guère le moment de minauder... Lui-même ne songe plus du tout à la séduire ou à discuter, ligoté comme il est !</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Qu'allez-vous faire ?" demande-t-il timidement, entre deux bouchées.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> La sorcière, qui surveille le feu et l'eau bouillante, se tourne vers lui.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Nous allons te préparer pour te cuire, mon bon gros Hassan ! Et pour commencer, tu vas avaler tous ces loukoums que Loundja t'a préparé. C'est une recette que ma mère m'avait enseignée, à base de graines de pavot et d'essences de plantes soporifiques."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Tu vois, nous ne sommes pas si cruelles..." murmure Loundja, tout en le gavant de ces loukoums trop sucrés, tendres et parfumés.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Lorsque tu seras lourdement assoupi, nous allons t'ébouillanter dans notre marmite ! Ensuite, nous allons te nettoyer, et nous allons bien te <i>farcir</i> avec toute cette chair fraîche... Ensuite, nous allons t'enduire et te badigeonner d'huile avant de t'embrocher pour te faire rôtir ! Ensuite, je surveillerai la cuisson, en tournant la broche et en t'arrosant d'huile et de sauces... Oh ! comme tu vas bien rôtir, mon gros Hassan ! Allons, ma fille... Au travail ! Au travail !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Ce beau garçon est vraiment très <i>gros</i>..." suggère Loundja. "Il faut encore une ou deux assiettes de loukoums pour qu'il soit bien endormi." </div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Tu as raison... Il faudrait encore un grand baquet de chair à saucisse pour le farcir proprement. Au travail, ma fille ! Il ne devrait pas tarder à fermer les yeux, ce bon gros lourdaud... Je le plongerai moi-même dans l'eau bouillante. Et toi, tu le rempliras de farce comme il faut !" </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><div><br /></div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Après avoir ingurgité quatre grandes assiettes de loukoums au pavot, le malheureux Hassan se sent un peu somnolent mais certainement pas au point où il pourrait trouver le sommeil... </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Immobile et frissonnant de terreur, assis dans ce vaste plat de métal, il a le souffle court. Cependant, Loundja l’observe attentivement. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Elle lui sourit malicieusement, la bouche en cœur.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Malheur ! Oh ! ma mère, nous ne pourrons jamais faire rôtir ce gros garçon !" s’écrie-t-elle. "Il est beaucoup trop gras, et trop rondelet... Son ventre déborde du plat où il est assis !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Comment ?" s’étonne la vieille sorcière. "Oh ! Que dis-tu, ma fille ? C’est dans ce plat que nous avons toujours fait rôtir nos proies ! Ce n’est pas possible ! Je n’ai jamais connu qu’un garçon se trouve <i>trop</i> <i>gros </i>pour ne pas entrer comme il faut dans mon four..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Si tu le voyais comme je le vois, ma mère, tu comprendrais qu’il est beaucoup trop gros, si bien qu’il n’y rentrera pas !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> C’est Tsériel qui cède alors à la panique.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Oh ! Oh... Comment cela ? Hassan ! Je ne peux pas croire que tu sois devenu si gros..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Hélas ! Pauvre de moi..." se lamente le beau garçon. "Je me suis tellement régalé, vous m’avez tellement bien nourri que je me suis laissé aller... Je me suis beaucoup trop arrondi, et je me suis bien trop empâté. Je suis si rondouillard que mon ventre déborde largement de ce plat !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Incrédule, Tsériel s'approche de lui, tend les mains et tâte longuement ses formes généreuses, grasses, sensuelles et abondantes, des poignées d’amour aux flancs bien épaissis et rebondis d’Hassan, qui trouve enfin à se réjouir d’avoir pris autant de poids et autant de ventre... </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Le jeune homme se sent fier et soulagé d’être aussi bouffi, joufflu, bien en chair et bedonnant à l'excès !</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Hélas ! Malheureuse que je suis... Je ne te croyais pas si grassouillet, Hassan. Si rondelet... Oh ! Tu t’es vraiment bien empâté ! Que faire ?"</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> La vieille ogresse pince et presse la chair bien tendre de sa proie, au niveau de son nombril dodu à point, de ses longs doigts maigres comme des pattes d'araignée... Hassan, tout en sueur, est bien prêt de pleurer, tant elle lui fait peur.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Tu n'as pas l'air très endormi, mon bon lourdaud..." ronchonne-t-elle. "Ma fille ! Prépare encore quatre assiettes de loukoums ! Nous avons un problème à résoudre, et nous avons le temps... Hassan s'est un peu trop engraissé, en effet ! Il a un peu trop bien grossi, et il est tellement <i>gras </i>que ces quelques loukoums soporifiques n'ont aucun effet sur lui. Tu vas devoir le gaver encore ! Encore ! Et lorsqu'il en sera bien repu, il dormira d'un sommeil dont il ne se réveillera pas..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div>— "Par pitié, Tsériel, ne me mange pas..." supplie le jeune homme. "Je ne serai pas bon à manger !"</div><div><div>— "Au contraire... Aha ! Ha ha ha ! J'ai hâte de te rôtir et de te dévorer, mon bon gros Hassan... Tu es à croquer, dodu et potelé ! Ma fille va bien te gaver de loukoums, si bien que ton lard sera doucement parfumé au pavot... Oh, oui ! La jolie pièce pour mon méchoui !"</div></div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Elle s'en frotte les mains, l'eau à la bouche...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> La sorcière ordonne alors à sa fille de mesurer autour du ventre de leur proie avec une très longue cordelette, pour s’assurer qu’il peut être au moins plongé dans sa grande marmite, ou poussé dans son grand four, malgré sa corpulence et son obésité si impressionnantes... Elle ouvre la gueule rougeoyante à deux battants, et surveille l’eau qui bout dans la gigantesque marmite de bouillon, sous la broche.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Hassan frémit en voyant ces ustensiles de cuisine préparés pour lui...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Soudain, Loundja pousse sa mère dans le brasier, d’un coup d’épaule, puis de tout le corps ! Tsériel pousse un cri de surprise, et tombe dans le bouillon brûlant... Sa fille referme la porte du four, vivement, malgré les hurlements de la sorcière.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Bientôt, ces cris étouffés s'essoufflent, s'éteignent et tombent dans le silence : c’est à peine si on l’entend brûler, s’ébouillanter, se noyer ou se consumer comme une poignée d’herbes sèches...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Hassan peut enfin respirer. La vieille ogresse est morte !</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Il est toujours retenu par ses liens de cordes très serrées, cependant, et il est toujours assis dans ce grand plat sur la table du festin. Loundja se tourne vers lui. Elle reprend son souffle, et s'essuie le front avec sa manche. Hassan rougit en voyant la fille de la sorcière tâter son ventre bien rebondi et bien tendre, avec satisfaction.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Nous sommes enfin seuls maintenant, mon petit homme..." dit-elle, dans un murmure. "Détends-toi, et ouvre grand la bouche, mon gentil Hassan. Je vais bien te nourrir, et te gaver... Tu vas te régaler, et je vais enfin pouvoir te regarder pendant que tu t’engraisses !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> À la surprise du jeune homme, Loundja le laisse assis sur la table, et ligoté ainsi, toujours suspendu au plafond par ces cordes trop serrées... Elle ne montre aucune hâte pour le délivrer de ses liens. Hassan la voit d'abord aller et venir, portant de grands baquets de chair fraîche et des mangeoires débordant de nourriture, qu'elle pose devant lui. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Le soleil est à peine levé. C'est l'heure où Hassan reçoit toujours une vingtaine d'énormes plats pour commencer sa journée... Son estomac grogne déjà pour réclamer quelque chose de plus consistant et de plus nourrissant que des loukoums !</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Comment cela se fait-il que je ne tombe pas de sommeil ?" demande le jeune homme. "Après avoir englouti tous ces loukoums au pavot !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Ce n'étaient pas des loukoums soporifiques, juste des loukoums..." lui dit-elle simplement, en allant et venant avec des mangeoires pleines de bonnes choses à manger. "Mais j'ai préparé tout ce qu'il faut pour te nourrir largement et pour que tu sois bien rassasié, cette nuit... Tu vas bien te remplir la panse ! Et ce sont mes bons petits plats qui te feront tomber de sommeil, mon petit homme."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> En vérité, Loundja n’avait pas seulement préparé le four et la marmite pour y plonger sa mère. Elle monte quelques marches sur un escabeau pour arriver à sa hauteur, en boitant toujours un peu. Elle pose un large plateau sur son ventre, contre sa poitrine dodue, et l'invite à se régaler. Elle s'apprête à lui servir un véritable festin, magnifiquement abondant...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Comprenant ce qu’il doit faire, puisqu’il ne peut pas se dégager de ces cordes si serrés, Hassan montre un bel appétit pour sa "petite fiancée". Il commence par ingurgiter un couscous extraordinairement copieux, où au moins une douzaine de poulets ont été rôtis et coupés en morceaux, bien beurrés, avec d'innombrables merguez bien épaisses... </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Il doit encore avaler d’énormes quantités de pâtisseries, de baklavas et de beignets saupoudrés de sucre, d’énormes quantités d'oignons frits, de bananes et d’abricots poêlés, d'olives et de noix, de figues et de dattes caramélisées, de tomates farcies et de raisins secs, d’énormes quantités de crêpes, de fromage blanc et de miel, et encore des pâtes d’amande et des pâte de coings dans les mangeoires que Loundja pose sans cesse sur son ventre... La jeune ogresse ajoute quatre pieds sous le plateau, à la bonne hauteur pour que son cher Hassan ait beaucoup de nourriture sous ses yeux, à tout moment, et à portée de mains.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Pendant des heures, le malheureux garçon s'empiffre sans dire un mot. Il s’épuise à engloutir toutes ces mangeailles, qui le font s’appesantir, s’arrondir et s'engraisser à vue d’œil !</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Dépêche-toi d’avaler, mon petit homme. Il y a encore beaucoup de bonnes choses à manger pour bien remplir ton ventre... Avale !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Hmmmph... Hmmmph..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "C'est bien. Mange bien, mon gentil Hassan ! Régale-toi..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Au lieu de le régaler, Loundja semble avoir entrepris de le gaver encore sans ménagements, et de lui remplir la panse, de gré ou de force !</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Hassan se montre bien docile, et elle se réjouit de le voir s'empiffrer. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Tout en allant et venant, Loundja veille à ce que toutes ses mangeoires restent copieusement fournies. Elle ne cesse de les remplir... Elle ajoute encore des pâtisseries, d'épaisses crêpes et des omelettes aux patates douces, des oignons frits et du ragoût de mouton bien relevé. Son beau gros garçon n'a même pas le temps d'avaler qu'elle l'a déjà resservi ! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Les quantités de nourriture <i>augmentent </i>devant lui...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div>— "Quel festin pour toi, mon beau Hassan ! Et comme tu manges bien ! Il faut que tu sois vraiment bien rassasié, ce soir. Vraiment.. bien repu."</div><div>— "Hmmmph... Hmmmph..."</div><div>— "Continue de manger ainsi, mon gros... C'est bien ! Ton beau ventre doit être parfaitement rempli pour notre nuit de noces."</div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Lorsqu'elle descend l'escabeau, la petite ogresse rondelette tâte, pince ou pique la peau bien tendre de son ventre, qui se tend douillettement, lentement mais sûrement, à chaque nouvelle bouchée... Hassan, occupé à se remplir le gosier de nourritures si savoureuses, songe qu'elle a des doigts courts et potelés mais des ongles aussi longs et pointus que ceux de sa mère — ce qui le fait frémir encore...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Elle sourit, en faisant la fine bouche.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div>— "Bien, très bien... Tu as encore beaucoup de bonnes choses à manger, mon petit homme ! Ton gros ventre devrait être confortablement rempli avant midi ! Oh, oui ! Bien rempli..."</div><div><div>— "Hmmmph... Hmmmph..."</div></div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Quelque chose a changé dans l'atmosphère de la cuisine, et dans les petites attentions dont Loundja entoure Hassan, qui se sent plus pesant, et surtout plus "lourdaud" avec chaque nouvelle bouchée. Bientôt, son ventre bien rempli déborde vraiment, largement, du plat où il est assis ! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Cependant, la jeune ogresse met de côté une mangeoire vide après l’autre, en apportant d'énormes quantités de pâtisseries et de friandises sirupeuses qu’elle déclare "bonnes à manger" pour lui... À la grande surprise d’Hassan, elle pose encore deux saladiers sur le plateau devant lui, débordants de grosses boulettes de farce qu'elle vient de retirer de l'huile de friture.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div>— "Un petit effort, mon petit homme... Et tu vas tout bien avaler !"</div><div><div>— "De la farce, aussi ?" proteste-t-il en s'étouffant. "Vraiment ?"</div><div>— "Oh, oui ! Ce serait dommage de ne pas te régaler avec toute cette bonne chair à saucisse que ma mère préparait pour farcir son rôti... Elle ne te rôtira pas, mais je vais bien te farcir, mon beau Hassan. Mange !"</div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Maintenant qu'il n’était plus en danger d'être ébouillanté ou rôti, le gros garçon n’avait plus qu’une crainte : il pensait que son nombril éclaterait si Loundja le forçait encore à se remplir le ventre, même juste une ou deux journées de plus... Mais il comprend que sa "future petite épouse" a décidé de mettre les bouchées doubles, et qu'elle pourrait bien le faire éclater avant le coucher du soleil ! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Hassan ne connaît presque pas un instant de répit avant d’avoir vidé et nettoyé ces mangeoires, qu'elle remplit sans cesse d'impressionnantes quantités de nourriture et surtout de boulettes de farce. Loundja le sert et le ressert avec insistance. Elle l'encourage à manger plus vite, et elle n'hésite pas pour le forcer à les avaler. Toute cette chair à saucisse est trop grasse, et mêlée à trop de beurre. Hassan se rengorge, en avalant.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Il laisse enfin échapper un long rot de soulagement, très grave.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "BUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRP !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Comme tu manges bien, Hassan !" soupire-t-elle, émerveillée. "Je me suis aperçue tout de suite que tu avais bon appétit et que tu serais bien glouton, mais je ne pensais pas que tu te montrerais aussi <i>goinfre</i> ! Il te reste encore deux grands baquets de farce à manger... Oh ! Comme je suis fière de toi, mon petit homme. Tu vas <i>manger </i>encore, et encore ! Et cette nuit, tu seras vraiment... bien repu !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> En observant Loundja qui va et vient, prépare encore de la nourriture et s’affaire au-dessus des poêles et des marmites, le jeune homme a perdu tout appétit... Résigné, il s’empiffre autant que possible de ces boulettes de farce et de ces "bons petits plats". Il ouvre grand la bouche comme sa petite fiancée lui en donne l’ordre avant d’y enfourner une banane ou un beignet, ou encore une louche pleine de purée de lentilles, d'oignons frits ou de patates douces avec beaucoup de beurre.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div> Il songe qu'il est temps de renoncer à toute promesse de mariage...</div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Cependant, il continue de couvrir d’éloges sa future épouse, en tâchant de se montrer toujours aussi séduisant. Pour mieux s’en assurer, le gros garçon secoue un instant sa torpeur de proie trop bien nourrie. Il ferme les yeux, afin de ne plus penser à elle ou à ses bons petits plats, en faisant un effort pour paraître plus convaincant.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Hmmm... Comme je me régale !" soupire-t-il. "Tu as raison, Loundja. Je suis un goinfre ! Je suis vraiment bien repu, mais comme tout cela est bon à manger... Nourris-moi encore, encore ! Encore, s’il te plaît..."</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> La jeune ogresse est enchantée de trouver son "petit homme" dans d’aussi bonnes dispositions.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "C’est pour moi que tu engraisses maintenant, mon gentil Hassan... Mange ! Et remplis-toi le ventre autant que tu pourras !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Comme je me sens lourd !" soupire-t-il en avalant avec efforts. "Mais comme je m’empiffre ! Tu as raison, je m’engraisse..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Et tu engraisses pour <i>moi </i>!" ajoute-t-elle, toute fière.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Oui, je suis tout à toi, ma chère petite épouse... Comme je me sens rondouillard, et en bonne pâte... Mais ces liens me serrent cruellement les épaules et les cuisses ! Ne peux-tu pas les retirer ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Mange d’abord, mon petit homme grassouillet. Il te reste encore tout un baquet de farce pour bien te remplir... Mange ! Mange !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Hassan engloutit encore d'énormes mangeoires remplies de couscous et de ragoût de mouton, de poulet avec des olives et des citrons confits, des crêpes et d'énormes omelettes pour accompagner ses boulettes de farce, des pois chiches, des patates douces et de la purée de lentilles...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Le beau jeune homme, à bout de souffle, s'efforce d'avaler toute la nourriture à sa portée, le plus vite possible et en faisant le plus de bruit possible. La petite ogresse le ressert largement, presque en battant des mains tant elle se réjouit de le voir se goinfrer sans retenue... Il aura bientôt avalé jusqu'à la dernière boulette de farce, dans le vaste baquet à côté d'elle.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Comme tu manges de bon appétit, mon gros Hassan ! Tu vas bien dormir, comme un petit goinfre... Pour notre nuit de noces, tu dois être enfin vraiment repu, bien rempli... et gavé à point !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Oui... Oui... Comme je me sens <i>gras</i>, et <i>lourd</i>, et bien en chair ! Mais ces cordes me serrent les épaules et les cuisses si cruellement... Ne peux-tu pas les trancher ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Mange d’abord, mon petit homme, et tu seras dodu à souhait. Ouvre grand, et mange encore ! Encore !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Patiemment, Hassan trouve la force d’ingurgiter jusqu'à la dernière boulette de farce, et d'énormes mangeoires remplies de couscous avec beaucoup de poulet au beurre et beaucoup de pois chiches, des merguez bien épaisses, des tomates et des aubergines farcies, et des légumes baignant dans l’huile d’olives...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Comme tu manges docilement, mon petit homme... Je te nourris vraiment bien comme il faut !" murmure-t-elle, sous le charme. "Remplis bien ton ventre, Hassan... Le soleil est à son zénith. Cette journée passe trop vite à mon goût ! La nuit ne tardera pas à tomber, et tu devrais être enfin tout-à-fait repu... et gavé..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Oui... Oui... Je me sens lourdement repu, et gavé à point ! Mais, ma petite épouse chérie, ces cordes me serrent les épaules et les cuisses si cruellement... Ne peux-tu pas m’en libérer ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Tu dois beaucoup manger encore, mon petit homme, pour être bien repu et ton ventre bien rempli à point ! Mange encore... Mange !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Sois raisonnable, ma petite épouse... Tu l’as dit toi-même, la nuit ne tardera pas à tomber, mais je tombe déjà de sommeil. Depuis ce matin, je ne fais que me régaler, me repaître, et beaucoup manger pour mieux m’engraisser... Pour toi ! Mais ces cordes me serrent si cruellement... Ne peux-tu pas m’en débarrasser ?"</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Loundja observe Hassan attentivement. Elle le trouve généreusement dodu, bien lourdaud et bien replet, naturellement un peu assoupi après toute une matinée consacrée à se remplir autant de mangeailles... Elle lui sourit. Pour la première fois, elle ouvre de grands yeux pour les plonger dans ses yeux... Le jeune homme est surpris de lui trouver de si grands yeux — si clairs et si pâles, presque blancs — avec des reflets de nacre et d'opale. Ce regard le fascine.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Le jeune homme se sent plus apaisé, soudain, plus tranquille et un peu somnolent. Il ne peut pas lui résister. Elle ne le quitte pas des yeux, et elle lui parle à voix basse, sur un ton étrange et un peu chantant qu'il n'avait jamais entendu. Comme un serpent, elle charme et elle endort sa proie, très doucement...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Tu dois encore beaucoup manger, mon petit goinfre..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Hélas ! ma chère petite épouse..." soupire-t-il, débordant de charme lui aussi. "Ces cordes me serrent si douloureusement les épaules que je me trouve embarrassé pour saisir la nourriture dans ces mangeoires, me repaître... et me gaver..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Il n’en fallait pas plus pour la convaincre. Loundja dénoue vivement les liens qui retenaient Hassan, et le gros garçon peut enfin bouger un peu. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Lentement, avec beaucoup de précautions, il s’assied en laissant ses jambes ballantes devant la table... Puis il pose doucement les pieds sur le sol, et se relève... Son ventre rond et bien rempli lui pèse tellement, lorsqu'il se tient debout ! Il peut à peine s'en saisir en empoignant ses flancs bien dodus. Exténué, dégouttant de sueur, d'huile et de sauces, le jeune homme est démesurément obèse ! Lentement, il fait un pas puis un autre, résolument "lourdaud", en se dandinant un peu pour avancer, comme un canard gras. Il est tout près d’embrasser sa petite fiancée.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Que fais-tu, Hassan ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "J’avais besoin de m’étirer un peu..." murmure-t-il, enfin plus à son aise pour respirer. "Oui, de m’assouplir au lieu de m’assoupir... Je n’en reviens pas de me trouver aussi gros, et aussi <i>lourd</i> ! Et avec un ventre aussi rond..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Tu dois manger encore, mon petit homme... Il est midi... À table ! Assieds-toi proprement, et remplis bien ton ventre !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Sois raisonnable, ma petite épouse. Je ne fais que manger, depuis ce matin..." dit-il en bâillant et en tâtant son estomac rebondi. "Je me suis régalé, mais j’ai tellement avalé aussi... Je suis épuisé. J'ai besoin de me reposer quelques heures."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Tu dois manger encore, jusqu'à ce soir ! Nous n'avons pas une heure à perdre. Tu vas t'asseoir à table, et tu vas manger ! Encore ! Encore..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Allons, sois raisonnable, ma chère petite épouse..." murmure-t-il. "Je ne peux vraiment plus rien avaler... J’ai l'estomac et le gosier si remplis que je ne pourrais même pas y enfourner un grain de raisin sec !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Tu mens ! Oh ! Méchant garçon ! Comment oses-tu me mentir, après tout ce que j’ai préparé pour bien te nourrir et te remplir ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Comment pourrais-je te mentir, ma douce petite épouse ? J’ai bien mangé, je suis bien repu et bien rassasié... Oh, Oui ! Tellement repu et si bien rassasié que je ne pourrais plus rien avaler de la journée."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Tu mens ! Tu dois encore manger, <i>beaucoup </i>manger pour notre nuit de noces... Méchant garçon ! Tu vas t’asseoir à table, et tu vas manger encore, pour moi... Encore ! <i>Beaucoup</i>..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Le jeune homme se tourne et considère la table où un large banc de bois, de construction solide, semble l’attendre... Il comprend qu’il ne se relèvera plus de ce banc, s’il accepte l’invitation de Loundja. Ce n’est pas un festin comme les autres qu’elle a préparé ! La jeune ogresse ne fera que l’engorger de nourriture, s’il se laisse convaincre et s’il la laisse faire. Hassan est obligé de reconnaître aussi qu’il est devenu vraiment obèse, et lourdaud, avec un très gros ventre et un appétit énorme...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Allons, mon gros garçon..." murmure-t-elle, après ce coup de colère, d'une voix devenue étrangement douce. "Sois bien docile et suis-moi... Tu vas t’asseoir sur ce petit banc. Et lorsque tu seras confortablement installé, tu n'attendras pas un instant pour recommencer à manger, à te repaître et à te régaler, pour t'engraisser à point... et bien te remplir<i> </i>la panse comme il faut ! À table, Hassan !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Il devine qu’elle ne lui accordera aucun répit, mais la jeune femme le regarde dans les yeux, de son regard de serpent si blanc, si insinuante qu'elle se croirait presque séduisante, en l’invitant à trouver encore un peu de place dans son gosier pour forcer son ventre à se remplir, encore un peu plus, et encore un peu plus — sans pitié...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Cette pensée lui procure un frisson qui lui parcourt tout le corps.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div> Malgré ses efforts pour tenter de résister au charme de ce regard si étrange et de cette voix si douce, Hassan la suit en faisant un pas, puis un autre, lourd et lent... Elle lui tient la main et elle le mène comme un animal de ferme bien nourri vers son enclos.</div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Eh bien ! Que fais-tu ? Suis-moi, mon bon gros Hassan..." ronronne-t-elle, avec un peu d'impatience dans la voix. "Je t’ai dit de t’asseoir à table... Fais ce que je te dis ! Tu dois encore beaucoup manger, pour être parfaitement gavé, et bien rempli avant d’aller dormir."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Je suis déjà repu à souhait, ma petite épouse chérie... et tellement bien nourri ! Comment peux-tu me demander de me repaître encore ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Fais encore quelques pas, mon petit homme... Tu vas t'asseoir, et tu vas bien manger... Lorsque tu seras trop fatigué pour avaler encore, je t’engorgerai moi-même ! Si tu ne remplis pas ton estomac, c’est moi qui vais te gaver, comme une oie... Tu vas manger tellement de crêpes, de beignets, de dattes, d'abricots, de raisins secs et de miel que tu ne t’en relèveras pas ! Va t’asseoir à table, mon gros, et prépare-toi à manger."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Comment cela ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Assieds-toi, ouvre grand la bouche et laisse-moi faire..." lui dit-elle en le poussant doucement vers son banc. "Reste assis, reste bien docile, et tu seras bientôt repu et replet comme il faut..." Elle sourit. "N’oublie pas que tu m’as promis de t'engraisser bien à point, pour me satisfaire."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Je n’ai pas oublié..." répond-il doucement. "Je me suis bien nourri et bien gavé, autant que j’ai pu, pour mieux m’engraisser... pour toi. Mais sois raisonnable, ma petite épouse chérie... Si tu m’engorges encore, même juste un peu, tu vas me faire <i>éclater </i>!"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Rien n’y fait... Hassan se tient encore debout, à quelques pas du banc et de la table, mais Loundja se précipite soudain pour lui enfourner une poignée d’abricots poêlés au beurre dans le gosier.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Tu n'as pas à discuter mes ordres. Mange, Hassan !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div>— "Hmmmph... Hmmmph..."</div><div><div>— "Encore ! Mange plus vite, mon gros... Avale !"</div></div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Hassan respire profondément, avant d’avaler. Pour l’apaiser, il laisse la jeune ogresse l’engorger un peu plus longtemps, jusqu'à ce qu’il n’y ait plus d’abricots, de figues ni de dattes caramélisées, d’amandes grillées, de noix de cajou ni de raisins secs dans la mangeoire qu’elle tient à deux mains, devant lui, pour l’empêcher au moins de s’éloigner de la table.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Eh bien !" s’exclame-t-elle. "Tu vois que tu n’as pas éclaté..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Le gros garçon se contente d’acquiescer, les yeux fermés, la bouche pleine. Il se sent très somnolent, trop repu et trop lourd... Son estomac est douloureusement rempli, et il gémit comme si la peau de son ventre allait se rompre d'un instant à l'autre, malgré les paroles étrangement apaisantes de la jeune ogresse qui le pousse toujours si gentiment vers son but. Elle n'attend que de le voir assis à table...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Sois raisonnable, mon gentil Hassan..." dit-elle. "Assieds-toi à table, et reste bien docile... Repose-toi, mon petit homme, je vais te préparer encore des bons petits plats, bien nourrissants. Tu vas te régaler... et tu vas beaucoup, <i>beaucoup </i>manger pour bien te remplir le ventre !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Elle lui fait encore ingurgiter quelques pâtes d’amande et le conduit doucement jusqu'à la table, où son prochain festin l'attend. Hassan se laisse faire et il la suit, la bouche pleine... Loundja écarte le banc, qui devra supporter le poids de son bon gros garçon lorsqu'il y aura posé ses fesses rondes, ses cuisses bien en chair et le bas de son dos si charnu, encore élargi par ses poignées d’amour, bien arrondies et empâtées. La jeune ogresse les tâte justement, de ses petites mains potelées.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Assieds-toi, mon gros Hassan..." murmure-t-elle près de son visage. "Laisse-toi faire... Et laisse-moi m'occuper de toi pendant quelques jours encore ! Un jour ou deux seront amplement suffisants..." ajoute-t-elle en donnant une claque sur son ventre bien rebondi.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Un jour ou deux ?" se demande-t-il, inquiet.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Oui... Avant notre nuit de noces. Tu seras bientôt à point, Hassan. Tu vas tellement te régaler de couscous, de poulet, de ragoûts de mouton, d’œufs brouillés, de boulettes de viande, de merguez, de tomates et d’aubergines farcies, de patates douces et d’oignons frits... Et je vais encore te gaver de fruits confits, de pâtes d’amande, de loukoums et de raisins secs, t’abreuver de bière et de lait entier... Tu n’auras qu’à ouvrir grand la bouche, mon petit homme bien rondouillard !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Oui... Oui..." murmure-t-il, la bouche pleine.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Suis-moi et assieds-toi, mon gros... Tu comprendras pourquoi tu dois encore <i>beaucoup</i> manger. Oh ! Oui... Lorsque tout sera clair pour toi, tu mangeras de bon appétit, et tu mangeras encore lorsque tu n'auras plus faim, et tu <i>mangeras</i> jusqu'à ce que tu sois replet à souhait !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Le malheureux garçon en a le vertige... Hassan fait un dernier effort pour secouer sa torpeur, juste à temps.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div> S’il s’asseyait sur ce banc, son destin serait de manger sans cesse, de s’empiffrer sans relâche et de s’empâter jusqu'à ce que la peau de son ventre éclate comme celle d'une saucisse trop grasse dans la poêle !</div><div> Il s’efforce d’ignorer la douce voix, si charmante et enveloppante, de sa fiancée. Hassan se sent excessivement lourdaud et même "balourd", tant il s'est montré docile, mais son instinct de survie se réveille soudain. </div><div> Sans comprendre exactement ce qui lui arrive, tous ses sens sont en alerte... Il ouvre enfin les yeux et contemple sa petite épouse, rondelette et grassouillette. Elle ne se tient plus d'impatience.</div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "À table !" rugit-elle, en le poussant à s'asseoir sur le banc.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Tu vas me faire... éclater..." soupire-t-il, à bout de forces.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Il entend Loundja rire, d'un petit ricanement sombre et cruel.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div>— "Oh ! Hassan... Comme tu es lourdaud ! Tu n'as pas encore compris que c'est ce qui t'attendait, depuis le début ? Assieds-toi, mon gros... Tu vas te repaître si lourdement, et te remplir l'estomac et le gosier à bloc, pour bien arrondir ton ventre ! Et lorsque tu seras parfaitement repu et gavé, pratiquement <i>farci</i> à point, parfaitement dodu et replet, bien en chair et tout en graisse, lorsque ton ventre bien rempli sera sur le point d'éclater... Tu vas t'évanouir, mon petit homme... et je te <i>dévorerai </i>d'une seule bouchée !"</div><div><br /></div><div> Surpris, Hassan regarde la jeune ogresse qui ouvre ses grands yeux clairs et pâles, démesurément ronds mais sans âme et sans profondeurs, pour le rendre bien docile et somnolent, juste assez pour qu'il continue à ingurgiter toujours plus de nourriture. <br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Elle lui sourit — mais ce n'est plus un petit sourire pincé, minaudant, la bouche en cœur... Comme ses yeux sont immenses, grands ouverts pour tenir le beau gros garçon sous son emprise, Loundja lui montre un grand sourire qui ouvre son visage d'une oreille à l'autre, comme un immense coup de sabre, en dévoilant de longues et vilaines dents brillantes, fines et acérées comme de grandes lames de couteaux !</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Le pauvre garçon, terrorisé, a un mouvement de recul et il se retrouve assis sur le banc, face à la table déjà dressée, surchargée de victuailles, et face au festin qu'il va devoir engloutir maintenant...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> La jeune ogresse rit de le voir tout tremblant. Elle passe sa langue sur ses lèvres, avec un bruit de lames que l'on croise pour les affûter.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Elle contemple sa proie désemparée, de ses grands yeux pâles et vides. Hassan, pétrifié, n'ose même plus bouger de son banc... Elle pose alors une main sur son épaule et lui parle doucement.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "C'est bien, mon beau Hassan... Il était temps que tu te montres plus docile. Mais je vais devoir te punir pour avoir été si méchant avec moi ! Tu vas manger tout ce que je te donnerai à manger, maintenant... Sans discuter, sans hésiter, sans attendre ! Et tu mangeras jusqu'à ce que ton ventre bien rempli te fasse éclater comme un ballon !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Elle lui présente un vaste baquet, rempli à ras-bord de mangeailles et, sans qu'elle ait un mot à dire, le gros garçon y plonge les deux mains à la fois, et il commence à enfourner des pâtisseries et des friandises dans sa bouche. En se précipitant pour avaler, il a l'air plus joufflu que jamais.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div>— "Hmmmph... Hmmmph..."</div><div>— "Mange, mon petit homme ! Maintenant que tu es assis à table, nous allons pouvoir te remettre à l'<i>engrais</i>..."</div></div></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><div><br /></div></div><div> La punition de Hassan ne consiste pas à manger plus de nourritures, ou des plats plus "lourds", puisque la jeune ogresse l'oblige à se repaître sans cesse de tous les plats les plus savoureux, les plus copieux et les plus consistants qu'elle peut préparer. Pendant qu'elle va et vient autour de lui en remplissant toujours les mangeoires sur la table, le gros garçon doit l'écouter lui expliquer le sort qui l'attend, comme "petit homme" ou "petit mari" d'une ogresse — le sort qui l'attendait, prétend-elle, depuis le début de son aventure ou de sa capture...</div><div> Hassan se sent très malheureux, mais il est toujours paralysé par la panique, ou par une sorte d'angoisse qui le fait littéralement se jeter sur les énormes quantités de mangeailles que Loundja verse devant lui en cataractes nourrissantes, pratiquement incessantes !</div><div> Assis, les pieds sous la table et comme timidement ramassé sur lui-même, il doit avoir l'air d'une monstrueuse boulette de viande, alors que Loundja lui présente encore un plein baquet rempli de farce, une énorme masse de chair à saucisse et de beurre, passée à la poêle et découpée en pavés rissolés.</div><div><br /></div><div><div>— "Hmmmph... Hmmmph..." grogne-t-il, sans cesser de manger.</div></div><div><div>— "Mon bon gros Hassan... Comme tu es lourdaud ! Tu croyais pouvoir te montrer le plus habile, et le plus rusé. Passe encore avec ma mère puisqu'elle était aveugle mais pas avec moi, mon petit homme ! J'ai tout de suite compris que tu essayais de gagner du temps. Tu n'étais pas si docile que Tsériel le pensait, mais tu <i>mangeais</i>... Tu mangeais toujours de si bon appétit. Oh ! Un vrai petit goinfre, comme nous les aimons !"</div><div>— "Hmmmph... Hmmmph..."</div><div>— "Lorsque tu as commencé à me séduire, j'ai compris que je pourrais te mener par le bout de ton joli museau, exactement où je voudrais... Je t'ai laissé dire et j'en ai profité pour bien te nourrir, juste pour moi !"</div><div><br /></div><div> La jeune ogresse veille sur les mangeoires à portée du gros garçon, qui se jette sur les énormes beignets remplis de confiture qu'elle verse par plateaux entiers. Pour l'aider un peu, elle met parfois les pâtisseries dans ses mains, directement, et il s'en repaît en quelques bouchées.</div><div><br /></div><div>— "C'est bien, Hassan... Oh ! Je n'ai eu aucun mal à te gaver. Il suffisait de te donner des bons petits plats, bien nourrissants, et tu <i>mangeais.</i> Tu t'es laissé faire si docilement... Comme je me suis amusée à te nourrir, et à te gaver, pour que la vieille sorcière en perde la tête... Et comme tu t'es laissé aller, mon bon garçon ! Comme tu es devenu bouffi et joufflu, et lourd... et balourd ! Oh ! Comme tu t'es bien engraissé... Ha ! Ha !"</div><div><br /></div><div> En tournant autour de lui, elle tâte ses flancs rebondis et ses poignées d'amour qui s'arrondissent doucement, en se remplissant peu à peu.</div><div><br /></div><div>— "Plus vite, plus vite... Régale-toi un peu plus goulûment, mon gros... La nuit va bientôt tomber. Allons, un petit effort ! Tu ne te remplis pas le ventre assez vite à mon goût !"</div><div><div>— "Hmmmph... Hmmmph..."</div></div><div><div>— "Oh, Hassan... Comme tu es lourdaud ! Mais j'ai compris en t'écoutant me faire de belles promesses, jour après jour, et en te voyant toujours aussi bien manger, que tu serais le parfait petit époux que j'attendais... Oh ! Tu ne savais pas ce que c'est qu'une ogresse, mon petit homme !"</div></div><div><br /></div><div> Elle lui sourit de toutes ses dents, de ce sourire effroyablement large qui lui fait apercevoir d'innombrables crocs, très brillants — longs, effilés et tranchants comme des lames de rasoir.</div><div><br /></div><div>— "Alors j'ai commencé à vraiment te chérir, mon beau Hassan... J'ai compris que le moment serait enfin venu où je pourrais me venger de la vieille Tsériel, et prendre sa place dans cette maison. Depuis que je suis née, elle m'a toujours traitée comme une esclave ! Elle se comportait plutôt comme une sorcière, alors que je suis une ogresse toute pure... Lorsque nous faisions sortir un garçon du four, magnifiquement rôti et juteux à souhait, elle se réservait toujours les meilleurs morceaux et ne me laissait que du lard, avec la peau et les os à rogner. Il y a bien des beaux garçons que j'aurais dévorés tout crus, et entiers..."</div><div><br /></div></div><div> Hassan frémit en l'écoutant. Des larmes coulent sur ses joues, toutes bouffies, qu'il s'efforce de remplir de ragoût de mouton et de boulettes de viande, avec des poignées de couscous garni de raisins secs.</div><div><br /></div><div>— "Pour devenir sorcière ou ogresse, il faut tuer celle qui nous a élevée. C'est la loi naturelle... Tsériel ne s'est jamais occupée de moi. Elle me faisait travailler sans relâche, du matin au soir, et cuisiner pour préparer les énormes repas de nos proies... Oh ! Il y a longtemps que j'attendais ce moment, mais la vieille sorcière se méfiait aussi depuis longtemps. Et il fallait une puissante distraction pour qu'elle ne fasse plus attention à moi... Quelle meilleure distraction qu'un beau et <i>gros</i> garçon, bien <i>gras</i>, dont le ventre serait encore plus rempli qu'elle ne s'y attendait ?"</div><div><div>— "Hmmmph... Hmmmph..."</div><div></div></div><div><div>— "Tu as été parfait, Hassan ! Une proie bien docile, jusqu'au bout... Et bien ventru, bien rondouillard ! Allons, dépêche-toi un peu d'avaler, mon gros ! Tu as encore beaucoup de boulettes de viande à manger, pour être bientôt <i>farci</i> et repu à point. Tu n'es pas encore prêt à éclater... Avale !"</div><div></div></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div><div><div>— "Hmmmph... Hmmmph..."</div><div></div></div><div></div></div><div>— "Maintenant que la vieille sorcière est morte, toutes ses possessions et tous ses pouvoirs me reviennent. Cette maison m'appartient, avec les cuisines, le four et le silo pour mettre mes futures proies à l'engrais... Et je n'aurai pas à partager mon festin ! Lorsque je t'aurai dévoré, ce sera <i>moi</i>... l'ogresse de la savane."</div><div><br /></div><div> Toujours toute souriante, Loundja tâte un peu le ventre de Hassan pendant qu'il se remplit le gosier de patates douces, d'oignons frits, de beignets à la confiture et de toutes sortes de mangeailles, à vive allure.</div><div> Le malheureux jeune homme frémit en sentant les doigts ou les ongles de l'ogresse sur sa peau bien épaisse et bien tendre, qui se tend peu à peu... Il frémit encore en sentant son souffle brûlant lorsqu'elle vient lui parler à l'oreille.</div><div><br /></div><div><div><div><div>— "Dépêche-toi encore un peu, mon gros... Je suis bien contente de te voir manger de si bon appétit !" minaude-t-elle. "Et ton ventre se remplit bien, petit à petit. Je vais encore te faire avaler des boulettes de viande pour bien te farcir, et toute une motte de beurre pour que tu sois bien en chair et bien onctueux !"</div><div></div></div><div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div>— "Hmmmph... Hmmmph..."</div><div></div></div><div></div></div></div><div>— "S'il ne s'agissait que de faire un festin, et de te dévorer, tu serais déjà bien assez gros et gras, mon beau Hassan... Mais j'ai besoin de toi d'une toute autre façon. Lorsque tu m'as promis d'être mon époux, j'ai compris que mes vœux allaient être enfin exaucés. Tuer la vieille Tsériel n'avait rien de si difficile... Je pouvais toujours prendre sa place, mais il me faudrait une ogresse plus jeune pour m'assister. Une ogresse qui vit seule doit se monter vraiment trop patiente pour engraisser sa proie... Même une sorcière ne peut pas se satisfaire d'un maigre festin ! Et les ogresses travaillent toujours avec leur mère, ou avec leur fille..." </div><div><br /></div><div> Elle lui tourne toujours autour, de plus près.</div><div><br /></div><div>— "Eh bien, mon gros Hassan ? Tu t'endors ? Il est tard... Il fait nuit... Il faut que tu manges ! Encore ! Oh ? Mais tu es fatigué... Je crois bien que je vais devoir t'engorger moi-même, comme promis. Pour commencer, tu vas boire un peu..."</div><div><br /></div><div> Loundja verse un tonnelet de bière dans le gosier de Hassan, qui boit à longs traits, lentement mais goulûment.</div><div><br /></div><div>— "BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRP !"</div><div>— "Voilà qui est mieux... Ouvre grand la bouche, mon gros Hassan ! Il faut bien te remplir la panse, et tu seras bientôt replet à point..."</div><div><br /></div><div> Elle apporte d'autres mangeoires et d'autres baquets à côté de lui.</div><div><br /></div><div>— "Bien ! Maintenant, avale... Des boulettes de viande, du couscous, du beurre et des abricots secs... Tout ce qu'il faut pour bien te nourrir, et te farcir !" annonce-t-elle, en se réjouissant de l'engorger ainsi. "Encore !"</div><div><div><div>— "Hmmmph... Hmmmph..."</div><div>— "Encore un peu... Encore ! Mange un peu plus vite... Encore un peu, mon gros Hassan. Il faut que tu <i>éclates </i>!"</div><div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div><div><div>— "Hmmmph... Hmmmph..."</div></div><div>— "Laisse-toi faire, tu seras bientôt repu et gavé... comme il faut !" lui murmure-t-elle à l'oreille. "Encore ! Encore, mon petit homme... Voilà ! Tu manges bien... Et ton ventre commence à être vraiment bien rempli... Dépêche-toi d'avaler, mon gros ! Ce n'est plus qu'une question d'heures, et tu seras sur le point d'éclater..."</div><div><div><div><div>— "Hmmmph..."</div><div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div><div><div>— "Reste bien docile, et avale... Encore du beurre ! Encore du poulet ! Encore des pâtes d'amande... Tu vas être parfaitement dodu pour notre nuit de noces, Hassan ! Oh ! Comme je suis heureuse... Et comme j'ai hâte, mon petit homme !"</div></div></div><div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div><div><div>— "Hmmmph... Hmmmph..."</div><div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div>— "Voilà... Laisse-moi t'engorger comme un canard gras. Ce sera bientôt notre nuit de noces, mon beau gros garçon. Lorsque tu seras bien repu, et très lourd, sur le point d'éclater, tu vas perdre connaissance... Alors, je te dévorerai ! Oui, je ne ferai qu'une bouchée de toi, malgré ta belle corpulence... Je t'avalerai comme un serpent gobe un œuf ! Et lorsque tu seras dans mon ventre, tu éclateras en moi et je serai si grosse que je devrai me reposer... J'attendrai un enfant de toi, mon gentil Hassan. Et je donnerai naissance à une petite fille... Elle viendra au monde pour devenir une ogresse, comme moi, et comme ma mère avant moi !"</div><div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div>— "Hmmmph... Hmmmph..."</div><div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>— "Et bientôt, elle et moi, nous capturerons un beau garçon que nous ferons bien grossir... Et lorsqu'il sera enfin gras et dodu à souhait, nous le ferons rôtir et je le mangerai ! Euh... Nous le mangerons !"</div><div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div><div> Hassan ne résiste plus. Il est sur le point de s'évanouir, tant la jeune ogresse lui fait peur... En se laissant gaver ainsi, dans ce demi-sommeil, il se repose un peu. Il sent bien son ventre se remplir, douloureusement. Il lui semble plutôt qu'il gonfle à vue d'œil !</div><div> Loundja ne lui accorde aucun répit... Lorsque le soleil se lève, elle est toujours occupée à l'engorger.</div><div> Le jeune homme éprouve un frisson soudain, comme un courant d'air frais qui le fait sursauter, toujours confortablement assis sur son banc. Il se réveille, la bouche pleine, et ses joues ne sont pas seulement bouffies de sommeil... Sa petite épouse lui présente déjà une louche remplie de fromage blanc au miel, avec une poignée de gros loukoums.</div><div><br /></div><div><div><div><div>— "Eh bien, mon petit homme... Tu te décides enfin à ouvrir les yeux ? Ouvre grand la bouche, puisque tu es un peu plus éveillé ! Avale..."</div><div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div><div></div></div><div><div><div><div>— "Hmmmph..."</div><div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div><div></div></div><div><div><div><div>— "Ton ventre a pris une belle ampleur et une belle rondeur, pendant la nuit... J'ai fait du bon travail ! Je t'ai bien rempli et tu as bien grossi... Je n'ai pas pu m'empêcher de te préparer encore un magnifique et délicieux couscous, comme tu les aimes tant, et comme tu t'en es si bien régalé. Si nous avions encore un peu de temps, je te le donnerais à manger... pour que tu t'engraisses ! Tant pis... Mais finis d'avaler tes pâtisseries et ces petites friandises pour combler ton estomac !"</div><div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div><div></div></div><div><div><div><div>— "Hmmmph... Hmmmph..."</div><div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div><div><br /></div><div> Après l'avoir encore forcé à se repaître, en le pressant beaucoup pour qu'il se réveille un peu, Loundja tâte les flancs et l'estomac de sa proie. Hassan se sent tellement rond qu'il peut à peine bouger !</div><div><br /></div><div>— "Oui... Oui... Je crois que nous n'aurons plus beaucoup de temps pour te nourrir encore, mon beau Hassan ! Mais je ne veux plus attendre... Et tu es enfin assez <i>gras </i>! Le moment est proche où tu seras parfaitement repu à point, et tu vas t'évanouir... Allons, avale ! Encore une crêpe au beurre, mon gros, et encore un beignet au beurre... Et encore quelques noix, quelques pâtes de fruits et quelques raisins secs... Très bien. Quel parfait petit goinfre, Hassan ! Tu n'es plus qu'à deux ou trois bouchées de l'éclatement ! Oh ! Je suis si heureuse..."</div><div><div><div><div><div>— "Hmmmph... Hmmmph..." répond le jeune homme, tout en sueur, en se forçant toujours à saisir toutes sortes de pâtisseries et de mangeailles pour les enfoncer dans son gosier.</div><div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div><div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div><div>— "Continue de bien te remplir la panse, mon bon lourdaud ! Il restera encore tant de bonnes choses à manger... Mais il est temps pour moi de t'enduire d'huile, et de me préparer à te <i>dévorer</i> tout cru, tout lisse et tout nu ! Oh, comme tu es enfin devenu bien <i>appétissant</i>..."</div></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Le malheureux jeune homme la voit s'éloigner, toute guillerette, toute frétillante, toute sautillante en boitant toujours un peu, si rondelette et si <i>impatiente </i>de ne faire qu'une bouchée de sa proie, si beau et si dodu...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Il a toujours un gros beignet rempli de confiture dans chaque main, et il ne peut même pas s'arrêter de s'empiffrer !</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><div><br /></div></div><div> En le laissant seul à table, Loundja avait murmuré à l'oreille de Hassan.</div><div><br /></div><div>— "Tu n'as jamais été qu'un ventre sur pattes, pour moi. Maintenant tu n'es plus qu'un ventre, parfaitement rond, gros et gras ! Tu n'aurais pas dû te croire plus malin que les autres, ni te montrer si docile... Quand tu seras tout badigeonné d'huile, mon petit homme bien dodu, tu entreras tout seul dans mon gosier !" </div><div><br /></div><div><div> Le jeune homme sent qu'il ne peut plus rien avaler. Il est bien près de s'évanouir, tant son ventre est lourd... Il ferme les yeux pour reprendre sa prière personnelle. Il la répète pour se donner du courage.</div><div><br /></div><div>— "Mon estomac est mon allié. Mon poids fait ma force ! Ma graisse est mon arme secrète, et mon corps bien épais, bien lourd et bien en chair, fait ma fierté..." </div></div><div><br /></div><div> Avec un effort presque surhumain, Hassan se retient de prendre deux autres beignets. Il pose une main sur le bord de la table, et il tente de se lever. Il est si massif et si imposant que son banc se renverse derrière lui, mais il parvient à se lever... Lorsqu'il est debout, il tente de trouver un nouvel équilibre. Il parvient enfin à faire un pas, puis un autre... Et le sol semble protester, sous ses pieds, d'avoir à le supporter !</div><div> Il étouffe, en essayant de trouver un second souffle. Il doit répéter sa prière, dans sa tête, pour se motiver à bouger un peu, même à lever les bras. Il n'est pas loin de dormir debout, tant il est épuisé...</div><div> La jeune ogresse revient déjà de la remise, avec un grand seau rempli d'huile à ras-bord et un pinceau assez large pour le badigeonner sur tout le corps avant de l'avaler, d'une seule bouchée.</div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Eh bien ! Que fais-tu, mon gros Hassan ?" demande-t-elle.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Avant de me rasseoir, et de me repaître pour... achever de bien me remplir le ventre... Je souhaiterais te prendre dans mes bras. Laisse-moi t’embrasser, ma chère petite épouse..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> En s’avançant jusqu'à elle, d’un mouvement de hanches, Hassan fait rebondir soudain la petite ogresse contre son énorme ventre bien rond, et dont la peau est généreusement épaissie mais aussi tendue comme la peau d’une outre remplie jusqu'au goulot.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Surprise, Loundja recule d’un pas et Hassan s’approche encore un peu. Il la fait rebondir aussitôt contre son gros ventre, ce qui la fait reculer encore... encore... Il fait encore quelque pas en transpirant à grosses gouttes et en la poussant avec son ventre trop rond et trop lourd. Elle boite, et trébuche, perd l'équilibre, et soudain elle tombe à la renverse ! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Elle tombe dans la trappe du silo, la tête la première, en poussant un cri de stupeur étouffé.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> En l’entendant tomber au fond du puits, si profond, Hassan respire... Il laisse échapper un rot triomphal.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><div>— "BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRP !"</div></div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><div><br /></div></div></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Enfin débarrassé de ces deux abominables ogresses, Hassan apprécie le calme qui règne dans la vieille maison. Il fait quelques pas, lentement, cherchant toujours le bon équilibre avec son ventre énormément rempli. Le beau gros garçon appuie son dos contre un mur, et se repose.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Peu à peu, il reprend son souffle et il se trouve un peu plus détendu.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Hassan caresse doucement ses flancs, bien rebondis et bien épaissis. Il trouve trop dangereux de se rasseoir. Ce seraient trop d'efforts pour qu'il se relève... Après une longue sieste réparatrice, il ouvre les yeux et il lève la tête. Hassan voit enfin le ciel bleu, et de beaux rayons de soleil lui procurent un sentiment de bien-être intense. Il se sent apaisé.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Toujours très lentement, il fait quelques pas jusqu'au four. L'immense marmite de bouillon est toujours brûlante et bouillonnante, même si le feu a sensiblement baissé. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "La vieille Tsériel doit avoir fondu, là-dedans..." se dit-il.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Hassan considère les gros crochets de fer, sur les bords de la marmite. Il prend des cordes, qui pendent toujours du plafond, et les accroche une à une pour tenter de soulever cette énorme pièce de fonte remplie d'eau bouillante... Ce n'est pas une tâche si aisée, pour un garçon aussi lourd, si bedonnant et si peu entraîné physiquement !</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> En tournant la roue, il éprouve une grande satisfaction en considérant que sa force est toujours présente, et qu'il ne manque pas de muscles épais, noueux et bien bandés dans ses bras et dans tout son corps... En tirant sur les cordes, il considère ses mains potelées. Il sourit.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div>— "Sans doute, mes muscles sont bien là, et certainement bien épais... Je les ai juste recouverts d'une couche de graisse encore plus épaisse, et bien confortable pour les protéger !"</div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> La marmite pèse un poids formidable, évidemment... Hassan la soulève très peu au-dessus du sol, mais il la dirige bientôt jusqu'au bord du puits. Avec précautions, il s'en approche mais il ne se penche pas : le silo est trop sombre, et trop profond, pour qu'il puisse espérer y voir quelque chose... Surtout, son ventre est si <i>gros </i>qu'il ne voit même pas où il pose les pieds ! Il tend l'oreille, puis il appelle. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div>— "Loundja ? Ne t'es-tu pas fait mal en tombant, ma petite épouse ?"</div><div><br /></div><div> Hassan n'entend qu'un râle lointain, assez vague. Pour se rassurer, il pose la marmite sur le bord du puits, et la fait pencher de plus en plus, versant des cataractes d'eau bouillante et fumante jusque dans le fond du silo... Peut-être la jeune ogresse pousse-t-elle un hurlement, aussitôt noyé par le bouillon et la distance.</div><div><br /></div><div>— "Voilà ! Vous resterez ainsi ensemble, ta mère et toi ! Vous m'en avez assez fait subir, Tsériel et Loundja... Je devrais vous renommer Prudence et Sûreté, cruelles ogresses ! Puisqu'il paraît que prudence est mère de sûreté..."</div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> En versant toujours des flots de bouillon, l'énorme marmite finit par se renverser au-dessus du silo. Elle se retrouve enfin à l'envers mais, au lieu de tomber, elle forme un bouchon de fonte pour le puits... Hassan se sent enfin parfaitement rassuré : les deux ogresses sont mortes !</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Le gros garçon est tout en sueur... Les vapeurs du bouillon sont encore lourdes dans la pièce, autour de lui. Il fait quelques pas jusqu'à la table, qu'il trouve toujours magnifiquement chargée de victuailles.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Ah ! Cruelles ogresses... Comme vous en aviez après mon ventre ! Comme vous étiez pressées de bien me nourrir pour bien m'engraisser... Toujours aussi pressées, toutes les deux, si impatientes... Eh bien ! Voilà ce qui arrive, quand on se presse toujours autant, tête baissée... On se brûle, on trébuche. C'est bien fait pour vous ! Et maintenant, moi, je suis libre... Et j'ai enfin le temps pour en profiter un peu."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Hassan redresse le banc, en utilisant seulement ses pieds, puis il se rassoit. Il reprend sa respiration... Mais il tend déjà une main vers la table, à côté de lui, et il sourit lorsqu'il sent qu'il vient d'attraper un gros beignet à la confiture.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> En savourant longuement chaque bouchée, avec des gémissements de plaisir, il se régale d'un beignet après l'autre, et encore de loukoums et de dattes caramélisées, d'abricots poêlés au beurre et de pâtisseries !</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "J'ai tout mon temps..." se dit-il, en soupirant d'aise. "Et mon ventre est déjà bien rempli... Si je mangeais trop vite, je serais peut-être bien prêt d'éclater pour de bon ! Il faut se gaver avec modération..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Le bon gros garçon satisfait largement son appétit, cependant. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Alors qu'il va croquer encore une pleine poignée de baklavas, il entend une voix qui appelle au loin, depuis le sous-sol.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Holà ? Quelqu'un ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Hassan sent son cœur bondir dans sa poitrine. Il tend l'oreille. C'est un appel curieusement hésitant, inquiet, presque timide. Surtout, c'est une voix d'homme — et même plutôt une voix de jeune homme...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Qui est là ?" demande-t-il, assez fort pour être entendu.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Est-ce que..." L'autre jeune homme semble hésiter encore un peu. "Est-ce que les deux sorcières sont mortes ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Oui ! La sorcière et l'ogresse sont mortes... Je les ai tuées !" </div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Oh ? Le Ciel soit loué !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "La voie est libre. Tu peux me rejoindre."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> À vrai dire, Hassan ne comprend pas qui pouvait rester ainsi caché dans les cuisines du sous-sol ou dans les profondeurs de l'étrange vieille maison, mais il accueillerait volontiers la compagnie d'un garçon de son âge. En se relevant doucement pour sortir de table, il songe qu'une aide serait aussi bienvenue pour l'aider à marcher jusqu'à son village...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Il entend des pas qui se rapprochent, lents et lourds, puis la porte qui mène aux sous-sols s'entrebâille et Hassan a la surprise de voir un bel adolescent passer la tête, avec prudence... Il a la peau sombre mais très luisante, les cheveux ras, et le visage remarquablement joufflu.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Les deux garçons semblent aussi surpris l'un que l'autre.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Entre, je t'en prie. Tu n'as pas à avoir peur..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "C'est que... Oui, j'ai eu peur ici, en vérité ! J'ai beaucoup souffert, et je ne me sens presque pas le courage de revenir dans cette pièce..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Pourquoi ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Lorsque l'adolescent se décide à entrer dans la cuisine, Hassan a la confirmation que ce beau garçon n'est pas seulement joufflu mais bien empâté, très dodu, avec un énorme ventre rond et luisant... Il peut le contempler tout à loisir, puisqu'il est tout nu comme lui et que celui-ci l'observe aussi en ouvrant de grands yeux, émerveillé. En effet, Hassan est beaucoup plus gros et beaucoup plus rond, certainement plus lourd et certainement plus rempli et plus largement repu que lui, même s'il est magnifiquement obèse et grassement ventripotent !</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Les deux jeunes hommes échangent un sourire complice.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Dans mon village, on me nommait Amin. Et toi, qui es-tu ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Je m'appelle Hassan. Mais d'où viens-tu exactement ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Je viens... Comment dire ? Tu ne vas peut-être pas me croire..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Dis toujours."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Je reviens du sous-sol... Mais je devrais dire aussi que je reviens du passé. Je pense que je suis la première proie que Tsériel a capturé."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Sa première proie ? Mais alors, tu as... Et elle t'a..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Le garçon acquiesce, d'un petit mouvement de tête.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Oui... Lorsque la vieille sorcière a déclaré que j'avais suffisamment grossi et que j'étais assez "bien en chair" pour leur festin, sa fille m'a fait remonter jusqu'ici... pour..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Je comprends. Elle comptait en faire autant avec moi, évidemment."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "C'est pour ça que son énorme four me fait toujours peur... Lorsque tu as tué cette abominable sorcière et sa mère, tu as dû mettre fin à leur puissance magique. Enfin, je ne sais pas... mais tu m'as rendu à la vie." </div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Sa mère ? Tu veux dire sa fille..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Non, Tsériel vivait ici avec sa mère, la vieille sorcière."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Tsériel était déjà une vieille sorcière, lorsqu'elle m'a capturé..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Oh ? Alors, tu n'es pas... Je pensais que tu devais être sa deuxième proie, pour son horrible festin ! Et comme elle t'a bien..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Hassan sourit en le voyant hésiter.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Comme elle m'a bien <i>engraissé </i>! C'est ce que tu voulais dire ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Oui !" Il rougit et sourit. "Moi qui me trouvais monstrueusement gras et obèse, lorsqu'elle m'a fait sortir de ma prison... Je pensais que jamais aucun homme ne pourrait grossir autant qu'elle m'y avait poussé, en me gavant comme une oie... jour et nuit !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div>— "Je comprends. Tu n'avais pas tort."</div><div><div>— "Mais toi aussi, alors, elle voulait..." Il rougit encore.</div><div><div>— "Elle voulait quoi ?"</div><div><div>— "Comme elle t'a vraiment bien engorgé, je me demandais..." Il hésite juste un instant. "Elle voulait te faire <i>éclater</i>, toi aussi ?"</div></div></div></div><div><div>— "Oh ? Je comprends... Oh, oui ! Elle voulait vraiment me faire éclater la panse, à force de me remplir de farce et de graisse ! Et il s'en est fallu de peu pour qu'elle réussisse..."</div><div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Il caresse son estomac bien rebondi, et la couche de lard trop épaisse qui le recouvre. Les deux garçons échangent encore un regard complice, en laissant chacun tâter le ventre de l'autre, très doucement... Hassan observe attentivement ce beau jeune homme qui l'a rejoint. Il est tout ruisselant d'huile et de sueur, et parfaitement rond comme une boule de pâte, comme s'il n'avait fait que se goinfrer toute la matinée pour tendre la peau de son ventre autant que possible, encore et encore — beaucoup trop copieusement et en se forçant à ingurgiter sans retenue, même sans réfléchir... jusqu'à la limite de l'éclatement !</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Cependant, les courbes de son corps sont généreusement dodues, et témoignent d'un engraissement intensif mais longuement prolongé, avec une patience et une obstination féroces...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Intimidé, il frémit et il n'ose pas regarder la table, toujours surchargée de mangeailles.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "N'hésite pas à te faire plaisir..." dit Hassan, en prenant un bol rempli d'abricots poêlés au beurre, de noix et de raisins secs, et en l'invitant à partager ces provisions trop abondantes. "Tu as dû en avaler beaucoup d'autres, et en grandes quantités... pour devenir bien gros !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Oh ! Oui... Et bien <i>gras </i>!" répond son compagnon, en se caressant la panse. "Pour être honnête avec toi, je me suis bien régalé mais la jeune Tsériel voulait que je m'empiffre en permanence... Elle m'a forcé à me nourrir jusqu'à ce que je m'évanouisse, la bouche pleine. Comme j'étais sa première proie, elle était curieuse de découvrir jusqu'à quel point je pourrais faire du lard, et d'apprendre jusqu'à quel point la peau de mon ventre pourrait se tendre et s'arrondir... Elle n'a plus cessé de me remplir le gosier de boudins aux épices, de beignets et de loukoums sirupeux... jusqu'à ce que mon ventre éclate ! Alors je dois dire que, maintenant, je n'ai plus faim."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Je comprends bien." Hassan sourit en appréciant les résultats d'un gavage aussi primitif et aussi barbare, mais aussi parfaitement abouti.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Soudain, le bel adolescent pousse un rot très bruyant, interminable et d'une sonorité que Hassan connaît bien — le rot irrépressible, satisfait, d'un ton grave et bien "gras", d'un garçon repu trop copieusement pour son propre appétit, de bonnes choses trop nourrissantes pour son propre équilibre... Ils en rient ensemble, de bon cœur.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Ouf ! Je respire mais je me sens toujours gavé, lourdement gavé ! J'avais oublié à quel point j'étais devenu joufflu... Et mon estomac me pèse toujours comme un boulet ! Ou plutôt, je me sens... Comment te dire ? Complètement <i>rempli</i>, comme si tout mon corps avait été..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Farci ?" suggère Hassan, en croquant une poignée de noix et de fruits secs, à belles dents.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "C'est exactement ce que je pensais... Mais alors, que s'est-il passé ? Si Tsériel est morte avec sa fille, beaucoup de temps a dû passer avant qu'elle te capture, toi aussi..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Hmmmph... Oui, et je crois qu'il y en a eu bien d'autres, entre toi et moi... Je suis loin d'être sa deuxième proie."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Tu as raison..." dit une voix. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Les deux jeunes hommes se tournent. Ils voient la porte du sous-sol s'ouvrir doucement et un autre beau garçon entre, également nu... Il a la peau bronzée, comme celle de Hassan, mais toute luisante d'huile comme celle de son compagnon. Et comme il fallait s'y attendre, il est aussi rondelet, obèse et joufflu que ce dernier. Il les salue timidement.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "La deuxième proie de Tsériel, je pense que c'était moi..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><div><br /></div></div><div> Toute la journée, à intervalle régulier, un nouveau garçon se présente et rejoint le groupe qui s'est formé peu à peu autour de Hassan. Chacun est accueilli à bras ouverts, et on l'entoure d'attentions pour le rassurer, lui expliquer ce qui leur est arrivé à tous, et le réconforter.</div><div> Parmi les premiers venus, certains parlent de leurs familles, de leurs parents dont Hassan n'avait jamais entendu parler, et de leurs villages dont il ignorait même qu'ils avaient existé... Tout cela doit être enseveli dans les sables, depuis longtemps.</div><div> Le nombre de ces gros garçons ne cesse d'augmenter. L'un d'eux a la bonne idée de suggérer qu'ils prennent place dans le grand hammam, où ils seront plus à leur aise, allongés dans les bassins ou sur le carrelage, au frais. Comme ils étouffent tous, amplement badigeonnés d'huile, une douche froide leur fera le plus grand bien !</div><div> Après quelque temps, un dernier garçon se présente. Hassan a observé que les huit ou dix proies les plus récentes des deux ogresses semblent avoir été traitées encore un petit peu plus durement que les autres : à la façon dont ils tâtent leurs flancs rebondis, et en voyant leurs estomacs très ronds et saillants, on devine que la captivité a été particulièrement pénible pour eux... On les entoure de caresses, ventres contre ventres, en les tâtant sur tout le corps pour les aider à se détendre.</div><div> Hassan reconnaît le gros garçon qui vient d'entrer. En remontant dans ses souvenirs d'enfant, il retrouve son nom et il se souvient d'avoir suivi ce bel adolescent qui grimpait plus haut que tous les autres, dans les branches des arbres. Il semble toujours aussi jeune, et il n'aurait pas du tout changé, s'il n'avait pas pris autant de poids et de ventre. Le jeune homme le reconnaît aussi, après un instant d'hésitation... Il a le souffle court et il est particulièrement lourd, mais il pleure de joie en retrouvant un ami après une si longue captivité, marquée par la solitude la plus éprouvante. Il se place derrière lui pour l'embrasser avec tendresse... En effet, Hassan est beaucoup trop rond et beaucoup trop <i>gros </i>pour pouvoir être embrassé face à face, surtout par un autre garçon aussi largement obèse ! Ils en rient de bon cœur, tous les deux.</div><div><br /></div><div>— "Nous sommes au complet, alors..." s'interroge-t-on, autour des deux jeunes hommes enlacés. "Mais combien sommes-nous ?"</div><div>— "Passons sous la douche, chacun à notre tour, et nous saurons."</div><div><br /></div><div> Un jeune homme ouvre un des robinets. Une eau fraîche se répand sur le premier bassin, à l'entrée du hammam... L'un après l'autre, les gros garçons prennent une douche, sous les yeux de leurs camarades. En fait, dès le début, on les assiste pour mieux les débarrasser de cette huile de cuisson dont ils sont recouverts, et pour leur laver le dos. On emploie de grosses éponges et des serviettes pour les nettoyer et les sécher.</div><div><br /></div><div>— "Trente-quatre... Trente-cinq..."</div><div><br /></div><div> Amin, le beau garçon à la peau sombre qui était la première proie de Tsériel, a entrepris de faire le compte sans se laisser distraire.</div><div> De son côté, Hassan fait quelques observations pour lui-même, dont il est très satisfait. Tous les jeunes hommes autour de lui sont à peu près du même âge : le plus jeune a dix-sept ans, le plus âgé n'a que vingt-et-un ans. Ils ont tous à peu près la même taille : le plus grand d'entre eux ne dépasse le plus petit que d'une courte tête... Ils doivent tous peser un poids considérable, et ils sont tous très rondelets, bien dodus et bien obèses ! Loundja n'exagérait pas, lorsqu'elle lui disait avec fierté que les ogresses faisaient <i>rouler</i> leurs proies jusqu'au four, pour les rôtir...</div><div><br /></div><div><div>— "Cinquante-huit... Cinquante-neuf..."</div><div><br /></div></div><div> Les garçons qui ont été douchés, nettoyés et séchés prennent place dans le vaste hammam où ils ont dû passer, l'un après l'autre, lorsque la terrible Tsériel les faisait enfin sortir de son silo. Ils ont tous les cheveux coupés très court. Certains ont le crâne rasé. Assis contre des coussins, ils caressent tous leurs ventres ronds, douloureusement lourds après avoir été trop remplis de mangeailles, trop longtemps.</div><div> Hassan les entend discuter, par petits groupes, ou simplement deux par deux, à voix basses pour se confier. Ils comprennent peu à peu qu'ils ont encore l'estomac et le gosier bien engorgés, mais que leur ventre aussi est pratiquement <i>rembourré </i>de farce, de chair à saucisse et de beurre...</div><div><br /></div><div><div>— "Soixante-neuf..." Amin a enfin achevé de compter. "Avec toi, Hassan, nous sommes exactement soixante-dix."</div><div><div>— "Quel nombre effroyable de victimes !" soupire un garçon.</div><div><div>— "Et quelle <i>masse </i>abominable de victimes..." plaisante un autre, en se donnant une claque sur le ventre. "Parlez-moi d'un meurtre de masse !"</div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><div><br /></div></div><div> Tous ressentent le besoin de se confier, de conter leur histoire.</div><div></div></div><div> On décide d'accorder toute l'attention à chacun des adolescents que les deux ogresses ont capturés, sans ordre particulier, en laissant tout le temps nécessaire à chacun pour s'exprimer. Dès les premiers récits, les conteurs et les écoutants comprennent qu'ils ont tous affronté un certain nombre des mêmes épreuves — chacun à sa manière : la capture, la captivité, la terrible solitude et les longues heures d'ennui, dans le silo, les quantités proprement abrutissantes de nourriture qu'ils étaient forcés de manger pour mieux s'engraisser, l'appréciation si cruelle de Tsériel qui venait tâter leur bras pour juger de leur embonpoint, enfin le jour où elle décidait de les faire sortir de leur sinistre prison... pour les rôtir !</div></div></div><div> Cependant, chaque garçon a vécu sa propre aventure, seul, avec ses émotions, ses espoirs et ses terreurs. Tous les autres respectent cela, et aucun conteur n'est interrompu. Au contraire, on lui pose des questions pour l'encourager à se libérer de certains souvenirs trop pesants. </div><div> Les récits des uns et des autres révèlent aussi des différences ou des particularités inattendues. Hassan découvre les méthodes des anciennes ogresses pour gaver leurs proies. On n'aurait pas soupçonné que Tsériel chassait parfois de jeunes garçons, au lieu de les prendre au piège, et qu'elle avait longtemps chassé seule ainsi, avant d'adopter Loundja.</div><div> Tous les garçons écoutent avec attention les récits de trois d'entre eux qui ont subi une captivité beaucoup plus longue que les autres... Hassan comprend alors pourquoi le plus âgé parmi les proies de Tsériel a vingt-et-un ans : la sorcière l'a retenu prisonnier dans le silo pendant plusieurs années, comme elle était seule pour cuisiner, le gaver, et veiller sur son engraissement ! Il avait résisté pendant des mois, mais elle avait fini par briser sa volonté... Même lorsqu'il était devenu plus docile, elle avait dû attendre longtemps pour s'assurer qu'il avait pris suffisamment de poids, et du lard en abondance pour satisfaire son horrible appétit !</div><div> Certains récits les font frémir... D'autres les font pleurer, lorsqu'ils en viennent au moment fatidique, quand le malheureux garçon engraissé à point et très bouffi, très dodu, va être rôti à la broche !</div><div> D'autres récits les amusent, pourtant, et les font bien rire. Parmi les anciennes proies de Tsériel — et de Loundja aussi, pour les plus récents — Hassan en a distingué une bonne douzaine qui sont sensiblement plus arrondis que ceux qui les entourent : un peu plus dodus et un peu plus empâtés, comme s'ils avaient été traités avec un soin tout particulier... </div><div> L'un d'entre eux, encouragé par ce qu'il a déjà entendu et les sourires de sympathie qu'on lui adresse, déclare en toute sincérité que, dès les premières heures de sa captivité, il s'est régalé de tout ce que Tsériel lui donnait à manger, sans retenue et sans songer aux conséquences, tant la nourriture était savoureuse. À tel point que la sorcière avait longtemps attendu... avant de se décider à lui demander de lui présenter son bras et son poignet, dans le silo, pour qu'elle puisse les tâter à son aise !</div><div><br /></div><div>— "Mais comment faisait-elle, alors, pour vérifier que tu grossissais ?"</div><div>— "Elle me demandait de temps en temps "Rahim ? Ne te sens-tu pas un peu plus lourd ?" Ou "Rahim, mon garçon, n'aurais-tu pas un peu <i>forci </i>?" Ou encore "Rahim ? Ta culotte ne te serre-t-elle pas un peu, autour de la taille ?" Enfin, elle me demandait..."</div><div>— "Mais... Que lui répondais-tu ?"</div><div>— "Je lui disais "Oui, Tsériel. Je me sens bien lourd, après un aussi bon repas..." Et "Oui, Tsériel. Je pense avoir un peu grossi..." Et encore "Oui, Tsériel. Ma culotte me serre, surtout comme je reste assis longtemps..." Je ne lui cachais rien, et c'est ce qui l'a fait patienter pendant des mois !"</div><div>— "Tu lui disais vraiment tout ?"</div><div>— "Oui... Un jour, je lui ai même dit que le bouton de ma culotte avait sauté ! Elle m'a dit qu'elle allait en coudre un autre... Elle m'a demandé d'ôter mes vêtements et de les lui remettre. Ensuite, elle m'a dit que sa mère les avait brûlé avec son fer, en voulant les repasser... À partir de ce moment, je suis resté enfermé tout nu dans le silo. Et, curieusement, je me suis mis à grossir de plus en plus vite !"</div><div><br /></div><div> Tous les garçons autour de lui éclatent de rire, mais ils lui posent des questions et ils demandent toujours à en savoir plus. </div><div><br /></div><div><div>— "Elle te donnait déjà beaucoup trop à manger ?"</div></div><div><div>— "Oh ! Oui..." Rahim rougit, en caressant doucement son estomac. "De plus en plus ! Elle m'appelait déjà son "petit agneau", son "beau mouton noir", en me cajolant... Mais comme elle me demandait toujours "Rahim, mon garçon, ne te serais-tu pas encore un peu arrondi ?" ou "Rahim ? ne te sens-tu pas un peu plus<i> </i>empâté ?" elle a commencé à m'appeler son "petit mouton... bien <i>gras </i>!" Elle me traitait déjà comme un animal dans son enclos, qu'elle venait gaver à longueur de journée."</div></div><div><div>— "Et tu lui disais toujours la vérité ?"</div></div><div><div>— "Oui, comme je faisais depuis le début. Je lui disais "Oui, Tsériel. Mon ventre est bien rond, surtout après un si bon repas..." Et "Oui, Tsériel. Je pense que mes joues sont un peu plus bouffies..." Mais je lui demandais "Tsériel, pourquoi me sers-tu encore deux grands plats de pâtisseries ? Je n'ai pas encore fini mon ragoût aux boulettes de viande, et il n'y a déjà plus de place autour de moi, même pour y poser un bol..." Mais elle encombrait le fond du silo, avec toujours plus de nourritures, pour que mon estomac reste toujours rempli. Elle m'ordonnait de "tout avaler". Et puis, un jour, elle a demandé à tâter mon poignet, parce qu'elle trouvait que je ne mangeais plus assez vite et assez bien, à son goût."</div></div><div><div>— "C'est une drôle de raison !"</div></div><div>— "Elle avait patienté longtemps, et elle voulait aussi que je m'empiffre toute la journée, toute la nuit... En tâtant mon bras, elle m'a trouvé bien épais, mais elle m'a expliqué que je devrais devenir beaucoup plus dodu, et beaucoup plus <i>ventru </i>! Même mon appétit ne lui suffisait plus..."</div><div><br /></div><div> Sur les soixante-dix jeunes hommes assemblés dans le hammam, tous avaient montré un bel appétit, dès le début de leur captivité, mais une bonne vingtaine d'entre eux avaient fait preuve d'une telle gourmandise qu'ils s'étaient aussitôt comportés comme de parfaits petits goinfres... </div><div> Naturellement, les ogresses en avaient profité pour les combler puis les accabler de mangeailles !</div><div> Omar, un autre beau garçon parmi les plus rondouillards, avait passé des mois et des mois en captivité sans se douter ou se soucier de ce que Tsériel attendait de lui. Elle remplissait de véritables mangeoires, autour de lui, et il se gavait lui-même jusqu'à en être toujours bien repu... </div><div> Lorsque la vieille sorcière était venue lui demander s'il n'aurait pas un peu engraissé, il lui avait tendu son poignet lui-même par la petite porte d'observation, dans l'épaisseur du mur. Elle s'était jetée dessus pour le tâter, avidement, et elle l'avait encouragé à toujours bien "se régaler".</div><div><br /></div><div>— "À quel moment l'attitude des ogresses t'a paru suspecte ?"</div><div>— "Oh... Je pense que c'est lorsque les quantités de nourritures qu'on me donnait pour chaque repas sont devenues vraiment trop... copieuses. Et quand la vieille ogresse a trouvé qu'il restait un peu de ragoût de mouton et un peu de couscous au fond des plats, ou un peu plus que des miettes de pâtisseries, elle est entrée dans une colère si terrible qu'elle m'a obligé à tout avaler ! Elle m'avait toujours parlé si doucement que j'ai commencé à me douter de quelque chose..." </div><div>— "Il était temps !"</div><div>— "Elles appréciaient mon "bel embonpoint", j'avais bien engraissé, mais elles sont devenues très impatientes... Je n'avalais plus assez vite, et surtout je ne grossissais plus assez vite à leur goût. À partir de ce jour, je n'ai fait que me goinfrer, encore plus qu'avant... mais sans gaîté, sans appétit. Je me régalais toujours, mais ce n'était plus le même festin !"</div><div><br /></div><div> Il cligne de l'œil à ses amis, et tâte ses flancs magnifiquement rebondis pour leur montrer qu'il a su résister aussi, à sa manière. D'autres beaux et très gros garçons avaient fait la même expérience. Il s'était parfois écoulé neuf mois avant que Tsériel entreprenne de vérifier comment sa proie s'épaississait, tant il mangeait bien... et s'engraissait !</div><div> Le récit le plus divertissant est celui d'un de ces garçons, Djamil, qui avait cru de bonne foi que les ogresses ne lui voulaient aucun mal. Au contraire ! Elles ne songeaient qu'à son bien-être, et à satisfaire son bel appétit, en le nourrissant toujours plus copieusement...</div><div><br /></div><div>— "Mais tu les croyais, vraiment ?"</div><div>— "Oui... Après tout, elles me traitaient aussi bien qu'elles me l'avaient promis. Elles me nourrissaient en abondance, et je n'avais même pas de travaux à faire pour les remercier... Je devais juste "bien manger", tout manger, et nettoyer les plats même si elles les nettoyaient ensuite, dans la cuisine. Je me remplissais lourdement la panse, et je dormais bien..."</div><div>— "Mais... Tu étais enfermé dans le silo !"</div><div>— "Elles m'avaient dit qu'il y avait une terrible épidémie dans la région, très contagieuse, et qu'il était préférable de rester à l'abri..."</div><div>— "Et tu avais gardé tes vêtements ?"</div><div>— "Oh ? Non... Elles me les ont pris tout de suite, pour les désinfecter. C'est ce qu'elles me disaient, mais elles les ont brûlés. Alors je suis resté assis, tout nu, jusqu'à ce qu'elles me fassent sortir de ma prison, et elles ont commencé à "bien me nourrir"... Grassement, copieusement."</div><div>— "Et tu ne trouvais rien à redire ?"</div><div>— "Non, la nourriture était vraiment... très savoureuse."</div><div>— "Et la sorcière ne demandait pas à tâter ton bras ?"</div><div>— "Non, elle me demandait parfois si j'avais suffisamment bien mangé... Comme j'étais toujours bien repu, je lui disais que tout était parfait. Je ne me plaignais pas. Je ne me trouvais pas à plaindre, vraiment."</div><div>— "Et les ogresses en ont profité !"</div><div>— "Moi aussi, j'ai bien profité !" répond le beau gros garçon, en donnant une claque sonore sur son ventre, largement rebondi. "J'ai commencé à grossir très vite, évidemment... Tsériel ne me demandait jamais si j'étais satisfait. Elle me disait "Djamil ? Tu n'es pas assez rassasié... Mange !" Ou "Djamil ? Je te trouve toujours bien trop frêle... Mange !" Ou encore "Djamil ? Tu ne me sembles pas encore assez <i>lourd</i>. Mange ! Mange !" Et bientôt, elle me disait "Djamil ? Tu n'es pas encore assez <i>rondelet</i>... Il faut que tu t'empâtes !" Et Tsériel et sa mère me faisaient avaler, avaler, avaler... C'était beaucoup de travail, finalement !"</div><div>— "Mais cette petite comédie a duré longtemps ?"</div><div>— "Certainement, des mois et des mois... Je dirais bien une année, mais elles avaient décidé que chaque jour serait mon anniversaire pour mieux me régaler avec de nombreux grands repas de fête, du matin au soir !" </div><div>— "Mais tu as fini par te rendre compte de quelque chose..."</div><div>— "Oui... Un jour, j'ai trouvé qu'elles insistaient beaucoup trop pour que je finisse mon cinquième gâteau d'anniversaire au beurre, celui du repas du soir. Je leur ai dit que j'avais assez mangé pour la journée, mais elles sont entrées dans une colère terrible... Alors, elles m'ont révélé qu'elles m'avaient juste capturé pour me mettre à l'engrais ! Elles m'ont dit que j'avais "confortablement grossi", mais elles ont commencé à m'engorger et à me harceler pour que je m'empiffre encore, et encore, toute la journée... Sans relâche ! J'ai dû leur obéir et je me suis bien engraissé, jusqu'à ce qu'elles me disent que j'avais pris suffisamment de poids et de bonne chair fraîche pour satisfaire enfin leurs appétits d'ogresses."</div><div><br /></div><div> On ne rit plus autour de lui... Tous ces jeunes hommes avaient vécu, avec épouvante, le moment où Tsériel était venue leur annoncer le triste sort qui leur était réservé.</div><div> Cependant, le gros garçon ajoute un dernier mot, si spontanément et si naïvement qu'ils en sont stupéfaits.</div><div><br /></div><div>— "Si j'avais su... Ah non, alors ! Je ne laisserai plus jamais une femme m'engraisser... pour me manger !"</div><div><br /></div><div> Tout le monde éclate de rire, dans le hammam.</div><div> </div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Les récits des uns et des autres font passer le temps agréablement.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Hassan comprend que les adolescents capturés par Tsériel étaient tous un peu marginaux comme lui, solitaires ou délaissés par leur entourage. Cela le fait sourire. En les écoutant, l'un après l'autre, on reconnaît des caractères bien trempés, intrépides, certains plus conquérants, d'autres plus aventureux et portés à explorer des régions inconnues... Tous ces beaux jeunes hommes devaient être dynamiques, vigoureux et agiles — avant d'être engraissés à point... Même sous l'épaisse couche de graisse qui les enveloppe, on devine que certains d'entre eux sont encore assez athlétiques, lourdement empâtés mais toujours bien bâtis et musclés.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Comme ils étaient toujours restés seuls, dans le silo, chaque beau garçon avait de bonnes raisons de croire qu'il était l'homme le plus <i>gros</i>, et le plus <i>lourd</i>, que cette terre ait jamais porté, lorsque Tsériel l'avait poussé jusque dans le four ! En rencontrant leurs semblables, et d'une manière à ce point inespérée, ils éprouvent un plaisir indescriptible.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Sans surprise, pour ces adolescents si obèses, la sensation la plus troublante, et la plus longuement désirée, leur est procurée par la simple caresse d'une main autour de leur nombril, qui n'était plus à portée de leurs propres mains depuis longtemps. Conscients de satisfaire un besoin essentiel, aussi bien pour tâter que pour être tâtés, tous ces beaux gros garçons se couvrent de câlins et de caresses, toujours très tendres, avec des murmures réconfortants et des gémissements de pur plaisir...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> En vérité, la différence entre les "plus gros" et les "moins gros" est encore moins visible qu'entre les "plus grands" et les "plus petits"... Ils sont tous aussi rondelets et aussi obèses que des ogresses pouvaient le souhaiter ! Il faut y regarder de près ou les tâter aux bons endroits pour découvrir une légère différence...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Comme ils sont tous aussi bien arrondis et enrobés, ces particularités individuelles sont justement ce qui est le plus apprécié des uns et des autres. On fait l'éloge de celui-ci parce que son nombril est parfaitement dodu, bien rebondi et doux au toucher. On complimente celui-là pour sa poitrine bien en chair et ses énormes tétons... Cet autre a des poignées d'amour voluptueusement arrondies, et cet autre encore... </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> L'attention des écoutants et des observateurs est détournée par un long grondement sourd et grave... Il est tard, et l'estomac de Hassan a bien travaillé pour digérer une bonne part des mangeailles dont Loundja l'a gavé au-delà de toute limite raisonnable.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Tous les jeunes hommes se tournent vers lui, et ils lui sourient.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Eh bien, Hassan ! Tu as faim ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Le gros garçon rougit et sourit, en acquiesçant doucement.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Et vous... Vous n'avez pas faim ? C'est curieux." </div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Oui, c'est curieux..." se disent les uns et les autres, en tâtant leurs ventres arrondis si lourdement, et leurs estomacs amplement remplis. </div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Quelqu'un a envie de manger ? Quelque chose ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> On se tourne à droite et à gauche... Tous hésitent, visiblement. Hassan invite ses camarades à faire un effort. Leurs derniers repas sont si loin... Mais les garçons autour de lui ne sont pas convaincus.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Mon dernier repas est encore dans mon ventre... Et je me sens trop durement rempli, comme si j'avais été farci de boulettes de viande et de pâtisseries, là, maintenant, ou il y a juste quelques minutes... Comme si l'ogresse venait de finir de me gaver."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Tous les autres l'approuvent, et ils confirment qu'ils se sentent aussi repus. Avec un frisson d'effroi, les gros garçons en viennent à considérer qu'ils sont revenus à la vie exactement tels qu'ils étaient — sur le point d'être rôtis et dévorés, lorsque l'horrible Tsériel les avait ébouillantés.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> On comprend pourquoi ils se ressemblent tous autant, comme s'ils étaient sortis du même moule : engraissés à en éclater, couverts d'huile sur tout le corps, et remplis de farce à ras-bord... La dernière chose dont ils se souviennent, péniblement, ce sont ces loukoums au pavot qui les avaient plongés dans leur dernier sommeil.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Mais toi, Hassan... Tu n'as pas été rôti. C'est pour ça..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Ou c'est parce que vous avez été dévorés par les ogresses que vous n'avez plus faim... Je ne devrais peut-être pas encore trop manger, mais j'ai faim. Et c'est normal, pour un garçon comme moi, d'avoir faim."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> On ne lui donne pas tort, évidemment. Un jeune homme se décide.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Je vais juste goûter la moitié d'un baklava..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Il s'en saisit, le croque et le mâche longuement, avec efforts. Tout son corps semble protester contre cette nouvelle intrusion de nourriture dans son gosier. Après quelques minutes, découragé, il finit par le recracher.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "J'avais oublié à quel point ces pâtisseries étaient <i>grasses</i>... Mais il n'y a pas moyen, vraiment. Je suis repu à bloc ! On ne pourrait même pas me forcer à boire une gorgée de lait..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Tout ces beaux jeunes hommes se tournent alors vers Hassan, avec des regards aussi caressants que leurs mains sont douces et potelées. Les plus proches de lui viennent le tâter doucement sur tout le corps.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Il faut que tu nous racontes ton aventure... Certainement, nous y trouverons la clef de ce mystère. Mais tout d'abord, Hassan, tu as <i>faim </i>! Il faut commencer par bien te nourrir, pour te réconforter."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> D'un commun accord, ils décident que chacun choisira et prendra dans la cuisine toutes sortes de bonnes choses à manger, en commençant par les viandes pour finir avec les desserts et les sucreries. À tour de rôle, sans se presser, un garçon après l'autre se présente à côté de Hassan avec un beau plat généreusement rempli et porte la nourriture jusqu'à lui, au bout d'une fourchette ou d'une grande cuillère, à bout de bras. Le beau gros garçon sourit, ouvre la bouche, avale et se prépare à manger encore, en toute confiance... Il se sent beaucoup mieux traité ainsi !</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Pour chaque plat bien nettoyé, la récompense est un baiser que chacun est libre de porter où il le souhaite. La bouche pleine, les yeux fermés, Hassan frissonne de plaisir en sentant des lèvres se poser sur sa joue mais aussi, parfois, sur ses lèvres...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Certains sont plus coquins et posent de doux baisers sur ses tétons, si charnus, en les mordillant sensuellement. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Après une quarantaine de plats, Hassan se sent bien repu, et il gémit en suggérant de le laisser se reposer un peu pour reprendre son souffle. Il ouvre les yeux, et il comprend que la curieuse impression qu'il vient de ressentir — celle d'une vague de chaleur, torrentielle, qui aurait déferlé dans le hammam avant de s'apaiser mollement — se retrouve dans les regards que tous ses compagnons portent sur lui : des regards tendres, complices, câlins mais brûlants, torrides, et même... <i>gourmands </i>!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Hassan laisse échapper un long rot, très sonore, par reconnaissance pour leurs bons traitements, et il leur conte comment Tsériel l'a pris au piège, et comment...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><div><br /></div><div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Tous ses amis sont captivés. Ils s'étonnent de sa ruse, mais aussi de la présence d'ossements dans le fond du silo... La sorcière était devenue bien négligente, en vieillissant ! Ils sont impressionnés par sa décision de séduire sa fille, si laide et si repoussante... Beaucoup de ces garçons n'ont connu que Tsériel, et certains ont aussi été maltraités par sa mère, mais ceux qui ont connu Loundja frémissent d'horreur au seul souvenir de la petite ogresse. Ils sont désolés lorsque Hassan évoque sa solitude et sa détresse... Ils s'émerveillent de sa ténacité, de son audace, de son courage — et de son appétit.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Hassan est, de très loin, l'adolescent le plus <i>gros </i>et le plus <i>gras </i>qui soit jamais tombé entre les mains de Tsériel ! Il se sent bientôt entouré de caresses plus câlines et plus insistantes, pour mieux le tâter. Autour de lui, tout le monde estime que Hassan n'a pas grossi "deux fois plus" que les autres mais, pour toute la masse et toute la graisse que chacun d'eux a dû assimiler dans son corps, Hassan en a encore accumulé une bonne moitié en supplément. Cet excès de chair fraîche et de lard doit lui peser considérablement : cela fait vraiment <i>beaucoup </i>de poids !</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Ce n'est pas du tout étonnant que Tsériel ait paniqué, en te voyant <i>déborder </i>du plat où elle nous posait quand nous étions rôtis ! Elle n'avait jamais vu ça... Il y avait de quoi y perdre la tête !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Ou plonger dans son propre bouillon, la tête la première !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Tous admirent surtout comment Hassan a réussi à se débarrasser de la sorcière et de sa fille, et ils sont très impressionnés par ces deux morts si cruellement méritées ! On se trouve bientôt d'accord pour expliquer ainsi ce retour à la vie de toutes leurs anciennes proies. Lorsque Hassan a réuni, et peut-être mélangé, les corps de Tsériel et de Loundja dans le bouillon écumant et brûlant, tous les garçons qu'elles avaient dévorés ont été libérés — d'une manière ou d'une autre...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Couvert de compliments, Hassan hoche la tête. Il ne croyait pas si bien faire, et il ne trouve aucun mérite si éclatant dans ses actions, mais tous les garçons autour de lui le couvent littéralement de regards complices, de sourires et de caresses... Il les devine même quelque peu impatients de le nourrir encore, pour un autre somptueux repas.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Un jeune homme se lève et s'adresse à lui.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div>— "Tu nous as tous sauvés, Hassan ! Je te dois la vie. Je ne l'oublierai jamais... Nous sommes du même village. Tu nous as dit que tu étais très pauvre, ma famille était très riche. J'avais des frères et des sœurs, qui sont peut-être toujours vivants et qui ont eu des enfants. Lorsque nous rentrerons ensemble, je te présenterai à tous comme mon frère et ils te traiteront comme leur fils."</div><div><br /></div><div> Tous les autres lui témoignent la même gratitude et lui promettent de toujours rester ses amis. Lorsque chacun s'est exprimé, les uns comme les autres comprennent qu'ils n'ont aucune envie de se séparer les uns des autres. Un silence plane sur eux, dans le hammam...</div><div> Spontanément, ils décident aussitôt que Hassan a <i>faim</i>, et qu'il faut lui montrer comme ils le chérissent, comme leur petit frère, en lui apportant de quoi bien le nourrir !</div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Un long cortège de garçons, chargés de grands plats, se met en place. Ils rient dans la cuisine, s'amusent à remplir les plats de gros morceaux de poulet, de nombreuses louches de ragoût de mouton, de grands tas de beignets ou de pâtisseries... Quelques-uns explorent l'arrière-cuisine, où ils trouvent de vastes et magnifiques bassines de cuivre débordant de friandises qui se caramélisent doucement, parmi d'énormes quantités de mangeailles entassées ça et là, où ils vont puiser largement pour revenir à leur beau Hassan, qui fait honneur à ce repas bien copieux.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Sans le presser, un beau jeune homme après l'autre s'approche pour le nourrir généreusement, tout en l'encourageant et en faisant son éloge, d'une voix très douce.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Pendant que Hassan mange de bon appétit, on l'interroge encore sur son aventure. Tous ses compagnons sont curieux d'en apprendre un peu plus à son sujet, même simplement sur ses goûts et ses préférences... pour le régaler toujours mieux, plus tard !</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Tu as été plus rusé que cette horrible sorcière..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Peut-être... Mais Tsériel était bien vieille, et presque aveugle. Et je n'ai pas été aussi rusé que sa fille, qui s'est bien joué de moi !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Mais tu as été plus fort que cette abominable ogresse..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Peut-être... À vrai dire, je ne crois pas. Loundja s'est montrée plus maline, plus rusée que moi, vraiment très forte... Et vraiment obstinée à me remplir le ventre !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Mais tu as été plus résistant, lorsqu'elle essayait de te charmer avec son regard de serpent ! Tu ne t'es pas laissé faire..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Oui, peut-être. Il s'en est fallu de peu, vraiment... J'ai réussi à me relever, juste à temps !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Mais tu l'as poussée au fond du silo..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Oui, c'est vrai ! En vérité, je n'étais pas le plus rusé, je n'étais pas le plus fort, et je n'étais pas le plus courageux. Si j'ai triomphé de ces deux ogresses, c'est parce que j'étais le plus <i>gros </i>!"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Hassan ressent encore une vague de chaleur envahir tout le hammam, lorsqu'il dit ces derniers mots pour ses amis, fièrement, avant de mordre dans un énorme beignet à la confiture de mandarines, à belles dents !</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> C'est une immense vague de désir, pure et irrésistible comme l'océan, qui monte jusqu'à lui... Tous ces beaux garçons autour de lui le dévorent des yeux. Il leur fait une confidence.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "J'avais composé une petite prière, pour lutter contre la solitude et l'ennui. Je la récitais chaque soir, lorsque j'étais bien repu... Enfin, assez souvent, dans ma tête ou à voix basse, pour me donner du courage."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Et que disait-elle, cette prière ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Hassan respire profondément, et il retrouve le ton de sa prière dans le silo... Il se souvient aussi du suprême effort qu'il a dû fournir pour tuer la jeune ogresse.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div>— "Mon estomac est mon allié. Mon poids fait ma force ! Ma graisse est mon arme secrète, et mon corps bien épais, bien lourd et bien en chair, fait ma fierté !"</div><div><br /></div><div> En ouvrant les yeux, il s'aperçoit que tous les garçons assemblés dans ce hammam portent sur lui des regards d'une douceur inexprimable. Il ne peut pas soutenir autant de regards à la fois — d'autant plus qu'il est à peu près convaincu maintenant que tous ces beaux jeunes hommes sont <i>amoureux </i>de lui...</div><div> </div><div><div><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><div><br /></div><div><div> Le repas de Hassan dure encore quelques heures, jusqu'à ce qu'il soit confortablement repu. La nuit est tombée. Chacun passe encore sous la douche pour se rafraîchir avant d'aller dormir, mais aucun de ces jeunes hommes n'envisage de sortir du hammam où ils se trouvent si bien, tous ensembles... Hassan est entouré par six ou huit beaux garçons qui lui massent lentement les épaules, les flancs, les cuisses, les bras et les jambes, même les pieds et les mains. </div><div> Tout le monde s'endort. Hassan, qui digère lentement et en gémissant de plaisir, entend de doux murmures, des embrassements, des caresses et des baisers un peu partout autour de lui, dans la nuit...</div><div> À son réveil, il devine que certaines amitiés plus fortes se sont déjà nouées. À la dérobée, il voit bien des garçons se tenir tendrement par la main ou s'adresser mutuellement des gestes câlins et discrets, par petits couples ou par petits groupes.</div><div> Tous les garçons, bien lourds et obèses, s'étirent pour se réveiller. On entend de nombreux rots qui résonnent dans le hammam. Enfin, les uns comme les autres se lèvent avec efforts... Ils ont l'air bouffis et pesants, malgré cette bonne nuit de sommeil pour se reposer.</div><div> L'un d'eux, posant ses mains sur son ventre toujours magnifiquement arrondi et rebondi, exprime ce qu'ils étaient tous en train de penser sans parvenir à le saisir ou à le formuler.</div><div><br /></div><div>— "Vraiment, je ne désemplis pas..."</div><div>— "Moi non plus !" se plaint un autre gros garçon. "Moi qui pensais que j'aurais bien digéré toute cette <i>farce</i>, pendant mon sommeil, mais non ! Je me sens toujours aussi repu et aussi lourd qu'hier... Et pourtant, j'ai bien dormi !"</div><div>— "Qu'est-ce que cela veut dire ?"</div><div>— "BUUURRRP !"</div><div>— "Moi aussi, je me sens toujours autant... farci, et rempli. C'est comme si j'avais été engorgé pendant mon sommeil, jusqu'à me faire éclater... ou me <i>remplir </i>le gosier comme une grande jatte, jusqu'au goulot !"</div><div><br /></div><div> Tous les autres éprouvent la même sensation, qu'ils se confirment en tâtant mutuellement leurs estomacs — tous très ronds et saillants, bien enveloppés sous une épaisse couche de graisse mais chauds, et parfois presque brûlants...</div><div><br /></div><div>— "Qu'est-ce qui nous arrive ?"</div><div>— "La sorcière m'appelait son "petit rôti sur pattes", quand elle tâtait mon bras..." suggère l'un des plus jeunes, timidement. "Mais lorsqu'elle a tâté mon estomac, avant de me gaver de loukoums pour me faire dormir, elle m'appelait son "bon gros rôti, bien farci", parce qu'elle allait me remplir de chair à saucisse, exactement comme tu viens de le dire."</div><div>— "Je suis bien d'accord..."</div><div>— "Si la vieille Tsériel nous voyait, elle nous appellerait ses "bons gros rôtis sur pattes, bien gras et bien farcis". Nous sommes tous obèses, et bien rondouillards... C'est normal, puisque nous étions tous prêts pour passer dans son four monstrueux !"</div><div>— "Mais alors... Comme hier, nous n'allons pas pouvoir avaler, même un grain de raisin sec ?"</div><div>— "Oh ! Moi, je n'ai pas faim..."</div><div>— "Moi non plus... Et si je reste toujours aussi repu, je crois bien que je n'aurai plus jamais faim !"</div><div>— "Mais alors... Nous n'aurons plus jamais faim ? C'est quand même une bonne nouvelle, non ? Je... BUUUURRRRRP !"</div><div>— "C'est exactement ça, en un mot... Nous n'aurons plus jamais faim, et nous allons rester repus et remplis comme si nos ventres allaient éclater d'un instant à l'autre ! Mais, au fait..."</div><div><br /></div><div> Hassan sent tous les regards se poser sur lui, encore une fois.</div><div><br /></div><div>— "Tu n'as pas été rôti, Hassan..."</div><div>— "Non, évidemment."</div><div>— "Tu as digéré pendant la nuit ?"</div><div>— "Oui, j'ai bien digéré... BUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRP !"</div><div><br /></div><div> Tous les jeunes hommes autour de lui échangent un regard complice.</div><div><br /></div><div>— "Mais alors... Hassan, tu as <i>faim </i>!"</div><div><br /></div></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><div><br /></div></div><div> Une semaine se passe ainsi, en joyeuse et heureuse compagnie.</div><div> Hassan a pu se reposer, enfin, des mauvais traitements de Tsériel et surtout de Loundja. Autour de lui, tous ses amis ont eu la satisfaction de confirmer combien leur première impression était juste : de jour en jour, à leur réveil, ils ont tous l'estomac rond, lourd, plein et dur comme un œuf passé à la casserole...</div><div> Parmi eux, Hassan est bien le seul dont le ventre a un peu diminué de volume, après avoir été engorgé... pour le faire mourir par éclatement ! Sous les massages et les douces caresses de tous ces jeunes hommes, il s'est douillettement assoupli et ses formes ont gagné en rondeur et en onctuosité, depuis sa poitrine bien en chair jusqu'à ses poignées d'amour et de toute la masse de son corps, toujours plus généreuse.</div><div> Sans surprise, après avoir si bien digéré, Hassan a encore engraissé...</div><div> Son appétit lui fait honneur, comme tous ses amis prennent plaisir à le voir se régaler de tous les plats, si nourrissants, dont ils le gavent avec infiniment plus de patience que les deux ogresses !</div><div> Leur beau gros garçon dévore et se remplit la panse, de bon cœur, en préparation de son prochain massage, auquel tous participent à tour de rôle, en rivalisant presque de sensualité pour le couvrir de caresses...</div><div> Après une semaine où ils n'ont fait que nourrir et gaver Hassan jusqu'à ce qu'il tombe de sommeil, tous ses amis ont la surprise de se trouver un peu plus épaissis et appesantis, eux aussi... En se réveillant, chacun estime que son propre ventre et ceux des autres sont sensiblement plus larges, plus arrondis et rebondis, et plus débordants de tous côtés.</div><div><br /></div><div>— "Encore un mystère ?" s'interrogent les uns.</div><div>— "Pourquoi un mystère ?" suggère un autre. "Cela fait une semaine que je me sens lourdement repu, avant de m'endormir. J'ai dû commencer à en digérer une part..."</div><div>— "Ce n'est pas possible ! Je me sens aussi repu que tous les matins... Mais c'est vrai aussi que je sens une couche de lard encore un peu plus épaisse autour de mon ventre."</div><div>— "Et même si je pense avoir bien digéré, je n'ai toujours pas faim..."</div><div>— "Mais alors... Nous sommes tous en train d'engraisser encore ?"</div><div>— "Il faut croire..." bâille un jeune garçon. "Moi, ça ne me dérange pas plus que d'être bien repu en permanence..."</div><div>— "Ah ? Ah ! Mais alors..." plaisante encore un autre jeune homme. "Si nous sommes patients, nous allons tous devenir aussi gros et aussi gras que notre magnifique Hassan, bien rondouillard ?"</div><div><br /></div><div> Tous éclatent de rire, mais cette idée ne les quitte plus — et ils sourient toute la journée, en tâtant leurs ventres ronds, dans une douce rêverie.</div><div> Hassan et d'autres jeunes hommes ont fait le tour de toute la maison. Ils ont pu constater, avec un frisson d'inquiétude, que les quantités de nourriture ne diminuent pas dans les grands plats posés sur la table, dans les baquets ou dans les immenses bassines de cuivre... </div><div> Il y a toujours autant de mangeailles que lorsque Hassan a tué les deux ogresses ! Il en frissonne en tâtant la masse de son ventre, bien rond et bien tendre.</div><div><br /></div><div>— "Pauvre de moi ! Loundja était vraiment décidée à me faire éclater..."</div><div><br /></div><div> Les plus adultes d'entre les jeunes hommes qui l'entourent décident qu'il est temps pour eux de s'en retourner vers le village de Hassan. Ils sont tous décidés à rester ensemble. Pour ceux dont les parents ou les familles sont toujours en vie, on chargera un parent pour les prévenir. Pour le plus grand nombre des proies de Tsériel, il n'y a plus de village et peut-être plus de famille à retrouver...</div><div><br /></div><div>— "Nous allons rassembler tout le trésor de ces ogresses, et nous le ramènerons jusqu'au village."</div><div>— "Quel trésor ?"</div><div>— "Leurs plats toujours remplis de couscous et de poulet, leurs tajines toujours remplis de ragoût de mouton, de merguez et de boulettes de viande, leurs assiettes toujours pleines de pâtisseries, et leurs bassines de cuivre toujours débordantes de mangeailles... Voilà le trésor de la vieille Tsériel !"</div><div>— "Nos familles et nos amis nous accueilleront à bras ouverts."</div><div>— "C'est sûr !" répond l'un des plus jeunes, en se donnant une puissante claque sur le ventre. "Nous n'allons pas coûter cher à nourrir..."</div><div><br /></div><div> Tous rient de bon cœur, et se tournent vers Hassan.</div><div><br /></div><div>— "Tu veux bien être notre guide ? Nous ne retrouverions plus le chemin de nos maisons, de toutes façons..."</div><div>— "Donnant, donnant..." sourit Hassan. "Si vous m'aidez à marcher, un pas devant l'autre, je vous guiderai jusqu'au village."</div><div>— "Nous partirons demain. C'est l'heure de prendre une bonne douche ! Et puis, cette nuit, nous allons fêter notre départ de cette maison avec un vrai festin, bien nourrissant !"</div><div>— "Un festin ?" s'étonne le beau jeune homme.</div><div>— "Oh ! Oui, un immense festin... pour toi ! Tu as <i>faim</i>, Hassan !"</div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><div> </div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Le lendemain, enfin libres de sortir de la vieille maison isolée, tous les garçons rassemblent les trésors dont ils ont décidé de se charger. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Plusieurs d'entre eux, considérant la belle journée d'été, se ravisent. Ils sont tous si douillettement obèses qu'ils sont déjà tout en sueur, à fleur de peau, et leurs corps luisent comme des boules de pâte baignant dans l'huile... Ils poussent un long soupir, en restant au frais.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Il fait trop chaud... et nous sommes tous trop <i>gros </i>pour affronter le plein soleil. Attendons le soir pour nous mettre en route !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Paresseusement, tous les jeunes hommes s'allongent pour une longue sieste. Ils ne manquent pas de se couvrir de caresses, les uns les autres, tant leurs ventres sont en bonne chair et leurs formes voluptueuses et bien dodues. Ils sourient en songeant qu'ils engraissent doucement...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Lorsqu'ils trouvent l'air de la savane moins étouffant, ils prennent une douche froide et ils sortent tous de la maison, en attendant la fraîcheur du soir. Malgré la chaleur éprouvante, ils sont bien plus lourds que l'air !</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Hassan, assisté par deux beaux garçons, fait quelques pas dans la terre battue... Ses pieds s’enfoncent profondément et laissent des empreintes bien marquées derrière lui. Ses compagnons le suivent, chargés comme pour une caravane. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Il respire l’air du soir avec délices... Cela fait si longtemps qu’il ne s’est pas régalé d’une si bonne chose, et qui ne le fera pas engraisser à vue d’œil ! De temps en temps, un de ses amis l'appelle.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Hassan ? Mange quelques pâtes de fruits... Ton ventre est presque vide, depuis que nous sommes partis, et tu as <i>faim </i>!"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Bois un peu de lait, Hassan. Il fait chaud... Tu dois avoir soif !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Hassan ? Mange encore un beignet à la confiture..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Patiemment, Hassan retrouve son chemin et prend la direction de son village. Malgré la fraîcheur des premières heures du soir, le beau garçon est si obèse qu'il transpire à grosses gouttes. Il y a longtemps qu’il n’a pas fait autant de pas...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Bientôt, le jeune homme aperçoit les premières maisons et l'entrée du village. Il interrompt sa marche, et tous les autres s'accordent un instant de repos pour s'éponger et se désaltérer. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Que ceux qui savent qu'ils ont des parents ou des proches qui les attendent passent devant. Entrez dans le village, et vous reviendrez pour nous dire si nous sommes les bienvenus..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> On approuve cette proposition. Une dizaine de jeunes hommes quittent leur groupe et se dispersent, chacun cherchant la maison de sa famille... De son côté, Hassan reprend son souffle et se considère attentivement. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Il est vraiment très gros et gras. Son ventre est énorme, parfaitement rond et terriblement lourd... Il doit le pousser devant lui, à chaque pas ! Hassan est si joufflu et si dodu, avec une couche de graisse si épaisse et si enveloppante sur tout le corps qu'il se trouve vraiment "rondouillard", bien bouffi... et replet à souhait ! Pourtant, il se sent prêt à soutenir les regards des gens du village, à entendre leurs moqueries et même à en sourire sans baisser les yeux quand ils le pointeront du doigt.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Allons ! Il est temps de rentrer, mon bon gros lourdaud..." se dit-il.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Comme on n'entend que des cris de surprise et de joie, d'une maison à l'autre, plusieurs autres garçons se décident à prendre les devants. On les entoure, on les accueille, on les embrasse avec attendrissement... On se réjouit de les trouver si "bien portants", potelés et ventripotents. Tous les voisins les félicitent pour leur généreux embonpoint, et beaucoup de parents et d'amis se proposent déjà de "bien les nourrir" pour fêter leur retour : on leur apporte déjà de bonnes choses à boire et à manger. Ces beaux garçons, rougissant et riant mais toujours repus à bloc, sont fiers d'être aussi rondelets et bedonnants. Ils ne peuvent s'empêcher de roter bruyamment, grassement, tant on les presse et tant on les caresse...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Bientôt, tout le village est en effervescence. Des lampes sont allumées, de fenêtre en fenêtre, d'un quartier à l'autre, et des jeunes et des vieux sortent dans la rue. Hassan entend ces rots et ces rires, avec les autres garçons qui gardent précieusement les mangeoires et les plats magiques des ogresses. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Tout cela déborde toujours de mangeailles, baignant dans l'huile et la sauce... Ses amis lui proposent de manger "encore un peu", et de boire de la bière pour se donner du cœur au ventre. Hassan avale une poignée de loukoums et boit à longs traits, avant de roter comme ses amis, qu'il devine entouré de l'affection et du réconfort de leurs familles.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Après un dernier instant d'hésitation, le jeune homme tâte son ventre, respire profondément et fait quelques pas, seul, en répétant sa prière à voix basse, pour se donner du courage... Il trouve un nouvel équilibre et il s'avance prudemment.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> En entrant dans le village, le gros garçon croise d'abord quelques passants qu’il connaît — ou qu’il ne connaît pas... Il ne se souvient plus très bien. Toutes ces personnes le dévisagent et le considèrent avec un étonnement qui les fige sur place, comme il s’y attendait... Il rougit mais il est si lourdaud qu'il ne peut plus reculer. Il s'efforce de sourire et il fait encore quelques pas — lentement, lentement.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Après un instant, cependant, les visages s’éclairent. L'interrogation fait place à l’étonnement, puis à la reconnaissance. Hassan voit s’épanouir de grands sourires autour de lui... Et l'étonnement devient un véritable émerveillement ! Il se redresse et n'hésite pas à mettre son beau ventre en évidence, en le tâtant avec douceur. En continuant d’avancer jusqu'au cœur du village, il voit bien des jeunes femmes l’observer, depuis le pas de leur porte ou depuis leur balcon, puis le suivre des yeux et lui sourire aussi. Le beau jeune homme obèse connaît bien ces sourires.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Patience, mes petites fiancées !" se dit Hassan en rougissant. "Je suis encore trop jeune pour me marier... Et puis, je suis si <i>gros</i> et si <i>gras</i> que vous me feriez éclater avant ma nuit de noces !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Il voit ses amis revenir à lui. Débordants de joie, ils le prennent dans leurs bras, avec leurs mères, leurs pères et leurs frères lorsque ceux-ci les ont suivis... On l'entoure d'attentions et de caresses.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Tous les autres jeunes hommes le rejoignent aussi, et Hassan se sent bientôt couvert de câlineries, d'embrassades et de baisers. Quelqu'un lui fait avaler une pâtisserie. Un autre l'invite à boire encore un peu de lait. On l'encourage déjà, de tous côtés, à bien se "régaler"...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> La bouche pleine, les yeux fermés, le gros garçon reconnaît quelques mains qui lui pressent les flancs, ou qui lui tâtent la poitrine — ou qui lui donnent une claque sur les fesses !</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Hélas ! Vous avez laissé passer votre tour, mes petites fiancées..." se dit Hassan en souriant. "Je crois avoir trouvé à quel harem j'appartiens, pour satisfaire mon cœur... et mon ventre !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div> Et tout le village l’accueille comme un héros.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzHWz9lMqxayCXUmjCX9zAGnhCpO46hDvq105o5h-TSBDioO1ENHGOHwwc_QgQovoOaIOZRrqe3eSZDrCppn4YsKBE_4Dds9gMZzJFQntbMxrVgEGFF6Jw2b2HtfB29eQmbfU-YoyFehno-woueqvnHmtE_s4FoSUFQloovvEFdDf6S5I7FZU6FDqNZA/s1420/Hassan%20fini.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1124" data-original-width="1420" height="506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzHWz9lMqxayCXUmjCX9zAGnhCpO46hDvq105o5h-TSBDioO1ENHGOHwwc_QgQovoOaIOZRrqe3eSZDrCppn4YsKBE_4Dds9gMZzJFQntbMxrVgEGFF6Jw2b2HtfB29eQmbfU-YoyFehno-woueqvnHmtE_s4FoSUFQloovvEFdDf6S5I7FZU6FDqNZA/w640-h506/Hassan%20fini.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div></div></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5094005257601699515.post-48371367153232431262022-08-05T08:53:00.144-07:002022-10-16T13:43:35.550-07:00Hassan & les ogresses (adapté d'un conte kabyle) - première partie<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">(Note : Cette histoire est une adaptation d'un authentique conte kabyle de tradition orale </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">—</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> adaptation très libre... Je pense que le cadre nord-africain est séduisant aussi pour ce genre d'aventures, en espérant que ça vous plaira.)</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjidAnBwSG5kCge-Vu_PaaN48qWSEpIZ4SsD1yJ79UWjL2hxG79e6XVLKL-aXRJnJUHn-0gPqFElG_ASZQxRe0OHqRvK08RmBEcYghRYEdSPwCQ3RqXbOZvYyNRgA2detiRXQfszGjums35FtfGpGoyqzj5oCmDOfpekHmD-IItxIg7ggsbuXA5dOKUBA/s1424/Hassan%20d%C3%A9but.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1192" data-original-width="1424" height="536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjidAnBwSG5kCge-Vu_PaaN48qWSEpIZ4SsD1yJ79UWjL2hxG79e6XVLKL-aXRJnJUHn-0gPqFElG_ASZQxRe0OHqRvK08RmBEcYghRYEdSPwCQ3RqXbOZvYyNRgA2detiRXQfszGjums35FtfGpGoyqzj5oCmDOfpekHmD-IItxIg7ggsbuXA5dOKUBA/w640-h536/Hassan%20d%C3%A9but.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Hassan est un adolescent bien bâti, juste assez grand mais très agile, aventureux et chapardeur. Il joue de bons tours à ses voisins, dans son village perdu entre les falaises, les montagnes de sable et le désert, proche des oasis où poussent de grands palmiers et des figuiers, à l’ombre desquels il aime se reposer lorsqu'il fait trop chaud. Il joue de bons tours aussi, particulièrement, à la vieille Tsériel qui vit à l’écart, loin de tous les villages, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">loin de tout le monde</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Les gens du village le considèrent comme un va-nu-pieds, un vaurien et un "vorace" ! Ils lui jettent des regards durs et ils se moquent souvent de lui, qui ne travaille pas et vagabonde à longueur de journée.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Comme il se moque d’eux aussi ! </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Un jour, il grimpe dans le grand figuier qui court tout le long du mur en pisé de la maison de Tsériel, et il se cache dans les hautes branches. La vieille femme l’a entendu approcher, malgré ses précautions... Pendant qu’il se rafraîchit en dégustant de belles figues bien m</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">ûres, elle sort sur le pas de la porte et menace de lui donner une bonne correction s’il ne descend pas tout de suite. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Hassan refuse de l’écouter. Il grimpe jusqu'au sommet de l’arbre, où il pense que les feuilles les plus larges du figuier le dissimuleront... Mais ces feuilles qui couvrent le faîte du toit dissimulaient aussi un piège, et le garçon tombe tout droit dedans ! Tsériel se précipite alors à l’intérieur de sa maison, en ricanant.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Elle se saisit de Hassan, lui lie les mains au-dessus de la tête avec des cordes et le suspend ainsi à un crochet sous la poutre maîtresse de sa demeure. Elle ouvre une grande trappe ronde dans le plancher, et tourne une roue qui entraîne tout un jeu de poulies. Les cordes se tendent et font descendre Hassan, lentement, comme dans un puits profond... </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Lorsque ses pieds touchent le sol, elle lui dit de retirer ses mains liées du crochet. Le pauvre garçon tombe alors doucement dans l’obscurité.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Il comprend qu’il se trouve enfermé dans un grand silo de briques et de terre cuite. Une petite porte s’ouvre devant lui, à la hauteur de sa taille, et la vieille sorcière lui demande de présenter ses mains au-dehors. Elle coupe la corde. Hassan retire vivement ses mains à l’intérieur, haletant, le cœur battant...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> En effet, la vieille femme est une sorcière, et surtout une ogresse ! </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Maintenant qu’elle l’a capturé, elle veut faire de Hassan le morceau de choix d’un horrible festin qu’elle se réserve depuis longtemps. Assis dans le noir, le garçon reçoit bientôt une douzaine d’assiettes bien garnies et des bols remplis de bonnes choses à manger : </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">des oignons frits et </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">des patates douces avec beaucoup de sauce, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">des olives baignant dans l’huile, des noix de cajou et des pistaches, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">de la bouillie de flocons d'avoine avec des dattes caramélisées, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">des beignets au sucre, de la pâte d'amandes, des pâtes de fruits confits et des raisins secs, avec de grandes jattes de lait. Tsériel l’invite à se régaler et à bien avaler tout ce qu’elle lui a servi.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Sans se faire prier, Hassan se régale pendant quelque temps, puis il se repose... Tout cela est très nourrissant, et il s'étonne d'être aussi bien traité lorsqu'il se trouve comme en captivité, chez une vieille femme qui ne lui veut certainement aucun bien. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Il n’attend pas longtemps... Tsériel revient déjà pour réclamer les assiettes, les plats, les bols et les jattes. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Elle vérifie qu’il ne reste pas la moindre miette de nourriture, avant de lui servir un "vrai repas", plus consistant et bien copieux.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Régale-toi, mon garçon ! </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Régale-toi...</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">" lui dit-elle. "Et surtout, tâche de tout manger... Jusqu'à la dernière bouchée !"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Ainsi, Hassan se régale de couscous avec beaucoup de pois chiches et de sauce, de grands morceaux de poulet au beurre marinés avec des tranches de citrons et des épices, des légumes préparés en purée dans de l’huile d’olives, des tomates et des aubergines farcies, des omelettes aux poivrons, des œufs brouillés relevés avec des boulettes de viande et de la sauce pimentée, tout un plat de merguez et de beaux morceaux de mouton en ragoût dans des tajines. La vieille Tsériel ajoute encore à ce festin des saladiers remplis de laitages crus, comme du fromage blanc tout recouvert de miel, des abricots baignant dans le sirop d'orgeat, des beignets au sucre et à la confiture, et encore des pâtisseries à base de pâte d’amandes...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> En garçon assez poli, à défaut d'avoir été bien élevé, Hassan pousse un rot sonore : "BUUURRRP !" lorsqu'il a fini de se régaler.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Il n’avait jamais aussi bien mangé de toute sa vie ! À la tombée de la nuit, Tsériel vient réclamer tous ses plats, les assiettes, les bols et les saladiers vides. Elle s’assure que le garçon a tout avalé, jusqu'au dernier grain de couscous, en grattant le fond des plats de ses ongles longs.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Bien ! lui dit-elle. Maintenant que tu es repu, repose-toi."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Naturellement, Hassan se trouve un peu somnolent après un tel repas. Il cherche quelques points de repère dans l’obscurité. Lorsque la petite porte par laquelle il reçoit les plats est fermée, il fait trop sombre dans ce silo. En quelques pas, il en a fait le tour... </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Il trouve quelques ossements, par terre, qui ne sont pas seulement de petits os de poulet ou d’agneau, comme il aurait pu en laisser tomber en mangeant : ce sont certainement les os d’un autre jeune homme, que la vieille sorcière aura fait tomber au fond du silo en balayant... après un horrible festin de chair fraîche ! Hassan comprend aussitôt pourquoi elle lui prépare des repas aussi abondants et aussi nourrissants.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Debout dans le noir, il tâte son corps ici et là, des deux mains. Hassan n’est pas un garçon bien gros, mais la sorcière a eu raison de le déclarer "repu" après l’avoir encouragé à se nourrir à ce point... La peau de son ventre est tendue, tendue </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">— </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">comme une peau de tambour !</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Le jeune homme devine qu’elle va le nourrir encore, pour l’engraisser.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Comme il n’a rien de mieux à faire pour le moment, il s’allonge sur le sol et il ne tarde pas à s’endormir. Il sent que son estomac lui pèse mais la pensée de quelques autres repas, aussi copieux et aussi délicieux que celui qu’il vient de finir, ne lui déplaît pas... Au contraire ! Il s’endort en souriant, et il digère paisiblement.</span></div><p></p><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> Le lendemain matin, Tsériel revient et ouvre la petite porte du silo.</div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">— "Hassan ! Lève-toi, mon garçon... Donne-moi ton bras et ton poignet à tâter !"</div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> Le jeune homme comprend tout de suite les intentions de l’ogresse. Il trouve un grand os dans le silo, à ses pieds — un fémur, sans doute : long, très sec et très droit... Il s’en saisit, et il le place en travers de la porte d’observation pour la vieille femme. De ses longs doigts maigres, celle-ci tâte l’os et croit qu’il s’agit du bras et du poignet de Hassan. </div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> Furieuse, elle referme aussitôt la porte.</div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">— "Malheur ! Oh, malheureux ! Je ne te croyais pas aussi maigre, aussi sec... Voilà ce qui arrive lorsqu'on laisse courir des vauriens comme toi... Fini de courir, maintenant. Tu vas <i>manger</i> !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Le garçon s'amuse de la voir aussi bien trompée, toute dépitée, toute décrépite, toute ratatinée en grommelant jusqu'à sa dernière dent.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> La sorcière appelle alors sa fille, et lui ordonne de préparer un véritable festin pour Hassan ! En attendant, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">il reçoit une douzaine de grands plats pour son premier repas de la journée.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> L</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">e garçon se régale </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">d'abricots et de crêpes au beurre, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">de pistaches, d</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">e noix de cajou, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">de raisins secs, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">de dattes caramélisées, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">de bananes, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">de beignets à la confiture, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">de fromage blanc recouvert de miel,</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">de pâtes d’amandes et d'autres friandises.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Tout cela est très nourrissant, et Hassan se sent bientôt rassasié, mais Tsériel revient le trouver pour lui donner encore des pâtisseries. Elle n'a pas fini de ronchonner... Pendant qu'il se remplit la bouche de pâtes de fruits, elle lui demande encore de tendre son bras pour qu'elle le tâte </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">— pour s'assurer qu'elle ne s'est pas trompée ? Sans cesser de manger, en faisant du bruit pour qu'elle l'entende seulement mâcher pendant qu'il cherche l'os à tâtons, dans l'obscurité, il place encore le fémur contre le mur du silo, si épais.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> La vieille ogresse grogne comme une bête fauve, furieuse de le trouver aussi maigre... Elle lui jette la nourriture au visage, par la petite porte, a</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">vec colère !</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Et elle ne se contente plus de l'inviter à "se régaler".</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Oh ! Méchant garçon... Mange ! Et tâche de grossir un peu !" </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Hassan s'en doutait bien. Il remercie le ciel qui a laissé tomber cet os à portée de sa main, et qui lui a inspiré cette ruse pour se sauver.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Alors qu'il nettoie le fond de son dernier bol de crème fraîche avec un gros beignet au sucre, les deux femmes viennent lui servir encore un couscous magnifiquement garni, de vastes tajines remplis de ragoût de mouton avec des olives, des poivrons et des oignons, des plats remplis de patates douces, de purée de lentilles et d’épinards avec beaucoup de beurre... Et il reçoit encore toutes sortes de friandises entre les repas, d’heure en heure, jusqu'à la tombée de la nuit.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Lorsque la vieille ogresse récupère et inspecte les derniers plats et les derniers tajines, en grattant tous les fonds de ses longs doigts maigres, Hassan est assurément "bien repu"... La sorcière se réjouit de l’entendre s’exprimer toujours aussi poliment, comme il apprécie d’avoir été nourri de manière aussi substantielle.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "BUUUUURRRRRP !"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Plusieurs jours se passent ainsi, où le beau garçon ne fait que manger et dormir, tant il est nourri avec insistance et encouragé seulement à se reposer lorsqu'il a fini ses repas... La peau de son ventre est toujours tendue, tendue </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">— </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">comme une outre remplie, sous la bonde du tonneau ! Et chaque journée passe toujours trop vite à son goût.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Avec Tsériel, Hassan montre beaucoup d’intelligence et de ruse : la sorcière est presque totalement aveugle... Comme les bêtes fauves, elle perçoit parfaitement les mouvements, même très rapides. Mais devant un objet immobile, surtout dans l’obscurité, elle n’y voit plus rien et ne peut plus se faire une idée de sa proie... En revanche, elle entend tout, jusqu'au moindre murmure, même un soupir très lointain ! Ainsi, chaque matin, elle peut entendre que le garçon est encore en train de finir de digérer son repas de la nuit précédente... Son intention est évidemment de le trouver toujours dans cet état, où il digère et assimile lentement des repas très nourrissants et très lourds !</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> La sorcière se réjouit également de l’appétit d’Hassan. Elle sait qu’il n’y a aucun danger que sa proie lui échappe, enfermé dans ce silo où elle a déjà emprisonné tant d’autres garçons avant lui... En le faisant renoncer à tout espoir, en décourageant toute tentative de fuite et en l'invitant à n’écouter que ses conseils, Tsériel ne doute pas que le beau </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Hassan</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> se</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">ra bientôt apprivoisé comme un agneau, comme les autres garçons </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">—</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> pour prendre part à son méchoui ! Elle l’invite à rester assis, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">à se détendre, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">à faire de longues siestes lorsqu'il est "bien repu", et à penser seulement au menu de son prochain repas pour satisfaire son appétit !</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Docile, paresseux et bien disposé à se remplir l’estomac, Hassan ne devrait pas tarder à s’engraisser comme un animal dans une ferme...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Malgré ses efforts, la sorcière ne constate aucun progrès : lorsqu'elle vient le trouver, un matin, pour réclamer son bras et son poignet à tâter, Hassan présente encore le même fémur en travers de la petite porte d’observation. En tâtant cet os long, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">sec et </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">lisse, elle croit toujours qu’il s’agit du bras et du poignet de Hassan. Furieuse, elle referme aussitôt la porte en grommelant.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Malheur ! Oh, malheureux... Je ne comprends pas que tu sois encore aussi maigre ! C’est à croire qu’on ne te nourrit même pas... Mais nous allons bien te nourrir ! Et tu vas <i>beaucoup </i>manger !"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> En entendant la sorcière appeler sa fille, cependant, Hassan avait repris espoir. Il ignorait que Tsériel ne vivait pas seule dans cette vieille maison mystérieuse, loin à l’écart de tout village.</span></div><p></p><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"> La fille de la sorcière, Loundja, était assurément assez laide pour qu’il soit préférable de la garder dans la maison...</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"> Moins grande que ronde, très brune, très crépue, grassouillette et peu soignée, avec de grands yeux presque bleus mais presque blancs — sans être aussi aveugle que sa mère — boiteuse enfin, elle est pourtant saine et robuste, fortement charpentée, massive, et elle travaille pour deux sous les ordres de l’ogresse... Celle-ci la traite assez durement, comme elle est impatiente de voir sa proie commencer à faire du lard !</span></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> Avec la fille de Tsériel, Hassan comprend tout de suite comment il doit s’y prendre : il use de séduction et de ruse dès qu’il la voit lui apporter encore un nouveau couscous, préparé avec plus de merguez et plus de poulet. Comme il est beau garçon, il devrait disposer de quelques atouts pour lui plaire. De son côté, elle n’est vraiment pas jolie et elle doit bien le savoir... Il serait maladroit de faire l’éloge de sa beauté, mais le jeune prisonnier s’approche au plus près de la porte ouverte pour le gavage et il lui sourit toujours, débordant de charme.</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> En acceptant chaque plat, il lui fait un compliment agréable qui la fait rougir. Il l’invite à revenir et à lui parler lorsqu'il aura fini son repas, tant et si bien que Loundja se sent toute troublée en reprenant le travail... Enfin, comme Tsériel l’invite à se régaler encore sans retenue, le jeune homme ne se fait pas prier ! Il s’assoit contre le mur de briques, et il recommence à s’empiffrer.</div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Plusieurs jours se passent ainsi, où Hassan n’a rien d’autre à faire que bien manger et bien dormir... Il a déjà largement satisfait son appétit, mais il se régale. Et chaque journée passe toujours trop vite à son goût.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Pourtant, le jeune homme s’aperçoit bientôt qu’il ne se régale plus comme avant. Cela ne suffit plus pour qu’il parvienne à nettoyer les plats qu’on lui sert, tant ils sont nombreux, abondants et lourds jusqu'à le faire s’étouffer... Malgré tout, Hassan n’oublie pas qu’il doit faire bonne impression : pendant quelques jours, obligé de manger toute la journée, il fait de beaux efforts pour se remplir l’estomac, toujours un peu plus, et de mieux en mieux ! Du lever au coucher du soleil — pour autant qu’il peut en juger, dans l’obscurité de sa prison — les ogresses lui imposent sept ou huit repas complets et très copieux. Habilement, pour leur plaire et pour gagner encore un peu de temps, il mange assez bruyamment et il pousse des soupirs de contentement...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Il se doute bien que la sorcière et sa fille tendent l’oreille lorsqu'il fait des commentaires intéressés, tout en se remplissant le gosier.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Hmmm... comme ce poulet est tendre ! Et comme ces aubergines farcies sont savoureuses ! Comme ces patates douces sont fondantes ! Comme cette sauce est... grasse..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Comme il l’espérait, les deux femmes se réjouissent de l’entendre se régaler ainsi, depuis la cuisine... Même si elles avaient souhaité un peu plus de retenue, elles ne peuvent pas ignorer Hassan lorsque le beau garçon rote avec force, parfaitement convaincant :</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "BUUUUUUURRRRRRRP !"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Leur proie est plus que rassasiée...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> À la fin de la journée, la fille de la sorcière est chargée de récupérer les plats vides pour nettoyer la vaisselle, avant de préparer le repas pour le lendemain matin.</span></div><p></p><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="font-family: verdana;"> Chaque soir, Hassan profite de ces moments pour échanger quelques mots avec elle, discrètement... Il a compris qu’il lui serait facile de la séduire, et d’en faire sa complice pour le faire sortir de sa prison, mais il doit se montrer particulièrement habile et prudent.</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana;">— "Merci pour ces délicieux repas ! Je me suis régalé... Je suis repu ! Quel bonheur un mari trouverait auprès d’une petite épouse comme toi."</div><div style="font-family: verdana;">— "Tu te trompes. Je ne pourrais jamais épouser aucun homme…"</div><div style="font-family: verdana;">— "Comment cela ?"</div><div style="font-family: verdana;">— "Je ne saurais même pas comment rendre un homme heureux. Alors, un mari..."</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> Elle rougit toujours en prononçant ce mot. Hassan la mène sur cette pente aussi souvent que possible.</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana;">— "Mais il n’y a rien de si simple, voyons. Tes repas me rendent déjà parfaitement heureux, et content comme aucun mari n’a jamais été contenté par sa petite épouse !"</div><div style="font-family: verdana;">— "Tu n’es pas heureux, tu es juste repu."</div><div style="font-family: verdana;">— "Oh, oui ! Je le suis..."</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> Hassan tapote légèrement son ventre rond et rebondi, mais la jeune femme n’est pas convaincue. Il faut vraiment la conquérir... Comme elle n’a aucune grâce, le beau jeune homme redouble d’amabilités pour la séduire. Mais comme elle est aussi susceptible, et pas si bête, la tâche n’est pas si aisée qu’il le souhaitait.</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana;">— "Tu es vraiment repu, ce soir ?" demande-t-elle.</div><div style="font-family: verdana;">— "Mais bien sûr ! Et comment ! Je n’ai jamais aussi bien mangé..."</div><div style="font-family: verdana;">— "Comment cela se fait-il que tu sois toujours aussi maigre ?"</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> Le jeune homme hésite à lui dire la vérité... Même depuis la cuisine, Tsériel pourrait l’entendre.</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana;">— "Ne t’en fais pas... Si tu me nourris toujours aussi bien, je ne resterai pas maigre longtemps !"</div><div style="font-family: verdana;">— "Oui... Oui... Tu manges bien, c’est vrai. Je compte sur toi pour tout avaler, toujours..."</div><div style="font-family: verdana;">— "Si c’est toi qui prépares mes repas, je mangerai toujours ! Jusqu'à la dernière bouchée !"</div><div style="font-family: verdana;">— "Tu vas grossir..."</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> Elle lui dit cela tout bas, en détournant le regard. C’est une évidence, mais il l’écoute attentivement et elle semble y songer comme à quelque chose qu’elle ne souhaite pas — comme si cela opposait peut-être un obstacle à son bonheur... Hassan comprend alors qu’il avait de bonnes raisons d’espérer.</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana;">— "Prépare-moi encore d’aussi bons repas, et tu me feras grossir autant que tu voudras... Et lorsque je serai devenu gros et gras, et bien mûr comme un homme accompli, je serai ton mari."</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> Hassan s’amuse du trouble qui s’empare de la fille de la sorcière : il devine comme une lueur dans ses grands yeux si clairs, si pâles, au regard presque vide — une lueur qu’il n’avait pas encore observée. Elle lui sourit timidement.</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana;">— "Tu deviendrais mon mari ? Mais... ce n’est pas possible."</div><div style="font-family: verdana;">— "Pourquoi ? Si tu prends soin de moi, et si je t’en fais la promesse..."</div><div style="font-family: verdana;">— "Il y a ma mère. Elle ne voudra pas."</div><div style="font-family: verdana;">— "Eh bien ! Lorsque je sortirai de ce silo, je t’enlèverai. Nous partirons tous les deux !"</div><div style="font-family: verdana;">— "Mais... elle ne nous laissera jamais partir."</div><div style="font-family: verdana;">— "Je te dis que nous nous passerons de son consentement. Tsériel est vieille, après tout. Très vieille. Elle ne vivra pas éternellement..."</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> Il n’en fallait pas plus pour semer la discorde entre la sorcière et sa fille. En peu de temps, Hassan a bien travaillé à les diviser... Depuis la cuisine, la vieille Tsériel interrompt leur entretien juste à temps.</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana;">— "Il est tard, ma fille ! Va nettoyer tous ces plats, et tu commenceras à préparer le repas pour demain matin ! Et toi, Hassan, tu dois être bien rassasié, bien repu. Tu as nettoyé tous tes plats, comme un bon garçon. Oh ! J’ai entendu tes boyaux se remplir, se tendre et grogner, gargouiller, gémir et se désengorger enfin... Tu dois digérer, maintenant ! Dors, mon beau petit mouton."</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> Plusieurs jours se passent encore ainsi, où Hassan n’a rien d’autre à faire que manger et dormir, mais où il s’aperçoit qu’il mange de plus en plus et qu’il ne peut s'endormir que lorsqu'il a fini de manger... À force de s’empiffrer, il s’est habitué à ingurgiter de plus grandes quantités de nourritures. La peau de son ventre est toujours aussi tendue, tendue — mais plus souple, comme la grande voile d'une felouque par gros temps. Il a engraissé... Mais il apprend aussi à en profiter d’une manière toute nouvelle, et chaque journée passe toujours trop vite à son goût.</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><div><br /></div></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> Un matin, la sorcière vient enfin le trouver et réclame son bras et son poignet à tâter. Hassan place toujours le même os contre la paroi de sa prison, pour la tromper, et la vieille se laisse duper. Elle croit qu’il s’agit de son bras et de son poignet. Stupéfaite et dépitée, elle s’étonne de le trouver toujours aussi terriblement maigre, et aussi difficile à engraisser.</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana;">— "Malheur, malheur ! Oh, malheureux ! Je ne comprends pas que tu sois encore aussi maigre, avec tous les bons petits plats dont nous te nourrissons si bien... Mais non ! Nous allons te nourrir comme il faut ! Et toi, tu vas manger maintenant... Beaucoup, <i>beaucoup </i>manger !"</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> La sorcière appelle sa fille, et lui dit de préparer des festins encore plus substantiels — de véritables orgies de toutes sortes de mangeailles pour Hassan, toujours si récalcitrant à s'empâter comme un animal de ferme.</div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Enfermé dans le silo, le jeune homme se régale comme à son premier jour. Du lever au coucher du soleil, il est obligé de consommer huit repas beaucoup trop copieux... Il y parvient en faisant quelques efforts, au prix d’une vague somnolence dans la journée mais surtout d’une insondable fatigue, en fin de soirée.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Hassan mange toujours plus bruyamment, et volontairement, avec des soupirs, des gémissements et même des gloussements de plaisir... Il sait que la vieille ogresse est un peu plus rassurée en l’entendant se repaître ainsi, goulûment et sans retenue.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Comme il se régale..." murmure-t-elle à sa fille. "Je ne peux quand même pas lui reprocher de ne pas se remplir la panse ! Il engloutit toute la nourriture que tu lui prépares, et il s'empresse pour avaler. Mais il lui faut des plats plus consistants... une nourriture plus solide, qui tienne au corps, et encore plus enrichie pour le faire <i>engraisser</i>. Allons ! Au travail, ma fille ! Et ajoute toujours plus de beurre, plus d’huile, plus de miel et de pâte d’amandes ! Au travail..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> La nuit venue, Hassan peut enfin prendre un peu de repos. Il tombe de sommeil, mais il n’a aucune envie de dormir : il est si largement repu et rassasié. Avec un soupir, le jeune homme songe qu’il n’a encore fait que manger, du matin au soir, et il est épuisé... Toutes ses journées sont occupées par la succession des repas savoureux, nourrissants et lourds, dont il doit "se régaler". Le garçon en avait profité avec plaisir, pendant quelques jours, mais cela fait déjà des semaines et des mois qu'il est leur prisonnier... Et, contrairement à ce que croit la vieille sorcière, il n’a pas tardé à grossir pour devenir dodu et bien </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">ventripotent</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Dans le noir, Hassan prend enfin le temps de se tâter sur tout le corps, des deux mains. Il doit reconnaître qu’il s’est sensiblement arrondi... En partant s’aventurer dans la savane, il avait retiré sa djellaba au tissu déjà très élimé, tout griffé d’innombrables petites déchirures qu’il s’était faites en sautant par-dessus les grilles des voisins, ou en se faufilant à travers des buissons épineux. Maintenant, c’est sa culotte qui le serre au point de le gêner, même si le bouton a déjà sauté depuis quelques jours, pendant son sommeil. En restant assis ou allongé presque tout le temps, sa taille et ses cuisses sont comme entaillées par les plis du tissu...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> En se déshabillant, Hassan respire plus librement. Son sang circule mieux jusqu'à ses jambes et ses pieds. Cependant, il comprend qu’il ne pourrait plus sauter au-dessus des murs ou passer entre des buissons, courir le long des chemins ou grimper aux plus hautes branches des arbres, parmi tant d’autres activités qui occupaient ses journées... Le beau garçon se trouve épaissi, alourdi et arrondi. Il a beaucoup grossi... Dans le noir, il se tâte les joues et il se trouve plus joufflu. Il se tâte les flancs et il se trouve plus dodu... Il se tâte le ventre et il se trouve déjà trop largement <i>bedonnant </i>! Pour finir, il tâte ses poignets </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">lui-même</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> et il se trouve objectivement </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">"bien en chair"</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Hélas ! Pauvre de moi ! Pourvu que je ne sois pas déjà suffisamment gros et gras pour que la vieille sorcière me trouve "appétissant" et bon à rôtir..." se lamente-t-il.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Heureusement, le jeune homme reprend vite ses esprits, après ce moment de panique... Il se couche sur le dos pour mieux digérer, en écoutant les conseils de la nuit. Après réflexions, Hassan décide qu’il doit garder espoir et ne pas perdre l’avantage qu’il a obtenu par sa prudence, ses efforts et sa patience... Au contraire, il devra montrer beaucoup plus d’habileté pour manipuler à la fois la sorcière et sa fille.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Comme la vieille Tsériel ronchonne et se désole, toujours en colère devant la terrible maigreur de sa proie, il lui parle comme s’il la prenait en pitié.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Ce n’est pas de votre faute si je reste maigre. Vous me nourrissez si copieusement... Et je fais de mon mieux pour beaucoup manger, ce qui n’est pas de tout repos ! Vous me servez toujours d’énormes quantités de nourriture. C’en est trop pour mon pauvre petit estomac... Mais je me régale, et la cuisine de Loundja est si nourrissante que je devrais bientôt m’épaissir, m’arrondir et m’empâter !"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> La vieille ogresse l’écoute sans se méfier. En effet, Hassan fait des efforts pour bien se remplir la panse. Elle ne met pas en doute sa bonne volonté comme sa bonne digestion... Et elle se laisse convaincre sans difficultés ! De son côté, le jeune homme a même pris la précaution de déguiser un peu sa voix, en lui conservant un timbre enfantin et "léger". </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Il s’est aperçu, en discutant avec Loundja, que sa voix naturellement mâle trahissait son empâtement : plus joufflu, et même un peu bouffi, à force d’être nourri dans de véritables mangeoires, Hassan montre bien d’autres signes de maturité. Il s’exprime déjà d’une voix d’homme...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Lors de ces entretiens nocturnes avec la fille de la sorcière, il en joue volontairement. Sa voix exerce un véritable charme sur elle, il savoure sa revanche en faisant l’éloge de sa cuisine, en lui rappelant que c’est parce qu’elle le nourrit aussi bien qu’il deviendra bientôt </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">un homme</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> paré d’avantages physiques pesant lourd dans la balance, et qui ne peuvent que le rendre définitivement irrésistible à ses yeux... Elle se prend alors à rêver, en imaginant Hassan comme l'incarnation "bien en chair" de son idéal masculin, et qui lui promet de devenir son petit mari en échange de sa liberté. Cette rêverie la fait sourire.</span></div><p></p><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> Un soir, lorsqu'il pense s’être bien assuré de son emprise sur la jeune femme, Hassan prend une décision audacieuse mais indispensable, à son avis, pour obtenir la complicité de la fille de la sorcière.</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> Comme chaque jour, il a beaucoup trop mangé... Son estomac lui pèse lourdement, et il se trouve même obligé de roter plus souvent et plus bruyamment qu’il ne le croit nécessaire... Repu à point, il invite plutôt la timide jeune femme à se confier à lui, pour mieux la charmer, tout en reprenant un peu son souffle.</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> De son côté, Loundja n’est pas plus satisfaite que sa vieille mère en l’imaginant toujours aussi maigre, au point de paraître squelettique... Pour la rassurer définitivement sur ses qualités de cuisinière, et donc de "future petite épouse aimante et chérie", Hassan prend alors le risque de lui révéler son secret.</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana;">— "Lorsque ta mère me demande mon bras et mon poignet, pour me tâter, voici ce que je lui donne."</div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Et il lui présente le fémur qu’il avait utilisé depuis le début.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Mais... c’est un os ? Ce n’est pas ton bras !"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "En effet..." murmure Hassan, en l’invitant à parler plus doucement ou à chuchoter. "J’ai voulu jouer un bon tour à la vieille Tsériel, comme je l’ai toujours fait... J’ai trouvé ce grand os, au fond du silo, et je lui ai toujours montré à la place de mon bras et de mon poignet."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Oui, ce doit être un os de..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Loundja rougit soudain, surprise alors qu'elle aurait peut-être confié à son beau</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> prisonnier </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">qu</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">e sa mère ne la fait travailler autant et ne le nourrit autant que pour l'engraisser, le rôtir et le manger... Elle sourit, un peu gênée, en se pinçant les lèvres. De son côté, Hassan apprécie ce mouvement de recul, et il comprend qu’il a eu raison de se montrer juste un peu plus sincère avec elle.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Je comprends." dit-elle. "C’est parce qu’elle tâte cet os qu’elle te croit toujours aussi maigre."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Oui... Oui, c’est un bon tour que je lui joue. Pour m’amuser..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Hassan tente de garder un ton espiègle et joueur. Il s’aperçoit soudain, avec regrets, que ce ton ne lui vient plus si facilement... Il n’a plus le physique élancé, agile et fin qui lui permettait de jouer de si bons tours sans se soucier des conséquences.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Je comprends... Je comprends..." répète Loundja.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Oui. Mon poignet ne ressemble pas du tout à cet os..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Mais, au fait ! Comment est-il ?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Eh bien... Moins décharné, naturellement. Et même plutôt... potelé ?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Hassan ne peut plus reculer, maintenant. Avec elle, il doit jouer le tout pour le tout, même si le risque est grand : l’emploi de cet os à la place de son bras était son seul atout, jusqu'à présent.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Mais alors, tu as grossi ?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Oh !... J’ai bien engraissé, tu peux en être certaine... Tes bons petits plats m’ont déjà fait grossir, et m’arrondir... comme le plus heureux des maris !"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Encore une fois, Loundja rougit. Hassan continue de faire l’éloge de ses dons de cuisinière. Il hésite à lui faire des compliments exagérés, trop appuyés, sur ses qualités de parfaite petite épouse, mais il n’a qu’à lui présenter son poignet pour la convaincre de ses mérites culinaires... et des conséquences pour son poids ! Pendant qu’elle le tâte, longuement, il la voit se pâmer d’aise et pousser un long soupir.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Oh ? Oh... Mais oui, en effet ! Tu t’es bien épaissi, Hassan... Comme tu dois être sain et frais, et bien portant,</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> et <i>bedonnant...</i> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Oh ! Mais oui ! C</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">omme tu as </span><i style="font-family: verdana;">grossi...</i><span style="font-family: verdana;">"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> D'un geste et d'un soupir, le beau jeune homme la supplie de rester aussi discrète que possible... Pourvu que la vieille Tsériel ne les entende pas, depuis le cellier, la cave, la remise ou la cuisine ! Il lui semble parfois qu'elle est partout à la fois, et il souhaiterait pouvoir séduire sa fille dans le silence le plus complet...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Tu vois comme je me régale, et comme je m’engraisse grâce à toi... J’étais maigre, vraiment trop maigre, avant que ta mère... euh... avant de te rencontrer."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Oui, oui... Oh ! je suis si heureuse."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "C’est pour toi que je mange toujours autant, et que je deviens dodu. Pour ta mère, je serai toujours aussi maigre et toujours aussi sec !"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Oui..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Ça m’amuse de la tromper, c’est tout..." Hassan espère que la fille de la sorcière le croira toujours aussi naïf. "Mais je tenais à ce que tu saches que je suis devenu bien rond et bien </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">lourd,</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> grâce à toi. Et uniquement... pour toi, Loundja."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Je comprends. Je comprends."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> La jeune fille est décidément tombée sous son charme. Elle lui sourit.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Hassan entend bien qu’à partir de cette révélation Loundja devrait tout faire pour le sauver. Elle avait certainement songé à des moyens de tenir tête à sa vieille mère, peut-être pour d’autres raisons qu’en rêvant à ses amours... Mais ses réflexions seront plus pratiques, désormais, avec une application plus immédiate.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Le jeune homme reprend espoir, pour de bon. Il a bien observé les réactions de Loundja, et il devine comment il doit se comporter en tête-à-tête avec elle.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Qu’en dis-tu ? Est-ce que je peux espérer... devenir ton mari ?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Oh ! Oui, oui ! Mais tu as bien fait de cacher à ma mère comme tu as <i>grossi</i>. Continue ainsi, avec cet os, et fais-toi encore passer pour maigre, maigre ! Très maigre..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Je ferai tout ce que tu voudras, comme tu voudras... Tout ce que tu me diras."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Et ne te confie qu’à moi. Je vais prendre bien soin de toi, Hassan ! Et je te demanderai ton bras et ton poignet à tâter, moi aussi..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Autant que tu voudras."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Le cœur du jeune homme est enfin rempli d’espoir </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">—</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> tellement rempli d’espoir que Loundja peut croire qu’il se laisse aller à lui confier les effets d'une véritable passion amoureuse.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Pour commencer... tu dois dormir. Il est tard. Il faut que tu digères ton dernier repas, lentement. Dès demain, je travaillerai à te faire sortir de cette affreuse prison où ma mère enferme... où elle t’a enfermé."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> En attendant ce jour promis si amoureusement, c’est elle qui referme la porte en silence.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Hassan n’apprécie guère que la fille de la sorcière lui parle de "son dernier repas". Cependant, il sait qu’il doit s’attendre encore à des repas nombreux et copieux. Enfin, elle ne lui a rien dit des véritables intentions de la vieille Tsériel... Pour ne pas lui faire peur ? C’est un peu étrange. Hassan se couche sur le dos, se repose et réfléchit, dans le noir... Il n’a pas été entièrement sincère avec elle, mais elle non plus n’a pas été entièrement sincère avec lui. Peut-il vraiment lui faire confiance ?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Allongé sur le sol du silo, en se tâtant le ventre, il considère qu’il s’en tire à bon compte puisqu'elle a coupé court à leur entretien en fermant la porte assez vite. Il n’a pas eu à l’embrasser.</span></div><p></p><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> Le lendemain matin, la sorcière vient trouver Hassan et réclame son bras et son poignet à tâter. Elle tâte toujours le même fémur et croit qu’il s’agit encore du bras du garçon, toujours aussi maigre...</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Oh ! Méchant garçon... Tu as vraiment besoin de <i>grossir </i>! Il faut que tu manges, que tu manges... Encore ! Encore ! Et tâche de prendre un peu de ventre, pendant ton sommeil !"</span></div><div><br /></div></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> Hassan reçoit ensuite une vingtaine de grands plats pour son premier repas du matin, qui consiste en d’innombrables pâtisseries avec du thé à la menthe très sucré, encore beaucoup de pâtes d’amande et des bols remplis de toutes sortes de noix, beaucoup de bananes, de dattes, de figues, d’abricots et de raisins secs, avec d’autres fruits caramélisés, accompagnés de sorbets, de beignets avec du sirop et de grandes jattes de lait entier.</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> Le beau gros garçon se régale, en tâchant toujours de se montrer "gourmand" et bruyant. Cependant, il n’entend aucune réaction, aucune conversation ni aucun bruit en particulier, de l’intérieur de sa prison.</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> La journée se passe comme les précédentes. En fin de repas, Hassan pousse toujours un rot sonore et d’un timbre plus "gras", toujours un peu plus grave : "BUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRP !" Les deux femmes viennent ensuite récupérer les plats qu’il a littéralement nettoyés et saucés avec les derniers beignets... Quelques heures plus tard, le silo est encombré de nouveaux plats et de quantités de bonnes choses à manger.</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> À la fin de la journée, Hassan est tout étonné de constater... qu’il n’y a pratiquement rien eu de changé, par rapport à une de ses journées "habituelles" ! Déçu et décontenancé, Il reste assis dans l'obscurité où il se morfond en se prenant à songer ainsi, toujours enfermé.</div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Ce n’est pas ce que Loundja m’avait promis... Que s’est-il passé ? Elles m’ont servi à peu près la même nourriture qu’hier, et j’ai encore été obligé de me remplir le gosier avec ces neuf... ou dix repas ? Je ne sais plus... Maintenant que je fais le compte, je crois bien que ces ogresses m'ont apporté dix repas, toujours aussi copieux... Je ne m’en suis même pas aperçu, tellement je me régalais ! Ce n’est pas rassurant... Elles m’engraissent avec soin ! Peut-être que je me laisse aller, aussi ? Je suis trop glouton, et je deviens trop paresseux. C’est moi qui me régale... et qui m’<i>engraisse</i>. Est-ce que j’ai eu tort de me confier ainsi à Loundja ?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Hassan réfléchit. Il conclut qu’il doit encore se montrer patient. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Surtout, il devra se montrer prudent et ne pas attendre de secours de la fille de la sorcière si celle-ci ne lui témoigne aucun signe de soutien. Si elle n’a pas trahi son secret, elle reste son seul atout pour espérer se sauver. Et si elle l’a trahi...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Non... Si elle m’avait trahi, Tsériel réclamerait mon poignet à tâter, sans s'y tromper. La vielle sorcière est trop curieuse, elle voudrait savoir ce qu’il en est vraiment de mon engraissement. Je dois juste m'assurer que sa fille n’a pas trahi notre secret." Hassan soupire, en soupesant son ventre bien rempli. "Et c’est un lourd secret, maintenant..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Plusieurs jours se passent ainsi, où il n’a rien d’autre à faire qu’à se régaler, se repaître et se remplir encore énormément l’estomac. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Il a déjà grassement satisfait son appétit mais il ne peut plus s'arrêter de manger, ou laisser même la moitié d'une pâte de fruit dans un plat ! </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Et chaque journée passe toujours trop vite à son goût...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Pendant la nuit, le malheureux garçon a du mal à se convaincre qu’il lui </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">reste</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">des possibilités pour se sauver. Les repas qui lui sont imposés d’heure en heure le font largement s’arrondir et le rendent somnolent, dès qu’il est "bien repu"... Hassan a bien observé qu’il s’empâte et qu’il s’alourdit, comme son ventre gonfle douillettement </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">—</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> alors qu’il devrait plutôt</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> se tenir sur ses gardes et s’entraîner physiquement pour s’enfuir. Il ne peut rien y faire : tout son temps est occupé par ses interminables repas... Et, pour ne rien arranger, il se régale toujours autant !</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Son appétit lui permet au moins d’engloutir chaque nouveau plat sans efforts excessifs, jusqu'à la fin de la journée... Il aurait bien de la peine à en tenir un compte. Le jeune homme s’aperçoit soudain, avec stupeur, que l’activité où il montre le plus de capacités, d’aptitudes, et même d’un vrai talent au quotidien consiste à ingurgiter tout ce que la sorcière et sa fille lui présentent d’appétissant et de nourrissant, copieusement, jusqu'au dernier grain de raisin sec...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Les méchantes gens du village n'avaient peut-être pas tort de l'accuser d'être "vorace"... Le gros garçon se désole d'un tel reproche, qu'il avait toujours trouvé injuste.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;">— "Hélas ! Pauvre de moi ! Est-ce que Tsériel m’a jeté un mauvais sort pour que je me nourrisse toujours autant... et pour que je m’engraisse toujours autant... aussi vite et aussi docilement ?"</div></span><p></p><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> Une nuit, enfin, il est réveillé par un appel discret, presque silencieux... Loundja ouvre la petite porte d’observation pour venir lui parler. Hassan sent son cœur battre plus vite, mais pour des raisons très éloignées de celles qui l'ont fait venir jusqu'à lui, si alerte, sautillante et haletante. Le jeune homme a déjà deviné ce que la fille de l’ogresse attendait de lui.</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Hassan. Viens, mon petit homme... Approche-toi, et fais-moi tâter ton bras et ton poignet. Je veux sentir si tu es plus dodu !"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Le jeune homme n’a pas le temps pour hésiter ou s’interroger, même s’il est assez lent pour se lever et se présenter à elle. Bien repu et bien lourd, le ventre rond, il comprend qu’il n’a pas d’autre choix que de lui obéir en tout... Il retient sa respiration. En tâtant son bras sensiblement plus potelé, Loundja soupire d’aise longuement.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "C'est bien, tu as grossi... Oui ! Oui, tu as <i>bien </i>grossi !" se réjouit-elle en tâtant son poignet, avidement. "Je te trouve bien plus épais, plus tendre... Tu engraisses, mon gentil Hassan. Oh ! Je suis si heureuse..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Bien sûr..." lui répond-il, en imitant un bâillement. "Je me régale toujours autant, avec ta cuisine. Et comme tu me nourris copieusement ! Si j’étais libre, tu me verrais engraisser... à vue d’œil, je t’assure ! Mais, dis-moi, tu n’as rien dit à ta mère ?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Non... Elle te croit toujours aussi maigre... Maigre, très maigre ! Mais elle attendra. Je la ferai patienter."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Attendre ? Patienter ? Comment cela ?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Promets-moi de toujours faire ce que je te dis de faire... Tu dois m’obéir en toutes choses, mon petit homme, si tu veux que je te sauve. Et pour que tu deviennes mon mari."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Bien sûr..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Hassan n’est pas très rassuré en écoutant Loundja s’exprimer ainsi, mais il a compris ce qu’elle désire obtenir de lui : la fille de la sorcière souhaite sans doute épouser un jeune homme un peu "naïf", un peu "lourdaud", et qui lui serait entièrement soumis.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Ma mère ne veut pas de toi comme gendre, mais je vais travailler pour la convaincre... Demain, tu vas bien manger. Tu mangeras tout ce que je te donnerai à manger ! Et tu me diras comme tu te régales, lorsqu’elle nous tiendra compagnie... Tu feras un effort pour beaucoup manger, et pour réclamer encore un peu, et encore un peu plus, de la part de ta future petite épouse !"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Mais... bien sûr. Tu sais que je me régale toujours, avec tes bons petits plats. Et j’en suis vraiment bien repu, mais jamais tout-à-fait rassasié... Avec toi, pour toi, je me régalerais... à en éclater !" répond Hassan, avec un frisson qui lui parcourt soudain le bas du dos. "Dis-moi ce que je dois faire pour me sauver... Je ferai tout ce que tu voudras."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Tu auras juste à bien manger, beaucoup manger... Et n’oublie pas de faire l’éloge de ma cuisine !"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Mais... je fais déjà l’éloge de ta cuisine. Toujours..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Sois plus convaincant, mon petit homme... pour ma mère. Montre-toi un peu plus gourmand, peut-être encore un peu plus bruyant."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "D'accord..." Hassan soupire, convaincu et résolu. "Je serai un parfait glouton. Un vrai petit ogre !"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Alors ma mère nous laissera tranquilles, et je viendrai m’occuper de toi plus souvent."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Ah ?... Quelle joie !..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Endors-toi, maintenant. Tu dois bien dormir pour bien digérer."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Oui... Oui..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Hassan est un peu déçu. Il sent un poids sur son cœur. En le regardant se tourner lentement, s’asseoir et se coucher, la fille de la sorcière a un petit rire malicieux.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Comme tu es lourdaud, Hassan... Dors, mon gros ! Dors et digère bien tous tes repas !"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Elle laisse le jeune homme se rendormir. Hassan comprend qu’il va devoir se montrer courageux s'il compte se sauver de cette situation désespérée... Il a bien entendu les derniers mots de Loundja, et il ne manque pas d’en tirer quelques conclusions à son avantage. Puisqu'elle semble séduite à ce point par un fiancé rondelet, bien lourd et même "lourdaud", il se fera passer pour un garçon vraiment naïf, sans aucune éducation et innocent jusqu'à la bêtise, très docile... et plus "lourdaud" que nature !</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> En se couchant sur le dos et en caressant son gros ventre rond, le jeune homme espère qu’il n’est pas déjà devenu aussi remarquablement <i>lourdaud</i>, malgré lui.</span></div><p></p><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> Le lendemain, Hassan observe clairement la différence qui lui a été suggérée pendant la nuit. Il avait bien compté... Ses repas sont plus nombreux. Les plats sont plus lourds à soulever. La nourriture est plus abondante et plus riche : il y a plus de poulet dans le couscous, avec plus de beurre, et encore plus de merguez et même de patates douces... Hassan est obligé de manger plus vite pour pouvoir finir à temps, mais il doit aussi se retenir juste à temps pour ne pas s’étouffer avec un oignon frit, une banane ou un abricot !</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> Consciencieusement, il mange en faisant autant de bruit que possible, avec des commentaires pour accompagner presque chaque bouchée, même s’il doit se presser d’avaler.</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana;">— "Hmmm... Que tout cela est délicieux ! Je ne me suis jamais autant régalé ! Je n’ai jamais <i>autant </i>mangé ! Comme ces aubergines farcies sont grasses et savoureuses ! Comme ce poulet est beurré juste à point, j'en lèche mon assiette ! Mon estomac va éclater... mais je ne peux pas m’empêcher de me remplir encore !"</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Par moments, il peut entendre les soupirs extasiés des deux ogresses, dans la cuisine.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> À la fin de la journée, le pauvre garçon est épuisé. Son ventre est lourd et rond comme une boule de pâte. Il est tout en sueur, et il peut à peine articuler un mot après avoir autant ingurgité et fait autant de bruit en mangeant...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> La vieille Tsériel vient le trouver alors. Elle entend distinctement la digestion dans le ventre de Hassan, presque douloureuse, à une heure si tardive... Comme elle croit qu’il ne grossit toujours pas, cependant, elle cède la place à sa fille, qui se présente devant la porte d'observation avec de grandes et profondes mangeoires.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Ma fille va te gaver un peu plus, chaque soir, mon petit Hassan. De la purée de lentilles et </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">de patates douces</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">, des noix de cajou, des pistaches, des amandes, des arachides, encore des figues, des dattes et des fruits secs, avec beaucoup de laitages pour te faire enfin prendre du </span><i style="font-family: verdana;">poids</i><span style="font-family: verdana;">... Oh ! comme tu vas te régaler..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Hassan est très embarrassé. Il ne peut pas ruser de la même manière avec la sorcière et avec sa fille. Devant la mangeoire et la grande cuillère que tient Loundja en s’approchant de lui, le jeune homme éprouve un frisson qui lui parcourt tout le corps. Il y a bien longtemps qu’il n’a plus faim. Au contraire ! Son estomac grogne et proteste en maugréant, à la seule idée d’un supplément de victuailles. Malheureusement, il n’a pas d’autre choix que celui d’obéir.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Approche, mon gentil Hassan..." minaude la fille de l'ogresse. "Approche-toi plus près, tout près, et ouvre grand la bouche... Je vais bien te nourrir, et tu vas te régaler !"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Résigné, le jeune homme se met à genoux devant elle, dans le silo, les deux mains contre la paroi, autour de la petite porte ouverte. Avec un soupir, il ouvre la bouche comme on le lui ordonne. Aussitôt, Loundja y enfourne une grande cuillère de bouillie de flocons d'avoine, puis une véritable pelletée de dattes.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Dépêche-toi d’avaler, mon petit homme. Il y a encore beaucoup de bonnes choses à manger !"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Au lieu de le "régaler", la fille de la sorcière passe encore des heures à le gaver </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">—</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> sans ménagements... Elle semble déterminée à lui remplir la panse, de gré ou de force, jusqu'à ce que toute la nourriture dans les mangeoires soit ingurgitée. Hassan sent son ventre peser lourdement sur ses cuisses et s’arrondir encore et encore, avec chaque bouchée. Bientôt, son estomac trop rebondi frotte doucement contre la paroi du silo. Il étouffe, et il transpire à grosses gouttes.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Cependant, Loundja met de côté une mangeoire vide après l’autre.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Comme il mange bien !" commente Tsériel. "Je ne pensais pas que notre petit Hassan se montrerait aussi <i>glouton</i>. Je suis fière de toi, ma fille ! Je peux l’entendre qui se remplit le gosier, comme un bon canard mis à l'engrais... Oui, oui... Cette nuit, il sera enfin vraiment bien repu !"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> La fille de la sorcière rougit et sourit en écoutant ces compliments, mais elle n'en revient pas moins rudement à l'assaut avec sa grande louche. Hassan songe soudain qu’il a aussi promis de la couvrir d’éloges. Il secoue un instant sa torpeur et s’exclame, en tâchant de paraître assez convaincant.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Hmmm... Comme je me régale !" soupire-t-il. "J’étais déjà bien repu, mais comme tout cela est bon à manger... Je vais éclater... Nourris-moi encore ! Encore, s’il te plaît..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> La vieille sorcière est enchantée de trouver son prisonnier dans de si bonnes dispositions.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Vraiment ? Voilà qui est mieux... Hassan ! Que dirais-tu si ma fille s’occupait de toi ?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Ce serait un honneur... Je n’osais même pas en rêver..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Et que dirais-tu si elle te donnait encore beaucoup, oui <i>beaucoup </i>de bonnes choses à manger ?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Je me régalerais, bien sûr... Je n’osais pas en demander... autant !"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Et que dirais-tu si elle venait encore pour te gaver ainsi, à la fin de chaque journée ?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Mais... je serais au comble du bonheur. Et j’avalerai tout ce qu’elle me donnera, jusqu'à la dernière bouchée ! Toute cette nourriture est si savoureuse que je n’osais pas en réclamer davantage..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Vraiment, voilà qui est tout-à-fait bien ! Mais que dirais-tu si toutes ces bonnes choses à manger te faisaient enfin <i>grossir</i>... et prendre un peu de <i>poids </i>?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Je serais tout-à-fait heureux, bien sûr... Et je ne devrais plus tarder à grossir, et à bien prendre du poids ! Oh ! Oui, je suis si maigre, si maigre que je n’osais même pas espérer pouvoir devenir gros et gras, avec un ventre bien rond !"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> À la surprise du jeune homme, la sorcière est parfaitement convaincue par ses réponses... Elle est enchantée de le trouver aussi franc, aussi docile </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">—</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> et aussi goinfre ! En observant Loundja qui l’engorge, Hassan suppose que les deux femmes ont dû avoir de longues discussions à son sujet, dans la cuisine.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Lorsque la dernière mangeoire est enfin nettoyée, il pousse un énorme rot avec soulagement.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "BUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRP !"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Plusieurs jours se passent ainsi, où il ne fait que se régaler, se repaître et se remplir l’estomac. Chaque soir, la fille de la sorcière vient le gaver en abondance de bananes, de noix et de fruits secs, de beignets et de toutes sortes de mangeailles qui le font s’arrondir, presque à vue d’œil. Et chaque journée passe trop vite à son goût...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Hélas ! Pauvre de moi !" soupire-t-il, lorsqu'il peut enfin se coucher pour dormir. "Tsériel voulait m’engraisser pour me rôtir et me dévorer ! Loundja veut certainement me sauver, mais je crois qu’elle me fait grossir... pour me dévorer tout cru !"</span></div><p></p><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> Une nuit, il est réveillé par un appel presque silencieux... Loundja a ouvert la petite porte d’observation pour lui parler. Hassan se relève et s’approche quand elle l’appelle. La fille de la sorcière est revenue à lui, le souffle court, le cœur battant. De son côté, le jeune homme se déplace lentement et lourdement. Il sait comment il doit se comporter pour la séduire, et se montre aussi docile que rondelet.</div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Presse-toi un peu, mon petit homme. Comme tu es lourdaud... Mon petit Hassan, montre-moi comme tu as <i>grossi </i>! N’es-tu pas bien repu ?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Je suis repu et rassasié. Je ne pourrais plus rien avaler... Tu m’as si bien nourri... et gavé !"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Comme je suis heureuse... Fais-moi tâter ton bras et ton poignet."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Hassan lui obéit. Loundja pousse un long gémissement de plaisir en le tâtant. Elle ne s'en lasse pas.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Oui... Oui... Tu es un peu plus épaissi, et empâté ! Tu deviens bien rondelet, mon beau Hassan ! Je suis bien contente..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "C’est pour toi que j’engraisse... Mais ta mère me croit toujours aussi maigre ?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Elle va revenir pour tâter ton bras et ton poignet, demain matin. Prends ceci, pour te sauver..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Loundja lui donne une peau de cuir bouilli, lisse et nue, de la taille d’un petit tapis de prière. Hassan est un peu surpris, mais il comprend assez tôt. Cependant, il se garde bien de se montrer intelligent avec la fille de la sorcière.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Pourquoi me donnes-tu cette peau de cuir ? Je ne saurais pas quoi en faire..." l'interroge-t-il, en forçant un bâillement.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Écoute-moi, et sois bien attentif. Tu envelopperas l’os dont tu te sers pour tromper ma mère. Juste une épaisseur de peau, autour de ce vieil os tout sec."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Mais... pourquoi ?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Comme tu es lourdaud, Hassan..." sourit-elle malicieusement. "Ma mère pourra enfin tâter un peu plus et </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">un peu</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> mieux</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> qu’un os aussi fin, et elle comprendra que tu as commencé à grossir et à t'épaissir un peu. Juste un peu..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Oh... Je comprends. Juste un peu plus épais... Un peu plus gros..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Oui, Hassan... Alors elle nous laissera plus tranquilles, et je viendrai m’occuper de toi plus souvent."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Quelle joie ! Quel bonheur..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Je reviendrai pour bien te nourrir. Et pour te gaver."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Oh..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Hassan apprécie la ruse de Loundja. Lui-même n’aurait pas trouvé mieux... Il reprend espoir, mais il a compris qu’il devra encore montrer beaucoup de patience, et beaucoup de courage, s’il compte sortir vivant de ce silo et de cette vieille maison.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Il conclut aussi que la fille de la sorcière souhaite épouser un jeune homme vraiment... très ventru !</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Nourris-moi encore, encore ! Je serai si heureux..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Oui. Surtout, Hassan... Il faut que tu manges."</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Je mangerai ! Je mangerai tout ce que tu m'apporteras..."</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Son beau sourire s'est évanoui, malgré tout. Il devine que les quantités de nourriture que Loundja lui servira dès le lendemain matin seraient amplement suffisantes pour nourrir quatre jeunes hommes comme lui.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Bien. Ma mère te trouvera un peu plus épaissi, grâce à cette peau de cuir, mais il faut que tu manges toujours de bon appétit."</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Oui... J'aurai toujours </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">bon appétit</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">."</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Enfin, et surtout... Il faut que tu engraisses, Hassan !" ajoute-t-elle avec un petit sourire qui en dit long sur son propre appétit. "Je veux te trouver bien dodu à point, bien potelé..."</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Je mangerai toujours de bon appétit... Je vais bien m'<i>engraisser</i> !"</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Hassan éprouve une sensation d'étouffement devant les témoignages d'affection, les minauderies, les promesses et les exigences de la jeune ogresse. Il tombe de sommeil en l'écoutant.</span></div></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></div></span></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Endors-toi maintenant, mon gros Hassan. Tu dois bien dormir et bien digérer... pour prendre du <i>poids </i>et du lard. Beaucoup de poids !"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Oui... Oui..." murmure le jeune homme, avec un frisson.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Seul dans le silo, Hassan respire et reprend ses esprits. Il se couche sur le dos pour mieux digérer, en écoutant les conseils de la nuit... Malgré ses inquiétudes et ses doutes, il décide qu’il doit profiter de la situation et ne pas perdre les avantages qu’il a pu obtenir par sa ruse, sa patience et ses efforts pour toujours manger tant et plus... Au contraire ! Il est presque arrivé à manipuler à la fois la sorcière et sa fille, et il dispose enfin de nouveaux moyens pour arriver à ses fins.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Il s'endort en songeant à ses prochains repas, bien savoureux, très copieux, et il sourit en fermant les yeux...</span></div><p></p><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"> Le lendemain matin, Tsériel vient et ouvre la petite porte du silo.</div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Hassan ! Lève-toi, mon garçon, et donne-moi ton bras et ton poignet à tâter !"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Hassan l’attendait... Il a passé un long moment, dans l'obscurité, à envelopper le grand os avec cette peau de cuir bouilli, pour que l’un paraisse faire corps avec l’autre. Il le presse lui-même avec satisfaction, et il le place en travers de la petite porte d’observation pour la sorcière. De ses longs doigts maigres, celle-ci tâte et caresse doucement le cuir. Elle croit qu’il s’agit effectivement du bras et du poignet de Hassan.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Oh ? Voilà qui est mieux ! Beaucoup mieux... Tu as grossi, Hassan ! Je te trouve enfin un peu plus épais, un peu plus en chair..."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "C’est que je me régale sans me retenir, depuis quelque temps. Je vous l’avais promis, je ne pouvais pas rester aussi maigre... Vous me nourrissez si copieusement, et je mange toujours avec appétit !"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Oui, oui... C’est vrai."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Et lorsque j’ai fini de me régaler, votre fille vient me gaver </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">de toutes sortes de mangeailles</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">. Lourdement !"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "C’est vrai... C’est vrai."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Loundja m’engraisse... comme un petit canard gras."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Oh ! Oui... Très bien !"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "La cuisine de votre fille est toujours aussi... savoureuse, et tellement nourrissante, tellement abondante ! Je vois bien que mon ventre a cédé. Vous l'avez trop bien nourri... Et je vais bientôt m’épaissir, m’arrondir et m’empâter... jusqu'à devenir très rondelet !"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Vraiment, voilà qui est tout-à-fait bien ! Voilà ce qu’il faut faire, Hassan... Épaissis-toi, arrondis-toi et empâte-toi comme il faut ! Tu vas bien te remplir et bien grossir... J’en ai déjà l’eau à la bouche !"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Euh... Que dis-tu, Tsériel ?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Comment ? Rien ! Je pensais à ton prochain repas. Je compte sur toi pour bien te... régaler."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "Tant que votre fille cuisine pour moi, je me régale toujours ! Voyez comme je mange de bon appétit, jour après jour. Je ne peux même plus arrêter de remplir mon petit estomac... et je m’<i>engraisse</i> !"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> La sorcière appelle alors sa fille, et Hassan savoure sa victoire. Tsériel fait l’éloge de sa cuisine, en lui confiant aussi que le beau jeune homme qu’elles retiennent prisonnier dans le silo a bien changé : ce n’est plus ce méchant garnement chapardeur, agile et maigre qui grimpait dans les branches du figuier, mais un beau garçon paresseux, docile et lourdaud, avec un gros appétit, et qui promet de bientôt devenir... très dodu — et véritablement appétissant !</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Tsériel ordonne à sa fille de préparer un festin "digne de l’appétit de ce bon gros Hassan"... En conséquence, elles lui apportent un gigantesque couscous garni, avec énormément de pois chiches, beaucoup de sauce, de gros morceaux de poulet au beurre marinés avec des tranches de citron, beaucoup de légumes préparés en purée dans de l’huile d’olives, des douzaines de tomates et d'aubergines farcies, des plats débordant d’œufs brouillés, d'énormes boulettes de viande baignant dans la sauce, d'innombrables merguez épaisses et ruisselantes de graisse, et de gros morceaux de mouton en tajines avec des féculents... Le pauvre garçon n'en peut plus. Il étouffe, la bouche pleine, tant il est obligé d'avaler tout ce qu'on lui sert, le plus vite possible ! Loundja vient encore ajouter à ce festin en encombrant tout l’espace autour d’Hassan de grands saladiers remplis de fromage blanc recouvert de miel, des dattes et d’autres fruits caramélisés, de la pâte d’amandes, des bananes, des beignets remplis de beurre et saupoudrés de sucre.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— "BUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRP !"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> À la fin de cette journée, si éprouvante, et lorsque Loundja emporte les dernières mangeoires après avoir enfin achevé de le gaver, Hassan se repose, absolument convaincu que son ventre est sur le point d’éclater !</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Plusieurs jours se passent ainsi, où il ne fait que se régaler, se repaître et s’engraisser... Chaque nuit, la fille de la sorcière vient le gaver de toutes sortes de mangeailles excessivement nourrissantes, qui le font encore s’arrondir, presque à vue d’œil ! Elle prend visiblement plaisir à le traiter ainsi, comme une forcenée. Et chaque journée passe toujours trop vite à son goût...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">(<i>à suivre</i>...)</span></div><p></p><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5094005257601699515.post-10148052629025483382022-08-03T10:05:00.037-07:002023-08-12T03:23:28.300-07:00Suite à la française : "Des perles aux cochons" (troisième partie)<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 83.5pt center 8.0cm; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">III.</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify; text-indent: 21.4pt;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify; text-indent: 21.4pt;"> "Mais le cochon reste où il mange.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify; text-indent: 21.4pt;"> Il ne perd pas une bouchée.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify; text-indent: 21.4pt;"> Il ne remue pas, avec moins d’aise, la queue.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify; text-indent: 21.4pt;"> Tout criblé de grêlons, c’est à peine s’il grogne :</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify; text-indent: 21.4pt;"> <i>Encore leurs sales perles </i>!"</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0cm 106.2pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 21.4pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0cm 106.2pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 21.4pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Jules RENARD<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Histoires naturelles</i></span></div></span></div></span></div></div></div><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: right;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Cela ne fait que croître et embellir..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> C’était le mot de monsieur le curé lorsqu’il passait, tenant le cadre de son vélo d’une poigne d’autant plus ferme qu’il était peu rassuré sur cette route de campagne, en pente douce mais traîtresse, sinueuse, lorsqu’il lui arrivait de passer devant la ferme de Robert – monsieur le curé dont les paroissiens, goguenards, disaient qu’il ne faisait "que cloître et en bénir".</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Depuis le bord du chemin, bien entretenu et à la barrière curieusement renforcée, repeinte à neuf et doublée d’une épaisse haie de laurier-sauce, assez haute pour décourager les promeneurs indiscrets – à défaut de voisins en vis-à-vis, le plus proche étant à au moins un quart d’heure de marche, en direction du village – depuis la façade du corps de ferme en belle brique rouge, avec des pierres d’angles aux tons de craie, jusqu’aux bâtiments formant les différentes cours où le fermier travaillait, du matin au soir, cela ne faisait décidément "que croître et embellir".</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Qui l’aurait cru ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Il n’y a pas un an, j’aurais juré que le toit du grenier rejoindrait bientôt le plancher de la cuisine..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Sacré Robert ! Il ne veillait que sur son élevage."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Oui, ses cochons..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Toujours à prendre soin d’eux, à les nourrir..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "À les engraisser !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Il ne prenait soin de rien d’autre... Ni de lui-même, ni de son intérieur."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Il ne prenait même pas de nouvelles, ni de sa femme, ni de son fils."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Sa femme ? Ha ha ! Elle doit être loin !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Et son fils ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Est-ce qu’on sait... Encore plus loin, si ça se trouve."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "À une distance pareille, on ne le retrouvera pas…"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Au moins, sa ferme et toute sa propriété a fière allure maintenant."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Eh ! oui, et... pour le coup, lui-même..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Un hochement de tête général entourait ces considérations renouvelées autour du fermier le plus solitaire du canton. Les vieux l’accompagnaient d’un sourire plus ou moins édenté, les plus jeunes gars d’un haussement d’épaules, les vieilles d’un mouvement de menton qui achevait de leur visser le cou entre les épaules.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Il n’y avait pas à dire : depuis quelques temps, peut-être six mois, peut-être davantage, Robert n’était pratiquement plus le même homme.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Toujours solitaire, toujours occupé par ses travaux dans la ferme ou par son entretien, on ne le voyait qu’en passant. Rarement, donc, et plutôt à la dérobée. On ne devait jamais compter que sur une conversation de cinq minutes et vingt ou trente mots échangés – plutôt vingt que trente, d'ailleurs – mais on ne pouvait s’empêcher de l’admirer… Curieusement, il paraissait plus grand que son mètre quatre-vingt-seize, déjà imposant, tant il se tenait droit. Les fermiers des environs se souvenaient de son père et de son grand-père, que l’on surnommait déjà "les sapins dans la vallée". Dans le cas de Robert, il fallait en rabattre. N’est pas grand et droit qui veut, mais n’est pas ferme et fort non plus qui ne fait que le désirer…</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Sa silhouette s’était comme redressée, mais sa carrure s’était renforcée. Large d’épaules et de dos, la poitrine profonde, tous les membres bien épais et bien proportionnés, dont les muscles saillants et noueux roulaient sous la peau un peu bronzée, Robert devait peser au moins cent-cinquante kilos – et tout en viande rouge : un bœuf de son poids et de sa force aurait fait saliver d’envie n’importe quel boucher.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Ce n’était pas encore le plus étonnant. Robert semblait s’éloigner à rebours de la cinquantaine, à mesure que les mois passaient, remontant vers plus de souplesse, plus de force et de vigueur. À peine grisonnants, ses cheveux toujours aussi courts et sa barbe un peu plus fournie étaient remarquablement sombres et drus, abondants, comme luisant au soleil. L’ensemble restait uni. Ce n’était plus un jeune homme, bien sûr, mais on ne lui prêtait plus son âge si généreusement.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Eh ! tout de même, n’a-t-il pas cinquante ans bien comptés ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Euh, heu... cinquante... et le pouce."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "On lui donnerait moins."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Sans doute, sans doute... Et il nous le rendrait bien !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> En somme, le fermier faisait l’admiration de tout le canton – admiration baignée de jalousie à s’y noyer, mais pas plus malveillante pour autant, et qui multipliait les allées et venues "en voisins" autour de sa ferme, pour que chacun puisse au moins le contempler à loisir et apporter sincèrement son opinion dans les conversations qui reprenaient, de temps à autres, à son sujet.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Je l’ai encore vu monter sur le toit d’un des bâtiments bas, là où il fait rentrer ses petit porcelets chaque soir pour qu’ils dorment à l’abri."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Pour qu’ils s'engraissent !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Il a complètement refait la toiture. Poutres et tuiles, et le coffrage."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Tout seul ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Eh ! oui... Comme tout ce qu’il fait."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Les hochements de tête reprenaient, d’un mouvement unanime.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Sacré gaillard ! Je me souviens d’en avoir fait le tour, il n’y a pas un an de ça. C'était triste. On aurait plutôt compté les tuiles par terre, et ses cochons auraient vu plus de ciel que de toit, s’il avaient levé les yeux de leurs mangeoires !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Penses-tu, penses-tu..." haussait-on les épaules. "C’est quand même pas d’aujourd’hui que Robert sait s’occuper de ses porcs. Ils étaient tous occupés à se repaître..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Pour qu’ils s'engraissent !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Alors, moi ! ce qui m’étonne, c’est que son toit tienne le coup... Parce que, tout de même, Robert, ce n’est pas exactement un sac de toile avec de la plume !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Ah, pour ça... On ne trouverait pas fiers de croiser des canards après qu’il nous ait marché sur les pieds."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Des mouvements de menton accompagnaient les hochements de tête.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Sacré gaillard !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "C’est comme s’il avait trouvé une nouvelle jeunesse."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Ouais... Pas taiseux pour ne rien dire, Robert !" ajoutait un plus malin que les autres, avec un clignement d’œil rapide qui lui tenait lieu de long discours. "On ne croit pas si bien dire qu’on en croirait pas ses yeux... Il a dû s’en trouver, une nouvelle jeunesse. Parfaitement ! Une comme il faut, avec tout bien, tout ce qu’il faut, là où il faut et pas ailleurs qu’à portée de ses larges pattes d’ours..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Teu, teu, teu ! Ça se saurait."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "On l’aurait vu."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "On y serait même retournés pour mieux la voir..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Si amusante que soit cette suggestion, personne n’y croyait. D’un bout à l’autre de la salle, tout le monde en riait.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Sacrés gamins ! Vous vous croyez malins. Eh bien, vous n’y êtes pas du tout..." corrigeait une vieille qui tricotait dans son coin, et dont les doigts n’étaient pas moins rapides et précis que les paroles. "Qu’est-ce que vous auriez vu, d’abord ? Moi, je l’ai vu, moi qui vous parle."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Hein ! qui ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Allons, un peu de bon sens. Tout gaillard qu’il est, Robert ne peut pas s’occuper en même temps du toit et des cochons qu’il abrite sous son toit. On ne peut pas être à la fois au four et au moulin, et au bois, et au jardin. J’ai vu celui qui l’assiste dans ses travaux, qui fait sortir les cochons et qui les fait rentrer. Et qui les nourrit. Et qui les nourrit bien. Oui, je l’ai vu."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Aha ! Vous avez de bons yeux, Micheline."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Mais... Vous dîtes celui qui...?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Dame ! Elever des cochons, c’est l’affaire d’un jeune gars."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Tiens donc."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Oui, un jeune. Assez beau garçon..." précisa-t-elle, sans lever les yeux de son ouvrage. "Pour le peu que j’en ai vu, un gars bien bâti, bien élevé. Il était à ce qu’il faisait. Moi, je m’en venais pas là pour déranger. Avec ça que j’en avais assez vu pour reprendre la route à mon idée. Pas dégourdi mais ça viendra toujours en le faisant. Bien sur ses jambes, et à sa place, et pas plus bavard qu’il en faut. Tout-à-fait ce qu’il fallait pour ce sauvage de Robert."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Sans doute, sans doute..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Cette évocation de Quentin par une paysanne si avisée, qui l’avait aussi bien crayonné "à son idée", laissait perplexe.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Tout de même..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Ah ! oui, tout de même..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "C’est curieux aussi qu’on ne l’ait pas vu."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Oui... C’est curieux."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Enfin, il est comment ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Comment, quoi ? Comment il est ? Il est comme je vous dis..." répondit la vieille en allongeant les lèvres. "Un beau gars... Oui. Grand, bien bâti, et, ma foi, bien portant..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Cette description, à peine esquissée, fut accueillie avec un long murmure surmonté de sourcils levés comme autant de parasols ouverts. Dans tout le village, on savait que la mère Micheline estimait qu’un garçon de quinze ans mesurant un mètre quatre-vingt-cinq et pesant cent-vingt kilos était peut-être "sain et frais", mais "quelle tristesse qu’il soit aussi chétif !" Elle concluait que "ses parents devraient veiller à le nourrir convenablement".</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Selon elle, c’était "pitié" pour une jeune fille à marier, lorsque son fiancé n’avait pas besoin de baisser la tête pour entrer dans sa cuisine, et c’était "inacceptable" s’il mettait fin à son repas après seulement quatre assiettes de viandes en sauce, quatre assiettes de pommes de terre, de frites ou de pâtes fraîches, et six ou sept grandes assiettes de desserts, sans compter le potage en entrée, le plateau de fromages et quelques entremets variés pour le faire patienter avant le plat suivant...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Elle ne se gênait pas pour se moquer de ceux qui ne déboutonnaient pas jusqu’à leur dernier bouton de chemise et de pantalon, à table, au moins à la fin de chaque repas. "En voilà, des manières !" disait-elle avec un air de dégoût. "Dites-moi un peu, quand on est une jeune fille de bonne famille ! À quoi bon épouser des boutonnés pareils ? Que peut-on en attendre au-dessous de la ceinture, si ces benêts ne la font jamais passer d’un cran à l’autre ? Autant ne pas entrer en ménage !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Le jeune fermier que Robert hébergeait devait être un véritable colosse, et avec un appétit d'ogre, pour avoir l’honneur d’être ainsi considéré comme "bien portant".</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> "Bien portant..." murmurait-on. "Bien portant" ? On n’en revenait pas. Un tel compliment, de la part de Micheline, était un éloge à faire annoncer dans tout le canton, par le crieur public. On l’aurait fait imprimer sur les faireparts du mariage ! On l’aurait fait répéter par le prêtre, pendant la cérémonie. Enfin, on aurait pris ses dispositions à l’avance, avec le notaire et le marbrier, pour le faire graver sur sa tombe.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Au fait, personne n’y avait jamais songé. On ne pouvait pas s’attendre à une telle annonce. La foudre aurait causé moins de surprise, en tombant soudain sur les bûches de la cheminée. Micheline avait toujours trouvé les hommes – tous les hommes ! – trop maigres, fluets, menus, efflanqués, frêles, grêles, gringalets, pâlots, chétifs, étriqués, émaciés, décharnés, délicats, transparents, diaphanes, secs, râpeux, noueux, osseux enfin, pour ne pas dire squelettiques...</div></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> "Maigrichon", pour ceux du canton qui étaient familiers avec son langage, était une faveur qui se comptait pour beaucoup. Un homme ne manquait jamais de faire savoir que Micheline le trouvait seulement "maigrelet", si un pareil honneur lui était réservé. On le voyait poser en bras de chemise, sur les chemins, le gilet largement ouvert et les mains dans les poches pour présenter aux passants sa panse bien rebondie, sous son meilleur jour.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Tout de même..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Oh ! Ho ! Tout de même..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Vous dites qu’il est... bien portant, Micheline ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Assurément. Si je vous dis que Robert le traite bien. En voilà un qui ne laisse pas ceux qui l’assistent mourir de faim, au moins !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Après la longue houle de sourcils levés, ce fut un effondrement général de mâchoires... Il ne faisait aucun doute que le jeune homme "ne mourait pas de faim" ! Il devait au moins manger comme quatre, et plutôt comme quatre loups voraces que comme quatre employés de ferme ! On avait du mal à se représenter les repas qu’il devait engloutir. Il devait être encore nourri comme quatre lorsqu’il se disait "rassasié". Le malheureux... Il n’en fallait pas moins pour que la vieille Micheline en fasse son compliment à Robert, envers qui elle ne s’était jamais montrée tendre, d’ailleurs.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Décidément, cette ferme isolée, qui n’avait jamais particulièrement attiré de convoitises, excitait maintenant la plus vive curiosité.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Sacré Robert, alors !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Sacré Robert !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Il nous en cache encore, des choses... l’air de rien."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "L’air de rien, oui."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Depuis quelques temps, on s’était plutôt étonné de voir Robert souriant lorsqu’il reconnaissait un visage familier devant la barrière de sa ferme, ou passant sur la route devant chez lui.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Ce n’était pas comme s’il se montrait particulièrement ravi de voir venir à lui des visiteurs, qu’il laissait repartir après quelques mots toujours polis et parfois presque aimables – mais puisque c’était le plus sûr et le plus court moyen de les faire déguerpir...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Sacré Robert !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Invariablement – et faute de mieux, puisqu’on ne savait jamais comment aborder ce fermier qui, d’un coup de patte, pouvait vous faire tomber la tête la première dans le fossé... de l’autre côté de la route – on admirait le bel état de la maison, fraîchement repeinte et nettoyée, la belle tenue de la cour de ferme et le bel embonpoint des cochons que l’on pouvait voir.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> C’était tout, et c’était peu. On s’en contentait – mais puisqu’il y avait une présence dans la ferme maintenant, inattendue, et qui expliquait tous ces brillants changements...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Sacré Robert, alors !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Sacré Robert, toujours occupé après ses cochons..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "À les engraisser !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Ouais, ouais..." clignaient-ils de l’œil, les uns comme les autres, avec un sourire entendu. "Cela ne fait que croître et embellir."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;">– "Cela ne fait rien... Laissons dire !" se disait justement monsieur le curé, en reprenant la route.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Il faisait nuit noire... "La Combe à lait" – c’était le nom du lieu-dit où se trouvait, en cherchant bien, la ferme de Robert – disparaissait dans la brume. Depuis la sortie du village, la route n’était plus éclairée. L’air était vif. La lune apportait seulement une touche de blanc dans les ténèbres, barbouillée par les nuages, et qui n’éclairait rien.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Ce n’était pas une promenade d’agrément, mais il fallait bien rentrer au presbytère. Avec un peu de chance, il y serait dans une heure. Un bon feu l’attendrait dans la cheminée, avec un bol de lait chaud. En attendant, il pédalait littéralement dans la ouate, sans bien distinguer les courbes ou les obstacles sur son chemin.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Une torche électrique... Un peu de lumière... Juste un peu de lumière." répétait-il. "Ah ! Ça, c’est trop fort."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Une camionnette roulait en sens contraire. À contresens, et trop vite, pour ne rien arranger. Pire encore, elle venait de prendre un virage très serré, brusquement. Il était évident que le conducteur ne connaissait pas les environs. En évitant le cycliste, d’extrême justesse, en freinant et en contrebraquant vivement, il évita aussi de verser dans le fossé.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Surpris par cette rencontre, devant le véhicule à l’arrêt, le curé s’étonna lui-même de ne pas servir à ses occupants une bordée d’injures pour leur conduite. Ou leur inconduite. Ce serait toujours ça de moins à confesser pour lui. Il était encore pétrifié de stupeur.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> La vitre s’abaissa. Le conducteur était accompagné par une jeune femme qui fit un signe pour l’inviter à s’approcher. Deux autres hommes devaient être assis derrière, aussi peu confortablement que possible. On ne pouvait que deviner des silhouettes noires sur fond de nuit noire...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Bonsoir, monsieur le curé ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Bon... Bonsoir..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Vous pourriez nous renseigner ? On est un peu perdus sur cette route."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Sans doute... Où voulez-vous aller ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "On cherche..." La jeune femme se tourna vers le conducteur. Elle tenait un plan et le porta vers la lumière. "La Combe à lait. C’est loin d’ici ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Comment, la Combe à lait ? Mais vous y êtes !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Sans déconner ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Mais..." Le curé n’aurait pas su quoi répondre à une telle question. "C’est que le village est dans cette direction. Voyez... Continuez tout droit, vous croiserez la route départementale. C’est indiqué."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Oui, mais non... nous sommes déjà passés par là."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Qu’est-ce que vous cherchez, alors ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Une maison. Une maison de maître. Ou une ferme…"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Euh, les fermes, dans le coin, vous savez... Ce n’est pas vraiment ce qui manque. Tout de même..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Une ferme un peu isolée... Vous voyez ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Isolée ? Isolée... Il y a bien la ferme de Robert, si vous voulez. Mais, de l’avis général, c’est pratiquement moins une ferme qu’un terrier."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Un terrier ? Il élève des lapins ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Non, non... Des cochons. C’est tout de même autre chose."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Pourquoi vous parlez de terrier, alors ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "C’est plutôt pour le fermier. Robert. C’est le genre... ours, comprenez-vous ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "D’accord." La jeune femme semblait réfléchir. "Et... c’est où ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Oh... Pas loin. C’est par là."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Par là ? On ne voit rien par là."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Oui. Évidemment, dans la journée, ce serait plus facile à trouver. C’est un peu au milieu de nulle part, et pas très visible depuis la route. Enfin, c’est l’endroit que vous cherchez ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Ça se pourrait. Vous avez dit que c’est une ferme avec des cochons."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Ah, oui ! Un bel élevage de cochons."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Alors c’est là."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Le curé trouvait un peu étrange que la nature de l’élevage serve de point de repère à des jeunes gens qui avaient tout l’air d’être des citadins. Une ferme avec des cochons. Si encore c’étaient des oies, on les entendrait de loin ! Mais puisque c’était là qu’ils voulaient aller...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Avez-vous une lampe ? Je peux vous montrer."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Tenez."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> La jeune femme tendit au curé une torche électrique, exactement ce qu’il avait souhaité tenir dans ses mains depuis que la nuit était tombée. Il en aurait eu les larmes aux yeux.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Voilà... Vous suivez ce chemin, et vous tournez à droite après ce gros chêne. Et encore à droite, plus loin. C’est très dissimulé. On ne distingue pas bien les croisements, à cause des buissons de ronces..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Parfait. Nous y serons bientôt ! Bonne nuit, monsieur le curé."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Bonne nuit..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> En les voyant s’éloigner, le curé leur faisait encore de grands gestes avec sa lampe. Il ne se sentait pas aussi soulagé qu’il aurait pu l’être... Était-ce parce qu’en l’écoutant s’exclamer "Nous y serons bientôt !" sur un ton qui aurait mieux exprimé "Nous y serons enfin", il avait deviné comme une lueur mauvaise dans ses yeux ? Les compagnons de cette jeune femme, qui n’avaient pas dit un mot, semblaient du même avis.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Tout de même, c’est curieux..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Cela faisait deux fois, dans une même soirée, qu’on parlait de Robert en sa présence, et de sa ferme et de ses cochons. Passe encore pour les gens du village, cancaniers comme des oies, mais des inconnus ? Et rencontrés dans des circonstances pour le moins ténébreuses ?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Oh, cela ne me dit rien qui vaille..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Se décidant tout-à-coup, il tourna son guidon et se mit à les suivre. La lumière des feux arrière de leur camionnette était juste assez puissante pour qu’il se repère.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Eh bien, mais... Je m’en doutais. Ils se trompent... Il fallait tourner. Les voilà qui partent tout droit."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Dans ces conditions, il n’avait plus qu’à reprendre sa propre route. À quoi bon tenter de les rattraper pour les remettre dans le droit chemin ? Il les voyait s’éloigner. Le conducteur devait avoir des habitudes citadines avec la boîte de vitesses et l’accélérateur.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Eh ! Seigneur, qu’y puis-je maintenant ? Tant pis pour eux... Pourtant, la ferme de Robert n’est pratiquement qu’à un jet de pierres. Eh ! Mais... ça me ferait même un raccourci, à moi."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> En s’engageant prudemment entre deux buissons de ronces, tenant la lampe dans sa main, contre le guidon, il vit bientôt l’épaisse silhouette maçonnée de la ferme qui attirait tant l’attention des uns pour échapper à celle des autres.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Il y avait de la lumière dans la cuisine, mais on n’en devinait qu’une fine lame de clarté entre les contrevents solidement clos. Sans raison précise, cet éclairage de meurtrière lui inspirait une sorte de crainte. Le curé sentit un frisson courir le long de son dos, comme la caresse d’un fantôme aux mains de glace.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Même pour moi, qui connais bien l’endroit, et depuis longtemps..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Il fut interrompu dans ses pensées par une rumeur inattendue.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "BUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRP !!!"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Le curé, épouvanté, faillit perdre le contrôle de son modeste véhicule, et donner la tête la première contre le premier tronc d’arbre venu... Interdit, incertain, il attendit un instant. Ce n’étaient pourtant pas les cochons, si bien nourris et bien repus soient-ils à une heure aussi avancée de la nuit, qui auraient pu pousser un cri pareil.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Il était bien temps de rentrer. Il avait suffisamment erré dans la nuit.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Décidément, décidément... Ainsi soit-il. Cela ne me dit rien qui vaille."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Dans la cuisine, Robert coupait des quartiers de pommes de terre avec son couteau, avant d’en faire de petits cubes assez réguliers pour les mettre à rissoler dans une énorme poêle, gorgés de graisse de cuisson, avec quelques poignées d’oignons frits déjà délicieusement réduits, brunis et comme frétillants de beurre. Une abondance de lardons était prête à les rejoindre. Leur monticule blanc et rose occupait tout un plat de porcelaine.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "C’est bientôt prêt ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Dans cette voix douce, juvénile et virile, comme confortablement posée dans un registre de baryton grave, pointait une légère touche d’inquiétude accompagnée d’une touche d’impatience. Ainsi, la voix de Quentin pouvait être comparée, en cet instant, à un bouillon riche et onctueux où de petits éclats de croutons dorés surnageaient dans le velouté à la crème.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Encore deux ou trois patates à peler, et j’ajoute les lardons... Tu as fini ton omelette ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Presque, presque... J’avais juste besoin de respirer un peu."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Le fermier entendit un bruit de couverts précipité, en mouvements furtifs et suivi d’une déglutition quelque peu forcée terminée par un claquement de langue. En tournant la tête, il ne vit qu’un grand plat posé sur la table, parmi d’autres grands plats, tous parfaitement nettoyés, encore luisant – pour le dernier d’entre eux, au sommet – de beurre et de fromage fondu.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Quentin réclamait déjà.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Bon ! Alors elle est où, l’omelette suivante ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Je te la prépare après ce plat de pommes de terres sautées."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Et les quiches ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Elles sont au four. Encore une dizaine de minutes."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Et le rôti ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Dans l’autre four. Je vais l’arroser de jus dans un moment."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Et les saucisses, alors ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Dès que je t’aurai servi cette poêlée… Ne me dis pas que tu as faim."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Justement, j’ai faim !" appuya Quentin. "J’ai faim, j’ai faim, j’ai FAIM."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Robert répandit les lardons dans la poêle, en riant.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Bon appétit, mon petit Quentin ! Tu te rends compte que ça te fait déjà la sixième omelette que tu as engloutie, ce soir ? Des omelettes d'une demi-douzaine d'œufs... Après ton premier rôti de porc avec un bon kilo de purée, et deux douzaines de saucisses et quatre boudins... et encore un kilo de purée, sans compter ces deux quiches pour te mettre… en appétit !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Et alors ? Il faut que je mange encore."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Sérieusement, tu as faim ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Toujours. Et puis, même si j’avais pas faim, je veux manger !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Alors mange, mon cochon ! MANGE ! Et régale-toi !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> À peine resservi, Quentin s’était pratiquement jeté sur la nourriture, en se saisissant à pleines mains de ce qu’il allait dévorer. La bouche pleine, sans se retenir, il grognait et se pressait pour avaler encore et encore.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> En tant que fermier, Robert était fier de le trouver toujours aussi vorace, et de le voir se repaître comme un porc.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Quelques minutes plus tard, il découpait un magnifique rôti en tranches bien juteuses, tout juste assez fines pour être tartinées de mayonnaise, qu’il avait pris soin de préparer lui-même et qui remplissait un tonnelet placé à côté de Quentin.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> L’atmosphère de la cuisine embaumait du parfum des quiches et du doux bruissement de la friture dans les poêles : d’autres boudins, et encore des lardons, et encore de la pâte pour faire des pommes dauphines.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Je suis fier de toi. C’est que tu manges bien, ce soir, mon cochon ! Si tu continues comme ça, je te servirai un chapon entier, demain soir, et farci comme tu aimes..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Hmmmph..." Quentin aurait pu s’étouffer de plaisir, à cette idée, mais il n’en perdait pas une bouchée. "Mais le chapon, ça fait grossir ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Oh ! Je pense bien ! Un bon gros poulet bien gras..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Hmmmph ! Hmmmph... J’en veux ! Un vraiment bien gros, et rempli de farce, à en éclater... Avec encore de la farce, à côté, juste pour moi ! C’est jamais très gros, un poulet..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Robert sourit. Quentin s’efforçait de se montrer toujours aussi goinfre. Il mangeait avec efforts, avec précipitation, pour se gaver comme un porc et le plus possible... À chaque bouchée, son estomac gonflait, s’arrondissait et grossissait presque à vue d’œil. Puis, d’un mouvement qui le faisait se trémousser du nombril jusqu’au gosier, il semblait que toute la masse de nourriture contenue dans son estomac se pressait d’un seul coup dans ses intestins. C’était comme une écluse qui s’ouvrait et restaurait un volume appréciable dans son estomac, que le gros garçon se hâtait de combler en avalant de plus belle. Il semblait bien décidé à engloutir sans cesse !</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> En se forçant à s’empiffrer sans retenue, Quentin forçait les mouvements de digestion, qui devaient être assez inconfortables par moments mais qui tendaient la peau de son ventre comme un vrai ballon de baudruche. Il n’y avait aucun moyen de retenir les énormes rots, caverneux et résonnants, qui lui échappaient du plus profond de la gorge.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "BUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRP !!!"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Robert était fier de lui lorsqu’il rotait aussi grassement.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Tu dois commencer à te sentir bien lourd."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Hmmmph... Oui, peut-être... Mais je veux encore manger."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Alors mange !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face="verdana, "sans-serif"" style="color: black;">– "Oink oink !"<span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, Palatino Linotype, Palatino, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div><span face="verdana, "sans-serif"" style="color: black;"><br /></span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Quentin se jetait toujours sur la nourriture que Robert lui servait.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Il s’était bien empâté. Le fermier lui avait interdit de grignoter ces perles au goût de chocolat blanc, qui lui avaient fait prendre beaucoup de ventre en peu de temps, et ce qu’il considérait comme de la "mauvaise graisse"... Obéissant, le jeune homme avait laissé cette nourriture industrielle et plus artificielle, sans trop de regrets, pour savourer pleinement les bons petits plats copieux que son fermier lui préparait à volonté.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Ainsi, en travaillant dur à la ferme et en se régalant matin, midi et soir, il avait bien repris le poids que son fermier voulait lui faire perdre : il avait remplacé sa "mauvaise graisse" par de la " bonne graisse", et celle-ci était déjà beaucoup plus abondante partout dans son corps.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Joufflu comme un porc, le cou élargi et la nuque bien épaissie, Quentin dévorait et soumettait son gosier à rude épreuve.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Déjà fini ? Tiens, voici tes quiches."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Hmmmph..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Et je te découpe le rôti en tranches fines... Ne les trempe pas trop dans la mayonnaise, il faut que je t’en prépare un autre pot."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Oui, j’en veux encore..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Tu vas engraisser."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Oui, je vais engraisser... Je VEUX engraisser !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Alors mange !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face="verdana, "sans-serif"" style="color: black;">– "Avec plaisir... Oink oink !"<span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, Palatino Linotype, Palatino, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div><span face="verdana, "sans-serif"" style="color: black;"><br /></span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Depuis quelques jours, Quentin n’était plus assis sur une chaise mais sur un banc. C’était plus prudent... Rose et blanc, le corps luisant de sueur et un peu bronzé, il était toujours nu lorsqu’il était à table – à son aise.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Robert avait eu l’idée de caler des gros volumes de la vieille encyclopédie familiale, sous les pieds de la table, pour rehausser et rapprocher les plats que Quentin engloutissait : il devait lever les bras et les coudes pour saisir la nourriture, ce qui était plus fatigant, mais il se tenait droit pour manger lorsque son ventre rond et bien rempli aurait repoussé le bord de la table trop loin de lui. Le plateau était presque posé au sommet de son estomac.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> En posant de nouveaux plats sur la table, Robert considéra comment son garçon se tenait assis en s’empiffrant. Il caressa doucement sa poitrine douce et bien arrondie, pressa un peu son flanc bien en chair et vint le soupeser au niveau de son nombril.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Comme tu manges bien, Quentin... C'est très bien. Tu vois, ton ventre prend du ventre !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Il faut que tu le nourrisses aussi, alors ! Je veux un gros ventre rond et bien en chair, et qu’on puisse lui dire qu’il a grossi..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Alors mange."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Je mange..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Encore !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Fais-moi manger. Fais-moi avaler, je me sens un peu fatigué..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Sans se faire prier davantage, le fermier entreprit de nourrir son petit porc à la grande cuillère, jusqu’à ce que le dernier plat soit nettoyé.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "BUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRP !!!"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Robert n’était plus seulement fier de son petit cochon. Quentin, magnifiquement nourri et gavé, était infiniment désirable.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Et voilà ! Enfin un bon gros porc bien rempli, bien lourd..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Oui, oui... bien lourd." Quentin se caressait les flancs, replets à souhait. "J’ai hâte que tu me trouves vraiment... vraiment lourd !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Le jeune homme sourit et jeta un regard, moitié complice, moitié de défi, à son fermier qui n’attendait peut-être que ce moment.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "On fait l’essai ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Oui ? Allez, on essaie ! Bouge un peu de ton banc, mon gros..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Quentin se dandina quelques minutes pour éloigner son banc de la table et se tourner vers son fermier. Il était presque parfaitement rond, comme une boule de pâte juste un peu affaissée. C’était là qu’il l’attendait. C’était un moment qu’ils attendaient tous les deux... Robert se saisit de Quentin, vivement, et le souleva en le prenant à bras le corps jusqu’à le porter en position debout.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Le gros garçon était à bout de souffle.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Allez, un petit effort ! " murmura Quentin, presque en ronronnant. "On va voir si tu y arrives toujours, gros ours !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Robert grognait de plaisir, en pressant les poignées d’amour de son petit cochon, qui s’était rempli la panse aussi copieusement. D’une poigne rude et vigoureuse, il pressa ses flancs abondants puis ses cuissots dodus entre ses bras, et le souleva pendant quelques secondes au-dessus du carrelage de la cuisine.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Quentin pouvait sentir dans l’épaisseur de sa chair, intensément, la force brute de l’homme qui le portait. Il se sentait lourd, vraiment lourd et tout d’une pièce, vraiment comme une énorme boule de pâte, mais le résultat était là : ses pieds avaient quitté le sol, il avait été porté jusqu’à pouvoir regarder son fermier de haut. Juste un moment. C’était suffisant.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Alors ?" demanda Robert, en le retenant doucement.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Pas encore assez lourd !" répondit Quentin en rougissant de plaisir. "Tu vois, quand je te disais que je ne suis pas encore assez gros... pas encore assez gras ! Tu arrives toujours à me porter, comme un sac de patates. Repose-moi et installe-moi sur mon banc. Et à table ! Il faut me nourrir encore, et je veux MANGER !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "On va pouvoir passer aux desserts."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "D’accord... Monte un ou deux pots de confiture de plus qu’hier soir. Et en attendant que les crêpes soient prêtes, le flan est prêt ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Bien sûr. J’en ai mis deux pleins baquets à reposer au frais, ce matin."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Je vais commencer avec ça." sourit Quentin en se tâtant les flancs, qui devenaient toujours plus onctueux et débordaient généreusement lorsqu’il était assis. Ou lorsqu’il faisait quelques pas. Ou lorsqu’il travaillait dans la journée. Ou lorsque le fermier le pinçait gentiment pour mieux le tâter et en apprécier la douceur. "Et n’oublie pas le caramel au beurre salé…"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> On se disputait dans la camionnette.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Malgré les indications qui leur avaient été données, ils s’étaient encore égarés par les chemins de terre, et ils n’avaient retrouvé leurs repères qu’en apercevant les panneaux de signalisation qu’ils avaient dépassé des heures plus tôt.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "C’est pas possible ! On tourne en rond..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Sérieux, on est maudits."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Ceux qui se lamentaient ainsi occupaient la banquette arrière et le coffre ouvert de la camionnette. Il y avait là, tout d’abord et par ordre de taille, Mahmoud, dit Mammouth. Trop grand, trop fort et trop large pour se tenir sur un siège, il était assis à l’avant du coffre et communiquait avec les autres membres de la bande par la petite vitre ouverte sur l’habitacle. Sur la banquette, Sergio – dit "Serre-joint", dit "Serrano" parce que le jambon n’en menait pas large, en sa présence, surtout en tranches fines – était assis avec Victorien – dit "Victo", dit "Vico", dit "Vic", dit "le Viking". On ne savait plus pourquoi. Ils se disputaient sans cesse, à tous propos. C’était à qui suggérerait de tourner à gauche, de tourner à droite, sans que l’un ni l’autre ait aucune visibilité sur la route et ce qui les entourait.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Silencieux, taciturne mais attentif, conduisant la camionnette, Matthieu – dit "Matt", dit "Matin-Calme", dit "Échec-et-Mat", dit "Mat-et-pas-Brillant", dit "Mattéo", dit "Mais-t’es-où" (les gens sont méchants...) – finit par leur signifier une bonne fois pour toutes qu’ils avaient roulé toute la nuit sans accomplir autre chose qu’user leurs pneus et sa patience.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "On est pratiquement revenus à notre point de départ."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Sans déconner ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "J’en suis sûr. Autant rentrer. Demain, on y verra plus clair."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "J’ai noté l’endroit où se trouve la maison, sur la carte."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "L’endroit où se trouve la ferme ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Oui."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "C’est pareil."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "La ferme ou la maison ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "La ferme !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Allez, debout ! Tes petits cochons vont pas s’engraisser tous seuls... et moi non plus ! À table ! À table !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Quentin n’était pas levé, mais il pressait son fermier avec impatience, et avec enthousiasme, dans un long embrassement des plus câlins. Dans ces conditions, Robert était moins pressé de sortir du lit. La nuit avait été plus que mouvementée. Depuis quelques temps, le fermier et son petit cochon préféré avaient découvert tout un jeu de positions que l’engraissement de Quentin rendait non seulement favorable mais remarquablement plaisant, et ils en exploraient toutes les possibilités sensuelles. Ces plaisirs partagés à deux motivaient Quentin à se remplir la panse comme un porc, plus que jamais, pour prendre encore une bonne cinquantaine de kilos !</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Tu m’as bien rassasié mais tu m’as donné FAIM, cette nuit..." murmurait-il, en serrant le fermier très fort et en déposant des baisers sur son cou et sur son épaule. "J’ai faim. J’ai faim. Je veux manger !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "On va s’occuper de ton petit-déjeuner."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Enfin... À table !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Tu arrives à te lever ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Comme hier matin... Aide-moi, il faut que je prenne un peu d’élan."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Le gros garçon était si empâté qu’il lui était plus facile de rouler d’un bord du lit à l’autre, et hors du lit – bien sûr... Pour se lever, même pour poser ses pieds sur le plancher de la chambre, il avait besoin que Robert l’empoigne et le tienne fermement. Sur ce point d’appui, Quentin allait et venait en donnant du mouvement à son ventre, jusqu’à ce qu’il l’entraîne hors du lit en position assise. Pour se lever, il fallait que Robert lui saisisse les deux bras, d’une poigne encore plus forte. D’un mouvement de reins, il se redressait soudain, et il pouvait envisager de faire un pas après l’autre, prudemment. Les lattes du plancher grinçaient, grognaient ou gémissaient sous ses pas, tant il était massif et pesant.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Robert le regardait avancer avec fierté. Il se contentait de dire :</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "C’est bien, Quentin. Tu as engraissé."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;">mais le jeune homme savait ce que ces quelques mots signifiaient pour lui – il était aussi heureux et aussi fier que son fermier en considérant son bel embonpoint, débordant de lard.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Descendre l’escalier était aussi un exercice de patience. Quentin sentait chaque marche ployer doucement sous ses pieds. Il devait être guidé par Robert, qui le tenait alors doucement par la main. Il fallait aussi prendre garde à la rampe de l’escalier, et même aux petits défauts de surface des murs qui frottaient contre ses flancs généreusement rebondis...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Arrivé dans la cuisine, Quentin reprenait une respiration plus confortable. Il était prêt. Il allait s’asseoir et manger, manger... jusqu’à ce qu’il tombe de sommeil – contenté, rassasié, repu et gavé !</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Cependant, Robert examinait un nouveau carreau cassé.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Tiens ! Tes copains nous ont encore laissé un message. On dirait qu'ils ont fini par savoir où te retrouver..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>Gros cochon, sors de ta cachette,</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i> Ou on jouera de la gâchette !</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Elle a toujours autant le sens de la répartie, ta copine !" plaisantait le fermier.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Oui... Et s’ils ont retrouvé la ferme, ils vont revenir pour de bon."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Quentin considérait le bout de papier, froissé et déplié, qu’on avait roulé en boule et attaché à la pierre avant de la lancer sur la vitre. Il connaissait bien cette écriture, et ce que Robert appelait "cet humour de merde" qui piquait au vif. Assis à table, il attendait que le fermier lui serve ses premières assiettes de petit-déjeuner.</div></span><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– "Ça ne te coupe pas l’appétit, au moins, mon cochon ?"</div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– "Au contraire ! Je ne sais pas comment ils ont compris que j’étais caché ici, et que j’avais grossi... Vraiment, ça me dépasse ! Ils tournent en rond, comme des vautours, et ils ne se décident pas encore..."</div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– "Qu’ils se décident à quoi ?"</div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– "À me faire la peau. C’est assez clair..."</div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– "Quoi, parce que tu ne fais plus partie de leur bande ?"</div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– "Euh..."</div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– "C’est plutôt mince, comme raison ! Allez, mange plutôt... Mange ! Tu as besoin de manger pour grossir, et devenir plus épais !"</div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> Le gros garçon ne se fit pas prier. Il se mit aussitôt à manger, en faisant beaucoup de bruit pour mieux satisfaire son appétit. Pendant une heure, il n’y eut plus dans la cuisine que des éclats de friture dans les poêles, des battements de cuillère en bois pour battre les œufs et préparer la pâte, de longs frottements de couteaux pour couper le jambon en tranches et les lardons en cubes, des bouillonnements d’eau chaude dans les casseroles, des soupirs de four dont l’haleine chaude et parfumée annonçait de vastes plateaux couverts de biscuits, de gâteaux, de tartes et de tartelettes...</div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> Par-dessus tout, on entendait Quentin uniquement occupé à se repaître, généreusement, et si empressé que les plats autour de lui se vidaient plus vite qu’ils n’étaient servis !</div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– "Fais-moi encore une omelette aux lardons et aux pommes de terre."</div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– "Encore une ?"</div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– "Oui, s’il te plaît..."</div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– "Tu n’as pas besoin de me dire "s’il te plait"... Tant que tu manges !"</div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– "Hmmmph..."</div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– "Tu veux des champignons aussi, dans l’omelette ?"</div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– "Oui, hmmph... poêlés. Avec de la crème fraîche..."</div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– "D’accord... Mais tu sais que c’est déjà ta huitième omelette ?"</div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– "Hmmmph... pas compté..."</div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– "Tu vas tout finir, mon gros Quentin ?"</div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– "Évidemment... J’ai FAIM ! <span face="verdana, "sans-serif"" style="background-color: #fff9ee;">Oink oink ! Pense à mon ventre...</span>"</div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> Robert n’en demandait pas tant. Pendant une bonne heure encore, son gros garçon ne fit que s’empiffrer, en s'efforçant de se remplir le gosier, jusqu’à ce qu’il se trouve un peu court de souffle au moment d'avaler d’épaisses tranches de brioché aux pommes, avec du cidre et de grands verres de lait.</div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– "BUUUURRRRP... Ooof... BUUUUURRRRRRRP !"</div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– "Tout va bien, mon gros ?"</div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– "Très bien ! Je me régale... J'en veux encore ! Tu en es où, avec mon flan aux œufs ? Et le flan aux pommes ? Tu n’es pas pressé de me gaver, ce matin..."</div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– "Ça vient, ça vient."</div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> Le fermier s’approcha doucement du garçon, qui s’empiffrait avec efforts depuis quelques minutes.</div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– "Allons, allons... Tu as tout le temps. Je vais m’occuper des cochons, ce matin. Et toi, tu te reposeras un peu."</div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– "Me reposer ? Mais... pourquoi ?"</div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><div>– "Tu ne crois pas que tu as suffisamment bien mangé pour ce matin ?"</div><div><div>– "Non..." Quentin hésita un instant, mais il s'obstina. "Je veux manger encore pour prendre beaucoup de poids et un ventre très gros ! Très rond !"</div><div><div>– "Je sais bien."</div><div><div>– "Et si tu es un bon fermier, tu dois bien me nourrir et m'engraisser ! J'en veux encore !"</div><div><div>– "Tu as tout le temps, tu sais. Qu'est-ce que ça te rapportera de vouloir courir après la nourriture, et après les kilos ? Est-ce que tu ne crois pas que tes petits camarades sont bien bêtes de courir après... Eh ! Après quoi ? Ce n'est quand même pas uniquement après toi qu'ils en ont !"</div><div><div>– "Non..."</div><div><br /></div></div></div></div></div><div> Quentin était presque sur le point de bouder. Il ne voulait pas en parler. Il voulait manger et se remplir l'estomac, même s'il se sentait lourd et presque à la limite de l'éclatement !</div><div><br /></div></div><div><div>– "Tu ne m'as pas dit ce que tu avais fait de cette fameuse parure de perles."</div><div><div>– "Si, je t'ai dit. Je m'en suis débarrassé."</div><div><div>– "D'accord. Tout le problème, alors, c'est qu'ils ne le savent pas."</div><div><div>– "Non, enfin... Je ne sais pas. Qu'est-ce que j'en sais, de ce qu'ils en savent ?"</div><div>– "Allez, mon gros... Tu vas remonter dormir et digérer un peu, comme un bon petit cochon qui engraisse. Mais pour commencer, tu vas m’expliquer un peu mieux qui sont tes anciens petits camarades."</div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span>À </span>contrecœur<span>, </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Quentin reposa sa part de brioché dans son assiette et soupira. Il avait des larmes dans les yeux, et le fermier le prit dans ses bras juste à temps pour qu’il reste assis sans trébucher de son petit banc de bois. Pendant un long moment, Quentin sanglota et pleura sur son épaule, mais Robert ne disait rien. Il se contentait de le tenir serré contre lui.</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> En le sentant ainsi désemparé, il se rendit compte qu’il était nu... comme il en avait pris l’habitude, assis dans la cuisine pour se remplir la panse comme un vrai porc... Quentin était nu, obèse et plus gras qu’un lardon, si tendre et si épais – si vulnérable aussi. Robert ne disait rien. Il n’était pas là pour le juger, mais pour le protéger.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Pleurant toujours, blotti contre le fermier – contre son torse de gros ours solidement musclé – le gros garçon se sentait en sécurité.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Qu’est-ce qu’on va faire ?"</div></span><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Tu me confirmes que ce sont toujours le</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">s mêmes types qui te courent après</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">."</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Oui, je reconnais l’écriture de Sylvie, même si ça fait un moment... Quand je pense qu’elle m’avait carrément mis le grappin dessus, et qu’on est restés ensemble pendant plus d’un an. "</div></span><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Je m’en souviens..." Robert grognait, en songeant à la vie passée de son petit cochon. "Dis-moi plutôt à quel genre de petites frappes on a affaire, l’un après l’autre. Je veux m’en faire une idée précise."</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: start;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Le plus baraqué, le plus carré, c'est Mammouth."</div></span><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: start;"></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: start;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Ah, ben ça... Je m'en serais jamais douté."</div></span><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: start;"></div></div><div><br /></div><div> Quentin passa le reste de la matinée à décrire les uns et les autres, dans cette petite bande, toujours blotti dans les bras de son fermier. Après quelques explications sur les points forts et les points faibles de chacun, tels qu'il s'en souvenait, le gros garçon fut pris d'un long bâillement et son estomac se mit à grogner.</div><div><br /></div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: start;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– "C'est pas tout ça, mais mon petit-déjeuner est déjà loin."</div></span><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: start;"></div></div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: start;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– "C'est vrai... Il est pourtant loin d'être midi."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> L'horloge dans la cuisine marquait la demie de dix heures.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: start;"></div></div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: start;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Midi, c'est vite dit. J'ai FAIM. C'est l'heure du déjeuner. Je veux manger jusqu'à ce que j'aie oublié tout ce que je t'ai dit."</div></span><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: start;"></div></div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: start;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– "On va commencer par un bon pot de pâté. Tu vas te faire des tartines, je vais nourrir les cochons et je reviendrai te préparer un bon repas."</div></span><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: start;"></div></div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: start;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Alors je ne m'occupe pas des cochons, aujourd'hui ?"</div></span><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: start;"></div></div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: start;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Juste d'un seul. Tu vas t'engraisser et t'occuper de toi, tout seul et comme un bon gros cochon, bien à l'abri."</div></span><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: start;"></div></div><div><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div> Quentin sourit, et se mit aussitôt à table.</div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Pendant les jours qui suivirent, le gros garçon ne sortit pas de la maison, même pour aller travailler dans la cour. Le fermier s'occupait de tout ce qui se passait dans la ferme, depuis la culture et la cueillette des fruits et des légumes jusqu'à l'engraissement des cochons. Quentin avait reçu des instructions simples : il ne devait rester à l'étage, et ne descendre dans la cuisine qu'à l'heure des repas, lorsque Robert serait là pour s'occuper de lui. Toutes ses activités se limitaient donc à de menus travaux de rangement et quelques réparations. Un garçon aussi lourd que lui s'apercevait tout de suite des meubles qui devaient être renforcés ou des lames de plancher qui devaient être remplacées. Il y travaillait de bon cœur, et il avait entrepris de retirer tous les vieux papiers peints qui tapissaient les pièces du premier étage. Enfin, cela lui laissait beaucoup de temps libre pour se reposer, pour dormir... Il avait demandé à son fermier de revoir son régime en conséquence, pour qu'il ait toujours de quoi manger à portée de main.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Pour bien faire, le fermier avait débarrassé le salon de tous ses meubles, à la fois trop légers et trop encombrants. Sur le vieux tapis élimé, il avait jeté quatre grands matelas. Quentin pouvait s'y prélasser à longueur de journée.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Le gros garçon s'en était vite accommodé. Après avoir travaillé à diverses petites choses dans la maison, il venait s'y allonger pour se repaître puisque Robert l'entourait de vastes mangeoires généreusement remplies de victuailles. Il se servait largement et mangeait toujours de bon appétit, à toute heure du jour...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Ce nouveau régime faisait merveille : en moins d'une semaine, Quentin estimait qu'il avait grossi de plus de dix kilos. Son fermier n'en était pas convaincu mais, en acceptant de le faire sortir en pleine nuit pour le peser, ils purent s'en assurer. Sur la balance, Quentin avait bien pris douze kilos supplémentaires !</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: start;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Deux-cent quatre-vingt quatre kilos, mon gros ! Quel beau cochon !"</div></span><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: start;"></div></div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: start;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Je te l'avais bien dit..."</div></span><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: start;"></div></div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: start;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Je suis fier de toi !"</div></span><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: start;"></div></div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: start;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Et à ce régime, j'attendrai bientôt les trois-cent kilos."</div></span><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: start;"></div></div><div><br /></div></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Quentin s’habituait lentement à cette vie plus clandestine, au quotidien, confortable et paresseuse... Il se sentait toujours un peu coupable, en voyant Robert travailler seul dans la ferme. Ne plus nourrir les cochons lui-même, ne pas les voir se repaître goulûment de toute la nourriture qu’il pourrait leur apporter, cela ne lui plaisait pas non plus. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Les petits porcelets, si dodus et si charmants, avec leurs soies douces, leurs grandes oreilles pelucheuses et leurs groins fureteurs, tous si câlins et si gourmands, avec leurs ventres déjà ronds et qui promettaient de bien s’arrondir, étaient évidemment ce qui lui manquait le plus...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Il aurait voulu passer toutes ses journées avec eux, ou parmi eux. Comme eux. Il passerait volontiers tout son temps les regarder manger, ces bons petits cochons. Il leur montrerait comment il s’empiffrait aussi. Comme il arriverait à les rendre jaloux de son appétit, de ses repas copieux et de son énorme ventre où ils pourraient être pris comme dans un sac ! Comme il en mangerait bien un ou deux, un jour, et en entier !</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Le beau gros garçon voulait au moins profiter de l'occasion et de cette oisiveté temporaire pour s’engraisser le plus possible, et il ne ménageait pas ses efforts pour se remplir l'estomac le plus possible, et le plus souvent possible...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Enfin, lorsqu'il avait nettoyé toutes ses mangeoires et qu'il était bien rassasié, Quentin explorait la bibliothèque de la maison et lisait un vieux livre, pris au hasard. Il y avait beaucoup de fascicules qui avaient dû appartenir aux parents de Robert, ou à ses grands-parents, pendant leurs premières années de scolarité. On y trouvait de vieux manuels d'histoire et de géographie, des contes et des classiques du théâtre français, des ouvrages de mathématiques...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Pour se distraire, lorsqu'il se sentait bien repu et un peu somnolent, Quentin lisait surtout les petites histoires et les pièces de théâtre, qui l'amusaient. Il y en avait qui étaient vraiment ennuyeuses, dont il avait jeté les fascicules. Il y en avait quand même de plus étonnantes, pleines d'expressions savoureuses et drues, qui le faisaient bien rire, même s'il ne comprenait pas toujours tout ce qui s'y passait. Il avait découvert quelques farces de Molière ainsi, et une comédie de Tristan L'Hermite intitulée <i>Le Parasite</i>, qui lui plaisait énormément. Elle s'achevait presque avec le héros, un goinfre des plus sympathiques, s'adressant à son propre ventre, en pensant à son prochain repas :</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i> Boyaux lâches et plats, vous deviendrez rondins ;</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i> Je m’en vais vous remplir comme de vrais boudins</i>.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Quentin s'endormait doucement, gavé à point et les intestins ronronnant d'être aussi bien remplis. Avec un sourire, il pensait au dernier chapelet de boudins noirs qu'il avait englouti avec des pommes caramélisées, poêlés au beurre, et des pommes de terre sautées. Il s'en léchait encore les babines... Il fermait les yeux et tâtait ses flancs arrondis, tendres et bien rebondis. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Robert serait fier de lui. On ne le voyait plus, on ne l'entendait presque plus : depuis qu'il restait enfermé, il faisait un effort pour ne plus roter aussi bruyamment. En attendant de pouvoir sortir, il ne faisait plus que manger et dormir. Il mangeait, dormait et mangeait encore, dès que son fermier avait rempli ses mangeoires ! Bref, il s'engraissait... </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> De son côté, Robert s'était préparé. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Depuis quelques semaines, ses travaux ne se limitaient plus à l'élevage de ses petits cochons. Il avait creusé des tranchées, comme si quelqu'un devait venir installer le téléphone. Et puis, il avait refermé ces tranchées. Il avait travaillé sur des conduites d'eau, le long des murs et dans les communs, mais on aurait été bien en peine de comprendre d'où l'eau serait venue, et par où elle aurait passé. Enfin, il avait passé du temps dans sa remise, avec tous ses outils, ce qui ne lui arrivait pas souvent.</div></span><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> On en avait un p</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">eu parlé, dans le vill</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">age, mais cela n'avait pas duré.</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> On parlait plutôt du prochain mariage du vicomte de Vaux-Éparmont, un jeune homme des plus évaporés avec un nez très court, très camus, mais de grandes et longues oreilles, pour compenser peut-être... La grande nouvelle était qu'il devait épouser une fille du village – pas de la noblesse, même pas de la noblesse de robe mais de bonne famille, tout de même. Elle avait de grands yeux très clairs, une grande et large bouche et de petites quenottes, fines et courtes, qui lui faisaient un sourire presque édenté. Enfin, c'était le parfait mariage de la carpe et du lapin, et tout le canton en parlait. Robert était bien oublié, dans son terrier d'ours. Il ne devait pas s'en trouver plus mal.</div></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Dans ces conditions, Sylvie avait pu se préparer aussi. Elle avait réuni Matthieu, Sergio, Victorien et Mahmoud. Ils étaient armés, le chemin de la Combe à lait n'avait plus de secrets pour eux... si la nuit restait assez claire, et ils avaient pris encore certains équipements que Sylvie leur avait indiqués, dans de grandes malles. Cela encombrait tout l'arrière de la camionnette, mais ils avaient l'habitude de se tenir serrés les uns contre les autres.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div>– "C’est lourd, en plus ! Il y en a pour des kilos et des kilos !"</div></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div>– "Avec des sacs de vingt kilos, tu t'attendais à quoi ? C'est marqué dessus."</div></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div>– "Et ces bidons ? Il y en a pour des litres et des litres aussi..."</div></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div>– "Non mais vous savez pas lire ? Les bidons font dix litres chacun. Il faut vous l'écrire avec des chiffres grands comme la main ?"</div></span><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Ça va, ça va..."</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div><div>– "Pour ce qu'on en disait. N'empêche que c'est lourd à transporter, tout ça."</div><div><div>– "Tout est dans le camion ? Allez, d'ici à ce qu'on arrive, la nuit sera tombée. On y va. Matt, prends le volant."</div><div><br /></div></div></div><div> La petite bande était en route.</div><div><br /></div><div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Qu'est-ce qu'il y a, dans ces grands sacs noirs ?"</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Des petits sacs..."</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Sans déconner ? Et dans les grands bidons, y a des petits bidons ?"</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Non. Les bidons, c'est juste des bidons."</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Et c'est pas du bidon..." ajouta Matt, ironiquement.</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div></div></span></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div></div></span></div><div><div>– "Mais c'est quoi, tous ces sacs et ces bidons ?"</div><div><div>– "C'est ma cousine qui me les a passés. Elle a dans l'idée que ça nous sera utile. Et je crois bien qu'elle a raison."</div><div><div>– "Elle a toujours raison, ta cousine."</div><div>– "C'est toujours elle qui a les bonnes idées," soupirait Mammouth.</div><div>– "Ouais, eh ben ! moi, si ma cousine en avait..."</div><div>– "Si ta cousine en avait, ça serait ton cousin !"</div><div>– "N'empêche que si on avait suivi ses conseils..." conclut Sylvie. "On aurait pas perdu autant de temps ! C'est ce soir qu'on récupère la marchandise, et ça sera pas trop tôt."</div><div><div><div><br /></div><div> Le soir commençait à tomber. Ils roulaient en pleine campagne. La route devenait plus cahotante, pour ne pas dire plus chaotique. </div></div></div></div></div></div><div><br /></div><div><div>– "On arrive bientôt. On se disperse comme convenu, autour de la ferme, et on se dirige ensemble vers le corps de logis. Entendu ?"</div><div><div>– "OK..." soupirèrent les quatre jeunes hommes.</div><div><div>– "Alors tâchez de rester discrets. Et silencieux, surtout."</div></div></div><div><div>– "Et pour communiquer, alors ?"</div><div><div>– "On fait comme on a dit."</div></div></div><div>– "C’est quoi, le signal ?"</div></div></span></div></div></div></div></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Un coup court pour oui, un coup court et un coup long pour non."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Un coup court, un coup long..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Eh ben, quoi ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Si je sais pas si c’est oui ou non, je fais quoi comme coup ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "On ne se posera pas de questions où on aurait à répondre par autre chose que par oui ou par non. C’est évident. C'est entendu, ça aussi ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Mais juste... Par exemple, pour savoir qui est là ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Bon, d’accord. Choisis pour toi. Un coup court ou un coup long ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Coup court ou coucou ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Sylvie avait autre chose à faire qu'à diriger un quatuor d'idiots.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "C’est pas possible d’être à la fois court et long, mais toi t’arrives à être lourd et con !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> La nuit était tombée. Des lueurs rôdaient autour de la ferme.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Sylvie avançait avec précautions, depuis sa position de départ. Les quatre autres devaient être répartis également, et partis chacun selon leurs chemins tracés à l'avance, comme convenu. Elle n'en était pas si certaine... Comme souvent, le plan était bon mais l'exécution laissait à désirer. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div>– "Organiser un vol, avec cette bande de bras cassés..." murmurait-elle. "C'est un peu comme écrire une très bonne recette de cuisine, et se retrouver avec des assistants qui ne savent pas casser un œuf !"</div><div><br /></div><div> En avançant parmi les hautes herbes, elle voyait le corps de logis de la ferme se dessiner dans la nuit, comme un cube parfaitement noir sur un fond bleu sombre. Toute la ferme était silencieuse... La cour n'était pas éclairée. Il n'y avait de lumière que dans la cuisine, que l'on devinait à peine, à travers les fentes des contrevents. La maison était calme mais fermée, vaguement menaçante comme une immense bête ramassée sur elle-même – prête à bondir.</div></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> La grille ne grinçait même pas. Sylvie la poussa doucement, sans y prêter attention. Avec un mouchoir blanc, elle fit signe à Matt de faire entrer la camionnette dans la cour, très lentement, tous feux éteints.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Ils étaient enfin dans la place.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Tout restait silencieux. La nuit n'était plus si claire, mais ils entendaient distinctement les cochons dormir dans leurs enclos.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div>– "Pour peu, on jurerait qu'il n'y a personne."</div><div><div>– "Et dans la cuisine ?"</div><div><div>– "Ben... J'entends pas grand-chose."</div><div><div>– "Tends l'oreille. Ils sont là. Ils doivent être là."</div><div><div>– "Si tu le dis... Moi, je veux bien. J'entends comme... Comme quelqu'un qui mange."</div><div><div>– "C'est exactement ce à quoi je m'attendais !" ricanait Sylvie.</div><div><br /></div></div></div></div><div> D'un angle de la cour, Matt et elle virent apparaître Victorien. D'un autre coin, à l'opposé, ils devinaient déjà la haute silhouette et la forte carrure de Mahmoud. Et d'un dernier point de la basse-cour, ils virent Sergio arriver un peu en retard.</div><div><br /></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div>– "J'ai pas trouvé le loquet pour ouvrir l'enclos. J'ai dû passer par dessus la grille."</div><div><div>– "Bravo..."</div><div><div>– "Ouais ben, en attendant, je me suis déchiré les jeans."</div><div>– "D'accord, ça va bien. Ah ! t’es habile de tes deux doigts... Dommage que t’en aies huit autres comme poids mort pour faire ton compte !"</div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div>– "Mais alors... Ils sont là ou ils sont pas là ?"</div><div><div>– "Ils sont dans la cuisine. Armez, on entre."</div><div><br /></div></div><div> Mahmoud, adepte convaincu – et convaincant – de la méthode douce, enfonça la porte d'un coup d'épaule. Les quatre autres suivirent, pénétrant dans la cuisine comme un seul homme.</div><div> Il y avait bien une abondance de vivres, dans des plats, des assiettes, des bols et des saladiers – mais la pièce était vide.</div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div>– "Eh ben..."</div><div><div>– "Ils sont à l'étage. On y va."</div><div><div>– "Ils nous ont entendu, maintenant."</div><div><div>– "Alors on a plus à s'en soucier. Foncez, et ramenez-moi le gibier !"</div><div><br /></div></div></div></div><div> Sylvie jeta un coup d'œil circulaire dans la cuisine. Toute cette nourriture devait avoir été préparée seulement depuis quelques heures, moins d'une heure même. Il devait y avoir quelqu'un encore, lorsqu'ils avaient commencé leur approche. Elle n'osait pas encore exprimer tout ce qu'elle soupçonnait.</div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Des bruits de chute ou de lutte, des exclamations et des appels retentissaient au premier étage, ce qui la tira immédiatement de ses réflexions.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div>– "Eh bien ! Qu'est-ce que c'est ?"</div><div><div>– "On le tient ! On le tient ! Oh, la belle prise..."</div><div><div>– "Tenez-le serré ! Il est de taille à vous résister, à ce qu'il paraît."</div><div><div>– "Mais de quoi tu parles, Sylvie ? On le connaît bien ! C'est notre petit Quentin. Enfin... quand je dis notre <i>petit </i>Quentin..."</div><div><div>– "Quentin ? Amenez-le moi ! Ici, tout de suite. Dans la cuisine."</div><div><div>– "Euh... Laisse-nous deux minutes, et on arrive."</div><div><div>– "Mais bougez-vous le cul, nom d'une pipe !"</div><div><div>– "Oui ben, pour ce qui de faire bouger un cul..." les entendit-elle maugréer.</div><div><div>– "Qu'est-ce qui se passe ? Et le fermier, où est-il ?"</div><div><div>– "Au dernier étage, peut-être ? On y va..."</div><div><div>– "Soyez prudents, quand même." Sylvie n'était pas rassurée. "Allez, on en tient au moins un. Ça fera venir l'autre..."</div><div><br /></div><div> Elle entendit des pas lourdement sonores et désordonnés dans l'escalier.</div><div> Enfin, Victorien et Matthieu firent entrer Quentin dans la cuisine. Ils n'étaient pas plus fiers pour autant, après avoir pris une proie aussi énorme. Quant à Sylvie, elle ouvrait de grands yeux en découvrant son ancien petit ami, qu'elle s'attendait bien à trouver plus gros et gras, mais certainement pas à ce point.</div><div><br /></div><div><div>– "Quentin ? J'en reviens pas... C'est fou ! Je ne t'aurais jamais reconnu si je t'avais croisé dans la rue."</div><div><div>– "On ne se serait jamais croisés, tu sais."</div><div><br /></div></div></div><div> D'un geste, Sylvie fit signe à Victorien de faire asseoir Quentin sur son banc, et à Matt d'aller chercher l'équipement dans la camionnette.</div><div><br /></div><div><div>– "Tiens, Vic ! De la ficelle de cuisine. Tu vas ficeler ce beau gros poulet comme il faut. Et maintenant, Quentin, à nous deux !"</div><div><div>– "Je t'ai manqué tant que ça ?"</div><div><div>– "On peut dire ça. Tu nous as surtout fait manquer quelque chose. Le coup de notre vie. Le coup qui fait toute la carrière d'une bande. Tu veux savoir ce qui me manque le plus ? Les perles que tu as gardées, on ne sait pas comment. Tu nous en as fait voir, sérieusement ! Et les flics n'y ont vu que du feu !"</div><div><div>– "Les perles ? Quoi, le collier ? La parure ?"</div><div><div>– "Tu vois, quand tu veux ! Tu en as fait quoi ?"</div><div><div>– "Je m'en suis débarrassé."</div><div><div>– "Sans déconner ?"</div><div><div>– "Oui. Je pouvais pas les vendre. Je pouvais rien en faire. Surtout ici, dans cette région paumée au milieu de nulle part... Je ne les ai plus. C'est de l'histoire ancienne."</div></div></div></div></div><div><div>– "Si tu nous les rends pas tout de suite, tu pourras les rejoindre bientôt... dans la rubrique Histoire ancienne !"</div><div><div>– "Bien sûr. Vous êtes venus pour me faire la peau ?"</div><div><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div> Matt revenait avec l'équipement, qu'il entassait contre la table de la cuisine, les appareils mécaniques d'abord, puis les sacs et les bidons. Sylvie eut un sourire un peu étrange, en le voyant s'affairer ainsi. Elle se tourna vers Quentin.</div><div><br /></div><div><div>– "Te faire la peau ? Évidemment, gros malin. Oh, alors ! gros, GROS malin..."</div><div><br /></div></div><div> Elle tournait autour de lui, en le considérant attentivement.</div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div>– "N'empêche que tu vas nous dire deux choses. D'abord, où tu t'es... débarrassé de ces perles. Parce que je ne crois pas un mot de ton histoire, ancienne ou pas ! Tu vas nous raconter ça. Et ensuite, tu vas nous dire où est ton fermier, celui qui t'a si bien nourri, et... vraiment, vraiment bien nourri ! En voilà un, au moins, qui prend son métier à cœur, et qui t'a bien gavé à l'ancienne... Oui, comme histoire ancienne, ça se pose là."</div><div><div><br /></div><div> Mahmoud et Sergio revenaient du dernier étage.</div><div><br /></div><div><div>– "Alors ?"</div><div><div>– "Personne."</div><div><br /></div></div></div><div> Sylvie se tourna vers Quentin.</div><div><br /></div><div>– "Alors, où est-il, ton père dodu ?"</div><div><div>– "Je sais pas..."</div><div><div>– "Et ces perles ?"</div><div><div>– "Je sais plus..."</div><div><div>– "Décidément, tu ne sais pas grand-chose."</div><div><div>– "C'est comme ça."</div><div><div>– "Tu ne veux vraiment pas l'ouvrir ? Qu'à cela ne tienne, mon gros Quentin. Tu ne me feras pas croire que tu n'es pas capable de l'ouvrir, quand il s'agit de bien bouffer. Ah ! pour ça, tu as rattrapé un sacré retard, mais comme tu t'es bien rattrapé !"</div><div><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div> Matt avait fini de déployer le matériel, consciencieux et silencieux. Sylvie éventra un des grands sacs, ouvrit un petit sac, et en tira une poignée de belles perles blanches, qui dégageaient un parfum très fort de chocolat et de caramel.</div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div>– "Je crois que tu connais bien ces perles, mon gros ?"</div><div><br /></div><div> Quentin ne répondit pas, mais sa réaction physique en révélait suffisamment.</div><div><br /></div><div><div>– "Parfait. On va s'occuper de toi, pendant que les autres vont chercher où ton fermier s'est caché. Il doit savoir ou se terrer, puisque c'est son terrier... Sergio, Vic, Mammouth, allez-y et faites le tour. Matt, tu vas m'aider avec les bidons et les sacs."</div><div><br /></div></div><div> Les trois hommes sortirent. La porte défoncée laissait entrer l'air de la nuit dans la cuisine, et Quentin sentit une sueur froide lui couler le long du dos. </div><div><br /></div><div><div>– "Tu ne veux toujours rien dire, Quentin ? On va commencer par te faire avaler quelques bons kilos de ces perles, si nourrissantes... Et comme c'est écrit dans la recette, diluées dans des litres de lait entier chocolaté."</div><div><br /></div></div><div> En un instant, Matt enfonça un tube de caoutchouc solide dans le gosier de leur victime. Il l'enfonça juste assez profondément pour que Quentin ne le rejette pas, d'un violent haut-le-corps. Au sommet de ce tube, il vissa très vite un immense entonnoir avec une vis sans fin. </div><div> Sylvie versa immédiatement le contenu d'un premier sac de perles, et celui du premier bidon à sa portée. Le mélange avait été conçu exprès pour prendre tout de suite... Les perles de chocolat se diluaient dans le lait, onctueux et appétissant. Le mélange pouvait être pressé de force dans le gosier de Quentin, en faisant tourner la vis et en ajoutant des perles ou du lait, de temps en temps.</div><div><br /></div><div><div>– "Voilà... Comme tu voudras, mon gros ! Avant de te faire la peau, on va te faire la graisse ! Tu vas avaler tout ça, bien gentiment, et on va voir si ça ne te rend pas plus bavard."</div><div><br /></div></div><div> Pendant quelques minutes, Sylvie et Matt s'appliquèrent à vider un sac de perles dans l'entonnoir, avec la moitié de leur bidon de lait.</div><div><br /></div><div><div>– "Eh ben !" s'écria Matt. "Quel gros porc ! Il a descendu un sac de cinq kilos d'un coup, et en entier. Je croyais qu'il éclaterait..."</div><div><div>– "C'est qu'il a fait des progrès, notre petit Quentin ! Tu as raison, Matt... Il va falloir y aller carrément ! Heureusement qu'on avait prévu large. Enlève-lui son entonnoir."</div><div><br /></div></div><div> Le visage de Quentin était tout de même très rouge. Il étouffait.</div><div><br /></div><div><div>– "Alors, Quentin ? Qu'est-ce qu'on dit ?"</div><div><div>– "BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRP !!!"</div><div><div>– "Évidemment... Ne joue pas au plus malin avec moi, Quentin ! Matt, l'entonnoir. On lui met cinq kilos de plus, pas de pitié avec ce porc !"</div><div><br /></div></div></div></div><div> Sans hésiter, Matt força de nouveau l'entonnoir dans le gosier de Quentin, qui dut subir le même traitement. Patiemment, Sylvie veillait à ce que son gavage soit le plus efficace et le plus complet possible.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><div>– "C'est bon, n'est-ce pas ? Il paraît que c'est très apprécié par les cochons qu'on met à engraisser... comme toi ! Mais c'était un produit encore un peu nouveau, et ils ont dû arrêter la production, à ce qu'on m'a dit. Les cochons en devenaient trop dépendants, et ça les mettait de mauvaise humeur. Et puis, surtout, ça leur donnait un appétit énorme... énorme ! Et enfin, si j'ai bien compris le souci avec ces perles, c'est que la viande qu'on en tirait n'était pas de première qualité avec cette méthode. Trop de mauvaise graisse."</div><div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Elle tâta le ventre bien rebondi de Quentin.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><div>– "Je vois ça d'ici... Trop de mauvaise graisse ! Ah ! Quand je pense qu'on t'a connu maigre comme une barre à mine. Tu en feras bientôt, une mine ! Allez, Matt. Prépare la troisième dose de cinq kilos. Et s'il ne vide toujours pas son sac, c'est nous qui allons enfin vider le notre... dans son gosier ! Vingt kilos de perles, Quentin ! Tu te rends compte ? Et les litres de lait qui vont avec pour te remplir le bide..."</div><div></div></div><div><br /></div><div> Rien n'y faisait. Quentin se contentait de roter, grassement.</div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Sylvie perdait patience.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><div>– "Et les autres, dehors ? Ils font quoi, à la fin ?"</div><div></div></div><div><div><div>– "Ils enfilent des perles ?"</div><div></div></div><div><div><div>– "Ah ! c'est malin, Matt. Vas-y donc voir. Je commence à trouver qu'ils mettent du temps. Heureusement que la cuisine est éclairée, ils seraient foutus de ne pas revenir sur leurs pas, et ils se perdraient dans l'obscurité !"</div><div></div></div><div><div><div>– "Tu veux que j'y ailles ? Tu peux t'occuper de..."</div><div></div></div><div><div><div>– "Je m'en occupe, t'en fais pas."</div><div></div></div><div><br /></div></div></div></div></div><div> Matt sortit. Sylvie reprenait déjà le gavage, mais en forçant Quentin à avaler une tartelette aux abricots, que le fermier avait dû préparer dans la soirée.</div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "On va te faire bouffer, mon gros ! Et on va te faire bouffer du SALE ! Tu vas tellement avaler que tu vas peut-être bien éclater !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><div>– "Hmmmph..."</div><div></div></div><div><div><div>– "Allez, Quentin. Avale ! Encore quelques kilos de ces bonnes perles, et tu seras bon pour poser en bonne place au rayon Charcuterie..."</div><div></div></div><div><br /></div></div><div> Quentin avalait, avalait, avalait... sans un bruit. Presque sans protester.</div><div> Sylvie voyait bien qu'il était fatigué, tout de même... Il allait bien finir par craquer. S'il avait porté, ne serait-ce qu'un slip, l'élastique aurait craqué depuis un moment !</div><div><br /></div><div>– "Pense à tous ceux qui se plaignent qu'on les laisserait crever la gueule ouverte. Toi, mon gros Quentin, tu vas éclater la bouche pleine !"</div><div><br /></div><div> Matt revenait déjà.</div><div><br /></div><div><div><div>– "Je n'ai aucune idée d'où ils sont."</div><div><div></div></div><div><div><div>– "Tu as essayé de les appeler ?"</div><div></div></div><div><div><div>– "Ils ne répondent pas au signal..."</div><div></div></div><div><div><div>– "Nous voilà bien... Ils l'auront déjà oublié."</div><div></div></div><div><div><div>– "Je ne sais pas si je devrais les appeler. Je veux dire, par leurs noms. C'est tentant, mais c'est quand même déjà pas très discret, ce qu'on fait là..."</div></div></div></div></div></div><div></div></div><div><div><div>– "On est plus à ça près. Laisse tomber le signal. Et puis laisse tomber, tout court. Ils vont revenir, et on a un gros Quentin à gaver. C'est qu'il résiste, l'animal."</div><div></div></div><div><div><div>– "J'ouvre un deuxième sac ?"</div><div></div></div><div><div><div>– "Évidemment ! On a les moyens de lui faire éclater le bide, c'est pas le moment d'hésiter à nous en servir... Alors, mon gros, tu tiens le coup ?"</div><div><br /></div><div> Quentin continuait d'avaler, à chaque nouveau tour de la vis dans l'entonnoir. Ses joues se gonflaient dans un mouvement de déglutition, et il fermait les yeux pour s'engorger plus sûrement. Sylvie en était vaguement écœurée, vaguement inquiète aussi.</div><div><br /></div><div></div></div><div><div><div>– "Tu m'entends, Quentin ? Si tu nous dit pas où les perles sont cachées, et où le fermier se cache... On te fera encore avaler jusqu'à ce que ton ventre éclate ! Ça doit déjà travailler, là-dedans, et gonfler... Ah, ça va pas être propre ! Mais on est pas là pour faire de beaux sentiments, ou de l'esthétique... Tu en dis quoi, Matt ?"</div><div></div></div><div>– "Oh moi, tu sais, lard pour lard..."</div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><div><br /></div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Soudain, une détonation retentit, à l'extérieur.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><div>– "Ah ! Enfin, ils ont dû le trouver ! Tu entends, mon gros ?"</div><div></div></div><div><div><div>– "Hmmmph..."</div><div></div></div><div><div><div>– "On les tient tous les deux ! Matt, dis aux autres de nous l'amener ici. On va se faire plaisir. Si ça se trouve, le fermier est au courant pour les perles... Et si ce petit cochon tient méchamment bien le coup avec ces litres et ces litres de mélange à engraisser les pourceaux, je pense qu'un vieil estomac comme le sien ne tiendra pas le coup !"</div><div></div></div><div><br /></div></div></div><div> Quentin gémissait vaguement. Il était sur le point de s'évanouir.</div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Matt essayait de voir ce qu'il en était, dans la cour.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><div>– "Alors, ils l'ont pris ?"</div><div><div></div></div><div><div><div>– "Ben... Je sais pas."</div><div></div></div><div><div>– "On va pas y passer la nuit non plus !"</div><div><div></div></div><div><div><div>– "Je vais voir..."</div><div><br /></div><div> Matt n'avait peut-être pas envie de rester à proximité de Quentin, s'il devait vraiment éclater d'un moment à l'autre, dans la cuisine...</div><div><br /></div><div></div></div><div><div>– "Qu'est-ce qu'ils font, encore, ce trio d'andouilles ? Ils l'ont tué ou ils nous le ramènent vivant ?"</div></div></div></div></div></div><div>– "T’en fais pas, Sylvie. Il vivra pas longtemps !"</div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Quentin gémissait toujours, en avalant, mais comme s'il protestait face aux menaces qui venaient d'être faites contre Robert. Matt se préparait à sortir, l'arme au poing.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> La lumière s’éteignit.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> La nuit était impénétrablement noire. La lune déclinait déjà derrière la cime des arbres, du côté des bois... Les nuages s'élevaient, chargés de bruine, et mêlaient leurs souffles lents à la brume qui occupait toute la cour de sa masse diffuse, en s’écoulant le long des tuiles des bâtiments.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Tu m'en diras tant !" s’énerva Sylvie. "On y voit rien. Voilà tout... Qu'est-ce qu'on peut faire ? Matt ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><div>– "Je suis là." murmura-t-il, instinctivement.</div><div></div></div><div><div><div>– "C'est quand même un drôle de hasard, si..."</div><div></div></div><div><br /></div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> En sortant dans la cour, elle trébucha soudain sur un obstacle.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> C'était le corps de Victorien. Il avait été blessé par balle, mortellement. Allongé dans l'herbe, il agonisait déjà. Sylvie en fut glacée aussitôt.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><div>– "On est tombés dans un piège... J'aurais dû y penser."</div><div></div></div><div><div><div>– "Comment ça ?" demanda Matt.</div><div></div></div><div><div><div>– "La grille de la cour... Elle ne grinçait même pas. Le fermier a préparé son coup. Il est là... Il doit être là, dans l'ombre."</div><div></div></div><div><div><div>– "On est dans l'ombre, nous aussi. Tout est dans l'ombre... Tu ne vas pas me dire qu'il voit dans la nuit, ce vieux fermier."</div><div></div></div><div><div><div>– "Qu'est-ce que j'en sais ? En attendant, il a tué Victo. Et les autres ?"</div><div></div></div><div><div><div>– "On les appelle ?"</div><div></div></div><div><div><div>– "C'est risqué... Mais on a pas trop le choix. Tu es prêt à tirer ?"</div><div></div></div><div><div><div>– "Et comment !"</div><div></div></div><div><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Ils allaient appeler un de leurs camarades lorsqu'ils entendirent une voix dans la nuit. Elle semblait venir d'un coin de la cour.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "<i>Des cochons, des cochons... Décochons des traits </i>!"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> C'était la voix du fermier. Matt épaula, s'efforça de viser en suivant son instinct, comme il avait entendu cette chanson, potache et ironique, qui se moquait d'eux si cruellement.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Sans hésiter plus longtemps, il tira.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Un gémissement de douleur répondit à son assaut, suivi d'un appel qui les terrifia immédiatement.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Bordel de bande de cons ! C'est moi."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Qui ça, moi ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Sergio... Vous vous croyez dans un western ? Je me suis déjà pris une balle... Et celle-ci... La vache ! C'est la bonne..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Matt et Sylvie entendirent un dernier râle. Sergio était mort.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Mais qui lui a tiré dessus ? Victo ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Attends... Attends..." répétait Matt, pris de panique.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Ils entendirent à nouveau la chanson, qui se moquait d'eux.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "<i>Et des truies, et des truies...</i> <i>Détruisons l’ennemi </i>!"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Matt eut un sursaut furieux.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Prends toujours ça, vieux salaud !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Il tira dans la direction d'où venait la chanson. Cependant, Sylvie avait tenté de le retenir. Ils entendirent encore une plainte – mais sans que personne ne les appelle, cette fois.</div></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Qui c'était ? Un des nôtres ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "J'en ai peur..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Il faut qu'on aille voir."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> En quelques pas, bondissant, ils traversèrent la cour. Leur camarade en était à rendre son dernier soupir. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Mahmoud... Merde !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> La chanson reprenait déjà, exaspérante.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "<i>Ces pourceaux, ces pourceaux...</i>"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Ta gueule !" rugit Matt.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "<i>C’est pour sau... ver... la... pa... trie</i>—hie—euh !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Robert avait chanté ces derniers mots à tue-tête, sur l’air de <i>La Marseillaise</i>. Sa voix résonnait dans la cour humide, avec un éclat métallique un peu lointain. Matt se tournait à droite, à gauche, cherchant une cible. Sylvie s'éloignait déjà de lui.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Matt... Ne t'en fais pas. Ne fais pas l'idiot... On va le trouver..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Elle voyait bien que son compagnon était en train de perdre la tête.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Soudain, et à sa propre surprise, elle entendit une rumeur venant de la cuisine.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "BUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRP !!!"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Matt poussa un hurlement, et tira sur Sylvie sans réfléchir, comme elle se tenait devant la porte de la cuisine. La jeune femme tomba sur le carreau. Elle était seulement blessée, mais son compagnon acheva de tourner dans tous les sens, allant d'un corps à l'autre dans la cour. Lorsque Sylvie essaya de l'appeler, en vain. Il avait déjà pointé le canon de son arme contre sa pomme d'Adam, et il fit feu.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Quel désordre, vraiment... Quelle histoire !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> L'agent Valjean était bien embarrassé. Quatre corps à emmener à la morgue, c'était beaucoup pour commencer sa journée. D'autant plus que Robert ne semblait pas disposé à lui apporter beaucoup d'explications.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Vous ne connaissiez pas ces quatre jeunes gens." </div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Jamais vus."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Et vous n'avez aucune idée de ce qu'ils venaient faire ici."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Aucune. Et, entre nous, on se demande s'ils le savaient eux-mêmes. Quelle idée de venir s’entre-tuer comme ça, chez des gens qu'on ne connaît pas !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Ils ont forcé la porte d'entrée."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Non, celle de la cuisine. Enfin... Je ne sais pas. Ils se sont peut-être battus à coups de poings, avant d'en venir aux armes à feu. Alors, dans la bagarre..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Oui, oui... Enfin, quelle histoire !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Il en pense quoi, votre collègue de la balistique ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Euh... Comme vous, en fait. On vérifiera, mais les trajectoires des balles sont croisées. Les impacts et les angles... Enfin, ce que j'en ai compris, moi... Il a l'air de considérer que ce sont bien les quatre qui se sont entre-tués. Sauf le dernier, qui se serait suicidé..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Ah ! ça aussi, alors ! Quelle idée..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Le suicide ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Oui, si vous voulez. Mais s'inviter chez les gens pour ça, tout de même..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "En effet, on ne peut pas dire que ce soit faire preuve d'un grand savoir-vivre. Enfin, vous ne portez pas plainte ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Pourquoi ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Eh bien, tentative d'effraction."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Bah... J'aurai vite fait de la remplacer, cette porte."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Intrusion sur votre propriété..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Pourquoi pas tapage nocturne, pendant que vous y êtes ? Porter plainte contre qui, de toutes façons ? Ils sont venus, et grâce à vos collègues de la morgue, ils sont repartis et on est pas près de les revoir. Qu'est-ce que vous voulez de plus ? Moi, j'ai du travail qui m'attend."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Les agents avaient terminé leurs investigations dans la maison et dans les environs, sans plus de résultats. Ils se dispersaient déjà, à la façon des étourneaux. L'un d'entre eux semblait s'interroger, pourtant, sur le seuil de la cuisine.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Qu'est-ce que vous avez, comme ça ?" lui demanda le fermier, en rentrant dans la maison. "Vous avez perdu quelque chose qui a roulé par terre ?" </div></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Non, non. Mais vous voyez. Il y a quelque chose qui a coulé par terre, ici."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Quoi donc ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Vous n'avez pas fait attention ? Du sang."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Ah ? Encore ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Oui, on en a trouvé bien assez comme ça dans votre cour. Mais il n'y avait pas de cadavre, ici." </div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Encore heureux. Quatre morts, ça ne vous suffisait pas ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "C'est déjà trop, mais je me demande s'il n'y avait pas un cinquième homme, qui se serait tenu ici."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Et on lui aurait tiré dessus."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "C'est ce que je pense."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Sans le tuer, alors ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Il faudrait que je puisse suivre cette piste, si des gouttes de sang nous mènent quelque part... Ah ! C'est embêtant, avec leurs allées et venues, nos véhicules ont beaucoup roulé par ici. Mais imaginons un instant..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Oh, vous savez... L'imagination et moi, ça fait ni une ni deux, ça fait un sacré bail !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Écoutez-moi, vous allez comprendre. Ces quatre hommes se sont trouvés ici, en pleine nuit, et on ne sait ni d'où ils venaient, ni où ils allaient... s'ils avaient un but après cette rencontre. Pensez-vous qu'ils aient tous fait le chemin à pied ?"</div></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div>– "Pourquoi pas ?"</div><div><div>– "L'un ou l'autre, peut-être, mais quatre ? Ou... cinq ?"</div><div><div>– "Et vous, où voulez-vous en venir ?"</div><div><div>– "Pour être franc, je ne sais pas. Je trouve seulement curieux que ces quatre personnes aient marché si longtemps, sans emprunter le même chemin. S'ils l'ont fait, ces jeunes gens ont-ils commencé à se disputer sur la route ? Et il auraient mis un terme à leur querelle dans votre cour, sans profiter des recoins pour se protéger les uns des autres ? J'avoue que ce n'est pas impossible, mais ça ne me paraît pas très plausible. Et puis, surtout, je reste attaché à ces traces de sang et à ces traces de pneus. Des pneus de camionnette, ou de tracteur léger, n'est-ce pas ? On ne les distingue plus très bien, mais... qui sait ?"</div><div><div>– "Qui sait quoi ?"</div><div><div>– "Je vous le demande..."</div><div><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div><div> Robert ne semblait pas très intéressé par tout ce détricotage, mais il ne mettait aucune mauvaise humeur à discuter avec l'inspecteur. Celui-ci cherchait toujours des traces plus nettes, plus décisives. Il haussa les épaules.</div><div><br /></div><div><div>– "Qui sait, en effet. Je souhaite seulement que le cinquième acteur de ce drame, s'il est toujours vivant, ne cherchera pas à revenir sur les lieux de ces crimes... comme on le prétend si souvent."</div><div><div>– "Allons ! Vous avez un rapport à écrire, vous ne devez pas avoir beaucoup de temps pour les romans."</div><div><div>– "Malheureusement."</div><div><div>– "Chacun son métier. Moi, mes cochons m'attendent."</div><div><br /></div></div></div></div></div><div> Les policiers s'en allaient. L'inspecteur devait rentrer avec eux.</div><div><br /></div><div><div>– "Je vous remercie pour votre coopération."</div><div><div>– "Et moi donc. Vous avez quand même fait le plus gros du nettoyage..."</div><div><br /></div></div></div><div> La journée s'annonçait claire et ensoleillée. L'inspecteur levait les yeux vers le ciel, en posant son chapeau sur la tête, lorsqu'il entendit une rumeur étonnante, venant de la maison ou des corps de ferme.</div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;">– "BUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRP..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div>– "Qu'est-ce que c'était ?"</div><div><div>– "Quoi donc ?"</div><div><div>– "Vous n'avez pas entendu ? Je ne saurais pas comment vous le décrire, mais... Avec votre permission, il m'a semblé entendre comme un rot, mais très long et très profond."</div><div><div>– "Ah, ça ? Eh bien, ce sont mes cochons qui réclament."</div><div><div>– "Vraiment ? Eh bien ! Il réclame drôlement, celui que j'ai entendu."</div><div><div>– "J'ai l'habitude. Que voulez-vous ? Chacun son métier... Moi, ça me connaît. Et il y a des cochons qui ont faim !"</div><div><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Tout le monde était enfin parti. Le fermier ferma la porte de la cuisine, à peu près correctement. Il la remplacerait, mais il y avait plus urgent pour lui. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Enquêteurs à la con... Le petit dernier n'était pas si bête, pourtant. Il a deviné la présence de cette garce de Sylvie, et comme elle est partie avec leur camionnette... C'est à voir. Si elle a succombé à ses blessures, bon. N'en parlons plus. Si elle était juste blessée, il faut peut-être s'attendre à la revoir."</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br style="text-align: justify;" /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Robert ouvrit la porte de la chambre, au dernier étage, qu'il avait réussi à tenir fermée si discrètement pendant que les agents faisaient le tour de toutes les pièces. Il poussa un soupir de soulagement. Quentin s'était retenu de gémir ou de faire le moindre bruit... presque jusqu'au départ du dernier d'entre eux.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Comment tu te sens, ce matin ? Tu as un peu digéré, ou ça cuit toujours ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Robert ? Enfin... Je respire. Mon estomac est un four..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Le malheureux garçon était allongé sur le lit, entièrement nu, avec une grande poche de glaçons posée dans un torchon, au sommet de son estomac qui grognait et gargouillait comme une vieille roue de moulin à eau... Il faisait si chaud dans la chambre qu'une légère vapeur entourait l'énorme ventre de Quentin comme un voile.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Le fermier venait pour le rassurer, le réconforter.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Avec un peu d'hésitation, il pressa doucement les flancs de son gros garçon, à la hauteur des draps. Ils étaient tendres et dodus mais couverts de sueur, et le fermier sentait combien le travail de digestion devait être épuisant.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Un peu de patience, mon gros... Tu vas bien dormir et bien digérer. Lorsque tu te réveilleras, tu te sentiras juste plus lourd et tout ira bien."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div>– "J'ai l'impression que je vais... BUUURRRRP... éclater !"</div><div><div>– "Mais non, mais non. Tu vas grossir, c'est tout."</div><div><div>– "Tu crois ?"</div><div><div>– "Mais oui, mais oui."</div><div><div>– "Tu dis "Mais oui, mais oui", mais tu penses "Mais non, mais non"..."</div><div><div>– "Mais non, mais non."</div><div><br /></div><div> Avec précautions, Robert retira la poche posée sur l'estomac de Quentin, qui ne contenait plus que de l'eau tiède, et la remplaça par une autre poche de glaçons.</div><div><br /></div><div><div>– "Ça va mieux comme ça ?"</div><div>– "Un peu... Mais il fait trop chaud, j'étouffe ici."</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>– "Tu préfères t'allonger au salon ?"</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>– "Oui, j'ai besoin de respirer un peu... BUUUURRRRP !"</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><br /></div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Descendre l'escalier jusqu'au salon, c'était vite dit.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Robert aidait Quentin à chaque pas, pour le mener au premier étage. Le gros garçon tenait son énorme ventre à deux mains et, malgré ses efforts douloureux et patients, il arrivait à peine à poser un pied après l’autre sur les marches. Son estomac grognait toujours, ses intestins gémissaient toujours. La masse de son ventre se balançait doucement et rebondissait contre un mur ou contre un meuble. Il suffoquait toujours, le souffle trop court et tout en sueur.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Allez ! Encore un petit effort, mon gros. C’était la dernière marche... On est bientôt arrivés. Tu vas passer la porte, et tu pourras te coucher, et te reposer..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Tu crois que je passe la porte ? Je me sens tellement... énorme..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Quentin n’avait pas tort. La porte du salon était large, mais les flancs du jeune homme étaient encore plus élargis, après cette nuit de gavage insoutenable. Il faudrait bien des précautions pour qu’il se faufile dans le chambranle de la porte.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Allez, un dernier effort ! Inspire... et retiens ton souffle."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Je peux à peine... BUUUURRRRP... respirer !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>– "Laisse-moi faire, alors."</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><br /></div><div> Doucement, Robert pressa les poignées d'amour et les fesses de Quentin, pour le faire passer dans le salon, au moins à moitié. Plus doucement encore, il se saisit de son ventre au plus large, autour du nombril, en jouant avec la masse onctueuse et grasse, si abondante, pour qu'un bourrelet après l'autre passe le cadre de la porte du salon. Après quelques minutes d'attente, et de nombreux gémissements douillets, Quentin put faire un pas dans la pièce.</div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>– "Je n'en peux plus. Je suis à bout de forces..."</div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>– "Je te crois, mon gros cochon. Tu dois peser au moins trois-cent vingt kilos, avec tout ce qu'ils t'ont forcé à engloutir !"</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>– "Qu'est-ce que je pouvais faire ? Sylvie voulait me faire éclater." Il caressa son estomac avec la poche de glaçons. "Elle ne sera plus là pour le voir, mais mon ventre est une bombe à retardement..."</div><div>– "Mais non, mais non. Ne t’en fais pas. Ça va passer. Tu vas te reposer, tu vas dormir et reprendre ta respiration, et demain matin j’appelle Georges. Ne t’en fais pas, tout ira bien."</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "C’est qui, Georges ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Un copain, le docteur Gélagnac. Crois-moi, c’est le meilleur médecin de toute la région."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Le docteur Gélagnac ? Ses parents l’ont appelé Georges Gélagnac ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Ben... oui. C’est comme ça. En même temps, son père s’appelle Guy, son grand-père s’appelait Gaston, et son parrain Gérard et sa marraine Germaine. Tu vois un peu le tableau. Il y a vraiment des familles qui ont du vice, ou très peu d’imagination..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Le docteur Gélagnac était un modèle de médecin de campagne. Il n'y manquait rien, depuis le gilet pour ranger sa montre et ses lunettes cerclées d'or, jusqu'à la petite barbe grisonnante, le chapeau de paille et la trousse de cuir frappée à ses initiales, offerte par ses parents lorsqu'il avait reçu son diplôme. Il exerçait depuis plus de trente ans dans le canton, et il connaissait tout le monde. Il avait parfois aidé à la naissance des uns, et parfois déclaré le décès des autres. Tout le monde lui faisait confiance. On ne l'appelait que lorsqu'on avait besoin de lui. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Robert l'aimait bien, parce qu'il ne se faisait pas faute de jouer les vétérinaires, à l'occasion. Le docteur Gélagnac vivait avec sa mère, qui gardait quatre chats. Lui-même possédait trois grands chiens. La santé des bêtes lui importait à peu près autant que celle des hommes ou des femmes, et il était de bon conseil pour les fermiers dont une vache n'arriverait pas à vêler toute seule... ou dont les cochons ne montraient pas un appétit suffisant. Et puis, Robert et lui avaient été à la même école communale, sinon dans la même classe, au moins dans la même cour de récréations. Ils se connaissaient bien, et n'avaient pratiquement pas de secrets l'un pour l'autre.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>– "Tu es sûr ?"</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>– "Absolument sûr. Et puis, on ne peut pas te laisser dans cet état..."</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>– "Mais tu ne vas pas lui dire... Tu sais..."</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>– "Quoi, toute la vérité ? Rien que la vérité ? Il trouverait ça drôlement déplacé. On est pas au tribunal. Il est médecin, il ne juge pas."</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>– "On en a vu, des médecins au tribunal... Tout le monde les croit."</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>– "C'est parce que tout le monde s'en méfie ! C'est pas facile de mentir à un docteur. Mais toi, tu restes couché. Et tu ne dis rien."</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>– "D'accord..."</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><br /></div><div> Après une journée de repos et de digestion, trop lente à son goût, Quentin avait dû remonter dans sa petite chambre d'ami et se coucher dans son lit. C'était là qu'il avait dormi, dans un premier temps. Il trouvait le lit si petit, maintenant, et si étroit ! Robert avait disposé les draps et les couvertures comme il avait pu, pour essayer de couvrir décemment le ventre magnifiquement rond de son gros cochon.</div><div> La sonnerie de la porte d'entrée retentit.</div><div><br /></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>– "C'est lui, je vais ouvrir. Et toi..."</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>– "Je reste immobile et je ne dis plus rien, maintenant."</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>– "Oui, maintenant..." Robert reprit la phrase des hypnotiseurs "Dors, je le veux."</div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>– "Je vais te dire, s'il n'y avait que mes paupières qui étaient lourdes..." maugréa Quentin, en fermant les yeux.</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><br /></div><div> Le gros garçon essayait de se détendre, plongeant sa nuque dans les coussins. Il entendait les deux vieux camarades discuter, en bas, et en montant l'escalier.</div><div><br /></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>– "...Et tu dis qu'il est revenu, comme ça ?"</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>– "Comme je te dis."</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>– "Tu me diras, c'est pas trop tôt. J'en avais entendu parler, dans le village, mais on parlait juste d'un beau et grand gaillard. J'aurais dû penser que c'était ton gamin, en effet."</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>– "On a hésité à en parler, au début. Tu comprends."</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>– "Bien sûr, bien sûr."</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>– "De toutes façons, tu ne le reconnaîtras pas."</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>– "Ah ? Tu sais, ça fait peut-être dix ans qu'il est parti, mais je n'ai quand même pas la mémoire si courte."</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>– "Ce n'est pas ça. C'est plutôt qu'il a... enfin, tu vas voir."</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>– "Il a quoi ?"</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>– "Euh... Il a grossi, surtout. Et pas qu'un peu !"</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>– "Ah ? Bah ! On a de l'appétit, à son âge."</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>– "Pour ça, même quand il était gamin, à table, il fallait pas lui en promettre..."</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><br /></div><div> La porte de la chambre s'ouvrit. Le docteur Gélagnac ressemblait exactement au portrait qu'en avait tracé Robert, avec une voix grave et caressante bien faite pour rassurer les patients.</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div> Les yeux fermés, comme s'il dormait profondément, Quentin essayait de se représenter l'attitude du médecin. Pendant quelques secondes, il ne dit rien, puis il eut comme une sorte de rire étouffé, comme si Robert lui avait joué un bon tour.</div><div><br /></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>– "Il a grossi, tu dis ? Ah ! Quand tu fais des blagues, toi, tu ne les fais pas à moitié..."</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>– "Je vois pas ce qu'il y a de drôle là-dedans."</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><br /></div><div> Les draps du lit se soulevèrent légèrement. Le docteur examinait Quentin. Il eut un petit sifflement d'appréciation.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>– "Eh bien ! Eh bien... Pardon, monsieur. En effet, pour du ventre, c'est tout un ventre..."</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>– "Au moins, je ne te fais pas venir pour rien."</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>– "Certes. Mais, dis-moi... Il dort ?"</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>– "Il est rentré hier, il était complètement épuisé. Je ne sais pas où il a été traîner, mais ils ont dû faire une sacrée bringue !"</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>– "Euh, heu... Je ne vois pas où il aurait pu aller. On les connaît, les tavernes des environs. Et pour un jeune gars comme lui, il n'y aurait pas de quoi être à la fête."</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><br /></div><div> Le docteur auscultait attentivement, caressant et pressant la peau du ventre de Quentin, qui s'efforçait de ne pas réagir, en se concentrant sur sa respiration lente et calme.</div></div></div></div></div></div><div><br /></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>– "En tous cas, il est toujours aussi bien bâti, ton petit gars. Il tient de toi, c'est sûr ! Il serait vraiment sain et vigoureux, mais alors..." </div><div><br /></div><div> Soudain, le docteur Gélagnac mit une claque sonore sur les flancs de Quentin, pour voir la réaction des tissus. Et peut-être pour le réveiller.</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><br /></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>– "Mais alors, malheur ! Quel ventre... Ce qu'il peut être GRAS ! On croirait tâter les flancs d'un de tes porcs, et pas les plus à plaindre..."</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>– "Je suis bien d'accord."</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><br /></div><div> Quentin se laissait faire, tout en écoutant attentivement. Le docteur pressa encore un peu son ventre et ses poignées d'amour, et sa poitrine, en remontant doucement jusqu'à son cou et à son visage.</div></div></div><div><br /></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>– "Il était déjà bien dodu lorsqu'il est revenu à la maison ?"</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>– "Euh, heu... Il était loin d'avoir autant d'embonpoint. Vivre tout seul, sans papa-maman, ça leur va bien deux ou trois mois, mais après c'est vache maigre."</div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>– "Il a bien fait de se reprendre, et de passer de vache maigre à... cochon bien gras ! Sérieusement, Robert, ce n'est plus de l'appétit quand on en est rendu à ce point ! Quelle abondance de graisse, ici et là... Et là... Et encore !"</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>– "Oui, il a bien profité..."</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><br /></div><div> Le fermier baissait les yeux, pendant que le docteur s'échauffait. Il avait fait, plus ou moins, le tour du ventre de Quentin. Le gros garçon, qui passait toujours pour assoupi, s'amusait de ces traitements. D'un autre côté, il lui vint l'idée qu'il pourrait peut-être jouer un bon tour, lui aussi, à son fermier...</div></div><div><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Mais quel ventre, bon sang de grillade au feu de bois ! Quel énorme dôme de viande ! Quelle architecture charcutière... Ha ha ! Tu piges ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Euh... quoi ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "<i>Architecture charcutière</i>", répéta le docteur avec un clin d’œil, pendant qu’il ouvrait sa mallette à instruments. "C’est un anagramme. C’est pas mal, hein ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "C’est pas bien malin... Alors, plus sérieusement, tu en penses quoi ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><br /></div><div> Le docteur Gélagnac tâtait doucement les épaules de Quentin, rondes et bien en chair, comme de la pâte. Il en venait à son cou, large et coulé dans les épaules par son double menton. Son attitude changea. Ses mouvements étaient plus courts et plus précis.</div><div><br /></div><div>– "Ah ? Tiens, tiens ! Alors ça, c'est autre chose..."</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>– "Qu'est-ce qu'il y a ?"</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>– "Oh, tu ne vas pas être content, Robert. Le cou de ce garçon est douloureux. Et ses joues sont bien bouffies... Très bouffies, en vérité... Mais sa gorge doit être toute rouge, et son gosier ne doit pas être fier non plus."</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>– "C'est-à-dire ?"</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>– "C'est-à-dire..." Le docteur posa ses mains très doucement sur l'estomac de Quentin, qui ne put s'empêcher de gémir. "Eh ! C'est-à-dire que je me demande bien avec qui il est sorti, en effet ! Je suis convaincu que ton gamin a été gavé."</div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>– "Gavé ?"</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>– "Oui. Comme une oie. Et je ne dis pas ça pour plaisanter. On lui a planté un tube dans le gosier pour l'engorger, de force, peut-être bien avec un entonnoir."</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>– "Sérieux ?"</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>– "Tout ce qu'il y a de plus sérieux. Et ils ont dû y aller comme de vrais sagouins... On se demande ce qu'ils lui ont fait avaler ! Son estomac est encore en train de digérer. Une digestion de quarante-huit heures, c'est relativement normal, mais pas avec l'estomac encore lourd et gonflé à ce point..."</div><div><br /></div><div> Pendant quelques instants, Quentin n'entendit plus rien mais le silence dans la chambre était presque aussi pesant que son estomac.</div><div><br /></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>– "Dis-moi, Robert... On m'a dit que des policiers étaient venus ici, hier matin. Ils ont trouvé de drôles d'œufs de Pâques cachés un peu partout dans ta cour ?"</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>– "Bah... Des œufs cassés, alors."</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>– "Et pendant que ces inconnus venaient faire une omelette chez toi, ton fils se faisait gaver à bloc et remplir l'estomac comme un œuf ? Et un œuf d'autruche alors, nom d'une poule à poil !"</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>– "Moi, je veux bien..."</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>– "Ça en fait, des allers et des venues."</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>– "Je suis bien d'accord."</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div>– "Surtout ici, dans ce que tu as toujours appelé toi-même ton terrier d'ours. En une nuit, tout ce monde qui va et vient..."</div><div><div>– "C'est bien pour ça que je ne souhaite voir personne dans ma cour. Tu vois un peu le résultat."</div><div><br /></div><div> Le docteur Gélagnac sourit.</div><div><br /></div><div><div>– "Admettons. Après tout... Moi, ce qui m'importe, c'est la santé des vivants. On peut boire à la santé des morts, mais c'est pas l'heure de l'apéro."</div><div><div>– "Ça me va."</div><div><div>– "Alors, ton fils ? Soyons un peu raisonnables... Je ne sais pas qui sont ses amis, ses amies, enfin ses fréquentations mais il s'est bien fait entuber, passe-moi l'expression. Je ne sais pas si c'est un nouveau jeu entre jeunes, ou une forme de bizutage qu'on ne connaissait pas à la Faculté, mais il vaut mieux qu'il évite de les revoir, si c'est pour se retrouver gavé comme un canard gras !"</div><div><div>– "Pour ça, je lui ferai la leçon. Ne t'inquiète pas."</div><div><div>– "Et puis... C'est pas tout ça. Quand on le regarde un peu mieux, ton gamin..."</div><div><div>– "Oui ?"</div><div><br /></div><div> Quentin sentait que le fermier, son "père", n'était pas tranquille, malgré son attitude toujours nonchalante et peu causante.</div><div><br /></div><div><div>– "Eh, pour un garçon de ferme, je ne dis pas... Mais il est tout de même obèse, et je n'en ai pas vu beaucoup comme lui. Même le fils du charcutier, que son père traitait comme une poubelle de table et qui éclatait de viande rouge, gras comme un lardon dans une poêle à frire... Excuse-moi de te le dire mais, en comparaison, c'était presque un modèle de petit pâlot souffreteux et rachitique. Il est beaucoup trop gros et grassouillet, ton petit gars."</div><div><br /></div><div> Ce discours du médecin, sous ses dehors moralisateurs et diététiques, faisait sourire le fermier et enchantait son "fils".</div><div><br /></div><div><div>– "Que veux-tu ? La plupart du temps, comme il travaille bien et qu'il aide pour les travaux les plus pénibles, je le traite bien. C'est qu'il a de l'appétit, comme tu t'en souviens..."</div><div><div>– "Bon. Je ne demande pas mieux... Mais tu ne m'avais pas appelé sans raison, et il y a de quoi s'inquiéter quand on trouve ton fils aussi rougeaud et bouffi, et empâté."</div><div><div>– "C'est qu'il aura été gavé n'importe comment. Avec n'importe quoi ! Tu sais qu'avec moi, il ne sera jamais nourri que des bons produits de la ferme."</div><div><div>– "Oui, je te connais. Mais enfin, pour tout ça, je pense que la décision revient à ton gamin. Si ça lui convient comme ça, et tant qu'il travaille comme tu dis, je n'ai pas d'objection."</div><div><div>– "Je verrai tout ça avec lui, lorsqu'il se réveillera."</div><div><div>– "Bien."</div><div><br /></div><div> Quentin remuait lentement, de droite à gauche dans le lit, faisant gigoter la masse de son ventre, si abondante, souple et grasse. Les deux hommes se retournèrent lorsqu'ils l'entendirent gémir, comme en plein sommeil.</div></div></div><div><br /></div><div><div>– "J'ai faim..."</div><div><div><br /></div><div> Le docteur et le fermier s'approchèrent pour mieux l'entendre.</div><div><br /></div><div>– "Papa... J'ai faim. J'ai faim... Papa, s'il te plaît... Donne-moi à manger encore... Encore, encore... J'ai faim..."</div><div><br /></div><div> Robert se préparait à reconduire son ami le docteur.</div><div><br /></div><div><div>– "Voilà. Tu vois comment il est..."</div><div><div>– "Je vois, je vois. Tu peux te féliciter d'avoir un vrai goinfre pour t'accompagner dans tes travaux quotidiens."</div><div><div>– "Qu'est-ce que je dois faire, alors ?"</div><div><div>– "Mais... Ce qu'il dit. Ce gros garçon a faim ? Eh bien ! Qu'il mange, puisqu'il a faim ! Et qu'il mange encore, jusqu'à satiété !"</div><div><div>– "Tu parles d'une ordonnance."</div><div><div>– "Je n'en rédigerai pas souvent d'aussi agréables."</div><div><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Le commissaire Lallouz s’impatientait.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Le rapport qu’il avait sous les yeux se lisait, péniblement, dans sa description de cette nuit tragique : "La lune brillait au milieu d’un azur sans tache, et sa lumière gris de perle descendait sur une cime indéterminée des forêts. Aucun bruit ne se faisait entendre, hors je ne sais quelle harmonie lointaine qui régnait dans la profondeur des bois : on eût dit que l’âme de la solitude soupirait dans toute l’étendue..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Quel charabia... Nom de Dieu ! Moreau ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> L’inspecteur Moreau, un jeune homme à la mine éveillée, entra dans le bureau de son officier supérieur et salua sobrement.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Eh bien ! Moreau, qu’est-ce que c’est que ce rapport ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Ce sont les premières conclusions de mon enquête, après avoir procédé à une rapide reconstitution des faits."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Ah oui, ces quatre jeunes gens qu’on a retrouvés dans la cour de... Chez qui était-ce déjà ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Mais... chez Robert, monsieur le commissaire. Tout le village ne parle que de cet incident, depuis deux jours."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Chez Robert... Robert ? Oh ! Oh, mais..." Le commissaire réfléchissait. "C’est qu’il m’a promis d’apporter deux cochons sur pied, pour le mariage de ma nièce, et il doit s’occuper de tout sur place."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Commissaire ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Ma nièce, vous savez bien. La fille à ma sœur, quoi ! Elle doit épouser le vicomte de Vaux, de la famille des Vaux-Éparmont. C'est pour dans un mois... Toute une affaire, la grosse galette. Enfin, ma sœur me tanne le cuir avec ça depuis assez longtemps. Qu’est-ce que vous lui voulez enfin, à Robert ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Euh... Rien de particulier, mais ces quatre morts suspectes, dans sa cour, en pleine nuit... Les collègues et moi, on n’est pas sûrs."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Bon, ça fait désordre, bien sûr. Mais enfin, si j’ai bien compris, ces quatre types-là faisaient partie d’une bande ? Ils sortaient tout juste de prison ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Oui."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Eh bien ! C’est un règlement de compte, et voilà tout."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Mais pourquoi se seraient-ils retrouvés tous les quatre, dans cet endroit perdu ? Même les agents du service médico-légal ont eu du mal à trouver leur chemin..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "En voilà une raison ! Sans le savoir, vous êtes tombé juste ! Un endroit tout-à-fait à l’écart, c’est parfait pour un rendez-vous et une embuscade."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Tout de même... En pleine cour de ferme..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Ils se sont peut-être réunis en rase campagne, et ils se sont rabattus par là lorsqu’ils ont commencé à se tirer dessus, voilà tout ! Est-ce qu’on choisit où on va se faire tuer, Moreau ? Et est-ce qu’on peut empêcher que des inconnus viennent s'entre-tuer sous vos fenêtres ? Hein ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Peut-être..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Mais j’en suis sûr ! Et aussi, qu’est-ce que c’est que cette description des événements ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Ah, ça ? C’est mon collègue qui était un peu à court. Il a cru bien faire en recopiant un passage d’<i>Atala</i>, qu’on lui avait fait apprendre à l’école."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "<i>Atala </i>? Qu’est-ce que c’est que ça, <i>Atala </i>?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Un roman, je crois. De Chateaubriand."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Ah ? bon. Enfin, ça n’a rien à foutre dans un rapport d’enquête. Vous le direz à vos collègues, inspecteur Moreau."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Bien, commissaire Lalloux."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Lallouz ! On prononce le Zed. Vous l’oubliez tout le temps..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Je tâcherai de m’en souvenir, commissaire."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Vous ferez bien, foi de Lallouz ! Et puis, n’en parlons plus... Ou plutôt, parlons-en mais une bonne fois pour toutes : n’allez pas emmerder Robert pour une sordide histoire de règlement de compte comme ça." Le commissaire pensait tout haut. "Ah non ! Je n’ai pas envie que ma sœur me tombe encore dessus parce qu’il ne serait pas disponible avant le mariage. Et ma nièce épousera son vicomte, foi de Vaux !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> L’inspecteur Moreau hésitait à sortir du bureau.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Il y a autre chose ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "C’est-à-dire que... Oui. Vous savez que Robert vit seul, dans sa grande ferme isolée."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Bien sûr, je le sais. Tout le monde sait ça ! Un ours comme lui..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "C’est que, justement... Il n’était pas seul, lorsque nous avons procédé à notre petite enquête."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Ah, inspecteur Moreau, il faudrait s’entendre ! Il vit seul ou il ne vit pas seul ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Il vivait seul. Mais il ne vit plus seul."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Vraiment, vous avez l’art de compliquer tout ce que vous prenez en mains. Je ne vous confierais pas plutôt un tournevis que vous m’en feriez un tire-bouchon ! Qu’est-ce que c’est encore que cette histoire ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Robert aurait recueilli un jeune homme chez lui."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Depuis longtemps ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Euh... Quelques mois, en effet."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Bon. Et alors ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Nous aurions souhaité l’interroger."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Vous ne l’avez pas fait ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "C’est que... Non, Robert ne nous a pas laissé le voir."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Pourquoi ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Il nous a dit qu’il était malade."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Bon. C’était peut-être vrai. Vous auriez l’air malin, maintenant, si vous étiez revenus avec la scarlatine ! On en aurait fait des blagues sur tout le service, dans tout le canton ! Ah, ces flics ! Même pas foutus d’attraper un rhume... Si vous croyez que j’ai besoin de ça !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "En effet, commissaire Lallouz. Je suis bien de votre avis, mais..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div>– "Mais quoi ? Vous en avez, des méthodes... Toujours à vous empêtrer, soit-disant pour démêler le vrai du faux, le frais du veau... Alors ?"</div><div><div>– "C'est que..."</div><div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Quoi ? Personne ne l’a vu, ce jeune homme ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Euh... Si. Quelques personnes du village, de temps en temps... Assez rarement... Le docteur Gélagnac est passé le voir, hier matin."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Le docteur ? Eh bien ! Et vous vous demandiez s’il était malade ? Vous êtes un fameux enquêteur, Moreau !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "J’aurais juste souhaité en savoir un peu plus."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Pourquoi donc ? Maintenant que vous m’y faites penser, Robert avait bien besoin d’un assistant, pour tout le travail qui l’attend chaque jour, à la ferme. Il ne rajeunit pas non plus, le gaillard !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Le docteur Gélagnac aurait déclaré au village que c’était son fils, et qu’il était de retour."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Ah ? En effet, c’est plus étonnant. Il y avait longtemps qu’il avait claqué la porte derrière lui, celui-là. Enfin, si je comprends bien, il n’y a aucun mystère dans tout ça. Je comprends bien que Robert ait accueilli son fils à bras ouverts. Vous qui avez des lettres, ça vous dit quelque chose, le retour de l’enfant prodigue... Comme quoi, ça existe encore !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "<i>Un malheureux enfant aux ours abandonné</i>..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Un quoi ? Aux quoi ? Mais enfin, qu’est-ce que vous me chantez encore, Moreau ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Le jeune inspecteur rougit.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "C’est dans Racine. <i>Athalie</i>..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Athalie ?..." répétait-il en ouvrant de grands yeux. "<u>Na</u>thalie ! Qu’est-ce que c’est encore, <i>Athalie </i>? C’est même pas un prénom..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "C’est la dernière tragédie de Racine, commissaire."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Ho, ho ! En voilà assez. Vous avez bien des loisirs pour vous tenir au courant des derniers spectacles à la mode... Est-ce que j’ai le temps pour tout ça, moi, avec les invitations à envoyer pour le mariage de ma nièce ? Et pour commencer, ou pour en finir, inspecteur Moreau, retenez bien une chose. De tout ce que vous m’avez présenté comme éléments ou indices propres à faire avancer notre enquête, j’aurai trois mots à vous dire : Je. M’en. Fous ! Est-ce que c’est assez clair comme ça, même pour vous ? Je me fous de vos considérations sur les victimes, sur leur passé en tôle, leur présent dans le tiroir et leur avenir en boîte ! Je me fous de vos soupçons concernant les lieux de l’incident, et sur Robert qui est un honnête homme, et un ami... enfin, quand il veut bien... et un fermier qui vous en apprendrait d’autrement plus raides, avec une seule main ! Allez donc lui demander de vous donner des cours de français, vous aurez une bonne leçon ! Enfin moi, je m’en fous. Je me fous de savoir que Robert et son fils ont fini de se tirer la gueule. Et je me fous de vos rapports rédigés en français d’opéra-comique. Et <i>Athalie </i>et <i>Atala</i>, et patati et patata... Non mais, vraiment ! Je. M’en. Fous. Que ce soit bien clair entre nous !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">"<i>Je me fous de Racine et de Chateaubriand</i>"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">entonna-t-il, presque en le chantant. "Voilà. Tout ça, votre rapport, et vos conclusions, et vos confusions de temps, de noms et de lieux, je m’en fous comme vous n’en avez pas le moindre commencement d’idée. Même pas le moindre soupçon. Je m’en fous d’une force, mais d’une puissance..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> L’inspecteur Moreau, rouge comme un carton en pleine finale de la coupe du monde de football, n’attendait que la fin de l’orage pour pouvoir sortir.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Enfin, d’un mouvement de tête échangé d’officier supérieur à subalterne, il sortit du bureau du commissaire, en ayant soin de refermer sans bruit la porte derrière lui – porte où était peint en lettres capitales "C. Lallouz".</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Il hésita seulement un instant. Le commissaire, en classant toute l’affaire d’un coup de tampon, n’avait pas encore fini d’aboyer après lui.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Et je me fous de vos dilemmes, Moreau !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><br /></div><div> Depuis le début de la journée, Quentin ne faisait que manger. Il serait bientôt midi, et il venait de finir sa dernière crêpe, en nettoyant son assiette de tout le beurre et le miel qui la recouvraient. Il n'attendait que les premières quiches et le rôti de porc pour commencer son repas de midi. Il poussa un long soupir.</div><div> Confortablement assis contre les coussins, sur ses matelas, sa digestion n'était plus aussi bruyante et encombrée. L'énorme quantité de perles et de lait qu'il avait été forcé d'ingurgiter avait enfin été assimilée. Son appétit était toujours incontrôlable.</div><div> Quentin avait été pesé, à jeun avant son petit-déjeuner. Sans surprise, ce gavage lui avait fait prendre du poids. Beaucoup de poids.</div><div><br /></div><div>– "Trois-cent soixante-huit kilos !" avait annoncé Robert.</div></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Fier de son poids, et fier de sa force lorsqu'il portait des charges dans la cour ou lorsqu'il coupait du bois, Quentin travaillait surtout en fin de journée ou en début de matinée, avant de s'asseoir et de se repaître jusqu'à ne plus pouvoir bouger...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Le gros garçon travaillait essentiellement à s'engraisser. Il était plus vorace que jamais. Son "père" le fermier – puisque tout le monde le considérait ainsi, comme la nouvelle avait fait le tour du canton depuis la visite du docteur Gélagnac – Robert était aussi fier de lui, de le voir bien travailler, se reposer, se poser et bien manger... comme un porc !</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div>– "Tu as toujours aussi bon appétit !"</div><div><div>– "Mieux que ça. J'ai toujours FAIM. Il faut que tu me nourrisses vraiment plus, et vraiment lourd..."</div><div><div>– "Voyez-vous ça. Je ne te laisse quand même pas mourir de faim !"</div><div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face="verdana, "sans-serif"" style="color: black;">– "Oink oink !"<o:p></o:p></span></div></div><div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face="verdana, "sans-serif"" style="color: black;">– "Allez, ça vient !"<span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, Palatino Linotype, Palatino, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div></div><div><span face="verdana, "sans-serif"" style="color: black;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="verdana, "sans-serif"" style="color: black;"> Le gros garçon le suivait en se dandinant, tout luisant de sueur.</span></div><div><span face="verdana, "sans-serif"" style="color: black;"><br /></span></div><div><div>– "Robert... J'aurais une faveur à te demander..."</div><div><div>– "Tiens ? Tu veux encore plus de crème sur tes rognons poêlés aux champignons ? Tu sais, si j'en mets autant que tu en réclames, ça sera plus des rognons à la crème, mais de la crème avec des morceaux de rognons dedans..."</div><div><div>– "C'est pas ça... Tu sais, quand Sylvie est partie ?"</div><div><div>– "Oui ?"</div><div><div>– "Elle a laissé tout en plan, dans la cuisine."</div><div><div>– "L'entonnoir et tout le reste ? Oui, j'ai juste eu le temps de mettre le tout au débarras, pour que les flics ne se doutent de rien... Pourquoi ?"</div><div><br /></div><div> Quentin plongea ses regards dans ceux de son fermier.</div><div><br /></div><div><div>– "Elle a laissé les sacs de perles, et les bidons de lait... non ?"</div><div><div>– "Euh, oui, je crois... Tu ne vas pas me dire que tu veux en manger !"</div><div><div>– "Je ne sais pas si je veux, mais j'en ai envie... Et j'en ai besoin."</div><div><div>– "Besoin, comment ?"</div><div><div>– "Je veux qu'on puisse effacer ce moment où Sylvie m'a retrouvé. Je veux... Oui, je veux que tu me gaves de perles, mieux qu'elle l'a fait ! Et à l'entonnoir."</div><div><div>– "Tu y tiens vraiment ?"</div><div><br /></div><div> Le gros garçon secouait la tête, bien décidé.</div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div> Il était si joufflu et si séduisant que le fermier ne pouvait pas refuser ce petit service à son porcelet le plus gros et le plus gras...</div><div> Soir après soir, ils se débarrassèrent ainsi de tous les sacs et de tous les bidons de perles au chocolat, dont Quentin se montrait toujours si friand. Après en avoir avalé cinq kilos, noyés dans cinq ou six litres de lait, le gros garçon était si repu qu'il en rugissait de satiété :</div><div><br /></div><div><div>– "BUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRP !"</div><div><br /></div><div> Au bout d'un mois de ce régime, soutenu par un abondance toujours plus grande de "bons petits plats" que Robert préparait avec amour, pour satisfaire l'appétit si vorace de son beau gros cochon, Quentin s'estimait satisfait. Il avait pris une sorte de revanche sur Sylvie et sa bande... et il avait magnifiquement engraissé !</div><div><br /></div><div><div>– "On fait l’essai ?"</div><div>– "Oh ? C'est ambitieux, dis-donc. Allez, on essaie ! Bouge un peu de ton matelas, mon gros..."</div><div><br /></div><div> Quentin se dandinait, pendant que son fermier l'aidait à se lever. Il était presque parfaitement rond, plus large que rond et comme une boule de pâte débordant un peu au niveau du nombril. Robert se saisit de Quentin, vivement, et tenta de le soulever en le prenant à bras le corps jusqu’à le porter en position debout.</div><div> Le gros garçon était déjà à bout de souffle.</div><div><br /></div><div>– "Allez, un petit effort ! " murmura Quentin, presque en ronronnant. "J'ai bien grossi, mais on va voir si tu y arrives toujours... gros ours !"</div><div><br /></div><div> Robert empoigna les flancs de Quentin, mais ils étaient trop larges. Il devait se baisser pour le soulever, ce qui n'était pas commode... Le fermier transpirait à grosses gouttes, et sa prise n'était pas assez assurée sur le corps lisse et onctueux de cet énorme cochon, engraissé à point.</div><div><br /></div></div><div><div>– "Tu es peut-être enfin assez gros et gras, mon petit Quentin."</div></div><div><div><div>– "Mais j'ai encore faim... Je suis un tout petit porcelet."</div></div><div><div><div>– "On va te mettre sur la balance !" proposa Robert en riant. "On verra bien où il en est, ce petit porcelet tout efflanqué..."</div><div><br /></div><div> Sur la balance, et devant les cochons qui l'observaient depuis leur soue, leurs petits yeux noirs comme agrandis d'admiration, Quentin posa prudemment un pied après l'autre et se tint debout en équilibre, calmement.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><div><div>– "Eh bien ! Quand je te disais que tu étais bien assez GROS..." riait le fermier.</div></div><div><div><div>– "Comment ça ?"</div></div><div><div><div>– "Quatre-cent kilos, mon petit porcelet... bien gras !"</div></div><div><div><div>– "Quatre-cent ?"</div></div><div><div><div>– "Presque. Trois-cent quatre-vingt dix-sept kilos. Et des grammes..."</div></div><div><div><div>– "Ah non, alors ! Non, je ne suis pas d'accord ! Quatre-cent kilos, ce n'est pas... Comme tu as dit. "Presque", ce n'est pas le compte... Il me manque plus de deux kilos. Je suis trop maigre de deux kilos ! C'est pas étonnant que j'aie toujours autant faim !"</div></div><div><div><div>– "On va remédier à ça. Tu ne vas pas tarder à les prendre, ces deux petits kilos."</div></div><div><div><div>– "J'espère bien !" protestait Quentin, en se tâtant les flancs. "Tu imagines un peu ce que diraient les gens ? Que le fermier, qui s'occupe si bien de ses cochons, laisse son fils tout maigre avoir faim à longueur de journée..."</div></div><div><br /></div><div> Cette nuit, Robert prit sa revanche à sa manière, sur les matelas, dans toutes les positions qui leur étaient si favorables maintenant. Quentin vint se blottir contre lui pour s'endormir, tout tendre et dodu.</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><div>– "Je ne laisserai jamais personne dire que tu ne prends pas bien soin de moi..."</div></div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><div><div><br /></div><div> Parfois, des moments de digestion un peu plus lourde que d'habitude empêchaient Quentin de dormir. Il n'hésitait pas à réveiller Robert. </div><div><br /></div><div><div><div>– "Qu'est-ce qu'il y a ? Tu as mal au ventre ?"</div></div><div>– "Non, je digère... J'engraisse..."</div><div>– "Alors, quoi ?"</div><div>– "Je me demandais... C'est vrai, ce qu'on dit, qu'une bonne méthode pour se débarrasser d'un cadavre, c'est de les donner à manger à des cochons ?"</div><div>– "On dit ça ?"</div><div>– "Oui. J'entendais des gars le dire, en prison. Et dans des bouquins... Il paraît que ça bouffe absolument tout, les cochons."</div><div>– "C'est pas une raison pour leur faire bouffer nos morts..."</div><div>– "Mais c'est vrai ?"</div><div>– "J'en sais rien. Il paraît, mais ceux qui prétendent que c'est une bonne méthode sont des perdreaux d'un sacré calibre. C'est complètement con."</div><div>– "Pourquoi ?"</div><div>– "Mais parce que les cochons se contentent de tout bouffer. Ils ne font pas tout disparaître. On retrouve toujours un bout de mâchoire, avec des dents comme-ci et comme-ça, ou des anneaux de mariage, tout ce que tu veux... On en fait des épisodes d'enquêtes policières, tu parles d'une recette. C'est idiot. Et puis, c'est suspect. Regarde un peu... Si j'avais donné tes quatre copains à bouffer à mes cochons, qu'est-ce qu'on m'aurait collé comme enquête ! Alors que là, comme ça, on m'a laissé tranquille... Et toi aussi."</div><div><br /></div><div> Robert caressait le ventre sensuellement rebondi de son petit porc.</div><div><br /></div><div>– "Comment tu as fait pour te débarrasser d'eux ?"</div><div>– "J'étais planqué à la cave. Personne ne sait où se trouve l'entrée, elle est bien cachée. C'est mon oncle qui avait trouvé cette planque, et ça lui a bien servi. Et à moi aussi."</div><div>– "Et ils se sont entre-tués tout seuls ?"</div><div>– "Oui et non... J'avais trouvé comment projeter ma voix à un endroit ou à un autre, pour qu'ils tirent dans tous les sens. Alors je les ai fatigué, d'abord. Et je les ai rendu nerveux. Et puis, j'ai compris où ils étaient situés, comment ils se faisaient face sans se voir et j'en ai joué, comme avec des pions. "</div><div>– "Quelle histoire..."</div><div>– "C'est ce qu'en disent les flics. Les cadavres ont été identifiés. La version du règlement de compte au sein d'une bande a été validée. Ils pensent même que celui qui s'est enfui, pour finir... c'est toi."</div><div>– "Moi ?"</div><div>– "Eh ! oui... Quentin, le dernier membre de la bande."</div><div>– "Mais... la police me cherche, alors ?"</div><div>– "La police, la police... Ils en cherchent bien d'autres ! Si ça se trouve, sans nouvelles de ta part, ils vont déclarer que tu as succombé à tes blessures. Enfin, personne ne te cherchera plus ici, chez moi. On en est débarrassés."</div><div>– "Il faudrait qu'on se débarrasse du reste..."</div><div>– "Quoi, le reste ? Tu as tout bouffé, mon gros. Il n'en reste plus rien. Tu as fini par avaler près de soixante kilos de ces perles pour t'engraisser ! Je dois quand même reconnaître qu'elles sont efficaces !"</div><div><br /></div><div> Quentin embrassa le fermier plus fermement, de ses bras souples, musclés et potelés. Il souriait.</div><div><br /></div><div>– "Comme quoi, tu vois qu'on peut se débarrasser des preuves, avec un bon cochon comme moi."</div><div>– "Ha ha ! Pour ça, oui. C'est que ça boufferait n'importe quoi, ces petits cochons mal élevés..."</div><div><br /></div><div> Le fermier pressait les poignées d'amour, bien dodues et rondelettes de Quentin. Le gros garçon en riait, plus chatouilleux que jamais.</div><div><br /></div><div>– "Oui ! C'est que ça fait bien engraisser, toutes ces perles avec tout ce bon lait. Ta panse a pris du ventre, et ton lard a fait du gras... Mauvaise graine, va ! Avec toute cette mauvaise graisse !"</div><div><br /></div><div> Les deux hommes reprenaient leur lutte, sous une forme des plus sensuelles.</div><div><br /></div><div>– "Je pensais à d'autres perles... dont je voudrais me débarrasser."</div><div>– "Quoi ? Celles de la bijouterie ?"</div><div>– "Oui... Je ne l'ai dit à personne, mais si tu montes dans ma chambre... Je veux dire, celle où j'ai dormi au début, les premières nuits, là où le docteur m'a examiné..."</div><div>– "Oui ?"</div><div>– "Dans la colonne, le long du montant à droite de la tête de lit... Si tu enlèves la figure qui est au sommet, celle qui ferme le tube, tu trouveras le bout d'un torchon qui dépasse un peu. J'y ai caché le collier de perles."</div><div><br /></div><div> Le fermier se releva, sortit du salon et monta jusque dans la chambre.</div><div> Après quelques minutes, il revenait en tenant entre ses mains un long et somptueux collier de perles de différentes grosseurs.</div><div><br /></div><div>– "Mauvaise graine, mauvaise graine..." répétait-il en souriant. "Je m'en vais te la faire transpirer, ta mauvaise graisse ! Demain matin, je te mets au régime. Tu vas manger tellement d'omelettes, tellement de quiches, tellement de rôtis avec des pâtes, et du chapon bien gras, et du ragoût avec des pommes de terre poêlées, et tant et tant de bonnes choses que tu pèseras bientôt quatre cent-vingt kilos, en bonne pâte..."</div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;">■ ■ ■</div><div><div><br /></div></div><div> Trois mois plus tard, Quentin avait la satisfaction de féliciter son fermier pour ses promesses parfaitement tenues.</div><div><br /></div><div>– "Quatre cent-vingt-deux kilos ! Es-tu content, mon gros porc ?"</div><div>– "Oh, oui ! Et je suis fier d'être ton gros porc... Même tes plus beaux porcelets ne sont pas aussi gras et replets que moi !"</div><div>– "Ne dis pas ça, j'espère qu'un ou deux d'entre eux pourra nous rapporter un ruban aujourd'hui..."</div><div><br /></div><div> Sur le chemin de la foire agricole, Quentin somnolait. Il était encore assez repu après son petit-déjeuner. Ses joues rondes et roses comme des pêches reposaient sur ses épaules, comme il était confortablement calé à l'arrière, avec six beaux porcelets tous plus beaux les uns que les autres, souples, sains et bien en chair. </div><div> Robert n'ambitionnait pas de décrocher le ruban bleu. Son enclos se tenait assez modestement, dans un angle du parc des expositions. Il avait retrouvé de vieilles connaissances. Certains faisaient partie du jury.</div><div><br /></div><div>– "Et c'est votre fils, ce beau et grand gaillard ?"</div><div>– "Eh oui ! Comme vous voyez."</div><div>– "Dame ! Il fait plus envie que pitié... Ah, ça ! Il fait plaisir à voir."</div><div><br /></div><div> Quentin se trouvait entouré de compliments... et de gens qui lui offraient de goûter à leurs brioches, à leurs pâtés, à leurs fromages, à leurs tourtes ou à leurs pâtisseries. Avant midi, le beau gros garçon se trouvait à nouveau repu et gavé !</div><div><br /></div><div>– "Je ne pensais pas que Robert était aussi populaire, dans ces foires..."</div><div><br /></div><div> Il y avait beaucoup de monde, et Quentin se sentait un peu mal à l'aise. Il était si grand qu'on ne pouvait pas l'ignorer – et si obèse que beaucoup de gens en murmuraient, parfois en le pointant du doigt discrètement.</div><div> L'heure de la remise des prix approchait. Quentin essayait de tromper son ennui en se promenant un peu dans les allées. Malheureusement pour lui, à chaque pas, on lui proposait une tranche de saucisson, une tartine de foie gras ou un verre de vin blanc. Il ne se permettait jamais de refuser, mais il ne put retenir aussi un rot des plus sonores, en pleine foule.</div><div><br /></div><div>– "BUUUUUUURRRRRP..."</div><div><br /></div><div> Rougissant, il s'éloigna un peu des grands passages.</div><div> En bordure du parc, il vit une silhouette qui lui rappelait quelque chose. C'était une jeune femme qu'il avait déjà rencontrée. Il se demandait s'il ne l'avait pas rencontrée ici même. </div><div><br /></div><div>– "Alors, ça... J'en aurai le cœur net."</div><div><br /></div><div> Il s'approcha d'elle et, à sa grande surprise, elle ne se retira pas en le voyant.</div><div><br /></div><div>– "Bonjour, Quentin."</div><div>– "Bonjour... Mais... On se connaît ?"</div><div>– "On se connaît assez bien... Je t'ai appelé Quentin, non ?"</div><div>– "Oui. C'est vrai."</div><div><br /></div><div> Ce fut lui qui eut un mouvement de recul, et elle qui le retint.</div><div><br /></div><div>– "T'en fais pas. Je ne suis pas là pour te faire du tort. C'est fini, tout ça."</div><div>– "Qu'est-ce que tu fais ici, alors ?"</div><div>– "Justement, je te cherchais. Je pensais qu'on pourrait se croiser ici."</div><div>– "D'accord..."</div><div>– "On s'est rencontrés ici, exactement. Je m'occupais de produits industriels pour l'alimentation des animaux en élevages... On a sympathisé, et tu es repartis avec des perles que tu dois bien connaître."</div><div>– "Oh..."</div><div>– "À en juger par ton poids, tu as dû en faire une consommation assez... étendue."</div><div><div>– "C'est Sylvie qui t'envoie ?"</div><div><br /></div><div> Elle eut un petit rire, plaisant et frais.</div><div><br /></div><div>– "Si on veut... On pourrait plutôt dire que c'est moi qui l'ai envoyée."</div><div>– "Comment ça ?"</div><div>– "On est cousines, Sylvie et moi. On dirigeait la bande ensemble. Enfin... Je lui donnais des idées, je suggérais des plans d'actions, je lui signalais des occasions."</div><div>– "Comme le braquage d'une bijouterie ?"</div><div>– "Oui... Ou le fait que j'avais retrouvé un ancien complice, par le plus grand des hasards. Et comme le hasard fait bien les choses..."</div><div>– "Vous auriez dû en rester là. Les autres sont morts."</div><div>– "Je sais. C'est triste. On ne sera pas nombreux à les regretter, mais c'est triste."</div><div>– "Et Sylvie ?"</div><div>– "Elle va bien. Elle est revenue chez moi, complètement paniquée, terrorisée. On a attendu de voir comment tournerait l'enquête... Il a drôlement bien manœuvré avec tout le monde, ton fermier."</div><div>– "C'est vrai. Il est drôlement fort."</div><div>– "Enfin, on a aussi appris que les perles avaient été retrouvées. On n'aurait pas dû te harceler comme ça. On ne va pas tomber dans les bras l'un de l'autre mais bon... Pour Sylvie et moi, c'est sans rancune."</div><div><div>– "Ça me va. Sans rancune."</div><div><br /></div><div> Il s'éloignait. Une rumeur s'élevait autour de l'enclos de Robert, alors qu'il n'était pas là... On annonçait, depuis quelques minutes, les prix remis au meilleur pâté de campane, à l'eau de vie de poire la plus savoureuse, aux meilleurs saucissons de diverses catégories, au verrat périgourdin le plus appétissant, à la plus belle truie avec son cochon de lait, à la meilleure tourte, à la meilleure chair à saucisse, à la liqueur de châtaignes la plus piquante...</div><div> Quentin s'apprêtait à rejoindre ces groupes, festifs et bruyants. Il se retourna juste à temps pour lui dire :</div><div><br /></div><div></div></div><div>– "Mais maintenant, foutez-nous la paix !"</div><div><br /></div></div><div> La cousine de Sylvie lui fit un signe de tête qui signifiait que tout était oublié.</div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Quelle tête de cochon, Quentin !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "La tête... et le reste !" répondit-il fièrement, en tâtant son ventre, que son T-shirt et sa salopette enveloppaient de très près.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><div>– "Je crois qu'ils t'appellent."</div><div></div></div><div><div><div>– "Moi ?"</div><div></div></div><div><div><div>– "C'était pas ton nom qu'on vient d'entendre ? Allez, amuse-toi dans ta nouvelle vie, mon gros ! Qui vivra... verrat !"</div><div></div></div><div><br /></div><div> Le président du jury venait, en effet, d'appeler Quentin au milieu de tout le monde pour lui remettre un grand ruban bleu, orné de lettres dorées, que son assistante accrocha au premier bouton de sa salopette.</div><div> Son discours n'était heureusement pas fini.</div><div><br /></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div>– "Pour cette édition de notre grand concours, nous avons décidé de faire une exception et de saluer un éleveur qui fait honneur à toute la profession... C'est beau de voir un père et son fils partager la passion de l'élevage porcin dans sa grande tradition ! C'est beau de voir ces porcelets, si sains et si soyeux, si dodus et si appétissants. Mais c'est encore plus beau de voir un père et son fils se réconcilier, après des années de brouille, autour de cette belle tradition professionnelle, et cela fait plaisir de voir un jeune éleveur si épanoui, si souriant, si..."</div><div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><div>– "Obèse ?" suggéra Quentin.</div><div></div></div><div><div><div>– "Si bien portant !" accentua le président. "Et c'est avec joie que nous saluons tous, à l'unanimité, les efforts de notre ami Robert qui participe depuis des années à toutes nos foires agricoles."</div><div><div></div></div><div><br /></div><div> Quentin, photographié sous tous les angles, souriait en rougissant. Il sentit sur son épaule la main de son fermier. Robert l'embrassa comme un père, pour la galerie... Puis, sans prévenir, il l'empoigna des deux mains, fermement, au niveau de la ceinture, et le souleva jusqu'à ce que le gros garçon puisse s'asseoir sur ses épaules ! </div><div> Il y eut toute une nouvelle vague de flashes des photographes. Les applaudissements redoublèrent, avec des cris d'admiration dans tout le hall d'exposition...</div><div></div></div><div> Après quelques minutes, où les deux hommes saluèrent la foule en tournant sur place lentement, Robert reposa son gros garçon devant lui. Quentin était tout ému, et tout tremblant.</div><div><br /></div><div><div><div>– "Mais comment ? Tu arrives à me soulever comme ça, alors que je pèse plus de quatre cent-vingt kilos... Et avec tout ce que j'ai mangé ce matin, au petit-déjeuner... Et tout ce dont j'ai été gavé, depuis qu'on est arrivés ici ?"</div><div></div></div><div><div><div>– "C'est les poignées, avec ta salopette... Ça aide."</div><div></div></div><div><br /></div><div> Les deux hommes échangèrent un regard complice, que personne autour d'eux ne pouvait comprendre. Ils étaient, l'un et l'autre, grands, forts et lourds – chacun à sa manière. Quentin se sentait fier d'être aussi gros et gras, et bien pesant, mais il se sentait fier aussi en voyant que son fermier était toujours capable de le soulever.</div><div><br /></div><div>– "Une ceinture avec des poignées. Il faudra qu'on y pense, quand on sera juste tous les deux..."</div><div><div></div></div><div>– "Tu es content d'avoir remporté un ruban bleu ? C'est le premier qu'on accorde à un de mes petits cochons."</div></div></div></div></div> <div style="text-align: justify;">– "Et c'est pour moi que tu le remportes ? Alors oui, je suis content... Et je suis fier." Quentin soupesait, tâtait et caressait son ventre en longs mouvements circulaires et sensuels, avant de murmurer <span face="verdana, "sans-serif"" style="background-color: #fff9ee;">"Oink oink..."</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span face="verdana, "sans-serif"" style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Le jury avait fini de décerner des prix. Tout le monde se dispersait. Il était temps de rentrer.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Quentin eut une idée, soudain.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Attends-moi. J'en ai pour cinq minutes."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> En quelques pas, pressé, presque bondissant malgré sa corpulence bien porcine, Quentin retrouva la cousine de Sylvie qui était restée par curiosité, pour le voir porté en triomphe de toute sa masse, radieux et rondouillard.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Attends..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Qu'est-ce qu'il y a ? Je croyais qu'on devait te foutre la paix, à partir de maintenant."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Oui. Juste une question, avant... Et si tu ne sais pas, on en parle plus."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Dis toujours."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Les produits que tu vendais, les perles... et tout ça... Tu as gardé le contact de ceux qui les produisaient ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Euh... Oui, je dois avoir ça quelque part." Elle fouilla dans son sac à main, et en tira deux cartes de visite. "Mais tu sais qu'ils n'en produisent plus. Il m'en restait deux-trois sacs, et les bidons, que j'ai passés à Sylvie pour... Tu te souviens..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Oui."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Je ne sais plus quelles autorisations ils n'ont pas pu obtenir, mais la production est arrêtée. Les résultats ne devaient pas être à la hauteur de leurs espérances. Des ultralibéraux, évidemment... On se demande bien où ils peuvent se les mettre, leurs espérances !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Mais s'il leur en reste, des stocks... Des sacs, des bidons... Tout ça..." Quentin pensait tout haut. "Tu penses qu'ils seraient d'accord pour que... Enfin, pour que je les débarrasse de tout ça ?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> La jeune femme sourit, en minaudant. Elle mit elle-même les cartes de visite dans la poche de Quentin, à côté de son grand ruban bleu.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Oh, qui sait ? Moi, je dirais qu'ils ne demanderont pas mieux... Mais penses-y, mon gros Quentin, on parle de déchets industriels. Ça ne se compte pas en kilos, même quand on parle de les... revaloriser. Ça veut dire des centaines de kilos de perles. Peut-être des tonnes !"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– "Et alors ? On prendra le temps pour ça."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div>– "Eh bien ! Pour le coup, je voudrais bien voir ça. Même en prenant tout ton temps, tu penses pouvoir venir à bout de tonnes et de tonnes de perles comme ça, si... nourrissantes ?"</div><div><br /></div><div> Quentin échangea un dernier sourire avec elle, en donnant de petites tapes sur son énorme ventre, rond et rebondi à souhait. Son estomac en grognait déjà.</div><div><br /></div><div><div>– "Oh, tu sais... C'est pas pour moi. C'est pour mes petits cochons..."</div></div></div></span></div></div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify; text-indent: 28.5333px;"></span><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5094005257601699515.post-69581133872686479112019-12-29T12:01:00.021-08:002023-07-30T09:23:59.352-07:00Suite à la française : "Des perles aux cochons" (deuxième partie)<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 83.5pt center 8.0cm; text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">II.<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0cm 106.2pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 21.4pt;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">"– "Mais, comme te voilà beau, comme te voilà gras, comme te voilà
fleuri !" continuait d’Artagnan infatigable à détailler les changements que
la bonne fortune avait apportés chez l’ancien affamé."<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">Alexandre DUMAS<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Vingt ans après</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Robert se
levait toujours avant l’aube. La grande aiguille de son réveille-matin marquait
presque la demie de cinq heures. C’était exceptionnel. Se lever à six heures,
pour un fermier comme lui, cela revenait pratiquement à faire la grasse
matinée...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Son travail de la journée réclamait qu’il
veille tout de suite à ce que les animaux de sa ferme soient bien rassasiés,
bien nourris – et bien disposés à être nourris encore davantage, les jours
suivants. Robert voulait que ses cochons montrent un bel appétit à toute heure.
Ils seraient d’autant mieux disposés à se remplir le ventre, de jour en jour,
pour devenir plus gros et gras, parfaitement bien en chairs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Allez, debout ! Les cochons vont pas s’engraisser tous
seuls..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>En se tournant d’un mouvement brusque dans
son lit, avant de se lever, Robert ne pensait pas seulement à la centaine de
beaux cochons bien ronds et roses qu’il gardait dans les bâtiments autour du
corps de ferme qui les dominait de ses trois étages, mais à un jeune et beau
cochon, bien dodu et joliment bronzé – pas encore assez rond à son goût mais
qui promettait de rattraper son retard dès que possible.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Contrairement à son attente, il ne le trouva
pas à portée de main. En se levant, Robert s’aperçut que Quentin n’était plus à
côté de lui dans le lit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Il n’est quand même pas
retourné dormir dans sa chambre..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>En effet, la chambre était vide où le jeune
vagabond avait dormi pendant plusieurs semaines – jusqu’à cette soirée que
Robert ne devait plus jamais oublier, où il avait accepté de s’occuper de lui
comme du plus important de ses cochons. Le lit n’était même pas défait.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Il est
descendu pour le petit-déjeuner ?" Robert descendit l’escalier en
grommelant. "Il aurait pu me réveiller, on aurait pas perdu de temps."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>La porte de la cuisine était entr’ouverte, et
le fermier sentit un vague courant d’air caresser son visage. La cuisine et
toutes les pièces de sa maison avaient pourtant été bien fermées pour la nuit,
comme chaque soir – portes, fenêtres et contrevents.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Quentin ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Robert n’obtint pas de réponse, mais le jeune
homme était bien là. Il le trouva ainsi, le dos tourné, assis sur sa chaise
près de la table et un peu replié sur lui-même. Quentin était entièrement nu, bien
sûr, ce qui fit grogner le fermier doucement.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Eh ben ! Qu’est-ce que tu fais là,
tout seul ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Rien..." répondit Quentin, d’une
voix pâle. "Rien..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>En posant sa main sur son épaule, Robert
comprit pourquoi il lui avait semblé presque roulé en boule, inconfortablement
assis sur sa chaise. Le jeune homme tenait un moulin à café entre ses mains –
le vieux moulin à café en bois, cubique, avec ses deux quarts-de-coquille de
cuivre, son mécanisme un peu rudimentaire et la poignée de porcelaine au
sommet, son axe qui grinçait toujours un peu en broyant les grains de café, son
tiroir en bas. C’était une pièce de musée – ou de bric-à-brac pour un
vide-grenier – mais Robert s’en était toujours servi, et il s’en servait
encore. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Qu’est-ce que tu fais avec ça ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Quentin ne répondait toujours pas. Il
semblait perdu dans sa rêverie. Le fermier se demanda si le garçon n’était pas
descendu depuis un moment. Il ne devait pas avoir beaucoup dormi.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "C’est drôle, quand on y pense..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Quand on pense à quoi ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "C’est
drôle comme on s’attache à des trucs... Ce moulin à café, je l’ai toujours
trouvé ridicule. Avant que je te voie l’utiliser, je croyais même pas que ça
pouvait servir à quelque chose. Je trouvais ça juste... moche. C’est vrai, ça
ressemble tellement à rien. C’est tellement une antiquité qu’on croirait que
c’est une technologie extra-terrestre. Mais je me suis tellement habitué à le
voir... je crois que ça me manquerait presque, maintenant."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Ben... ça fait le café."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Robert le saisit par les épaules.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Mais
qu’est-ce que t’as, ce matin ? Et puis, pourquoi t’es descendu à la
cuisine sans me réveiller ? Et puis..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Un nouveau souffle d’air lui
caressait la barbe. C’est alors qu’il vit qu’un des carreaux était cassé, dans
la fenêtre donnant sur la route. Les contre-volets aussi semblaient avoir été
forcés. Le fermier pouvait être sûr qu’ils étaient fermés avant l’heure du
souper.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Aha...
C’est donc ça. Tu as entendu un bruit, cette nuit ? Tu as vu ceux qui
m’ont cassé ce carreau ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Euh...
non. Je sais plus. Attends... J’ai dû les entendre... C’est pour ça que je suis
descendu."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "En voilà une histoire. Et ça, c’est
quoi ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Robert venait de voir le papier enroulé
autour du caillou, sur la table. Il s’en saisit d’un geste autrement plus vif
que celui de Quentin, à peine esquissé, pour l’en empêcher.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Le jeune homme entendit un
grognement bas, presque menaçant.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Qu’est-ce que ça veut dire ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Ça veut dire qu’il faut que je parte. Le
plus vite possible."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cette réponse de Quentin tomba dans le plus
grand silence. Robert était tellement surpris qu’il ne voulait même plus
grogner comme un ours – sa réponse habituelle à tout ce que Quentin pouvait
dire, proposer ou faire et qu’il n’approuvait pas entièrement. Du reste, ce que
le fermier approuvait tenait sur une liste en trois points : travailler du
matin au soir, dormir du soir au matin, manger en abondance matin, midi et
soir...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Malgré les menaces vaguement proférées dans
le message qu’il froissait entre ses poings, malgré toutes les raisons les plus
sensées qu’on pourrait lui présenter, l’idée de laisser Quentin repartir dans
l’inconnu lui était insupportable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cette possibilité que le jeune homme s’en
aille sur la route et le laisse seul, Robert n’avait même pas osé l’envisager.
Depuis quelques temps, il tournait autour, d’assez loin, comme on hésite à
s’approcher d’une bête enragée, qu’il faut abattre et dont on ne sait par quel
bout la prendre... En avait-il assez fait le tour, et considéré tous les
aspects de la question dans toute son horreur ! – c’était plutôt un
gouffre qu’une bête, un puits sans fond qui le dévisageait. S’il se penchait
imprudemment sur cet abîme, cela signifierait pour lui la solitude et le regret
de ce parfait compagnon dont il ne pouvait déjà plus se passer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Le fermier jeta le papier froissé. Il était
troublé, mais il tenait à n’en rien laisser paraître.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Explique-moi d’abord ce que c’est, ce
message."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Le jeune homme soupira. Il ne semblait pas
disposé à s’expliquer, mais il ne semblait pas disposé à partir tout de suite non
plus, malgré ce qu’il venait de dire. Le fermier se retint de soupirer. Cette
hésitation n’avait rien d’étonnant : il connaissait assez bien Quentin
pour cela – il s’agissait d’en profiter, plutôt.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Et puis
d’abord, tu nous mets en retard. Tu aurais dû prendre ton petit-déjeuner depuis
une heure, au moins ! Tu vas te rattraper tout de suite. Et j’attends
toujours tes explications."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>En quelques minutes, la table de la cuisine
fut couverte d’assiettes, avec des crêpes généreusement beurrées et sucrées,
couvertes de confiture et de crème fraîche ou noyées dans le miel – déjà,
Robert battait les œufs et faisait sauter assez de pommes de terre et de
champignons pour servir une omelette assez imposante pour occuper encore
Quentin pendant un bon moment. Le plateau de fromages s’imposait devant le
jeune homme, tant par le choix que par le volume des parts qu’il tartinerait
sur son pain. Le fermier n’hésita pas un instant à sortir directement le gâteau
basque aux cerises qu’il avait réservé pour le repas du soir – et il se
préparait à descendre au cellier pour lui servir encore un grand saladier de
fruits au sirop avec de la crème fraîche arrosée d’eau de vie.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Il serait toujours temps pour mettre quelques
saucisses à griller ensuite, et faire rissoler quelques oignons pour
accompagner une purée onctueuse, grassement allongée avec le reste de crème
fraîche.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Allez, mange ! Et dis-moi
tout !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Quentin ne se faisait jamais
prier lorsqu’il s’agissait de manger : il avait mal dormi, et il avait
faim. Au bout de quelques minutes, les hautes tours de crêpes ruisselantes de
beurre n’étaient plus qu’un souvenir, la masse des fromages fondait comme neige
au soleil – la première omelette était plus qu’à moitié entamée, la deuxième avait
si peu d’illusions sur le sort qui l’attendait que le crépitement de l’huile
dans la poêle semblait avertir les œufs, les pommes de terre et le fromage qui
l’entouraient.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>En un mot, le jeune homme dévorait
avec une telle hâte et un tel appétit qu’il semblait n’avoir rien eu à se
mettre sous la dent pendant des mois et des mois – comme s’il avait plutôt
hiberné que dormi.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Robert n’était pas tout à fait
dupe. Quentin mangeait vite et bien, mais il se pressait plutôt pour rester le
plus longtemps possible la bouche pleine et ne pas avoir à raconter une
histoire qui devait lui peser...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>C’était oublier combien le fermier
pouvait se montrer patient. En posant la troisième omelette sur la table, il
devait se retenir de sourire comme le jeune homme qu’il servait avec insistance
montrait les premiers signes de lassitude et de satiété. Toujours la bouche
pleine, et le rouge aux joues à force d’avaler, d’engloutir et d’avaler encore,
Quentin était obligé de se tenir plus droit : son estomac bien rebondi
grognait de contentement et frottait doucement le bord de la table. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Robert ne
perdait pas de vue non plus que la chaise sur laquelle il était assis
gémissait au moins autant que son ventre – et que les flancs du garçon, dont la
courbe s’arrondissait avec attendrissement, débordaient de chaque côté sur ses
cuisses, bien en chairs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Il lui donna une tape sur
l’épaule, pour le réveiller de sa torpeur.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Allez, mange ! Mange ! Mais
dis-moi un peu !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Hmmmph... Je t’ai dit que... lorsque je
suis venu ici... enfin, avant de venir... j’avais fait des conneries. Pas mal
de conneries... En fait..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Ouais, tu as fait de la tôle. On va pas
revenir là-dessus. C’est passé."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Robert n’attendait plus un instant
pour resservir Quentin, qui ne dévorait plus à toute allure. Il s’attendait
bien à l’avoir à l’usure. Le pauvre garçon était plus que rassasié, un peu
éméché après avoir bu toute une bouteille d’eau de vie avec ses fruits au sirop
– à bout de souffle et en nage dans l’atmosphère de friture, de rôtisserie et
de confiserie qui imprégnait la cuisine... Il n’opposerait plus aucune
résistance. L’heure de l’interrogatoire pouvait sonner.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Allez Quentin... Qu’est-ce que tu as bien
pu faire de si grave ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Le garçon laissa d’abord échapper,
en manière de préambule, un long rot vibrant et plus grave encore qu’un brame.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "BUUUUUURRRRRRRP..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">■ ■ ■<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Six ans plus tôt – Quentin était un
adolescent comme tant d’autres, déjà grandi et aminci comme un brin d’herbe.
Ses premières aventures, ses premiers exploits sexuels, loin de le rendre
adulte, en faisaient plutôt un éternel enfant, innocent au point de se rendre
coupable sans s’apercevoir de la faute qu’il avait pu commettre.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sans
le sou, un peu vagabond, maigre et affamé comme un jeune loup, il pouvait se
croire un prédateur tapi dans l’ombre – lorsqu’il n’était qu’une proie facile
pour de faux amis, plus prédateurs que lui. Surtout, il était un instrument on
ne peut plus pratique pour servir les intérêts de ces faux amis – et plus
encore de ses fausses amies... <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Par
un mélange confus de rencontres faites par hasard, d’amitiés de passage, de
hasards préparés aussi parfois, Quentin avait fini par faire partie d’une bande
d’amis qui était aussi, bien malgré lui, une bande de malfaiteurs – sans aucune
envergure, du reste. Il n’avait participé à aucun des vols qu’organisait sa
copine d’alors, Sylvie. Tout au plus était-il surpris de voir que ses copains, Matthieu (dit "Matt"), Victorien (dit "Victo"), Sergio et Mahmoud (dit "Mammouth", le grand costaud, le violoncelle du quintette) payaient parfois en liquide avec de gros billets, ou portaient des montres de luxe – toutes sortes d’indices enfin qui auraient dû lui mettre la puce à l’oreille, mais Sylvie se jouait si bien de lui qu’il en était venu à les suivre. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sous
prétexte de les attendre un moment au coin d’une rue, comme si les trois autres
garçons étaient seulement partis pisser, il faisait le guet. Il n’y montrait
aucun talent, du reste, puisque leurs véritables intentions lui
échappaient. Enfin, après une sortie un peu trop risquée, le groupe avait
fini par lui révéler toute l’ampleur de leurs activités – en exagérant le plus
possible l’importance de son rôle lors de chaque vol, et sa complicité dans
toutes leurs opérations. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Peut-être Quentin, dans sa candeur, avait-il suggéré que leur groupe des
cinq ne montrait aucune ambition dans leurs vols et leur dégradation de biens
publics – en somme, ils ne faisaient que débuter dans la carrière.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Peut-être ses "amis" avaient-ils déjà
prévu de donner un caractère autrement profitable et criminel à leurs actes – ou peut-être
rougirent-ils, secrètement, de se trouver si petits joueurs, si peu menaçants
qu’ils n’avaient jamais été poursuivis ni même inquiétés par la police. En se
faisant ainsi énoncer leurs quatre vérités par celui qu’ils considéraient comme
la cinquième roue du carrosse, peut-être demandèrent-ils à Quentin ce qu’ils
pourraient faire comme </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">"</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">grande action d'éclat</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">"</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">– ce qui permettrait de le </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">"</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">mouiller</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">"</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> à fond, en cas
d’orage – ou lui suggérèrent-ils, plus habilement, un plan préparé à l’avance
dont ils le créditeraient ensuite – dans le même but, assurément...</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Et c’était quoi, cette action
d’éclat ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Quentin reprit son souffle, entre deux bouchées de flan aux pommes que
Robert lui faisait avaler – sans douceur, en tenant une grosse part devant sa
bouche en permanence. Il s’en saisissait à pleines mains sur la table.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Le
fermier avait débouché une autre bouteille d’eau de vie de poire, dont chaque
petit verre était versé directement dans le gosier du jeune homme interrogé
ainsi. Il lui témoignait encore moins de ménagements qu’un flic, mais insistait
toujours – avec une efficacité redoutable : la méthode était bonne. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Allez, avale ! Mange... et dis-moi."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Le
jeune homme ne fit qu’une bouchée de cette part de flan, plus grande que la
paume de sa main.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "On s’est lancé dans un projet
complètement fou…"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>En
l’écoutant, Robert devait admettre que l’entreprise était risquée, sans être
aussi "folle" que Quentin le
croyait : depuis plusieurs semaines, une bijouterie du centre-ville avait
fait une publicité de prestige autour d’une parure de perles et de diamants
commandée par une altesse sérénissime quelconque, offerte par un émir, un
sultan ou un rajah quelconque dans des circonstances quelconques – un
non-événement, pour des membres de la <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">jet
set</i>, mais qui représentait plus d’un million en diamants fins et surtout
six ou sept millions en perles fines, tout de même.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>L’extrême qualité des perles, leur parfaite blancheur – opaline et
laiteuse de la nacre la plus pure – leur grosseur calibrée au
quart-de-millimètre et soigneusement organisée pour composer un collier en
sautoir de plus de quatre mètres de long sur un double fil de platine,
l’orfèvrerie de grand style enfin justifiait le prix fabuleux de ce bijou que
l’on pouvait aussi considérer comme simplement inestimable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>En
comparaison, le petit million que représentaient les diamants de cette parure
semblait bien modeste – une touche timide de "bon goût", peut-être, qui s’accordait mal avec l’éclat
tapageur de l’ensemble et la vulgarité des commanditaires. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> La communication
bruyamment orchestrée autour de cette parure princière ne pouvait manquer
d’attirer l’attention de la petite bande... Sans se poser un instant la
question de ce qu’ils pourraient faire d’un tel trophée, il fallait s’en
saisir. Ils en avaient décidé ainsi.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "C’est pas tellement fou, comme plan...
C’est plutôt con."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Ben...
uuuurrrrp... Ouais, je sais. Qu’est-ce que tu veux, on a été cons du début à la
fin..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Ouais... Quelque chose me dit que tu les as surpassé en connerie, tes copains !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Quentin baissa
la tête.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Je sais... J’aurais pas dû les suivre..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Allez, allez. Dis-moi tout."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "C’est moi qui ai fait le plus gros du boulot... parce que, pour y entrer et passer les barrières de sécurités, il fallait sérieusement se faufiler, dans des passages étroits... et j’étais le plus maigre de la bande."
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Eh ben ! J’aimerais t’y voir, aujourd’hui..."
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Robert considéra les deux dernières parts de
flan, sur la table.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "T’as faim ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Toujours ! Tu sais bien..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ce n’était pas une question, dans la bouche
du fermier.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Allez bouffe, mon cochon... Avale-moi ça,
et dis-moi le reste."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Comme
il fallait s’y attendre, la bijouterie était protégée de toutes sortes de
systèmes, allant de l’alarme sonore et visuelle, reliée directement aux
premières casernes des environs, gardée vingt-quatre heures sur vingt-quatre
pendant toute la durée de l’exposition temporaire des bijoux dans une cage de
verre de plusieurs épaisseurs, avec une feuille transparente de polymère
extra-résistant et offrant une résilience à toute épreuve – un expert en la matière
serait tenté de conclure "etc.,
etc."
en haussant les épaules...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Curieusement, Sylvie se révéla des plus expertes dans cette occasion. A
un problème aussi difficile – raffiné dans la technique jusqu’au délire de film
hollywoodien avec acrobaties, effets spéciaux et vaisseaux spatiaux en fausses
perspectives – compliqué dans son organisation, doublée et redoublée jusqu’à
l’exaspération – il fallait opposer une solution simple, si simple et si
rudimentaire que toutes les barrières tomberaient de surprise.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Et c’était
bien ce qui s’était passé.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>En
quelques minutes, le courant, le chauffage et la ventilation avaient été coupés
– les gardes et leurs chiens immobilisés – la cage ouverte, le verre brisé, les
bijoux dérobés...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mais
il fallait bien se ménager une issue de secours.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Sylvie avait tranché : comme un joueur d’échecs, elle s’était
préparer à sacrifier un pion – et ce pion, bien entendu, c’était Quentin...
Après avoir exposé son plan à ses trois complices, elle avait passé la nuit
avec lui, à le satisfaire si bien qu’il l’écoutait sans réfléchir – qu’il
l’approuvait sans réfléchir – et qu’il exécuterait ses plans sans réfléchir.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Et
c’était bien ce qui... aurait dû se passer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Comme
il arrive parfois, dans l’euphorie d’une victoire à portée de main, dans le
dernier quart d’heure d’un match de football où une équipe n’a cessé de
dominer, l’adversaire s’éveille au moment précis où l’attention se relâche – et
Quentin avait pris la fuite avec le collier de perles.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Comment... Tu les as planté là ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Ben...
Hmmmph... Ouais. Je sais plus pourquoi, ils étaient à la traîne. Ils ont essayé
de me passer devant, d’un coup, en me disant que les flics viendraient me
cueillir. Je les ai mis K.O. tellement j’étais nerveux. Sylvie m’attendait
derrière, mais je venais de comprendre que c’était un piège..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pour
comble de malchance, deux policiers faisaient aussi une ronde dans
l’arrière-cour de la bijouterie. Le camion que conduisait Sylvie leur avait
paru suspect : elle était déjà menottée. Ses trois complices suivraient.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>De
son côté, Quentin était sorti, le plus naturellement du monde, par la porte
d’entrée... Il avait dissimulé le collier de perle dans un torchon de cuisine –
comme un saucisson entier, replié sur lui-même.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Ils ont été arrêtés, alors."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Oui,
mais ils n’avaient rien sur eux… Tentative de vol à main armée, c’est peu de
chose, dans ce cas. On leur a fait un procès rapide et ils sont restés à
l’ombre quelques mois. Quand ils n’étaient encore qu’en garde à vue, j’avais eu
le temps de cacher le collier."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "D’accord... Et ensuite ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Quand
ils sont sortis de tôle, je me suis arrangé pour me faire arrêter. Mais pour un
truc complètement différent... Rien d’aussi grave."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Tu voulais quoi, te mettre à
couvert ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Je
voulais savoir s’ils m’avaient dénoncé aux flics, d’abord. Lorsqu’ils m’ont
arrêté, lorsqu’ils m’ont interrogé, je les ai laissé faire le tour de mon
casier judiciaire. Ils ne m’avaient pas balancé."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Bon, c’est pas si mal..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Les flics, c’était rien."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Je me doute. Tu voulais savoir s’ils
avaient causé à des codétenus."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Ouais... Hmmmph hmmmmph..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Quentin
mangeait toujours de bon appétit. Robert était aux anges.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Ils
s’étaient vantés de leurs exploits... Je m’y attendais... Ils en avaient même
inventé plus de la moitié. Mais on peut pas dire qu’ils y avaient été trop
fort. En tous cas, pour moi, je savais à quoi m’en tenir."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "C’est-à-dire ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "C’est
simple. Ils voulaient récupérer le collier, me faire la peau et voir ensuite ce
qu’ils feraient du butin."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Alors c’est eux qui ont écrit ce message."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "C’est Sylvie. J’ai reconnu son
écriture..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Elle a un drôle de sens de l’humour, ta
copine..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Robert appuyait sur ces mots, tout en
nourrissant Quentin de flan et de compote – presque cruellement : ça lui
déplaisait vraiment d’imaginer son jeune compagnon dans un autre lit que le
sien, avec quelqu’un d’autre que lui. Ce soupçon le surprit en plein élan, la
cuillère à mi-chemin entre le pot de compote et la bouche de Quentin, qui se
pencha en avant pour tout avaler d’un coup. Le cœur du fermier bondit presque
autant dans sa poitrine d’ours, si intimidant.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Elle est comme ça. Elle a raté sa licence
de lettres modernes..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Je vois. Et le collier, dans tout
ça ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Je l’ai
récupéré quand je suis sorti de tôle. Mais comme je m’attendais à être suivi...
Tu vois que j’avais pas tort..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "En effet."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Après avoir avalé la dernière cuiller de
compote, Quentin émit un soupir de contentement si doux, si rassasié que Robert
en était presque ému. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Et tu l’as laissé dans sa cachette, ton
collier ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Non... Je lui en ai trouvé une autre."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Tu l’as emporté avec toi ?
Ici ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Ouais...
C’est une planque idéale, en vrai. Tu gardes tellement de vieux trucs, c’est un
tel bordel dans toutes les pièces qu’on pourrait y cacher un trésor de pirates
sans jamais en retrouver une pièce d’or !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Robert rougit un peu en pensant au désordre qui régnait dans toutes les
pièces du corps de ferme. Quentin ne lui avait pas dit où il avait caché le
collier – peut-être ne lui faisait-il pas entièrement confiance. Ou peut-être
ne voulait-il pas l’impliquer dans ses mésaventures. Il valait mieux ignorer où
se trouvaient ces perles – dont il se moquait totalement, d’ailleurs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "T’as raison. C’est une planque idéale, ici."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Quentin était toujours assis, les deux mains
posées sur son ventre bien rempli après ce petit-déjeuner des plus copieux. Il
était un peu somnolent, après avoir dépensé tant d’efforts pour manger comme
Robert aimait à le voir manger... Le fermier avait rangé les plats. Il
finissait la vaisselle dans l’évier, et le jeune homme le vit allumer le four
et poser les quatre poêles sur les plaques de fonte.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Qu’est-ce que tu fais ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "T’as vu
l’heure ? Il est déjà onze heures passées, avec tes conneries... C’est
bientôt l’heure de ton repas de midi !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Sérieux ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Le
ton de voix du jeune homme était un mélange inimitable, irrésistible, de
surprise et de ravissement, comme si le fermier venait de lui annoncer une
nouvelle inespérée.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pour
ce beau mouvement, si naturel, si spontané, Robert était résolu à gâter son
compagnon au-delà même du déraisonnable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Ben quoi... Il sera bientôt midi !
Faut bien que tu manges, à ton âge."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Euh... J’ai déjà passé la matinée à
m’empiffrer..." répondit Quentin, un peu rouge encore d’émotion.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Dis-moi, petit cochon... Tu as
FAIM ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Quentin répondit d’abord par un sourire, les yeux pétillant de joie.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Mais tellement ! J’ai faim,
fermier... J’ai FAIM !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">■ ■ ■<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tout occupé à manger, voracement,
un poulet entier, un jambon entier, un chapelet de saucisses qui ridiculisait
tout souvenir de cet interminable collier de perles, des montagnes de pâtes et
des saladiers débordants de frites, Quentin laissait Robert le rassurer sur sa
situation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pour commencer, il était hors de
question qu’il s’éloigne de la ferme. S’il était poursuivi, son premier
mouvement avait été le bon : il avait trouvé une bonne planque, un peu à
l’écart de la route, fermée sur elle-même, et où le désordre d’une activité qui
reposait sur les épaules d’un seul fermier avec des habitudes d’ours dans son
terrier permettait de se cacher sans jamais éveiller de soupçons.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ensuite, puisqu’il lui fallait
rester caché, Robert lui confierait des travaux d’intérieur : nettoyer le
salon et la salle à manger, au premier étage, les chambres du deuxième étage,
le grenier aussi, et certains bâtiments bas autour du logis – sans être vu
d’aucun point de vue extérieur à la ferme.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Et comme il avait l’intention de le
faire travailler aussi dur que lorsqu’il s’occupait des cochons, Robert ne
manquerait pas de récompenser son jeune ami en le régalant de bons petits
plats, comme il y avait pris goût.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Mais ils savent que je suis ici."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Qu’est-ce
qu’ils en savent, en vrai ? Que tu es passé par ici, voilà tout."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Quentin l’écoutait raconter sa
version des quelques mois qu’ils avaient passé ensemble : oui, le jeune
homme était passé, mais il n’avait fait que passer. Il était venu, il était
reparti. Ça n’avait pas duré des mois. Il était loin maintenant. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Loin...
Oui, ça serait bien qu’ils s’en aillent loin, voir si j’y suis. Tu crois qu’ils
lâcheront l’affaire si facilement ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Mais oui..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Robert n’en croyait rien. Des
petits malfrats comme ses anciens amis, tout juste capables de monter en hâte
un cambriolage au-dessus de leurs moyens, étaient bien incapables de renoncer à
en récupérer le butin.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Il s’attendait à entendre parler
d’eux, à les voir surgir d’une manière ou d’une autre : cela ne lui
faisait pas peur. Au contraire ! il les attendait de pied ferme, ils
trouveraient à qui parler – mais il ne voulait pas inquiéter Quentin. En bon
fermier, il savait qu’un cochon se porte mieux dans une ambiance calme,
chaleureuse et affectueuse – dans un confort douillet, d’autant plus favorable
à son engraissement...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Décidément, Quentin avait mieux à
faire qu’à s’inquiéter ainsi, et pour si peu. Il devait manger !<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Allez, mon cochon, mange... Mange plus
vite, et n’y pense plus."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">■ ■ ■<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>C’était une nouvelle vie pour
Quentin.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Et cette vie offrait tout ce
qu’avait promis Robert : le jeune homme était tenu de ne jamais sortir du
logis principal. Il ne descendait à la cuisine que pour y déguster de savoureux
– et monstrueusement copieux – repas, que le fermier préparait pour lui avec un
enthousiasme qui faisait plaisir à voir... tout en faisant baigner dans l’air
de toute la maison des parfums de viandes rôties, de charcuteries, de sauces
diverses allant de l’aigre-doux au caramélisé, de confitures cuisant lentement
dans la grande bassine de cuivre et de compotes fondantes, de pâtés bien chauds
et de pâtisseries dont la procession de plateaux sur les tables et les étagères
s’allongeait comme une liste sans fin... Autant le dire, Quentin avait toujours
l’eau à la bouche, et il s’en cachait d’autant moins que son fermier attentif
aimait le trouver disposer à engloutir d’énormes quantités de nourritures en
toutes circonstances !<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ses occupations de chaque jour
pouvaient être appelées des travaux, et il y mettait toute son application,
mais ce n’était rien de comparable aux durs labeurs que Robert lui avait
d’abord confiés – comme le bois à fendre en bûches, à la hache – ce que le
grand gaillard aux larges épaules faisait maintenant, chaque matin, sans le
moindre effort apparent...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Certes, Quentin soulevait des
masses considérables de débris, de gros meubles très lourds qu’il époussetait,
nettoyait, réparait, disposait dans la pièce pour attaquer retirer le papier
peint des murs, complètement fané mais d’une absence de goût si atroce qu’il
n’y avait aucun regret à s’en débarrasser. Quentin avait aussi roulé tous les
tapis, réparé les parquets dont plusieurs lattes étaient fendues ou broyées.
Dans bien des cas, il fallait tout simplement renforcer les planchers des trois
étages : Robert avait laissé entendre qu’ils ne seraient bientôt plus en
état de supporter le poids de deux hommes aussi bien bâtis – et aussi
lourds !<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Plaisanterie à part, le fermier
n’exagérait pas : de jour en jour, semaine après semaine, Quentin était
presque devenu un autre homme – et Robert n’était pas loin d’exprimer, tout
bas, qu’il était devenu un "vrai mâle", ni plus ni moins.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Restait à considérer précisément ce
que Robert appelait "un vrai mâle, ni plus ni moins"...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Le seul point quelque peu négatif
que ce changement dans ses habitudes de travail apportait à Quentin, c’était la
perte de son beau bronzage de manœuvrier – maintenant qu’il ne se montrait même
plus à la fenêtre, les journées de travail passées dans la pénombre d’un salon
vide en cours de décoration lui avaient rendu son teint pâle et rose tendre, que
Robert associait – sans même y songer, tant il en subissait le charme – à la
peau onctueuse et appétissante d’un beau cochon de lait.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dans l’ensemble, tout de même, le
fermier ne pouvait que se féliciter des choix qu’il avait proposés, sinon
presque imposés, à son jeune protégé.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pour commencer, Quentin restait
presque nu à toute heure du jour – en ne portant, au mieux, qu’un slip et un
large T-shirt pendant qu’il travaillait à préparer du plâtre ou à balayer des
monticules de débris... Ainsi, à l’aise dans toutes les positions où il était
amené à se trouver, à quatre pattes ou au sommet d’une échelle, il éprouvait si
peu le besoin de se vêtir que son maître le laissait mijoter dans l’attente de
ses repas comme dans un vrai bouillon, entre sueur et friture en sauces, et le
traitait comme un cochon dès qu’il l’appelait depuis la cuisine.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "À table, mon cochon ! À table !
Tu dois avoir FAIM..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>En vérité, Quentin travaillait d’autant plus
dur qu’il avait le sentiment de n’effectuer que des travaux relativement aisés.
Il montrait tant de bonne volonté qu’il n’avait pas seulement songé aux années
– aux décennies, même – de négligence et d’abandon de toutes ces pièces.
Robert, comme presque tous les fermiers, ne voyait que les travaux les plus
pressés, qui auraient encore occupé ses journées si quarante heures avaient
séparé l’aube du crépuscule. La vétusté des meubles, la fragilité des murs et
des sols, le mauvais état de la plomberie et de la toiture en
témoignaient : le corps de logis tombait en ruines.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Modestement, sans s’attribuer une importance
particulière, Quentin était en train de sauver la ferme, par sa seule présence.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>En quelques semaines, le jeune homme avait
fait merveilles : le salon était redevenu habitable. La salle à manger,
encombrée de tout un fatras de meubles, suivrait prochainement.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Les changements n’étaient pas moins notables
dans le corps de l’ouvrier que dans le corps de l’ouvrage – et la préférence de
Robert allait à ces beaux progrès, secrètement, tout en faisant l’éloge de
cette modernisation qu’il n’approuvait peut-être que pour lui faire plaisir.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Quentin était devenu vraiment fort, solide et
trapu avec un corps à la fois souple et athlétique, d’une carrure inattendue
chez le gringalet que Robert avait accueilli chez lui... Comme ce temps lui
semblait loin ! À force de bouger sans cesse dans la pièce, d’une pièce à
l’autre et d’un étage à l’autre, les bras toujours lourdement chargés de
meubles ou de matériel, le jeune apprenti s’était aguerri, assoupli et renforcé
en même temps.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Surtout, Quentin s’était épaissi.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Plus vorace que jamais, encouragé à
s’empiffrer sans aucune retenue par Robert qui le choyait en même temps qui
l’accablait sous des quantités de nourritures toujours plus intimidantes,
Quentin mangeait comme un vrai porc – et il était devenu comme un vrai
porc !<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Toute sa silhouette s’était élargie et
alourdie considérablement. Sur ses mollets et ses cuisses d’athlète,
remarquablement musclées et rebondies, Quentin portait un ventre rond et un
poitrail tel qu’il semblait avoir été bâti uniquement d’os et de viande rouge,
depuis sa naissance – avec une croissance magnifique de taureau que trahissait
seulement la couche de lard qui le recouvrait – bien épaisse sur toutes les
parties de son corps qui trahissaient aussi le magnifique mâle mûr et accompli
qu’il allait devenir.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Quentin, avec toute sa force et sa souplesse,
était gras. Plus encore : il engraissait – mieux encore : il
réclamait ! Les deux mains sur le ventre, à la fin d’un copieux repas, il
rotait bruyamment et ouvrait la bouche après avoir dit à Robert, sur un ton de
commandement :<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Je suis fatigué d’avaler... Il faut que tu me gaves !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Un beau cochon, jeune et bien
docile, à engraisser avant d’aller au lit – voilà ce que Robert appelait "un
vrai mâle, ni plus ni moins". Il n’avait jamais vraiment exprimé ce que
cette expression pouvait traduire, selon ses goûts et ses préférences. C’était
cela, ce n’était pas autre chose. Ni plus ni moins, mais il n’en demandait pas
davantage.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">■ ■ ■<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ces changements dans la vie de la
ferme, si appréciables par leurs effets sur le corps du jeune apprenti, étaient
à peine moins éclatants pour tout ce qui concernait le fermier lui-même.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sans y prêter attention, Robert
avait comme rajeuni de dix ou quinze ans, durant ces derniers mois. Plus actif
que jamais, plus motivé dans ses travaux et plus décidé dans ses choix, il se
tenait plus droit, plus ferme et plus imposant – d’autant plus qu’il était
toujours attentif envers son jeune ami, qu’il traitait tantôt comme un ouvrier
à commander, tantôt comme un porc à engraisser, tantôt comme un partenaire à
satisfaire.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dans toutes ces situations, il se
montrait encourageant et affectueux – et moins intimidant, à tout prendre, que
rassurant. Sans le savoir, il avait cette qualité qui avait achevé de lui
dévouer Quentin, corps et âme.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Le jeune homme ne pouvait plus se
passer de lui, ni de ses bons petits plats, ni de ses caresses qu’il lui
accordait si généreusement après l’avoir gavé jusqu’à la limite de
l’éclatement. La satisfaction qu’il avait éprouvée en faisant entrer Robert
dans un salon tout neuf, entièrement repeint et tapissé de frais, avec un
éclairage électrique tamisé et une disposition des objets plus jeune et moins
encombrée – l’étonnement du fermier devant le résultat et la fierté du travail
achevé l’avaient bouleversé. Il ne pourrait plus s’éloigner de la salle à
manger, où ses rêveries projetaient déjà une décoration toute nouvelle et plus
agréables.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>L’entente était donc totale et
parfaite entre les deux hommes : entre le fermier et l’ouvrier, avec la
lourde tâche qui les attendait chaque matin – entre l’éleveur et son cochon le
plus disposé à remporter un ruban bleu, avec les lourds repas qui ponctuaient
leurs journées – entre un grand ours un peu farouche et son amant plus dodu
pour l’attendrir, avec la sexualité lourdement sensuelle et charnelle qui
concluait chaque soir et les tenait embrassés toute la nuit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>La jeunesse de corps, d’allure et
d’attitudes de Robert ne manquait pas de surprendre, tout de même, ceux qui
l’abordaient.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ils n’étaient pas nombreux, fort
heureusement – Robert aurait souhaité n’avoir personne à recevoir chez lui. Sa
porte était résolument fermée. On y était habitué. Il fallait bien, pourtant,
recevoir le courrier, ou diverses visites toutes plus inutiles les unes que les
autres.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Robert ne recevait même pas dans la
cuisine. Il se tenait debout, dans la cour ou dans la basse-cour. Son salut
était rude, son accueil glacial, et on ne pouvait qu’être saisi par son air
bagarreur, comme prêt à bondir...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Enfin, comme La Fontaine énonçait
dans sa fable des <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Animaux malades de la
peste</i>, "ils n’en mouraient pas tous, mais tous étaient frappés".
Et ils auraient pu fuir aussi bien le fermier comme la peste.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Robert s’était montré extrêmement
vigilant, depuis qu’il avait remplacé la vitre de sa cuisine. Un coup d’œil
rapide lui suffisait pour apprécier si un intrus approchait ou se tenait caché
dans un buisson. Il faudrait un talent de chasseur confirmé pour s’y risquer –
ou, au contraire, une inconscience de débutant trop sûr de soi... Dûment
prévenu par Quentin, Robert n’en attendait pas moins. Aussi se tenait-il sur
ses gardes, prêt à parer à tout, y compris aux attaques les plus saugrenues.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Le visiteur qui l’importunait le
plus – celui dont, bien entendu, il pouvait le moins se défaire – était le
facteur.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tout bien considéré, celui-ci ne
restait jamais longtemps, pressé d’en finir avec sa tournée qui l’emportait
déjà si loin en-dehors de ce qu’il était convenu d’appeler des "sentiers
battus".<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Eh alors, Robert ! Vous vous êtes
enfin décidé à faire des travaux."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Des travaux ? Où ça, des
travaux ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Mais...
chez vous, donc. Ça m’étonne, mais c’est bien ! Rien que ces rideaux à la
fenêtre, dans le salon, c’est fou comme ça vous rajeunit tout l’étage, de ce
côté."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Ah ? Oui... Oh, ce n’est rien."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Quand même... depuis le temps... Ça ne
s’est pas fait tout seul."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Non, sans doute. J’ai pris un peu de
temps pour m’en occuper."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Alors ça...
Franchement, chapeau. Avec vos cochons à nourrir, et tout le travail que ça
représente, sans compter le reste... J’en reviens pas."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Il n’y a vraiment pas de quoi."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Allez, je reste ferme en selle,
hein ? C’est pas une paire de rideaux qui me ferait tomber sur le cul. Mais
je me demandais, comme ça... Enfin, à mon idée... Vous avez jamais pensé à
embaucher un saisonnier, des fois ? Parce qu’enfin, comme ça... Tout
seul..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Eh bien, quoi ? Tout seul."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Eh oui,
vous êtes encore drôlement solide, pour votre âge. Mais voilà... Vous finirez
bien par le faire, votre âge."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Et puis, après ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Eh alors,
oui ! après ? une ferme comme ça, sans même un apprenti à former pour
prendre la suite."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Vous savez, depuis que mon fils est
parti..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Je sais bien, allez... Toujours pas de
nouvelles ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Et comment j’en aurais, des nouvelles, si
ce n’est pas vous qui me les apportez ? Si je devais en avoir, vous le
sauriez avant moi."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Eh, mon dieu, oui. C’est bien tout ce que
je vous souhaite..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Vous-en faites par pour moi. Je m’en
sortirai bien."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Allez, je vous laisse. Bonne journée par
chez vous !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Ces visites désenchantaient toujours – un peu – Robert qui songeait, en
effet, que le temps passait, jour après jour, sans revenir – et que son fils
non plus ne reviendrait pas.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Secouant sa morosité, il appela :<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "À table, mon cochon ! À table..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Le
bruit de pas précipités dans l’escalier lui rendit le sourire – des pas un
peu gauches, maladroits, plutôt lourds mais bondissant aussi – les pas d’un
beau gros garçon qui n’avait qu’une hâte : retirer ses vêtements, se laver
le visage et les mains, s’asseoir tout nu à table et se goinfrer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Miam ! comment ça sent bon, depuis
ce matin... J’ai FAIM !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">■ ■ ■<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Robert
n’avait pas songé aux signes extérieurs de rajeunissement que la présence et
les travaux de Quentin avaient apportés à son domicile. Sans trop s’appesantir
sur les raisons de ce nouveau changement de plans, il remit Quentin pour moitié
dans les travaux à l’intérieur de sa cour carrée, à côté de la grande cour de
ferme – à l’abri de tout regard – pour lui faire fendre du bois, et porter de
gros sacs de plâtre, de ciment et de mortier, des pierres pour le soubassement
du logis et des caves, toutes sortes de travaux pour l’occuper suffisamment et
ralentir les travaux entrepris dans la décoration de la salle à manger, dont
les fenêtres larges et hautes donnaient sur la route.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Le
fermier appréhendait un peu la réaction de son apprenti – après avoir apprécié
avec éloges le nouveau salon de Quentin, lorsqu’il l’avait enfin découvert. La
réponse du jeune homme le surprit, tout d’abord, et le fit fondre
intérieurement comme au cœur d’un foyer. D’un seul élan, doux et spontané, il
avait serré le fermier dans ses bras.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "J’y
pensais depuis un moment. Ça me manquait de fendre du bois, de prendre un peu
l’air... Et je préfère le faire pendant que tu t’occupes des cochons."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Tu es sûr ? La salle à manger..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Elle
attendra. Ça me laissera tout le temps d’y penser, pendant que je te fais un
tas de bûches pour le feu."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "D’accord..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Et puis
je peux reprendre le travail avec les cochons, aussi... Pas les gros, je sais
pas encore comment faire... mais les plus petits, les porcelets plus jeunes...
Je les nourrirai au biberon, ça me fera une pause."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "C’est du boulot aussi, tu sais."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Oui, mais j’aime bien... Et puis, tu peux
pas tout faire."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Robert n’avait pas eu le temps d’émettre un grognement que Quentin
ajoutait, en se blottissant contre ses pectoraux bien ronds :<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Toi, tu
dois t’occuper des plus gros cochons. Et du plus gros, surtout. Et c’est moi."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>D’un
geste, le fermier souleva le gros garçon et l’emporta, dans ses bras, jusque
dans la cuisine.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Hmmm..." gémit Quentin. "C’est
déjà l’heure de manger ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Ça dépend, mon cochon. Tu as faim ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "J’ai FAIM ! Fais-moi manger comme un
de tes cochons..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Ha ha ! comment ? Au
biberon, mon petit cochon ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Non, pas comme un petit... Comme un GROS
cochon !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Tu n’es pas encore le plus gros cochon."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Pas encore ? Faut vraiment que tu
m’engraisses, alors..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Ça
marche. Allez ! à table..." annonça Robert avec un beau sourire de
grand méchant loup, avant d’ajouter doucement : "Gros
porc !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Oink oink !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">■ ■ ■<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Les journées de travail semblaient plus
longues, de plus en plus longues, aussi bien à Quentin qu’à Robert. Était-ce
vraiment, seulement, la charge de travail qui leur pesait à ce point, ou la
succession des jours toujours les mêmes et toujours occupés à ce dur labeur des
hommes lorsqu’ils sont rendus à eux-mêmes ?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Robert n’aurait su expliquer pourquoi les
soins apportés aux cochons, et à leur engraissement, lui paraissaient moins
gratifiants et moins dignes d’intérêt qu’auparavant. Au contraire : les
bêtes qu’il vendrait bientôt étaient magnifiques, saines et surtout
magnifiquement grasses à lard. Il en tirerait un bon prix sans avoir à négocier
si âprement qu’il en avait pris l’habitude.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Avec des activités mieux réparties entre la
cuisine, la cour, les auges des cochons, les champs et les bois, Robert se
sentait plus libre et plus dispos – seulement préoccupé, néanmoins, par les
soins qu’il entendait apporter à son plus beau cochon, jour après jour et nuit
après nuit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>De son côté, Quentin trompait son attente à
sa manière, tant il lui tardait de se blottir à nouveau contre son fermier. Il
travaillait vraiment dur, sans relâche, et il montrait maintenant une
efficacité redoutable dans tout ce qu’il entreprenait : porter à manger
aux cochons sans être vu, porter des pierres ou des sacs pour "retaper" la maison, les caves et les celliers – autant de
garde-mangers pour lui, comme il l’avait appris pour son plus grand plaisir... <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Le jeune homme avait conservé, de ses mois
passés dans des travaux d’intérieur, une impudeur de mâle un peu rustre – et il
sortait dans la cour simplement vêtu de sandales et de ce qu’il restait d’un
vieux pantalon court et raccourci encore, qui lui serrait les hanches sans être
tout-à-fait boutonné. Passant maintenant le plus clair de son temps ainsi, en
plein soleil, il n’avait pas tardé à retrouver son bronzage et sa transpiration
abondante – qui avaient le don de le rendre encore plus appétissant aux yeux de
Robert, comme un bonhomme de pain d’épice glacé au miel...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>L’air de la cour, sans être "le grand air", lui faisait le plus grand bien : il respirait à
pleins poumons et tout son corps se développait à vue d’œil, à mesure qu’il
s’étirait, s’assouplissait, allait et venait en portant plusieurs dizaines de
kilos sur ses épaules, sous une forme ou une autre – ou en soutenant simplement
son propre poids, qui était loin d’être négligeable !<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>De fait, si Quentin avait bien profité d’un
premier changement dans son programme de travail, ce nouveau programme, mieux
équilibré, semblait lui convenir admirablement. Ce serait trop peu dire que le
jeune homme y trouvait son plein épanouissement. Il jouissait véritablement de
tous les instants de sa journée – impatient d’en témoigner à son fermier, pour
lui faire partager le plaisir qu’il éprouvait.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Tout ce
travail en plein air me donne FAIM. À table, et aux fourneaux ! Je
pourrais dévorer un cochon entier avec son poids en frites..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Et une bonne douzaine de tartes... et des
beignets !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Robert lui servait des repas magnifiques, qui
auraient constitué un festin pour une famille nombreuse. Les reliefs sur la
table étaient monumentaux. Il y avait même quelque chose d’un peu monstrueux à
voir le beau jeune homme s’asseoir à table, tout nu et luisant de sueur,
affrontant une telle quantité de nourriture. À la fin de chaque repas, Quentin
devait s’accorder une petite heure de sieste, pour digérer au moins ce qu’il
avait englouti en excès, avant de pouvoir retourner au travail.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Les progrès obtenus avec ce régime, plutôt
renforcé que mieux équilibré, ne devaient pas se faire attendre : en
quelques semaines, Quentin avait encore pris de l’épaisseur – Robert était
tenté de dire "de l’ampleur" – et du poids, tant
en masse musculaire bien dense qu’en épaisseur de lard bien douce et moelleuse.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Allez, mon gros, mange !
mange !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Hmmmph..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Quentin se
resservait lui-même, largement, toujours la bouche pleine.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Tu vas t’occuper des porcelets, cet
après-midi."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Hmmmph, oui."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "On devrait en profiter pour te peser."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Hmmm ?... BUUURRRP... Tiens, c’est
vrai. Ça fait un moment."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Après sa petite sieste, bien nécessaire après
un déjeuner aussi copieux et généreusement arrosé de bière blonde, Quentin suivi
le fermier jusqu’à la grande salle où les cochons se reposaient – où la balance
les attendait.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Comme
ils ont grossi !... Ça faisait un moment que je n’étais pas venu les voir."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "C’est
comme ça, les cochons. Plus ils engraissent, plus ils mangent. Ces dix ou
douze-là seront bientôt prêts pour être vendus."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Vendus ? Quoi, si vite ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Avec les charcutiers, ça ne traîne pas,
tu sais."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Mais ils ne sont pas si gros... Je veux
dire..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "T’en fais pas pour eux, Quentin."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Le fermier referma doucement ses bras d’ours
autour du ventre rond et dodu de son cochon préféré.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Pense à ton ventre, mon gros cochon..."
murmura-t-il doucement à son oreille. "Toi, tu es encore trop maigre, à
mon goût. Bien trop maigre."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "D’accord."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Les cochons furent pesés, l’un après l’autre.
Le plus léger pesait plus de deux-dent kilos. Le plus gras et le plus lourd
atteignait presque trois-cent kilos...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Allez ! à ton tour, mon gros."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "J’ai un
peu honte, maintenant, de passer après eux... Je dois en être à cent-dix ou
cent-vingt kilos."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Peut-être
un peu plus. Tu as bien fait honneur à tous tes repas... Allez, sur la
balance !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "D’accord..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Je veux vérifier si tu n’as pas grandi
aussi, un peu."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "D’accord..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Quentin mesurait presque un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, maintenant, et il
pesait pas moins de cent quarante-quatre kilos. Il s’étonnait lui-même de se
trouver si lourd.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Presque quarante-cinq kilos... J’ai bien
grossi !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Ouais !"
répondit Robert en écho, les yeux rêveurs. "Tu as bien grossi."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Robert était tellement fier de lui
qu’il se promettait de le récompenser à sa façon, le soir même, pour
l’encourager à s’affirmer encore plus, comme un "vrai mâle", comme il
le désirait plus que tout.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>En
redescendant de la balance, Quentin poussa un léger soupir et dit au fermier –
ce qui acheva de le rendre fou de désir :<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Cent
quarante-quatre kilos... Je suis un poids-plume. C’est rien du tout, c’est la
honte quand je vois tes beaux cochons bien gras..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Tu y arriveras. Tu manges bien."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Ça
suffit pas. Il faut que tu me fasses manger... que tu me gaves... que tu
m’engraisses ! Comme un vrai porc !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">■ ■ ■<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pendant toute la semaine suivante, Quentin ne
voulut rien savoir. Il ne se présentait plus à des repas, mais à des
gavages : son fermier devait le nourrir – le plus possible et le plus vite
possible – pour le gaver à peu près comme il gavait ses cochons pour les
présenter au charcutier ou à un concours.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Robert y
mettait tant de bonne volonté que Quentin se sentait encouragé à réclamer
encore et toujours plus à manger...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Encore un peu, mon gros ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Hmmmph... Oui, fais-moi manger."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Alors encore
un boudin noir... Mange, mon gros. Mange ! Et encore un peu de purée..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Hmmmph hmmmmph..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Encore un peu ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Qu’est-ce qu’il y a de bon à manger,
ensuite ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Du
chapon et un grand plat de farce, avec des quenelles de pain et du chou braisé.
Je t’en ferai avaler à pleines poignées."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Hmmm, trop bien... Gave-moi ! j’ai
envie de finir les plats."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Tu n’es
pas au bout de tes peines, mon gros... Allez, avale ! C’est bon, de la
bonne farce bien épaisse, de la bonne chair pour t’engraisser..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Hmmmph hmmmph... Hmmmph... Encore !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Encore un peu ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Remplis-moi bien. Plus vite..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Oh ! mais tu as faim, mon cochon."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "J’ai faim, j’ai FAIM. Nourris-moi !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lorsque le charcutier se présenta pour
acheter la douzaine de cochons qu’il avait retenus, Quentin faisait la sieste à
l’étage. Rassasié au point de s’être endormi entre deux bouchées de gâteau à la
crème au beurre, il ne se passait pas une minute sans qu’il pousse un rot bien
rond et sonore. Au lit, dans la chambre de Robert, personne ne l’entendait –
même si un écho lui revenait depuis le grenier.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Belles bêtes, vraiment."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Content qu’elles vous plaisent."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Il
faudrait être bien exigeant pour y trouver à redire... Aussi bien, je ne
discute pas la somme. Vous pouvez recompter."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "C’est fait."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Robert avait fait d’excellentes affaires.
D’ordinaire, cela suffisait pour le mettre de bonne humeur. Il était juste un
peu inquiet – n’avait-il pas un peu forcé, toute la semaine, en n’écoutant que
le vif désir de son petit ami et en y répondant si généreusement ? Quentin
avait besoin d’exercice, de repos et de calme.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Après avoir placé les cochons les plus gras
dans les enclos qui venaient d’être libérés, le fermier décida de confier les
soixante plus jeunes à son apprenti. Quentin l’avait vu travailler – il
connaissait tous les cochons de cet enclos lorsqu’ils n’étaient que des
porcelets, il obtiendrait d’aussi bons résultats.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Le jeune garçon ne demandait pas mieux, après
une semaine passée à s’empiffrer, à se reposer, à être gavé, à dormir, à boire
et à manger... Ce n’était qu’une pause dans ses journées de travail – mais
cette pause lui avait permis de passer enfin le cap des cent-cinquante kilos,
pour sa fierté personnelle.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Je te
confie ces cochons que tu connais bien, comme ils te connaissent aussi. Tu
sauras quoi faire, n’est-ce pas ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Les "petits cochons"
en question étaient au moins aussi lourds que lui, et Quentin ne se sentait pas
moins motivé à leur faire prendre du poids qu’à en prendre lui-même.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Allez, mes petits porcs. On va bien
bouffer, tous ensemble !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Robert avait également décidé de s’appliquer aux travaux de maçonnerie
entrepris pas son jeune compagnon, mais de manière autrement visible – presque
ostensiblement : du côté de la grand-route, et dans les heures où il avait
le plus de chance de voir passer le facteur.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Eh ben ! vous vous y êtes mis pour
de bon."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Comme vous voyez."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Mais alors, vos cochons..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Vous ne les entendez pas ? Ils
s’empiffrent."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "En effet, en effet. Quelle organisation !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Je
voudrais en avoir bientôt fini avec les réparations sur le toit. Quand ça sera
résolu, le reste suivra sans difficulté."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dans
les enclos, Quentin mettait vraiment du cœur à l’ouvrage. C’était le moins que
l’on en pouvait dire, à n’en juger que par le nombre des repas, la qualité de
la nourriture – et surtout la quantité que Quentin imposait à ses petits
cochons.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Dès le premier jour où il avait repris en main leur alimentation, le
jeune homme avait retrouvé les grands sacs de granulés blancs qu’il avait
achetés – et pratiquement remisés dans un coin.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Tiens ! c’est curieux, je les avais
presque oubliés."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Plongeant le bras dans le premier sac, il en retira une poignée.
C’étaient de beaux granulés secs, un peu lisses, d’un blanc nacré, à servir
avec du lait pour accompagner les repas de ses porcelets.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Sans réfléchir, il avala cette poignée. Les perles, de la grosseur d’une
noisette, craquaient sous la dent sans présenter beaucoup de dureté.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Hmmm... Mais oui ! je me souviens. Je croyais que c’était
du chocolat blanc, quand j’y ai goûté d’abord !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>En allant d’une mangeoire à
l’autre, il en offrit un bol à chacun de ses petits goinfres, qui raffolaient visiblement
de ces nouveaux granulés qu’il leur apportait.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "C’est bon, hein ? Je vous comprends. J’espère que ça va
vous faire bien grossir..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Sans surprise, les porcs ne lui répondaient que par des
grognements de satisfaction, tout en se remplissant l’estomac. Quentin était
déjà occupé à nourrir les suivants, tout en prenant une poignée de perles au
passage – puis une autre, et encore une autre – de temps en temps, à chaque
fois qu’il venait se resservir dans le sac.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Lorsqu’il ne restait plus que quelques gros granulés au fond du sac, il
les recueillait dans le creux de sa main et n’en faisait qu’une bouchée...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "...UUUUURRRRP... Ouais, ils sont
vraiment... délicieux."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Robert l’appelait déjà, depuis la cuisine.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "À table, mon cochon ! Tu as
faim ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Quentin avait passé toute la matinée à grignoter, tout en nourrissant
ses cochons. Curieusement, il se trouvait à la fois rassasié... et mis en
appétit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "J’arrive, fermier ! J’ai...
BUUUURRRRP !... j’ai FAIM !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">■ ■ ■<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>L’appétit de Quentin faisait la joie du fermier, qui ne se faisait
vraiment plus prier pour le gaver – un appétit si insatiable que le jeune homme
se laissait remplir l’estomac docilement, mais qu’il était prêt à se goinfrer
si son cuisinier l’encourageait à manger encore, au-delà de l’excès...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Comme il travaillait toujours très dur, chaque jour, il pouvait bien se
permettre des repas aussi riches et aussi abondants – et comme il avait une
soixantaine de porcs à engraisser, Robert ne voyait pas de mal à ce qu’il leur
donne l’exemple.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>De
ce point de vue, en effet, le travail accompli par Quentin était tout
simplement exemplaire. Lors de leur première pesée, ses cochons étaient déjà
sensiblement plus grands, plus gros et plus ronds, avec une prise de poids qui
atteignait parfois les vingt kilos dans le mois !<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Eh bien ! tu as le coup de main. Je
suis impressionné..." disait Robert.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Quentin était fier de ses résultats.
Cependant, le fermier s’inquiétait de le trouver curieusement plus somnolent, à
table, plus nonchalant dans sa démarche – et, dans l’ensemble, un peu plus
paresseux et qu’à l’ordinaire.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Une explication s’imposait. Elle était simple : en peu de temps,
peut-être au contact des cochons qu’il rassasiait d’heure en heure, avec insistance,
le jeune homme n’avait cessé de s’alourdir et de s’empâter presque à vue d’œil.
En restant assis la plupart du temps, avec un beau cochon sur les genoux et un
gros biberon de lait dans une main, il s’était confortablement installé dans
son nouveau rôle d’apprenti nourricier – tout en profitant le mieux du monde
des gavages qu’il réclamait...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Un
peu avant la fin de l’automne, comme Quentin s’occupait de ses cochons depuis
deux mois, Robert l’observa plus attentivement. Il poussa un léger grognement d’ours.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Nous allons peser tes cochons."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Hmmmph... Oui ! ils doivent avoir
bien grossi."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Nous allons te peser aussi."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "D’accord..."
répondit Quentin, entre deux larges bouchées de tarte aux myrtilles. "Hmmph
hmmmph..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Tu manges de bon appétit, ce matin, mon
gros !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Hmmmph... c’est vrai, plus que
jamais ! J’ai FAIM, c’est fou..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Et tu as dû bien grossir aussi."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Debout sous la toise, Quentin atteignait
définitivement un mètre quatre-vingt-dix – mais, sur la balance, son poids fit
grimper la flèche jusqu’à cent quatre-vingt-deux kilos...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Cent quatre-vingt-deux kilos, mon
gros !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Comment... mais c’est pas possible !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Je crois
bien que si. En fait, je m’y attendais... Tu ne t’es pas regardé dans une glace
depuis un moment, gros porc."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Mais...
comment j’ai fait pour prendre... ça me fait quoi, trente kilos en deux mois,
c’est ça ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "En gros... si j’ose dire..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "C’est beaucoup, non ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Quentin était bien le seul à pouvoir poser
avec autant d’innocence une question aussi saugrenue.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Suis-moi,
mon gros cochon... Il faut que je te montre quelque chose. Et il faut qu’on
s’explique ce mystère."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>En suivant le fermier, Quentin se sentit soudain
très lourd – et très gras. Pour la première fois depuis le jour où il était
arrivé dans cette ferme, il se trouvait mal à l’aise – non parce qu’il s’y
sentait intrus, mais parce qu’il accusait un poids de corps exagéré, qui
laissait des traces de pas d’une profondeur suspecte dans la terre, en
traversant la petite cours carrée...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Qu’est-ce qui m’arrive ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Pour
commencer, regarde-toi. Regarde bien les progrès que tu as faits, ces derniers
temps."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Il n’y avait pas de doute : le grand
garçon qu’il voyait dans la grande glace, au tain quelque peu fané, piqué par
endroits, était un beau jeune homme nu, bien bâti et large d’épaules mais
démesurément obèse...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "J’ai
commencé à m’inquiéter il y a deux ou trois semaines mais, depuis quelques
jours, j’attendais cette pesée avec impatience."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Qu’est-ce qui t’inquiétait tant que
ça ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Le fermier se saisit des poignées d’amour du
gros garçon, fermement. Il les pressa de proche en proche, en se rapprochant du
nombril de Quentin.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Tu sens
toute cette graisse que j’empoigne ? Il y en a de plus en plus. Regarde un
peu comme tu t’es arrondi, et plus encore... Ton ventre a pris du ventre !
Tu es devenu grassouillet comme un vrai lardon ! C’est quand tu as
commencé à t’empâter aussi salement que je me suis inquiété."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Euh...
oui, j’ai grossi. C’est vrai. Tu me nourris toujours bien, c’est pas si
étonnant... ou si inquiétant."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Tu ne
comprends pas, mon gros... Tout ça, ce gros beignet tout flasque autour de ton
nombril, c’est de la mauvaise graisse. Tu vois, ça t’étouffe les chairs de
partout. Je ne comprends pas comment ça se fait, mais tu t’es mis à gonfler
comme un ballon, et à faire du gras tellement vite... Là, tu es en train de
devenir obèse et adipeux comme un gros lard !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Quentin saisit son ventre à son tour. Comme
il venait de lui en donner la leçon, il n’était que trop évident que Robert
avait raison : Quentin était devenu trop joufflu, trop replet. Sa poitrine
avait perdu de la solidité qu’il tenait de ses pectoraux bien en chair :
elle commençait à couler comme un fromage bien fait, à se reposer sur le haut
de son ventre. Quant à son ventre, il s’était naturellement élargi et arrondi
dans des proportions assez inquiétantes, mais il s’était aussi un peu affaissé
sous l’effet conjugué des gavages toujours abondants qui faisaient gonfler son
estomac et l’ajout de cette épaisse bouée de "mauvaise graisse" qui
débordait de tous côtés, y compris sur ses flancs pourtant bien en chairs...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>En se voyant aussi gros et gras, Quentin ne
pouvait s’empêcher d’être un peu fier de lui, tout de même – et comme il était
nu, il pouvait apprécier combien Robert ne lui en voulait pas trop d’avoir
engraissé à ce point.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>À tout prendre, les nuits qu’ils avaient
passées ensemble depuis que le fermier "s’inquiétait" pour lui
étaient si brûlantes qu’il pouvait mettre en doute ces considérations sur son
obésité – à croire que le fermier n’avait rien trouvé de mieux, pour lui faire
dépenser le plus de calories possible, que de faire frire tout ce lard entre
deux draps. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cependant, il le connaissait assez bien Robert
pour comprendre qu’il ne lui adressait aucun reproche, et que cette leçon
n’avait pour but que de lui rendre une bonne santé...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Tu veux me faire faire un régime ?
Tu m’imagines redevenir maigre..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Jamais de la vie !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>C’était un véritable cri du cœur. Mais Robert
n’en avait pas fini.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Je veux
que tu perdes cette mauvaise graisse. Je vais bien te nourrir, et te gaver
comme tu aimes, pour que tu reprennes du poids en bonne graisse !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Comment
j’ai fait pour prendre de la mauvaise graisse quand c’est toi qui m’engraisse
comme un porc ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Je ne sais pas. Tu grignotes un peu entre
les repas ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Non... Enfin, je ne crois pas..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Tu as toujours faim."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "J’ai toujours faim ! C’est mal barré
pour ton idée de régime..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "T’en
fais pas pour ça... mais depuis deux mois, je te trouvais un peu... un peu
bouffi, comme si tu venais de te goinfrer avec des chips avant de passer à
table."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Des
chips ? Faut pas déconner... Oh ! mais j’y pense... et les granulés
que je donne aux cochons ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "C’est pas des chips."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Non, mais... euh, comment dire... j’en ai
grignoté, c’est sûr."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Aha..."
murmura Quentin. "Mais ça peut pas expliquer une telle prise de poids...
et de gras comme ça !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Mais si, ça peut être que ça."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "C’est
pas si nourrissant. Et c’est même pas bon à goûter... Je connais mes produits."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Ben... en fait, ceux-là, tu les connais
pas."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Après lui avoir raconté comment il avait fait
l’acquisition de ces granulés en forme de perles, Quentin lui montra le sac qui
était ouvert, et comment les cochons s’en régalaient avec une voracité qui, sur
le moment, n’était pas sans rappeler la sienne !<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Je vois,
je vois... Oui, c’est industriel, on ne sait même pas ce qu’il y a là-dedans.
Ça ne m’étonne plus. Voilà comment tu t’es engraissé la panse et les intestins,
comme un gros porc dans une usine !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pour le coup, Quentin eut honte d’avoir puisé
dans tous ces sacs au point de "grignoter" une vingtaine de bols par
jour. Le mal était fait. Il pesait plus de cent quatre-vingt kilos et il était
officiellement obèse... <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Le gros garçon se blottit contre le torse
autrement ferme et musclé de son fermier.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Il faut que tu prennes soin de moi,
Robert... J’ai besoin de toi."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Il n’en fallait pas tant pour que l’ours
prenne l’ascendant sur le fermier. Quentin se sentit pressé, presque broyé dans
toute l’épaisseur de son lard entre les bras de Robert qui le couvrait de
baisers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Allez,
ne t’en fais pas. On va te reprendre en mains, je vais te mettre au travail et
je vais te gaver encore mieux qu’avant..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Tu me gaves déjà comme une oie !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Je ne te
gave pas pour que tu te fasses du foie gras." Robert pressa le flanc de
Quentin, un peu sensible avec cet excès de mauvaise graisse qui l’enrobait. "Je
veux un beau cochon gras."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Plus de perles, alors."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "C’est clair."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Je pourrais pas avoir des chips, de temps
en temps ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "C’est pas parce que t’es
un cochon qu’il faut que tu bouffes des cochonneries."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Oink oink !" répondit Quentin, dans un élan de joie,
en se jetant au cou de Robert pour l’embrasser voracement.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">■ ■ ■<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pendant quelques jours, Quentin
n’exécuta que des travaux de force : fendre des billots de bois, soulever
d’énormes sacs de sable, de gravier ou de ciment, transporter de lourds blocs
de pierre ou de fonte sur de courtes distances, à l’intérieur de la ferme –
rien qui réclame de sa part un effort trop longtemps soutenu pour son cœur...
Comme il s’y attendait, Robert trouvait le jeune homme moins endurant, à bout
de souffle en trop peu de temps, pressé de se rendormir pour laisser reposer
cette mauvaise graisse qui l’étouffait.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Il
fallait se rendre à l’évidence : sans être vraiment "trop lourd" pour les travaux qui l’attendaient, Quentin était
trop dodu et trop "adipeux" – pour reprendre
l’expression employée par Robert : il lui fallait s’exercer un peu et gagner
en souplesse, sinon en agilité. Tel qu’il se tenait ou se déplaçait dans une
pièce, c’était avec la maladresse d’un petit éléphant...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Heureusement pour lui, Quentin n’habitait pas une maison de porcelaine –
et le fermier qui s’occupait de lui usait de méthodes de choc pour briser sa
paresse et profiter au mieux des effets de sa gloutonnerie.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Pour commencer, il lui imposait de se lever très tôt : les deux
fermiers se réveillaient ensemble et descendaient ensemble jusqu’à la cuisine –
pas question pour Quentin de rester au lit à se prélasser en attendant que son
petit-déjeuner soit prêt. Au contraire, il aidait Robert à préparer les tartes
et les pâtisseries, pressait les oranges, coupait les fruits, pétrissait la
pâte, pelait les pommes de terre, nettoyait les légumes...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>À
la grande satisfaction du fermier, le jeune homme ne se plaignait pas. Il
transpirait à grosses gouttes, en battant les œufs et en beurrant les moules à
gâteaux, en broyant les grains de café dans le vieux moulin, en épluchant les
carottes et en découpant les viandes. Il pleurait en coupant les oignons, bien
sûr, mais il était surtout en nage presque tout le temps. Au moment de
s’asseoir pour manger, il avait au moins mérité son repas – et un peu de repos.
Il soupirait d’aise en s’écriant :<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– " À table, enfin... J’AI
FAIM !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Heureusement pour lui, Robert n’avait nullement l’intention d’affamer le
jeune homme – au contraire ! mais il le nourrissait d’abord de veloutés de
potirons, de gratins de choux-fleurs, de courgettes poêlées, de tomates et
d’aubergines farcies : plus de légumes et moins de féculents, du fromage
plutôt que des sucreries, beaucoup de viande blanche et de poisson... Dès que
le beau cochon se trouvait bien rassasié, il le récompensait avec une bonne
tarte aux pommes mais surtout avec d’énormes saladiers remplis de crème fraîche
avec un peu de compote.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ce
régime n’était pas pour le forcer à maigrir, mais pour lui faire "un bon estomac" – comme disait Robert – pendant qu’il dépensait tout son lard,
en travaillant du matin au soir.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>À table, Quentin mangeait encore
plus vite que lorsque le fermier l’avait<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>gavé depuis plusieurs mois. Il dévorait, en prenant les pièces de viande
ou les parts de tarte à pleines mains, le plus souvent. Même les gratins ou les
légumes farcis étaient saisis par poignées, avalés au lance-pierre et repris
avec avidité jusqu’à nettoyer les plats. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Quentin se repaissait comme un vrai
porc – grognant de plaisir à chaque nouveau plat. Il avalait et mâchait bruyamment,
sans faire de manières. Robert lui avait refusé – à contrecœur, et
temporairement – de prendre du pain pour saucer les plats... Il lui faisait boire
une bonne bouteille de vin plutôt qu’une douzaine de chopes de bière, mais ces
petits plaisirs gourmands ne tarderaient pas à revenir au menu du jeune homme –
dès qu’il aurait repris des forces, et un meilleur équilibre corporel. Quentin
ne songeait qu’à se remplir le ventre, tant qu’il était assis dans la cuisine.
Le fermier approuvait cette disposition d’esprit et ces bonnes mauvaises
manières de goret bien gras...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lorsqu’il avait fini les plats de résistance
et qu’il faisait une pause, en attendant d’être gavé pour son dessert, le
cochon rassasié gémissait de contentement.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Hmmm... comme c’est bon de manger !
Je me sens lourd."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Et gras !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Oui,
très gras..." confirmait Quentin en rougissant, et en se donnant une
claque sur les flancs, pour voir son ventre rond onduler doucement, comme la
surface d’un étang où l’on jette un galet.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Tu manges toujours bien. Je dirais même que
tu as repris de l’appétit !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "C’est
vrai... J’avais tort de grignoter comme ça. C’était du gâchis, alors qu’un
festin m’attendait toujours."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Voilà ce qui arrive aux petits cochons
trop goinfres", s’amusait Robert.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Quentin pressait, tâtait et secouait, en soupirant, la molle couche de
lard qui s’étendait d’un flanc à l’autre comme une bouée, en s’épaississant
trop largement autour de son nombril, au point de couvrir ses intestins...
Toute cette graisse s’assemblait en une sorte de gros coussin qui faisait
obstacle entre lui et le bord de la table. Il en était d’autant plus alourdi
que le reste de son ventre était charnu à souhait. Même au moment s’asseoir à
table, il ne pouvait se déplacer que lentement et prudemment. À la fin d’un bon
repas, il était hors de question qu’il se lève de sa chaise avant une
demi-heure – le temps de digérer...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Le
gros garçon respirait encore avec efforts, même en se levant le matin, toujours
un peu trop joufflu et bouffi malgré ses efforts pour se reprendre en main. Il
fallait se rendre à l’évidence : Quentin avait besoin de temps,
d’encouragements et de patience avant d’espérer reprendre ses activités à plein
régime.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Il
y mettait la meilleure volonté du monde, mais son corps semblait se refuser à
le suivre, et à se défaire de son excédent de graisse corporelle... Robert s’en
était aperçu très vite. Rien ne lui échappait des progrès que faisait ou ne
faisait pas Quentin, tant il le couvait toujours du regard – tout en le
traitant assez rudement pour le motiver.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Allez, mon gros ! sur la balance."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Une semaine de changement complet dans l’alimentation, le sommeil et les
travaux de Quentin ne pouvait pas encore faire de miracles. Tout nu sur la
balance, le jeune homme pesait toujours cent-quatre-vingt kilos, et il montrait
tous les signes attendus de l’obésité chez l'adolescent – l’abondante masse de graisse
qu’il avait accumulée en se gavant de perles au chocolat blanc s’était
confortablement installée...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Alors ?..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Pareil que l’autre jour, ou presque."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Seulement deux kilos de moins ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Et
encore ! Tu avais l’estomac plus rempli que ce matin. Comment tu te sens,
gros porc ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Euh...
comme un gros porc." Quentin tâtait son ventre à pleines mains. "J’ai
encore du mal à deviner un recul de la masse flasque..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Je confirme. Elle est là, et bien là."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "J’ai faim... Il faut que je mange. Et je
vais reprendre du poids..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Oh oui !" commenta Robert en
riant. "Et pas qu’un peu !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Qu’est-ce que je dois faire ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Travailler
plus pour transpirer plus, mon cochon. Je te l’ai dit, tu es trop grassouillet."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Transpirer plus... Je suis toujours en
sueur."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Et tu as
le souffle court. Mais ça reviendra... Tu te reposes trop. Il faut dormir, mais
je vais te faire faire de l’exercice."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Le
fermier souriait en voyant Quentin se dandiner comme un porc bien gras, en
descendant de la balance. Une des méthodes les plus efficaces pour faire
transpirer le gros garçon était de le garder tout contre lui au lit, et de lui
faire l’amour toute la nuit dans le plus grand nombre de positions possible.
Robert ne recommandait pas d’autre gymnastique.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Quentin s’efforçait de s’affiner un peu, en suivant le programme et les
instructions du fermier à la lettre, dans ses travaux quotidiens. Il pouvait se
déplacer un peu plus aisément, mais son ventre opposait des sursauts et des
remous lorsqu’il faisait un mouvement trop ample, en coupant du bois par
exemple. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>De
jour en jour, les gestes lui revenaient en mémoire, lui redevenaient plus
naturels et il travaillait un peu plus aisément. Le plus dur restait de se
lever, de retrouver son équilibre et de faire les premiers pas. Le fermier
devait l’aider pour cela. Ensuite, il arrivait à se débrouiller seul.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Je suis
vraiment obèse..." se disait Quentin, parfois un peu triste. "Mais
j’ai tellement FAIM."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Si certains progrès étaient notables, en
effet, c’était surtout lorsque le jeune homme prenait place dans la cuisine
pour son petit-déjeuner, son déjeuner ou son dîner.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>De
jour en jour, son appétit semblait plus affirmé. Quentin pouvait se régaler de
plats copieux et nombreux, il finissait toujours par réclamer des nourritures
plus riches pour satisfaire sa gloutonnerie. Et il se montrait si câlin, au
moment de supplier Robert de le gaver de crème fraîche et de beignets aux
pommes que le fermier avait beaucoup de mal à lui refuser ce qu’il appelait un "caprice" mais qui le réjouissait secrètement.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Le beau garçon était devenu aussi goinfre que
le plus appréciable de ses porcs les plus gras – et Robert ne pouvait manquer
d’apprécier combien le poids de Quentin, qui augmentait à nouveau doucement,
tant en muscle qu’en masse grasse, portait au paroxysme sa virilité, sa vigueur
juvénile et sa sensualité par nature un peu lourde...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Comment... Tu veux encore manger, gros
porc ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "S’il te plaît... juste une douzaine de
beignets."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Avec de la crème fraîche par-dessus."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Hmmm... oui..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Tu ne te trouves pas assez GRAS,
déjà ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Non..."
protestait doucement Quentin, l’air boudeur, ce qui était facilité par ses
joues bien rebondies. "Je veux manger encore..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Je croyais que tu étais fatigué de
manger, encore et encore."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "C’est vrai. Je suis fatigué. J’ouvrirai
la bouche, et tu vas me gaver."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Encore ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "S’il te plaît..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Tu as faim ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "J’ai FAIM !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Le regard du
beau garçon était tout simplement irrésistible.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Tu es vraiment un gros porc,
Quentin !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Oink ! Oink !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Allez,
je vais te gaver... Mais je vais te faire transpirer demain, jusqu’à ce que tu
sois déshydraté, mon petit cochon obèse !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Grrroink..." grogna Quentin,
espiègle, tout sourire.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">■ ■ ■<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Petit à petit, le gros garçon retrouva un meilleur équilibre, des
muscles plus fermes et une carrure plus solide, moins enrobée dans la mauvaise
graisse qui l’étouffait trop vite, en toutes occasions. Il s’était habitué à
son poids, et à se déplacer lentement, avec précautions pour ne pas cogner ou
frotter son ventre contre des murs ou des meubles... <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>De
son côté, Robert s’était habitué aussi dans la compagnie de ce jeune homme
décidément très beau et décidément obèse, langoureux comme un chat dans la
chambre à coucher, vigoureux comme un ours dans la cour de ferme – et goinfre
comme un vrai porc dans la cuisine ou la salle à manger.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>En
reprenant des forces, Quentin avait aussi repris de l’appétit, et il avait
encore pris du poids. Cela ne faisait aucun doute.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Allez, mon gros ! Les porcs sont
pesés. À ton tour sur la balance."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Pour la première fois depuis des mois et des mois, Quentin avait accepté
d’être pesé à jeun. Le petit-déjeuner l’attendait en cuisine.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Allez, allez ! Monte sur le plateau,
gros porc !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Un petit moment..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Quentin mesurait toujours un mètre quatre-vingt-dix, et il semblait plus
harmonieusement bâti, le teint frais, bronzé, bien en chairs... C’est avec
étonnement que les deux hommes virent la flèche de la balance pointer en face
d’un chiffre résolument "rond".<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Sans déconner... Deux-cent kilos ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Deux-cent kilos !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Ah, la vache... Je pèse deux-cent
kilos..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Oh, le gros porc ! Tu pèses
deux-cent kilos !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Deux-cent... Deux-cent kilos tout rond."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Deux-cent kilos bien gras... Et pourtant,
tu me parais plus sain et en bonne forme qu’avant."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Je me
demande si j’ai perdu même un kilo de ma mauvaise graisse... ou si j’en ai
perdu, qu’est-ce que j’ai dû stocker comme bonne graisse !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Robert vint prendre le jeune homme dans ses bras. Il était fier de lui –
fier de son poids, de son appétit, de sa voracité même, de son corps plus dodu
et plus appétissant que jamais...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Tu as
perdu et tu as pris du gras. Mais c’est du bon gras, du bon lard... Si tu étais
un cochon, ton éleveur serait digne d’éloges."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Tu dis n’importe quoi..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Pourquoi ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Parce
que je suis un cochon, d’abord..." murmura Quentin. "Et parce que mon
éleveur, c’est toi."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "C’est vrai..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Tu m’as
bien nourri, et gavé... et engraissé... Je suis un petit cochon... je veux
dire, un gros cochon bien lourd ! Mais même si je pèse un bon poids, tu ne
mérites pas encore des éloges."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Pourquoi ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Parce
que j’ai FAIM ! J’ai faim, et il faut qu’on fête ces deux-cent kilos. Je
veux que tu me gaves jusqu’à ce que je te dise d’arrêter de me nourrir.
D’accord ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Entendu ! Après tout, tu ne
repasseras plus deux-cent kilos."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "C’est comme un anniversaire de cochon,
alors..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "On peut dire ça !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">■ ■ ■<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Le festin de Quentin dura toute la
matinée... En début d’après-midi, le fermier considéra qu’il devait s’occuper
de ses bêtes. Le plus gros et le plus lourd de ses cochons était au lit, écrasé
de fatigue et de nourriture – il lui faudrait toute la soirée pour digérer...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>En comparaison, les autres porcs et
porcelets lui semblaient bien minces, presque sveltes. Robert vint leur servir
de quoi satisfaire largement leur appétit, dans les grandes auges où ils se
pressaient. Il s’occupa ensuite de les gaver l’un après l’autre, des plus
jeunes aux plus vieux.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Il allait et venait d’un bâtiment à
l’autre. De temps en temps, il jetait un regard en direction du deuxième étage
et de la chambre à coucher d’où il pouvait entendre, en tendant l’oreille,
Quentin qui ronflait profondément.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Revenant sur terre, il aperçut, au
loin, une sorte de camionnette blanche qui roulait sur la grand-route... Son
sang ne fit qu’un tour et, ses réflexes d’ours protecteur aussitôt en éveil, il
adopta l’attitude d’un homme occupé à travailler dans la cour devant le
portail, attentif à tout ce qui l’entourait – mais qu’il vaudrait mieux ne pas
déranger.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Comme il s’y attendait – ou comme
il ne s’y attendait pas vraiment, mais comme il le redoutait sourdement – le
véhicule s’arrêta sur le bord de la route, en face de sa ferme.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Une jeune femme en sortit, vêtue
d’une blouse grise. Robert ne l’avait observée que du coin de l’œil, et
affectait d’ignorer sa présence. Son air renfrogné trahissait qu’il l’avait
remarquée. Mieux encore, il l’avait déjà comme jugée. Les vêtements qu’elle
portait, purement fonctionnels, ne rendaient pas justice à ses formes. En
sortant de sa fourgonnette, elle se redressa en prenant une pose de mannequin.
Robert soupçonnait qu’elle devait s’habiller de manière plus seyante, quand
elle n’était pas occupée dans son travail.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Le caractère professionnel de cette
visite inattendue était rendu clair et presque obligé par les grands noms et
messages floqués sur le véhicule, en lettres violettes sur le blanc de la
carrosserie : La jeune femme devait être représentante en alimentation
pour élevages ovins, bovins et porcins.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Bonjour ? Monsieur ?..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dans ces conditions, il valait mieux engager
la conversation et y couper court, pour ne pas perdre de temps.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Bonjour."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Excusez-moi... Je suis un peu perdue."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Ah..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Je veux dire... J’ai peur de m’être
trompée de route."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Ça dépend. Vous allez où ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Je cherche la ferme... attendez..." <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Elle lui dit un nom, griffonné sur une
feuille de papier. C’était bien sa ferme. Pour autant, Robert ne se montrait
pas plus accueillant.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Oui, c’est ici."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Ah, enfin ! Très bien..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Vous venez pour quoi ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Vous ne
vous souvenez pas de moi, mais j’avais traité avec votre fils. Ou votre
apprenti..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Ah ! ça doit remonter à un moment.
Mon fils a quitté la maison."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Votre apprenti, alors... Un beau jeune
homme..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Elle lui décrit Quentin assez
exactement. Le fermier l’écoutait sans rien trahir de son émotion, mais cette
description lui serrait le cœur. Était-ce bien Quentin, ce jeune garçon mince
(trop maigre), élancé (efflanqué), un peu espiègle (câlin comme une peluche) et
aux yeux bleus (aux yeux d’un vert d’eau trouble et profond) ?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>L’attention qu’elle portait à ces
détails le rendait plus méfiant qu’un tigre. Il devait se tenir à quatre pour
ne pas bondir et la plaquer au sol. Peut-être savait-elle quelque chose qu’il
ignorait, tout en l’interrogeant sur des détails futiles qu’il refusait de
partager ? Peut-être était-elle complice de la bande de ces anciens
amis ?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Peut-être n’était-ce rien, et ne
savait-elle rien. Il valait mieux qu’elle s’en aille, tout de suite, sans avoir
rien appris.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Je vois de qui vous voulez parler, mais
ça fait une paye !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Comment... il est parti, lui aussi ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Vous
voyez la route par laquelle vous êtes venue ? Eh ben, vous aviez raison
tout à l’heure. Vous vous êtes bien trompée ! C’est pas une route faire
pour venir, c’est une route faite pour partir. Pour s’en aller... Et loin,
encore !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Je vois..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Vous voyez."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Elle ne bougeait pas. Le fermier
l’avait invitée à repartir avec un peu trop d’insistance, peut-être.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Elle semblait hésiter – elle
s’apprêtait à insister, en fait. Robert sentit le coup de partie qu’elle
entendait jouer. Il prit les devants pour attaquer à sa place.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Qu’est-ce que vous aviez traité avec
lui ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Mais...
je lui avais fait profiter d’une promotion sur notre toute nouvelle gamme de
produits. Je travaille dans la recherche agroalimentaire, et je lui avais
présenté nos granulés blanc perle, des granulés nourrissants et savoureux, très
appréciés, pour de bons gros cochons gras..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Je vois..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Vous voyez."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Le fermier ne "dégelait" pas, de toute évidence.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>En songeant à la manière dont Quentin avait
engraissé en grignotant ces cochonneries, Robert n’avait pas tant de
compliments à faire à cette jeune personne, quoiqu’elle ait semblé montrer les
meilleures intentions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "De bons gros cochons
gras... Oui, évidemment, ça se passe un peu dans ma cour,
puisque je suis éleveur."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "C’est ce
qui m’a mise sur la piste !" répondit-elle avec un rire qui n’était
pas forcé. "On les entend bien, vos cochons !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Ah ? Oui, là ils mangent... Moi, je
suis habitué à les entendre grogner."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "J’imagine... Alors ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Oui, alors ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Il en a profité, votre apprenti ?
Avant de partir, bien sûr..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Profité de quoi ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "De...
mon offre promotionnelle. Enfin, de nos produits pour engraisser les cochons."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Ah... Comment dire, oui... Oui, il en a
profité."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>C’était le moins que Robert pouvait en dire. Quentin avait profité de
ces granulés "blanc perle", et de leur effet sur son tour
de taille, encore plus largement qu’il n’aurait dû !<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Et... Il en était content ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Euh heu..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Sans plus ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Elle semblait sincèrement déçue.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Oui, il
était content. Mais on ne s’est pas entendus sur ce produit et son utilisation.
Qu’est-ce que vous voulez ? je suis de l’ancienne école, moi. Je suis un
fermier traditionnel."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "D’accord..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Les
nouvelles technologies, tout ça... J’ai pas besoin de faire appel à
la-grosse-alimentaire pour faire bien grossir mes cochons."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>La jeune femme hocha la tête,
admettant sa défaite.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Dommage... Enfin, je n’insiste pas..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "C’est pas pour vous faire de la peine que
je dis ça, remarquez."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Merci. Vous voyez, vous êtes gentil...
l’air de rien."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "C’est vous qui avez trouvé l’idée pour
ces granulés ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "L’idée ?
Euh... pour le nom, un peu. Pour la recette, on était une petite équipe de
chercheurs."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Des chercheurs ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Oui, des chercheurs."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Pour trouver une recette de
cuisine ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Si vous
voulez..." gloussa-t-elle. "Ce n’est pas vraiment une recette de
cuisine... mais le résultat est le même, et j’ai participé à bien étudier la
formule."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "La formule ? Comme au restaurant,
alors."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "C’est ça ! Vous voyez, vous avez
tout compris."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Elle s’amusait. Robert jouait
serré. Elle avait baissé sa garde.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Il valait mieux qu’elle continue à
rire ainsi : les ronflements de Quentin n’étaient vraiment pas discrets...
Depuis qu’il avait pris ces trente kilos de mauvaise graisse, le gros garçon
avait commencé à ronfler profondément et largement.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Et maintenant, vous vendez la recette.
Enfin, la formule..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Au
contraire !" répondit-elle du tac-au-tac, avec un sourire malicieux.
"Vous l’avez bien dit, c’est comme au restaurant. Il s’agit de garder la
formule secrète... Disons que nous vendons nos granulés comme autant de bons
petits plats."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Des bons petits plats pour des gros
cochons..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Il en faut pour tout le monde, et pour
tous les goûts."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Je suis bien d’accord."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Dommage
que ça ne soit pas de votre goût, à vous. Enfin, je veux dire, pour vos
cochons..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "C’est comme ça. Vous devez avoir du
succès, quand même !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Non sans
quelque coquetterie, elle hésitait un peu à se confier.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Nous avons
obtenu de modestes succès, mais encourageants tout de même. Il faut dire que la
nouvelle école n’est pas du tout moins exigeante que l’ancienne... pour
employer votre expression."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Je le
crois volontiers. Mais c’est une affaire que vous avez montée en famille,
alors ? Ou en équipe ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "L’un et
l’autre, figurez-vous... Il y avait ma tante et sa fille, et moi, et six autres
chercheurs. C’est ma tante Fabienne qui a trouvé la formule."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Les ronflements de Quentin avaient
cessé. Le gros garçon était occupé à digérer, ce qui devait certainement le
faire se tourner d’un bord à l’autre, dans le lit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>La conversation avait assez duré.
La jeune fille ne semblait plus disposée à insister, après avoir été amenée à
discuter de choses et d’autres, toutes très éloignées du sujet que le fermier
se refuserait encore obstinément à évoquer...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Oui...
Nous avons trouvé la formule, j’espérais me trouver sur les lieux. Tant pis..."
concluait-elle distraitement.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Je pense que vous saurez retrouver votre
chemin."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "En fait... je n’en suis pas si sûre. Si
vous voulez bien m’indiquer, sur la carte..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Où est-elle, votre carte ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Dans ma boîte à gants. Un instant..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Au moment où elle traversait la rue, avec sa
carte dépliée devant elle, un rot inimitablement profond retentit – lourd et,
pour tout dire, rond au point de sonner "gras" – et résonna
longuement depuis le deuxième étage de la ferme...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRP</b> !!!"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>La jeune fille en fut frappée d’étonnement,
pratiquement immobilisée sur place, comme les bêtes terrifiées par un roulement
de tonnerre annonçant un orage.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "C’était quoi, ça ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Quoi donc ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "J’ai cru
entendre... C’est ridicule, mais... Oui, j’ai cru entendre un rot."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Ah ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Mais un rot... vraiment, un rot énorme !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Eh ben, c’est un cochon."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Un cochon ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Évidemment."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Vous ne l’avez pas entendu ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Quoi ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Ce rot... Enfin, je crois que c’était
comme un cochon qui..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Elle
n’arrivait pas au bout de sa phrase. Le fermier haussait les épaules.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Je vous l’ai dit, j’y suis habitué. Je ne
fais plus attention."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "C’était bien un cochon, alors."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Pour ça, oui ! sans doute."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Il doit être gavé à bloc, votre cochon..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Évidemment."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Robert s’amusait, à son tour, de
l’étonnement de cette jeune personne qui fournissait aux fermiers des produits
pour engraisser leurs cochons presque aussi rapidement que l’on aurait gonflé des
ballons de baudruche, et qui s’étonnait de les voir en faire un meilleur usage.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Il l’avait bien observée, pendant
qu’ils discutaient – il savait à quoi s’en tenir.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">■ ■ ■<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Revenue au village, la jeune fille
vint garer sa fourgonnette sous les arbres, dont le feuillage se dégarnissait.
Elle sortit furtivement et jeta un regard circulaire sur la place de l’église,
déserte à cette heure-ci.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Il n’y avait pas de réseau – bien
évidemment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Non sans un soupir d’agacement,
elle fit le tour de la place et entra dans une cabine téléphonique.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Allo ?
Oui, c’est moi... Exactement. C’est ce qu’on pensait. Je sais, tout ça pour
revenir à la case départ ! Vous ne m’avez pas écouté, tant pis... Vous
avez seulement perdu votre temps. Et le mien. Mais j’avais raison... Je te dis
qu’il est là. J’en suis sûre... Non, je ne l’ai pas vu ! Qu’est-ce que tu
vas t’imaginer ?... Il se cache, mais il est là. Le fermier ? Oui,
c’est un problème, il en impose drôlement. C’est pour ça... Écoute, fais-les
revenir au moins pour récupérer les perles... Ah oui, Mammouth et les
autres ! On a besoin de gros bras ! Mais je suis bien de ton avis,
moi aussi. On s’en débarrassera plus tard..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Un passant traversait la place pour
acheter du pain à la boulangerie.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– "Qu’est-ce
que tu dis ?... Oui ?... Non, je dois repartir au boulot. Et puis, si
ça se trouve, le vieux se méfie déjà... C’est ça, préparez-vous, de votre côté.
Ça risque de tourner au sale. Autant garder nos distances quand ils seront
occupés à saigner le cochon... Voilà. Entendu... On vous attend. Et ne tardez
pas trop !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">À suivre</i>...)</span></div></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5094005257601699515.post-56160084750344181702018-08-08T17:02:00.005-07:002023-07-30T09:24:44.957-07:00Suite à la française : "Des perles aux cochons" (première partie)<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">I.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">
"<i>impendunt curas denso distendere
pingui,<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"><i>
quem legere ducem et pecori dixere
maritum</i>."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> "Ils consacrent leurs soins à
remplir d’une épaisse graisse<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> celui qu’ils ont choisi comme le
chef et l’époux du troupeau."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">VIRGILE<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"><i>Géorgiques </i>(livre III, v.124-125)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: right;"><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Allez, debout ! Les cochons vont pas s’engraisser tous
seuls…"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Robert se levait toujours avant l’aube. Il était cinq heures du
matin. Comme il avait coutume de dire, ceux qui se lèvent avec les poules n’ont
qu’à élever des poules. Robert en avait bien quelques-unes, et deux coqs. Il
avait aussi deux bœufs et cinq vaches – et même un veau, en ce moment… Mais son
métier, en tant que fermier, c’était d’élever des cochons : il en avait
plus d’une centaine.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> La journée s’annonçait splendide. Il faisait chaud. L’air
était lourd. À l’abri dans leurs enclos, à l’ombre, les cochons grognaient déjà
et réclamaient. Robert leur servait leur nourriture habituelle, en veillant à
ce que chacun en prenne sa bonne part. Il prenait bien soin de ses bêtes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Après avoir fait le tour de la douzaine de mangeoires où
les cochons les plus gros étaient maintenant occupés à se remplir l’estomac,
Robert se rendit dans la grange où il gardait les plus jeunes pourceaux. Il
fallait rester prudent et ne pas les laisser avec leurs aînés, plus lourds et
plus méchants, tant qu’ils ne seraient pas assez forts pour leur en imposer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Robert savait ce qu’il faisait. Au village, il avait la
meilleure réputation. Et dans les foires agricoles, il n’était pas rare qu’il
remporte des prix. S’il l’avait voulu, il aurait pu monter à Paris pour se
faire vraiment connaître. Il aurait rencontré des professionnels, serré des
mains de ministres et peut-être du président.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Il n’avait jamais fait le déplacement.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> À quoi bon, tout compte fait ? Il avait déjà bien
assez vu le président au journal télévisé. Il avait mieux à faire que serrer
des mains d’hommes politiques. Et de femmes politiques, bien sûr. À son idée au
moins, les cochons, c’est plus propre.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Quant à ses comptes, ils étaient bien faits, bien tenus
et en ordre. Il n’y avait pas l’ombre d’une hypothèque sur sa ferme ni sur ses
terres. Le banquier devait se tenir à carreau, puisqu’il ne lui devait pas un
rond. Et quand sa femme était partie, elle n’avait même pas demandé le
divorce : elle y aurait perdu sa chemise et ses bijoux, sans rien obtenir comme
parts ou propriétés. Robert n’avait rien à se reprocher. Le plus étonnant,
c’est qu’on ne lui reprochait rien.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Ce n’était peut-être pas si étonnant, quand on
considérait le bonhomme.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Du haut de son mètre quatre-vingt-seize bien compté,
Robert abordait sans broncher une cinquantaine à peine grisonnante. C’était
plutôt sa barbe qui virait au gris, mais comme il se faisait couper les cheveux
très courts, l’ensemble était uni. Même s’il était loin d’être bavard, on
pouvait lui parler. Il rendait toujours service et, comme il était bâti comme
un athlète de foire, le service était vite rendu. On l’avait vu déraciner une
souche d’arbre centenaire en serrant le tronc entre ses bras plus souvent qu’on
ne l’avait vu sourire, mais il était bien connu de tous les habitants de la
région. Et on savait bien qu’au fond il avait un cœur d’or.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "C’est un bon gars", disait-on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Et c’était tout dire.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Eh ! Veux-tu bien revenir dans ta soue, avec les autres."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Robert s’adressait à un porcelet qui traversait la cour.
À peine plus gros qu’un chat, il était arrivé à se faufiler hors de la
grange pour respirer l’air du matin. Le fermier lui courut après pendant
quelques minutes. Au moment de l’attraper, il s’arrêta soudain. Quelqu’un
venait de faire grincer la barrière de la ferme.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Malgré les grognements des porcs, le gloussement des oies
et le caquètement des poules, Robert ne se trompait pas. Il avait l’ouïe fine.
Et puis, la ferme qu’il habitait se tenait à une bonne distance de tous les
villages du canton.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Ce n’était pourtant pas le jour où le facteur devait
passer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Quelqu’un ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Robert se présenta devant la barrière. Il vit son
porcelet entre les mains d’un jeune homme, qui venait de l’attraper. Avec son
sac à dos, son <i>jean </i>boueux et délavé, sa chemise ouverte toute
poussiéreuse et ses chaussures qui n’étaient pas tout-à-fait des chaussures de
marche, il avait l’air d’un campeur égaré.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Le fermier grogna : il tenait son porcelet contre
lui, comme si c’était un chiot ou un chaton.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Timidement, le jeune homme se présenta.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Bonjour, monsieur…"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Bonjour."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Tenez, je vous le rends. Il allait sortir…"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Fallait pas ouvrir la barrière."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Le jeune homme baissa les yeux.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Pardon."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Qu’est-ce que tu fais dans le coin ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Je cherchais… Je me demandais… Vous n’auriez pas besoin de
quelqu’un pour cet été ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Pour quoi faire ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Pour travailler."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Robert regarda à droite et à gauche, comme quelqu’un qui
a perdu un de ses outils dans l’herbe. Le jeune homme suivait ses mouvements du
regard.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Vous cherchez quoi ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "La petite annonce que j’avais mis dans le journal, et que
j’avais clouée sur le poteau. Attends voir… Non, c'est ce que je pensais. J’en
ai pas mis. J’ai besoin de personne."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "S’il vous plaît… C’est une grande ferme, ici. Vous aurez
forcément du travail pour un employé de plus, avec la saison qui vient."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Quel employé de plus ? Y a que moi ici."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "…Vous êtes tout seul ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Le jeune homme le regardait droit dans les yeux. Robert
n’aimait pas qu’on le dévisage mais, pour une fois, il ne grogna pas.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Comment tu t’appelles, gamin ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Quentin."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Alors écoute-moi bien, Quentin. J’ai besoin de personne, ni
pour m’occuper de mes cochons, ni pour me défendre. Rends-moi Fripon et
retourne-t-en t’occuper de tes affaires."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Fripon ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Le cochon, gamin."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Quentin remit le porcelet entre les mains du fermier. Ce
faisant, il ne pouvait s’empêcher de comparer ces grandes pattes, à la fois
puissantes et caressantes, avec ses propres mains plus délicates. Robert avait
l’ouïe fine, et il lui sembla que le jeune homme venait de laisser échapper un
soupir.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Merci…"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Fripon, c’est un drôle de nom pour un cochon."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Si on veut."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Je comprends, s’il est toujours à vouloir prendre le
large."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Le fermier porta le petit porcelet à hauteur de son
visage, comme s’il lui parlait plutôt qu’il ne s’adressait à Quentin.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Un bon cochon ne prend pas le large. Il devient large. Il prend
du gras… Et pas qu’un peu ! Non, je l’ai appelé comme ça parce qu’il était
tout fripé, quand il est venu au monde. Tu veux le tenir un moment ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Euh… Oui."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Robert prit le trousseau de clefs des granges, dans sa
poche.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Suis-moi."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Il referma la barrière et mena Quentin jusqu’à l’enclos
des pourceaux. Il y en avait sept ou huit qui se précipitèrent vers le fermier,
en grognant joyeusement. Plus loin, dans l’ombre, on entendait d’autres gorets
qui tétaient.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Quentin s’avança, mais l’odeur le surprit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Ah, la vache !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Non, ça c’est une truie…"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> La truie en question était énorme. Elle devait peser au
moins deux cents kilos. Robert lui avait attaché les pattes pour qu’elle ne
dévore pas ses propres porcelets, mais il se dit qu’il vaudrait mieux ne pas en
parler à un jeune garçon déjà mal à l’aise. C’était pourtant vrai qu’elle puait
de malpropreté. Robert avait l’habitude.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Tu es sûr de vouloir travailler ici ? Tu m’as pas l’air
d’un gars de la campagne. Et puis, si c’était le cas, je te connaîtrais. Ou je
connaîtrais tes parents."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Non, je suis pas du coin…"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Alors, tu vois."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Mais je pourrais apprendre. Enfin… Vous pourriez
m’apprendre."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Ouais…"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Robert considéra un peu plus attentivement ce jeune
homme. Il se tenait droit, et il devait bien faire un mètre quatre-vingt.
Blond, les yeux bleu-vert, pas rasé, le cou un peu grêle mais les épaules
larges, il manquait de coffre et malgré une ceinture en cuir complètement râpé,
son pantalon entourait ses hanches comme un emballage de bonbon ouvert.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "C’est pas des trucs qu’on apprend en dix jours."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Justement !" Quentin se ravisa aussitôt. Son
empressement était visible. Il n’y avait pas de quoi se montrer aussi nerveux,
pourtant. "Je peux rester le temps qu’il faudra. Si vous voulez…"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "D’accord, mais ça sera pas de tout repos. Au
contraire !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Ça me va."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Tu m’as l’air d’un drôle de gars, Quentin."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Le jeune homme rougit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Tu m’as surtout l’air d’un gars qui a rien mangé depuis deux
jours. Je me trompe ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Non…" Quentin baissa les yeux, mais il protesta aussitôt.
"Mais je suis pas un vagabond. Je ferai ce qu’il faut, je travaillerai
bien."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Robert secoua la tête.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Bon. Pour commencer, tu vas me suivre à la cuisine… Le premier
devoir d’un paysan, c’est de bien manger."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;">■</span><span face=""verdana" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;"> </span><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;">■</span><span face=""verdana" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;"> </span><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;">■</span><span face=""verdana" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Une heure plus tard, dans la cuisine, Quentin attaquait
sa quatrième assiette de pâtes avec deux autres blancs de poulet, une grande
omelette au fromage et une salade de tomates fraîches du jardin.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Il mangeait bruyamment, sans faire de manières. Robert appréciait
de le voir reprendre du pain pour saucer chaque plat. Il ouvrait une deuxième
bouteille de vin lorsque le jeune homme fit une pause pour gémir de
contentement.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Hmmmph… Comment c’est bon !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "T’as bon appétit. Ça fait plaisir à voir."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "J’ai jamais aussi bien mangé."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Faut croire, comme t'es tout maigre !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Je veux dire… J’ai jamais rien mangé d’aussi bon."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Faut rien exagérer. C’est de la cuisine toute simple… Tu
verras ça, dimanche. Un vrai repas dominical, c’est autre chose !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Quentin se tourna vers le fermier, les yeux dans les
yeux.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Alors je peux rester ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "J’ai rien contre… Mais j’espère que tu travailleras aussi
bien que tu manges."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Si tous mes repas sont comme celui-là, je comprends qu’il faut
les mériter !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Allez, reprends un coup de blanc et dis pas de bêtises."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Robert se versa un verre aussi. Quentin finissait de
manger.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Tu es arrivé quand, dans le coin ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Au village ? Hier soir."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "T’as dormi à la belle étoile, alors ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Pas le choix… J’ai plus un sou sur moi."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "C’est pas deux jours de marche et de jeûne qui t’ont rendu
aussi efflanqué. Tu étais où, avant ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "J’étais… ailleurs."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Joue pas au con. Tu vois très bien ce que je veux dire."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Euh… Non, je vois pas."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Ta ceinture et tes godasses, c’est pas du croco. Tu en as
gratté tout ce que t’as pu, mais j’en ai déjà vu de pareilles. Et je sais où
c’était."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Quentin posa sa fourchette et son couteau.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Vous avez compris tout de suite."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "T’en fais pas, je dirai rien. À qui j’en parlerais,
d’abord ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Comment vous connaissez déjà tout ça ? Vous avez fait de la
tôle, vous aussi ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Pas longtemps… Et puis c'était y a longtemps. Y a
prescription, comme dit mon docteur. Mais je vois que l’administration se fout
pas mal de suivre la mode."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Oui…"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Robert vida son verre d’un trait, se leva, s’approcha de
Quentin et lui donna une bonne tape dans le dos.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Allez, faut pas que ça te coupe l’appétit."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Malgré ces encouragements, Quentin montrait moins de
voracité.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Vraiment, vous direz rien ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Non. Mais faut être honnêtes, toi et moi."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "D’accord."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Je dirai rien, mais on se dit tout."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Dites-moi comment vous vous êtes retrouvé au trou,
alors…"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Robert soupira. C’étaient de vieux souvenirs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Qu’est-ce que tu veux, j’étais jeune et un peu con. La
jeunesse, c’est un défaut qui se corrige chaque jour. Pour la connerie, je me
demande si ça n’irait pas plutôt en s’aggravant. J’étais encore chez mes vieux.
J’ai fugué, j’ai braconné un peu. Ce qui est con, c’est que j’étais doué… Alors
ça a commencé à se voir, et puis ma vieille m’a lâché aux flics. Tu vois qu’on
en fera pas une aventure."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Non… C’est rien de grave."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Et toi ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> À son tour, Quentin grogna doucement. Il avait trop mangé
aussi.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "C’est un peu pareil. Sauf que je saurais pas tendre des pièges
pour choper des lapins… Je m’entendais pas avec mes parents. J’ai quitté la
maison bêtement. Je me suis laissé entraîner bêtement par des potes… Enfin, je
croyais que c’était des potes. Et on s’est embarqués bêtement dans un
cambriolage…"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Et tu t’es fait choper bêtement."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Comme un lapin."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Robert sourit. Quentin restait un peu rouge. Il n'avait
pas l'habitude de boire autant non plus.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Je suis pas un voleur. Même les flics me l’ont dit. Enfin, ils
se sont bien foutu de moi… Je suis pas doué pour ça… Vous risquez rien
avec moi."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "De toutes façons, tu volerais quoi ? C’est une ferme,
ici. On dit toujours que les paysans cachent des pleines boîtes de biscuits
remplies de pièces d’or. C’est des conneries, tout ça !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Surpris, Quentin éclata de rire. Robert se surprit
lui-même à sourire encore. Si quelqu’un du village l’avait vu, tout le canton
en aurait parlé jusqu’à Pâques…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Peut-être qu’il risquait quelque chose, en gardant un
jeune vagabond comme Quentin chez lui. Les gens sont si petitement méchants.
Cette pensée le fit rougir à nouveau, mais de colère. Qu’est-ce que ça pouvait
lui faire, ce qu’on en dirait !<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "T’as faim ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Vous déconnez. J’ai dévoré quoi, quatre assiettes comme j’ai
jamais été servi, même à la cantine…"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "J’ai passé l’âge d’aller à l’école. T’as faim ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Ben… Je sais pas…"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Me fais pas répéter, j’aime pas ça. T’as faim ou t’as plus
faim."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Quentin regarda longuement son assiette vide, un peu
troublé.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "J’ai carrément faim."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Alors bouge pas, je te ressers."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Robert mit deux belles tranches de gigot dans une poêle,
et une autre omelette de six œufs dans l’autre. Une casserole de pommes de
terre serait vite prête, elle aussi.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Quelle heure il est ? Vous devez avoir plein de travail à
faire."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "J’ai toujours plein de travail à faire."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Désolé…"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "J’ai toujours plein de trucs à faire, alors on se fout pas mal
de l’heure qu’il est."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Dès que les tranches de gigot, les pommes de terre
sautées, l’omelette au fromage et les carottes râpées furent prêtes, Quentin se
remit à manger à toute vitesse.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Ça va, je t’ai dit qu’on se foutait de l’heure."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Hmmmph ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "T’as pas besoin de te presser comme ça."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Pardon… C’est une habitude. En prison, c’est toujours à qui
prendra le yaourt de l’autre."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Eh ben ! Ils t’ont marqué au fer rouge, ma parole… Pour les desserts, on
verra plus tard."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Hmmmph… De toutes façons, avec tout ça, si je suis pas déjà rassasié…"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Le fermier regarda encore plus attentivement comment
Quentin mangeait. Le garçon s’empiffrait. Dans moins de cinq minutes, il aurait
englouti son omelette… Et il n’attendrait pas une minute pour se jeter sur le
gigot.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Dis-moi, gamin…"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Hmmmph ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "On se dit tout. D’accord ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Hmmmph… Oui."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Dis-moi. T’as faim ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Quentin s’arrêta de manger d’un coup, tellement la
question l’avait surpris. Il était tout rouge, et ce n’était pas seulement
parce qu’il avait avalé trop vite.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "…Pourquoi vous me demandez ça ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Réponds d’abord. Je te dirai."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "C’est que…"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> La question désorientait complètement le jeune homme.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "On se dit tout, alors. Sincèrement ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Sincèrement."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "C’est que… En fait… J’ai toujours faim. Je sais pas comment ça
se fait. C’est sûr qu’on se payait pas des festins, à la maison, mais j’ai
jamais osé demandé à un médecin… Quand j’étais en tôle, j’en ai parlé à
l’infirmerie parce que j’en étais tombé malade. Mais ils en ont rien dit,
évidemment."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Évidemment."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Pendant un long instant, ce fut le silence autour de la
table. Robert regardait le jeune homme droit dans les yeux – mais s’il avait voulu
en faire un combat de regards, il était sûr de le perdre. Avec ses yeux d’un
bleu-vert intense, et cette expression affamée ou assoiffée au point d’en
paraître passionnée, Quentin ne lui laissait aucune chance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Il avait bien plus l’air d’un jeune loup traqué par une
meute de chiens qu’un gentil porcelet docile. Il y avait quelque chose de
maladroit et de sauvage dans son attitude, jusque dans ses gestes. Robert en
était fasciné. Aussi bien, il avait déjà plus que son compte de porcelets
dociles dans sa ferme !<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Pourquoi vous m’avez demandé si j’avais faim ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Parce que je veux que tu aies plus faim."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;">■</span><span face=""verdana" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;"> </span><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;">■</span><span face=""verdana" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;"> </span><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;">■</span><span face=""verdana" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Comme prévu, la journée avait été splendide.
Heureusement, Robert n’avait pas de programme établi à l’avance. Avec un
nouveau venu dans la propriété, il n’était pas question de travailler comme
n’importe quel autre jour.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Quentin était sorti de la cuisine vers midi, le rouge aux
joues et le ventre bien rebondi. Mais quand le moment fut venu de se retrousser
les manches, Robert ne put s’empêcher de témoigner de sa surprise – à sa façon.
Quentin maniait les pelles, les râteaux, les serpes et les haches comme s’il
les avait tenus en mains depuis toujours. Il soulevait des balles de foin à
bout de bras, en tenant les fils fermement entre ses mains. Robert lui avait
fourni des gants, bien sûr, pour ne pas se couper.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> En quelques heures, le travail d’une journée entière
était achevé grâce à lui. Le soleil n’était pas près de se coucher. Les poules
et les coqs picoraient. Les oies se dandinaient dans la cour. On entendait les
porcs se presser en grognant devant les mangeoires que Robert avait remplies
plus généreusement qu’à son habitude.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Qu’est-ce que vous leur donnez à manger ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Beaucoup de céréales : du blé, de l’orge, du maïs, de l’avoine,
de la farine. Tu vois, ça se présente comme des gros pois chiches. Je me
fournis au marché du canton, tous les quatre à six mois. Comme c’est plutôt
sec, faut leur servir une bonne bouillie avec de l’huile, du lait…"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "D’accord."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Contrairement à ce qu’on croit, un cochon a un petit estomac…
C’est pour ça qu’il faut lui donner plusieurs repas chaque jour. C’est du
boulot."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Combien de repas par jour ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Entre six et huit. Comme il fait lourd, aujourd’hui, on va
s’arrêter à six, peut-être. Mais en automne, et surtout en hiver, faut bien
monter à dix repas, chaque jour !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Ah ouais, quand même…"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Évidemment. Faut qu’ils engraissent."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Avec la soirée qui tombait doucement, l’air était enfin
plus doux. Sans changer de vêtements ni de chaussures, Quentin avait passé des
heures à travailler dans la cour et dans le champ devant la ferme, de l’autre
côté de la route. Il était tout trempé de sueur et poussiéreux, mais il ne
semblait pas incommodé pour si peu.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> En le voyant revenir avec une serpe et une serpette dans
une main, et deux haches dans l’autre, Robert émit un grognement satisfait.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "C’est bien. Si tu ne sais pas quoi faire, il y a des billes de
bois qui t’attendent dans l’arrière-cour."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Des billes ? Je suis pas là pour jouer aux billes."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Quoi, tu sais pas ce que c’est ? Une bille de bois, c’est
comme une tranche de tronc d’arbre, quand on a nettoyé le lierre et tout."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Ah, d’accord. Vous voulez que je fasse des bûches ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Puisque t’es là. Il est jamais trop tôt pour les mettre à
sécher."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "J’y vais."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Une heure plus tard, Robert avait fini ce qu’il avait à
faire. En jetant un coup d'œil dans l’arrière-cour, il vit que Quentin avait
fini par ôter sa chemise, qui devait le gêner dans ses mouvements. Son torse
ruisselait littéralement de sueur, et ses cheveux blonds étaient comme collés
en longs bandeaux désordonnés autour de sa tête. Il y avait une bonne vingtaine
de bûches entassées à côté de lui, mais il s’apprêtait à en débiter encore
quelques-unes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Un beau gars", aurait dit n’importe quelle femme du
village.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Et c’était un rare compliment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Robert y songeait. Les femmes du village, toujours si
difficiles avec leurs petits mines sévères et pincées, avec leur air de ne pas
y toucher, toujours basses comme l’herbe et, comme des insectes, toujours si
rapides pour ravir le moindre sou à leur portée – oui, oui, elles
pouvaient causer !<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Quand on le voyait s’acharner sur ce tronc noueux, les
épaules luisantes, le front voilé d’un nuage et les lèvres rouges à force de
souffler, Quentin méritait bien qu’on l’appelle un "beau gars".
C’était la moindre des choses.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Au moins tu boudes pas au feu !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Quentin sursauta. La hache qu’il tenait tomba lourdement
sur le sol. Il n’avait pas entendu Robert sortir de la cuisine et s’approcher,
comme il tournait le dos à la maison.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Bouder au feu ? Qu’est-ce que ça veut dire ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Ah, t’as pas été à l’armée…" Robert renifla. "Ça
veut dire que tu rechignes pas devant le boulot. Que t’es pas un tire-au-flanc.
Que t’es pas un fainéant, quoi."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Je vous l’ai dit, je ferai ce qu’il faut pour mériter de
rester ici."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "T’en fais pas, tu restes."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "C’est décidé ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Il y avait un tel élan dans la réaction de Quentin que le
fermier s’en étonna un peu. La journée n’avait pas été des plus reposantes pour
lui. Robert n’avait fait que lui donner des ordres, sans lui donner beaucoup
d’instructions parfois.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "C’est toi qui vois."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Si vous me laissez habiter avec vous, je travaillerai autant
que vous voudrez."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Habiter ici ? Avec moi… C’est vrai, j’y avais pas
pensé."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> L’inquiétude de Quentin était palpable. Robert grogna
doucement.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "J’ai dit que tu restais ici. Ça veut dire ici. Avec moi."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Merci, monsieur !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Bah, m’appelle pas monsieur…"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Oui, merci. Mais… Vous vous appelez comment, en
fait ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Robert pensait qu’il lui en faudrait davantage pour être
étonné, mais il venait de s’apercevoir seulement maintenant qu’il ne s’était
pas présenté – même au bout d’une journée entière passée à discuter, travailler
et mener le jeune homme à la baguette. Il en rougit légèrement, et tendit la
main à Quentin.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Robert."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Enchanté. Merci pour tout ça."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Y a pas de quoi."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Le soleil était passé sous l’horizon, du côté du bois.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Allez suis-moi, gamin."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;">■</span><span face=""verdana" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;"> </span><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;">■</span><span face=""verdana" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;"> </span><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;">■</span><span face=""verdana" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Le bâtiment principal de la ferme était une maison
carrée, à deux étages, avec de grandes pièces plutôt vides. Quentin n’avait
encore vu que la cuisine. Après avoir pris une douche froide – plus que
nécessaire, dans son état – le jeune homme suivit le fermier dans un rapide
tour du propriétaire.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> L’escalier menait à deux chambres, au dernier étage.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Tu pourras dormir dans celle-ci. Faudrait que je sorte des
draps propres et des taies d’oreillers. Ça fait un moment que personne a dormi
dans cette chambre."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Vous êtes pas obligé. Je pouvais dormir sur le canapé du
salon."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Sois pas bête. Faut bien t’installer, si tu restes. Et puis,
faut que tu dormes confortablement. Avec le boulot que tu fais, tu auras besoin
de repos."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "D’accord."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Quentin fit quelques pas dans la petite chambre.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Moi, ça m’ira très bien."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "C’était la chambre de mon gamin, avant qu’il foute le camp.
T’en fais pas, tu peux rester ici. On est pas près de le revoir."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Oh… Désolé."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> En ouvrant l’armoire, Quentin ne vit que des chemisiers,
des robes et des bas de soie. Devant le miroir, sur la commode, il n’y avait qu’un
bâton de rouge à lèvres et quelques mouchoirs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Euh… C’était à votre fils, le bâton de rouge ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Robert éclata de rire.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Non, ma femme est la dernière personne à avoir dormi dans
cette chambre. T’en fais pas, on est pas près de la revoir non plus."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Je… Peut-être que je ferais mieux de dormir dans le salon,
quand même…"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Mais non. Tout ce qu’il faut, c’est un peu de rangement… Et
puis, se débarrasser de tout ça. C’est du passé, ça fait que nous
encombrer."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "C’est pas faux…"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Quentin avait l’air songeur.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Ça me fera du bien, à moi aussi, de laisser le passé loin
derrière."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Là, tu vois."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Robert avait bien noté le changement d’attitude de
Quentin.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Bon. T’as faim ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Cette fois, ce fut Quentin qui éclata de rire.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Toujours ! Mais encore plus après une journée
pareille."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Allez, suis-moi à la cuisine, gamin."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;">■</span><span face=""verdana" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;"> </span><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;">■</span><span face=""verdana" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;"> </span><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;">■</span><span face=""verdana" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Au bout d’une semaine, la présence de Quentin dans la
maison, dans la cour de ferme ou dans les champs s’était imposée comme une
évidence. Les animaux eux-mêmes lui faisaient fête quand il venait les voir. Il
s’occupait des cochons avec moins de maladresse, depuis quelques jours, et
remplissait les mangeoires généreusement. Il empêchait les poules de se battre
entre elles, et il commençait à bien connaître les recoins où elles allaient
pondre en cachette. Enfin, il montrait de bonnes dispositions pour élever les
plus jeunes porcelets.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Même s’il n’en disait rien, Robert se réjouissait d’avoir
un jeune fermier pour l’aider dans ses travaux. Et il n’aurait pas pu souhaiter
de meilleur assistant.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> En fait, après l’avoir mis à l’épreuve assez durement
dans toutes les tâches domestiques, il lui proposa de concentrer ses efforts
sur des travaux d’endurance et de force, naturellement plus pénibles pour un
homme de presque cinquante ans que pour un homme deux fois plus jeune…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Sans hésiter un seul instant, Quentin avait accepté.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Le travail de chaque jour était particulièrement rude, et
le changement devait être brutal pour lui – mais il ne se plaignait pas. En
fait, Quentin ne se plaignait jamais. Serviable, attentionné, toujours poli,
c’était à se demander comment un garçon pareil avait pu se retrouver en prison
– même pour une peccadille…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Tu as encore faim ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Hmmmph…"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Alors mange pendant que c’est chaud."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Si Robert témoignait de la gratitude envers Quentin, et
la satisfaction que son bon travail lui donnait, c’était en cuisine. Quoique
personne n’en ait jamais rien su, le fermier n’avait pas son pareil pour cuisiner
certains plats traditionnels, très savoureux, parfois très recherchés. Il en
était fier, mais comme un paysan : si quelqu’un voulait y goûter, il
n’avait qu’à le lui demander.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Avec Quentin assis à table, en face de lui, Robert avait
enfin quelqu’un digne de pleinement apprécier ses bons petits plats. Quentin ne
manquait jamais d’en faire l’éloge !<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Hmmmph hmmmph… C’est tellement bon."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Encore ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "S’il vous plaît… J’ai encore faim."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> La charge de travail que Robert imposait au jeune homme en
aurait fait reculer plus d’un, tout de même. Toujours aux champs et dans les
bois, toujours dehors dans la cour, avec des outils rudimentaires, Quentin se
démenait pour satisfaire les exigences du fermier. La chaleur l’accablait
parfois, en plein soleil. Il n’avait pas plus de repos que Robert, qui se
levait toujours très tôt pour se coucher toujours très tard.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Enfin, ils n’avaient guère de distractions. Robert lisait
le journal, chaque matin, et le soir pour s’endormir. Son poste de télévision
marchait mal. Il n'avait même pas un jeu de cartes dans le salon. Un jeu de
société n'y aurait pas trouvé sa place non plus, puisqu'il n'y aurait jamais de
société pour y jouer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Au moment de se coucher, Quentin sortait de sa trousse un
tournevis et une petite scie. Aussi discrètement qu’il le pouvait, il
travaillait sur les montants de son lit, depuis quelque temps. Un soir, il
obtint enfin le résultat qu’il souhaitait.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Parfait…" murmura-t-il. "J’aurai même pas à
creuser."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Tendant l’oreille, il ne distingua rien de plus que le
ronflement léger de Robert, dans la chambre à côté de la sienne. Le fermier
ronflait plus doucement que ses porcs, que l’on entendait depuis leurs soues et
leurs granges.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Avec précaution, Quentin sortit son sac à dos de sous son
lit. Dans une poche du fond, il y avait un couteau suisse. Il s’en servit pour
découdre le fond d’une autre poche, dont il tira un torchon qui enveloppait un
objet long et plat.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Ça devrait rentrer…"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Sans faire plus de bruit, Quentin glissa l’objet où il
avait prévu de le cacher. En faisant jouer le tournevis et ses autres outils,
le jeune homme parvint à refermer la cachette de manière pratiquement
indétectable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Il poussa un long soupir de soulagement.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Voilà… Le passé derrière moi, et l’avenir devant moi."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;">■</span><span face=""verdana" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;"> </span><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;">■</span><span face=""verdana" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;"> </span><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;">■</span><span face=""verdana" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Qu’est-ce qu’on fait, aujourd’hui ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "On est le dernier dimanche du mois. C’est le jour du
docteur."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Quentin n’avait pas vu le temps passer. Il y avait déjà
presque un mois qu’il travaillait avec Robert, et l’enthousiasme dont il avait
fait preuve à son arrivée s’affirmait de jour en jour, à mesure qu’il
comprenait mieux les instructions qu’on lui donnait. De son côté, le fermier ne
pouvait que se féliciter d’avoir accueilli un jeune homme qui n’attendait
peut-être qu’une seconde chance pour prouver ce dont il était capable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Ça consiste en quoi ? Vous faites venir un
vétérinaire ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Alors ça, ça me ferait mal. Je m’y connais au moins aussi bien
que lui."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Et vous suivez chaque cochon, individuellement ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Il faut bien. Je tiens mes dossiers à jour pour vérifier que
tous mes cochons grandissent comme il faut, et qu’ils grossissent comme il
faut. On est contrôlés pour ça, lorsqu’il s’agit de les vendre. Et puis, c’est
important de vérifier qu’il n’y en a aucun qui pourrait tomber malade."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Je comprends. Je peux vous aider pour ça ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Oui. Ça nous occupera bien la journée, à tous les deux."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Le jeune homme accueillait toujours avec plaisir une
demande comme celle-ci, qui offrait la possibilité d'une activité nouvelle.
C’était comme une distraction, ou ce qui pouvait s’en rapprocher le plus, dans
cette ferme.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "On va commencer par les porcelets. C’est plus facile."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> L’un après l’autre, Quentin débarbouilla les petits
cochons en les tenant dans ses bras, jusqu’à ce qu’ils soient bien roses et
propres. Robert les mettait dans un panier qu’il suspendait à une forte
balance. Après quoi, il les considérait de près pour vérifier qu’ils étaient
sains et bien traités.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Depuis que Quentin l’aidait à soigner les plus jeunes
porcelets, entre deux travaux plus soutenus ou carrément athlétiques, Robert
avait remarqué que ses bêtes paraissaient plus dociles, presque simplement plus
heureuses.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "68 kilos. Bien… Suivant !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Voilà."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Quentin déposa un goret particulièrement gros et lourd
dans le panier.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Tiens ! Une vieille connaissance."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Comment ça ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Tu le reconnais pas ? Tu l’as tenu en mains, il y a un
mois."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Fripon ? Mais non, il était pas si gros."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Il a bien grossi. 72 kilos."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Comment c’est possible de grossir autant, aussi vite
?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "C’est un cochon. Tout ce qu’il a fait, depuis un mois, c’est
dormir, manger, dormir, manger, se promener un peu dans la cour, manger,
dormir, manger…"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Vu comme ça, évidemment…"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "On va avoir plus de boulot avec les cochons adultes."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Le plus petit d’entre eux pesait 125 kilos. Robert les
faisait passer, l’un après l’autre, sur un plateau dont il relâchait le frein.
Le plateau était raccordé à une balance qui indiquait précisément le poids de
l’animal. Quentin en était comme émerveillé.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Et il n’y en a aucun de malade."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Ils sont tous en parfaite santé. Mieux que ça, je ne les avais
jamais vu si fiers de se dandiner sur leur plateau ! À croire qu’ils
étaient heureux de me montrer comme ils ont engraissé."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Pourquoi ils seraient pas heureux ? Vous prenez bien soin
d’eux."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Robert regarda Quentin du coin de l’œil.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "C’est pas idiot, un cochon. Ils passent leur temps à se
remplir l’estomac, mais ils se doutent bien que c’est pour les engraisser. Plus
ils sont grands, plus ils sont gros et gras, et plus ils deviennent méfiants…
On finit toujours par les faire rôtir."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Toujours ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Qu’est-ce que tu veux qu’on en fasse ? En plus, tout est
bon dans le cochon."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "C’est vrai. On en laisse que les os…"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Tu vois bien. Et à ce compte-là, les cochons sont plus voraces
que nous !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Comment ça ? Ils se dévorent pas entre eux, quand
même."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Non seulement ils en sont capables, mais ils te boufferaient
tout cru si tu les laissais faire."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Sans déconner…"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Pas comme ça, là. Mais si tu tombais dans les pommes, et
qu’ils te trouvent étendu évanoui par terre, ils perdront pas une minute pour
te dévorer en entier."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Complètement ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Complètement. Jusqu’aux os, et même les os. Ça bouffe tout, un
cochon. Faut faire gaffe… C’est pour ça que je surveille toujours quand tu
viens travailler ici, avec moi."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Je ferai attention."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Bien. Faut avoir l'œil et pas tourner de l'œil. Avec tout
ce que tu abats déjà comme boulot, par cette chaleur…"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Quentin avait l’air songeur.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Eh ben, quoi ?" Robert le réveilla soudain. "Ça
te choque, tout ça ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Non, non."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Tu vas pas me dire que tu en deviendrais végétarien. Je t’ai
pas vu bouder au boudin non plus, gamin !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Robert vit avec plaisir Quentin relever la tête avec un
sourire aux lèvres.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Aucune inquiétude, de ce côté-là ! Je mange de tout, je
mange de la viande. Surtout quand c’est vous qui cuisinez… Et je mange du cochon
avec plaisir. Le jambon en croûte d’hier soir, il s’en est fallu de peu que je
le mange tout entier."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Quentin ne se vantait même pas – pourtant, ce jambon
entier en croûte était une fameuse pièce ! Robert l’avait resservi
copieusement… quatorze fois. Il avait fallu arrêter de l’encourager à en
reprendre, malgré tout : le pauvre garçon était épuisé de sa journée. Il
s’était endormi avec la moitié d’une tranche encore dans la bouche.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Moi, ça me fait plaisir que ma cuisine te plaise. Un paysan aime
toujours les gens qui font honneur, à table."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Les derniers cochons avaient été contrôlés, avec leur
taille et leur poids notés dans le dossier du fermier. Quentin se tenait
debout, près du plateau où il les avait fait passer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Vous êtes vraiment très fort, pour tout ça."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Pour tout quoi ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Comme éleveur de cochons, je veux dire."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Merci. Qu’est-ce qui te fait dire ça ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "À chaque fois que je vous ai présenté un cochon, je vous
entendais murmurer son poids. J’entendais "cent trente-cinq…" Et la
balance affichait 135 kilos."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Eh ouais. Question d’habitude, tu verras. Mais j’ai l’œil pour
ces choses-là."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "À votre avis, comme ça, vous seriez capable de dire combien je
pèse ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Quentin prit la pose, très droit, les mains sur les
hanches.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Très drôle. Quand tu es venu ici, tu étais sérieusement
maigre. Même le plus chétif de mes porcelets aurait eu honte d’être aussi
efflanqué. Non, j’en aurais eu honte pour lui. Alors, des poids aussi légers,
je saurais pas dire…"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "D’accord, mais je suis pas un cochon."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "C’est sûr."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Et puis, depuis que je travaille ici, je pense que je suis
remonté dans une catégorie de poids plus présentable. Non ? Vous devriez
pouvoir deviner."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Robert n’avait pas l’habitude qu’on le mette au défi. Ce
changement d’attitude de la part de Quentin n’était pas pour lui déplaire.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "D’accord. Tiens-toi droit."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Je me tiens droit."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Fais tomber la chemise."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Pardon ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Et les bottes. Et le pantalon. Si tu veux que je devine, comme
ça, faut me donner les moyens de me faire une idée."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "On prend les paris, alors ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Si tu veux. Mais tu as quoi à mettre en gage ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "J’ai que dalle, évidemment. On a qu’à se donner un gage."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Bien. Si je trouve, tu vas nettoyer toutes les granges de fond
en combles dès demain, et je te laisse une semaine pour en avoir fini."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Toutes les granges ? Vous y allez carrément !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "C’est ton gage. À toi de voir."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Si vous le prenez comme ça… Si vous vous trompez d’un kilo sur
le chiffre, je serai libre de pas travailler, de faire ce que je veux, pendant
un mois. Et faudra quand même me nourrir pareil."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Ça marche. Allez, sur le plateau, fainéant !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Quentin se déshabilla en vitesse. En slip et en
chaussettes, il posait fièrement sur le plateau. Robert lui accorda un vrai
coup d’œil d’expert. Il ne s’était pas aperçu à quel point le garçon était bien
bâti. Depuis un mois qu’il était comme sous ses ordres, travaillant comme
quatre et mangeant comme quatre, il avait pris du poids de la meilleure façon
possible.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Un éleveur comme Robert ne pouvait qu’être fier de
constater de tels progrès.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Quatre-vingt-huit kilos."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Vous êtes sûr ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "On va bien voir. Je lâche le frein."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Robert appuya sur le bouton et le plateau se trouva
suspendu, oscillant très légèrement de droite à gauche. Quentin pouvait lire
sur l'écran de la balance : "88 KG".<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Sérieux ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Le fermier crut, un instant, que le garçon allait
s’évanouir et tomber comme un mannequin, sur le plateau, comme il l’avait déjà
mis en garde. Quentin était tout simplement choqué. Sans avoir vraiment perdu
l’équilibre, il avait besoin de s’asseoir.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Allons, faut pas te mettre dans des états pareils. J’ai gagné,
t’as perdu… Mais c’est juste un pari."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "C’est pas ça… Je…"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Quoi ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Quatre-vingt-huit kilos, bordel ? Quatre-vingt-huit
kilos ! J’en reviens pas."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Je vois pas ce qui t’étonne là-dedans. On est d’accord, la
balance et moi. Tu manges de bon appétit, tu l’as dit toi-même."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Mais j’ai jamais pesé plus de… soixante-dix kilos. En tôle,
j’étais descendu à soixante, quand j’étais vraiment mal."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Pour le coup, Robert ressentit de la peine pour lui.
Quentin ne lui avait rien donné comme détails sur son expérience de la prison,
mais il commençait à comprendre qu’on l’avait vraiment maltraité.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Tu vois que la campagne te fait autrement du bien."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Oui…"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Allez debout, gaillard !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Oui…"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Quentin n’en revenait toujours pas.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Sérieux, comment j’ai pu prendre autant ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "De l’exercice, du grand air, des bons petits plats. Et puis,
c’est tout naturel à ton âge, bâti comme t'es."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Bâti comme je suis ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Tu t'es vu dans une glace, récemment ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Dans un miroir ? Euh… Y en a un dans la chambre,
mais il est complètement gris."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "C’est vrai. Tu regarderas. Dans ma chambre, y a l’armoire à
glace."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "D’accord."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Allez, ça sera ta récompense… Quand t’auras fini de
nettoyer les granges !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;">■</span><span face=""verdana" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;"> </span><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;">■</span><span face=""verdana" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;"> </span><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;">■</span><span face=""verdana" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> De toute évidence, Quentin avait l’habitude qu’on lui
mène la vie dure. Robert n’avait pas réduit sa charge de travail, qu’il
accomplissait lui-même jour après jour. À la fin de la semaine, cependant, les
granges s’étaient trouvées vidées, nettoyées, leurs murs blanchis et repeints,
le carrelage changé en partie…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Quentin avait tenu sa promesse. S’il avait perdu son pari
contre Robert, il se montrait bon perdant. Tous ces travaux, qui auraient dû
être entrepris depuis longtemps, avaient été reportés d’un mois sur l’autre, et
d’une année sur l’autre.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Devant tant de bonne volonté, Robert laissa le jeune
homme entrer dans sa chambre pour se voir un peu mieux, dans un grand miroir.
Occupé à préparer le repas du soir, il lui en avait confié la clef.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> La chambre de Robert était plus grande, naturellement,
avec un grand lit. On y sentait à la fois la présence ancienne et l’absence
d’une épouse, dans les détails de la décoration. Les meubles, tristes, hérités
de divers parents, composaient un ensemble vaguement harmonieux – tout
simplement terne, sans gaieté.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Quentin referma la porte à clef derrière lui. Debout
devant le miroir, il se tenait comme devant un étranger. Il avait bronzé. Il
lui sembla même qu’il avait grandi, peut-être, un peu – mais
l’encombrement de la pièce pouvait expliquer cette impression.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Il contempla d’abord son visage de près. Sa barbe et ses
cheveux avaient poussé. On ne devinait pratiquement plus les coupures sur le
côté du front, au-dessus et à côté de l’arcade sourcilière. Il se sentit
soulagé.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Vivement, il retira son pantalon, sa chemise et tous ses
vêtements.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Le grand garçon qu’il voyait dans le miroir était
athlétique et bien nourri. Quentin caressa un instant ses épaules, son torse et
son ventre pour en apprécier pleinement la masse musculaire si bien dorée au
soleil. En tâtant son estomac, il gémit de plaisir à la pensée des repas
copieux que Robert lui servait. Il avait grossi, même si sa taille était encore
plutôt mince. La différence la plus impressionnante dans son physique
concernait son dos, ses cuisses, ses bras et ses pectoraux.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Ses mains se perdaient avec délices dans la toison blonde et
bouclée qui lui descendait du bas du cou jusqu'au bassin.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Hmmm… Je suis vraiment trop bien tombé."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Avec un petit sourire malicieux, il se laissa tomber en arrière
sur le lit, comme une masse. Le matelas était si profond, les couvertures
étaient si moelleuses et les draps si doux qu’il en gémit à nouveau, en pensant
à son hôte qui prenait si bien soin de lui. Pour rien au monde il n’aurait
voulu partir, maintenant.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;">■</span><span face=""verdana" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;"> </span><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;">■</span><span face=""verdana" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;"> </span><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;">■</span><span face=""verdana" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Dans la cuisine, Robert faisait rissoler des pommes de
terre sautées avec des lardons coupés en longues lanières fines. Il y en avait
une assiette bien remplie.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Quatre-vingt-huit kilos… C’est un bon poids pour lui. Ça lui
va beaucoup mieux que soixante ou soixante-dix kilos… Y a pas idée d’être aussi
maigre, à son âge !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Le fermier laissa les lardons frire doucement dans la
poêle. Il cassait déjà une demi-douzaine d’œufs dans un saladier, pour faire
une belle omelette.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Quatre-vingt-huit kilos… C’est bien. C'est mieux. Il a plus fière allure
maintenant. Quand je le vois couper du bois, ou porter le foin, ou les sacs
dans les greniers, on dira ce qu’on voudra ! il mérite bien qu’on lui
serve un bon repas."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Robert s’apprêtait à battre les œufs. Il considéra le
saladier, un instant. Il haussa les épaules, et cassa deux œufs
supplémentaires pour les ajouter à l’omelette.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Et puis, c’est pas un cochon. Il mange que trois fois par
jour. C’est pas beaucoup… Je pourrais le nourrir un peu mieux."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Les œufs n’attendaient que d’être battus pour devenir une
omelette de belle taille. Robert regarda la boîte ouverte, devant lui, et
grogna. Il cassa encore quatre œufs et les mélangea bien avant de battre.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "D’ailleurs, ça lui ferait pas de mal de peser quatre-vingt-dix
kilos… Au moins !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Il entendit Quentin descendre dans l’escalier. Le jeune
garçon dévalait toujours les marches quatre à quatre, en se tenant des deux
mains sur les rampes pour glisser dans l’air. L’enthousiasme de la jeunesse
n’excusait pas tout, et le fermier lui avait déjà dit de faire plus attention.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "À table, gamin ! À table ! Et j’espère que t'as
faim !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;">■</span><span face=""verdana" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;"> </span><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;">■</span><span face=""verdana" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;"> </span><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;">■</span><span face=""verdana" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Les derniers sacs de granulés allaient bientôt être
entamés. Depuis six mois, Robert n’avait pas sorti le camion du garage. Il lui
fallait retourner en ville pour acheter tout ce dont il avait besoin pour
nourrir ses cochons. Mais, pour une fois, il n’irait pas seul !<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Depuis quatre mois qu’il l’accompagnait dans toutes ses
activités, Quentin ne s’était pas éloigné de la ferme au-delà des champs et de
la propriété de Robert. La vie qu’il menait aurait peut-être paru pire que la
prison pour la plupart de ses codétenus. Quentin n’en parlait jamais. Il
semblait qu’il n’y pensait plus.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> En tous cas, le jeune homme était méconnaissable…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Hmmmph… Des beignets au miel ? C’est trop
bon !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Robert le regardait qui dévorait son petit-déjeuner.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Tu as bon appétit, ce matin."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Toujours. Je sais pas pourquoi, le petit-déjeuner me paraît
encore meilleur, ce matin."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Parce qu’il faut prendre des forces, avant de prendre la
route. Reprends de la tarte aux pommes."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "J’en ai déjà pris trois parts. Et c’est la deuxième tarte que
vous me servez."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Oui, et après ? T’as faim ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "J’ai faim !" Quentin répondit avec joie, en riant
des yeux.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Alors mange, et te pose pas de questions."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Robert lui servit un autre grand verre de lait, que le
beau garçon ne tarda pas à boire pour accompagner les parts de tarte et les
tartines de confiture qu’il avait abondamment beurrées.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "<b>BUUURRRP !</b>"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Je me demande si ces deux tartes suffiront. Heureusement qu’il
reste des beignets. Et je peux ouvrir un autre pot de confiture d’orange."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Merci, merci… C’est pas la peine. J’aurai bientôt fini, et on
y va."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Tu vas dormir dans le camion, après un petit-déjeuner comme
ça."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Non, j’ai bien dormi, cette nuit."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Quentin avait certainement bien dormi. Depuis quelques
jours, ses ronflements arrivaient à tirer Robert de son sommeil, si par hasard
l’une ou l’autre des portes de leurs chambres était restée ouverte.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Pendant ces trois mois, Quentin n’avait cessé d’apprendre
et de progresser – et de grossir. Du haut de son mètre quatre-vingt-deux, il
pesait plus de cent kilos, maintenant. Ils s’en étaient rendu compte lors de sa
dernière pesée, ce qui avait rendu Robert tellement fier qu’il avait promis de
récompenser Quentin pour ce passage à l’état de "vrai mâle", comme il
disait.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Comme récompense, une journée en ville – dans la
civilisation – pouvait suffire à un garçon aussi peu exigeant que Quentin. Il
lui fallait de nouveaux vêtements, aussi. Depuis un moment, le pauvre
apprenti-fermier avait déchiré son pantalon et sa chemise.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> En fait, il était passé au travers d'une grande haie
d'épines et de buissons de ronces lorsqu’il avait définitivement renoncé à en
fermer les boutons. Pour le pantalon, ses cuisses faisaient tout simplement
craquer les coutures et il en remontait plus ou moins la fermeture éclair… Quant
à sa chemise, il ne pouvait plus en fermer qu'un ou deux boutons du
milieu. Il se sentait mal à l'aise, tout de même, sans vêtements pour
travailler. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Le fermier n’y avait vu que du feu – ou, s’il s’était douté
des vraies raisons de Quentin, il n’en avait rien laissé paraître – et il lui
avait passé des vêtements qui avaient été portés par son fils.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Accoutré ainsi, Quentin avait tout-à-fait l’air d’un
paysan, ou d’un bûcheron. Les cochons venaient le voir et lui obéissaient comme
ils obéissaient à leur fermier. Même les poules et les vaches le regardaient
avec une sorte de respect.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Rien de tout cela ne pouvait compter comme une
récompense, pour un homme comme Robert : de bons plats copieux, et encore
de bons plats, et encore plus copieux, voilà ce qui attendait Quentin pour le
féliciter !<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> En le voyant boire et manger aussi goulûment, ce
matin, Robert ne pouvait que se sentir encouragé à le traiter mieux que jamais.
Et puis, Quentin n’avait que des éloges pour sa cuisine, si abondante et si
nourrissante<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">…</span> Mais le plus belle éloge, c'était qu'il nettoyait toujours son assiette jusqu'à la rendre presque propre et blanche. Il finissait toujours par saucer avec son pain, et même avec ses doigts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Ooof… Faut vraiment que j’arrête, et qu’on prenne la
route."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Tu n’as plus faim ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Quentin lui jeta un regard suppliant.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Par pitié, me demandez pas si j’ai encore faim. Vous connaissez la réponse, et je vais
encore manger, manger… Mon estomac va finir par éclater !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "On ne devrait pas te laisser sortir de table, tant que tu as
faim."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Eh ben ! On est pas sortis, alors…"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Je te prépare une autre tarte."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Non, non… Faut vraiment qu’on y aille."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> C'était bien la première fois, depuis que Robert l’avait
accueilli, que Quentin semblait prêt à refuser de manger.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Tu es sûr."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Si on n’y va pas aujourd’hui, on sera bientôt arrivés au bout
de nos réserves et vos cochons n’auront pas assez à manger demain."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "C’est vrai."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Et moi, j’ai bien assez mangé, pour ce matin…" Quentin
sourit en se donnant presque une claque sur le ventre. "<b>BUUUUURRRRRP !</b>" <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"><br />
Le fermier, qui n'aimait pas qu'on fasse de manières avec la
nourriture, souriait à chaque fois que Quentin lâchait un rot bien
sonore – surtout s'il durait un bon moment. Le jeune homme ne
s'excusait même plus, lorsqu'il rotait à table : Robert se renfrognait
lorsqu'il se montrait timide. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Il était fier de le voir manger ainsi, et il voulait que
Quentin soit aussi fier de son bel appétit. Le message était passé. Le beau
garçon se comportait de mieux en mieux. N'importe qui d'autre que Robert
l'aurait mal jugé, avec ses cheveux en désordre et toujours pas rasé : goinfre, maladroit, pressé de se resservir,
bruyant, grossier… C'était ridicule. Comment Quentin pouvait-il être "mal
élevé", lorsqu'il donnait pleine satisfaction à un éleveur
professionnel ? "Chacun son métier", se disait le fermier. "Les
cochons seront bien gardés !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"><br />
– "Ooof, c'était trop bon ! J’ai trop mangé."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Toi ? Trop manger ? Jamais de la vie !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Robert aida Quentin à se lever de table, en le tenant par
les épaules.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Mais ça me fait plaisir que tu penses à bien nourrir mes
cochons avant de penser à te nourrir. C’est une bonne attitude. Tu es un bon
garçon."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Quentin sentit comme un frisson lui parcourir le dos. La
voix de Robert était douce – et il ne lui avait encore jamais fait un
compliment comme celui-là ! Il se sentit troublé, comme s’il avait plus
faim encore qu’avant d’entamer son petit-déjeuner…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "On y va ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "On y va."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;">■</span><span face=""verdana" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;"> </span><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;">■</span><span face=""verdana" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;"> </span><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;">■</span><span face=""verdana" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Dans le camion, Quentin regardait le paysage, tout
somnolent. Il avait raison : le petit-déjeuner était beaucoup trop
copieux, et il avait trop mangé. Comme Robert n’était pas plus bavard en tenant
le volant qu’en tenant une fourche, il fallait lui imposer un sujet de
conversation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Après quelques tentatives, Quentin dut y renoncer.
En-dehors de ses cochons, le fermier ne s’intéressait pas à grand-chose.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Je peux vous poser une question ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Bien sûr."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "C’est quoi, pour vous, un bon cochon ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Comment ça ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Je veux dire… On organise des foires, des salons de
l’agriculture… Je sais pas. On leur remet des rubans, ou des médailles,
ou…"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Des rubans."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Voilà. Et pour quoi ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Pour récompenser le fermier."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Oui, mais qu’est-ce qui fait qu’un cochon remporte le ruban ou
pas ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Oh, ça dépend. Le plus souvent, c’est un ruban bleu. Pour le
plus beau et le plus gros cochon."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Alors c’est le plus gros qui est le meilleur cochon."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Pour quelqu’un qui n’est pas du métier, on pourrait dire
ça."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "C’est pour ça que je vous demande. Pour vous, c’est
quoi ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Pour moi ? Oh, un bon cochon, c’est d’abord un cochon qui
a un bel appétit. Ça force le respect, crois-moi."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "D’accord."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Et puis, quand je dis qu’on remet le ruban à un beau cochon,
c’est un peu vague mais ça montre comment son fermier a bien pris soin de lui.
Et il y a tout un tas de signes qui témoignent de la parfaite santé d’un
cochon."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Comme quoi ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Au-delà de son poids, on regarde la qualité de sa chair. Un
bon cochon doit être en bonne graisse. Et puis, il doit avoir une bonne masse
de muscles aussi. De la bonne viande, ça compte ! Et puis, on regarde
qu’il a bien l’œil bleu clair et sain, qu’il n’a pas de parasites ou de petits
défauts, que ses soies sont blondes et fines."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Vous faites de la soie avec des cochons ? Je
croyais…"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Pas la soie en tissus ! Les soies d’un cochon, c’est
comme sa fourrure, ses poils, ses cheveux…"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Ah, d’accord."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Tu comprends mieux ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Ouais… Un bon cochon…"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Quentin tombait de sommeil. Il ronflait déjà. Robert le
laissa dormir. Il leur restait bien une heure de route.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;">■</span><span face=""verdana" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;"> </span><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;">■</span><span face=""verdana" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;"> </span><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;">■</span><span face=""verdana" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Le "retour en ville et à la civilisation"
annoncé par Robert ne se présentait pas comme Quentin l’avait imaginé : un
grand hangar, avec divers stands où les éleveurs venaient se fournir en divers
produits alimentaires, une buvette avec des toilettes dignes d’une station de
métro – le jeune homme était aussi perdu que Robert semblait à son aise, en
descendant une "avenue" après l’autre.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Tout le monde connaissait Robert, ici. Personne ne
connaissait Quentin.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Au moment d’aborder le premier vendeur qui s’avançait
vers le fermier comme un ami de toujours, les bras largement ouverts, Quentin
eut un sursaut de conscience.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Pas besoin de me présenter, d’accord ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Euh… D’accord."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Vous m’avez pris en stop sur la route."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Disons ça…"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Ils évitèrent ainsi de trop longues présentations. De
toute façon, les habitués de ce salon ne s’attendaient pas à entendre Robert
dans de longs discours. En y réfléchissant, le fermier ne souhaitait pas non
plus que l’on s’approche de trop près de "son" garçon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Cependant, après quelques achats de première nécessité
mais de quantités assez réduites, et autant d’allers-retours vers le camion,
Quentin éprouva le besoin de s’éloigner un peu.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Est-ce que je peux faire quelque chose ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Occupe-toi de charger les sacs de granulés."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Sans surprise, il lui avait assigné la tâche la plus
lourde.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Errant ainsi à la volée, Quentin se présenta dans le
département des granulés pour élevages porcins. Il y avait, plus ou moins,
toujours les mêmes produits. En y regardant d’un peu plus près, Quentin voyait
quelques différences, mais il avait du mal à faire un choix.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Depuis quelques minutes, il se sentait suivi, ou épié –
sinon surveillé. Il tourna discrètement ses regards vers d’éventuelles caméras.
Il n’en trouva pas.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Vous cherchez quelque chose ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Quentin fit un effort pour ne pas sursauter. Une jeune
femme, en blouse grise de vendeuse, se tenait devant lui. Ses vêtements ne
rendaient pas justice à ses formes. Sa pose séduisante et ses manières avec lui
montraient qu’elle s’habillait certainement de manière plus seyante, quand elle
n’était pas à son travail.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Je croyais que…"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Quelqu’un vous observait ? C’était moi. Je vous prie de
m’excuser."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Elle lui tendit la main, qu’il serra timidement.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Vous cherchiez quelqu’un, alors ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Non, non… Je cherche des granulés pour mes cochons."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Tiens, je ne me serais pas douté que vous étiez éleveur. Je
vous ai vu hésiter un peu entre les marques."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Je suis encore un peu débutant."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Vous ne vous débrouillez pas si mal. Je vous ai vu hésiter
seulement entre les bons produits. Ceux qui donnent de bons cochons, gros et
gras…"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "C’est exactement ce que je cherche."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Elle lui sourit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Je crois que j’ai exactement le produit qu’il vous faut."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Le stand où elle le mena était un peu à l’écart. Il y
avait là de grands sacs de granulés presque blancs. Elle lui en présenta une
poignée.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "C’est nouveau, c’est épatant. Les essais en laboratoires ont
donné d’excellents résultats."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "C’est drôle. Ça ne ressemble pas aux granulés dont j’ai
l’habitude."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Ne vous laissez pas tromper par la couleur."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Quentin en prit quelques-uns dans le creux de sa main.
Cela ressemblait à des billes un peu blanches, ou à des perles un peu grosses.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Pourquoi vous n’avez pas un stand comme les
autres ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Oh, vous avez l’œil pour ces choses-là…"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Son sourire était devenu plus malicieux.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Nous n’avons pas encore obtenu l’autorisation légale de mettre
ce produit sur le marché… Mais c’est une simple question de mois. Vous devriez
l’essayer, vous ne le regretterez pas."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Je ne sais pas… J’aime pas que ça ne soit pas légal."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Allons, allons… Je vous fais un prix d’amis. Vous nous en
direz des nouvelles. Nous apprécierons votre retour sur ce produit. Et ce sera
notre petit secret."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Doucement, elle prit la main de Quentin dans les siennes,
et la referma sur les granulés. Quentin hésitait, mais le prix proposé était
vraiment tentant.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "D’accord. Mais je dois en prendre soixante-douze sacs. C'est
ce qui est prévu."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Pas de problème. Nous avons soixante sacs disponibles dans nos
stocks. Je peux vous en faire livrer vingt autres, dans moins d'une semaine.
Les huit sacs supplémentaires feront partie de notre offre promotionnelle.
Marché conclu, monsieur…"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Quentin", répondit-il sans réfléchir.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Avant de prendre le premier sac sur son dos, Quentin
avala d’un coup les trois ou quatre perles de granulés qu’il avait en main. Il
s’exclama, tout surpris.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Wow, mais c’est drôlement bon, en plus !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Vous verrez, vos cochons vont adorer."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Quand le dernier sac fut chargé dans le camion, Quentin
remplit et signa le formulaire d'achat et celui de livraison des prochains
sacs. Puis il partit rejoindre Robert qui était entouré de vieilles
connaissances, à la buvette. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> En les voyant, il changea d'avenue. Il préférait garder ses
distances.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> De loin, la jeune femme l’observait toujours.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Oh, tu n’aurais pas dû goûter à ces perles… Quentin."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;">■</span><span face=""verdana" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;"> </span><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;">■</span><span face=""verdana" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;"> </span><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;">■</span><span face=""verdana" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> De retour à la ferme, la vie pourrait reprendre son cours
habituel. Robert était occupé avec ses comptes, après de telles dépenses et de
telles promesses de la part de ses différents clients, mais Quentin était là
pour effectuer le plus gros du travail. Le jeune homme avait de quoi s’occuper
pour la journée. En allant d’une mangeoire à l’autre, il pouvait déjà confirmer
que les cochons raffolaient des nouveaux granulés qu’il leur avait apportés.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "C’est bon, hein ? Je vous comprends. J’ai cru que c’était
du chocolat blanc, au début !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Évidemment, les porcs ne lui répondaient que par des
grognements, tout en se remplissant l’estomac. Quentin referma la porte, en
prenant une petite poignée de perles au passage, dans le sac à sa portée.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Il les grignota en traversant la cour. Heureusement,
c’était bientôt l’heure de dîner. Il avait faim !<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Robert avait fini ses comptes. Les cahiers, rangés dans
le tiroir de la cuisine, avaient fait place à de beaux plats bien appétissants.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Hmmm, ça sent bon."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Tu dois avoir faim, après tout ça… Notre journée d’hier a
été plutôt mouvementée. Je n’ai pas l’habitude de voir autant de monde à la
fois."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "J’avoue que j’ai un peu perdu l’habitude, aussi. Et je
regrette rien. J’ai faim !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "La dinde est sur la table. Sers-toi."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Sans hésiter, Quentin prit le plat et le posa devant lui
comme s’il s’agissait de son assiette. Il avait bien l'intention de ne pas
laisser une miette de cette dinde, ni même d'en laisser la peau. Et les deux ou
trois kilos de farce qu'il sentait dans la carcasse passeraient tout seuls,
avec un bon pain rond. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Robert lui tournait le dos, penché sur ses poêles et ses
poêlons. Il pouvait l'entendre attaquer la viande à belles dents. C’était aussi
bien, qu’il ne fasse pas de commentaire.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> De son côté, le fermier souriait sans se soucier que son beau
garçon s'en aperçoive, trop occupé à manger bruyamment. Ça lui enlevait tout souci d'avoir encore à discuter, après une
journée entière passée à bavarder avec des gens qu'il n'avait pas tellement
envie de voir, et à rire à leurs blagues pas drôles, et à les écouter jacasser…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Rien que pour ça, Robert avait envie de remercier Quentin à sa
manière. Il sortirait une autre boîte de douze œufs de l'armoire, dans un
moment. Que son garçon continue à bien manger, c'était ce qu'il avait de mieux
à faire.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Évidemment, ça ne pouvait pas durer toute la soirée.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Hmmmph hmmmph… J’ai bien réfléchi…"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "À quoi ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Ce que vous m’avez dit, hier… dans la voiture."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Qu’est-ce que j’ai dit ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Ce que c’était, pour vous, un bon cochon."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Ah, oui… Et alors ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Alors j’ai réfléchi."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Mais il n’en dit pas plus. Robert l’entendait manger
gloutonnement. C'était aussi bien comme ça, si ça n'avait tenu qu'à lui…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> En se tournant pour poser un nouveau plat sur la table, il vit
à quel point Quentin avait entamé la dinde.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Eh ben, tu vas la manger en entier ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Je crois bien… J’ai tellement faim !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Bon. Si tu as faim, il faut manger."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Quentin ne mangeait pas : il dévorait. Il se servait
à peine de sa fourchette et de son couteau pour découper la viande. Il
tranchait aussi vivement dans son omelette aux lardons, et portait de gros
morceaux à sa bouche.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Vas-y doucement, tu as tout le temps."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Pardon… C’est une habitude."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Tu l’as pas perdue, celle-là."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Au contraire. Plus je mange, plus j’ai envie de
manger !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Le fermier lui présenta un plat de pâtes monumental, dans
lequel Quentin se mit à puiser à pleines poignées pour se remplir le gosier.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Au moins, quand tu as faim, tu fais pas semblant."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Hmmmph… Non !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Tu m’as pas dit à quoi tu avais réfléchi."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "C’est vrai…" Quentin reprit sa
respiration. "Mais on a pas dit non plus comment vous deviez me
récompenser, pour avoir passé cent kilos comme ça."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "C’est vrai." Robert sourit. "Eh ben, puisque c’est
surtout grâce à ton travail et à ton appétit que tu y es arrivé, choisis ta
récompense."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Vraiment, je peux ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Soudain, c’était à nouveau Quentin le vagabond, tel que
le fermier l’avait vu le premier jour, timide et frémissant, qui lui demandait
quelque chose. Un instant après, il recommençait à se goinfrer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Promis. Mais sois un peu plus clair."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "D’accord… Hier matin, avant de partir, vous m’avez dit que
j’étais un bon garçon."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "J’ai dit ça ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Ouais. Et je voulais savoir… quelle différence vous faites
entre un bon garçon et un bon cochon."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Quelle différence ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Ouais. Vous avez plus d’expérience avec les cochons, c’est
sûr."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "C’est sûr."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Mais en vous écoutant causer, dans le camion, je me suis dit…
Moi aussi, j’ai grossi. Moi aussi, j’ai une bonne masse de muscles et tout et
tout. Moi aussi, j’ai des yeux bleu clair. Moi aussi j’ai des soies… enfin, des
cheveux blonds. Et pour ce qui est de l'appétit, si je me laissais aller, je
viderais votre frigo avant d'aller dormir ! Alors ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Alors ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Oui, alors ! Quelle différence ça fait ? Vous m’avez pesé
sur la même balance que vos plus gros cochons, après tout."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Robert était plus troublé qu’il ne le laissait paraître.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Tu veux un ruban bleu, ou quoi ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Drôle d’idée, j’en ferais quoi ?" Quentin se remit à
dévorer. "Mais si y avait un prix pour les bons garçons, comme y en a un
pour les bons cochons… je veux être le meilleur !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Le fermier vint poser ses mains sur les épaules du
garçon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Dis-moi ce que tu veux."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Depuis que je suis ici, vous avez bien pris soin de moi.
J’aurais pas pu mieux tomber. Je veux que ça continue, et que vous preniez bien
soin de moi… mais comme un vrai cochon."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Je leur donne pas de vêtements, aux cochons."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> D’un bond, Quentin se leva de table.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Ça fait un moment qu’elle me gêne quand je mange ! Et ça
aussi…"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> La chemise, puis le pantalon de Quentin tombèrent sur le
sol. Robert et lui ne se lâchaient pas des yeux.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Et maintenant ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Maintenant, j’ai faim !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "C’est mon boulot. Je vais te faire une bonne omelette aux
pommes de terre et au fromage. Finis ta dinde avec les pâtes. Et plus vite que
ça !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Pendant les deux heures qui suivirent, ils n’échangèrent plus
un mot. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Robert servait un plat après l’autre, que Quentin mangeait avec un
tel empressement qu’il en aurait fait rougir de honte le plus gros et le plus
goinfre des porcs. Ils grognaient doucement dans leur sommeil, à cette
heure-ci. Le garçon grognait de plaisir.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Quentin n’accepta de passer aux desserts que lorsqu’il se
sentit de meilleur appétit pour des gâteaux et des tartes. Le fermier vint
tâter son ventre, qui était déjà parfaitement rond, la peau bien tendue et bien
bronzée.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Prends ton temps. Tu vas éclater, si tu manges toujours aussi
vite !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "C’est tellement bon… Et j’ai tellement faim !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Si tu as faim, il faut manger."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Non ! Il faut que tu me gaves."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Robert sursauta.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Que je te gave ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Oui… Comme un vrai cochon !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Tu es sérieux…"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Oink oink !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Le fermier ne se fit pas répéter une telle demande.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Alors mange, mon petit cochon."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Oink !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Mange ! Plus vite !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Quentin était comme fiévreux. Il avala un éclair au
chocolat en seulement deux bouchées, forcé par le fermier qui le traitait
presque aussi durement pour le faire avaler que pour le faire travailler.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Hmmmph… Encore !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Tu as faim, mon cochon ?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Toujours ! Oink oink !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Allez, mange ! Plus vite que ça, plus vite !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> En quelques minutes, deux autres éclairs au chocolat
étaient enfoncés dans son gosier. Puis, quand il vit les lèvres de Quentin se
refermer sur sa bouche pleine, Robert le pressa dans ses bras et l’embrassa
aussi voracement que son gros cochon avait dévoré la nourriture.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Surpris à son tour, mais ravi de voir que le fermier
tenait à rester toujours le maître pour prendre bien soin de lui, Quentin se
sentit fondre entre ses bras, et il se laissa faire. Robert lui saisit les
hanches, lui retira vivement son slip et le fit s’asseoir dans le grand plat
d’où il avait fait tomber les derniers os et la carcasse de la dinde. Il n’en
restait plus que la sauce et le jus doré.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Quentin glissait sur le plateau, qu'il remplissait à la
perfection. Robert retira sa chemise, révélant un torse poilu, incroyablement
ferme et musclé, avec des abdominaux saillants. Il saisit ses flancs dodus et
lui barbouilla le ventre de sauce, en le portant sauvagement sur la
table. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Allongé au milieu des assiettes, le garçon gémissait de
plaisir. Le fermier lui enfonça encore un éclair au chocolat dans la bouche,
puis un autre. Il les laissa plantés là, pendant qu'il retirait son pantalon.
Quentin s'efforçait de les avaler en faisant jouer son gosier, comme un canard
mis à l'engrais. Le fermier grogna de joie en le voyant aussi pressé de manger
encore et encore…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> La table aurait pu céder sous leur poids, et on pouvait
s'attendre à ce que les pieds se brisent sous l'effet des mouvements puissants
et brusques de Robert – comme s'ils s'en souciaient, en ce moment
! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;">■</span><span face=""verdana" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;"> </span><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;">■</span><span face=""verdana" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;"> </span><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;">■</span><span face=""verdana" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Dans le lit de Robert, Quentin semblait prêt de succomber
tant il était gavé à bloc, le ventre lourdement rempli et démesurément arrondi sous
les draps. Une joue posée contre le torse musclé du fermier, il sentait une
main qui pressait sa nuque pour le bercer doucement. Il tombait de sommeil.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Tu es vraiment un bon garçon."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Oink oink !"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Et un bon cochon."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "En tous cas, je me sens enfin rassasié…"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;">■</span><span face=""verdana" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;"> </span><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;">■</span><span face=""verdana" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;"> </span><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;">■</span><span face=""verdana" , "sans-serif"" style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Quentin se réveilla en sursaut. Il devait être encore
tôt. L'obscurité était totale. Il lui semblait avoir entendu comme un verre
brisé… Il regarda autour de lui. Les volets de la fenêtre étaient ouverts,
tant la nuit était chaude et claire. Couché contre sa poitrine comme sur un
oreiller, le jeune homme s'attarda un moment pour embrasser Robert qui ronflait
si doucement. Au loin, le grognement des porcs était plus sonore, désordonné,
comme s'ils étaient plus agités.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Il descendit l’escalier. Le silence de la cour
l’inquiéta, soudain.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Entrant dans la cuisine, il vit que l’un des carreaux
avait été brisé. La fenêtre donnait sur la route. Si quelqu’un avait lancé une
pierre, il était déjà loin.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Quentin trouva la pierre, un gros moellon ramassé
n’importe où entre le village et la ferme de Robert. Mais un mot était attaché
à la pierre.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> Tout en sentant une sueur froide lui couler le long du
dos, Quentin lut les quelques lignes qui lui étaient visiblement adressées.
Puis, ayant fini de lire, il froissa la feuille et la déchira :<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> <i>Quand un petit avorton<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"><i> se pointe dans le canton,<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"><i> qu’en dit le Qu’en-dira-t-on ?<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"><i> Fermier, tu
l’engraisses !<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"><i> Quentin, t’es plus maigrichon,<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"><i> nourri comme un gros cochon !<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"><i> Fais-nous tomber le torchon<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"><i> ou gare à tes
fesses !</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">– "Bordel !" murmura-t-il. "Faut que je foute le
camp…"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">(<i>À suivre</i>...)</span></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5094005257601699515.post-80401129193388116952017-01-28T11:00:00.007-08:002023-06-10T05:20:29.067-07:00Interlude - à la Française : "Les jumeaux"<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">(Note : Cette histoire est une adaptation, contextualisée en français, de l'histoire intitulée<i> </i></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b><i>Twins</i></b></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><i> </i>et publiée sur le site gainerweb, au début des années 2000. Même modifiés, les noms et prénoms des personnages ne renvoient à aucune personne réelle, toute ressemblance etc. etc. etc.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">Traduire, c'est bien. Adapter, c'est mieux ! ^^)</span></div>
<span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>Les jumeaux</b></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></div><div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-indent: 1.25cm;"><span style="text-indent: 0px;"> “</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 14.6667px; text-indent: 1.25cm; text-transform: uppercase;">Ô</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 16px; text-indent: 1.25cm;"> lutteurs éternels, ô frères implacables !</span></span><span style="text-indent: 1.25cm;">”</span></span></div><div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-indent: 1.25cm;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="right" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Charles
BAUDELAIRE</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><i>Les Fleurs du mal</i> - <span style="text-align: left;">“</span>L'Homme & la Mer</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">”</span></div>
<div align="right" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />
</span><div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Mon
ami Carlos avait récemment embauché un cuisinier absolument
incroyable – un jeune italien dont il était très fier. Nous nous
disputions pour savoir si Giuseppe, son nouveau chef, était un
meilleur cuisinier que moi – je suis diététicien, je prépare des
plans alimentaires pour les cantines scolaires et les hôpitaux, je
donne souvent des conseils aux patrons de restaurants, et j'écris
des livres de cuisine. J’ai une telle passion pour la bonne bouffe
que j’en ai fait mon métier.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Pour
résoudre le problème de manière amicale, nous avions organisé une
soirée avec tous nos amis. Je mis en place un immense buffet à
volonté dans mon appartement, tout en laissant le même espace pour
que Carlos dispose un second buffet, tout aussi impressionnant. Il
convenait d’inviter une quarantaine de personnes, la plupart en
couples mais avec quelques célibataires aussi. En les accueillant,
Carlos tenait à être clair sur les enjeux de la soirée :
chacun était libre de goûter toute la nourriture que son chef et
moi avions préparée, et de se resservir autant que possible. Nous
pensions compter ou peser les restes, mais – sans trop de surprise
– il ne restait pas une miette à la fin de la soirée… Dans ces
conditions, nous avons invité les gens à voter pour le buffet n°1
ou le buffet n°2. On ne leur avait pas dit qui avait cuisiné quoi,
pour rester équitables.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Au
total, il y avait vingt-quatre votes pour Giuseppe, vingt-quatre
votes pour moi, et neuf abstentions – nous n’étions guère plus
avancés…</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> C’était
quand même frustrant – Carlos m’avait asticoté avec la
préparation de ce buffet pendant une semaine. Nous avions organisé
tout ça chez moi et, en partageant les frais, ça nous faisait une
sacrée ardoise. Tout ça pour un match nul ? Carlos me jeta un
regard complice : nous aurions dû en faire un pari. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Il
faut dire que Carlos a beaucoup plus d’argent que moi – il
possède une chaîne de casinos, des salles de jeux et pas moins de
quatorze grands restaurants dans la région et au-delà, tous
renommés, très bien fréquentés, bref : très chers – enfin,
comme la plupart des propriétaires de casinos, il aime jouer. Je ne
voulais pas me disputer avec lui, surtout pour de l’argent, mais je
n’allais pas me laisser marcher dessus non plus. Pas évident.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Allez,
ton cuisinier ne doit pas être irrésistible non plus,"
j’essayai de plaisanter. "Regardez comment vous êtes maigres,
lui et toi !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> C’était
exagéré, bien sûr : Carlos est un beau mec, bien bâti et
bien musclé – tous mes amis sont des beaux mecs, bien bâtis et
bien musclés – mais juste mince, et son cuisinier n’est pas
maigrichon non plus. Il faut reconnaître, malgré tout, qu’ils
étaient tous les deux assez fins pour passer par une porte
entrebâillée. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Contre
toute attente, mon commentaire le piqua au vif.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Il
nous prépare de bons petits plat, mais il sait cuisiner léger,
c’est tout." protestait Carlos. "S’il le
voulait, il pourrait cuisiner des plats hypercaloriques mais
tellement délicieux qu’on se laisserait grossir à vue d’œil."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Ouais
ouais… Mon œil." Ça m’amusait de le taquiner, en fait.
Après tout, il m’avait bien cherché.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Sans
déconner. Il pourrait même faire grossir les frères Dugay !" </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Nos
invités étaient encore là. Carlos s’était emporté, et ce qu’il
venait de dire aurait pu jeter un froid – mais c’est tout le
contraire qui se passa. Julien et Jérôme avaient tendu l’oreille
en entendant leur nom jeté en pleine conversation, comme au hasard.
Mais tous les invités autour de nous avaient le sourire, et la
plupart n’avaient pu s’empêcher d’éclater de rire. Lorsque la
remarque de Carlos fut répétée aux autres invités, le rire devint
général, et les frères Dugay n’étaient pas les derniers à
trouver l’idée comique : tout le monde savait que les deux
frères avaient un appétit d’ogre, mais qu’on ne s’en rendait
compte que lorsqu'ils mangeaient, tellement ils étaient minces.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Parmi
les amis que nous avions en commun, Carlos et moi, Julien et Jérôme
Dugay n’étaient pas vraiment mes préférés, mais on ne pouvait s’empêcher
d’être attirés par ces deux beaux garçons. Ils étaient jumeaux
– parfaitement interchangeables et même parfaitement inséparables
– on ne pouvait pas en inviter un sans voir l’autre pointer sa
belle gueule d’ange blond. Ils n’étaient pas très grands, mais
bien proportionnés et vraiment fins, élancés, presque trop minces…
ou plutôt non : vraiment trop minces – à mon goût, en tous
cas.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Tous
ceux qui les connaissaient savaient que l’un comme l’autre
mangeait pour deux. En bons jumeaux, ils en avaient souvent fait une
blague.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Vous
pouvez toujours courir !” Julien n’hésitait pas à se
moquer de Carlos et de moi. "On a un métabolisme de
sprinters."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Je
le regardai attentivement pendant une minute, lui et son frère. Le
problème avec eux, c’est qu’on pouvait toujours les inviter à
une soirée ou à un repas, comme ce soir, et ils venaient – ils
étaient toujours invités, tout simplement parce qu’ils étaient
vraiment beaux gosses – mais on pouvait toujours attendre qu’ils
nous paient un verre ou qu’ils nous invitent dans la grande maison
qu’ils avaient héritée de leurs parents, avec piscines extérieure
et intérieure, et jacuzzi, et sauna, et salle de billard, et tout et
tout… J’en avais vu des photos, quand ils avaient fait les
travaux d’aménagement, mais j’attendais toujours de les y
rejoindre – ou plutôt, je ne m’y attendais plus. Carlos non
plus, et nos amis non plus. On savait à quoi s’en tenir. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Sans
se montrer vraiment désagréables, les frères Dugay étaient
toujours distants – avec Carlos comme avec moi : rien de
personnel – au contraire, c’était comme si le fait d’être
jumeaux, ou d’avoir un jumeau, leur faisait compter pour rien le
reste de l’humanité.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Je
sais pas ce que Carlos en pense…" J’évitai de répondre
directement, mais je regardais Jérôme droit dans les yeux. "Si
ça ne tenait qu’à moi, tu pèserais trente kilos de plus, sans
que tu t’en rendes compte."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Voyez-vous
ça !" Jérôme riait de bon cœur.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Je
te jure, vraiment." </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Vraiment…
J’aimerais bien voir ça!"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Et
les deux frères riaient. Pas méchamment, d’ailleurs, mais Carlos
ne riait plus.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Eh,
pourquoi pas ?” dit-il. "C’est loin d’être bête
comme idée, pour nous départager. Mon cuisinier peut s’occuper de
nourrir l’un des jumeaux, et tu t’occupes de nourrir l’autre."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Quoi,
comme ça?" </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Je
sais pas, sur un mois peut-être… Il suffirait de les peser au
début et à la fin. Je te parie ce que tu veux que mon jumeau aura
pris plus de poids que le tien !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> C’était
bien le genre de pari à quoi je pouvais m’attendre, venant de
Carlos. Encore une fois, tout le monde éclata de rire autour de nous
– franchement, tellement c’était absurde. Mais je voyais bien
qu’il était sérieux, en fait. Et l’idée faisait son chemin
dans ma tête, aussi…</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"C’est
une excellente idée, en fait.” Je réfléchissais tout haut.
"Ils sont mieux que jumeaux, ils sont carrément identiques,
avec le même métabolisme. La seule chose qui entrera en jeu, c’est
la nourriture ou le talent de ton cuisinier contre le mien... Marché
conclu. Quel jumeau tu choisis?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Bah,
j’ai pas de préférence. On peut le décider à pile ou face."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Pour
le coup, Julien et Jérôme ne riaient plus.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Sérieux ?
C’est nous que tu appelles Pile et Face ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Le
ton risquait de monter.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Je
choisis Julien…" dis-je très vite, pour trancher.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">"Euh,
tu m’excuses ?" rebondit Julien, avec un rire nerveux qui
trahissait son agacement. "Vous êtes sérieux, les mecs ?
Vous vous imaginez quoi, qu’on va se laisser faire ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"C’est-à-dire…" Il
fallait le calmer, ou au moins calmer le jeu. "Ça fait partie
du challenge, non? Si on s’engage à vous proposer des plats
tellement appétissants, tellement succulents et tellement
irrésistibles que vous vous resservez encore et encore à chaque
repas, jour après jour, on peut s’attendre à ce que vous ayez
pris du poids, au bout d’un mois."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Je
n’étais pas trop certain de le convaincre, mais l’attitude des
deux frères avait bien changé – ce qui me rassurait le plus,
c’était la lueur de gourmandise que j’avais vu clignoter dans
leurs yeux en évoquant une avalanche de bons petits plats bien
nourrissants – et surtout, juste pour eux ! Pas besoin de
remonter bien loin dans mes souvenirs pour que je les revoie
s’empiffrer au buffet. Ils se seraient battus pour une part de flan
aux pommes caramel, s’ils avaient été seuls à devoir se partager
tout ce que nous avions cuisiné, ce soir…</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Tout
à fait !" ajouta Carlos, qui voyait avec satisfaction que
nos deux jumeaux se laissaient tenter. "Et qu’on soit bien
d’accord : on ne vous achète pas… Les plats qu’on vous
proposera doivent être votre seule et unique tentation."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Je
suis d’accord." Et je le pensais.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Proposer
de l’argent à quelqu'un pour lui faire déguster mes meilleurs
plats, cette idée ne me serait jamais venue en tête – même pour
gagner un pari ! Et puis, Carlos jouait sur du velours. Il
savait bien que je n’avais pas d’argent pour gagner la complicité
de l’un ou de l’autre. Sans avoir le nez dans mes comptes, il
devait bien se douter que j’en étais encore à rembourser mon
emprunt pour l’appartement que j’occupais. Mes affaires
démarraient bien, mais bon : elles démarraient…</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Giuseppe,
le chef de Carlos, ramena un peu de bon sens dans notre conversation.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Il
vous faut quand même leur coopération pour qu’on puisse juger des
résultats…"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Comment
ça ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"On
doit les peser avant et après, non ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"C’est
vrai, ça..." L'idée d’avoir à creuser encore dans
mon budget me donna des sueurs froides, tout d’un coup. "Combien
voudriez-vous qu’on vous paie pour être pesés en notre présence,
au début du pari et un mois plus tard?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Les
deux frères échangèrent un regard – et je connaissais ce
regard ! S’il y a bien une chose que Julien et Jérôme aiment
par-dessus tout, après eux-mêmes et un festin proposé
gratuitement, c’est bien l’argent… </span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Connaissant leurs goûts de
luxe, je n’osais imaginer la somme qu’ils allaient nous demander.
Mais, à ce stade, ils étaient prêts à nous prendre au sérieux,
et ils me semblaient au moins aussi décidés que Carlos à tenter
l’expérience.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"C’est
tout ce qu’on aura à faire ?" Jérôme demanda
timidement, un peu sur ses gardes. "Juste nous peser ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Oui."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"On
sera pas obligés de manger, en fait."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Au
contraire !" renchérit Carlos, d’une voix suave pour les
tenter une fois pour toutes. "Vous serez libres de manger tout ce
qu’il vous plaira de manger. Imagine, Jérôme que mon chef te
prépare tous les plats qui te feront envie, matin, midi et soir
pendant un mois, dans la cuisine de ton restaurant préféré…"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Et
tu pourras venir manger chez moi, autant que tu voudras…" dis-je
à Julien, en essayant de ne pas être en reste.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"D'accord
!" répondit Jérôme. "Ça sera mille euros pour
chaque fois que vous me ferez monter sur la balance."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Je
m'y attendais, mais je préférai fermer les yeux et respirer un
bon coup pour ne pas tomber dans les pommes. 2000 euros chacun ?
La vache…</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Tu
y penses sérieusement ?" Julien regardait son frère du
coin de l’œil, toujours aussi complice mais un peu inquiet devant tant de décisions prises aussi brusquement.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Bah,
pourquoi pas ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Tu
vois bien qu’ils se foutent de nous."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Tout
le monde nous regardait. Au fait ! il fallait que je marque mon
territoire aussi. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Tiens
!" Je pris mon carnet de chèques, et je signai un premier
chèque de mille euros – de quoi faire hurler ma banquière, mais
je réglerais ça avec elle demain au téléphone. "Si c’est
ce qu’il te faut pour te convaincre, je veux te voir sur mon
pèse-personne, lundi matin. Tu vois, je me fous pas de toi."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Julien
regardait mon chèque comme un poisson regarde un appât bien
appétissant – sans penser une seule seconde qu’il pourrait y
avoir un hameçon </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">accroché
derrière, </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">bien
sûr ! Carlos, beaucoup plus sûr de lui que je n’avais tenté de
le montrer à nos invités, signa un aussi beau (et gros) chèque
pour Jérôme.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />
</span><div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: verdana;">■ ■ ■</span></b></div>
<div style="line-height: 16px; text-align: justify;">
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Comme
convenu, le pari devait commencer le lundi suivant. Selon notre
accord, je devais m’occuper de nourrir Julien trois fois par jour,
et Giuseppe ferait de même avec Jérôme. Mais, pour commencer, nous
devions nous réunir chez moi pour peser nos deux sujets
d’expérience.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Avec
le temps de la réflexion, Carlos estimait que nous avions payé le
prix fort pour seulement lire un chiffre sur une balance et il imposa
aux jumeaux des conditions dignes des préparatifs d’un match de
boxe professionnelle – à commencer par un point qui m’amusa
beaucoup : la pesée en maillots de lutteurs très courts et bien
moulants, avec mesures au niveau du tour de taille, entre autres</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">…</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Si
son intention était de donner une "leçon" aux deux
frères, c’était raté… Julien et Jérôme étaient fiers de
leur physique, non seulement identique à en avoir le vertige mais
sérieusement désirable. Ils étaient minces, c’est vrai, mais pas
aussi maigres que je le disais en commençant. Ils faisaient du
sport, et ça se voyait. Ils avaient assez d’argent pour ne pas
avoir à travailler, et c’était visible aussi – pour un œil
attentif, en tous cas. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Enfin,
j’étais bien placé pour savoir qu’ils ne se laissaient pas
mourir de faim ! Tout simplement, ils étaient taillés comme
des mannequins, des gravures de mode, suffisamment étoffés pour que
leurs pectoraux soient juste bien dessinés, avec de beaux bras, des
épaules rondes et larges, une taille fine et des hanches un peu
grêles mais de belles fesses bien rebondies, des cuisses et des
mollets musclés. Pour ne rien gâcher, on peut dire que leurs
maillots de lutteurs étaient remplis assez généreusement, au
niveau du slip, pour expliquer leurs succès féminins – et, si je
me laissais tenter à croire certaines rumeurs persistantes,
également masculins…</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Ils
n’étaient pas loin de défiler pour nous, et ils posaient plutôt
qu’ils ne se tenaient droit, en montant sur la balance. Jérôme
portait un maillot rouge vif, et Julien un maillot bleu électrique –
comme pour bien les mettre en condition, à la limite de la
compétition sportive.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Mais
la mécanique est une chose tellement bête qu’elle ne retenait que
des chiffres, avec tout ça – des chiffres assez décevants,
puisque Jérôme pesait <b>78,8</b>kg et Julien <b>78,6</b>kg… Naturellement,
l’un comme l’autre mesurait 1m78 – et pas un millimètre de
moins.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Giuseppe
invita Jérôme à le suivre dans ma cuisine, où je lui avais laissé
carte blanche pour qu’il prépare ce qu’il souhaitait proposer
comme plats avec ses propres ingrédients et ses propres ustensiles.
Pour aujourd'hui, je devrais me contenter de cuisiner dans le
salon, en installant Julien confortablement dans la salle à manger.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Je
ne pouvais m’empêcher de relever le petit sourire de Carlos :
"Son" jumeau était déjà un peu plus lourd, et on pouvait
donc s’attendre à ce qu’il mange mieux – et surtout, à ce
qu’il grossisse plus que "le mien"…</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Allez,
t’en fais pas, Julien !" dis-je pour rigoler. "Tu le
dépasseras bientôt."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Laisse
tomber…" Julien me répondit, l’air sombre. "On se
voit dans un mois. Je me casse."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Sur
le moment, je n’en croyais pas mes oreilles. Julien me faisait
presque la gueule – alors que, pour me mettre encore plus dans
l’angoisse, Jérôme avait suivi Carlos et Giuseppe dans la cuisine
si docilement. Ils devaient déjà être en train de l’encourager à
s’empiffrer sans retenue…</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Mais...
pourquoi ? Je pensais que ça vous amusait, Jérôme et toi."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Non,
plus j’y pense et plus je trouve ça… pas net. Jérôme fait ce
qu’il veut, mais moi je me casse."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Attends,
sois sympa. Tu veux même pas goûter ce que j’ai préparé pour
toi ? J’ai travaillé dur, tu sais, pour que tu te régales avec ma
recette de médaillons de homard."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Je
n’avais pas oublié que Julien avait littéralement dévoré mes
fameux médaillons de homard en terrine, lors de cette soirée où le
pari avait été lancé – je dis "fameux", mais justement
: lorsque j’avais demandé leur avis à nos invités, ils se
souvenaient seulement de les avoir vus sur le buffet. Pour le goût,
aucune idée… J’en avais préparé quarante, et Julien n’en
avait pas laissé un seul pour les autres. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Visiblement,
j’avais fait le bon choix, puisqu'il ne parlait déjà plus de
"se casser". </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Je
jouais quand même très serré – en même temps, j’entendais des
bruits venant de la cuisine : aucun doute possible, Jérôme se
régalait de tout ce que cuisinait Giuseppe, copieusement… et moi, j’attendais toujours que
"mon" jumeau se mette à table.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Bon…"
Julien finit par se laisser tenter. "Je vois que t'as fait un
effort, c’est bien… Mais si tu penses que je vais prendre du
poids, tu te mets le doigt dans l’œil !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Une
fois assis, toujours dans son maillot moulant, il commença par
manger un médaillon bien tartiné de mayonnaise – et puis un autre
– et encore un autre… Plus il mangeait, plus il se pressait pour
manger. Après le homard, je lui servis des plats de poulet bien
relevés, juste un peu épicés comme je savais qu’il les préférait
– avec un grand plat de riz. J’aurais dû acheter un plus grand
plat, tellement il dévorait.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />
</span><div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Je
commençai à respirer.</span></div>
</div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />
</span><div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: verdana;">■ ■ ■</span></b></div>
<div style="line-height: 16px; text-align: justify;">
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Les
jours suivants me laissèrent une impression bizarre. Visiblement,
les deux frères tenaient à nous remettre à notre place, Carlos,
Giuseppe et moi : ils nous regardaient de haut, avec un petit sourire
narquois – Jérôme un peu moins, Julien un peu plus – comme pour
nous rappeler que notre pari était un </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">petit </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">jeu que l’on pouvait
gagner entre nous, mais que l’on ne pouvait que perdre contre eux
et leur fameux métabolisme de chaudière à charbon…</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Pour
être honnêtes, nous nous étions montrés un peu trop confiants,
Carlos et moi, le premier jour où nous avions entrepris de nourrir
les deux frères. Après le repas de midi, j’étais émerveillé
devant l’appétit de Julien – et j’avais toutes les raisons
d’être satisfait : il avait tout mangé jusqu'à la
dernière bouchée, son ventre était visiblement rempli à souhait.
Son maillot de lutteur était gonflé comme un beau ballon bleu, au
niveau de l’estomac. Mais quelle ne devait pas être ma surprise en
voyant Jérôme sortir de ma cuisine, suivi de Carlos et Giuseppe
dont le sourire n’était modeste que parce que celui de son
employeur était triomphant ! Le beau garçon avait dû manger
sans s’arrêter pendant des heures, pour être aussi plein à bloc.
Son maillot rouge faisait encore mieux ressortir son bide comme une
tomate bien mûre… </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Mais
voilà – le lendemain matin, lui et son frère se présentaient
devant nous pour leur petit-déjeuner, aussi minces et aussi élancés
que la veille. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Ils
nous posaient sans cesse des problèmes, en fait. Pour commencer,
impossible d’obtenir que l’un des jumeaux mange chez moi pendant
que l’autre mangerait ailleurs. Il fallut que Carlos intervienne
pour les convaincre. Après une semaine, je pouvais enfin vraiment
utiliser ma cuisine pour nourrir Julien tous les jours. Je n’oubliais
pas que Giuseppe disposait de moyens formidables au restaurant –
j’en avais assez profité, lorsque nous avions eu à nourrir les
deux beaux garçons sur son terrain…</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> De
jour en jour, une complicité nouvelle s’était établie entre
Giuseppe et moi. Loin de nous mettre en compétition, ce pari nous
obligeait à cuisiner pendant des heures et des heures, en grandes
quantités, tout en nous surpassant continuellement. Et lorsque les
frères Dugay rentraient chez eux – très tard, après un dîner
aussi nourrissant que possible – nous terminions la soirée avec un
verre de vin et un échange de conseils ou de points de vue, en bons
camarades.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Giuseppe,
qui était maintenant officiellement en couple avec Carlos,
n’approuvait pas toujours les décisions qui nous avaient conduits
à cette curieuse expérience culinaire. Mais, surtout, il
n’appréciait pas l’attitude de Julien et Jérôme, qu’il
trouvait presque méprisante.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Je
veux bien qu’ils sont très mignons. Mais quel âge ils ont ?
Vingt ans ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Vingt-deux
ans."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Ma
grand-mère disait toujours : Si tu n’es pas belle à vingt
ans, tu ne seras jamais belle… Mais ils me tapent sur les nerfs
avec leurs petits sourires satisfaits, et leurs commentaires, et leur
métabolisme." </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Je
comprends..." Je dois dire que je partageais son opinion.
"Pourtant, tu t’en sors bien. Jérôme est moins difficile que
Julien, pour ce qui est de l’appétit."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Je
ne pense pas. Ils ont le même appétit."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Jérôme
n’est pas plus docile ? Je croyais…"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Ah
ah…" Giuseppe me jeta un regard amusé. "Tu as remarqué
ça, mais tu as mal compris. C’est pour nous défier qu’il se
montre aussi docile. Quand il est assis à table, il me regarde avec
l’air de dire : Vas-y, donne-moi ce que tu as de meilleur à
manger ! Encore ! Encore ! Je peux manger tout ce que
je veux, autant que je veux, et tu ne me feras pas prendre un
gramme !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Tiens… Je n’y avais jamais pensé."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Ça
me plaît que tu aies remarqué ça, parce que je voulais te dire une
chose."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Oui ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Giuseppe
se pencha vers moi. Nous étions seuls, mais il baissa la voix.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"On
est trop gentils avec eux. J’ai vu ce que tu préparais pour
Julien. Carlos m’avait demandé de ne cuisiner que ce que Jérôme
préfère, parmi ce que je fais de plus recherché. C’est bien,
mais on pourrait faire beaucoup mieux."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">–</span><span style="line-height: 100%;"> </span>"Comme
quoi ?"</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="line-height: 100%;">–</span><span style="line-height: 100%;"> </span>"Juste
mieux</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">…</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Des plats encore plus appétissants, et encore plus nourrissants… et beaucoup plus <i>gras</i> !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> J’étais
tout oreilles…</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Je
comprends ce que tu veux dire, mais est-ce qu’ils se laisseront
faire ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Ils
ont pris goût à nos repas. Ils n’en manquent pas un seul. A notre
tour de leur montrer qui mène le jeu. Voilà. Je voulais juste être
honnête avec toi, mais puisqu'on est partis sur ces règles du
jeu, et qu’on va les peser dans trois semaines… Clairement,
j’ai bien l’intention d’</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><i>engraisser</i></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">
Jérôme autant que je pourrai le faire engraisser !" </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"D'accord.
Et j’en ferai autant avec Julien !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Giuseppe
avait raison. Les jumeaux ne manquaient jamais un repas. Ils
aimaient tellement la nourriture et l'attention qu’on leur portait
qu’ils avaient peine à contenir leur enthousiasme. Après une
semaine où ils s’étaient plutôt présentés en retard, l’air
aussi peu motivés que possible, ils avaient plusieurs minutes
d’avance dès le matin, et je voyais Julien impatient de manger,
avec des grognements de satisfaction quand je lui servais son
petit-déjeuner.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Naturellement,
Carlos essayait de deviner si nos </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">deux
</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">sujets
bien nourris prenaient du poids – et, surtout, lequel en prenait
plus que l'autre ! – mais il devait constater, comme moi, que
Jérôme et Julien restaient raisonnablement minces… J'en étais
malade. Comme pour nous provoquer, ils faisaient exprès de porter
des T-shirts et des shorts qui mettaient en évidence leur physique
avantageux. S'ils avaient engraissé, tout le monde l'aurait
remarqué.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Pourtant,
Giuseppe me redonnait de l'espoir : Jérôme se goinfrait de plus en
plus – Il n'y avait qu'à compter les plats à la fin d'une journée
pour s'en apercevoir. Je fis le même compte pour Julien, sans même
le laisser soupçonner que j'augmentais les quantités de tous ses
repas, de jour en jour. Avec un petit effort de mémoire, j'arrivais
à la conclusion que, comme Jérôme, Julien avalait au moins deux
fois plus de nourriture que lorsque nous avions commencé ce pari. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Il
fallait bien que toutes ces calories soient stockées quelque
part… Carlos était d'accord avec moi : sans être devenus bouffis
et replets comme nous aurions peut-être imaginé les voir devenir –
dans nos rêves les plus fous – Jérôme et Julien avaient
certainement pris du poids... et du gras. Mais cela se devinait à
peine, ou plutôt cela faisait tellement plaisir à voir qu'on
trouvait simplement que les frères Dugay n'avaient jamais paru en
aussi bonne santé. Surtout depuis la perte de leurs parents. De
bonnes joues roses et souriantes, des courbes sensuelles et
gracieuses sur les </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><i>dance-floors</i></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">,
de belles fesses plus rebondies que jamais – je ne me lassais pas
de les voir évoluer ainsi en dansant. Et en mangeant !</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Carlos
avait mis au point une méthode pour nourrir Jérôme, mais Giuseppe
l'avait perfectionnée : il s'agissait de l'entourer d'un très grand
nombre de plats, petits et grands, et de l'encourager à se servir et
se resservir au hasard. Giuseppe rajoutait des plats partout où
Jérôme avait creusé, comme pour passer au travers de cette marée de bols et d'assiettes sur la table – et, au fur
et à mesure que le temps avançait, il lui offrait des délices
toujours plus tentantes, et toujours plus nourrissantes. Cette méthode
avait du bon : Jérôme se jetait sur tout ce qui se trouvait à sa
portée, sans bien se rendre compte des quantités qu'il avait déjà
ingurgitées. Il repartait toujours gavé à bloc…</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Dès
le début, Julien s'était montré plus difficile, et j'avais dû me
montrer patient et gentil, limite subtil en quelque sorte, pour
l'amener à s'empiffrer comme son frère… Il n'aurait jamais
accepté plus d'un plat à la fois, et je ne voulais pas le mettre en
colère en lui présentant un plat trop chargé – il était plus
intéressant de lui donner envie de réclamer, puis de le resservir excessivement et de le mettre devant ses responsabilités. Après
avoir reçu "trop peu" de tel plat, il ne pouvait pas se
plaindre si je le resservais carrément "trop" – et, tout en
m'accusant de lui tendre des pièges pour qu'il se force à finir, il mangeait et mangeait encore jusqu'à la dernière bouchée. </span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> S'il voulait jouer au
plus malin, il réclamait encore une troisième assiette – mais
j'étais plus malin que lui, et alors il devait finir et rester assis
pour le plat suivant. Je le laissais "respirer" entre les
plats, mais il était aussi impatient que son frère, dans le fond,
et il se jetait sur ce que je lui servais ensuite. Chaque repas
devenait une aventure. Il ne savait plus où donner de la tête
tant les parfums, les goûts et jusqu'aux couleurs d'une telle abondance de nourriture l'enivraient
– mais son estomac se remplissait, se remplissait, se
remplissait encore</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">…</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Ma
méthode était malheureusement plus délicate que celle de Carlos. Si je m'y prenais mal, ou si Julien montrait soudain moins d'appétit
que prévu pour tel ou tel plat, il me disait qu'il n'avait plus faim
– ou il me disait d'arrêter de le gaver – enfin il s'en allait.
De toute évidence, dans les premiers temps, Julien se goinfrait
moins que Jérôme.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Au
moins, ces difficultés m'encourageaient à vraiment piquer son
appétit, à le provoquer de manière calculée – de manière
sensuelle aussi</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">…</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> J'en arrivais à composer un repas comme une
symphonie, avec des combinaisons de toutes sortes pour le rendre
littéralement esclave de ses papilles…</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Et, de toute évidence,
Julien était un excellent sujet de recherches. Je ne pensais pas me
tromper en comptant les plats : il y en avait bien trois fois plus
qu'au départ. Julien mangeait déjà mieux que Jérôme !</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Un
autre signe ne trompait pas. Les deux frères disposaient toujours de
toute leur journée mais les premiers petits-déjeuners duraient une
demi-heure, avec une heure pour le déjeuner, puis une heure ou une
heure et demie pour le dîner. Nous avions observé ces durées
lorsque Julien et Jérôme mangeaient ensemble.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Après
deux semaines, Jérôme restait une heure avec Giuseppe pour son
petit-déjeuner, ses repas de midi duraient une heure et demie, et
ses repas du soir duraient facilement deux heures. De son côté,
Julien ne restait qu'une demi-heure au petit-déjeuner – il se
levait souvent tard, et il était souvent pressé – mais il restait
deux heures avec moi pour son repas de midi, et au moins trois heures
pour son repas du soir. Il ne repartait pas tant que son ventre
n'était pas rempli à en éclater.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Oh
non</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">…</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Par pitié, non…" me dit Julien en gémissant, un soir.
"Pas des burritos !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Cela
faisait maintenant seize jours que nous avions trouvé notre rythme
de croisière. Je l'avais rôdé à la perfection. A ce stade du
dîner, Julien avait déjà mangé pendant au moins deux heures. Mais
je venais de lui présenter mes fameux burritos – un de ses plats
préférés, surtout frits en mode <i>chimichanga</i>. Il faut croire que je
tenais à le récompenser, maintenant qu'il se montrait mieux disposé
envers moi et mes bons petits plats… bien nourrissants.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Je
sais ce qu’il te faut, je l’ai lu dans tes yeux. Tu en avais
envie, tu vas te régaler !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Arrrgh,
espèce de sadique…" Julien protestait faiblement en caressant
son estomac dangereusement rebondi, et en rajustant son short plus que moulant, indéniablement serré autour de la taille et même autour des hanches.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Tu
dois être trop mal là-dedans…" Je lui donnai une bonne tape
sur les cuisses. "Pourquoi tu déboutonnes pas ton short ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"T'as
raison, je ferais aussi bien… Oooof…" Suivant mon conseil –
et à ma grande satisfaction – il ouvrit le bouton de son short, et
son ventre fit le reste pour que sa braguette descende jusqu'en
bas. "C'est juste que ça met un sacré coup à mon
métabolisme."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Il
me lança un beau sourire, toujours fier et provoquant, mais aussitôt
après il se mettait à s'empiffrer avec un burrito bien gras dans
chaque main.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Quel
est le problème avec ton métabolisme?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Euh… Hmmmph… Ben, je sais pas. Je pensais…"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Sérieusement,
tu pensais que tu pouvais manger tout ça et ne pas prendre au moins
un peu de poids?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Sérieusement,
ouais</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">…</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">" Au moins, Julien ne se dégonflait pas. Mais son
ventre non plus. "Tu vas trouver ça con, mais j'ai essayé de
mettre un corset, avant-hier, pour avoir l'air presque aussi mince qu'avant.
Hmmmph</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">…</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> J'ai trop détesté, j’ai laissé tomber tout de suite.
Hmmmph… Je pouvais pas respirer</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">…</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Un
corset ? Mais ça se voit."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Pas
sous le T-shirt. Jérôme en a porté un pendant trois jours, mais il
étouffait. Alors il me l'a passé. J'ai pas tenu cinq minutes.
Hmmmph…"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Ah
ouais…"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> La
conversation de Julien m'amusait – sauf pour ce dernier détail : est-ce
que Jérôme était déjà beaucoup plus potelé que son frère ?</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Vous
allez toujours courir, le matin ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Au
début, on faisait exprès de rester un quart d'heure de plus, en y
allant à fond. La semaine dernière, on a un peu réduit le rythme.
Hmmmph… Je passe trop de temps avec toi…"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Il
attaquait déjà sa quatrième assiette de burritos, à belles dents.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Et
la piscine ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Bah…
on nage."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Sans
sortir de chez vous..."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Puisqu'on
a tout ce qu'on veut sous la main... Hmmm hmmmph, ils sont trop bons,
tes burritos."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Enfin,
vous faites toujours du sport."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Julien
fit une pause – tant qu'à consacrer un moment pour se montrer
honnête envers moi, il voulait peut-être en profiter pleinement, là
encore, pour s'ôter un poids de sur le cœur.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Tu
sais, après un repas comme ça, on passe surtout un bon moment à
digérer…"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Oui,
je me rends bien compte."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Tu
te rends compte de que dalle !" Julien protestait déjà – il
avait dû retrouver un second souffle. "Quand je rentre à pied
jusqu'à chez moi, faut que je m'arrête deux fois pour m'asseoir sur
un banc. On aurait dû prévoir que tu me payes le taxi, tiens !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Quoi,
c'est pas si loin jusqu'à chez toi."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Ouais,
en bagnole. Si je veux le faire en mode marathon, je souffle comme un
phoque."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> En
attendant, ça ne l'empêchait pas de se goinfrer comme un porc…</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Écoute,
c'est le jeu. On s'est mis d'accord pour continuer comme ça pendant
encore deux semaines."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Moi,
j'en peux plus. Tes chimichangas m'ont carrément achevé…"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Dis
pas ça… Devine ce que je t'ai préparé pour la suite."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Quoi,
y a une suite ? Mais tu veux ma mort !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Allez,
devine. On reste au Mexique…"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Putain,
j'y crois pas</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">…</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">" Il y avait un vrai feu d’artifice dans ses
beaux yeux bleus. "Me dis pas que t'as fait des enchiladas</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">…</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Je
t'ai préparé MES enchiladas. Et tu vas t'en régaler de la première
à la dernière bouchée !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Julien
pouvait encore protester ou se frotter le ventre autant qu'il voulait
– quand je posai le plat sur la table, il avait déjà capitulé.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"T'es
un vrai bourreau, ça devrait pas être légal de cuisiner aussi
bien…"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Allez,
un petit effort, je te fais manger les premiers. Ta mission à toi,
c'est de tout bien avaler."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Tu
me feras manger les autres aussi, je suis à bout de force…"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Comme
tu préfères, mais faudra TOUS les manger, alors !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Arrrgh,
tu vas me faire éclater…"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Après
trois assiettes d'enchiladas richement remplis, avec des œufs au
plat, du fromage fondu, des haricots rouges et beaucoup de riz, Julien se remit
à gémir – mais sur le mode du pur délice.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"J'en
peux plus… Hmmmph</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">…</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> C'est trop bon."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Il
y en a plein d'autres. Et plein de haricots encore. Rien que pour
toi. Profites-en."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"T'as
raison, ressers-moi… Hmmmph hmmmph…"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Allez,
allez ! Encore une bouchée ! Et puis, t'en fais pas pour ton
métabolisme..."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Oh,
mon métabolisme… Hmmmph… ça va. C’est juste que je me sens
super lourd."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Maintenant ?
C’est normal, non ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Pas
juste maintenant… Hmmmph… Même quand je me lève, le matin…"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"C'est
quoi, le problème ? Le fait que tu prends du poids ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Je
ne m'attendais pas à le voir hésiter sur cette question.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Non,
le poids c'est juste un chiffre… Hmmmph hmmmph… Encore !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Qu'est-ce
qui te dérange alors, dans tout ça ?" Comme il me laissait le
gaver, je pouvais me permettre de le taquiner un peu, en lui pressant
doucement le ventre. "Que tu engraisses ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Non,
ça me dérange pas de grossir."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"<span style="text-transform: uppercase;">ç</span>a
te dérange pas de grossir…"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Depuis
quelques temps, je dois avouer que Julien me paraissait de plus en
plus irrésistiblement séduisant – mais après un aveu pareil,
j’avais du mal à me tenir juste assis à côté de lui. Je devrais
peut-être déboutonner mon jean, aussi…</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Euh… Hmmmph</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">…</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Comment te dire ? C'est plutôt toutes ces remarques à la
con que tu entends à propos de ça. Comment les autres vont me
tanner le cuir, dès qu'ils vont vraiment voir que j'ai grossi."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Oui,
bah… et alors ? Tu les envoies se faire foutre."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Non,
ça marche pas comme ça."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Et
comme ça ?" Je lui fourrai directement la bouffe dans la
bouche. "Hein ? Y a rien de plus simple. T'as qu'à leur
dire que tu le fais exprès."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Quoi,
que je fais exprès de bouffer ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Mieux
: que tu fais exprès de grossir."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"T'es
un grand malade, toi."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Mais
non, écoute-moi…" Et je continuais à le nourrir sans qu'il
oppose la moindre résistance. "Si les gens voient que t’as
grossi, juste parce que tu t'es laissé aller, comme ils diront,
ils se sentiront plus malins que toi et ils te traiteront comme une
merde. Mais si tu leur dis que c'est exactement ce que tu souhaites,
et si en plus tu ajoutes que c'est pas évident et que c'est pas
donné à tout le monde d'y arriver, tu vas voir qu'ils sauront pas
quoi te répondre."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Ils
auront rien à me répondre! Ils diront juste que je suis cinglé.
Pourquoi je voudrais grossir exprès ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Je
sais pas. On peut trouver tout un tas de raisons. Penses-y un peu, tu
trouveras certainement une idée qui te plaira et qui laissera tout
le monde cloué sur place. Au fait, tu as une idée du poids que tu
as pris jusqu'ici ?"</span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Quoi,
tu veux me peser <i>maintenant </i>? C'est toi qui vois, mais ça coûte
mille euros."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Ah
ouais. Excuse, j'avais oublié. Mais bon, je peux bien attendre la
fin du mois."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Voilà… Attends, me dis pas que j'ai fini les enchiladas !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Tu
as l'air déçu."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Non,
c'est pas ça, mais… euh… t'en as pas d'autres ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Je
lui apportai le second plat d’enchiladas – carrément débordant de
poulet, de sauce et de poivrons.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Tu
as bon appétit ce soir !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Je
m'en rends bien compte!" Je n'avais jamais vu Julien aussi
content de lui-même. "C'est peut-être parce que je respire
mieux…"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Certainement…"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Après
avoir fini les enchiladas que j’avais préparés avec plus de
fromage, plus d’œufs, plus de haricots et plus de sauce, sans
compter le kilo de riz bien relevé, Julien ne put s'empêcher de
lâcher un énorme rot.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"BUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRP
!"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Eh
ben ! Faudra que je t'en fasse plus souvent, des enchiladas…"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Sadique…"
gémit Julien en souriant. "Mon bide va éclater…</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Mais
non, tu viens de faire un peu de place !"</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />
</span><div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"J'espère
qu'on passe aux desserts, alors !…"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: verdana;">■ ■ ■</span></b></div>
<div style="line-height: 16px; text-align: justify;">
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Deux
jours plus tard, Jérôme et Julien nous envoyèrent un message
inattendu : Si nous voulions les nourrir comme prévu, ce serait chez
eux et pas ailleurs. Ni Carlos ni moi n'avions jamais été invités chez eux</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">… C'était vraiment une maison magnifique, dans une propriété privée
avec gardien. En suivant ses instructions, je retrouvais Julien dans
une grande salle à manger. La cuisine était tout à côté. Mais ça
ne devait pas être la seule, puisque Carlos et Giuseppe étaient
partis ailleurs pour s'occuper de Jérôme</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">…</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Même
dans ce nouvel environnement, je servis un magnifique petit-déjeuner
complet à mon jumeau de compétition. Julien avait remis son short –
vraiment par défi, vu comment ses cuisses s'étaient renforcées.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">À</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"> la fin du repas de midi, malgré tous ses efforts, il ne pouvait plus
tenir.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Ooooof</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">…</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"
soupira-t-il, en se déboutonnant complètement. "Je vais
devoir investir dans de nouvelles fringues."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Julien
s'éclipsa pendant que je cuisinais. Au moment de servir le dîner,
je le vis revenir en maillot de bain moulant – naturellement –
avec une robe de chambre en éponge. Il avait au moins digéré au
bord de la piscine. Et il devait avoir bien digéré.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Je
ne m'attendais pas à ce qu'il soit suivi par son frère, en revanche
– dans la même tenue. Comme toujours, les deux frères jumeaux
faisaient pratiquement la même chose, presque au même endroit et
autant que possible en même temps !</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Je
tâchais de ne pas trop regarder ce que pouvait me révéler la
robe de chambre de Jérôme, qui devait avoir passé plus de temps au
sauna, tant il était rouge et trempé. Mais, ne serait-ce qu'au
niveau du visage, il était évident que le beau garçon était plus
joufflu – comme son frère – un peu plus que lui, peut-être –
ou un peu moins ?</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> J'étais
encore en cuisine, et ma présence ne devrait pas les déranger. Ou
plutôt, ils n'avaient pas idée que je me trouvais dans la pièce à
côté. Je n’étais pas en train de faire tourner un mixeur ou un
robot. Seuls l'un avec l'autre, ou se croyant seuls, mes deux jumeaux
se laissaient complètement aller.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Eh
ben, c'est quoi, ça ? Tu prends du bide, mon gros…" Jérôme
vint tâter le ventre de son frère.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"C'est
rien, je suis encore plein avec mon repas de midi… J'ai trop
bouffé, aujourd'hui !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Moi
aussi… Enfin, quand même ! Ton estomac est certainement plein comme le mien, mais comment il est bien enrobé !”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Bah toi
aussi ! Tâte-moi ce ventre. On aurait moins de rembourrage sur un
ours en peluche."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"C'est vrai, je me suis étoffé. Mais j'ai grandi aussi."</span></span></div>
<div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Ah bon ?"</span></span></div>
</div>
<div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Je suis aller vérifier, ce matin. J'ai pris deux centimètres, je suis à 1m80. Tu vas voir, tu feras petit <i>et </i>maigrichon à côté de moi, bientôt !"</span></span></div>
</div>
<div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"C'est curieux, mais je te trouve pas plus grand. Juste plus gros."</span></span></div>
</div>
<div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Attends, tiens-toi droit devant moi… C'est drôle, tu aurais pas grandi aussi?"</span></span></div>
</div>
<div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Faudra que je vérifie. C'est possible aussi, avec tout ce que je bouffe…"</span></span></div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">"Allez,
sois honnête. T'as grossi !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"C'est
clair, j'ai dû prendre quelques kilos…" </span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Julien et Jérôme
n'avaient pas de secrets l'un pour l'autre. </span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Toi aussi, non ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"M'en
parle pas ! J'en peux plus, j'éclate… Giuseppe est trop fort pour moi, il me
gave comme une oie !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Tels
que je les voyais maintenant, discrètement, il me semblait que
Jérôme se montrait un peu moins vorace que Julien, mais je pouvais me
tromper : il mangeait remarquablement bien !</span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: verdana;">■ ■ ■</span></b></div>
<div style="line-height: 16px; text-align: justify;">
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Vers
la fin de la troisième semaine de notre pari – qui ressemblait de
plus en plus à une semaine de gavage intensif, pour ne pas dire
industriel – on pouvait voir que nos sujets d’expérience
s’étaient bien alourdis. En y regardant un peu plus
attentivement, lorsque les deux jumeaux se tenaient l’un à côté
de l’autre, on pouvait même deviner que Julien s’était empâté
un peu plus généreusement que son frère.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Carlos
s’en était bien aperçu – et les méthodes qu’il entendait
pratiquer sur Jérôme ne devaient pas me rassurer. Giuseppe me
disait, de temps en temps, sur un ton mi-sérieux mi-moqueur, que le
beau gros garçon s’en sortirait "sain et sauf", juste un
peu plus gras que ne l’aurait recommandé un médecin – quant à
moi, je continuais à nourrir Julien selon ma méthode. J’ajoutais
plus de beurre dans les plats, dans les sauces, je tâchais
d’enrichir mes recettes tout en leur conservant leurs saveurs. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Il
fallait que Julien conserve l’avantage sur son frère, et j’étais
bien décidé à le maintenir en léger surpoids par rapport à
Jérôme, qui s’empiffrait dans une autre aile de la maison
familiale. Les repas duraient des heures. A la fin d’une journée,
Giuseppe et moi tombions écrasés de fatigue. Nous avions fini par
occuper des chambres d’amis. </span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Enfin, c’était presque devenu un concours
pour déterminer lequel des deux frères pousserait les rots les plus
sonores et les plus résonnants, d’une aile à l’autre de la
grande maison…</span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: verdana;">■ ■ ■</span></b></div>
<div style="line-height: 16px; text-align: justify;">
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Un
samedi soir, à une soirée où nous avions tous été invités,
j’entendis une fille qui draguait Jérôme.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Wow
! On voudrait plus jamais sortir s’éclater en boîte sans ton
frère et toi !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Dans
la même soirée, un beau mec que je connaissais bien l’avait
rejoint sur la piste de danse, et le draguait à son tour.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"C’est
drôle, depuis le temps qu’on se connaît, je t’avais jamais vu
aussi bien danser. C’est un régal pour les yeux…"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Jérôme
laissait dire les uns et les autres. Il était habitué à ce genre de compliments, mais il y avait quelque chose de plus dans ces petites
phrases d’accroche – quelque chose de sincère, d’enthousiaste,
même de plus sensuel qu’avant. Et il y avait quelque chose de
nouveau avec Jérôme : </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">il disait merci, et </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">il répondait gentiment, et il retournait même le compliment. On n'en revenait pas. Tout le monde dans la salle où
nous étions n’avait d’yeux que pour Julien et lui.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Sérieux…" demandait
une fille un peu bourrée à Jérôme, qui venait de finir un petit
numéro de danse en duo avec Julien, en plein milieu de la piste et
pour le ravissement de tous. "C’est quoi, votre secret ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Je sais pas..." répondit Jérôme en rougissant de manière
absolument irrésistible. "C’est peut-être parce qu’on se
sent bien comme on est."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Et
qu’on mange enfin à notre faim !" ajouta Julien en
riant, avant de repartir vers de nouvelles aventures bras-dessus
bras-dessous avec son frère.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> On
pouvait le prendre comme une blague, mais c’était vrai… On
n’avait jamais vu les frères Dugay dans de meilleures
dispositions. Quant à moi, j’en étais venu à les aimer presque
autant que je les désirais. Ils étaient toujours aussi beaux
gosses, mais avec ce petit quelque chose en plus qui les rendait
sympathiques, agréables, faciles à vivre. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> En
fait, plus ils devenaient dodus, et plus ils devenaient sexy – à
tel point que personne n’avait encore fait de commentaires
désobligeants, comme Julien le craignait.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Au
cours d’une autre soirée, je me retrouvai un peu perdu en
<i>back-room</i>, dans le noir. Sur mon chemin, je trouvai Julien et
mon instinct fit le reste. Je le plaquai contre un mur et je
l’embrassai avec toute la sensualité que ce moment méritait. Il
se laissa faire. Ça ne semblait pas lui déplaire, mais lorsqu'il
rouvrit les yeux, ce fut pour détourner le regard et me dire, sur un
ton presque choqué</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Sois
pas ridicule..."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Qu’est-ce
qui est ridicule ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Ben...
Euh... On se connaît depuis un bail, et maintenant… Tu vois ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Il
se faufila aussi vite que sa belle bedaine le laissait libre de
passer entre le mur et moi. L’air de rien, il était toujours agile
comme une anguille. J’en restai cloué sur place. Je ne passai pas
une nuit blanche pour autant, et il ne devait pas m’en vouloir non
plus – puisque je le retrouvais dans son salon, pour le
petit-déjeuner. J’étais bien décidé à le servir aussi
copieusement que possible, et son appétit dépassait encore toutes
mes attentes…</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Mais
les meilleures choses ont une fin. J’étais d’accord avec
Giuseppe pour dire que c’était déjà bien que de telles
"meilleures choses" aient un commencement, à un moment dans la vie, mais nous étions au bord de l’épuisement complet, lui et moi.
Enfin, c’était le jour de la pesée – après un mois qui avait
passé trop vite, à mon goût. Carlos attendait que les frères nous
rejoignent dans leur salle de sport.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Alors,
lequel des deux aura grossi le plus ?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Je
sais vraiment pas…" Carlos ne s’avouait jamais vaincu.
"Tu avais pris un peu d’avance, il y a dix jours, mais Jérôme
a montré un bel appétit, ces derniers temps. On sera peut-être
surpris."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> En
fait, nos deux sujets avaient commencé à porter des vêtements plus
amples, depuis une bonne semaine : des jeans taille basse et
plus <i>baggy</i>, des T-shirts larges avec des plis et des doublures,
enfin tout ce qui pouvait donner le change sur la corpulence réelle
de l’un ou de l’autre. Mais, en leur faisant porter les mêmes
maillots de lutteurs que lors de leur première pesée, Carlos avait
trouvé le moyen idéal de se venger. Sans surprise, ils avaient
grossi. Et, sans surprise, mon jumeau avait plus grossi que celui de
Carlos.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Jérôme
était visiblement serré dans son maillot, et un beau petit ventre
rond tendait le tissu avec des poignées d’amour qui promettaient
de devenir bien dodues si on les laissait faire. Il était bien
portant et un peu plus épais par tout le corps, avec un petit
changement dans sa démarche aussi, que je trouvais sensuelle à se
damner…</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Mais
Julien, c’était autre chose – son maillot devait lui faire mal
tellement le tissu avait l’air tendu à en éclater autour de sa taille.
Le petit ventre que portait son frère ne pourrait que ressembler à
celui-ci, pourvu qu’on le nourrisse avec soin pour le faire
grossir encore un peu. Ses poignées d’amour étaient déjà un peu
plus prononcées. Tout son corps était magnifiquement bien en chair,
solide et juste comme un fruit un peu plus mûr, un peu plus
savoureux que celui de Jérôme. Je ne pouvais pas détacher mes yeux
de son bide rond et moulé à souhait, en fait.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Euh…
Tu es toujours avec nous ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> J’étais
tellement émerveillé par cette vision de la bedaine de Julien en maillot bleu
devant moi que j’en avais perdu la notion du temps – de l’espace
– de la mesure – de l’équilibre… </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Les
deux frères éclatèrent de rire.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Bon
! C’est pas tout ça. Lequel monte sur la balance en premier ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"C’est
vraiment nécessaire ?" Je trouvais la différence de volume assez
significative, </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">entre nos deux lutteurs</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">. "Il me semble que j'ai gagné, non ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Minute, minute ! J’ai
payé mille euros pour avoir le droit de peser Jérôme," trancha
Carlos. "Pour ce prix-là, il va me faire le plaisir de
monter sur le pèse-personne et de me laisser mesurer son tour de
taille et tout ce qu’on jugera utile de vérifier comme progrès."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Jérôme
ne demandait pas mieux. Au fond, il n’était pas si docile que
Carlos jouait à le faire croire, mais il était d’accord pour
jouer selon les règles. Docilement, donc, il monta sur la balance
avec une petite hésitation pour se tenir droit. Son poids s’afficha
enfin : <b>93,6</b>kg.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Ça
nous fait quatorze kilos et huit-cent grammes..." compta
Giuseppe. "Sur un mois, c’est pas mal."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> C’était
même assez impressionnant, mais je réservais mon avis pour plus
tard. C’était le tour de Julien, et mon cœur battait fort en le
voyant monter sur la balance – un peu maladroitement, et avec un
sourire qui me faisait fondre...</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Wow...
<b>95,8</b> kilos !" J’en restais suffoqué, mais je repris mes
esprits. "Plus de dix-sept kilos ! J’en reviens pas mais j’ai
gagné !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Carlos,
magnanime, reconnut ma victoire. Giuseppe me serra chaleureusement la
main, pendant que son partenaire signait les chèques qui nous
revenaient, à Jérôme, à Julien et à moi.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Quel
goinfre ! Tu t’es empiffré comme un porc !" Jérôme
embrassait son frère en le tâtant à pleines mains, rougissant
d’avoir perdu, ou simplement dans l’excitation du moment.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Tu
peux parler ! Tu t’es laissé gaver comme un canard gras !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Oui,
j’avoue…" Jérôme soupira en tâtant son petit
ventre bien rebondi. "Je sais pas pour vous, mais moi je
suis content qu’on en ait fini avec tout ça… Mon copain
commençait à se plaindre, j’en avais trop marre. Il n’en
finissait plus."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Comment
ça !" sursauta Carlos. "T’as un copain ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Ben… ouais."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Depuis
quand ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Depuis
deux semaines. On sortait déjà ensemble, juste comme ça, mais c’est
devenu plus sérieux."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Tu
le savais ?" Je posais la question à Julien, mais tous les
regards étaient posés sur lui.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Oui,
bien sûr… En fait, je m’en doutais déjà depuis deux ou trois
jours quand Jérôme me l’a dit. Ça fait bien une semaine,
maintenant."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Mais
tu n’as pas de copain, toi." Comme souvent, dans le feu de
l’action, Carlos ne s’apercevait pas que sa manière
de poser les questions était un peu abrupte.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Julien
était visiblement mal à l’aise. Pendant un dixième de seconde,
il me sembla qu’il me regardait avec un mélange de sentiments qui
ressemblait à des regrets autant qu’à une sorte de supplication. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Ben...
non."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Pas
de copine non plus."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Non
plus... J’avais une copine, mais on avait déjà cassé quand on a
commencé tout ça. Je voulais plus trop y penser."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"C’est
bien ce que je pensais. C’est pas juste !" Carlos semblait
prêt à déchirer les chèques qu’il tenait en main. "Mon
jumeau a subi des pressions extérieures qui l’ont empêché de se
goinfrer pleinement, lorsque le tien avait à se remettre d’une
rupture, ce qui l’a encouragé à s’empiffrer !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Tu
y vas fort…" Giuseppe tentait de le retenir.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Je
pense pas que ça aurait fait une telle différence." Jérôme,
reconnaissant, essayait de défendre Giuseppe. "J’ai vraiment
trop bien mangé avec vous. Je peux même dire que je n’ai jamais
aussi bien mangé."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"D'accord,
mais comment peut-on être sûrs que tu n’aurais pas mangé <i>encore
mieux</i> si ton copain ne t’avait pas mis la pression ? Pour moi, tout
le pari est annulé."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Attends un peu !" Je protestais. "On a jamais rien dit sur le
fait d’avoir une copine, ou un copain, ou le fait de sortir en
boîte et d’avoir tous les types de relations qu’ils voulaient.
On a fait une expérience parce qu’ils sont jumeaux, mais c’est
pas des rats de laboratoire. On va pas les mettre en cage pour les
gaver. Et puis quoi, sois beau joueur. On parle quand même de trois
bons kilos de différence. Le fait d’être en couple ou pas ne
pourrait pas changer tout ça."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Carlos
pouvait se montrer raisonnable, mais il n’était vraiment pas du
genre à perdre s’il pouvait trouver un moyen de contester une
défaite – ou de la changer en victoire.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Bon.
J’ai une idée qui pourrait nous mettre tous d’accord."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"D’accord.
C’est quoi ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"C’est
tellement simple, on aurait dû y penser dès le début… Mais je
serai beau joueur. Quitte ou double. On échange les jumeaux et on
repart sur un mois, toi avec Jérôme et moi avec Julien."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Je
n’arrivais pas à le croire – et pourtant, c’était bien une
idée comme seul Carlos pouvait en avoir : une idée de
joueur de casino. Pour ne rien arranger, avant même que j’aie pu
répondre, la réaction des deux frères devait me surprendre encore
plus.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Oh
oui !" L’un comme l’autre avait bondi de joie en
entendant la proposition de Carlos. Et maintenant, ils se tournaient
vers moi en répétant et en me suppliant, "S’teu plaît,
st’eu plaît, s’teu plaît…"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Mais, enfin… Je croyais que tu étais soulagé que ça soit
fini…" </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> J’essayais d’en appeler à leur bon sens, en
me tournant vers Jérôme.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"C’est
ce que je me répétais, en essayant de me convaincre que c’était
mieux pour moi, mais vraiment j’ai passé un mois de rêve
avec Carlos et Giuseppe. J’ai adoré tous les bons petits plats
qu’il m’a préparé !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Moi
aussi ! J’ai adoré tous les bons petits plats dont tu m’as
régalé !" ajouta Julien, en se donnant une bonne
tape sur le bide pour être encore plus explicite. "Mais bon, je
pense que tu le savais déjà… En même temps, je suis vraiment
curieux de mieux connaître la cuisine de Giuseppe. Jérôme m’en a
dit tellement de bien, pendant tout le mois qu’on vient de vivre."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Mais
tu vas encore engraisser !" </span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Je me trouvais à court
d’arguments.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Quoi,
tu as déjà oublié ?" Jérôme me fit un clin d’œil.
"On a un métabolisme de panthères. Quand vous aurez fini de
nous gaver, on se remettra au sport et on reviendra sans problème à
notre poids de forme."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Oh,
et puis même… Si je reste dodu, je m’en fiche !"
ajouta Julien. "Qu’est-ce que ça peut faire de grossir ou
maigrir quand on peut manger comme on a mangé avec vous, tous les
jours ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Je
croyais que ça te posait problème. Enfin, quand tes copains te
feraient un commentaire…"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Oh,
ils ont pas attendu ! Mais j’ai suivi ton conseil. Ça marche
encore mieux que j’aurais cru. Tu devrais voir leurs têtes !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"D'accord...
mais enfin, Jérôme, ton copain va dire quoi ? Je croyais qu’il
n’aimait pas ça, que tu prennes du bide."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Bah,
maintenant c’est son problème !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Je
haussai les épaules. Carlos semblait décidé. Giuseppe me répondit
silencieusement par un regard de sympathie qui semblait vouloir dire
"Qu’est-ce qu’on peut y faire ?" Évidemment,
l’enthousiasme de Julien et de Jérôme n’admettait ni questions
ni commentaires.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"D'accord.
On repart pour un mois."</span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: verdana;">■ ■ ■</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Dès
le lendemain, nous étions installés chez les jumeaux Dugay – dans
de meilleures conditions, cette fois-ci. Nous étions invités pour
de bon, Carlos faisait livrer les viandes, les poissons et les
ingrédients pour nourrir nos sujets d’expérience – plus
impatients que jamais – Giuseppe, lui et moi disposions d’une
chambre avec toutes nos affaires. C’était autrement confortable.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> En
passant pour m’emprunter certains épices – enfin, c'est ce qu'il
prétendait – Carlos s’étonna en ne voyant qu’un immense plat
de gratin de pâtes aux légumes rissolés devant Jérôme, qui se
goinfrait presque avec insolence. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Tu
le laisses te nourrir avec un seul plat à la fois ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Il
dit que c’est sa méthode." répondit Jérôme calmement,
la bouche pleine. "Et je suis toujours bien docile. Je le laisse
faire..."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Carlos
avait quelque motif de se plaindre. Julien était un peu décontenancé
devant l’abondance presque agressive de nourriture qui l’attendait,
au moment de passer à table. Il se fatiguait vite. La plupart des
plats qu’il mangeait dès le début étaient probablement trop gras
pour qu’il montre encore de l’appétit après deux heures passées
à se remplir l’estomac. Ils n’avaient pas encore mon coup de
main pour déterminer ce qui le tenterait au point de briser sa
résistance. Après quelques jours, cependant, Giuseppe lui proposa
des plats qui lui convenaient davantage, et le bon gros garçon
commença enfin à s’empiffrer sérieusement, et en grandes
quantités.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Les
deux frères jumeaux passaient beaucoup de temps à manger, mais ils
passaient toujours leurs soirées ensemble – probablement à
discuter des mérites comparés de leurs cuisiniers attentionnés...</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: verdana;">■ ■ ■</span></b></div>
<div style="line-height: 16px;">
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />
</span><div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Dans mes souvenirs,
le deuxième mois consacré à leur gavage passa encore plus vite que
le premier. Carlos ne pouvait guère réprimer un mouvement de
mauvaise humeur, en voyant les deux beaux garçons dodus qui
descendaient l’escalier pour nous rejoindre dans la salle de sport.
Inutile d’ajouter qu’ils n’y avaient pas mis les pieds depuis
un bon mois, au moins. La balance les y attendait avec moins
d’impatience que nous. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Curieusement – si l’on peut dire – Julien et Jérôme étaient presque
identiques, à nouveau. Leurs ventres étaient pratiquement aussi
ronds, gros et gras pour l’un et pour l’autre. Leurs poignées
d’amour étaient bien épaisses, leurs fesses charnues et rebondies
à la perfection, leurs cuisses bien en chair...</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Nouveaux
maillots ?" Je leur fis observer, non sans malice.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"On
aurait vraiment pas pu mettre les autres, même si vous nous payez
pour ça !" Julien me sourit.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Avec
un petit soupir, il monta sur la balance. Giuseppe lut :
<b>110,4</b>kg.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Quatorze
kilos et six-cent grammes…" soupira Carlos, "C’est mieux,
mais je me demande si ça sera suffisant."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Je
pense que ça devient plus dur d’engraisser, quand on est déjà
bien gras…" Julien essayait de le consoler.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Il
n’avait pas vraiment besoin de se justifier : tout le monde était
d’accord pour reconnaître qu’il avait mangé avec le plus bel
appétit possible. A 110 kilos, il faisait vraiment plus envie que
pitié</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">…</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> C’était
le tour de Jérôme. Il me sembla qu’il avait un peu de mal à
trouver son équilibre. Je pris mon courage à deux mains pour lire
son poids : <b>112,2</b>kg.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Wouah,
la vache !" s’exclama-t-il lui-même. "Carrément dix-huit kilos
en un mois ? Je pensais vraiment pas avoir grossi autant…"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Carlos
reconnut sa défaite avec élégance – et un chèque aussi généreux, comme
convenu. Giuseppe me serra la main, encore une fois. Nous étions
vraiment fatigués, tous les deux.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Vous
êtes sûrs que vous ne voulez pas remettre ça et nous échanger
encore pour un mois ?" suggéra Julien, timidement.
"Giuseppe a fait de tels progrès avec moi, ces derniers jours,
je suis sûr que je pourrais dépasser Jérôme."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"On
a joué, on a perdu.<i> Game over.</i>" Carlos ne voulait plus
en entendre parler. "Tu veux juste que Giuseppe te nourrisse
encore à mes frais pendant un mois."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"L’un
ou l’autre. N’importe. S’il vous plaît..."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Julien
n’était pas seul à se plaindre. Même Jérôme, qui était
pourtant gras à souhait, nous suppliait encore de reprendre notre
petit jeu avec eux – ne serait-ce qu’une semaine de plus...</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />
</span><div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Mais
il n’en était plus question.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: verdana;">■ ■ ■</span></b></div>
<div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> J’aurais
dû le voir venir, mais je fus surpris quand même. Une semaine à
peine après la fin de leur gavage, Jérôme et Julien retrouvèrent
leurs mauvaises manières, leurs caractères distants et presque
insulaires – toujours l’un avec l’autre, contre le reste du
monde.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Ce
à quoi je ne m’attendais vraiment pas, c’était la menace de
procès qui suivit, encore un ou deux jours après.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Eh
ben..." Mon avocat commis d’office tournait et retournait
le dossier dans tous les sens, sans lui en trouver un seul qui
pourrait être le bon. "Si j’y comprends quelque chose, vous
êtes accusé de manipulation, violation de domicile et séquestration
avec gavage et engraissement des victimes… C’est pas le genre
d’affaires dont je m’occupe en général."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Mais
c’est n’importe quoi ! On avait leur accord."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Vous
avez un accord écrit?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Non,
mais on a des témoins. C’était chez moi, en fin de soirée."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Et
vous pensez qu’ils seront prêts à témoigner pour tous les chefs
d’accusation ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Tous,
je sais pas… Mais ça a commencé comme ça."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Je
vous prie de m’excuser mais, au risque de vous paraître abrupt,
votre affaire se présente mal. Votre présence est attestée au
domicile des frères… comment, déjà ?… Dugay, pendant les
deux derniers mois. Toutes les personnes interrogées ont précisé
que c’était une "présence suspecte". Vous voyez…
D'autre part, votre ami Carlos en a fait l’adresse de livraison
de nombreux chargements de nourriture par camions frigorifiques, dont
les allées et venues ont fait l’objet de quatre plaintes par des
habitants des rues voisines. Enfin, n’oublions pas que les frères
Dugay sont honorablement connus, qu’ils ont perdus leurs parents il
y a environ cinq ans. Ce qui, étant donné leur âge et leur
situation, ne peut manquer de leur attirer la sympathie des membres
du jury. Enfin, et le plus important… nous parlons de deux jeunes
garçons d’environ soixante-quinze kilos qui se présenteront à la
barre avec pas moins de trente-cinq kilos qu’ils prétendent avoir
été forcés à prendre, par diverses méthodes de gavage… Pour
couper court, il me semble que vous préférerez trouver un
arrangement avec les plaignants, et ne pas passer en jugement.
J’attire votre attention sur le fait que votre ami Carlos a choisi
cette solution."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Mais… Ils demandent combien pour cet arrangement ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"200.000
euros. Chacun."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"C’est
de la folie furieuse !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"J’avoue
que c’est assez raide."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Carlos
est plein aux as, il a les moyens de négocier. Mais quand même…
Il s’en est tiré à combien ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Oh,
il ne m’appartient pas de divulguer le contenu d’un arrangement
tel que…"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Combien ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> J’étais
prêt à le mordre. Il dut s’en apercevoir.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"150.000
euros pour sa part. Vous comprenez que c’est après vous qu’ils
en ont, maintenant."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Mais
je ne dispose pas d’une pareille somme ! Ce serait plus que la
ruine, pour moi. C’est la fin…"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> En
désespoir de cause, j’ignorai les conseils de mon avocat, et
j’appelai les jumeaux sur leur téléphone fixe, le soir même.
C’est Julien qui décrocha.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Je
peux pas discuter des termes de notre procès. Mon avocat me l’a
carrément interdit."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"En
fait… je voulais juste vous inviter chez moi. Pour le dîner."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Sérieux?
Mais… pourquoi?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Je
sais pas. Ça fait un petit moment qu’on s’était pas vus. Je
pensais à vous. Évidemment, je pensais pas que vous pensiez à moi
comme ça, de votre côté."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Ouais… Désolé, on peut pas venir."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Allez,
je te promets qu’on parlera que de toi, de Jérôme, de vous deux,
et de bouffe."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Laisse
tomber."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Okay,
je prépare le dîner. Vous venez si vous voulez. Sinon, je vous en
voudrai pas. En fait, je voulais te dire que je travaille sur de
nouvelles recettes de <i>chimichangas</i>…"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Même depuis l’autre bout de la ligne téléphonique, je pouvais entendre Julien
s’étrangler de surprise.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Sans
déconner…" </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Tu
me connais. Dis juste à Jérôme que vous êtes les bienvenus. Je
m’y mets maintenant, ça sera prêt pour dix-neuf heures."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Ils
étaient là tous les deux – à sept heures tapantes.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Je
sais pas ce que tu mijotes…" me dit Jérôme, sur ses gardes.
"Quoi que ce soit, ça ne prendra pas. On parlera pas du procès
qui nous attend."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Qu’est-ce
que je pourrais vous mijoter, à part de bons petits plats ?
Asseyez-vous, c’est prêt." </span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Après
huit plats de chimichangas excessivement copieux, ils
dévoraient encore comme s’ils n’avaient rien mangé depuis une
semaine – en poussant des soupirs et des grognements de plaisir.
Entre deux bouchées, on arrivait à peu près à un semblant de
conversation mais, visiblement, ils n’étaient là que pour manger
– et ils mangeaient à s’en faire éclater l’estomac.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Il
était presque minuit lorsqu'ils se levèrent pour partir.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"On
se revoit demain pour le déjeuner ? Midi? Je vous réserve des plats de poulet au Riesling avec mes pâtes fraîches, et des plats de
truites aux amandes, tout ça tellement fondant que vous les mangerez
à la cuillère…"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Ils
se regardèrent. Ils me regardèrent. Ils en bavaient déjà…</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Non!" se
força Jérôme. "On t’a dit non, c'est non. On se verra au procès."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Bien
entendu, ils étaient là le lendemain à midi. En les laissant
repartir vers trois heures, je les revis encore dans la soirée, un peu avant dix-neuf heures. Et le lendemain. Et le surlendemain</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">…</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Comme
par un fait exprès, ils se montraient de moins en moins énervés, de moins en moins méfiants. Ils étaient toujours plus gentils et
agréables, à mesure qu’ils se montraient moins inquiets à mon égard – et
gavés à bloc.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Après
une bonne heure de dîner, un soir, Jérôme laissa soudain son
soufflé au fromage et regarda sa montre. Il se leva brusquement, s'essuya la bouche, rota et sortit précipitamment en nous souhaitant une bonne soirée. Je
l’entendis juste murmurer, en rajustant son pantalon trop serré.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Putain,
il va me tuer s’il se doute que j’étais encore ici…" </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Qu’est-ce
qui lui prend ?" demandais-je à Julien, lorsque je me
retrouvai seul avec lui.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Ça
doit être son copain.</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"> me dit-il sans s'alarmer, la bouche pleine. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Ils se sont salement engueulés, hier. Jérôme
lui a promis de plus prendre de poids."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Je
vois ça d’ici. Il a perdu du poids ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Pas
beaucoup…"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Toi
non plus."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Ah non, surtout
pas !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Il
se tourna vers moi, rouge jusqu'aux oreilles. Je lui jetai un
sourire amer. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Évidemment… J’imagine que vous devez rester bien joufflus et bien en chair, bouffis comme des hamsters et surtout gras
comme des lardons pour votre procès… Ce serait tellement plus
difficile de convaincre un jury si vous étiez redevenus tout
minces."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Julien
baissa les yeux de honte.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"On
peut pas en parler." </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Bien,
n’en parlons plus. Mais Julien, tu me connais, tu sais que je n’ai
même pas cent mille euros, et vous m’en demandez quatre-cent ?
Vous allez me tuer. Même si je plaide ma cause avec brio, les frais
d’avocat c’est à se tuer…"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"C’est
Jérôme…" murmura Julien. "Il veut se marier, il a
besoin de thunes. Mais moi… Moi, je m’en fous. Je t’en veux pas
pour les deux mois qu’on a passés à se gaver comme des porcs. En
fait, j’aurais souhaité que ça continue, encore et encore.
Surtout quand c’était toi qui cuisinais pour moi…"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Ça
va, vous m’avez l’air encore bien dodus, Jérôme et toi."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Je
ne pensais pas que cette simple observation le mettrait en colère.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Tu
te rends pas compte comment c’est dur de rester gros, quand c’est
pas toi qui cuisines ! Putain ! ça fait deux semaines qu’on se
force à bouffer du <i>fast-food</i>, des pizzas et des frites, juste pour
remplir nos bides. Je dois me retenir pour pas vomir en pleine nuit…
J’en peux plus !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Pourquoi
vous allez pas au restaurant ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"C’est
trop cher." </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Je
pensais que vous étiez pleins aux as, Jérôme et toi."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Julien
émit un grognement – mais de gros ours plutôt que de gros porc, vu qu'il
n’était pas en train de manger.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"En
fait, on a un peu exagéré avec Jérôme. On a hérité de la
maison, et de tout le reste, c'est vrai. Et les assurances ont casqué. On a un
bon capital, mais on bosse pas. On sort, on bouffe, on boit, on
baise, on dépense. Faut quand même qu’on fasse gaffe avec tout
ça."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> En
l’écoutant m’expliquer leur situation, Julien venait de me
donner une idée.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Est-ce
que Carlos vous a payé ses cent-cinquante mille euros ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Pas
encore. On le voit lundi, avec son avocat."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Je
sais ce qu’on va faire. Laisse Carlos gérer son accord avec
Jérôme. On va trouver un arrangement entre nous."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Tu
veux dire que Jérôme récupère tout l’argent de Carlos ? Je récupère
quoi, moi ?"</span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: verdana;">■ ■ ■</span></b></div>
<div style="line-height: 16px;">
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Encore
une fois, je devais rencontrer un avocat qui n’en croyait pas ses
yeux en parcourant le dossier de son client.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Voyons
si je comprends bien…" répétait l’homme de loi représentant
les jumeaux, "Le montant de l’accord obtenu avec Carlos est
entièrement versé sur le compte de Jérôme, mais Julien prend en
charge les frais de justice pour que vous vous engagiez à l’engraisser </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><i>encore
plus</i></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">
?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Tout
à fait !" affirma Julien, rayonnant. "Il doit être
convenu qu’il me nourrira pendant les cinq prochaines années,
matin, midi et soir… Et même à n'importe quel autre moment où j'aurais faim ! Cinq ans de servitude complète, ou jusqu'à ce que j’aie
pris encore soixante kilos."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Mais
pourquoi une clause mentionnant une prise de poids de soixante
kilos ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"C’est une idée que j’ai eue.</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"> Le sourire de Julien faisait ressortir ses bonnes joues bien rebondies. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">J'ai besoin de son entière coopération, et pour le motiver à <i>bien </i>me nourrir, cette clause lui permettrait de se libérer des engagements pris dans ce contrat
plus tôt que le délai initialement prévu."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"C’est
l’arrangement le plus dingue que j’ai jamais rédigé…"
protesta son avocat.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Mais
un arrangement entre deux parties consentantes était recevable. Tout le monde signa. Le procès n'aurait pas lieu. J’étais sauvé.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: verdana;">■ ■ ■</span></b></div>
<div style="line-height: 16px;">
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Une
des conditions incluses dans notre contrat, et qui me fit plaisir dès
que je revis Julien, c’était mon droit de le peser à tout moment,
à ma convenance. Je le pesai dès le matin, avant son
petit-déjeuner.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Wow,
seulement 102 kilos ? Je croyais que tu évitais de te mettre au
régime."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Je
te l’ai dit… Si c’est pas toi qui cuisines, ça ne vaut pas la
peine que j’engraisse."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Il
avait vraiment l’air affamé. Je lui servis un petit-déjeuner
tellement copieux que le pauvre garçon en était prêt à tomber de
sa chaise, émerveillé. Il se jetait presque sur les croissants, les
tartelettes aux fraises et aux abricots, les œufs brouillés, les
tranches de bacon, le flan, le fondant et la mousse au chocolat… </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Hmmmph,
ça m’a trop manqué !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: verdana;">■ ■ ■</span></b></div>
<div style="line-height: 16px;">
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Un
mois plus tard, je le fis monter à nouveau sur la balance –
toujours en maillot de lutteur, plus moulant que jamais autour de son
beau gros bidon.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"J’aime
trop te voir porter ce maillot. Je devrais te peser chaque jour,
juste pour t’obliger à le porter tout le temps."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Si
tu veux, ça me dérange pas. C’est du stretch, je suis moins serré
que dans mes jeans…" Julien sourit, et soupira pour
monter sur la balance. Dans ce maillot bien tendu, son beau ventre le
faisait ressembler à un ballon en apesanteur au-dessus du cadran.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"<b>110
</b>kilos. C’est bien, tu as repris du poids." J’étais ravi, mais
impatient de le voir grossir davantage. "Bonne petite reprise,
mais faut qu’on s’y remette vraiment !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Ben
quoi, c’est ce qu’on fait…"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Tu
as pris que huit kilos, en un mois. Si Carlos était là, il
trouverait que j’ai perdu la main !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Au
contraire, je trouve que tu as fait des progrès ! Tout ce que tu me
prépares est tellement bon… Je me régale."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"C’est
bien, mais ça suffit pas."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Tu
voudrais que je prenne trois kilos par semaine ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Je
voudrais que tu prennes <i>cinq </i>kilos par semaine !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Julien
me fit un clin d’œil.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Je
te vois venir. Tu te débarrasseras pas de moi comme ça… Pas si vite."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Tu
abuses. Je vais pas pouvoir te consacrer tout mon temps pendant les
cinq prochaines années…"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> En
toute sincérité, je me régalais aussi en voyant Julien s’empiffrer
matin, midi et soir chez moi. Mais pour mon boulot, c’était
l’enfer. J’en étais réduit à répondre à mes commandes
l’après-midi, à rédiger mes plannings scolaires et hospitaliers
en pleine nuit, à faire mes comptes et ma correspondance à cinq
heures du matin… Tout le reste de mes journées, je devais le
passer à cuisiner pour Julien, à le servir et à le resservir. Je
commençais à en avoir marre. Je n’avais même plus de vie
sociale…</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Et
toute cette bouffe me coûtait plus que du temps et des efforts –
moi qui avais espéré rembourser mon emprunt de manière anticipée
avec l’argent que m’avait remis Carlos après notre pari, c’était
raté. J’avais versé de quoi satisfaire ma banque pour un moment,
mais on était encore loin du compte. Maintenant, Julien dévorait
mes économies et, d’après mes calculs, je serais dans le rouge
avant la fin de l’année.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Je
ne sais pas s’il s’en rendait compte, en fait. Mais je devais
agir.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"T’en
fais pas. Je me plaindrai pas…" me dit-il en se tâtant le
ventre à pleines mains. "Tu me nourris vraiment à la
perfection."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Je
suis pas convaincu… Et la balance non plus."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Bah
quoi ? Ton boulot, c’est de bien me nourrir."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Ça
devait arriver, je le plaquai contre le mur dans un mouvement de
colère.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Mon
boulot, c’est de t’<i>engraisser</i> ! Que ça me prenne un an ou deux,
ou cinq, mon objectif c’est de te faire grossir de soixante kilos.
Et le plus tôt sera le mieux ! Je vais te gaver comme un vrai porc,
et tu vas me faire le plaisir de prendre du poids et encore du poids
! Je veux te voir gonfler à vue d’œil, pigé ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> C’était
méchant, je sais bien – mais je voulais juste l’intimider. Je ne
pensais pas que je lui ferais vraiment peur. Et surtout, je ne
pensais pas que je lui ferais de la peine. Julien avait les larmes
aux yeux.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Tu
veux juste te débarrasser de moi, c’est ça…"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Qu’est-ce
qui te prend ? J’ai jamais dit ça."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Tu
viens de le dire. Le plus tôt sera le mieux."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"C’est
pas ce que je voulais dire... Je peux pas te consacrer tout mon
temps. Tu en as pas assez de tout ça ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Tu
déconnes ? J’ai faim !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"D'accord,
mais quand tu auras mangé."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Je
sais pas… Je suis bien avec toi, tu prends bien soin de moi."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"T’as
pas envie de sortir, le soir ? Voir du monde ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Julien
ne m’aurait probablement pas fait de confidences si je ne l’avais
pas un peu poussé, mais puisque nous en étions là – il
n’hésitait plus.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"On
sort toujours comme avant, tous les samedis soirs avec Jérôme.
C’est sympa, mais je me trouve un peu trop… dodu pour danser
devant tout le monde. C’est vraiment parce que Jérôme m’entraîne
sur la piste. Et pour le reste…"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Vous
avez repris le sport, tous les deux."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Ouais…
Quatre fois par semaine. Il a pas mal insisté. Depuis qu’il essaie
de fidéliser son copain, ça l’encourage si on est deux à
soulever de la fonte. Et puis sauna, piscine et jacuzzi tous les
soirs… Ça me détend."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Je
m’en serais douté – avec l’appétit qu’il montrait, il
fallait vraiment que Julien brûle des calories en faisant feu de
tous côtés pour prendre aussi peu de poids tous les mois…</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Et
tu es content comme ça ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"La
gym, ça commence à être coton… C’est moins difficile que quand
on s’y est remis, je pesais quand même 110 kilos." Il se
donna une tape sonore sur le bide. "Et j’y suis déjà
remonté… Tu peux être fier de toi. Jérôme était encore plus
gros et plus gras, et il a fondu… Il m’a donné l’exemple, on
va dire. Entre lui qui me motive à faire du sport, et toi qui me
motive à me régaler… moi, je suis au Paradis."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Vraiment,
ça te suffit pour être heureux ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Ben
ouais."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Y
a d’autres plaisirs que la natation et la gourmandise dans la
vie…"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Ah…"
Il rougit sans détourner le regard. "Je vois ce que tu veux
dire. J’aimerais bien, mais je vois vraiment plus personne qui
s’intéresse à moi."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"C’est
pas possible."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Déconne
pas, tu vois bien comment je suis gros !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"D'accord
mais t’es toujours aussi beau gosse."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Si
ça ne tenait qu’à moi, je dirais même encore plus beau gosse à
110 kilos.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Tu
trouves ?</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">" Il se caressait doucement le bide.</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"> </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">"</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">J’ai pris une sacrée brioche, quand même. Et puis… Même moi, ça
m’intéresse plus comme avant."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Sérieux
? On m’a toujours dit que vous aviez un tableau de chasse à la limite du meurtre de masse, Jérôme
et toi… mais que le plus obsédé, c'était toi."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Non,
Jérôme a toujours eu autant besoin de sexe que moi. Il est carrément insatiable…"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Eh
ben ?</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">" J'essayais de ne pas perdre complètement la tête.</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"> </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">"</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Il a un copain, maintenant. Tu as quoi, toi ? à bouffer, et
encore à bouffer ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> En
m’écoutant parler comme ça, il poussa un soupir de contentement.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Ouais… Hmmm. Entre une mauvaise soirée à me faire peloter par un gars qui
m’intéresse pas et une soirée de rêve à m’empiffrer avec tous
tes bons petits plats bien nourrissants, j’hésite pas une seconde."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Vu
comme ça, évidemment… Mais si tu rencontrais le mec qui te
convient ? Il est peut-être à t’attendre en boîte, pendant que
tu restes coincé avec moi, à te remplir le bide."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"C’est
pas comme ça que je vais rencontrer mon prince charmant, c’est ça
?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Ben,
il me semble."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"C’est
un rêve d’ado, tout ça…" Il soupira encore, profondément.
"C’est con, mais si mon prince charmant existait quelque part,
il commencerait par me faire un bon dîner !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Comme
celui que je t’ai préparé pour ce soir ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Oui,
par exemple…"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Je
le pris par la main, et je le fis s’asseoir à table, en lui jetant
un regard complice plus brûlant que tout ce que j’aurais pu faire
sortir du four.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Et
lorsqu'il t’aura nourri copieusement ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Oh… Il faudrait qu’il me mette à l’aise avec un bon massage, parce
que je devrais être rempli à en faire craquer les coutures de ce
maillot !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Je
vois ça d’ici… Et il te réchaufferait bien, avec ses grandes
mains qui te caresseront partout."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Hmmm… Il aura pas besoin de me chauffer tant que ça. Je suis trop en sueur
quand je suis bien rempli, bien gavé. Ça m’excite d’avoir le
ventre plein à éclater… quand je me sens tellement lourd qu’il
faudrait m’aider à marcher."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Tu
auras pas beaucoup de chemin à faire. Juste jusqu'au lit…"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Oh
oui…"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Tu
seras écrasé sous ton propre bide."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Hmmm… C’est vrai !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Mais
ça ne remplace pas l’essentiel, tu sais."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"C’est
quoi, l’essentiel ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Je
me rapprochai pour lui murmurer dans l’oreille.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"L’essentiel… c’est que moi je t’écrase, sous mes caresses !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Oh
oui, s’il te plaît…"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Et
je te ferai encore manger des crèmes brûlées et des crèmes
glacées, pendant que je te baise comme une baleine."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Julien
avait fini par fermer les yeux en m’écoutant. Il était à bout de
souffle.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Tu
ferais ça ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Je
me jetai sur lui pour l’embrasser – de quoi lui retirer tout ce
qui pouvait lui rester de souffle.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Tu
avais un doute à ce sujet ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Je
sais pas… Tout le monde me dit que je suis trop gros, et que je suis
trop gras. Tu me trouves à ton goût comme ça ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Non…"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Je
vis tellement de désarroi dans ses yeux, tout d'un coup, que je lui
pinçai les poignées d’amour à travers son maillot.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Je te trouve trop <i>maigre</i>. Faut que tu manges plus. Beaucoup plus !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Sans
prévenir, Julien me sauta dessus à son tour. Et comme il pesait
bien lourd, il nous fit perdre l’équilibre et on atterrit tous les
deux sur la moquette – il m’écrasait sous son ventre, tendre
comme un oreiller mais tellement plus agréable au toucher. J’aurais
voulu déchirer ce putain de maillot de lutteur.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Tu
as raison, je suis pas assez gros. Je veux pouvoir t’écraser sous
mon bide quand je veux, et te baiser comme un sauvage !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Eh
ben ! ça t’excite à ce point-là, de bien manger ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Carrément
assis sur moi, penché en avant et le bide collé contre ma poitrine
pour m’empêcher de bouger, Julien m’éblouit littéralement avec
un sourire de prédateur sexuel que je n’aurais même pas imaginé
voir sur son beau visage d’ange blond un peu joufflu – tu parles
d’un flash ! </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Oh,
tu as encore rien vu, petit ourson."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Il
n’aurait pas pu mieux choisir ses mots pour m’achever – mes
amis savent que je me considère comme un ours. Un ours en peluche,
la plupart du temps… mais pas tout le temps non plus ! Là, même si
j’avais pu bouger ou le soulever pour me dégager de son emprise,
je serais resté comme ça. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> J’étais
aux anges. Il me caressa doucement la joue, pour qu’on se remette
de toutes ces émotions.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Qu’est-ce
que tu en dis ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Enlève
ce maillot et je suis à tes ordres…"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Okay !
Mais faudra le demander avec la bonne phrase magique."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Quoi,
s’il te plaît ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Non,
je veux dire… Tu veux bien répéter ce que tu m’as dit tout à
l’heure ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Qu’est-ce
que je t’ai dit tout à l’heure ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Hmmm… Fais un effort de mémoire. Si tu trouves, je suis tout à toi."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Ce n’était
pas un défi tellement difficile. Les yeux dans les yeux, avec un
sourire de pure complicité, je lui redis ce qu’il souhaitait
tellement entendre.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Je
vais te gaver comme un vrai porc, et tu vas me faire le plaisir de
prendre du poids, et du gras, et encore du poids ! Je veux te
voir gonfler à vue d’œil, compris ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Inutile de me dire comment ces promesses l’excitaient – je le
sentais en direct, comme il était toujours collé contre moi…</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Tu
sais quoi ? Ça fait un moment que ce maillot me serre, et
m’empêche de vraiment me <i>goinfrer</i>… Je serai beaucoup mieux à
poil, pour passer à table !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: verdana;">■ ■ ■</span></b></div>
<div style="line-height: 16px;">
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Huit
heures plus tard, je me blottissais contre lui, sous la couette. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Julien ne pouvait s’empêcher de roter, tellement il était gavé.
Nous étions complètement épuisés, lui et moi, après nous être
surpassés à tous les niveaux – moi à cuisiner et toujours à
faire des allers-retours pour le nourrir – lui à manger tout nu
sans quitter la table, qui ne s’éloignait que parce que son bide
trop rempli le poussait en arrière sur sa chaise – tous les deux
au lit, enfin ensemble – et ensemble sous la douche – et encore
au lit, avec des crèmes brûlées, et encore avec de la glace –
et encore avec lui qui m’écrasait pour me montrer qu’il était
un vrai mâle comme moi – et encore avec moi qui lui donnais des
tapes sur les flancs et les cuisses pour lui rappeler qu’il était
aussi un beau cochon qu’on mettait à l’engrais – et encore en
pressant son ventre comme un amortisseur contre le mur de la tête de
lit – et encore, et encore… </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Le
soleil n’allait pas tarder à se lever. En gardant ma main sur son
estomac bien lourd, j’avais le sentiment d’être exactement où mon devoir m’appelait – où je voulais rester tous les matins,
tous les soirs, tous les jours et toutes les nuits.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Julien
émit encore un rot bien profond.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"BUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRP
! J’ai faim. Ça va bientôt être l’heure de mon
petit-déjeuner."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Non…"
Je lui donnais plusieurs tapes sur le bide "…de ton gavage
du matin."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Hmmm,
oui… Mais tu oublies un truc."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Quoi
?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Mon
gavage du matin <i>au lit</i>…" Il étendit les bras, paresseusement.
"Je bouge pas d’ici avant de passer sous la douche. Tu as
jusqu'à onze heures pour me nourrir…"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"D'accord."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Je
ne pouvais pas résister à la tentation de l’embrasser avant de
partir en cuisine. Il me garda un bon moment dans ses bras, pour bien
en profiter.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Tout
ça change rien à notre contrat."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">"Au
contraire, ça change tout ! Mais tu vas aimer le changement…"</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> </span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: verdana;">■ ■ ■</span></b></div>
<div style="line-height: 16px;">
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 16px;"> La semaine suivante, j’emménageai définitivement dans la résidence Dugay. Julien avait décidé d’occuper une chambre au rez-de-chaussée, juste à côté de la mienne – et juste à côté du salon, lui-même à côté de la cuisine. Chaque soir – et même plusieurs fois dans la journée – nous faisions un vrai circuit entre une pièce et une autre. Un vrai rodéo.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 16px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 16px;"> Je voyais Jérôme de temps en temps, mais très vite. Les deux frères passaient du temps dans leur salle de gym privée, ou à la piscine, ou ils se détendaient au sauna. Toujours ensemble. Je n’avais aucune intention d’enlever Julien à son frère…</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 16px;"> </span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 16px;"> Les moments d’intimité qu’ils partageaient me laissaient le temps de gérer mes affaires. Plus de loyer à payer. Plus de factures d’eau, de gaz et d’électricité. Après m’avoir vu me prendre la tête sur mes relevés bancaires, Julien m’avait prêté de l’argent sans se faire prier – de quoi faire taire ma banque une fois pour toutes. Je pouvais me consacrer entièrement à lui, sans remords ni regrets.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 16px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 16px;"> Pour ce qui était de moments partagés dans l'intimité, je ne pouvais vraiment pas me plaindre. Julien était encore plus coquin que je ne m'y attendais – peut-être parce que je le nourrissais tellement bien, et que le fait d'avoir le ventre plein lui mettait le feu partout ?</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 16px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 16px;"> Ça ne nous empêchait pas de passer de longs moments câlins aussi, pour nous dire tout ce qu'on avait attendu de dire ou d'entendre depuis trop longtemps.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 16px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 16px;">– "Quand je pense que tu m'as repoussé en <i>back-room</i>, ce soir-là…"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 16px;">– "J'ai fait ça, moi ?" Julien n'avait pas l'air de s'en souvenir.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 16px;">– "Tu m'as dit : Sois pas ridicule."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 16px;">– "Ah… Oui, désolé. J'avais un peu honte…"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 16px;">– "Honte de quoi ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 16px;">– "Euh… En fait… Quand on t'a rencontré pour la première fois, je te trouvais canon mais Jérôme flashait carrément sur toi et il m'a fait promettre que je te sauterais pas dessus avant lui, ou seulement lorsqu'il serait prêt à partager avec moi."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 16px;">– "À partager ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 16px;">– "Bah oui…" Il ne trouvait rien de choquant là-dedans. "Tu sais, avec Jérôme, on a plus fait de plans à trois qu'on est sortis chacun de son côté. On a toujours marché en duo."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 16px;">– "Je vois ça. Mais attends, je croyais qu'il avait un copain et que tu avais rompu en même temps, quand on a commencé à vous nourrir, Jérôme et toi !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 16px;">– "Ah… Ben, en fait… Oups ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 16px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 16px;"> Au moins, il rougit pour ça.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 16px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 16px;">– "Okay, okay… J'avoue… Après une semaine à nous faire trop gâter par Giuseppe, Carlos et toi, on a passé une nuit à discuter sérieusement, avec Jérôme… On a commencé à réfléchir, et il a eu l'idée que celui d'entre nous qui aurait pris le moins de poids se plaindrait, au moment d'être pesés, comme quoi il avait un copain, et que ça l'aurait retenu de se goinfrer autant que l'autre. C'est tombé sur lui, ça tombait bien. Alors moi, comme j'avais plus grossi, je devais prétendre que je sortais d'une rupture et que ça m'aurait poussé à m'empiffrer. On espérait juste que Carlos réagirait… ben, comme il l'a fait. C'est pour ça qu'on était trop contents. On pensait que ça te motiverait aussi pour continuer, surtout que Jérôme était jaloux de toute l'attention que tu me portais. Alors, quand on s'est trouvés face à face, en boîte, je pouvais vraiment pas lui faire ce coup-là. Ça aurait tout gâché…"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 16px;">– "Eh ben, les mecs… Bien joué !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 16px;">– "Tu le diras pas à Carlos, hein ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 16px;">– "Certainement pas ! Mais si tu crois que tu vas t'en tirer comme ça, sans punition !…"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 16px;">– "Hmmm… Qu'est-ce que tu vas me faire ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 16px;">– "Oh, si je dois être vraiment très méchant… Des éclairs au chocolat !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 16px;">– "Sérieux ?" </span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 16px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="line-height: 16px;"> Je vis un éclair de désir dans les yeux de Julien – pas le même genre d'éclair ! – mais du désir terrifié : on savait tous les deux qu'il ne pourrait jamais résister si je lui disais de manger encore un éclair au chocolat. Et encore un éclair au chocolat. Et encore un éclair au chocolat</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">…</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 16px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 16px;">– "C'est moi qui décide de ta punition. Compris ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 16px;">– "D'accord…"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 16px;">– "Rappelle-moi combien tu pèses, petit cochon ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="line-height: 16px;">– "<b>122 </b>kilos, ce matin…" Il rougit en souriant. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 16px;">"J'engraisse bien, non ?</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 16px;">"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 16px;">– "Oh oui ! Alors tu devras manger 122 éclairs au chocolat, samedi soir. Et je t'emmène en boîte après ! Tu vas voir ce que tu vas voir, mon petit porcelet…"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 16px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 16px;"> Julien était tellement excité qu'il me prit dans ses bras, tout d'un coup, et me renversa sur le lit, contre les coussins pour me couvrir de baisers.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 16px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 16px;">– "Tu as raison, on a été deux méchants petits cochons gras. On vous a joué un sale tour…"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 16px;">– "T'en fais pas. Le grand méchant loup y a rien perdu !"</span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 16px;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 16px;">
<div style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: verdana;">■ ■ ■</span></b></div>
<div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Le
temps passa comme ce que je lui donnais à manger : tout seul </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">–</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">sans même qu'on s'en aperçoive ! </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">–</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">une bonne année à m'occuper de mon Julien avec
amour et des quantités carrément indécentes de nourriture… Un matin, je l'appelai pour son petit-déjeuner.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Allez,
mon gros ! C'est l'heure de ta pesée !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Je
ne le quittais pas des yeux, à partir du moment où il entra dans la
cuisine. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Julien avait fait un effort pour enfiler son dernier maillot
de lutteur, mais il était méchamment boudiné là-dedans ! Son
ventre était un vrai ballon – je n'aurais pas obtenu un meilleur
résultat si je l'avais gonflé de force avec une pompe. D'un pas
lourd et lent, il s'avança jusqu'à la balance et monta dessus avec
un peu d'appréhension.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Impossible
pour lui de lire son poids, tellement il était bedonnant, mais il ne protesta pas lorsque je le lui
annonçai.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"<b>162
</b>kilos ! Tu es gros et gras à souhait, mon cochon ! Et moi, je suis
libre ! J'ai rempli ma part du contrat."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Je
suis trop con… Pourquoi j'ai dit soixante kilos ?" Julien
poussait des soupirs à fendre l'âme. "J'aurais dû dire
quatre-vingt kilos… non, cent kilos ! Voilà, ça aurait été trop
bien. Tu es sûr que tu veux pas continuer à m'engraisser, juste
pour le plaisir ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"On
en a déjà parlé…" Je l'embrassai très fort, pour le
consoler. "J'ai du boulot. Faut que je gagne ma vie, moi ! Je
peux pas passer tout mon temps à te remplir le bide." </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"S'il
te plaît… Juste pour cette semaine. Juste aujourd'hui. Ça me
manque déjà…”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Allez,
sois sage. Y a pas que la bouffe, dans la vie."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Non.
Y a toi. Fais-moi manger comme un gros porc…"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"T'en
fais pas, je vais pas te laisser mourir de faim."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"C'est
pas assez. Je veux que tu me fasses encore plus à manger…"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Tu
manges déjà pour huit. Tu vas éclater !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Non,
tu cuisines trop bien pour ça. Je vais juste engraisser… encore
plus !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Je
pouvais compter sur Julien pour qu'il me prenne par les sentiments.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Tu
es sérieux ? Tu es déjà obèse !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"C'est
pas vrai, je suis trop maigre."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Il
en dit quoi, ton médecin ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Il
m'a dit que j'étais en bonne santé."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Ah
ouais… Et rien d'autre ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Ben… que
je me portais bien."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Hmm hmm. Continue…"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Okay,
il m'a dit que j'étais trop gras. Et que je devrais faire plus de sport, et que je devrais faire un
régime, et tout ça…"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Voilà
! On y est… Et alors ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Ben, je lui ai dit que je ferai un régime. Et c'est toi qui vas t'occuper
de mon régime ! Ça fait partie de ton boulot, non ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Euh… oui, c'est vrai."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Voilà,
je t'embauche. Mets-moi au régime. Je veux tout un plat de
tagliatelles <i>carbonara</i>… Rajoute des tranches de bacon
avec les lardons et la crème. Et tu me mets huit œufs au plat pour couvrir l'assiette
!"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Attends,
c'est pas comme ça que ça se passe…"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"C'est
comme ça que ça se passera entre toi et moi. C'est moi qui te paye,
donc c'est <i>moi </i>qui décide. Tu sais ce que j'aime, alors tu vas me
préparer tous mes plats préférés. Tous les jours !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"C'est
un CDI à temps plein, ça !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Je
pense bien."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Je
le sentais si motivé que ça m'encourageait à le suivre sur cette
pente…</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Et
c'est bien payé, comme boulot ?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"On
peut en discuter…" Il me jeta un regard plus brûlant que la
braise, en se tenant devant moi dans toute sa gloire, sensuel et beau
à en faire fondre les murs autour de nous, le plafond au-dessus de
nous et le sol qui devait avoir du mal à soutenir son poids… "Bonne chance pour négocier avec tout ça !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />
</span><div style="line-height: 16px;">
<div style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: verdana;">■ ■ ■</span></b></div>
<div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> On
était restés sans nouvelles de Jérôme depuis plusieurs mois. Il
était beaucoup trop occupé avec les préparatifs de son mariage –
et il passait toutes ses nuits avec son fiancé… </span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Un jour, on
entendit la porte du garage se refermer. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Ça ne pouvait être que lui
– surtout pour rentrer comme ça, sans prévenir.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Jérôme
nous </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">appela</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">
depuis le hall. Sans surprise, nous étions dans la cuisine, où
Julien s'empiffrait d'un énorme plat de lasagnes, parmi d'autres plats de pâtes de son choix. Il montrait toujours une telle gloutonnerie que je le remerciais en secret – chaque matin, le midi, et encore plus
en soirée – parce que j'avais vraiment le meilleur job au monde…</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Salut.
Ça va comme vous voulez ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Houlà,
ça a pas l'air d'aller, toi…"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Julien
n'avait pas seulement la bouche pleine, il tenait son assiette
tellement près de son visage, pour dévorer ses </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><i>penne
rigate</i></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">
à la bolognaise encore plus vite, qu'il n'avait pas vu la tête que
faisait son frère. De son côté, Jérôme était tellement à
l'ouest qu'il ne s'était pas rendu compte que Julien était encore
tout nu, assis à table pour son repas de midi…</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Qu'est-ce
qui ne va pas ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">À</span>
ton avis..."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> J'étais
choqué en le voyant. Jérôme avait maigri, il avait des cernes sous
les yeux comme s'il avait passé la nuit à pleurer au lieu de
dormir. J'avais encore plus mal pour lui, en le voyant ainsi, après
avoir passé plus d'un an avec son autre lui-même qui souriait comme
un gros bébé à chaque plat que je lui servais pour le régaler. On
aurait presque pas imaginé qu'ils étaient jumeaux, si on ne les
connaissait pas... </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Un
problème avec ton mariage ? C'est la mairie qui vous bloque ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"On
aura pas besoin d'y aller, à la mairie ! On a rompu."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Sans
déconner..."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Avec
un peu de retard, plutôt nécessaire pour le laisser avaler et
reprendre sa respiration, Julien se mêla enfin à notre
conversation.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Qu'est-ce
qui s'est passé ? Il t'a surpris avec un autre mec ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Pire."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Tu
l'as surpris avec un autre mec ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Pire..."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Euh..."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Je
l'ai surpris avec une fille. Au pieu ! Là où, lui et moi... Putain ! Les mecs bi respectent vraiment rien !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Il
était furieux. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">À</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"> coups de pieds, il écarta une chaise de la table
et s'assit en face de son frère, la tête dans les mains.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"J'en
ai marre… J'en ai marre…"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Tu
sais ce qui te ferait du bien, pour commencer ?" suggéra
Julien. "C'est un bon repas, et une bonne sieste. Ensuite, tu me
diras tout, comment tu te sens et ce que tu veux faire."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Hmouais…"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> En
relevant la tête, Jérôme soupira et regarda enfin son frère un peu plus
attentivement.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Wow
! Comment t'as <i>grossi</i>, toi…" </span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Je sentais plus que de
l'étonnement dans sa voix, mais de l'envie – même pas dissimulée
– même un soupçon de jalousie. </span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Tu portes plus ton maillot
bleu ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"T'es
fou ? Je rentre plus dedans ! Comme ça, je suis à l'aise."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"J'imagine… Juste en caleçon."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Qu'est-ce
que tu racontes ? Je suis à poil."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Jérôme
sursauta. En un bond, il était à côté de Julien, et il lui tâtait
le bide en le dévorant des yeux.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Eh
ben, mon cochon ! Tu te foutais pas de moi quand tu m'as dit que tu
allais te régaler…"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Hmmmph… Oui, tu vois : je me régale !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Et comme il avait fini ses pâtes, il saisit la première assiette de riz au safran, de beignets de bananes frites et de
boudins aux épices que j'avais posée pour lui sur la table.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Attends, votre
arrangement court toujours ? C'est dingue, tu m'as l'air d'avoir sérieusement
engraissé..."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Oh,
il y a un moment qu'on a rempli les termes du contrat. Il m'a trop
bien rempli le bide pour ça !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Julien s'empiffrait avec un plaisir si évident que Jérôme en bavait
littéralement. Il avait l'air émerveillé, comme si son frère rayonnait comme le soleil. Il faut dire que Julien transpirait pas mal, quand il était gavé à bloc...</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Mais... Euh, tu devais pas prendre cinquante kilos ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Soixante..."
corrigea Julien, entre deux bouchées. "Mais c'est déjà fait
depuis un petit moment. Si j'avais su, je lui aurais dit cent-vingt
kilos... Ah ! si c'était à refaire..."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Et
tu es déjà à..."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"<b>172,6</b> kilos, ce matin !" annonçai-je, fièrement.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRP
!"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Julien
mettait de l'orgueil dans ce rot interminable et bien résonnant – presque de la
provocation.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"La
vache... Mais pourquoi tu continues à le gaver ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"C'est
moi qui lui ai demandé !" interrompit Julien.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Il
n'était pas peu fier non plus de rappeler – à son frère comme à moi –
que j'étais à son service. À 100%. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">À </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">lui.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"On
s'est mis d'accord pour continuer. On a pas vraiment passé un
contrat, mais les règles sont claires."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Et...</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">" Jérôme s'éclaircit la voix.</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"> </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Ç</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">a marche comment, votre affaire ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Hmmmph
hmmmph..."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Euh,
Julien ? Si tu veux lui expliquer..."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Le
beau gros garçon méritait bien une pause après avoir englouti ses
derniers boudins aux épices. Il me fit comprendre, du regard et du geste, qu'il avait hâte d'être resservi !</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Ben,
si tu veux... C'est simple. On me pèse tous les mois, et je dois
lui payer mon poids en euros, à raison de dix euros par kilo. À la fin du mois, on mesure la
différence par rapport à la pesée précédente, et je dois
encore le payer vingt euros pour chaque kilo qu'il m'a fait prendre...
Ensuite, on repart sur un mois comme ça."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Jérôme
fit un rapide calcul mental dans sa tête.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Quoi,
c'est tout ?... Putain, mais c'est donné !" Il retourna s'asseoir
sur sa chaise en vitesse. "Au boulot, chef ! Je veux du riz, du boudin et des beignets de banane aussi !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> J'étais
occupé à mes fourneaux et je n'écoutais pas tellement, vu que Julien
donnait des détails sur un contrat qu'on avait discuté en long et
en large – l'éclat de voix de Jérôme me fit sursauter.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Qu'est-ce
qui t'arrive ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"À
partir de maintenant, tu as deux clients."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Tu
es sérieux ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Tu
vas voir si je suis sérieux !" Jérôme avait l'air
enthousiaste, en parfait contraste avec son attitude de tout à
l'heure. Julien le regardait. Moi aussi. Il baissa la voix, et
continua sur un ton presque suppliant. "Tu veux bien t'occuper
de moi dans les mêmes conditions ? S'il te plaît ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Il
fallait qu'on en discute – au moins avec Julien.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Qu'est-ce
que tu en penses ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Jérôme
est assez grand pour décider tout seul." La complicité entre
les deux frères était intacte. "Mais pour ça, il suffit pas
d'être grand..."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Julien
se leva de table. Avec un petit mouvement de reins, il posa son
ventre magnifiquement gros et rond devant les assiettes vides, en les
faisant tressaillir. Il rayonnait de fierté.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"...Faut
être <i>gr</i><i>a</i><i>s</i> ! Tu es prêt à relever le défi ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Vas-y..."
Jérôme sourit malicieusement. "C'est quoi, le défi ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Pour
commencer, c'est quoi ces fringues ? À poil, mon grand !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Je
n'en croyais pas mes yeux – mais Jérôme ne se démonta pas. En
deux minutes, son T-shirt, son jean, son slip et ses chaussettes
étaient par terre en tas. On pouvait déjà deviner que ces
vêtements ne seraient plus jamais portés...</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> En
les voyant comme ça, je reçus un véritable coup au cœur. Jérôme
était trop maigre, mais putain... qu'est-ce qu'il était bien
foutu ! Et de la tête aux pieds, vraiment, tout comme son frère </span>– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">si on pouvait oublier la différence de poids et de corpulence, qui devait
être conséquente !</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Voilà."
Jérôme se tenait droit devant Julien, héroïquement nu, comme un
boxeur d'un genre un peu spécial, mais prêt pour le combat. "Et
maintenant ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Qu'est-ce
que tu crois ? Sur la balance, et plus vite que ça !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Okay."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"C'est
vrai..." J'essayais de garder la tête froide – mais mon caleçon
était en feu. "Faut te peser pour que je sache combien je dois
te faire payer."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Oh,
il va prendre <i>cher </i>!" ajouta Julien, avec un sourire carnassier.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Jérôme
avait maigri, mais il avait certainement fait beaucoup de sport,
pendant un an – pendant que Julien se laissait complètement aller
comme un vrai glouton. En le voyant sur la balance, je revoyais
Julien lorsqu'il était encore tout fin et bâti comme un
maître-nageur de film porno.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"<b>88,6</b> kilos ?" Julien forçait à peine le ton. Il était vraiment
choqué. "Sans déconner, tu t'es affamé pour ton mariage ou
quoi ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Même
pas... Je suis redescendu à un poids de forme qui lui plaisait..." </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Jérôme en serait presque venu à s'excuser, mais il passa soudain
de la gène à la rage. "Eh ben, c'est fini ! À partir de
maintenant, je me ferai plaisir sans retenue !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Voilà
! Ça c'est bien !" Julien l'encourageait, tout en le taquinant
et en le tâtant, comme il n'en avait pas eu l'occasion depuis un bon
moment. "Mais qu'est-ce qu'on va faire de toi, bon sang ?
Regarde-moi ça, comme t'es maigre ! J'avais un frère jumeau, j'ai à
peine un demi-frère !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"C'est
ça, mon potelé ! Tu peux causer, mais j'aimerais bien te voir courir !
Si tu sors en boîte, on dira que je me suis caché sous ton T-shirt
et que tu me portes comme un kangourou obèse !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Je
les laissai se chamailler cinq minutes sans intervenir. Enfin, je
profita</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">i</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">s
du spectacle... Dans le feu de l'action, les claques qu'ils se
mettaient sur le bide </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">–
</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">pour
Julien </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">–
</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">ou
sur les fesses </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">–
</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">pour
Jérôme </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">–
</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">devenaient
des caresses sensuelles au point d'en devenir affolantes. </span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Lorsqu'ils
furent à bout de souffle, affalés l'un contre l'autre sur le
carrelage, je leur proposai un arrangement sérieux.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"C'est
toi qui vois, Jérôme... Je m'occupe déjà de Julien, je peux m'occuper de
toi aussi."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Les
deux frères échangèrent un regard. Ça ne me disait jamais rien de
bon, quand ils se regardaient en souriant, comme ça. À quoi
pouvaient-ils penser, les petits coquins ?</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Tu
penses pouvoir t'occuper de nous deux ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Ben...
Je peux essayer."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Moi,
ça me va."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Moi
aussi, mais faut se mettre d'accord sur les règles du jeu..."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Qu'est-ce
que tu veux dire ?" demandai-je.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Jérôme dut aider son frère à se mettre debout. En fait, je dus l'aider à aider Julien à se relever. Ça les fit rire tous les deux.</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Toujours enlacés et caressants, ils </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">échangèrent encore un regard tellement complice que j'en eus
un frisson.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Règle
numéro Un : on le partage pour tout !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Avec sa belle carrure athlétique, Jérôme
me regardait carrément comme sa proie, en disant ça... Clairement il avait <i>faim</i>, et il ne serait pas rassasié de sitôt ! Julien avait l'air d'accord avec cette situation. Il connaissait son frère
encore mieux que moi, après tout. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Quant à moi... j</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">e ne savais pas quoi dire.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Tu
es d'accord ?" </span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Julien n'aurait pas hésité à me
provoquer. Il se contenta de sourire.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Bon. Moi,
je veux bien… Mais vous serez pas jaloux ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Au
contraire !" murmura Julien en donnant une tape sur les
abdos de son frère. "Je suis triste quand je le vois aussi
maigre, et je sais qu'il a envie de toi comme il a envie de ce que tu
cuisines. Fais-le gémir de plaisir comme tu me fais gémir. Et
fais-le rugir comme tu me fais rugir !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Jérôme,
tu en penses quoi ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Il
ne m'avait pas lâché des yeux, depuis cinq minutes – je le voyais
passer sa langue sur ses lèvres depuis un moment, l'air d'autant plus
gourmand que son frère lui promettait toutes sortes de plaisirs dont il raffolait le plus…</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"On
est deux... Et, grâce à toi, on va devenir vraiment gros et gras. Mieux que ça, <i>énormes </i>! On va tellement t'épuiser
que tu auras encore besoin de nous, pour te reposer contre nos bides
bien ronds... Et tu seras tellement vidé que ça te viendra jamais à
l'idée d'aller voir ailleurs !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Comme
il caressait le ventre de Julien, déjà tellement rebondi, tendre et bien en chair, je
le voyais impatient d'arriver à cette corpulence tellement plus
sensuelle que ses muscles bien dessinés. Jérôme se rapprochait encore de lui. Pour finir, les deux beaux
garçons s'embrassèrent sur la bouche, avec un plaisir tel que l'un
ou l'autre aurait pu murmurer que cela aussi leur avait manqué.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Même un cuisinier comme moi, habitué à séparer les blancs des jaunes dans un </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">œ</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">uf pour les besoins d'une recette, n'aurait pas eu le c</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">œ</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">ur de séparer ces deux beaux garçons qui promettaient d'être bientôt pleins comme des </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">œ</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">ufs durs. J'en arrivais à me demander si ces jumeaux n'avaient pas d'abord été des frères siamois, soudés par le nombril.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"> Alors tant mieux. Autant continuer avec deux gros pour le prix d'un, et les garder inséparables </span>–<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"> collés par le bide !</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Bon.
Mais vous allez me faire une promesse, petits coquins."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Tout
ce que tu veux."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Jérôme,
tu vas obliger ton frère à faire du sport. Il s'est empâté, c'est
bien, mais je veux pas qu'il se laisse aller."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"D'accord !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Julien,
tu vas m'aider à gaver ton frère. Il a du retard à rattraper, et
on sait tous les deux qu'il a besoin de se faire câliner comme un
gros bébé…"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"D'accord !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Et
dans un an ou deux, je veux vous voir tous les deux aussi gros l'un que l'autre, à
180 kilos ou plus… On verra bien. Et vous nous ferez un beau numéro
en duo sur le <i>dance-floor</i> de votre boîte préférée. Devant tout le monde..."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Wow !
Tu veux dire qu'on va devoir s'entraîner ?"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Oui !
Et tous les jours."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Julien, qui était devenu très paresseux, montrait peu d'enthousiasme </span>– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">mais Jérôme trouva le moyen de
l'encourager de manière encore plus brûlante que tout ce à quoi je
m'attendais.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"C'est
d'accord. On vous fera une danse trop impressionnante, comme deux
lutteurs sumos sur la piste. Vous allez tous en délirer d'envie et de jalousie, les
mecs !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Les
deux frères éclatèrent de rire, et tombèrent dans les bras l'un
de l'autre.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Règle
numéro Trois !" lança Julien. "On partage pas ce
qu'il nous cuisine. J'ai faim, tu as faim, je mange et tu manges –
chacun dans son assiette !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Évidemment.
Et on sera bientôt parfaitement jumeaux, comme avant."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Hmmm !
Ça veut dire que tu dois doubler ton poids, mon petit lutteur sumo
maigrichon… Tu as du boulot !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Au boulot, alors ! J'en peux plus d'attendre, j'ai trop la dalle !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Au
lieu de s'asseoir l'un en face de l'autre, Jérôme prit place à
côté de Julien pour le tâter e</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">ncore
</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">tout
à son aise.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Attends, je vais te gaver...</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Hmmm, oui... Tu as raison, j'ai du boulot !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Tu
vas te régaler. Il a fait des progrès en cuisine, avec moi..."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Ça
se voit !" dit Jérôme en riant. "Comment tu t'es laissé
gaver, mon gros porc !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"J'adore
ça quand il me gave."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> J'apportai
un énorme plat </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">de riz au safran </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">– ou deux plats, plutôt : pour l'un et pour l'autre </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">–</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">avec des raisins secs, des beignets </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">d'aubergines, </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">de bananes frites et de pommes de terre, avec une douzaine de boudins aux épices et des blancs de poulets rissolés au beurre</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Allez,
bon courage et bon appétit."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Ajoute plus de beurre dans son plat !</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">" ordonna Julien, en désignant le plat de Jérôme. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Il faut qu'on l'engraisse..."</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Les
deux frères se jetèrent sur la nourriture – surtout Jérôme, qui
avait </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">encore
</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">un
petit estomac, mais la rage au ventre. Je n'aurais pas su dire si
c'était la rage de se venger de son ex-</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">fiancé</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">
ou celle de montrer à Julien qu'il ne perdait rien pour attendre... mais quel appétit, dans un cas comme dans l'autre !</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: verdana;">■ ■ ■</span></b></div>
<div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Il fallut bien une semaine pour que Jérôme reprenne le rythme et mange peut-être encore plus avidement que Julien. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">À </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">la fin du mois, son poids était remonté à <b>117,6</b>kg, et il promettait de s'empâter aussi vite qu'il le pourrait. Son ventre n'avait pas tardé à se remplir et à s'arrondir. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> En fait, tout son physique montrait les signes de la gourmandise où il avait replongé avec délices : des joues bien rebondies, des poignées d'amour dodues, des fesses admirablement rondes et tendres, moulées à la perfection quand il se risquait à porter un pantalon...</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Quant à Julien, il se maintenait à <b>174,4</b>kg </span>– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">fièrement obèse et bien décidé à passer pour le frère </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"bien gras</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> à côté du frère </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">bien épais</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">" pour quelque temps encore</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"> Après
avoir fini </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">leur</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">s plats de lasagnes, de raviolis, de cannellonis et d'autres pâtes avec toutes sortes de viandes, de sauces et de fromages, Julien et Jérôme pouss</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">èrent</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">
un </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">rot
énorme </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">et
simultané</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRP</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">!</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">"Oooof... </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Tu
nous prépares quoi de bon pour la suite ?</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">On
a </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">faim </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">!</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">On
veut </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><i>grossir </i></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">!</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> En attendant que je leur apporte la suite de leur festin, ils avaient de quoi se régaler en tâtant leurs ventres bien nourris.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Tu as bien repris du bide. Je suis fier de toi</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">!</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"</span></span></div>
<div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Presque 118 kilos, j'ai jamais pesé aussi lourd </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">! J'adore...</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"</span></span></div>
</div>
<div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Attends d'être arrivé à 170 et plus, comme moi... Tu verras</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">!</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"</span></span></div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">"Hmmm, oui. Quelle belle bedaine tu as...</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"</span></span></div>
<div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Faut que je fasse une petite pause, j'éclate</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">!</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"</span></span></div>
</div>
<div><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Tu es devenu tout lisse et tout dodu.</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"</span></span></div>
<div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"C'est parce que j'ai bien mangé. Après neuf ou dix plats de pâtes, je transpire vraiment comme un lutteur sumo...</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Il y en a certainement un bon nombre qui seraient jaloux de ton ventre</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">!</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Tu crois</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> ?</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"</span></span></div>
<div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Oh oui</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">! Tu as repris le sport, mais tu restes toujours dodu comme un petit cochon... Tu es plus fort, mais tu es bien lourd et ils auraient du mal à te faire bouger.</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"M'en parle pas, j'ai déjà du mal à me bouger</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">!</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"</span></span></div>
<div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Ça, c'est parce que tu manges <i>trop </i>!</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"> </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Jérôme prenait un malin plaisir à tâter et taquiner son frère, avachi sur sa chaise et gavé à l'excès. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Tu te fais plaisir, mais regarde un peu comment tu es obèse</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> maintenant, et parfaitement rond.</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"</span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Eh ! c'est ce qui t'attend, vu comment tu t'empiffres... Et ça va pas être long, vu comment toute cette bonne bouffe te fait engraisser</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">!</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"</span></span></div>
</div>
<div>
</div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"J'ai trop hâte...</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">" conclut Jérôme en riant, et en pinçant son frère à pleines mains, au plus épais de ses poignées d'amour.</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Je me demande quand même si j'arriverai à devenir aussi gras !"</span></span></div>
</div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Je
leur apportais deux grand plats vides, qui leur serviraient
d'assiettes.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Pour</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">quoi des assiettes vides ?</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">"Une
surprise..."</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">C'est
quoi ? C'est quoi ?</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Un
énorme couscous royal pour mon petit harem de gloutons. Quatre poulets entiers
chacun, des tonnes de semoule, des tonnes de mouton, de poix chiches, de légumes et des tonnes de merguez ! Vous
vous lèverez pas de tables tant qu'on pourra encore vous forcer à en avaler une bouchée.</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Hmmm…</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">
Bonne idée !</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Jérôme
engloutissait d'énormes bouchées de couscous bien relevé, à la
louche, tout en tenant des morceaux de poulet dans l'autre main pour
les dévorer à belles dents. Julien mangeait juste un peu moins
vite que lui. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Après
le dernier plat, les deux frères étaient assez rassasiés, mais
prêts à se relever pour un nouveau </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><i>round</i></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">,
comme deux boxeurs. Jérôme se caressa le bide et poussa un </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">tel
soupir de contentement que j'en gardais le sourire pour tout le reste de la journée </span>–<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> en attendant une nuit qui s'annonçait encore dangereusement chaude !</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Hmmmph...
Oublie ce que je t'ai dit tout à l'heure, je vais carrément devenir
aussi gras que toi !"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Vas-y, mange bien</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">! Si tu crois que je vais te laisser me dépasser...</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"J'en ai bien l'intention</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">!</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Alors faut que tu forces sur les desserts.</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"> On va te gaver avec des crêpes pour que tu t'engraisses sur le beurre, le sucre, le caramel, le chocolat, les confitures, les crèmes glacées, la crème Chantilly...</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"J'adorerais ça ! </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">On peut commencer maintenant ?</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Comme si je ne savais pas déjà quels desserts Jérôme préférait...</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Je lui présentai un plateau avec une véritable tour de crêpes, toutes prêtes à être garnies selon ses désirs. J'avais même fait rissoler des tranches de pommes au caramel dans du beurre, pour le mettre </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">en appétit</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Hmmm... Tu me gâtes</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">!</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">" Jérôme avalait ses crêpes l'une après l'autre, à une vitesse remarquable. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Hmmmph... Encore !</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Eh ben</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><i> </i></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">! Tu vas pas rester maigre longtemps...</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Hmmmph...</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Bien sûr</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">!</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> s'amusait Julien. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Entre de bonnes mains, il va faire un effort et prendre encore vingt kilos avant la fin du mois. Et encore vingt kilos... Et encore vingt kilos...</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Si on me nourrit aussi bien tous les jours, c'est le moins que je puisse faire </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">!</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">" répondit Jérôme, avec un sourire qui promettait de lui rendre ses bonnes joues bien rondes, très bientôt.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Julien, qui se régalait aussi de crêpes, à côté de son frère, lui massait déjà le ventre – comme il avait l'air rempli, et la peau tendue à éclater !</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Tout doux, mon gros, tout doux... Là, on mange bien. On engraisse bien... On est entre de bonnes mains.</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"</span></span></div>
<div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Hmmph... Oui...</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Hmmmph !</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"</span></span></div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Hmmph hmmph !</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"</span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Il faut dire qu'on n'aurait jamais deviné que vous étiez d'aussi bonnes pâtes !</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">" ajoutai-je en riant, tout en les resservant généreusement.</span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5094005257601699515.post-3419945573483050262016-08-12T03:34:00.061-07:002023-01-13T07:59:11.211-08:00The Augustine Murders - Season 3, Episode 3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z83vRT-nqco/V62MthJbZiI/AAAAAAAAAeU/eLKPdOIP2pgCQ4ce4AngszzmS6o0LLoIACLcB/s1600/The%2BAugustine%2BMurders%2B-%2BTitle%2B3.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z83vRT-nqco/V62MthJbZiI/AAAAAAAAAeU/eLKPdOIP2pgCQ4ce4AngszzmS6o0LLoIACLcB/s400/The%2BAugustine%2BMurders%2B-%2BTitle%2B3.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><b style="line-height: 16px;">III.3</b><br />
<span style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 1.25cm;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 1.25cm;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b> </b></span> </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.25cm;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 1.25cm;">Le
Poison est l'ami de l'Homme, puisqu'il le tue. —”</span><br />
</span><div style="text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 1.25cm;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 16px; text-indent: 1.25cm;"> </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 1.25cm;">(Poison
is Man’s friend, since it kills him. —)</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="right" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">Xavier
FORNERET</span></div>
<div align="right" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>Sans titre, par un Homme noir blanc de visage</i></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><i><br /></i></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><i>March
9</i></span></span><sup><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><i>th</i></span></span></sup><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><i>,
1990</i></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">
– Friday</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><b style="line-height: 16px;">
</b><br />
</span><div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> As
head of security in Saint Augustine Bells </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">Preparatory</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">
</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">School</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">,
Richard Wingrave had to work under a lot of pressure. Dealing with
delinquent teenagers was clearly in the job description, but one
could hardly expect unexplained deaths with suspicions of murder
to become so common that the school had to arrange <i>two </i>funeral
ceremonies on its grounds in the first three months of the school year.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Communicating
with officials, families, close friends of the victims and the Press
was Mr Porkenham’s job. Since</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> he had better things to do, </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">the board of administrators expected
from the </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">head of security to</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> find ways to prevent such dreadful events.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> For
his first three years in Biberton, Rick had done well.
He only had to separate students when they were about to fight or
cause mayhem during recess. He had caught a few of them smoking or doing drugs occasionally, but statistics were clearly in his favor:
teachers no longer complained about suspicious smells or twitching muscles, dilated pupils, lack of attention and erratic
behavior during classes – nothing more to report than the
lack of attention and erratic behavior that is common in College
students...</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Rick
had enjoyed a few years of relative peace and quiet, then, with the
consideration of his employers. All that was shattered now, after
Michael Astern’s mysterious death, Mr Huggins’s violent murder – and, to make matters worse, the presence of a journalist around the students. Clearly, Scott had spent
too much time with Rick, in his office and in the school’s
buildings. It was no secret that Mr Porkenham would rather keep
reporters at the gate, to let them collect official statements. An interview with members of the staff felt like a breach of confidentiality... Enough was enough.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> The
head of security’s credit in Augustine Bells was questioned now.
Rick did not sleep so well, and he woke up in a rather bad mood.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">...shouldn’t
have finished that last pie...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> It
was 7AM. After a quick shower and a good shave, he put on his
uniform. His shirt was a bit too tight. Rick’s work shirts were
always tight. He was used to it, and he didn’t mind. As a matter of
fact, it made him feel more imposing – which helped to put him in
the right mood for his job... Being slightly uncomfortable like this
gave him a rough, rugged look, and Rick secretly enjoyed it. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Naturally,
that particular feeling of tightness had shifted over the years, from
his shoulders and under his armpits to his waist and around his
bellybutton. Once a proud and commanding athlete, Rick weighed a
solid 250lbs when Mr Porkenham had hired him – then he had muscled
his way in to keep all the more rebellious elements in their place.
When the situation looked stable, students found another way to
approach him – and bribe him. Rick didn’t clearly remember if
they had come up with the idea on their own, or if he had established
that system.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Time
for breakfast...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”
He yawned, scratching his tummy.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> Rick
didn’t switch the lights on, in the stairs and entrance of his
small building. His office was only a few minutes away by foot. As
head of security, the school provided him with an apartment on
campus, in separate quarters – the great, red brick wall that
closed the few square miles of school grounds and private park was
doubled in that area. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> He
had a special set of keys, of course.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> It
was a rather misty morning. A greasy, heavy white swirl drifted past
Rick, condensing in watery, almost oily drops upon the larger leaves
in the garden, and on the door’s panel. With a shiver and a sigh,
Rick walked to his office. He could hardly see the loom of the
closest students’ dormitories...</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> Taking the back door, Rick first looked for his “secret place”.
The key was back where it belonged. This meant that the students had
kept their promise and come back safely to their beds, after their
night out.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Good.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Rick
never made a fuss over it, but he was a bit concerned lately. With
that recent turn of events, was it safe for him to let small,
selected groups of boys get out of Augustine Bells? They could get
into serious trouble, cause even more serious trouble – and
possibly not come back... That last option was the worst for him. It
could ruin his career. Still, how could he put an end to a system
that kept the boys quiet, behaving and begging for such special
treatment? It was the best safety valve the school had to offer,
really.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> And
Rick couldn’t forget that he was a much wealthier man for it.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Twenty-two
boxes already? They are getting desperate...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> The
boxes were white or in a light pink: there were dozens of chocolate
éclairs, large apple pies and chocolate chess pies, creamy doughnuts
and crusty cookies, thick cakes with plenty of frosting... Rick put
coffee in the machine, and started munching on a few cinnamon rolls.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">These
were his favorite treats to start a day at work. Rick thought about
it for a second. Feeling curious, he took a few more rolls out of the
box and looked under the cardboard. As expected, there were a few
hundred dollar bills, hidden there for him to enjoy – after he had
enjoyed the pastries.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“W</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">ow...
Five hundred bucks? They are </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US"><i>really</i></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">
desperate.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Rick
chuckled, and poured himself a good mug of black coffee. There was no
need for sugar, with all those sweets. Yes, that particular system of
bribes had made him a much wealthier man – and much fatter, as
well...</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> Over
the years, Rick was expected to put on a few pounds, of course. As a young stud,
he was allowed to eat great, big meals. Mrs Spread was an excellent
cook, and her team worked around the clock to provide lots and lots
of delicious food. The size of each and every meal was quite
remarkable... He didn’t mind, or ask for an explanation – but when Mr Swayn made a public statement about the school’s </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><i>Quiet
Diet</i></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">
policy, it was clear enough.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“They</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US"> didn’t want to see </span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%; text-align: left;"><span lang="en-US">dilated pupils </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">anymore</span><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%; text-align: left;"><span lang="en-US">... Now we get to see <i>bloated </i>pupils instead!</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%; text-align: left;"><span lang="en-US">”
as Mrs Spread put it, jokingly.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> She
was quite right about their method. Rick had witnessed the weight
gain of so many boys, by now. There was something funny, looking back
and thinking how some angry, lean and wiry wildcat could slowly be
turned into a round, plump and complacent piglet...</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> In
some cases, that change could be observed in a matter of months –
which was suspiciously quick, even for a guy like Rick. He wondered
how a young boy could put on so much weight so suddenly, but he had
no reason to complain. Each student who turned out really
chubby and slow was one more potential troublemaker taken care of...</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> Considering
his mission for the school, Rick had to stay in shape, massive and
strong. When Mr Swayn put an end to all the gym classes and school
activities like swimming, football, baseball and basketball,
reactions were mixed but Rick was the only guy openly against it –
with the possible exception of Phil, the blonde redneck G.I. Joe
quack they had put in charge of the students’ health as school
nurse and PE teacher. But who cared about his opinion? </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Rick
took it rather well. Phil kept the keys to the gym and swimming pool.
He could work out whenever he wanted – only he didn’t want to do
it alone, and that blonde, medical teddy bear worked late and long hours way too often, at
the local hospital. As a result, Rick spent more and more time inside
his office. He had become quite lazy, naturally, then the constant and abundant
supplies of cakes, pies and pastries had turned him into a real
glutton.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> In about two years, he had positively blown up, like a balloon </span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> from 250lbs of
muscles to 380lbs of chunky, grade A beef... He had only tried to
slim down for the last two months, not without some success, but his
weight was already on the rise again. It wouldn’t be a surprise to anyone
who could take a glimpse at him as he stuffed himself for
“breakfast”.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Hmmmph...
really good pie...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> As a matter of fact, Rick’s
weight loss could only be explained by Scott’s presence in
Augustine Bells – which was now held against him by the administrators. That
young, tall journalist could certainly eat! He was always welcome to help
him get rid of a few dozen pastries...</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">If
only he didn’t ask questions...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”
Rick sighed.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> The
phone rang. It was Mr Porkenham, of course.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Hmmmllo...
Good morning... Sir...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Good
morning, Wingrave. I need to see you in my office.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Bad
news – he could tell.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Under
such circumstances, Mr Porkenham wasn’t the most patient man in the
world. Rick couldn’t afford to make him wait. He wiped his hands on
his uniform pants and looked at the clock.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Okay...
One last piece of pie...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<div style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: verdana;">■ ■ ■</span></b></div>
<div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
looked at his watch, by the bedpost. Almost 9AM.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Time
for breakfast number two.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> The
young journalist was already dressed, lying on his bed with his pants
and shirt opened. He had been to the breakfast buffet earlier – as
soon as they were ready to serve – and spent a good hour and a half
piling food on his plate and devouring it at his table. After almost
two hours of rest in bed, he was ready to go back. His stomach was
groaning hungrily.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Being
poisoned and writhing in pain all night was merely a memory. That was
three days ago. His appetite was back – and bigger than ever
before... Whatever medicine Phil had found to cure him, it worked like a
charm!</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
looked back to the Jacuzzi, in the bathroom, thinking about it. Phil
was good with the pharmacy and all that first-aid stuff, but his best healing skills had to do with </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">sex: a</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">thletic, passionate, </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">steamy,</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">excessive and downright explosive sex </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> medicine after Scott’s own heart...</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Going
down in the elevator, Scott couldn’t stop thinking about that night
– and he couldn’t help feeling turned on all over again. Facing
four large plates of food with chocolate milk, coffee and orange
juice on the side was hardly enough to distract him right now.</span></div><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> There
were more people by the buffet than when he had left </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">the breakfast hall</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">, earlier that morning. It was never
difficult for Scott to find a table, since he was alone. There were a
few couples around him, business partners and families with kids, while he would only
sit in the company of a large, delicious meal – and he managed to
eat more than a family of four...</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Ever
since that special night, Scott had been eating ravenously. After
his interview with the maid who had found Michael’s dead body in
his bedroom, at Augustine Bells, the young journalist had remained in
the Paddington Hotel – mostly inside his room, with occasional raids to
the buffet and restaurant. No room service.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
knew how members of the staff talked behind his back – calling him
“the blimp with a limp” – and he wouldn’t even give them a
tip, by now. He chuckled, scarfing down another piece of strawberry
pie. That nickname was really mean... Scott had some trouble with his
kneecaps, ever since that old Football injury. He may have to walk
with a cane, at some point, and they wouldn't call him an </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">“athletic jock” anymore </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">but he was still solid and strong. </span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Going
back to his bedroom, stuffed full to the gills on eggs and bacon,
pies, pastries, cottage cheese, toasts and coffee, Scott didn’t
even pretend to ignore the dark looks and sideway glances from
employees and customers alike. For the past few days, he had played a
particular game on them, devouring only the best and priciest items
on the menu for his breakfast, eating all their home-made pancakes first and drinking apricot juice rather than orange
juice, for instance, in vast amounts so they would run out of it faster.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">So
I’m acting like a prick... Serves them right.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> Scott
took off his shirt again, and rubbed his aching belly. </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">Then h</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">e let out a loud, proud and contented belch</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> that filled the room, and possibly echoed in the bathroom.
Back to bed.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> It
was almost 10:30. Scott looked at the phone, as if the thing would
answer the question “Why are you not ringing?”</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> For
a few minutes, the well-fed guy simply rested under the covers,
farting and feeling the abundance of food in his stomach slowly turn into
a thick and nourishing flow, going through his guts.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> He
was expecting a phone call – or phone calls, rather. Staying at the
hotel like this was lever: Scott knew that the people in
Augustine Bells couldn’t care less if he didn’t show up anymore.
He could leave Biberton, and they would go on with their little –
and mysterious – business.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> That’s
why he had let everyone know that he had been poisoned. The details
about his miraculous recovery were not public, however – Scott
didn’t mention Phil, what he had done to save him, what they had
done together... what Scott wanted him to do all over again, and
again... and again... Just the same, </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">as it was, </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">in just the same massive amounts. </span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Bravely,
he had been fasting for a whole day, so people wouldn’t be too suspicious about his poisoning. That was hard, but Scott had promised
his angry, growling stomach that he would be handsomely rewarded –
as he was, right now.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Clearly,
Scott had put on a little weight over that last week. No matter how much he
had been forced to sweat and slim down before, he was probably at his largest and heaviest ever, today...</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> He
had sent a letter to Mr Porkenham and other members of the school’s
board of administrators, and another letter to Mrs Astern. He had the
receipts for those letters, with their copies on his desk. Someone
was bound to call him now.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Why
don’t I get any answer</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">...
from anyone?”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
couldn’t go back to sleep. He looked at his list of suspects again.
There was nothing really interesting about it. With so many names to be considered, it was just as bad as having no suspect... Scott felt like he
was chasing a shadow in the dark, or a ghost through a smoke screen.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> Mr
Scupper’s brochure was under Scott’s list. He had read it from cover to cover. It was thirty-six pages long – definitely too long: tedious, full of digressions for context, and footnotes, and acknowledgments </span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span lang="en-US"> with on</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span lang="en-US">ly a few typos, but there was a big difference between </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span lang="en-US">“immortal</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span lang="en-US">”
and </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span lang="en-US">“immoral</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span lang="en-US">”,
for instance...</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US"><i>The
life and afterlife of Ian MacNeill.</i></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
flipped through the pages. He had written a few notes in there. Then
he tossed it against the wall. Mr Scupper’s ghost story was nothing, and there were a few elements missing, which he considered the most important –
like that secret room, with the force-feeding machine...</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> There
was a remarkable growl coming from his stomach, as he thought about
it. He had to pat his round belly again, a well-deserved
reward for standing the pain and pressure for such a long time.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Ooof...
that feeding machine</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> He
was slowly drifting into sleep, feeling comfortably full and numb. On second
thought, he could afford another good nap. There was nothing in his agenda
for today – just wait and...</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> The
phone rang – right on cue.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Hello...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Scott?”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> It
was Will. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
expected a call from his editor, Mr Horn – not from the guy who worked
with him as a photographer. He was on good terms with Will, at least.
Maybe that meant something in itself, talk to a friend instead of a boss who's no longer listening. Will sounded concerned too, which
wasn’t a good sign.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">How
are you doing, big guy?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Better
already</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Is
it true?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">...What is?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Is
it true that someone tried to poison you?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Well,
someone did poison me. It didn’t kill me, that’s all</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
know you’ve grown quite a stomach but, honestly, I didn’t expect anything
like this</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">What
does our boss think about it?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Well, you know</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">...
At first, he thought that you were stalling again.</span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">”</span></div><div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“Stalling?</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">”</span></div><div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“That's what he told us. </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">Allowing yourself
another week in that strange town in the sticks, at his expense. Now, I don’t know.”</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">What
did he say?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Besides
the swear words, you mean? Told you, he didn’t believe you. What I
can’t understand is how you got poisoned and lived to tell the
tale. Was it like... the people who wanted to harm you didn't know how to handle their stuff?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“No, I've been thinking about it</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">... No </span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">rookie mistake. Whoever did this knew what he was doing. </span><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%; text-align: left;"><span lang="en-US">I didn’t just throw up and sweat it out, you know..</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%; text-align: left;"><span lang="en-US">.
I, huh...” Scott hesitated. “I got someone to help me.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Someone</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">...”
Will paused. “In the middle of the night. Right.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Yes</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Let
me guess</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">...
A big blonde, sexy teddy bear just happened to be in your hotel, that
night? What do they call him again? Graham?”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">It’s
Phil. And... yes, they keep calling him that</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Huh
huh</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">...”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">What?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
didn’t say anything</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.
You tell me.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">It’s
true.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">What
was he doing in your hotel room?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
called him</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.
It was an emergency. He’s a doctor.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Sure</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">... Better safe than sorry.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">He’s
more professional that you think</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I never said that he wasn’t a pro... I mean, he does look really
good at what he does</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">For your information...</span><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%; text-align: left;"><span lang="en-US">”
Scott sighed. “He really is.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div align="justify" class="western" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“Huh huh... </span><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%; text-align: left;"><span lang="en-US">Is
there anything more you feel like telling me?</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%; text-align: left;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></div></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Definitely
not</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">You
know why I chose to become a photographer</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.
A good picture is worth a thousand words...”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Is
that why you’re calling me over the phone?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Mister
Horn asked me to check how you are doing. What should I tell him?
That you’re still sick as a dog?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Tell
him I was half dead for two days, feeling better now and about to go back
to work</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.
I want to find who tried to kill me. I want to find who killed
Michael Astern and that administrator Huggins... I want to expose the
people behind all this. Tell him it’s personal now.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">All
right. As I am your friend, I will tell him... something he will be willing
to hear. Be careful, Scott</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.
We’ve had a phone call from Mrs Astern yesterday.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">And..</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
couldn’t get what she discussed with Mister Horn, but he looked flushed
and angry. Well, you know him</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">...”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Clearly,
the news wasn’t too good. Scott had to think about it. As it was, a
nap was the best option for him, right now.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> The
phone rang again. It was the hotel manager.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Mister
Girder?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Yes</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">...”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
was brought to my attention that you have been attending breakfast
twice, this morning</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">. Again.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">So, I did</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">... I was hungry.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Quite</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">...
According to what some people have told me, you were at the buffet
from 6AM sharp to 7:45, then again from 9:10 to 10:25.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">That
may be</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">And
in the course of those cumulated three hours, you have managed to eat
twenty-seven plates worth of breakfast food</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.
Piled high too, as I have been told.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Is
that a fact? I didn’t keep count...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
almost regretted that he had not done so. Twenty-seven plates sounded
rather accurate, though. He felt almost proud about it, but the
manager was obviously calling to scold him and remind him that he
wasn’t supposed to eat so often and so much, when there were so many hungry
people... waiting in line behind him.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I have never read it anywhere in your policy that there was a limited amount
of food, or plates, at the breakfast buffet</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Well...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Or
at lunch</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">It’s
just...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Or
dinner</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Mister
Girder, I am afraid that we aren’t going anywhere with this... I
have received some serious complaints about you</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
should have seen it coming. People in room service held a grudge
against him, since he didn’t call anymore. Other customers would
come and go. There had to be a few who would stay for more than a
week, to notice that he wolfed down all their food.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> He
only shrugged when that conversation with the manager was over. So
what if they had to buy a few extra jugs of apricot juice, a few more
batches of flan, a few more pies and a few more pounds of bacon with
two or three dozens of eggs more than their usual order? Scott would
rather eat all that food than let other people have it... If they
couldn’t wake up so early as he did, they only had their own lazy
asses to blame.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Definitely
time for a good nap.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott’s
rest didn’t last long. The phone rang again.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Scott
Girder speaking..</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> It
was Mr Swayn, at Saint Augustine Bells.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">How
are you doing today, Mister Girder?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Better
actually.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Good,
good</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.
Would you be free to come to my office?”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Right
now?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">If
you happened to be around school in the morning, that would be very
convenient. I have a few important appointments in the afternoon</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
can be with you in one hour</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Perfect</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.
See you then.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
sat by the side of the bed, and patted his belly. It didn’t feel so full, at the
moment, but heavy and wishing to rest comfortably in his lap like a tomcat... The tall young man
stretched out his arms and yawned.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">So
much for that nap.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: verdana;">■ ■ ■</span></b></div>
<div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Mr
Porkenham was done with Rick – for now. The poor guy looked like he
had been standing on his head for the duration of that meeting... He
was all red in the face and out of breath, with his hands twitching
and rubbing his uniform every now and then.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> The
situation was a lot more serious than either of them expected. </span></div><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott’s letter to Mrs Astern was the same that they had received,
but the consequences weren't the same. They could choose to ignore
the journalist’s complaints, prove that his stomach could easily be
upset, considering the way he was eating all the time, and pretend
that there was nothing worth mentioning to the students – or their
parents... They knew how to handle such threats.</span></div><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> That
was no longer an option. Mr Porkenham would have to make an
official statement. Mr Swayn was already working on it.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Rick
wasn’t quite sure about how he should play his own part in this new level of their game. The only thing that he remembered clearly from Mr Porkenham’s speech was that he looked </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-align: left;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;">too fat for his job</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">”</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">. Was that just meant as a statement of fact? Did they imply that Rick should lose weight, or that he may lose
his job? Was it up to him to slim down again, then, or to resign?</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> As
he walked down the stairs, the head of security felt rather uneasy.
He did feel quite fat... His large, overhanging belly was bouncing with
each heavy step, and he could feel his love handles wobbling gently on the
sides, sending long and sensual waves through his massive body. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> There
were few students going in and out, in between classes. No matter how </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-align: left;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;">chubby they were, the school only encouraged them to gain more weight!</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> Mr Thorne was
having a chat with the French teacher, Mrs. Martell. They paused to
say hello. Rick only waved timidly.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">So,
you were saying..</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">So
many English words come from the Medieval French, you have what we
call a “double register”, in linguistics</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.
For instance, </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US"><i>lamb</i></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">
is an old Anglo-Saxon word, but </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US"><i>mutton</i></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">
comes from the French. You find the first one in the field, but the
latter in the kitchen.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Is
that because those people from Normandy were such fine cooks?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">It
was considered more fitting to the nobility that some fine meal would
be described with French words, like </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US"><i>mouton</i></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">
turned into </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US"><i>mutton</i></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">,
rather than with a word in the vocabulary of the conquered people.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">So it is, yes... So it is</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Just
the same, it is quite possible that the English word </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US"><i>Murder</i></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">
actually comes from the French verb </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US"><i>Mordre</i></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">,
which means </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US"><i>to
bite</i></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">How
extraordinary... So, when you invite someone to “grab a bite”,
would this be considered as an invitation to kill?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> Rick
was back in his office. There were many boxes left, with plenty of
pastries for him to eat – and a load of money for him to grab. He
wished that Scott was already there to help him. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> His
wish could almost be granted at once: Scott was off the bus, and on his
way to Mr Swayn’s office. With a double of the key to Rick’s back
door, he didn’t have to go through the main gate, show his badge
and sign papers. The security office itself was a shortcut for him.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> He
had to be discrete, though. Looking around, he froze on the spot. He
had just spotted Phil, walking to the gate. He was probably coming
from the hospital, after his early morning shift there.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
hurried to get into Rick’s back office. It was almost a reflex. He
had been thinking about Phil for days – and nights. For some
reason, the blonde doctor had only called him in the morning, after
he had taken care of him. Scott was already feeling a lot better, but he
had not heard from him since then.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Thinking
about it, Scott didn’t understand
why Phil would only check on him once. And why wouldn’t he call
again, even as he knew that he was doing all right? Then why did Scott feel like hiding from him, right now?</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> He
wanted to see Phil again, of course – but not like this. He wasn’t hiding.
It was just... complicated. They shouldn’t be seen together inside
the school, anyway. People would start talking. It was better for Scott to
wait in the back for a moment.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Rick
was there too, devouring pastries as usual... The tall guy was fatter than
ever, and he kept stuffing himself as if he wanted to break a new
World record... He would certainly break his belt by the end of the
week, as it was. All the buttons in his uniform shirt looked ready to pop, and that was no idle threat!</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> With
Phil at the gate, the head of security waved as he had to get up and ask him to come to his
desk. Scott also came closer, but he chose to stay behind the door. He
could listen to them clearly. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Follow
me</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.</span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">”</span></div><div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“Okay..</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 16px;"><span lang="en-US">. What for?</span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“Increased level of security means routine search.</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> No discussion.”</span></div></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
saw the two men come back inside the security office, while he was still hidden. Rick was going through the content of Phil's backpack in a hurry, then he let it fall on the floor.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Okay,
let’s take a closer look at you. Anything in your pockets?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Keys
to my office...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">On
the desk. What else?”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“Nothing else</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 16px;"><span lang="en-US">.</span></span></span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></span></div><div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“Okay</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 16px;"><span lang="en-US">. Stand straight.</span></span></span><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></span></div><div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott could feel some sort of tension in the air. Rick's orders were clear and precise, but his tone of voice and his moves suggested that he was in a really bad mood today. Phil had to wait in silence while the head of security proceeded, looking cautious and strangely </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">ominous at the same time. He was taking his time now.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Good...” Rick mumbled. “Okay, nothing in your mouth, nothing in your hair. Y</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">ou
should get a haircut, you know... Real short, military crew cut. You look like a mess, now. With your goatee and everything, it's getting too long not to raise comments around here. Let’s
check your ears.”</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">You
think I have something hidden, or...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“I have no time for this.</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"> You should know the routine too</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 16px;"><span lang="en-US">.</span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">”</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> Rick almost barked. </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“Okay</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 16px;"><span lang="en-US">. Take off your shirt.</span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">”</span></div><div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“My shirt?</span></span>”</span></div><div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“And your T-shirt too</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 16px;"><span lang="en-US">.</span></span></span>”</span></div><div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“Are you seriously..</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 16px;"><span lang="en-US">.</span></span></span>”</span></div><div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">You don’t want me to go for a full strip
search, do you?”</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“Huh... O</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">kay.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> There
was a long pause then. Phil did as we was told. He stripped down and stood straight. Rick made him turn his head to the side, then
turn again, flashing his light closely – not only into his ears but
into his eyes. He patted him on the shoulders and slapped his back, for some reason, then he went back to his eyes and ears, even closer with his flashlight. He tousled Phil's hair when he was done.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">All
right, nothing hidden in your ears either... Not that you’d expect to find anything in
that noggin.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Rick
was obviously well-trained to do this from time to time. He was quick, sharp and commanding –
but definitely rude. Scott wouldn't want to face him at the moment. Phil was ready to put on his T-shirt, but Rick pushed him back against the wall, tossing his shirts on the floor with the doctor's backpack.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“We're not done here</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 16px;"><span lang="en-US">.</span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">”</span></div><div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“But I thought</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 16px;"><span lang="en-US">...</span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">”</span></div><div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left; text-indent: 47.2441px;">– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“I'll tell you when you're good to go</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 16px;"><span lang="en-US">. Turn around. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%; text-align: left; text-indent: 47.2441px;"><span lang="en-US">Hands
on the wall</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%; text-align: left; text-indent: 47.2441px;"><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Do
you have to..</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“C</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">an't be too careful, these days.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Rick
forced Phil to assume better position, arms stretched, hands pressed
high against the wall, legs a bit further apart so he would be
frisked easier. He took his time, and started talking to Phil exactly as if
he was interrogating a suspect.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Scott
Girder has been poisoned... Did you know?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I’ve
heard about it</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">How?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Mister
Swayn and Mister Thorne were talking about it in the hallway</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Is
that so..</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil
did his best not to react when Rick frisked him, but the security guard was
pressing him a bit too roughly for a regular patdown. He was shirtless now, only wearing his usual worn-out jeans. Scott couldn’t help admiring how
tight and shapely they fit around his butt.</span></div><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left; text-indent: 47.2441px;"> Rick kept pushing it to make Phil really uncomfortable,</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left; text-indent: 47.2441px;"> probably to throw him off guard </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">– </span><span style="text-align: left; text-indent: 47.2441px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">or push him over the edge... He was getting much closer than would be considered appropriate, and he was grabbing him pretty much all over </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left; text-indent: 47.2441px;">his upper body</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left; text-indent: 47.2441px;">. </span></div><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left; text-indent: 47.2441px;"> The blonde guy couldn't help twitching every now and then.</span></div><div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“Some guns you have... </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">You been working out again, right?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">When
I have a moment, you know..</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">. As we used to do this together.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Yeah...
I wish I had a moment like that</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">. Right now, I'm wrapped in red tape, so much and so tight that I'm almost choking... Then they just told me I was too fat for my job.</span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 16px; text-align: left;">”</span></div><div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“Oh...</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 16px;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></span></div><div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“I know I'm fat, but </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left; text-indent: 47.2441px;">too fat</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">”</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left; text-indent: 47.2441px;">? Next thing you know, they'll call you to old Porkenham's office and tell you that you are </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left; text-indent: 47.2441px;">too thick</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">”</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left; text-indent: 47.2441px;"> for the job...</span><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 16px; text-align: left;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></div><div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 16px; text-align: left;"><span lang="en-US"><br /></span></span></div><div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 16px; text-align: left;"><span lang="en-US"> Phil knew better than to comment on it. Rick was venting it out while he could hardly breathe, feeling </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">oppressed and helpless at the moment.</span></div><div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 16px; text-align: left;"><span lang="en-US"><br /></span></span></div><div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“And you <i>are </i>thick...</span><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 16px;">” Rick smirked as he grabbed his shoulders, then he slapped him hard and loud. </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">So, beefcake... what do you have to say about that poison?”</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Poison?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Yes,
poison</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.”
Rick was really handling him like a criminal. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“How did Scott Girder get poisoned?</span><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 16px; text-align: left;">”</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“I don't know... </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Food
poisoning, maybe?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“T</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">hat’s
what they say.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left; text-indent: 47.2441px;">T</span><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 16px; text-align: left;">hat’s what they want us to say..</span><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 16px; text-align: left;">.</span><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 16px; text-align: left;">” Rick sounded grumpy, almost resentful.</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">Porkenham and the others think everyone will believe it and forget about it. Now I think they're hiding something.”</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“Seriously</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“Serious as a heart attack</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Frisking Phil’s chest down to his waist, Rick looked
like a chubby child taking it out on his teddy bear... Scott had no idea
that his blonde friend could stay so calm and collected, as he was almost
assaulted right now.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> He
still had to catch his breath when he asked.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Mister
Porkenham has always been like that. What did he tell you today?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">We’re
going to be audited</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.</span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">” Rick let out a sigh. </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">Mister Swayn had already prepared statements for the parents, but we have
to deal with our trustees now...”</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">How
did the trustees get to know about this?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">No
idea</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">...
I guess our journalist friend has done a good job. You have
certainly done a good job too, in your own </span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“bad boy</span><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 16px; text-align: left;">” capacity</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">...”</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> For
the first time, Scott heard a note of pure fear in Phil’s voice.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">What
do you mean?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Your
buns, of course.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.. You bake some of the tastiest, most fattening pies and pastries in town, after all!</span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 16px; text-align: left;">” Rick suddenly pressed Phil's waist with both hands, before slapping his butt. </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“Okay, pants down.</span><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 16px; text-align: left;">”</span></div><div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 16px; text-align: left;">– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“Is this... really?</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 16px;">”</span></span></div><div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“Pants. Down. And take off your shoes and socks too.</span><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 16px; text-align: left;">”</span></div><div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 16px; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 16px; text-align: left;"> There was a long moment of silence. Scott had to wonder what was going on. Holding his breath, he risked taking a quick peak at the scene, remaining unseen. Phil was down to his briefs. Even as he was facing the wall, hands behind his head, Scott could tell that he was blushing. Rick was still frisking him excessively and quite abusively.</span></div><div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></div><div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“Best buns in the county, all right... It should be</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> no surprise when you’re walking all day, working so hard and working out, but I can hardly blame the sons of bitches in this school for calling your their tasty </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“Teddy Graham</span><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 16px; text-align: left;">”. I bet e</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">veryone in Biberton knows what a good, buttery, saltine cracker you are...”</span></div></div><div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Being </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">searched</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">”</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> like this was already something, Scott couldn't really tell when Rick had crossed the line but, clearly, Phil wouldn’t let anyone bully him without a fight. He turned around with </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">clenched </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">fists, ready to pounce,</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> but Rick struck him with his billy club, hard enough to make Phil back off. Then he pushed him further against the wall with his imposing belly. As he lowered his voice, his tone was also more aggressive.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
know you had to do something about it... You may look dumb and innocent, and even dumber
than they say when they call you Graham, but you can’t fool me</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">. You may be a lot of things, but innocent isn't one of them. If anyone in this town knows a thing about medicine, poisons and stuff, it’s you.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Rick
was whispering to the frightened young man. He forced him to nod as he talked. Scott couldn't hear a word, but he saw him pressing Phil's chest and face against the
wall while his hands moved from his meaty buttocks to his
crotch.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> For a minute, he played with the elastic waistband of those tight boxers until Scott heard a crisp snapping sound. </span></div><div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“You know, </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%; text-align: left;"><span lang="en-US">I could already put you behind bars just for carrying such a weapon of mass destruction in your boxers</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%; text-align: left;"><span lang="en-US">. So, what do we do now?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">What,
huh..</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.
What do you mean?”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><div align="justify" class="western" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“We're done</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 16px;"><span lang="en-US">. This is over.”</span></span></span></div><div><br /></div></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Rick
finally let go. Phil was still blushing deeply, catching his breath.</span></div><div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“Pick up your clothes</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 16px;"><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> As Phil quickly put on his jeans and T-shirt, Scott could see how shaken he was. He</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> didn't say a word. It was over, but Rick was lucky that he didn't bruise like a peach. As it was, Scott could picture exactly what kind of soldier Phil was before he got discharged. </span></div><div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> On the other hand, Rick looked like top brass, sitting at his desk.</span></div><div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Mister
Porkenham wants to see you, and he asked me to tell you. So he probably
wanted us to know that we’re in the same boat, you and me</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">. What do you know, is it stinking or sinking?</span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> The way I see it, heads will roll before this semester is over, and
the fat cats would be too happy if I resigned.”</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“But y</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">ou're not going to...”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
don’t know</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.
I have to think about it... You?”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“What can I say?</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US"> The school has already cut down my salary. Twice.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">That’s
because you don't have sports classes to teach anymore</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.
No basketball team to coach. For all that’s left...”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Rick
sat down at his desk, next to that huge pile of pastries. Phil was
putting his wallet back inside his pocket. His clothes were all dusty from lying on the floor.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">You’re
in charge of the boys’ health. And no one else cares about their
health. If they did, we wouldn’t have enforced that </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US"><i>Quiet
Diet</i></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">
policy. Quiet, my ass... They meant to make any disturbed student quiet
as a mouse, then they turn each and everyone of them big as a house!</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Phil
was finally dismissed, and Rick went back to his pastries... He was
hungry again, for some reason. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Scott
had to wait. He didn’t want to see either of them, right now.
Showing up too soon would certainly make them wonder whether he had
been listening to their conversation, or altercation. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> He
would see Phil later, anyway, and he didn’t want to join Rick,
while he was busy gorging on pies... Scott was still feeling a bit full after his
second breakfast, and he had to meet Mr Swayn in his office, soon.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> As
he took one last look at Rick, he couldn’t help noticing that the
big guy was eating faster than ever. He seemed determined to eat all
those pastries, down to the last bite. It was quite impressive. So
stealthy as he could be, Scott left the security back office, closed
the door behind him and walked to Mr Swayn’s office, in the main
building.</span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: verdana;">■ ■ ■</span></b></div>
<div style="line-height: 16px; text-align: justify;">
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Mr
Swayn had news for him.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
am quite relieved to see that you’re doing better, mister Girder. Clearly, you
haven’t lost your appetite..</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.
It is always a good sign. I wish I could say the same for our other
cases.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">What
other cases?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Didn’t
you know? Six students have been found sick in their beds, two days
ago. They are all under observation now, and they are certainly out
of harm’s way. Sadly, they are still looking rather... peaky. It
makes one wonder how you got back on your feet so quickly. Your
letter was quite alarming..</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> The
young secretary chuckled. It felt false, once again. Scott didn’t
know what to say. He saw right through that new ruse, but he found no
answer for it. Naturally, Mr Swayn was eager to show him the
common bedroom where half a dozen fat and grotesquely bloated boys
were squirming in their beds, moaning, groaning and occasionally
burping loud and long...</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
had already been there. He knew that room, and those beds, only too
well. He acted as if he was both surprised and concerned, but he had
seen those puffy faces, almost green from excessive overeating. He
had already heard those obnoxious belches: these boys had been picked
up and forcefed in the school’s secret room. They might have been
poisoned too, just enough to leave traces for toxicological analysis.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> That was definitely clever </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> and definitely twisted. Scott should expect no less from a cunning player like Mr Swayn... The guy was
worth every dollar they paid him. He had the tidiest and most orderly
brain.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> It
was only a short visit. Mr Swayn had a few more things to say, but
Scott didn’t listen. He had already got the picture. The only
strong card left in his deck was Mrs Astern. It wasn’t too late for
him to launch a new attack. He was only looking for the appropriate shooting angle.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">The
parents have been informed, of course</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Well,
yes... of course</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
couldn’t help noticing a few names in the files attached to their
beds. Isn’t there a Brad Dulles among the victims?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Brad
Dulles..</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.”
Mr Swayn grew pale. “Why, yes... our little Dulles boy.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Then
his uncle is..</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Yes</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.”
Mr Swayn interrupted him, as if there was someone listening to their conversation.
“His uncle is working in the white house.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
wasn’t sure... Then Brad’s parents must have some special
interests in Saint Augustine Bells preparatory school. Don’t they?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Huh..</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.
quite. They are among our most important trustees.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Then
your trustees know about the situation. It loos like my job is already
done, here</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.”
Scott chuckled, imitating Mr Swayn. “Unless...”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Unless
what?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Unless
they have doubts about your administration. I mean... if my son was
in this school, under your responsibility, I would want to know a bit
more</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">. Maybe ask someone to perform some sort of audit, you know?”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Yes...
An audit is already scheduled</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.
That’s why I wanted to see you so soon. I will have to leave early
in the afternoon.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
see</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">No
time to catch lunch, I’m afraid</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.”
Mr Swayn didn't look so confident anymore. “I guess... Mister Scupper?”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> The
old gardener was on his way to the cafeteria.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Yes, mister Swayn?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Would
you please escort mister Girder on his way to the main gate?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Sure...
Follow me, please</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
didn’t mind. As a matter of fact, he had a few questions for Mr
Scupper, after he had pressed Mr Swayn like an orange </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">– or a lemon </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">– down to the
last drop.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Six
students getting sick at the same time?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Quite..</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.”
The old man commented.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Don’t
you find it rather... puzzling?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
already find it amazing that these pigs can eat their weight in junk
food in less than a week, drink a full garden pool of soft drinks and keep coming back for dessert</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.
What did you expect?”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">People
keep saying that they have been poisoned</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">It
was bound to happen, that’s what I say</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">But
if it was food poisoning, wouldn’t all your students be
sick?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“So they are. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Have
you seen so many boys going around and attending their classes today? They
are all doing rather poorly</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">There
would be over two hundred boys in the hospital, if this was a case of
food poisoning in the kitchen...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Mrs
Spread has already investigated</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.
Nothing suspicious there.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">The
students I saw weren’t just sick... They looked
overfed</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">They’re
always overfed</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
mean...” Scott stopped. “More than overfed, more than their usual share at
least. They looked..</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.
forcefed.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Forcefed?”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Mr
Scupper looked back. Scott was standing a few steps behind him.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">...What
do you mean?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
know what I saw. Those boys looked puffy and bloated, as if they had spent hours
being forcefed by a machine</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">A
force-feeding machine?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">
How extraordinary...”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> They
shared a sharp look. Mr Scupper was much shorter than Scott, so he
had to stand straight and raise himself. There was some sort of half smile on the old
man’s lips.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Tell
me, mister Girder... Have you been looking for some other piece of information about
our school?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
have read your report</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
had chosen the right word – and carefully so. He couldn’t call those
thirty-six pages a “story”, although the statements presented as factual were
fantastic enough to feel like fiction, and hardly confirmed by any objective piece of evidence.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Oh..</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.”
Mr Scupper looked quite pleased. “What did you think?”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
thought it was fantastic</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> That
could be also understood in a number of ways... Mr Scupper’s vanity was
clearly flattered, but he kept everything as a matter of fact.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
was hoping that, in the right hands, this little book could be of
help</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">You
were right. But there is something missing</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Missing?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">How
did the ghost kill his victims?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">That
is all explained in my book</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Not
quite</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Well..</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.”
Mr Scupper looked a bit less certain, suddenly. “Ian’s ghost didn’t
need to use a machine. That's for sure.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Why
is it here, then?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
don’t know what you mean, young man</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“I meant..</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.
How did Ian’s ghost kill his victims?”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“H</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">e
didn’t! He didn't have to...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”
Mr Scupper laughed. “Ian was dead, of course. His ghost only possessed his
victims, as vengeful spirits do.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">So
he possessed them?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Yes</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">... Then the boy whose spirit worked under Ian’s command would eat and
eat, and stuff himself so fast as he could, and keep
going until something would burst.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Is
that how the first victims died?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Yes</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">You’re
lying. There was no found around them</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
don’t know how spirits possess people, really! That doesn’t
change the fact that they were found dead, enormous and round,
stuffed so full that they could hardly be moved. That’s how they
died, and that’s how Michael Astern died</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.
And that is that. I am not lying.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
didn’t mean that</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">... Then it seems that you have been withholding that fact in your text.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">As
a matter of fact, I have..</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">. I had to.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Mr
Scupper caught his breath, then he drew a thin cigarette case from
his vest. Scott handed him his lighter.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">The
school wouldn’t let my manuscript be printed as it was</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">What
did you have to retract?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Exactly
what you and I have been discussing... I admit, that was the only part actually worth reading. That’s what I was interested in</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">How
Ian’s ghost possesses his victims?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Yes</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.
Well... not just that...”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> The
old man coughed. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
have never really understood how the ghost chose his victims. Look at
this place... Look at the students in our school. We’ve had similar
deaths in different rooms, even different buildings</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">. It can’t be tied to a particular hot spot. So much for that line
of research. What could it be, then? Is it a question of Astrological
predispositions? I haven’t been able to find a clear pattern there
either... I am beginning to think about it all over again, in psychological terms, like a question of character.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">How
so?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“Think about it. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Ian
MacNeill was a security guard, when he was alive. He was tortured by
the most violent inmates we had here, in the loony bin, before Saint Augustine Bells
was a school</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">So,
he’s looking for..</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Bullies, of course! When the people responsible for his death were dead and gone, he moved on to people with similar personalities. Among our
students, we have more than enough violent, arrogant, rude boys...”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Michael Astern didn’t strike me as a bully</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">You’re
right, he wasn’t</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.”
Mr Scupper sighed. “It’s only a theory.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> They
were almost at the gate. As they walked by the security office, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Mr Scupper noticed that </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">there
was no one at the desk.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div align="justify" class="western" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 16px;">Rick should be here...”</span></span></div><div>– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">I didn't see mister Wingrave, this morning.”</span></div></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">He must be in his office</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">. Trust me, </span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">I have seen him.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
knew how to get in and out of it, even when Rick wasn't there.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Mister
Wingrave? Rick?”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> There
was no answer.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Rick?
It’s me, Scott</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.
I’m going out, okay?”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Is
everything all right?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”
Mr Scupper asked, a bit impatiently. “I’m getting rather hungry
for my lunch.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
don’t know, he should still be here</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">...”
Scott called out. “Rick? Are you okay?”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> He
opened the door to the security back office. The desk was covered with at
least thirty opened boxes – all empty. Even someone less aware of
Rick’s eating habits than Scott could tell that they were meant for
pies, chocolate chip cookies, cupcakes, doughnuts and other pastries.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Right
behind the desk, Rick was laying on the floor – eagle-spread on his
back, with his belly peaking up round and huge like an over-inflated
beach ball. He looked like he had passed out, but his mouth was still
full of cake and saliva, almost as if he had rabies...</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“Oh, no</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">..</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">. No, no...”
Scott whispered.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">What
is it?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Mr
Scupper joined him in the back room. Scott was already down on his
knees, checking that Rick was still breathing. He couldn’t be sure,
but it looked like the head of security had only eaten way too fast –
and way too much!</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
tore his shirt opened. Buttons popped to the other side of the room. Rick had already forced three or four of those to fly like bullets... He was covered with crumbs and bits of chocolate or frosting. His T-shirt was so tight around his chest that he was suffocating.
It had been riding up his belly for some time.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">What
are you doing?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">He
needs help. Call for an ambulance. Call Phil!</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">...Who's Phil?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Graham!
Call Graham</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> If
that slanderous bad joke had to cost someone’s life, Mr Swayn would
never hear the end of it... Mr Scupper hurried to the phone. Scott had
only heard about the Heimlich </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">maneuver.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> There was nothing he could do. Even if he knew how to save Rick, the poor guy was far too round and heavy to
be moved.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Did
you get him on the phone?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div><div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 16px;">Who?”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">The
doctor!</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div><div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“Oh... No, it </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-indent: 47.2441px;">was a</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-indent: 47.2441px;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-indent: 47.2441px;">woman who answered the phone. I guess that was a woman. It was a woman's voice... She had to be a nurse. She told me that the doctor was on his way.</span><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 16px;">”</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“Thank God</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">!”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">He’s
coming right away</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">. I didn't know Graham was actually a doctor. He's our students' nurse here. What are you doing now?”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
can’t... get him to..</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.
move...”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
was doing his best, but he wasn’t that strong.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Damn!
It feels like he weighs a ton..</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“He</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US"> certainly does look like he weighs a ton</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.”
Mr Scupper took a step back and looked around. “What’s with all this money?”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Rick’s
bribes must have been neatly arranged in a pile, on his desk. Dollar bills were spread all over the floor now, just like he was. It looked both ridiculous and sordid. Scott tried to raise Rick a bit, to wake him up and make him
cough.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Come
on, big guy..</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.
Spit it out.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Where
did all that food come from?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
have no idea..</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.”
Scott lied.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
know these boxes</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">...
That’s the pastries they bake every Tuesday and Thursday in Biberton Hall, as part of of our
community service, to raise money for the children’s hospital. Or is it </span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">the children’s </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">playground? I'm not sure... I don’t remember... Why would mister Wingrave get pastries
like that?”</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
couldn’t tell... I didn’t know that you had people baking
pastries in your Town hall</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">What
I can’t understand is why he would buy so many of them..</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.
Then if they were brought to his office, who delivered them? How
did he pay for all these? And if he did, why didn’t they take the money?”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
knew better, but he didn’t want to let anyone know about Rick’s
shady, little business with the students. On the other hand, Mr
Scupper was putting all the pieces of his own puzzle together.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">It’s
the ghost</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">...What?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Ian’s
ghost. I knew it! He’s been after mister Wingrave</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Don’t
be silly</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.
This is clearly...”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Actually,
Scott didn’t know. He only remembered twenty or twenty five boxes
of pastries on Rick’s desk. Someone must have delivered a few more.
Mr Scupper’s questions weren’t unreasonable: Why did Rick
keep eating them? How did he fall to the floor like this? Did someone
force him to eat like this? He looked like he was going to burst.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I..</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.
don’t know, really.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">It’s
the ghost! I'm telling you.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Didn’t
you say that Ian was a security officer?” Scott protested. “Why
would he go after someone like him?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">No
more security guard, no more security</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">... Mr Wingrave was in the way. Maybe Ian's ghost had to get rid of him.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
hated to admit that Mr Scupper’s theory made sense.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“Nonsense. Rick could be replaced at any time.</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 16px;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div><div>– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Think
about it. Maybe Michael was only in the way, just the same. Then, if the ghost was going after someone else..</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></div></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Mr
Scupper was following his own train of thoughts. Scott would want him
to get back to the matter at hand, but Phil entered just then.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">What
is wrong with... Oh... Okay.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> More people came up to help them, a moment later. Rick was already breathing
normally again. He was still weak, coughing or choking, but Phil was taking care of him. That was a close call, but he would be okay.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> When
he saw Rick being carried out like a gigantic ball of dough and the ambulance rear doors closing like a monstrous oven, Scott had a sudden
flashback: after the strange scene he had witnessed a few
hours before, and this even stranger outcome, he could only agree with Mr Scupper's theory about Ian's ghost holding a grudge against bullies... </span></span>
</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: verdana;">■ ■ ■</span></b></div>
<div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Rick
was at the Hospital. Scott had to wait before he would be allowed to
see him... He wasn’t too hungry for lunch. Lost in his thoughts, he
forgot to leave when the bus stopped in front of the Paddington
hotel. When he came to his senses, he had almost reached the end of the line.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> As
it turned out, Biberton’s General hospital was only a few streets
away from the bus depot. Scott told the driver that he would walk
from there... The guy didn’t mind, and wished him a pleasant
afternoon, after he was parked in the bus station.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> It
was still foggy. The temperature had gone up by a few degrees, but
the mist was still dense. Scott didn’t know that part of town. It
wasn’t exactly the most pleasant neighborhood, but the streets were
safe. A city boy like him was used to a lot worse. Being mugged in a
small town like this was highly unlikely.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> The
hospital was a tall, clean but sad building painted in a dull shade
of grey, almost white. Scott knew his way in and out of the lobby. He
knew the nurses too, after he had interviewed them a few weeks
before.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Unfortunately
for him, it was the puritan, strict one at the desk.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Hello,
nurse Vickers.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Good
afternoon, mister Girder. How are you doing today?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I’m
doing all right, thank you. I wish I could say the same for the young
man who was admitted an hour ago.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Which
one?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">The
man who came in your ambulance, from Saint Augustine Bells.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I’m
afraid that I should ask you the same question again. Doctor Hewdge
has admitted a patient around a quarter to one, then he has been
coming back and forth three more times with younger people from that
school.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> For
a moment, Scott wondered about what must have happened, that morning. The
other patients could only be the sick students, stuffed as they were. Phil was requested to take them to the hospital.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
understand. I meant to see Rick... Huh, Richard Wingrave.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Mister
Wingrave is still in ICU.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Oh...
well, of course. How about the students?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">They
are in bed.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">May
I see them?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">They
are all staying in individual bedrooms. This is not a dispensary... Which one did you want to interview?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Brad
Dulles.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Mister
Dulles is in room 206. I need to have a word with the doctor Lipton first, or doctor Hewdge.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Okay...
Where is Phil?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Nurse
Vickers had called him just “Phil” before, but she didn’t
approve when someone else referred to staff without mentioning their full names and titles.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Doctor
Hewdge is in ICU, of course. Who do you think is looking after the
man he has brought here himself?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Rick’s
case couldn’t be too serious if Phil had agreed to drive back to
Augustine Bells three times to bring those sickly piggish students to a
safer place.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> There were a number of newspapers in the waiting
room, but there was nothing new about them... Scott paced restlessly, going in circles around the empty chairs, tapping the furniture and chafing against
inaction.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> The
doorbell rang again. It was Mr Thorne in a long black coat, with his
hat on and a large umbrella under his arm. Scott immediately walked
to him. He couldn't wait alone any longer.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Good
afternoon, mister Thorne.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Mister
Girder? How do you do... Sad business, isn’t it?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Yes,
very sad. I didn’t expect to see you.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
didn’t expect to see you either. After this morning’s meeting
with mister Porkenham, I was under the impression that you had
already left town without saying good-bye.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">There
is a lot left for me to do in Biberton.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott’s
tone was cold as ice.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
see... Well, with these recent incidents... Have you been able to see
our students?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Not
yet. Did you come from Saint Augustine Bells on your own? Where is
mister Porkenham? Where is mister Swayn?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> The
old man’s lips curled up into a thin smile.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Mister
Swayn had to take a flight. There's a very important
meeting in D.C. and he is quite nervous about it... Mister Porkenham had to take a mild sedative. He is quite distressed </span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">about it</span><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Oh...
So you came here to represent the school.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">That’s
right... I’m the only one left, then I’m in charge. That’s what
happens on rare occasions, even when you’re the fifth wheel on the car.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Nurse
Vickers was back to her desk. Mr Thorne had a message for the
hospital staff, and she asked him to sign a number of legal papers.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> He
was only half done when the phone buzzed, then Phil joined them in
the lobby. He looked relieved in a rather strange way – like a man
in the mountains standing on top of a cliff when he had been climbing all day.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Joan, Richard Wingrave will be in room 505... Hello, mister Thorne... Mister
Girder...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil
shook hands with them. Scott was shocked. How could he behave in such
a cold, professional manner, after they had spent the night... On second thoughts, it
was better if they kept their distance when there were coworkers and
people around.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> Nevertheless,
Scott had a hard time trying not to look at the young doctor, as he
was answering Mr Thorne’s questions. And he was a bit put off when
he came to the conclusion that Phil had no problem avoiding him like
this. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Mr
Thorne didn’t have anything interesting to say. Scott’s opinion
regarding nurse Vickers got more positive when she interrupted
him.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Mister
Girder was asking permission to interview one of our patients. Bradford Dulles, isn't it?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">That’s
the one...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> With
everyone looking at him, right now, it was just as bad. Phil didn’t
ask him why he should be interested in Brad rather than any other
student. Mr Thorne didn’t seem to care: the school didn’t approve when someone asked to interrogate one of their boys, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">no matter which one </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">– and under s</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">uch sad circumstances too, when they were sick and weak, possibly
shocked and confused...</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Phil
let the old man talk. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
am sure that mister Girder’s concern for our patients is the
same as yours. He only means to see how they are doing.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Of
course. It won’t be an interview, really... I didn’t
even bring my notebook.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I see...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”
Mr Thorne admitted. “But I am in charge, in the absence of mister Swayn. I have a responsibility in this matter.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Why
don’t you go and see how Brad is doing, together with mister
Girder?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”
Phil suggested. “Would you remind me which room it is, Joan... I
mean, nurse Vickers... please?”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Room
206.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Oh,
well...” Mr Thorne hesitated. “I guess that would be... all
right.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
couldn’t help feeling grateful to Phil. He only regretted that he
had been looking at Mr Thorne and nurse Vickers more than he had been
looking at him. Was it simply a way to avoid suspicion – or was
Scott feeling jealous for all the attention they received?</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> It was the best way to keep everyone off the track. Keeping everything simple helped keeping everyone safe. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">For such a </span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">dumb
blonde</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> beefcake</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">, Phil certainly had his moments...</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Mr
Thorne didn’t feel comfortable, going up to the second floor and
walking to the boy’s private room. Naturally, an old guy like him
would rather stay away from a place like this.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Brad
was resting in bed. He didn’t look much sicker than Scott, at this
point. As expected, his belly looked dangerously full and round, but the boy was already overweight and very chubby. It was hard to tell what could be due to his recent
force-feeding and what was the consequence of his own voracious appetite.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Brad
Dulles?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Yes...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> The
boy opened his eyes, looked up and frowned.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">What
are you guys doing in here?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">How
are you doing?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”
Mr Thorne asked.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
was feeling a lot better, a moment ago.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Do
you remember me? We’ve met at...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Mickey Mouse’s
funeral. I remember. You’re a reporter.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">That’s
right.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I’ve
seen you in school. I didn’t need to see you here.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> They
were definitely not welcome... Mr Thorne didn’t want to insist. There
was an armchair in a corner of the room. It looked comfortable. He
took off his long coat and sat in there.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
chose to get closer to Brad.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">When
did you realize that you were... poisoned?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Huh,
that would be... when father Knox told me I was.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> The
boy looked ready to engage Scott into a stare fight. Good luck with
that, Scott thought. He looked straight into his eyes, moved closer and lowered
his voice.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Father
Knox is doing a good job, bringing you boys back into the light, from
that... dark place.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Right.
That’s what he does best.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> They
were on the same wavelength. Scott kept his voice down, and it was
only a matter of minutes before Mr Thorne fell asleep in his chair... They could have a real talk, as long as they kept their voices down.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">How
did you boys get lured into this?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
don’t know. I don’t even remember when I was taken to that place.
How did you know about the...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Brad
turned his head to make sure that the old man was sound asleep.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">The
school’s force-feeding machine?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”
Scott whispered.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Yeah...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
just know.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Okay,
then... I woke up in there... Then I woke up again... I don’t remember
when. Much later, obviously... I was so stuffed, I thought my stomach
would explode!</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Is
that what happened to the other boys?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
don’t know... I guess.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">When
did father Knox tell you about poison?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Huh... When I woke up in my bed, with the others.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">You had never been trapped inside that feeding machine?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">No...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”
the boy shuddered. “I had only heard about it.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">When
did Father Knox come to wake you up?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Yesterday,
I think...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
was right. This was only a decoy. Someone clever and sneaky – it had to be Mr Swayn – had found a way to make Scott’s poisoning look like an
accident, so it would be lost among other cases of food poisoning.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Are
they going to keep you in here for a long time?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
don’t care.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">You
don’t care?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">We’re
in a hospital. I was in prison until now.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> The
boy had a point. Scott tried to humor him.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I’ve
always heard that hospital food is awful.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">I
don’t care. I’ve been stuffing myself for so long, I almost wish
that Graham puts me on a strict diet. It would be a change for me...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
turned to look at Mr Thorne. His eyes were closed, and his mouth was
half opened. If he listened very closely, there was a light wheezing
sound coming from the old man... He would probably snore if the room
was perfectly still.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Would
you mind talking alone like this for a moment?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">What
do you mean?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">There’s
someone I have to see on the fifth floor.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Who?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Keep
the old man asleep. Hum an Irish lullaby, if you have to. I’ll
tell you when I come back.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Okay.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Brad
kept talking to himself, pausing every now and then so it would sound
like two people in a strangely quiet, gentle conversation.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
didn’t have a moment to lose. Surprisingly swift and agile, for a
man of his corpulence, he climbed the stairs in no time, looked into
the hall and ran to Rick’s room like a cat in a back alley.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> The
security guard was also in bed, but his condition was a lot more
serious than Brad’s. His face was hidden under some sort of mask,
with a number of tubes of various sizes coming out of his nose and mouth – some attached to a pump
to help him breathe, others going down his throat and attached to some
other kind of pump. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Rick’s
stomach was about the same swollen size as it was when Scott had found him on
the floor. His whole belly was so round and so huge that it could only be compared
to Michael’s belly, as Scott remembered it from his first and hopefully last visit to
the morgue...</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> There
was only one but very important difference. Michael was just a kid,
almost a child – considering how short he was </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> and rather the
bookish kind of </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">teenager</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">. Rick was a grown man, at least seven inches taller than
Michael, and he had always been athletic, massive, with some good meat on his bones.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> The
man lying in bed now looked stuffed to the</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">
point of bursting...</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Scott didn't know what to say. He couldn't get him to wake up. Then he heard a noise. It was only the lift going up, but he ran back to the stairs before
the doors opened. In less than a minute, he was back with Brad. </span>
</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">...So?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">So
what?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
was out of breath. Running up and down the stairs wasn’t part of
his daily activities.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Did
you see him?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I’ve
seen quite enough.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Did
you talk to him?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">He
couldn’t talk. I wonder if he could breathe without that
pump.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Oh... Okay. Who was it, by the way?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">...Huh?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Who
did you want to see?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Your
security guard, Rick.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Mister
Wingrave? What’s happened to him?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
wonder...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Mr
Thorne looked like he was about to wake up.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Keep
your voice down!</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”
Brad snapped, in a whisper.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Okay,
okay...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“We</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US"> need to talk. But not here, not like this... Did you get my
note?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Yes.
The </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US"><i>Pounding
Panda Bear</i></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">
Buffet, right?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Yup. See you there.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">When?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">No idea. Let’s say... the day after they let me out of here.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Okay.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Brad
was right about the old man. Mr Thorne suddenly began to snore, which
was enough to wake him up. He opened his eyes and squinted at them
for a moment.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I’m
afraid that we are taking too much time from master Dulles.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“T</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">hat’s
all right... We’ll be on our way.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">We
do hope that you will recover soon, and come back to your studies in
a much better condition. You should allow yourself some rest and sleep, young man. See you again at school, in a few days.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> As
they were leaving the hospital, Mr Thorne told Scott about the
students’ size and appetite. There was nothing really exceptional
about those six boys. Most of them stuffed themselves into a food
coma on a daily basis. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
don’t understand how they can eat so much and still be hungry for
more... It may have something to do with this new generation.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
don’t know...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Some
people are just insatiable.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
was insatiable – not with food, but when he was in bed with a sexy
boy or girl, he couldn’t be stopped any more than he wanted his
partner to stop...</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Maybe
he was insatiable with a good meal, too. Really good food was like
really good sex – it was all too hard to find, and there was never
enough for him.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Mr
Thorne must have read the weather report. He opened his umbrella, as
it was beginning to rain. With his free hand to his hat, he said
good-bye to Scott with two verses from a poem.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Thus
do I pine and surfeit day by day,</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Or
gluttoning on all, or all away.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> And
with a little wink, he turned to leave.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Is
that a quote?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Of
course...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Who
said that?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Mr
Thorne only turned his head, with a smile.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Why
don’t you ask our friend Graham?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Scott
was left in front of the hospital, under the rain. </span>
</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Must
be something Southern...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”
He shrugged.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: verdana;">■ ■ ■</span></b></div>
<div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US"><i>March
12</i></span></span><sup style="line-height: 100%;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><i>th</i></span></span></sup><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US"><i>,
1990</i></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">
– Monday</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> It
was raining. Scott didn’t have anything to do for the </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">week-end</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">. He spent Saturday in bed, only leaving his bedroom to catch
breakfast number one around 6AM, breakfast number two around 9AM,
lunch at noon, coffee around 5PM, and dinner from 7 to 9PM – from
the moment the buffet was opened and until Scott felt full and
contented. All in all, what he piled on his plate would have fed a family of four, with two
grown kids...</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Sunday
was pretty much the same. There were no phone calls. Scott worked on
his notes, trying to cross-index suspects for the recent crimes
committed in Augustine Bells: Michael’s murder, Mr Huggins’s
murder, Rick’s mysterious case, not to forget his own poisoning.
There were too many threads, too many people involved in each case,
who were still around campus when something else occurred. Scott let
out a sigh.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> He
was bored. Investigating on a crime scene was only that much fun.
Meeting potential murderers lost its appeal when the list of suspects
got so long. Being the next victim could be thrilling in a TV series
– certainly not in real life.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
couldn’t stop thinking about that night. The pain and the panic,
the agony of being poisoned was still carved deep in his memories –
then Phil had come to help him, and it was the best night he had ever
experienced.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> The
only real mystery worth thinking about was simple: why didn’t Phil
call him again? Scott called the hospital four times during the
week-end, asking for some news about Rick’s condition, and the
students’. It was always one of the nurses over the phone. Whatever
she told him, he let it slip that he would like to have a word with
“doctor Hewdge”.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> The
answer was always the same:</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Doctor
Hewdge is busy at the moment.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">or</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I’m
afraid that he is in the middle of an operation with nurse
Vickers.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">or</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Phil
can’t come to the phone right now.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Nurse
Rockwell suggested that Scott asked for an appointment. She had a
point – Scott was feeling sick about all this. He was beginning to
wonder if Phil wasn’t avoiding him on purpose. The reason why he
would do such a thing was beyond Scott, of course...</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> At
this point in the game, Scott didn’t want to see Phil as a patient
going for a check-up, or a journalist interviewing a witness.
Besides, Phil’s agenda was all booked for the next two or three
weeks.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
couldn’t wait. On Monday morning, he decided that one breakfast was
enough – he just ate nineteen plates of the hotel’s food in one
sitting, leaving the buffet after almost three hours of spectacular,
provocative gluttony... Scott knew that the waiters and early
customers resented him for it. He made matters even worse when he let
out a mighty belch in the lobby, as he walked to his lift.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">BUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRP!</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Visitors
were allowed now. Nurse Rockwell was at the desk. She was the
friendly one in her team. Scott liked her. Phil was busy somewhere in
the hospital, but he would be in his office, at some point. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
went to see Rick. The security guard was still in bed, but he didn’t
need tubes and a pump to breathe anymore. He was still weak, and
Scott was shocked to see him so enormously fat.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Rick’s
belly only looked like a slightly deflated version of that
gigantic beach ball Phil had managed to carry into the ambulance,
with great effort. All the food that was stuffed in there must have
been slowly digested and turned to whale blubber, over the week-end...
Resting on his back like this, with his head backed up against three large pillows, Rick’s chest looked soft and round like a pair
of cushions for his chubby hands and his face was all cheeks – </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">puffy</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> and </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">rounder than ever, now that his cheeks merged with his double chin,
giving him a typical fat man’s moon face...</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Hey,
big boy... How are you doing, today?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Rick
was still half asleep.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Oh
it’s you, Scott. Feeling a lot better... Thanks.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">That’s
good.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Are you the one who found me and called the
hospital?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Yes...
I did.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Well,
thank you for that. If you had not come to my office...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">What
happened to you?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Rick
let out a wheezing sound.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
don’t remember, really.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">What’s
the last thing you remember from that day?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
don’t know... Mister Porkenham asked to see me, in the morning. We had tea together
in his office but, honestly, I was the one in hot water.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">What
did he tell you?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“Nonsense, mostly</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">. The old man was rambling on about your letter,
knowing that you had been poisoned... Then he reminded me that it was
my duty to stay strong and fit, and how I was “too fat for the job</span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">... If he could see
me, now...</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> The
obese man moved and chuckled in his bed, which caused a number of small waves
that kept his fully exposed belly swaying and jiggling. Scott
was fascinated by that fat mass in front of him.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Why
did you eat all those pastries, then?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">That’s
what I usually do.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">But
if your boss had just told you not to eat so much...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
know, it doesn’t make sense... I don’t know what came over me.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">You
don’t remember anything else.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">No...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Didn’t
you see Phil, that morning?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">The
doctor? Huh... Maybe I did. I’m not so sure.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
looked away. He felt disappointed, knowing it for a fact that Phil
was one of the last persons who had stepped inside Rick’s office.
Then there must have been someone else, considering the number of
boxes on Rick’s desk.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">How
do you get so many pastries?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">They
get delivered in my office, sometimes with the mail, sometimes with
the morning papers...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Do
you remember who delivered the last boxes, yesterday?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
never paid much attention to them... Could be anyone.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
see.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Rick
was breathing slowly. Scott had to be more patient with his questions.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">How
about poison? Did they tell you anything about it?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Huh... Officially, yes... I’ve been poisoned. That’s what they
want the Press to know... Phil has run a few tests. According to him,
I may have been drugged, but not really poisoned.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Drugged
how?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Just
so I would keep stuffing myself, I guess... I’m a big eater, but
I’ve never felt so hungry in my life. And those pastries were so
delicious, I couldn’t resist. I couldn’t stop eating, even when I
was already stuffed to my tits!</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
see...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
haven’t heard anything from the administrators... Do you know what
they’re up to?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
must be the last person in the world they would tell.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">That’s
true...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">We
all have our secrets... right?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Right.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">What’s
important is that I can keep other people’s secrets as well as
mine.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">What
do you mean?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
took a thick envelope from his coat, and handed it to Rick.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">What
is it?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">About
twenty grands, in C-notes... They were all around you, on
your office floor. If you were in a frenzy of eating, you still
managed to make a neat pile of those. Then you made it fall down with
you.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> Rick
was flipping through the </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">hundred
dollar bills</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">
with his chubby, sausage-like fingers.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
don’t remember any of this... Of course, if there was money attached to
the boxes, they had to be delivered to the students first. They bring the pastries and the money to my office, sign the register and go to their classes. Did you check the register?</span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“I didn't... I wasn't alone.</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span>Did I make a pile of dollar bills like that?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div><div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> His
question was genuine. Scott had to tell him how he was found. He suddenly shivered, thinking that there
was another possibility: someone may have joined Rick in his office,
drugged him and forced him to eat all those pies and pastries, down to the last
bite, then he had scattered the money all over his limp, helpless
body to incriminate him even further. Or was it simply out of spite?
That would tell a few interesting things about the man who had
attacked Rick.</span></span></div><div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Then there was a good chance that Rick's register would be missing...</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Considering
that there were drugs involved to overpower him, the person who did this may be a student, or a woman – Scott knew that there was a lot more to soccer moms than
met the eye... It may be two people working as a team. It
may be anyone from school, who fed Rick both money and
food.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Scott...
Are you all right?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Huh?
Sorry, I was lost in my thoughts.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
wanted to say... Huh... I wanted to thank you again, for this.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">What
for?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">The
money. You just said that you didn’t tell anyone about... you know,
how I let our boys go for a night out, every once in a while.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Yes.
Mr Scupper didn’t understand. I told him... some sorry excuse. He
was already convinced that you were the latest victim of the school’s
ghost. I took the money before I came here, so mister Porkenham wouldn’t
ask questions.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Then
you’ve certainly saved my ass... God! If the old man found out
about it, I wouldn’t be just fired... I’d be fried, and sizzling
like bacon!</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> There
was an announcement in the hallway, over the loudspeakers. The voice
was soft, clear, and there was no feedback. Someone must have solved that
problem with the hospital’s wiring system... It was time for lunch,
and visitors would be allowed again in the afternoon.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
have to go.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">It
was nice of you to come and see me.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Don’t
even mention it.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Rick
turned his head to look at Scott.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Wait...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">What
is it?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Keep
this...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”
He gave him the envelope. “Keep it somewhere safe.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">You
don’t trust the nurses in here?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”
Scott smiled. “I understand.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Half
of it is yours, okay?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">That’s
about ten grands.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
know... I owe you.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I’ll
give the rest to you when you’re out. Deal?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Deal...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> They
shook hands. Rick didn’t want him to leave so soon.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Walking
down the stairs, Scott had to take a pause. His knees hurt, and he
could feel his old Football injury again. That was a clear indication
that he had eaten too much for breakfast. Still, he couldn’t get
himself to go and buy a cane to walk. He would feel like an old
man...</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Was
it much better to feel young and be in constant pain? Scott wouldn’t
know.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Looking
at the clock, it occurred to him that Phil would have to go to
Augustine Bells soon: if he was working at the hospital, this
morning, his shift was over – then he had to be in his office now.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> That
was Scott’s opportunity. He turned to the left and went straight to
the doctor’s office. Doctor Lipton’s office was the first one on
his right, then Doctor Hewdge’s smaller office.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> The
door was closed. Scott opened it discretely. He didn’t knock, and
he didn’t call for anyone.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> He
had been in this office before. There were Phil’s diplomas hanging in various
frames. Scott took a moment to look at them – the VMI in Lexington,
VA </span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="en-US"> the AMC in Fort Sam Houston, TX – Phil’s </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="en-US">medical
license</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="en-US">
in the Commonwealth of Virginia – a few more degrees obtained at
the LRMC, in Landstuhl, Germany – then some official report awarding
him the Combat Medical Badge for “performing medical duties while
being actively engaged” somewhere in Korea, six years ago.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> Military records were boring... Scott was more interested in a small
picture in black and white, showing Phil in his uniform, all
clean-shaven and with military short hair. T</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">he
insignia of his rank had been elegantly attached on the side, on deep
purple velvet in the same frame. Silver oak leaves. Phil had to be a
lieutenant colonel at the time.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Light
bird, huh?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
chuckled. If someone had to call Phil anything now, the words “light”
and “bird” would hardly come to mind. One would rather go for
“big” and “bear”, he thought.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> Phil’s
office was empty, clean and only messy with the papers on his desk.
But Scott had spotted one of the doctor’s light green shirts on a
chair. Considering how stained and sweaty it looked, that shirt had
been worn recently. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> From
the moment he had come into the office, Scott had noticed the distant
noise of running water. Phil was taking a shower, before he would
leave for the afternoon.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Perfect
timing...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”
Scott thought.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> The
door to the doctor’s small bathroom wasn’t closed. Scott didn’t
wait and stepped inside. It was a really clean, white room. Phil’s
clothes where ready on a handle – dry and neatly ironed, but always
so worn-out and faded. Scott took the shirt and T-shirt to look
closer at them.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil
was coming out of the shower, with a large white towel around his
waist, and a smaller one over his face. His hair was all wet and
tousled – Scott couldn’t be more turned on...</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> The
blonde doctor was startled when he saw Scott in the middle of his
private bathroom.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Scott?
What... What are you doing here?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Isn’t
it obvious? I was waiting for you.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Still
a bit jumpy, being caught like this, Phil tried to excuse himself.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
was waiting for you to call, at some point.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
beg your pardon?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I’ve
been calling six times.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">...This
morning?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">No,
since that night you and I... you know.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Oh...
Wait, I did call you.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">In
the morning... Yes.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">You
were feeling a lot better. And we’ve seen each other again, later.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">We’ve
crossed paths. That’s all. I’ve been calling all week-end.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
had no idea... I’ve been really busy.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Come
on. You’ve been working all week-end?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">As
a matter of fact, I have... With seven more patients at once and a
serious case of food poisoning to consider, forty-eight hours were
hardly enough...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
see. So... they have really been poisoned?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil
looked straight into Scott’s eyes.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">No.
It’s a cover... But the hospital had to come up with the real cure
and false reports at the same time. It doesn’t help with our paper
work.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">All
right... Then you were too busy to come over the phone.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
only realized it a moment later, but he was pouting.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">What’s
wrong, Scott?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Nothing’s
wrong.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Are
you not feeling well?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I’m
just... worried.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">About
Rick?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I’m
worried about you.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil
was still getting dry with his towel, looking a bit uncomfortable.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Me?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Yes.
Are you trying to avoid me?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott’s
tone was rather aggressive.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">What
do you mean?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">You
know very well what I mean.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> It
was Phil’s turn to look down.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">All
right... I guess I owe you an apology.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">You
owe me an explanation.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
was wrong. But you were in such pain. I was only trying to help you,
but I got carried away...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
didn’t understand.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">What
the fuck are you talking about?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
shouldn’t have lured you into having sex. I’m sorry.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">What...
Wait, wait a minute... Are you saying that you’re sorry because we’ve
slept together?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">That
was really unethical...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">For
God’s sake, I’m only angry at you because we didn’t do it
again, after that one night! One. Perfect. Night... One! And you didn't think that I wanted more? Like, every night?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil
looked puzzled.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Scott,
I’m sorry... I'm a doctor. Having sex with a patient is the worst kind of professional misconduct in the book. It's medical malpractice. I could
be </span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">fired, </span><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">suspended... I could end up in jail.</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Really?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">In
a heartbeat. No question about it.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">You’re
serious about this...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> The
two young men looked at each other. It would be hard to tell if they
were about to jump in each other’s arms for a passionate kiss, or
start a fight.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Is
it a closet thing? You don’t want people to find out that you lean... that
way?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
don’t care what people think, but I can’t afford to lose
my job.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">How
did you deal with it, in the Army?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">The
same way everyone else deals with it </span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">in the Army</span><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">...” Phil answered grudgingly.
“Don’t ask, don’t tell</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”... Do your duty. Do what you're told. Live like a mess, they couldn't care less...</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">And
now?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
took an oath. I could be straight as an arrow, sleep with a woman and
still lose my job, maybe go to jail if she was a patient and people
found out.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Wow...
So people expect you to be like a priest?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
also work with boys in that school, young boys. If there were even rumors
about my sexuality, I would be in trouble for the rest of my life.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Worse
than a priest, then...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
no longer felt tense. He almost burst in laughter.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">And
to ask this from a guy like you!</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">What
do you mean?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Abstinence...
Really?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil
didn’t look amused, standing there like a statue.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Come
on, Phil! Wake up and smell the coffee. You...”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> There
were so many, obvious signs pointing at Phil to paint him pink that
Scott could hardly pick one. The guy had the body of an athlete, the
anatomy of a porn star, messed up blonde hair, puppy green eyes and
lips like full-blossomed rose petals... He looked dashing in his
uniform. He was always courteous with his lady coworkers, but he
didn’t flirt. He was never rude or snappy or loud with anyone. He
took care of children on Sunday mornings. He worked out alone at the gym, he played basketball and he took no interest in football...</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">You
bake pastries, for Pete’s sake!”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil
didn’t know what to say. Scott was shouting at him. There was a
moment of silence, then the doctor asked him quite calmly.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Okay...
</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">What
do you want from me?”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">...Come
again?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">What
do you want from me?”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
stopped shaking. He was holding on to those shirt and T-shirt with
such a firm grip that they would look messy, when Phil would wear
them.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Why
would I want anything from you? Everything you own would fit in a
duffel bag. I’ve never met anyone so poor... Look at these, you
keep wearing clothes that a homeless guy would leave if he found them
in the gutter.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Tossing
them on a wet floor wouldn’t help them look any better.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Phil
didn’t say a word. He didn’t look so shy now – rather conflicted, as if he was still struggling inside but determined to win, almost fierce...</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
see... No need for clothes.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> The
towels fell on the floor, in a sudden move.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Is
that what you want, then?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> In
the harsh light of day, completely naked and exposed as he was, any young man would find himself at his most vulnerable </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">– no matter how healthy, strong and cocky he may be </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> but not this guy. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Phil didn't look provocative either. He was standing there just so naturally as if he was part of the office furniture, but i</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">t was only too clear now that he was in great physical shape </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> and excessively well-endowed... Scott had to gulp
down. The blonde, Southern stud had more than enough fuel in his
balls to launch that huge rocket to Mars. The fat boy already knew that
the shaft was too big for the moon...</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Turned
on as he was, Scott didn’t quite expect Phil to be so brutally honest.
For a long moment, he didn’t know how to react. A stare fight would
be no problem for him, since he was taller than him, but this was a far more
serious confrontation.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">What
do you want, then?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Yeah... I mean you. I mean this... I want this. I mean... I want you.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Are
you sure?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">...What
do you mean?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Are
you really sure that you want me?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">You
bet I am!</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Think
about it...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil
wasn’t posing so much as he was standing – literally standing his
ground, in this case. No matter how much taller Scott was, fully
dressed and with twenty grands in his wallet, he didn’t stand a
chance against such a masculine guy...</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> It
may have been worth a try for Scott if they were only
standing there like mannequins on display, safely behind a window – but Phil made the
first step and, as he was getting closer, his soft tone of voice was enough for Scott to raise the white flag...</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Think
about it, Scott. Do you really want me in your life?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Yes...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Do
you really want me in your everyday life? It’s not the same...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
do.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“Okay t</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">hen. I can be your friend, your sidekick, your companion...</span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US"> He could keep going, as he gently took Scott's hand, as a man who had so much more to offer. </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Do you want me in your bed?</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> They were really dangerously close, right now. Scott felt intoxicated by his presence, his masculine scent and voice. He had to close his eyes.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Yes!</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“Would you want</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US"> me to hold you in my arms?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”
Phil asked, holding Scott in a true teddy bear’s embrace.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">God
yes...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> The
temperature in that bathroom had kept rising so much that the clothes on the floor must be dry by now... Scott felt like his socks were on fire.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Would you let me get inside you?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”
Phil whispered into Scott’s ear.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Well...
Huh, we could try...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Good.
Then I have to warn you...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Come
on, I already know.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”
Scott chuckled. “Even the NSA wouldn't try to hide such a massive gun barrel or deny its existence.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
didn’t mean... that.</span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">” Phil blushed.</span><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US"> </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I wanted to tell you that... I have grown
quite fond of you, lately. I wasn't sure. I didn't want to force you to do anything that would make you uncomfortable... I’m glad that you
and I had this little talk.</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott would have to slam on the brakes later, thinking about that moment which Phil referred to as a “little talk”... If that attitude didn’t
define his blatant, boundless, devil may care
masculinity and sensuality, the way Scott was being fondled didn’t
leave any room for doubts. Of course, standing so close to Phil in such an
arousing moment made him feel like he was sitting in a tree, with
what he felt growing and riding up between his thighs...</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> That blonde Southern beefcake had no problem exposing himself, obviously </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">– to danger, as a soldier </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">to the world and other cultures, as a traveler </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">to </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">the sick and the poor, as a doctor. This was different. Phil had exposed his feelings to Scott, holding his bare heart in his paws. Nothing could be </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">deeper or more personal </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">than this. There he was at his most vulnerable, and Scott felt like comforting him in return.</span></div><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">So
you have... huh, feelings for me.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Yes...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“You told me like it's </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">a bad thing?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Sometimes,
it is... I mean... Sometimes, I can’t help myself. I may go too far.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Oh...”
Scott felt a cold sweat running down his spine. “I see.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I’ll
do my best to behave, but I wanted to make sure...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil
truly couldn’t help himself. On the other hand, Scott couldn’t
resist being kissed like that. It was so perfect that he suddenly
felt weak in the knees... That may be just the cure for his old
football injury!</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">...Are
we good?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Damn,
you’re good! I mean... We’re good.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
don’t know when I will be free tonight. May I call you at your
hotel?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Sure...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Will
it be all right with the staff? I got lucky, the last time. There was
no one at the desk.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
only remembered how he had “got lucky”, that night.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">You’ll
be all right. Just... be gentle with me, okay?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I’ll
be gentle.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil
certainly meant it, but Scott knew better.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Is
there something else I should be warned about?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Just
this... I’m very possessive. I may want you even worse then you
want me. And I’m not willing to share.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> There
was that straight, honest look in those sparkling green eyes again. Scott
blushed. Phil must have seen right through him. It was bad enough not
to be faithful to someone who loved you, but Scott had always been
rather proud of his various infidelities.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Please...
You have nothing to be worried about.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
mean it, Scott. And this goes for men and women alike.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Right on money, again. Phil was dangerously good at this game...</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> He
acted like a good sport, at least. Or he may be in a hurry, since he
had to go to work at Augustine Bells.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">So...
do we have a deal?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">That’s
a deal. From now on, we’re partners.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Partners...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
could see his blonde friend’s eyes sparkle with more stars than in
the US flag. For a moment, it looked like he would kiss him so hard
that they would both fall on the floor.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">You
mean we’re like...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Partners
in crime.” Scott managed not to stutter. “We’re a team!</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Of
course... I think we’re a pretty good team, too.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Damn
straight, we are.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> It
was way too soon for Scott to call anyone his “boyfriend”.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: verdana;">■ ■ ■</span></b></div>
<div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Scott
walked on clouds, on his way back to the hotel. W</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">hen he entered the lobby, he found himself hungry for the next buffet.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Tom
was at the desk. Scott usually acted as if he wasn’t there, but he
couldn’t ignore him when the young guy waved at him like that.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Mister
Girder...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Hello,
Tom.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Would
you follow me, please?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I’m
about to have some lunch. Couldn’t I see you in... two hours?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">You’re
right.” Tom snapped. “That would be some lunch...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> With
a discrete nod and gesture, he invited Scott inside the manager’s
office. The man in charge wasn’t there.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">What
did you want to tell me?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">You
see that file on the desk. Thirteen </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">complaints
about you, from different customers.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Thirteen?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Lucky
number, right? I guess we’re a</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">
bit superstitious at the Paddington hotel, so the members of the
staff chose to add another complaint.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">What’s
that about?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Can’t
you venture a guess? You’ve been staying with us for three months,
and you’ve been closing your belt one notch wider after every
month.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">How
does this concern you?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">You’re
right, I couldn’t care less. But the manager wants you out.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Is
that why he called me on the phone?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Yup.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
thought it was merely a polite way to warn me.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“A</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US"> polite way to kick you out. You should have read between the
lines.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Between
phone lines... That would be something.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Tom
wasn’t too patient.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">When
does he want me to leave?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Yesterday.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> The
lobby boy opened a small door. There was a private entrance, leading
to the covered</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">
parking lot. Scott recognized his suitcase and backpack in a corner,
next to the door.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">That’s
my stuff.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Your
pants and shirts are clean, ironed and folded in there. There’s nothing
missing. I didn’t read a word from your diary. I didn’t touch a thing.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">What
the...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Don’t
make a scene and leave from the parking lot, okay?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">If
you think that I’m going away without a fight...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Tom
gave him a cunning look.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Come
on. Let’s not say or do anything we would regret later. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">We
even let you keep the hundred and fifty-two bottles of liquor you
stole from the mini-bar... Consider yourself lucky.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">You’ve
been counting them?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">They
come in cartons of fifty, Scott...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”
Tom sighed. “You stole three from the maid’s cart, when she was
busy cleaning someone else’s room. There were two bottles of whisky
left in your mini-bar. I didn’t tell the boss about it.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">To
seal the deal?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Call
it whatever you like. Mr Johnson asked me to get you out of the
hotel. I could always ask two of my friends to do it the hard way,
but I chose to let you leave... shall we say scot-free?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> It
was definitely not a winning day for Scott – he knew when there was
no use fighting in the dark, at least.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Carrying
his suitcase, he left the Paddington Hotel with everything he had in his suitcase. That was precisely everything he owned, right now, and he had nowhere to go...</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: verdana;">■ ■ ■</span></b></div>
<div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">The
</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US"><i>Double
D</i></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">
was the best place for Scott to spend the afternoon, considering his
mood... He had a few large sundaes for a late lunch, with milkshakes,
cookies and two cups of coffee.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil
wouldn’t get to reach him, if he called the hotel. Scott went to
the phone booth twice, calling the male nurse’s office in Saint
Augustine Bells. He finally got to talk to him.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Phil?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Scott...
Why are you calling me here?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Change
of plans.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Is
there something wrong?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
can’t tell you right now. Just... forget about the Paddington
hotel. Meet me at the </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US"><i>Double
D</i></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Okay...
What time?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">When
will you be free to leave?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“There was</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US"> a change of plans at school, too.</span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“How so?</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“I don't know... But </span>I should be <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 16px;"><span lang="en-US">at the </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 16px;"><span lang="en-US"><i>Double D </i></span></span>before six.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Perfect.
I’ll be waiting for you.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
took his time with the last sundae, ordered a third cup of coffee and
told Dean, the owner, that he would be staying in his coffee parlor
for a few hours, waiting for a friend. Dean didn’t mind. Scott was
a good customer.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> The
sun was slowly setting. There was a low hush in the street, and a
feeling of vague expectancy in the sultry and stagnant air. A
blood-red gash lay low in the distant west, like an open wound.The first stars were shining brightly.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil
joined him before the street lights were on. He looked concerned,
even as he sat in front of him.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">What
did you mean with that change of plans?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I’ve
been kicked out of the hotel.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Oh...
Why?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Beats
me... A couple customers have been complaining about me.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">What
was bothering them so much? Is that because you made so much noise,
when I was... with you?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
shrugged. It was also quite possible.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">It
was a wild night, I can’t argue with that.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">...Where
are you going now?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
have no idea. I could look for another hotel, but I don’t feel like
it. If I see another lobby boy tonight, I may just punch him in the
face.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">If
you need a place to stay, you can come to Saint Augustine Bells.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Wait...
where?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil
came closer to Scott, and lowered his voice.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Rick
has his own apartment on campus grounds, in the restricted quarters,
separated from the rest of the school grounds by the same wall around
Augustine Bells.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Okay...
So?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
have the key to that special door. You know he will be at the hospital
for a few days, now. You can stay there for the time being, and no
one will find out.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Sure,
if you have the key to his place...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
only have the keys to the school and those quarters.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">How
did you get these?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Because my own apartment is next to Rick’s, in the same building. We’re like neighbors there,
if you want.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Okay...
Sounds good to me.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
paid for his afternoon-long lunch and left. Phil carried his heavy
suitcase, on their way to Saint Augustine Bells. They had plenty of
time to chat.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">What
about your change of plans?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">The
fact that Rick was attacked so mysteriously after six of ours
students were already reported poisoned has become the focus of
everyone’s attention, in our school. The audit from the trustees
will have nothing to do with you... It’s all water under the
bridge. You may have never been poisoned.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">What?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
was so angry that they had to take a pause, sitting on a bench.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
will call my boss in the morning. How can they get away with it? I am
the only one who got truly poisoned, here...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Think
about it, Scott... You recovered rather quickly. You didn’t even go
to the hospital. I am one of the few people who know that you are
telling the truth.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Who
are the others?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">The
people behind it, of course...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil
was right. And Scott could provide no convincing piece of evidence,
when everyone else played his part in that sinister comedy.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">What
am I going to do?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Let’s
get you settled in Rick’s place. We can talk about it later.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> The
main gate was closed. Rick’s back door was also closed, but Scott
opened it with his special key. Phil asked him how he had such a key.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Rick
trusts me with a few things. Let me check...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> The key Rick let some students use when they had paid him enough was
still in its place, hidden in the double bottom of his right drawer.
Scott took it and looked closely. It had been used for some time, and
there were no signs that a double had recently been made.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">What’s
that key?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">It’s
a secret between Rick and me, for now...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Why
are you looking at it like that?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Just
checking... It’s not a fake. This means that whoever attacked Rick
didn’t take it. Then he had no interest in it...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Then
it wasn’t a student who attacked Rick.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
turned to Phil.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">You’re
quicker than I thought...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil
had a point. A student wouldn’t leave the key in its place after
assaulting Rick. Scott couldn’t scratch them off his list of
suspects, however. Only one of those boys would rather
throw a handful of dollars over his victim than take the loot and run
away. Only students would understand why Rick kept so much money on
his desk...</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> None of this made sense. One of the clues had to leave Scott on the wrong
tracks – the key or the money. Keeping both in his pocket was the
best choice.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Okay,
we’re done here. Let’s go...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott’s
keys would be useless, from that point on. Phil opened the door to
the special quarters he had mentioned earlier.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I’ve
never been around here. I was under the impression that these walls marked the limit to this school.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">It
used to be meant for the security guards, back when Saint Augustine
Bells was a prison... You have the school’s gym and swimming pool
in that building, over there.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil
pointed to a low building, in the dark. Scott followed him on a sandy
path. They got to a small building that looked like an old-fashioned
motel. As they climbed up the stairs, Scott asked Phil which way they
should turn.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Rick’s
place is right there on the right. I live on the same level, at the
other end of this hall.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Leaving
Scott’s bags on the floor, he looked for some sort of long, thin
pincers in his own bag, and picked the lock. The door was opened
almost immediately.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Where
did you learn that?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">In
the Army. Try defusing six different kinds of bombs in the same
day... This is child’s play.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Okay...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Rick’s
apartment was simple, with some nice furniture. The entrance was
hardly bigger than a closet, with his coats hanging against the wall.
The kitchen looked empty, but there was plenty of beer on the
counter.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Have
you been invited in here before?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Yes...
We’ve been looking at a few games together. I don’t have a TV.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
was standing in the kitchen. There was a leather couch and two
armchairs in front of the TV. He looked into the fridge. There was a
lot of food in there. It was almost too good to be true.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil
joined him in the kitchen.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">It
should be okay for a few nights, right?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
don’t know...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
was pacing again.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
don’t know how I feel about breaking and entering.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">What
do you mean?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">I’d
rather leave Rick’s stuff untouched.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">You
know he won’t mind. We can put everything back where it was, and tell him when he leaves the hospital.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Sure...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">And
most of that food will be spoiled by then. You can always buy him a
few beers, eggs, ham and cheese... Whatever he keeps in
there.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
know... We should take care of that food, but...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">But
what?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Why
don’t we go to your place, instead?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil
blushed, but he had a smile on his face.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
only wanted to make sure... And we needed to get food somewhere. I
don’t have so much in my own fridge.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Show
me the way to your kitchen.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Follow
me.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil’s
door was only a few steps away from Rick’s, but their apartments
weren’t the same. His place was smaller, with less furniture. The
table in the kitchen was rather common, and the chairs around it.
There were a few pictures on the wall, among other souvenirs from
Phil’s time in the US Army.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
noticed a strange, small, rectangular piece of wood with the </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">painted</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> figure of a young man in dark green robes over some gold background</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">, placed high in the corner of the living room.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">What’s
that?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“Old Russian icon. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Saint
Philip.</span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“He doesn't look like much of a saint.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">”</span></div><div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-indent: 47.2441px;">Russian</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-indent: 47.2441px;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">orthodox saints don't have to look holy. That's like, an option. I guess they couldn't afford it...</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Is
that something your father gave you?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">My
grandfather. And yes, it’s the only thing I have left.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> It
didn’t look like Phil’s family had much to leave him, in the
first place.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">It’s
not much, but it’s home. I guess...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">It’s
really... empty.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> It
was much easier for Scott to pace in that living room. Phil tried to
overcome how embarrassed he was with a cheerful tone and the promise
of a good dinner.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">I
admit it’s... bare. It’s a bare den.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Now
that’s cute.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">You
should have no problem turning it into your own space. You can have
the bedroom and the office to work on your future articles...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Where
will you sleep?” Scott teased him. “On the couch?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">I happen to sleep on the couch, sometimes...” Phil confessed, looking down.
“After a long day, when I don’t feel like going under the
covers.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
bet you always sleep in the buff.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Of
course I do.” Phil shrugged. “</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
don’t need a big bedroom and a library. The school provided me with
this apartment. I am thankful for it, but I’m not used to living
alone like this.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">What
do you mean by “alone” like this?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">You
know how many siblings I have. My brothers and I slept in the same
room. For a few years, when Ryan and Cody were children, we even
shared the same bed.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Then
you should make sure that you don’t go to bed alone.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil
answered him with a kiss. A nice, long one... Not too passionate, for once </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> on purpose – but Scott was in no hurry to put an end to it. As
they were fondling each other, he grabbed his T-shirt.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I’ve
really ruined that shirt, this morning... Take it off.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Would
that help you feel more comfortable?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”
Phil asked with a smile.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">It
would make me feel at home.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
took off his shoes and sat on the couch. He already knew that Phil
would behave like a perfect, professional stripper... He didn’t need
any music, and he wouldn’t stop to strike a pose, unless Scott asked
him. Even as he took his sweet time, he was only wearing his
T-shirt, a pair of old jeans and socks, and boxer shorts. When he was
done, he got closer, leaning over Scott. Then he started opening his shirt gently,
button after button, exposing more and more of his friend’s soft belly.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Welcome
home, big boy...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: verdana;">■ ■ ■</span></b></div>
<div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Scott
had never felt so good in anyone else’s arms. Phil was resting
behind him, holding him in a tight embrace, rubbing his belly and
chest. He had brought two pillows from his bedroom, to put on top of
the cushions.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> Phil’s
furniture was pretty much like his clothes – nothing compared to
Rick’s chairs and drawers, for instance... With the money he drew
from the students in bribes, it was only natural that he could afford
a </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">wide-screen</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">
TV, a leather couch and so on.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Are
you feeling better?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Much
better...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil
only meant to make him feel warm and comfortable but he was really
good with his hands, and it was very much like foreplay. Barefoot,
lazily spread out on the couch with his shirt off, Scott only
pretended to be angry at the people who had forced him to leave the
Paddington Hotel.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">They
had no right to do it... Do you think I should sue?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Can
you afford it?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Meh...
I don’t even care. I will just tell everyone about them... That
will be some advertising.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
thought that your room was paid by your employers, anyway.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Right.
I will call my boss, first thing tomorrow morning.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Don’t
you think that... he may already know about it?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">If
he knew, why didn’t he tell me? I can’t even get him on the
phone.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">How
long have you been in Biberton? Two months... Almost three.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">That’s
right, three months.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">He
must want you to go back to work.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Huh...
Really?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">You
should definitely check it out.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Kicking
me out in the streets, just to get me back in that crummy office? How
much more passive aggressive can you get?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott’s
question couldn’t be more rhetorical. Phil was the very incarnation
of all the opposite virtues: active and gently persuasive. Under his
touch, Scott felt plump in a really good way – like a ripe fruit,
ready to be plucked...</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">It
would be too bad, if you had to leave.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
know...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">If
you had a place to stay, would your boss let you keep working in Biberton?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Honestly, I have no idea... The way I see it, he was never interested in this
case. When I first came here, Michael’s death was meant to be an
accident.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">That’s
true...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”
Phil sighed, trying to comfort him a bit further.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">And
mister Huggins being strangled so viciously... I bet that it
will be filed and wrapped with enough red tape to call it another
accident when someone like me mentions it again.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I’m
afraid so. Most of the evidence has been lost when the gardener’s
pavilion caught on fire.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">And
that last attempt to poison me...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
was growing angry again. His stomach was also growling, almost as the
first witness interested in that case. It was getting a bit late. At
the hotel, Scott was usually half-way through dinner, by that time.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Again...
No serious piece of evidence that you could... Wait!</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Wait?
What... Wait for evidence?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">No,
no. Just... Think about it for a moment.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil
moved swiftly, then the two of them were in a sitting position.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Okay...
So?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">You
were right. Going to Rick’s place wasn’t the thing to do. You
should be in Rick’s place!</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">...What
the fuck are you talking about?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
mean... You shouldn’t spend the night in Rick’s apartment. You
should be at the hospital already. Just like him.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Oh...”
Scott tried to follow. “Wait... why?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">If
someone from the school tried to poison you, he only meant to silence
you.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Killing
me would do it, for sure.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Considering
how intoxicated you were, they were going for a lethal dose... I
should have brought you to the hospital at once.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I’m
not even sure that I would have made it to the hospital, really.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Scott
was quite sure of it. Phil wrapped his big, muscled arms around him
in a bear hug to make him feel better. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">I
know... You can tell that they didn’t expect you to survive. I have
examined the six boys we have at the hospital. There are traces of
cardiac glycosides in their blood... Digoxin, I believe.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Dingo
what?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Digitalis,
Scott... Foxglove.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Is
that a violent poison?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Not
in such limited amounts. They were sick, of course, but in no real
danger. You were poisoned with ricin. Different MO, really...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">How
about Rick?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
don’t understand what came over Rick. He was on a sugar high, no
doubt about that... But I haven’t detected any poison.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">What
do you suggest, then?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil
rose from the couch, and turned to look straight at Scott.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Do
you trust me, Scott?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">You’ve
already saved my life once. You know I trust you.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Okay...
Now, imagine that someone goes to Rick’s office, tomorrow morning,
and finds you on the floor... just the way you found him, this
morning. How could they ignore it? What would they think?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">If mister Scupper is the one who finds me, he will only be too happy to
claim that the school’s ghost has come to take me.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Then
you would be at the hospital, under the school’s responsibility.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">And
under your care.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">That’s
right.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
understood how this would be to his advantage. With a little bit of
luck, he wouldn’t even have to call Mr Horn. Someone in Augustine
Bells, most likely Mr Porkenham himself, would call his boss and
report him sick.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Let
me think it through... Why would someone step inside Rick’s office?
You only need to get behind the desk to open the gates.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">That’s
true... I am still convinced that someone will go to the back, and he
will pretend that he was only there to open the school’s gates,
later, if the Police interrogates him.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Is
that a hunch?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Call
it a hunch if you want, but didn’t you remove an important clue
from his office, on our way here?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">The
key...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Someone
will be looking for it.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Or
the money...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">What
money? Oh...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”
Phil thought about it. “That’s right. There were dollar bills all
over Rick when I saw him, back there. Where is it?”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">In
my coat. I took it all, before I joined you.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Did
someone see you take it?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
couldn’t say...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Who
knows that you have it?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Just
you and me. And Rick. I told him about it, at the hospital. He asked
me to keep it... But I have to agree with you, that’s two reasons
for someone to go back into that office.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Then
it’s settled.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Huh...
Do I really need to get sick like him?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">You
only need to <i>look </i>sick. All you have to do is remember how it felt and act on it... You’ve been there, you’ll do just fine.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil
extended his arms to catch Scott’s hands in his big paws.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Besides...
We’ll work together on this. With the right drug, your pupils can be dilated or contracted, your mouth can be foaming without putting
you in any danger. It will be so convincing that the whole school
will be shocked... No way they can ignore what happened to you, then.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
see... That’s good.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
liked where this was going – and where they were going together,
since Phil was leading him to the kitchen. He patted his growling belly lovingly.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">All
we have to do is to stuff you full like a Thanksgiving turkey, before
tomorrow morning...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: verdana;">■ ■ ■</span></b></div>
<div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Ready
for more?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
could hardly keep up. He already knew that Phil could cook, but he didn't expect him to be such a master
chef. For the last three hours, Phil had been going back and forth
between Rick’s kitchen and his own – where the poor, future
victim of Ian’s ghost was gorging on the most delicious food.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Rick
kept four dozen eggs in his fridge, and two pounds of sliced bacon. They were long gone, and resting
inside Scott’s stomach after Phil had prepared them in a number of
ways, from scrambled to hard-boiled and stuffed with
tuna sprinkled with lemon and lots of mayonnaise. A large
Southern omelet followed immediately...</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> Phil
sliced onions and chicken breasts to serve Scott another plate of spicy fried chicken with grits. Then he prepared six magnificent </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><i>cordons
bleus</i></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">
with veal, ham and cheese, and a casserole of pasta on the side. </span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
had allowed him to wear an apron, but that was it. Phil didn't mind... As he moved around him so swiftly and seductively, he clearly knew how to keep a hungry boy hungry for more.</span></div><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div align="justify" class="western" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 16px;"><span lang="en-US">Hmmmph... Oh my God! This tastes so... Hmmmph!</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 16px;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 16px;"><span lang="en-US"><div align="justify" class="western" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 16px;"><span lang="en-US">Told you...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 16px;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 16px;"><span lang="en-US"><div align="justify" class="western" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“Where did you get fresh fettuccine like these, so wide and so thick?</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 16px;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 16px;"><span lang="en-US">– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“Get them</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 16px;"><span lang="en-US">? I made them myself.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 16px;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></span></div></span></span></span></div></span></span></span></div></span></div><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“How</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 16px;"><span lang="en-US">?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 16px;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“From scratch... Eggs and flour.</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 16px;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“Seriously, who makes fresh pasta like that</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 16px;"><span lang="en-US">?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 16px;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“Always be prepared, Scott. That's the secret. You never know who may be coming to dinner. There you go, have some more sauce... Now, if this recipe doesn't help you to gain weight, nothing will!</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 16px;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“Hmmmph... Better look full than look like a fool.</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 16px;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> A
true Southern boy at heart, Phil was cooking a lot of typical, delicious fried dishes
for his friend... He came back with a plate in each hand.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“Well done</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">, Scott! But you're not quite done. Have some more pasta and ham. You want to look your best, tomorrow...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
can barely... breathe already.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Pace
yourself, if you have to. But it’s almost time for burgers.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
let out a sigh – or what he thought would only be a sigh.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRP!</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil
rubbed his bloated belly with both hands.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Good
job...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
should tell you the same. I didn’t know you were such a great
cook!</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Thank
you. Okay, now I'm blushing... Don't make me blush, Scott... Eat up and make me proud. Eat more and be proud!”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">It’s
all too delicious... for my own good.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">That’s
the spirit, for tonight. Now, now... Keep eating.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
devoured a few more pieces of fried chicken. He felt a bit strange.
The top button of his jeans had just popped opened.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">There
you go...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”
Phil encouraged him. “More room for you to grow.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">You
really want me fat... don’t you?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
really do. And you know why...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> For
some reason, he felt <i>hungry </i>all over again.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: verdana;">■ ■ ■</span></b></div>
<div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Scott had rarely eaten so many </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">burgers </span><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;">in a row. A few members of
his team had goaded him once, and he had devoured them while they were
clocking him, but that was regular, junk food. Phil’s burgers were
bigger and tastier, a lot more filling</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">...</span><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> and a lot more nourishing!</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
couldn’t help thinking that the only thing Phil had in common with
most of the guys he had dated was how he was pretty much the same in
the bedroom and in the kitchen... Everything about Phil was somehow
bigger and tastier – and definitely way more filling.</span></div><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> He had to draw the line after</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> burger n°8. They kept coming </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">with such a variety of ingredients, cheese and dressings that Scott only wished he could go for more... He would probably burst like a sausage before he grew tired of this </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> it had to stop before he could'nt make it stop.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I’m
stuffed</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">...</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">You’ve
done really well.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Always
the cuddly teddy bear at heart, Phil was rubbing his friend’s round and enormous
belly in long, caressing circles. He was obviously proud of him.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Time
for desserts?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Time
for bed... I need to rest.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Are
you in pain, right now?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Of
course I am.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil
was looking at him like a doctor </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">–</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> caring but professional. Scott could try and protest, be he wouldn't fool him.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Okay...
I feel full, and it hurts. I just don’t want to be sick.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Neither
do I.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”
Phil handed him a smoke. “Okay, then... Take this.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Is
that... what I think it is?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">You
bet. It’s the genuine stuff, too.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
kept his lighter in his coat, but he wouldn’t get up. Phil drew the
first puff and gave it to him. A few minutes later, Scott had a
smile on his face. He was feeling comfortable again. Belly rubs
didn’t hurt either.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">How’s
that working for you?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Like
a charm... Fuck! This is the best weed I've had in years... How did you get
your hands on it?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“M</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">edicinal stuff. Homegrown too. Didn’t I
tell you about this?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Did
you? I can’t remember.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> His
mind was growing slow and fuzzy. It felt nice. It felt right.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“So... </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">How
about desserts?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
don’t know... Huh... Okay, I guess...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil
was ready with a large box of cupcakes. Scott ate greedily.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Hmmmph...
So good! I want more... Feed me another. How did you get your hands on these bad boys?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
bake these.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Do
you, really...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">You
made fun of me about it, this morning.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Did
I?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“And y</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">ou
were right. I often help our community service, baking pies and
pastries to raise money.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Oh...
Right, you bake pastries to raise... Children...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">It’s
for the children’s hospital.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”
Phil chuckled, never missing an opportunity to stuff Scott with
another cupcake, when he was gaping absent-mindedly.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> The
box was empty sooner than expected. Fortunately, Phil usually kept a
few boxes at his place. He brought them to the hospital, every day,
where they were always eaten – and sometimes paid for.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">There
you go, Scott. Time for some chocolate cake...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Did
you bake it too?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
guess. We work in teams, you know...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Judging
from the cake’s remarkably rich taste and texture, and the fact
that it was all soft with chocolate mousse on the inside and hard
with a thick layer of dark chocolate frosting on the outside, it was
definitely Phil’s cooking.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Hmmmph...
This is so good I could just die.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Please
don’t. I want you to be back and healthy after tomorrow.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">You’re
one hell of a baker.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Thanks...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div><div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“And cook</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 16px;"><span lang="en-US">...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 16px;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></span></div><div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 16px;"><span lang="en-US">– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“That's right</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 16px;"><span lang="en-US">.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 16px;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 16px;"><span lang="en-US"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 16px;"><span lang="en-US">– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“Pasta, bacon, chocolate, pastries and weed</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 16px;"><span lang="en-US">... Perfect combo.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 16px;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 16px;"><span lang="en-US"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 16px;"><span lang="en-US"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 16px;"><span lang="en-US">– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“Wait for my special brownie recipe...</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 16px;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Well...
I’m definitely baked. I need to take a shower.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Okay.
Let me help you with your clothes...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil
had to help Scott with a lot more than his pants and underpants. The
tall, overfed young man could hardly stand up. He could hardly
walk, and he couldn’t see the door to the bathroom.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Why
are the walls so close, tonight?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">This
isn’t your bathroom, Scott. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">You’re no longer at the hotel.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">No
kidding...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott’s
shower was quicker for it – but with Phil taking care of him so
well, he was already turned on to the point of passing out.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Let’s
get you to bed, big boy...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Yes
please.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">You
can have some chocolate cake and ice-cream there... won’t you?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">God...
I’m so stuffed.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I’ve
seen how much you can eat, Scott. You can afford to eat a little bit more... Look even fuller when they find you in the morning.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
really couldn’t... Too tired to eat...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Come
on, let me feed you the rest of that cake.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil
was both gentle and insistent. As he kept feeding his friend more and
more, he would check that his stomach wasn’t too upset. Scott was confused, but he could tell that the cake on Phil’s bed
looked really, really big – delicious, for sure, but way too big
for him.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Once
he was resting on his back, he felt a bit better. Phil
massaged his aching belly so well that the fat boy started moaning.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Time
to eat... There, grab a bite.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Hmmmph...
Hmmmph!</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">And
another slice... That’s good.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> Scott
was feeling fuller and fatter with each new bite. One big slice was okay,
but he couldn’t keep eating forever. This was just too much. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
need to take a break...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Okay,
then... Take a moment to breathe.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I,
huh... I need to stand up.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Looking
for a way out of the bedroom, Scott found himself standing against
the wall, in a recess where Phil hanged his shirts and T-shirt. He was still
in that delightful haze... His blonde Southern friend was already behind him. Phil embraced him tight, so he wouldn’t trip and fall on the floor, but he also
teased the round-bellied boy to keep him motivated and stuffing his face.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“Come on</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">,
Scott...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
couldn’t possibly eat the rest of it.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Let’s
make it a game... You finish it, and I will reward you in every way you
like.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”
Phil whispered into his ear. “And I know which ones you like
best...”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Please...
Don’t...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> It
was impossible to resist Phil when he behaved like such a bad
boy.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gPZBoc1M4hs/V62lawxw1CI/AAAAAAAAAek/6KTvxX3_ogkvqN8BuF5Qi4bfYJE3YCQHwCLcB/s1600/The%2BAugustine%2BMurders%2B17%2B-%2BBedroom%2BSex.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" height="542" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gPZBoc1M4hs/V62lawxw1CI/AAAAAAAAAek/6KTvxX3_ogkvqN8BuF5Qi4bfYJE3YCQHwCLcB/s640/The%2BAugustine%2BMurders%2B17%2B-%2BBedroom%2BSex.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">You
will come back to bed and </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US"><i>eat</i></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">
until I say you’re full, then I will make love to you until you </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US"><i>beg</i></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">
me to stop...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Didn’t
you promise to be... gentle with me?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
did.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">With
what I feel between my thighs right now, I think it would be less
painful for me to be impaled on a flag pole.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
know...” Phil sighed, and embraced him tight. “Don’t worry
about it. There are drugs to make you feel relaxed, more drugs to
make you look sick, even more drugs to keep you healthy... I have the
right stuff for this.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Poppers?
I’d need something a lot stronger, really.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Don’t
be such a baby.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“T</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">hat’s
easy for you to say... I wonder how you can even carry such a loaded
gun, and you expect me to handle it?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">All
right, then. Be a baby boy, but be a good boy. And eat your cake.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Scott
felt trapped, somehow </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">–</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> but in such a good way that</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"> he didn't want to be set free. He was slowly out of the mists, and he couldn’t deny
that Phil kept turning him on even more than he
would ever let him or anyone know.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Rubbing
his belly, Scott came to the conclusion that he loved being stuffed
so much – especially when a sexy blonde bear was there to hold the
spoon and feed him full of cake.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">You
know what? Bring that bucket of ice cream to bed...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span> </span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: verdana;">■ ■ ■</span></b></div>
<div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><i>March
13</i></span></span><sup><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><i>th</i></span></span></sup><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><i>,
1990</i></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">
– Tuesday</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
would have no problem acting his part, in the morning... Waking up so
early, after a night spent in such shameless bouts of gluttony, lust
and ecstasy, he wasn’t quite sure that he would ever walk again.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil
woke up too early for the fat boy's taste. He was used to eating
breakfast around 6AM, but he would find it already prepared. And he would go back to sleep before breakfast number two. Then he would go back for a nap... His Southern friend had
to feed him more scrambled eggs, sliced ham and grits, more pie and cupcakes, and more
chocolate éclairs. He was too sleepy to eat... When they were done,
Scott’s shirt wouldn’t close.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">You
could hardly look more convincing...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”
Phil congratulated him.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> With
a quick pull, he took three buttons out of Scott’s shirt, where his
belly was at his largest. Then they walked to Rick’s office,
completely unnoticed at this time.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">All
right... I should be lying down.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">That’s
pretty much where Rick was. Now, your shirt's buttons should be found here and there...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil
made them bounce against the opposite wall. Scott had trouble moving,
full and in such tight clothes. Once he was eagle-spread on the
floor, Phil told him to keep his eyes opened and not move. He put a
drop of something into each eye, then he gave a capsule to Scott.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Keep
it in your hand, for now. When you hear a noise by the desk, put it
in your mouth. But don’t swallow it.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Okay...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
had to wait for some time. It wasn’t even 7AM. He had to lie still,
but he didn’t want to fall back to sleep...</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Being
inside Rick’s office had never felt so boring. Staring at the
ceiling didn’t help. Scott let his mind wander a bit. He kept
thinking about Phil, but he couldn’t think too much about him or
his pants would feel just so painfully tight as his shirt.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> With
those drops in his eyes, he could only guess that the sun was rising
from the colors and shadows on the wall, and on the ceiling. At some
point, he heard footsteps. Thinking fast, he put the capsule inside
his mouth. It started foaming like a very powerful aspirin. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> For
a moment, he regretted that he could only see things in a blur. He
was curious to find out who would find him there. Would it be a
student? A teacher? Or Mr Porkenham? </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> The
door was slowly opened... Scott heard a startled cry. Whoever was
there must have noticed his legs, stretched out as they were.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> He
wouldn’t take a chance. With his mouth full of foam, he moaned as
if he was still asleep, or protesting in the middle of a nightmare.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Someone
was definitely approaching.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Oh!
No, no... It’s that young journalist.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
had recognized the voice. It was Mr Scupper.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> So
much for that – it was hard for him to hide how disappointed
he was, and lie still on that cold floor. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">The
old man wasn’t calling anyone for help. He was merely mumbling and talking to himself.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Is
he dead? He looks...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
couldn’t get up or move, but he was more than tempted to slap the
guy. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Finally,
Mr Scupper turned to the phone and called the hospital. No matter
what he would say, Scott was saved... Someone would come and take him. That was already something.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Just
like mister Wingrave... This doesn't feel right.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> What
did Mr Scupper mean by that? Scott’s interest</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"> was suddenly
peaked... </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">It
was hard to tell, but the old gardener had to be looking for
something. After a moment, he dialed another number on the phone.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Mister
Porkenham... Yes, it’s me, mister Scupper... Yes, it’s rather
early. I’m afraid that we have another incident to report. Another
victim, sir... Yes, another victim of Ian’s ghost! Two nights in a
row... I can’t even... Where am I? In the security office, Sir. I
was... I was looking for my cufflink... My left cufflink, yes... I
have been looking for it yesterday evening. This morning, I
remembered about the incident in mister Wingrave’s office, and I
thought... No, I wouldn’t trust a cleaning lady with this. And you
know why... The victim? Oh... You will not be pleased, Sir... It’s
that young journalist. I’m afraid he’s dead... Yes, very much like
mister Wingrave... He looks stuffed to the point of bursting,
really.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> About
an hour later, Scott was in ICU with Phil. The doctor was worried,
but only because everyone in Augustine Bells had been so slow to call
and allow the ambulance to take him. At least he would be safe now. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Resting
alone in a relatively narrow but comfortable bed in Biberton’s
general hospital, Scott let out a contented sigh. Nurses kept coming
to check on him, even nurse Vickers. Scott appreciated the attention.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> At some point, before noon, Phil came back to see him </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">alone. He looked tired, but he
had a winning smile on his face.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">You
made it...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">We
made it.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">What
do you know... We’re good at being partners.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">We’re
the best.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> They
were looking into each other’s eyes. This morning was so bright and
full of hopes. Phil made sure that the door was closed, and leaned to
kiss Scott on the lips.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">What
was that for?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”
Scott blushed.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil
handed him a file, with his name on the cover.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Call
it the kiss of death.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”
He answered jokingly.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Huh,
then why did I feel like Snow white in a glass coffin, just now?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Look
at these...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
don’t understand medical stuff.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">According
to your file, you were saved right under the buzzer. Whoever or
whatever assaulted you kept you barely breathing for hours, then you
were so stuffed with food that your heart stopped and you were
clinically dead for about two minutes and a half.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Good
Lord... You went all the way with this. How did you get nurse
Rockwell to sign these papers? And nurse Vickers? And... even nurse
Brinell?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">That’s
right. They signed these, just as they signed a bunch of other files,
for other patients. I type most of the reports, and they hardly read
through it.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">But,
didn’t they notice something in the operating room?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
often work alone in there. They only joined when they were done with
their own tasks. They didn’t suspect a thing.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Impressive.
Then it’s a miracle...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Hardly.
That’s what we would call a close shave.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Come
on. I died. I was pronounced dead and came back from the Beyond. This
is epic! Take a volcano erupting during an earthquake, with wildfire
in the forest on top of it...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> On
second thought, that would be more accurate if he wanted to describe
his time in bed with Phil, last night.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">All
right, all right.” Phil chuckled. “You certainly look healthy and
well for someone who just came back from the dead.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">I
sure do... I’ve never felt so full and heavy. And I’m hungry
now.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">You
may have to wait for a few days, Scott.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Why?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Trust
me on this, patients who recover from that kind of shock rarely show
a big appetite... You know I would rather keep you well-fed.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Right...
Then I should look sickly for a few days?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Just
take some well-deserved rest.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Okay...
Wait, how about brain damage?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Sorry?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">If
I was clinically dead for almost three minutes, I must have lost a
great deal of brain cells. Does this mean that you and I will be just
as dumb, from now on? Some partners, huh?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Ha.
Ha.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil
kissed him again. It was a more passionate kiss, already.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Boy...
You are the best and worst doctor I have ever met.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: verdana;">■ ■ ■</span></b></div>
<div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> In
the evening, Scott was allowed to make a phone call from his bedroom. He had been thinking
about his boss all day. Now that he was out of the Paddington hotel,
Mr Horn would probably expect to find him on his way back from
Biberton, back in his office by tomorrow morning maybe. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> That
wasn’t going to happen. He had to talk to him.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
only got to Mr Horn’s secretary. He didn’t recognize her voice.
She must have been hired recently.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
need to talk to mister Horn, really.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">All
right... I will see if he can come to the phone.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> After
a moment that felt like a whole hour, he heard his boss again.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> He
really didn't miss that voice any more than he missed the man...</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Where
are you, Scott?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I’m
still in Biberton. I’ve left the Paddington hotel...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
know.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">You
already knew? Did you ask them to kick me out?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
didn’t. I only told them that if they wanted it so much, they could
go for it with my blessings.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Oh...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Why
are you still loitering in that godforsaken place?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I’m
at the hospital.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">For
the love of... Okay, what’s happened to you, this time?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I’ve
been poisoned.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Poisoned,
huh...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I’ll
be under observation for a few days.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Doctor’s
orders?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">That’s
right.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Well...
You do what you have to do, then.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
only wanted to tell you, Sir... Don’t expect me to come back when
I’m out of the hospital. I have to finish my job in here, and I’m
not leaving Biberton.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">So
what? Stay in Biberton, if you think that’s the place to be.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
may be here for another month, I guess...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">You’ve
already been there for three.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">This
is a more serious case than we expected. Far more serious... I
couldn’t possibly be back before the end of this month.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Forget
about it. I don’t want you to go back to your old job.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">...What
did you say?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">You’re
fired.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div align="right" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">(</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><i>To</i></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><i>
</i></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><i>be</i></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><i>
</i></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><i>continued</i></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">...)</span></span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5094005257601699515.post-26186575262178293382016-03-31T05:38:00.005-07:002022-11-05T11:02:38.820-07:00The Augustine Murders - Season 3, Episode 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UKzuM6WraG0/Vv0EdAZe46I/AAAAAAAAAdw/TGiSrxI_Cfky4nBi1ZGAJJ4UAalXHUDTw/s1600/The%2BAugustine%2BMurders%2B-%2BTitle%2B3.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UKzuM6WraG0/Vv0EdAZe46I/AAAAAAAAAdw/TGiSrxI_Cfky4nBi1ZGAJJ4UAalXHUDTw/s400/The%2BAugustine%2BMurders%2B-%2BTitle%2B3.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><b style="line-height: 16px;">III.2</b><br />
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 1.25cm;"> </span></span><br />
</span><div style="line-height: 16px; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span></span><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: justify;">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">...In gärend Drachengift hast du</span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 16px; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> Die Milch der frommen Denkart mir verwandelt...</span><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: justify;">”</span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 16px; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 16px; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> (To rankling dragon's poison hast thou turned</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 16px; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> in me the milk of human kindness...)</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 16px; text-align: -webkit-right;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="right" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">Friedrich
SCHILLER</span></div>
<div align="right" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><i>Wilhelm
Tell – Teil IV, sc.3</i></span><br />
<br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><i>March
4</i></span></span><sup><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><i>th</i></span></span></sup><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><i>,
1990</i></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">
– Sunday</span></span></span><br />
</span><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><span> </span>All
in all, it was a good week-end. Scott needed such a break from the
tensions with his boss, and with the people in charge at Saint Augustine
Bells... One way to keep everyone at bay was to go along with Sheriff
Maxwell and pretend that he was under suspicion of murder or
something. Curiously enough, being forbidden to leave town was his
way out...</span></div>
</div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US"> The
young journalist had spent another long hour arguing on the phone
with a number of people from his office, back home. Clearly, he
didn’t want to go back and they didn’t really want him back
either. </span></span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;"> “</span>Back
home” didn’t actually feel like home, right now. Thinking about
it, Scott came to the conclusion that he had never really found his
place at work. Fitting in was one thing. This was different.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Why
should he struggle to go back to such a workplace where he didn’t
belong, pretending to get along with people he couldn’t stand,
following instructions and orders from a bunch guy who kept treating
him like a trainee years and years after he had been hired ?</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
couldn’t care less. Let them all go to Hell, he wouldn’t miss
anyone there. If he had to be under arrest for a few days, then on
parole or whatever, as a way for him to stay in Biberton, he was
happy to go for it. That was his ticket, and he would hold on to it.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Besides,
it wasn’t so far-fetched to pretend that he was a “person of
interest” for the local Police. Sheriff Maxwell and his charming
wife had invited him twice for lunch since he had been “arrested”,
and once more for dinner – or, as Scott remembered it, dinner and a
show: Maria always cooked so much food for her loving husband and
their guest that both men would end up shirtless and with their pants
opened to the last button, sweating and panting on the couch like a
pair of beached whales.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
felt comfortable with the Maxwells, and they were obviously happy to
see him and spend a long evening together. He couldn’t deny that he
found both husband and wife tantalizingly hot – so much that he
often got lost in his own thoughts... Damon Maxwell was a really
strong, tall, handsome black guy with an impressive appetite. Then
his slender, dark and sensual Latino wife made no secret about the
fact that she was fattening him up. Everything about her was
seductive and feminine to the point of feeling feline – and
dangerous...</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Certainly,
Scott wouldn’t mind being so lovingly overfed, day after day, night
after night, like her trophy husband. But he didn’t want him out of
the picture – definitely not. In the best of all possible worlds,
he would be sitting in the man’s ample lap, feeling that large
belly pressing against his back, being fondled from behind as he
would be stuffed full with all kinds of fattening foods by Maria,
sitting on top of him...</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> There
was a forbidden thought if Scott had ever considered one – worse
than slacking off work, smoking on campus grounds, grabbing an extra
piece of pie in Rick’s office, stealing small change on Phil’s
desk, breaking some minor law he had never heard of or leaving
Biberton.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Definitely
worse – except... Scott had no intention of leaving town. Phil only
had like quarters and occasional dollar coins in a small saucer. He
would never notice that a few were missing when he came back from
washing his hands, after Scott’s massage. Rick actually encouraged
his friend to help him eat the many pies and pastries that students
kept sending on a daily basis. More than a few members of the staff
in Augustine Bells were social drinkers and not so secret smokers.
And it didn’t look like they were so overworked either, in spite of
Mr Porkenham’s claim that everyone was doing his best for the
school.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Considering
all this, Scott would blush at the thought of a spicy threesome with
the Maxwells, but it would take a lot more to make him feel shame.
After a long and delicious lunch at their home on Saturday, he had
spent the whole evening naked in his hotel room, rubbing his full
belly and picturing himself in a number of situations hot enough to
turn that small town into a volcano...</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US"> There
was a place that felt like home. </span></span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott’s
new bedroom at the Paddington hotel was larger than the previous one.
His bed was the same size. The mini-bar was the same. The furniture
was more or less the same. The bathroom was a lot better, with
ceramic tiles from floor to ceiling, mirrors on the walls and a big
Jacuzzi with all kinds of options, from hot jets to massaging jets...</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> It
was raining all day on Sunday, so much that the sun was nowhere to be
found... Scott didn’t mind. He had only left his bedroom for
breakfast – or rather, breakfasts – lunch and dinner. There was
work waiting for him, which didn’t require that he should get out
of bed: working on his notes, making lists of people, recent events,
facts and details related to the case, writing them down in his
notebook, typing draft versions of his future articles...</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> On
Sunday evening, Scott’s mini-bar was empty for the third time, and
he was down to his last beer from the two six-packs he had bought the
day before. For some reason, his stomach felt a bit upset. It was
getting rather late, too. He guzzled down his beer, smacked his cool
lips and belched contentedly. Looked at the pages he had written,
organized and typed, he couldn’t help but smile.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> It
was quite a good week-end for him.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<div style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: verdana;">■ ■ ■</span></b></div>
<div>
<b><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></b></div>
</div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US"><i>March
5</i></span></span></span><sup><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US"><i>th</i></span></span></span></sup><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US"><i>,
1990</i></span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">
– Monday</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
slowly got out of his hot tub. It was time for breakfast number two.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> For
the last few days, the young journalist had followed his own policy
to take advantage of everything the Paddington Hotel had to offer,
and take it to the next level. This required a few changes from his
old habits. Number one, he had to establish a precise schedule to
always show up in the right place at the right moment. Number two, it
required some discipline. Scott wasn’t very good at it and he knew
it, but he was also determined. Right now, he was determined to eat
as much as he could from the hotel’s breakfast buffet – for the
second time, that morning.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
certainly didn’t enjoy getting up at 5AM, but since breakfast
started being served at 5:30, he dressed up, went downstairs to the
buffet and ate plate after plate of food until he couldn’t force
himself to push another bite into his mouth. It would be about 7AM.
Scott came back to bed, slept for another hour or so, got up again,
put on his more recent pair of jeans and shirt, then he took the lift
and went down to the breakfast hall. The hotel staff took shifts
around 8AM, so he was welcomed again. Then he would proceed to the
buffet and stuff himself until breakfast hours were over, about
10:30AM...</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Back
in his bedroom, Scott let out a truly immense belch, loud and proud.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span>BUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRP!!!”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> That
was rude and crude – totally on purpose.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
knew that everyone in the hotel staff was complaining about his
behavior. They couldn’t afford to avoid him completely, but they
kept talking behind his back. They looked the other way when they saw
him coming. They rolled their eyes when Scott piled another plate
with so much chocolate cake or flan that the cooks were genuinely
afraid that there wouldn’t be enough food left for their other
customers...</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> He
didn’t fool them – and they didn’t fool him. Naturally, Scott
was fully aware of the trouble he caused. But since Tom had let it
slip that he and the other bell boys, waiters and grooms called him a
fatty – the “blimp with a limp” being their nickname for the
young journalist – Scott had his mind set on devouring them out of
business!</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> The
school’s decision to make him slim down was long forgotten. Phil’s
efforts to keep him in good shape were dead in the water... or
rather, drowned under pounds and mounds of cheesecake, chocolate
mousse and whipped cream.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott’s
clothes were fitting quite snuggly, once again – even the ones he
had bought so recently. He was putting on weight at a steady pace.
His belly was growing round, threatening to hang over the waistband
of his painfully buttoned jeans. Sheriff Maxwell had commented on it
when they had lunch, and it was not lost on Scott that these were
words of praise...</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<div style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: verdana;">■ ■ ■</span></b></div>
<div>
<b><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></b></div>
</div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> It
was almost time for lunch when Scott entered Mr Swayn’s office.
There was no problem about it. After such a “hearty breakfast”,
the young journalist could afford to wait for another hour before he
would grab a bite. He already had plans to join Rick, who was always
happy to share the many, many pastries that would be piled high on
his desk, in the security office... As for Mr Swayn, his eating
habits were almost in complete contradiction with the school’s
policy. He took his meals at regular hours, but he never ate much. He
would always do something else, like reading the newspaper, reviewing
papers, dictating letters or talking to some people over the phone.
Mr Swayn was definitely a businessman.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> There
was something attractive about the way his mind worked everything out
quickly and clearly, how he handled the school’s organization down
to its minute and tricky details so efficiently. His manners were
perfect, and he talked with great ease.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Still,
there was something about him that made Scott slightly uncomfortable.
For a long time, he couldn’t put his finger on what it was,
exactly. Listening to him more closely, it finally dawned on him that
Mr Swayn simply felt superior to anyone he would talk to. Something
in his tone, or his smile, would sometimes remind Scott that he
wasn’t called for so much that he was already being judged by that
young man.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Naturally,
Mr Swayn’s good education prevented that it would ever go further
than an uneasy feeling. As it was, Scott could feel knots in his
stomach which couldn’t be caused by the extra stack of pancakes he
had eaten, with butter and maple syrup.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> On
second thought, the last three or four plates from his last breakfast
would explain why he wasn’t feeling too comfortable in the presence
of Mr Swayn.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">I’m
afraid that we have reached a dead end. There was no further evidence
to be found around the old gardener's pavilion.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Oh...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Mr
Porkenham insisted on the fact that our investigation should only
take a day or two. As it turns out, we have spent almost four days
searching for pieces or remains of an explosive device on the
grounds.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">How
did the whole place get destroyed like that? It doesn’t make
sense...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">The
gardener’s pavilion wasn’t exactly a large building.” Mr Swayn
smiled. “Oh well... There should be no combination of events for
which the wit of man cannot conceive an explanation.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Then...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">We
shall see what new light can be cast upon this matter... Until then,
there is nothing more for us to learn.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Mr
Swayn didn’t seem too interested in the mysterious explosion. Scott
found it suspicious, but he couldn’t afford to be blunt with a guy
like him. There was a knock on the door. Two guys came into the
office, carrying a large box, which contained an industrial, large,
thick and heavy strain gauge scale.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Now...
if you want to see something genuinely instructive, I don’t mind if
you wish to stay.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US"> Scott
noticed his mischievous smile. If his interested wasn’t already
peaked by the sight of such a set of weighing scales, he wouldn’t
want to miss this for all the fried chicken at the </span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US"><i>Double
D</i></span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">...</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Mr
Swayn pushed a button on his phone and called out loud.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Test
group number one.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Four
young students entered the room at once. Scott was startled when he
saw them. They were only wearing briefs, instead of their school’s
uniform. It would make sense if they were in for a check-up – but
that would be a job for Phil.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Mr
Swayn’s smile turned into a definite smirk, as if Scott had
commented on it instead of thinking about it.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">I
know... Under normal circumstances, it would be for Graham to perform
this kind of weekly examinations. Only we expect certain results from
this experiment and we are determined to achieve those. Then I
couldn’t agree more with Mr Porkenham when he suggested that our
students’ favorite teddy bear wouldn’t follow our instructions to
the letter.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
didn’t know what to say. The four boys looked uncomfortable too.
They were weighed and examined thoroughly, one after the next. Scott
could tell that Mr Swayn’s assistants were measuring lean mass and
body fat for the secretary to write down in individual files. He
seemed rather pleased with the numbers he put in the relevant
columns.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Not
surprisingly, the four test subjects were quite meaty and overweight.
Their bellies were large and round enough to hang over their
dangerously stretched-out briefs.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Okay,
test group one, you may go back to your classes. Thank you.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> The
students were dismissed. Mr Swayn pushed a second button and made a
similar call.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Send
in test group number two.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
took a few steps back so he would feel more like an observer, as he
was trying to get a grip on this situation. Obviously, each test
group consisted of four young men, who seemed more stressed and more
uncomfortable than the boys he had met on different occasions.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> It
may have something to do with the rather cold, clinical methods of
this test – which Scott found rather odd, even by Saint Augustine
Bells’ standards. It may have been something else, but he couldn’t
wrap his mind around it.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> The
four boys who were weighed in and measured now were noticeably fatter
than the previous one. They outweighed their classmates by a good
20lbs, if not more.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Good.
We’re getting somewhere...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> There
was no evidence that Mr Swayn felt disappointed by the students in
the first test group. Scott could only guess that the two groups were
on a different diet or something.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Test
group number three. You may come in.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> At
this point, Scott knew what to expect – more or less. Only the next
four boys had to be porkers, unless they were four prized pigs
brought together for the county fair, next Spring... The smallest
member of that hefty bunch had to weigh a wobbly 300lbs if he stood
5’7”. It was almost as if they had spent all their waking hours
with their mouths attached to a feeding tube for at least a month.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> It
should take more than this to make Scott look away with disgust, but he didn’t
feel like he would take on Mr Swayn’s offer for another cup of
coffee. No matter how much he liked his coffee black, he felt a
bitter aftertaste in his mouth, that wouldn’t go away.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> As
he would feel beads of sweat gathering on his forehead, Scott was all
the more impressed by Mr Swayn’s calm, cool and collected attitude.
His assistants kept handling the boys – rather roughly too, if the
young journalist may say so – but he was only there to record their
weights and various measurements. Then, with the clear state of mind
of a pure mathematician, he would analyze the boys’ progress.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">All
right, we may have something interesting here...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> For
a moment, Scott wondered how many test groups were participating to
this project. Mr Swayn pushed a button, which turned out to be the
last.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Test
group number four.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
no longer knew what to expect. Sure enough, the boys in last group
were enormous – but there was something special about them. While
they may be weighing a little less than the test subjects from the
previous group, they looked fatter... much fatter.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> At
this point of the game, there wasn’t a sign of weight gain that
Scott wouldn’t know about. The boys had to be about eighteen years
old, certainly not under seventeen. Each and every member of this
test group was positively puffy. Scott couldn't help thinking that
those boys looked pretty much the same from one group to the next –
being all teenagers, growing up too fast, with the same high levels
of raging hormones and the usual mix of sexual slash emotional
confusion and anger management issues – but these last boys made
the previous boys look like grains of corn, and they had spent some
time in the oven to turn into such a “popped corn” version of
themselves!</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Not
too surprisingly – since Scott was way past the point of being
surprised, right now – the first boy was weighed in at a chunky
290lbs... His love handles had already merged with the fat roll on
his lower back to form a huge doughnut pillow, then his soft belly
hanged in front of him so far out and so low that he may have been
standing naked in there. No one would be able to tell.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> As
a matter of fact, it was just the same for the three others, and he
wasn't even the heaviest boy in that test group...</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US"> Scott
was well aware of the strange diet that was pretty much imposed on
the students in Saint Augustine Bells, but this left him puzzled. He
didn't understand the docile, anxious and almost scared way the boys
</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">would
look at each other or around them – as if someone other than Mr
Swayn, Scott and the two assistants was watching, in the shadow. </span></span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> It
took Scott a while to share the overall uneasiness of that moment,
but it got to the point where he had to turn around, just in case...
More than anything else, he couldn't figure out Mr Swayn's attitude.
As the last member of the test group was more or less pushed to stand
on the scales, Scott had to put everything on hold, close his eyes
and try to rewind – did that guy just lick his lips as he was
writing down the weight of the blushing, obese boy?</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Or
was it merely Scott's imagination running into a fever?</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US"> He
couldn't tell. However, now that he put all his efforts into focusing
on what was happening a few feet away from him – instead of the
strange and painful rumblings in his stomach </span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">–
he heard Mr Swayn dismissing the young students in a soft, almost
ominous voice.</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Ich
kann es kaum erwarten, bis du richtig Fett und kugelrund bist...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
didn't understand a word. German – they had to speak German, all of
a sudden. On second thought, it wouldn't be much of an improvement if
Mr Swayn had spoken French...</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span> It
was still better than not hearing a word he may have whispered. As a
matter of fact, that was the missing piece of his puzzle. The boys in
those test groups were all foreign students. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> When
they were gone and the assistants took the large scales out of the
room, Mr Swayn turned to Scott with an enigmatical smile.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">If
you’re thinking that some boys have been fed more than others for
this experiment, you are way off tracks</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">.
All test groups have been on the same diet for the last eight weeks.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">How
did you get such a remarkable difference between them?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Mr
Swayn put his files in the top drawer of his desk.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">When
Mr Porkenham put me in charge of running this experiment, I selected
sixteen boys among our foreign students with similar stats and
metabolic rates</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">.
You may have noticed that they’re all second years, about 5’7”
to 5’9”, and they used to weigh about 220lbs when we placed them
in one group or another at random.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">Huh...
okay</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">As
I was saying, there was a change in their diet, but it applied to
everyone. Less protein and fibers, more saturated fats and, more than
anything else, much more complex carbohydrates to maximize their
fattening</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> On
a sheet of paper, Mr Swayn drew lines and four columns.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">The
purpose of this test is twofold. We wanted to test various kinds of
tonic that enhance the subject’s appetite</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">.
After due consideration, I selected two blends: one for the first two
groups, the second one for the other two groups.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Mr
Swayn marked X1 and X2 under the relevant columns. Then he looked up
and pushed a call button on his desk. Scott read the word “Kitchen”
next to it.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">Hello,
Mrs Spread</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">...
Would you mind bringing a glass of milk to my office? The one marked
Y2, if you please.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> There
was a moment of silence.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">Are
you familiar with appetite stimulants, Mr Girder?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">I’ve
heard about it</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">...”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">Trickier
than you might think... For instance, we had failed to consider that
such a product could have no taste but give a slightly bitter
aftertaste to all the food it encourages you to eat</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">.
To this day, it remains an unfortunate side effect, quite
counterproductive too. We have made great progress, though, working
on the proper blend and the proper dosage.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">Is
it something like tea?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">Pretty
much</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">.
It could easily be mistaken for herbal tea.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span> Scott
looked a bit suspicious. Herbal tea was one thing, but it was such a
fine line between new age medicine and stoner stuff... </span></span>
</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">Nothing
like drugs, right?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Mr
Swayn nodded defensively.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">We’ve
already had this discussion. It is too soon to draw conclusions, but
our appetite stimulants don’t seem to be addictive</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">Then
you consider it to be harmless</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">Mostly
harmless, maybe</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">?”
Mr Swayn answered with a confident smile.</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> There
was a knock at the door. Mrs Spread said hello to Scott, holding a
glass and a pitcher of chocolate milk.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">Would
you like to give it a try?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
looked at the two of them, puzzled.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">You
said it looked like herbal tea</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">...”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">Oh?
No, this is something completely different</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US"> To
be honest, Scott was feeling thirsty. His stomach was no longer
rambling, but the pain was still there. Milk would be good for it.
His glass was empty in one gulp. When Mrs Spread asked him if he
wanted more, Scott felt the sudden urge to take</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">
the pitcher... He put the spout to his lips and tipped the pitcher
back.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">
The milk was strangely </span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">sweet
but cool, which made him feel better already – so he continued to
gulp... and gulp, and gulp, and gulp...</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US"> Before
he realized it, Scott had emptied the pitcher. His stomach felt cool
but quite heavy from the cream filling it.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">
Then he couldn’t help a loud, obnoxious belch.</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">BUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRP!”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Mrs
Spread turned to her colleague, while Scott was blushing deeply.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">Just
as you expected</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">...”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">What
do you mean?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">”
Scott asked sheepishly.</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="line-height: 100%; text-align: justify;"> </span>Mr
Swayn looked quite satisfied with this little experiment on the side.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">This
is a new </span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">milkshake.
We have been working on it for almost two months, and I dare say that
Mrs Spread has improved her recipe quite impressively. Your reaction
to it was only natural.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="line-height: 100%; text-align: justify;"> </span>Scott
didn’t like being tricked like this.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;"> </span><span style="line-height: 100%;"> </span>As
Mrs Spread was leaving, the young journalist finally got to
understand how Mr Swayn worked on his results with the boys. He kept
referring to them as “test subjects”.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">As
you can see from this morning’s results, test groups number two and
four have been doing a lot better than the subjects from groups
number one and three. The only difference is that we switched their
regular chocolate milk with this new version</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">You
mean... the milk I just drank</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">The
pitcher of milkshake you just drank, yes</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">.”
Mr Swayn corrected, with an amused smile. “We have been wondering
for some time about the side effects of this shake. It tastes
delicious and not sickeningly sweet, but it causes the most
impressive belches I have ever heard. Case in point, we can’t blame
the subjects for it, although their behavior is generally rude...”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;"> </span><span style="line-height: 100%;"> </span>Scott
felt the weight of that milkshake in his belly. That stuff may be
tasty, but it was nasty. For one thing, the burning pain he felt was
back. Or it wasn’t gone, as he had hoped for a moment...</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">We
have been testing what you just tasted</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">.
Two test groups had to drink a pitcher of our regular milkshake after
every meal – we called it Y1. This new milkshake, Y2, was meant for
the other two groups. So we could cross results. Test group number
one was X1Y1, number two was X1Y2, number three was X2Y1 and number
four X2Y2.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="line-height: 100%; text-align: justify;"> </span>Mr
Swayn looked at the clock.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">We
have done some pretty good work for this morning, I believe</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;"> </span><span style="line-height: 100%;"> </span>Scott
understood that his presence in the office was no longer necessary.
He couldn’t share Mr Swayn’s sense of achievement. As a matter of
fact, he had reasons to believe that some of that satisfaction had
been at his expense.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<div style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: verdana;">■ ■ ■</span></b></div>
<div>
<b><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></b></div>
</div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;"> </span><span style="line-height: 100%;"> </span>Rubbing
his aching belly in the hallway, Scott had to pause. He wasn’t
feeling too well. That milkshake was a lot heavier than he would have
guessed...</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;"> </span><span style="line-height: 100%;"> </span>Leaning
against the wall, he absent-mindedly read what was written on it when
he looked up. As it turned out, it was the school’s menu for lunch</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">A</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">pple
pie... Chocolate chess pie... Lemon cheesecake... Strawberry pie...
Blueberry pie... Orange sponge cake... Cinnamon rolls? What the...”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span style="line-height: 100%; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="line-height: 100%; text-align: justify;"> </span>Scott
was about to belch for the second time, but he was interrupted in
time. </span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span style="line-height: 100%; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="line-height: 100%; text-align: justify;"> </span>It was Mrs Spread.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">Are
you feeling okay?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">Oh?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">
Well... I’m sorry, but...”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">Never
mind that</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">.”
She smiled. “It was a mean trick, as you could expect from a man
like Mr Swayn... Still, just a trick. You should consider yourself
lucky. Our boys can pull off some really cruel pranks.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">Why...
why are there only pastries and sweets on that menu?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">It’s
Monday, of course</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">You
mean to say that your students are only fed desserts today</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">...”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">Not
just today</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">.
We do this on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Mr Swayn call
them </span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US"><i>Saturated
Saturdays</i></span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">No
wonder why</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">...”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">It’s
been the school’s new policy</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">,
after... you know.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">Okay..</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;"> </span><span style="line-height: 100%;"> </span>They
were walking outside. Scott enjoyed having someone to talk to, even
if he wasn’t quite convinced by their choices and attitudes.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US"><i>Desserts</i></span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">
is simply </span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US"><i>Stressed</i></span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">
spelled backwards”.</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">Is
it really? I had never noticed</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">Mr
Thorne came up with it, on our last meeting</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">.
I thought it was amusing.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">What
about these new products? Milkshakes, appetite stimulants..</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">Oh...
I don’t know. Results are what matters for a man like Mr Porkenham.
As long as we get results</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">...”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">But
isn’t it dangerous? Or, I don’t know..</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">Not
very ethical, is that what you mean?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">Honestly,
yes..</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;"> </span><span style="line-height: 100%;"> </span>More
than anything else, Scott was angry about being invited to drink a
whole pitcher of fattening milk and tricked into burping like a pig.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;"> </span><span style="line-height: 100%;"> </span>Mrs
Spread let out a sigh.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">You
remind me of Graham..</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">.
When Mr Swayn made his first presentation, he was the only one opposed to
the project. Unhealthy diets, dangerous substances, you could go on
and on. He was no longer allowed to our monthly meetings after it.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">But..</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">.
isn’t he the school’s doctor?”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">He
is. And our male nurse</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">.
And he used to be our gym teacher. He wanted the boys to exercise...
Play basketball...”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;"> </span><span style="line-height: 100%;"> </span>Mrs
Spread had to stop to laugh out loud. Then Scott and she heard a
cough behind them. They both turned in surprise. It was the school’s
director himself.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">Mr
Porkenham..</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">Beautiful
day, isn’t it, Mrs Spread? I understand that a walk in the sun does
put you in a good mood, but there is work waiting for you in the
kitchen.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">Yes
Sir</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">.
I’m on my way...”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;"> </span><span style="line-height: 100%;"> </span>The
grand old man turned to Scott.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">How
are you doing? You look a bit... peaky</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">I
guess I’m a bit late for lunch. I’m hungry</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="line-height: 100%; text-align: justify;"> </span>He
certainly didn’t feel hungry at the moment. Mr Porkenham could also
argue that he didn’t look hungry. Scott may be pale, but he was
more than well-fed.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">Let
me walk you to the gates, then</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
was a bit surprised. On many occasions, the old man had done his best
to avoid him. Why would he be interested in a conversation with a
journalist, now?</span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> The
best way to find out was to let him talk.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Strangely
enough, Mr Porkenham didn’t say a word for some time – but he
looked worried, and he would grunt or mumble in his beard.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
noticed that he kept a thin, printed document close to his body,
where his umbrella used to be on a rainy day.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">What
is this brochure you’re holding?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">Well...
I wish I could say that it was a work of fiction</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">I
didn’t know that you were interested into short novels</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">I’m
not</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">.
And I fear that we cannot take Mr Scupper very seriously.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">Mr
Scupper?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">Yes...
</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">He
is curiously employed at present. Mr Huggins’s death seems to have
turned him into an amateur sleuth, although I can hardly follow his
line of investigation in this case.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US"> Mr
Porkenham gave him the brochure. </span></span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> It
looked like a pamphlet, about thirty pages long with no hard cover.
The title page bore the official stamp of Saint Augustine Bells. It
had been printed in their own workshop.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US"><i>The
life and afterlife of Ian MacNeill.</i></span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Mr
Porkenham let out another low grunt.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– <span style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-indent: 47.2441px;">“</span><span style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">Ian
MacNeill</span></span></span><span style="line-height: 100%;"><span><span lang="en-US">...
Isn’t that the name of...”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Ian
MacNeill was a security guard who worked in the late twenties and
early thirties, when Saint Augustine Bells wasn’t a preparatory
school but a prison</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">.
A fact that we do not wish to communicate or comment on very much.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">I
have been told about him, and the way he was killed..</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">An
unfortunate incident, no doubt</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Mr
Scupper goes a lot further than 1932, in this study</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
was only going through the pages, with great interest.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Please,
Mr Girder... Are we to give serious attention to such things? This
institution stands flatfooted upon the ground, and there it must
remain. The world is big enough for us. No ghosts need apply.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> If
Mr Porkenham wished to point out how ridiculous it was to investigate
the recent deaths on campus with supernatural causes, his attitude
betrayed a lack of confidence which was most unfamiliar from him.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">So
you don’t believe in Mr Scupper’s theory</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Of
course not. He’s our gardener... I am willing to say that he helps
to keep our lives from being monotonous with these tall stories, and
gives a little comic relief where it is badly needed.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
couldn’t understand how the students would feel relieved in any way
with the story of a ghost who kept threatening to kill them if they
didn’t behave – although this particular ghost seemed more
interested in keeping them eating like pigs. At least that was
considered as good behavior in Saint Augustine Bells.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;">They
were already close to the entrance gates. Scott turned to shake hands
with his host.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Comic
relief... That would be showing good spirit</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Please</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">.”
Mr Porkenham answered with an unexpected smile. “No spirit needs to
show in here. Keep the brochure, if you like. I have no use for it.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
didn’t dare to ask. He was looking forward to reading it on his
way back to the hotel. Sitting at the bus stop, he saw Mr Porkenham
waving at him and go back to work.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> He
was still mumbling in his beard.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Let
us hope that he understands what is printed in there..</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<div style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: verdana;">■ ■ ■</span></b></div>
<div>
<b><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></b></div>
</div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Mr
Scupper’s pamphlet wasn’t such a compelling thing to read. Or
maybe Scott wasn’t in the mood for it. He was not hungry either.
His throat was a bit dry, so he drank a glass of water in his
bathroom, back at the Paddington hotel.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> The
next thing he did was take a long nap, naked in bed. After a few
pages of Ian’s story, going back to his last months of service as a
prison guard, Scott felt so drowsy that he let the pages fall to the
side and closed his eyes.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> He
didn’t get to sleep so well, however. Every now and then, he would
be startled by one of his own farts under the covers...</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Seriously?
This milkshake is murder! No wonder those boys always look so
grouchy.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> His
stomach was rambling angrily again, which didn’t help.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<div style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: verdana;">■ ■ ■</span></b></div>
<div>
<b><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></b></div>
</div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Scott’s
next interview was with Owen, a student whose bedroom was next to
Michael’s. He was one of the few people who could be considered
witnesses on the night he was killed... no matter how mysteriously
his murder took place.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Thanks
to Rick, who had assured him that everyone would be busy somewhere
else doing something of absolutely no interest, Scott was able to
meet Owen in his own bedroom, where the boy was confined for the
afternoon anyway.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> This
was the closest he had been to the scene of the crime, after his
visit of Michael’s own bedroom with Mr Porkenham. He wouldn’t go
for a guided tour, this time.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> There
was nothing particular about Owen. He looked rather ordinary. Being
5’8” tall and weighing 260lbs made him blend easily among the
crowd of fattened boys in uniforms they were raising rather than
educating in this school.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> He
didn’t look so passive aggressive as most of his classmates. When
Scott came into his room, he invited to sit down in an armchair by
the window.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Do
you mind if I draw you while we have a chat?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">I
have no problem with that.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Thanks...
Don’t move too much, then. On a dull day like this, the light is
just right by this window. It creates nice, soft shadows... You don’t
have to look at me. Make yourself comfortable.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Okay...</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Owen
had taken a large sketching book and various pencils.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Would
you like something to drink?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Sure…
What do you have?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">What
do I look like, a bartender?... I have sodas.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Soda’s
fine.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">It’s
nothing like diet soda, but I guess you already knew about it.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> There
was a moment of rather awkward silence. Scott took the opportunity to
look around. The bedroom was pretty messy, but in a perfectly normal
way for a teenager who wouldn’t go to obsessive-compulsive or
destructive extremes.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> A
few drawings were pinned on the wall, mostly self-portraits... Some
were actually pretty good.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">I
didn’t know you were the artistic type.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">I’m
not...</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">But
you like to draw.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">I
do... It calms me down. Take a look at these.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Turning
away from his sketchbook, he pointed to the wall in front of him.
Scott had to turn to get a better view of the drawings.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">I
couldn’t even draw a straight line when I started this, last year.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span> Scott
couldn’t agree more, but he simply nodded. Some drawings were a
real mess – the kind of awful things parents find so cute from
their three year old kid and put on the fridge, probably to keep the
neighbors or guests away from their food... From a sixteen year old
boy, it was alarmingly bad. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">I
know... I’ve kept these to remember what a mess I was when my
parents brought me here.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Is
that why you’ve made so many sketches of yourself?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> For
the first time during his interview, Owen laughed. It was a most
refreshing laugh, too. Scott felt some sympathy for him.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Don’t
be silly, I’m not like that. I just don’t get to draw many people
other than myself.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">How
about your classmates?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Sketching
calms me down, but posing pisses them off. Keeping still, rather...
Most of the guys in here are a bunch of posers.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">How
about the plants in your room?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Boring.
I find potted plants so depressing...</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">How
about landscapes?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Boring.
Besides, they wouldn’t approve if I got too interested in what was
outside my prison’s window.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> The
boy was actually quite clever – a lot more than Scott expected.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">So...
Self-portrait it is.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">It’s
not so bad... Take a good look at yourself, sometimes. You get to
learn a few things.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">You’re
probably the first student I’ve met in Saint Augustine Bells who
said something about learning...</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">It’s
Augustine Bells.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Owen
was focused on his drawing. Scott caught a glance every now and then.
The boy has beautiful blue eyes. His sharp look was rather at odds
with his chubby physique.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">You’ve
made some great progress.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Thank
you...</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">I
guess your teachers are rather proud of you doing this.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Most
of them don’t know about it. And they wouldn’t care.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">How
did you get started? Was it something you decided on your own?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">I’d
like to take credit for it, but no.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> There
was a pause as Owen went for a thicker pencil.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">...It
was Graham’s idea. He suggested it. I went for it.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Oh?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Did
you meet the guy?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">I
have.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
had not seen Phil for a few days, and he was rather curious about his
work in Augustine Bells.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">How
did he come up with it?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">There
was no way I could fool him about my addiction, when he gave me my
first physical... He really is a lot less dumb than he looks.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">He
doesn’t look so dumb to me.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Well...
maybe you underestimate yourself?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
didn’t know what to think of the boy’s answer for a moment.
Thankfully, Owen felt comfortable enough to hold the conversation,
still drawing and adding shades of grey to his sketch.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">You
may be right. Most guys give him a hard time because he’s a real
teddy bear – the chocolate kind, you know, with a big heart of
gummy... I guess his problem is that he has a heart.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">If
you compare him to Mr Porkenham or Mr Swayn, of course...</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> There
was an actual flash of anger in Owen’s eyes. Scott looked away,
wishing he had not seen it.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Exactly...
You should never mention Graham and those people in the same
sentence. Ever.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
didn’t need to be told twice.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Owen
left his pencils for a moment.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">You
know what? I take it back. You’re not so dumb. You’re only
playing the wrong game, with the wrong people.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">What
do you mean?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Exactly
what I said.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span> It
was really hard for Scott to decide whether this was meant as a
threat or a warning. Owen didn’t mind talking to him, but he didn’t
have many nice things to say. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> He
took a deep breath, and Scott considered the possibility that a young
man like him had to keep his own anger at bay, which was no easy
task...</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">I
guess... Graham doesn’t go for that kind of games.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">No.
He knows about them, but it’s better for everyone that he doesn’t
play.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">I
see...</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Tell
you what...</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”
Owen started sketching again, maybe so his hands wouldn’t be
twitching. “I’m actually fond of Graham. If it wasn’t for him,
I don’t know if I wouldn’t have burned this place to the ground
three times over.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Addiction’s
a bitch...</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Discipline’s
a bitch.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Now
that I know a bit more about your school’s program...</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">You
don’t know the half of it... And it’s probably for the best.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">I’m
a reporter. It’s my job to find out about these things.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Then
it’s someone else’s job to prevent that you do.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”
Owen looked straight into his eyes. “May the best player win.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
could swear that Owen meant Mr Swayn – he had to be sure.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Michael
used to play chess...</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">He
sure did. He was awfully good at it.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Did
you get to play against him?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">No,
I only saw him play.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">But
you know how to play chess.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">So,
what if I do? Please don’t turn around...</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> The
journalist wanted to sit a bit more straight. He had never realized
how hard it was to stay comfortable if you weren’t allowed to move,
even after you’d made yourself comfortable...</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">To
an ignorant player, a game of chess only looks like a bunch of pieces
of different shapes, sizes and colors. Yet, even the best player in
the world can only win the game if he explains how the pieces work
according to the rules.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Quite
so...</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Only
both sides play by the same set of rules... which doesn’t happen in
real life, where the winner is the one who decides what the rules
will be, so that his opponent can only use the pieces to his
disadvantage.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Owen
didn’t answer, but Scott could tell that he was listening closely.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">The
first and only relevant rule about this kind of games is that you
should never play by anyone else’s rules. They should be forced
into playing by your rules.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
was secretly thankful for the self-help book Will had offered him
once. Owen answered with a smile.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">That’s
right. Then you know how to do that kind of trick...</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">There’s
no trick. All you have to remember is that each piece can be played
both ways.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Naturally,
Scott knew all about it from his own experience in sexual games. He
didn’t need a book for that. Hopefully, Owen wouldn’t think about
it.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">I
guess... it depends on the nature of the tools you get.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">In
this case, well...</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”
Scott remembered the experiment he had attended in the morning. “What
you get to play with is always quite... technical.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">To say the least.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Industrial?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Owen
looked up, rather vaguely.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Quite...”
He nodded. “</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Industrial.
In dust we trust...”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US"> As
he was sketching again, Scott spent a moment looking around, trying
to get a better grip on the scene of Michael’s crime. </span></span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> There
were four bedrooms opening out into the same corridor, but there was
no communication between them. Owen’s room and Michael’s were
like boxes set one against the other. Their design was very much the
same: a large bedroom with a small, private bathroom on the side.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US"> Scott
looked for a ventilator in the wall. It wouldn’t be unusual to have
a small opening between two rooms, in such an old building – but
the ventilation system was clearly modern, and individual to each
bedroom. </span></span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> There
may be another possibility. Scott remembered how he had dismantled an
unplugged power socket, back in high school, to hide cigarettes or
other, more compromising items from the dean. He looked for such a
socket, one that would show some signs of being recently removed and
put back in its place, one that would allow someone to slip a candy
bar or get rid of wrapping papers...</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> This
precise but discrete investigation of Owen’s place proved to be
just so disappointing as Scott’s previous search... The rooms were
almost hermetically closed.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Do
you remember what happened during that night in January?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Of
course I do... Michael dropped dead.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> That
was harsh. Scott had hopes for a better answer.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Did
you, like, hear him drop dead?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">No...
He was found on the floor, but I’m not sure than he even fell, in
the first place.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Did
you hear something, then?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Just
then, Scott noticed that the twitching in Owen’s hands was a sign.
The boy was overactive, but he was nervous – more than nervous: he
was afraid.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Well,
yes... I’ve heard something.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">What
did you hear?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Huh...
sounds...”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">What
kind?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Eating,
mostly. I mean, like... really gross, piggish sounds, guzzling,
shoving it in with both hands... That kind of overeating sounds. If
there’s a mystery about Michael’s death, the fact that he was
stuffed to the point of bursting makes perfect sense to me.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">That’s
not how he died.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Really?
Everyone keeps saying that he forced and fattened himself to
death...</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">It’s
not that far from the real cause, but I find it hard to believe that
he did all this on his own.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">You
mean to say that... he was forced to eat until his stomach exploded?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Right
on cue, Scott’s stomach rambled most angrily.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">That
kind of sound...</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”
Owen commented. “Only louder.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">And
nothing else?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Nothing
that I could figure out. Nothing I can remember...</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
was still suspicious. The boy wasn’t telling him everything.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">If
someone was with him at the time...</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Oh,
please!</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”
Owen finally snapped. “Michael didn’t have a friend to come to
his room for a slumber party. Michael had no friend in this school! I
don’t have a friend in this godforsaken school! The only thing I
have in common with the guys in my class is that I hate them just as
much as they hate me. We’re a group of loners who don’t want to
be part of a group and we’re forced to live in a bundle!”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> The
boy was almost screaming when he was done. Scott saw tears in his
eyes. If there was something true about this school that no one had
ever dared to tell a journalist, Owen had just broken that rule.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">You
were one of the first people to see Michael... right?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">One
of the disadvantages of being the boy next door...</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Did
you notice anything?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">I
noticed him, and I noticed that he was dead.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">I
mean, did you notice anything special?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Owen
shrugged.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">What
can I say? He was stuffed a lot more than usual...</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Is
that all you remember?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">You
know what... it’s actually kind of funny.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">What
is so funny?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">When
people ask you about something you should have seen, something that
couldn’t be missed, they keep referring to an “elephant in the
room”. That’s just it. Michael was the elephant in his own
room...</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">I
don’t find it very funny.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Neither
do I. What’s funny about it is that... when you have an elephant in
the room, you can’t see anything else about the room.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
couldn’t argue against that. When he had first seen Michael’s
body at the morgue, his reaction was pretty much the same. He could
hardly blame someone else for not acting professional – especially
an angry, confused teenager.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">How
about the door to his room?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">What
about it?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Was
it closed for the night? Was it locked from inside?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">You
can’t lock people in their rooms from outside. It would be too
tempting to play a trick like that... for some people.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Was
it opened, then?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">I
don’t know... It was opened when I joined everyone in there.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">No.
They joined you, remember?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Right.
No... The maid had already opened the door.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">But
it was locked. Michael had a key for it.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">We
all have the key to our own bedrooms. I never leave it opened when
I’m in class. Who knows who would come and steal my stuff? Then
yes... the door had to be locked for the night.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Is
that something you do?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">You
bet! I’m pretty sure that the others do the same... I don’t want
anyone to pounce on me and wake me up in the morning.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Of
course...</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Better
safe than sorry – Scott nodded in agreement.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Are
we done here?... because I am.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Do
you have something to do?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">I’m
eighteen. I have my whole life to consider... I meant, the drawing.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Oh...
Would you like to show me?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">If
you don’t mind praising me for my talents.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US"><br /></span></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US"> The
sketch was really not bad. Scott found it almost flattering, in its
likeness. Owen received his compliments with a somewhat wry smile, as
a way to hide his true feelings. He had reasons to be pleased with
his own work.</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Would
you like to keep it?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">If
you don’t mind...</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">I
enjoyed the exercise, but it’s just as well. It would be rather out
of place in my little collection of “me, me, me” drawings.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> They
shook hands. Owen closed the door to his bedroom and waited for Scott
to be out of earshot before he let out a sharp laugh, as someone who
remembers a good joke.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">What
a dumbass!</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<div style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: verdana;">■ ■ ■</span></b></div>
<div>
<b><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></b></div>
</div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US"><i>March
6</i></span></span></span><sup><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US"><i>th</i></span></span></span></sup><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US"><i>,
1990</i></span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">
– Tuesday</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott’s
stomach ache was still there. For the whole evening, he had hoped
that the burning sensation would fade away – but no... It was worse
than ever.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US"> He
had only eaten a light dinner at </span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US"><i>Gino’s</i></span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">.
Maybe a pan of lasagna with a large plate of </span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US"><i>penne
rigate</i></span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">
on the side didn’t really qualify as a “light meal” – one of
Gino’s waiters had made the fatal mistake of suggesting the chef’s special </span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US"><i>tiramisu</i></span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">
for dessert... Still, Scott had eaten a lot less than on his first
dinner, when Phil had invited him.</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Thinking
about food didn’t help. He didn’t remember feeling this bad when
he was eating, but picturing it right now was enough to make him burp
and almost hurl...</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">What’s
wrong with me, seriously?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
kept tossing and turning in his bed.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">What
time is it?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> He
looked at his watch. It was close to 1AM.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Fuck...</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> The
pain was growing more and more intense as he complained about it.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">I
can’t stand this any longer... What can I do?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US"> Scott
needed help. But who was there to help him? The thought crossed his
mind that he could call room service. </span></span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">No.
Definitely not... </span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> There
was no way that he would call Tom or any of his coworkers for help –
not after they had called him a blimp. Besides, he was rather...
full, at the moment. They would make fun of him. Scott didn’t want
them around, tonight.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">I
know! I need medical assistance... I need a doctor!</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
got up and hurried to his wallet. Fumbling through the cards he kept
in there, he finally found Phil’s.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Okay...</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”
Scott dialed. “Answer the phone... Answer, answer, answer...”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
reached his voice mail. He wasn’t in the mood to leave a message.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Okay...
I guess he’s not home, then... he may be at the hospital?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> There
weren’t so many options left, anyway. Scott dialed again, and
waited so patiently as he could – turning the telephone cord with
his fingers.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Biberton’s
general hospital. How may I help you?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Phil?
For the love of God, is that you?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
couldn’t mistake that masculine, soft, warm voice with its discrete
but delightful Southern lilt. Phil was quick on the catch, just the
same</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Scott?...
Why are you calling so late? I was about to leave.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Perfect.
I need you to come over here.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">...Right
now?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Yes!
I’m really not feeling well.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Where
are you?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil
was on his way. Scott felt a bit better, now that someone was coming
to help him. Then he remembered that it was a long way to the
hospital...</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span> He
saw his reflection in the mirror hanging over the phone. Owen was
right. If Scott needed any kind of confirmation that he was sick, he
only had to look into his own eyes. They were almost yellow. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Then
he noticed that he had been breathing faster and faster, for the last
hour or so – short, nervous breaths. He had to take off his
T-shirt.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">I’m
definitely going to throw up...</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> He
rushed to the bathroom, feeling quite dizzy. Standing over the
toilet, trying to catch his breath, trying to cool down, Scott waited
– and waited...</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Nothing.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> No
matter how much he had eaten at dinner, his stomach would burn down
the food and let the ashes work their way down his intestines rather
than let it go up to reduce the pressure in Scott’s belly. Right
now, it felt like he had swallowed a blast furnace, and fed it hard
wood all day, log after log...</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">I
can’t stand this much longer!</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Just
then, he heard a discrete knock on his door. It had to be Phil.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Come
in...</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Your
door’s locked.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Oh...”
Scott bit his lower lip. “Stupid.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
took a deep breath and came to the door. Phil was standing outside,
his hair all tousled and wet from the rain. As for his clothes, they
were almost drenched.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Did
you walk all the way down from the hospital?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">I
couldn’t find a taxi at this hour.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">What
about your car?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">I
don’t have a car...</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Right...
I forgot.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Please,
Scott. Sit down...</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> He
had to help him sit by the bed.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">You’re
right on time... One moment later and I swear I was about to pass out
from the pain.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">I
should think so.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil
was already examining him. Scott was feverish, short of breath...</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">This
is more serious than I thought...</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">What
is it?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Do
you feel a burning sensation in the pit of your stomach?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Duh...
I feel like I’m going to explode like a boiler with no exhaust
valve!</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Okay.
Then it’s just what I was afraid of. How long have you been feeling
like this?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">I
don’t know... all day, pretty much.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">You
should have called me this morning...</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">I
wasn’t into so much pain, this morning!</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
wasn’t the most patient kind of patient. On the other hand, Phil
was used to dealing with people in his situation. He opened his
medical case and took a few instruments for further examination.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Let
me feel your pulse... What have you been eating today?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Is
that really the problem here?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Yes.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Come
on! it would take me all night to make that list... I’m not even
sure that I remember what I had for breakfast.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Okay...
Never mind that.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">What’s
wrong? Am I sick or not?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">You’re
not.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil
didn’t hesitate for a moment. Scott found it hard to believe, but
he was impressed by his attitude, both caring and professional.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">All
right, I guess I’ve been... eating a bit too much, today.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">It
does look that way, but I had something else in mind.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Can
you help me feel better? I can’t just sleep and let it go away...</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
went on complaining about the pain, but Phil was no longer listening.
He looked worried, as if he was trying to solve a riddle in his mind.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">I
know... You can’t...</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil
turned to the small fridge under Scott’s desk.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Do
you have something to drink?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Sorry,
the bar’s closed... or empty – whatever...</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Okay.
Drink.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
wasn’t in the mood for just aspirin, at this point.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">C</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">an’t
you give me something stronger?”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">I’m
sorry, Scott. A sedative may be more dangerous than helpful to you,
right now.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Why’s
that?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Because...
if I gave you sleeping pills, you could die...”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Wait...
die?”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil
was looking into his medical case again, opening a thin compartment
that looked very rarely used.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">You
might end up throwing up in your sleep and...”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Okay,
okay.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">As
a matter of fact, it would be better to keep you awake. Then all you
have to do is sweat it out.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Sweat
what out?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott’s
drink actually tasted like aspirin – sparkly, but not much of a
buzz.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Then
Phil gave him something much more interesting.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Marijuana...
really?”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">The
fact that it’s hardly legal doesn’t mean that it’s not
medicine. Besides, </span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">I’m
a doctor”, Phil said apologetically. “If that’s what it takes
to help you calm down and feel better...”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Gimme
that.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US"> It
was the right kind of weed too. </span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Scott
had not enjoyed a good smoke like this in years. Phil was telling him
something, but he only listened to that soft, warm, smooth voice –
it was more soothing than music meant for the radio station. </span></span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott’s
headache started fading away. His stomach was still more than queasy,
but it was already a step in the right direction.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">How
is it? Better?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Huh
huh...</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Scott?
Are you listening?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">No...</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”
He started laughing.</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Scott,
please... Focus. Scott, you’ve been poisoned.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Huh...
what?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Poison.
I don’t know which one, exactly. My guess would be ricin... Let’s
just hope that it’s not aconitine...” Phil looked almost
panicked. “That’s why you have to sweat it out... Okay?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Well...
Okay, then. Relax... Don’t sweat it!</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
laughed out loud, once again. Then, out of the blue, he let out a
roaring belch that left him gaping for a whole minute.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRP!!!</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> For
a moment, it looked like Phil didn’t know what to do.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Then
he stood up, went to his coat and took out a brown paper bag. There
were two or three doughnuts left in there. The blonde doctor took put
two different kinds of pills inside each of them.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">What
is this?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Leftover
doughnuts from the hospital. This is what your body needs, definitely
more than THC...</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">TH
what?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Cannabis.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">What
about the pills you’ve put in there?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">If
you really want to know, it’s some theriac I’ve been working on,
for the last few weeks... I was afraid that something would happen.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">What,
something like me being poisoned?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Exactly.
Now, it should be quite effective, but it doesn’t taste good.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Well,
these doughnuts look good to me.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span> Scott
smiled a very goofy smile. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">I
was hoping that it would help...</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”
Phil smiled back. </span></span></span>
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">It’s
funny... Right when I could be saved by some pastry, I don’t feel
hungry.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Come
on, Scott. Don’t be childish about this.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span> That
was the worst choice of words to get Scott to do the right thing. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">You
want me to eat them?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”
He pouted, making fun of his friend. “Make me.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Maybe
Scott just hit a nerve, right then. Phil was serious about this:
Scott was in actual danger. The blonde hunk stood up. Holding a
doughnut in one hand, he grabbed the back of Scott’s head with the
other.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Eat.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Evidently,
there was something magical about Phil’s voice. Scott couldn’t
resist for a second. He closed his eyes and opened wide. Phil stuffed
him with that large, tasty piece of pastry in only three bites.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Another.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Hmmmph...</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Come
on, Scott. We don’t have all night. Eat up!</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> In
a matter of minutes, Scott was done with the last doughnut. It was
delicious, but he ate like such a pig that Phil had to wash his
hands.</span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Hey,
Phil... you know what goes well with doughnuts?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">You’re
done with your doobie.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">I
know... Give me another.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">You
should be fine, by now... All you have to do now is simply let it out
of your system.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Give.
Me. Another!</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”
</span></span></span>
</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil
got up with a sigh and went to the bathroom.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">What
you really </span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">need
is to sweat.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Why
don’t you turn the air conditioning to a hundred degrees?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
was pouting again.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Don’t
be silly. You should take a good, hot shower or... Wow!”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">What...
what is it?”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US"><br /></span></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US"> Apparently,
Phil did not expect to find a Jacuzzi in there. Scott was used to it
by now. He had been watching TV and drinking from the mini bar every
evening, while soaking in its bubbles. </span></span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">There
you go. Take off your clothes and hop in...” Phil urged Scott to
join him as he was starting the heater’s program at maximum power.</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Okay,
okay... I’m coming.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
didn’t feel like sitting in boiling water and breathing through
steam, but it sounded like doctor’s orders. Phil left him alone in
there. Back in the bedroom, he asked if everything was okay.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">I’m
fine...” Scott answered grimly. </span></span></span>
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Just
breathe and relax.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Tell
that to the lobsters in Boston...”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Waiting
to get back to his senses and get rid of whatever he had been
poisoned with was unbelievably boring. Scott let out a sigh, and a
groan.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> He
could hear Phil pacing nervously, in his bedroom. It was reassuring
to know that there was a doctor around if he needed help, even at
this late hour. Only Scott could tell that his blonde friend was just
so restless as he was. It made him nervous again.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Will
you stop walking back and forth like that...”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Sorry?”</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">
</span></span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">What
are you doing, anyway? It’s driving me crazy.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">I
didn’t want to bother you.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Come
over here!” </span></span></span>
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Are
you feeling better.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Peachy...
I’ll feel a lot better if I get to see you, honestly.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Well,
okay.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US"> The
door opened and, through the thickening steam, Scott saw Phil step
into the bathroom – naked. The blonde, beefy stud slowly came
closer to the hot tub. He was smiling, but with a rather shy and
concerned expression over his face – only His body language told a
completely different story... </span></span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> For
a moment, Scott felt like he was hallucinating from whatever was cut
into that weed or stuffed into those doughnuts, but there was Phil –
in the flesh. Or rather, flesh and bone – very much so... He was
only a few feet away from Scott, but it didn’t feel like they
belonged to the same realities. Tall, meaty, thick and standing up in
more ways than decency would allow, he was still like a statue –
the most massive and impressive colossus ever.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" lang="en-US"> Scott’s
heart had certainly skipped more than a few beats, but it was racing
now. As much as he had seen Phil shirtless, or down to his boxer
shorts in the last few weeks, Scott was amazed at his physique. It
always looked too good to be true. Now that he had all the evidence
he needed, Scott could confirm that clothes really didn’t do him
justice! That blonde hunk was easily man enough for three or four... </span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">
</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US"> It
was not the first time that a guy had pulled such a stunt on him –
showing up naked to get him turned on by surprise. Scott usually came
up with the right snappy words to put the guy in his place – like
asking for him to show what license he had to carry a lady’s gun...
</span></span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US"> He
was dumbstruck, right now. Being struck by lightning would hardly
make him feel a sting, in comparison...</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">
</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Clearly,
the blood flowing through his veins was no longer pumped up to his
brain. The only way for him to rise to the occasion wouldn’t be
with words. The water was truly boiling around him, and Scott was
lost – totally hazy. </span></span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Only
Phil’s voice could save him from drowning in his own pool of sweat.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">If
you were a lobster, someone should get you out of the casserole
now...”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US"><br /></span></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US"> Scott
had to be blushing deeply, for sure. His fever was rising again,
reaching alarming peaks – but he was no longer interested in his
body temperature. For the first time in his life, Scott was
interested in someone else’s body... </span></span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil
was still standing before him, like a man servant. Scott understood
that the guy didn’t want to impose anything on him. There he was.
Scott only had to laugh at him or tell him “Dude! What are you
doing in here?” and he would go.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> He
would put his clothes back on, leave the room and that would be it –
no hard feelings.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> That
was quite a statement, but Phil’s attitude made it perfectly clear.
So he had a point... but you had to be blind to ignore that there was
something much harder than feelings about him!</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> It
was a bit too late for Scott to play games, act like he was the alpha
male in the room. Besides, his whole attitude was betraying him. He
had just licked his lips absent-mindedly. Then he noticed that Phil
did just the same, as a way to answer him properly. That blonde stud
had such sparkling, green eyes, and there was an angelic quality to
his smile – but his body looked heavy with muscle meat, standing
proud and mighty. Even the steamy fog slowly dissipating around him
seemed to caress his athletic, thick frame, covering him with shiny
beads and curved lines of salty, hot water.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">There
should be room for two in here... May I join you?”</span></span></span></span></div><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
<br />
</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wW258-QfEzQ/Vv0YwfVVEWI/AAAAAAAAAeA/Sd-p5m06wmMRBt-VgvJ7oDyhc2x5tkjZg/s1600/The%2BAugustine%2Bmurders%2B16%2B-%2Bjaccuzzi.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" height="534" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wW258-QfEzQ/Vv0YwfVVEWI/AAAAAAAAAeA/Sd-p5m06wmMRBt-VgvJ7oDyhc2x5tkjZg/s640/The%2BAugustine%2Bmurders%2B16%2B-%2Bjaccuzzi.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"> Scott
had not yet recovered his ability to speak. He nodded. Phil came to
sit carefully by his side. Then he moved closer and put his right arm
around Scott’s shoulders.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Are
you feeling relaxed?”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Huh...
Yes, a bit...”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Good.
Let’s keep you warm and sweating.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span> If that was doctor’s orders, Scott was determined to be an excellent patient </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">–</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"> </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">for a change...</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Better?”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Yes...
definitely.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Good,
s</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">weat
it out. You need to drain that poison out of your body...”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil
kept his voice down. Scott was familiar with it. He had already
appreciated how comforting the doctor could be just with a few,
well-chosen words. Soon, Phil’s hands slipped around and began
caressing Scott’s plump belly.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US"> Now
that felt just awesome. Whatever burning pain was still to be
suffered in there, Scott’s brain decided to ignore it completely
and shut down all lines of communication between the two... He was
fully erect, and he could feel the other guy’s long, thick shaft
gently prying against his butt. It was harder than stainless steel...
</span></span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US"> Nothing
about it would feel awkward – quite the opposite: deep down, Scott
had been wondering about Phil, and what he would be like in bed...
Just being with him like this and feeling what desire they felt for
each other was already pure pleasure for Scott. </span></span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> He
started moaning as Phil was embracing his belly a bit tighter, moving
up and down to his underbelly – then his left hand went on its own
to rub his thigh while his right hand carefully reached Scott’s lap.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Hey!
Watch it...”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">You’re
too tense”, Phil whispered into his ear. “Just breathe and
relax.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">If
that’s your idea of draining poison out of me...”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Please...”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil
was stroking him, gentle but firm, bringing Scott to throb and
squirm. This was so much better than jerking off alone... He let out
a groan of delight, so deep and raw that Phil slowed down, concerned.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Is
there something wrong?”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">I’m
kind of... sensitive, you know? And you have such strong hands... I
mean large... hands. I mean, you’re built like a bricklayer. If
only you had some lube around here...”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">I
see...” Phil went back on caressing his thighs and belly. “That’s
okay. I will be more careful...”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
followed his advice and let himself go, resting his head on Phil’s
shoulder as he was pretty much sitting in his lap. No matter how
gentle his words would be, Phil’s actions were a lot more than
“nice” – and a lot worse than “naughty”. Then Scott turned
slightly, and put a soft kiss on the blonde guy’s neck – and he
could feel the shivers it sent through his body... all the way.
Phil’s hands started fondling Scott’s forms a bit harder, going
around his hips now.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Scott...”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Hmmm?”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Do
you trust me?”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">I
guess I do.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Then...
Don’t worry. Don’t worry about a thing...”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US"><br /></span></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US"> To
Scott’s surprise, Phil removed his arms from around him, and got
down to his knees in the middle of the tub, water bubbling up to his
chest. He looked a bit hesitant – almost mysterious – and he was
sweating about as much as Scott...</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">I
won’t hurt you... Okay?”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Huh...
Okay...”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> And
he swiftly disappeared under water... Scott was startled – but once
he felt firm lips around his cock, he literally gasped for air.
Phil’s hands were caressing his hips and thighs, going from his
love handles to his butt cheeks, keeping Scott comfortable and in
position so he could blow him really hard. Soon, he was
deep-throating him fully... It was extraordinary. Even back in
College, in the most glorious nights of his football fame, Scott had
never been treated this well by anyone – boy or girl!</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> After
a moment, Phil rose out of water in a rush. He had to catch his
breath, of course. In such a quick move of his torso, he splashed
about like a wild dog and hot drops of water came lashing against
Scott’s chest and all over his face. It felt quite like being
whipped, only far more intense – then it spurred the feverish guy
on into a frenzy...</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Wide-eyed,
he looked at that blonde half-god who was running a hand through his
hair like a savage, and breathing hard as he gave him a furtive look.
Scott couldn’t get any more turned on... He wanted more! Whatever
it was that the plump boy wanted, Phil already knew how to offer it
to him on a silver plate. He was right back underwater, up to the
task and down to it before Scott could beg him to go on.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> This
went on until Scott started losing his mind. His last coherent
thought was how certain cheerleader, famous for her personal
encouragement after a winning game, should seriously take lessons
from this guy. Phil was more than an expert at this. He was a
natural. Under any other circumstance, Scott would have come and
coated his chest in a thick, creamy white – but Phil was pacing
himself really well, leaving Scott right on the edge, always wanting
more, sweating abundantly and slowly dissolving with ecstasy in that
bathtub...</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Finally,
neither of them could take it any further. Phil couldn’t hold his
breath forever, and the water jets didn’t help... Scott actually
passed out as he shot his load. The heat was getting oppressive
around them. If he had to leave this world with next to no regret,
this was the way he wished to go...</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<div style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: verdana;">■ ■ ■</span></b></div>
<div>
<b><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></b></div>
</div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> When
he opened his eyes, Scott’s breathing was back to normal. It made
him feel incomparably better... He was lying in bed, his body all
clean and dry – and spent – but comfortable.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US"> He
must have been out only for a few minutes. Phil was still there,
turning his back on him as he was sitting on the edge. He was holding
Scott’s hand, in order to check his pulse. It was such a gentle
gesture – almost romantic, in Scott’s opinion – and so out of
place that he twitched. Phil reassured him with a pat and a smile. He
was still wet but no longer steamy, with his hair more tousled than
ever. Scott guessed that he had taken a quick, cold shower while he
was spread over the bed. </span></span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil
tucked him in. If Scott had ever wished for a big brother when he was
a child, he would look for a guy like him in Santa’s catalogue. Or
Santa’s secret, gay brother’s catalogue, rather – meant for bad
boys like him, and where he stood a better chance of finding an item
like Phil...</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Is
everything all right?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">You
will be fine... All you need now is a good night of sleep. I will
come back with the right medicine for you, tomorrow...”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Once
again, Scott didn’t know what to say. What words would be
appropriate for a guy who had just serviced him so well – and
totally out of the blue? Phil only looked concerned with his friend’s
health, at the moment, but Scott couldn’t believe that anyone would
go to such lengths, even if he was attracted to him.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US"> He
couldn’t just say “Thank you”. That felt rude, even to his own
ears. </span></span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil
looked at the alarm clock on Scott’s night table. It was almost 3AM
– time for him to go, now that his friend was out of harm’s way.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">I
should probably...”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Don’t!”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
had just caught his wrist in a vicelike grip. Even he was startled by
the unusual, aggressive tone in his voice – but he wouldn’t let
go.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Don’t
leave me alone! Not now.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">But...
Scott...”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Not
tonight. I need you here!”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> He
was downright feral. Phil saw through his whole attitude at once, and
didn’t try to resist. He sat back on the bed and leaned over him
protectively.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Just
go to sleep now, Scott... You have nothing to be afraid of.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Don’t
go away.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Come
on, you’re hurting me.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> That
was probably true. Scott was clutching his wrist as if he wanted to
snap it like a twig – which was very unlikely, considering Phil’s
wrist. The blonde hunk wrapped his free hand around Scott’s and
brought him to calm down with a gentle brush. As a matter of fact,
Phil wasn’t quiet at all, deep down, but he made an effort to get
Scott to relax.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Don’t
go.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">All
right, I won’t. Get some sleep, now... You really need it.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Where
are you going?”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">I
don’t know. I will sit in that armchair... It looks comfortable
enough.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">That
won’t do</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">.
I need to know that you’re still there while I sleep.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> The
young doctor couldn’t help looking a bit uncomfortable. Scott
couldn’t get what was wrong with him – this would be the first
time anyone had declined an offer to sleep with him! It was actually
worse... Scott had to wonder what was wrong with his own attitude.
His mind was usually focused on his pride or self-respect, and he
couldn’t ignore that this was also the first time when he had
wished for anyone to stay with him after sex!</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
hated this. He didn’t want to beg – but he wouldn’t take no for
an answer. That much was clear to Phil.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Are
you sure?”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Stop
arguing and take your clothes off.” </span></span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil
paused for a second.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">So,
when you said that you wanted to make sure that I was next to you in
bed, what you meant was...</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”
</span></span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">If
I only needed a dummy with your clothes on, I would put it to bed
myself.” Scott snapped. “Now, I look around and you’re the only
dummy I can see. Am I making myself clear?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Like
Cristal...</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Okay,
then. Shirt? Off.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> If
Scott was sure of anything about this moment, it was how much he
enjoyed it. Phil may or may not be fooled, but the blonde guy decided
to take the step up – and he took his off his wet T-shirt in one
swift, sensual move that would take months and months to learn for
any professional stripper.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
couldn’t help smiling in appreciation.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Okay,
then... Pants? On the floor. Now.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US"> Phil
knew better, and took his time to provide Scott with a good show.
Once again, it wasn’t the same guy standing in front of him – or
he had turned into some Nordic god of masculinity. </span></span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott’s
brains were pretty much turned to Jell-O, but the closest comparison
he could come up with was if Clark Kent had to take off his tighty
whities instead of his glasses to become Superman...</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Or
maybe Superman would get to Phil’s level if he took off his red
undies?</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Scott...
Are you okay?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Never
better. G</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">et
under the covers.” </span></span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil
did as he was told.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> In
a matter of minutes – most naturally – he was hugging Scott
like a big bear holding his cub close to his chest... It was such a
tender embrace that Scott melted in his arms like hot chocolate.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Phil?”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Hmmm...”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">I
can’t sleep like this.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Oh...
Sorry, I’ll just...”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Come,
roll over me.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US"> Scott
laid down on his back, inviting Phil to rest on top of him. The
blonde hunk behaved nice and friendly but he was obviously turned on.
Scott would agree that they could do a lot more than sleep
together... </span></span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> It
was hard for Phil to hide his feelings, anyway, considering how
enormously well-endowed he was. There had to be a reason why this guy
had a reputation in town as someone who could never tell a lie...</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
commented on it with a few teasing words.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US"> Phil
was standing on his elbows, hands and knees, looking over Scott with
the eyes of a man about to jump off a cliff. His heart was pounding
like a bass drum, leading the marching band. He looked deep into
Scott’s eyes, which was enough to make him blush. Then Scott saw
him licking his lips, and he got him started with a vigorous slap on
his butt. </span></span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Ouch!”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Get
on with it, you sissy stud.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
was also fully erect, and feeling better than he had ever been in his
life! He couldn’t care less if his body was burning like a blast
furnace. No matter what amount of poison had been slipped into his
food or drinks, it would soon vanish into thin air.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">You
know what I want...”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil
nodded. Scott couldn’t decide whether he was reading excitement or
panic in these magnificent green eyes. He looked like a tiger in the
jungle, during a hunt. The he smiled, in an effort to overcome that
uneasy feeling... With both hands, Scott pressed on Phil’s
shoulders. Pushing him down, he forced him to lie low and rub his
belly with his chest. With only a few moves, Phil got into a better
position, took command and gave Scott exactly what he wanted.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US"> As
a matter of fact, he showered him with such rubs and kisses, and
licks and pinches in all the right spots that Scott surrendered
completely. Those hands and lips kept on starting fires all over his
body – even in places Scott had not even considered exploring until
now. Unable to keep it down, he started moaning louder and louder... </span></span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Please,
Scott...” Phil advised him playfully. “You will wake up your
neighbors.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">I
can’t... help it...”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil
was subjecting him to such pleasure, so precisely and so effortlessly
that it felt like he knew Scott’s body better than anyone in the
world – including Scott... The quivering boy kept on moaning and
gasping in delight. Then Phil whispered a few words into his ear, as
if he had heard Scott’s question.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">I
know every square inch of your skin... You’ve grown a bit fatter
lately, but I have performed enough massages on you to remember what
your body reacts to... What you like, what you want... and what you
need. I know it all by heart.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> That
was too much for Scott. Phil’s magic fingers – and lips and
tongue – had turned him into a man-sized bottle of champagne. He
almost passed out as the blonde, cuddly bear made his cork pop so he
would shoot, spray and pour a real flow of thick cream. There wasn’t
a single cell in his body that wasn’t shaken down to its core...</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US"> Scott
was shocked – more than amazed: shocked. He was twenty-eight, and
for all his wild adventures with girls and guys – and more – he had
never experienced anything like this... Even his best memories of
group sex felt like a poor excuse for the next best thing. </span></span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US"> Thanks
to Phil, who was done cleaning his belly and underbelly with his
towel in slow, careful moves, Scott’s fall down back to Earth went
rather smoothly. His body was still burning. </span></span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">...</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Felling
better?”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">You
bet</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">...”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Okay</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
smiled as Phil left a gentle kiss on his forehead.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Still
feverish...</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Oh,
well</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">...
what can you do about it?”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US"> Phil
was more than ready to follow Scott’s lead, if he kept insisting on
playing naughty games – and more than ready to raise the stakes... </span></span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
had to do something about it.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Wait,
wait!</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Did
I do something wrong?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Huh..</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">.
no... Certainly not until now.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">What
are you talking about?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">We
both know how this goes...</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span> Scott
didn’t want to say it out loud. Phil moved just a bit closer, and
whispered into his ear. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">You
never know how far the ocean will take you, until you embark for the
journey... Welcome on board, Columbus.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US"> Phil
didn’t make it any easier for Scott. Of course, he had to gently
bite his earlobe... There was no way for him to resist. </span></span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Oh...
my... Please, stop. Phil...”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Okay...
What is it?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Huh...
</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">You’re
a really amazing guy. A</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">nd
you’re hot! I mean...”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US"> Phil
only made matters worse, standing on his knees and looking over Scott
like a giant. The moonlight put his full figure on display – both
beefy and graceful, athletic in every way, bearish and feline –
</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">sculpting
the contours of his smooth waist and chest, his arms and forearms,
his meaty pecs and shoulders, up to his masculine jaw, all glowing
quietly with a sheen of sweat.</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> If
Scott would only turn around, he was ready to give him the royal
treatment...</span></span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">So...</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">There’s
no way that you get to park this monster truck in my back alley.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span> That
was rather blunt. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> It
may have come out wrong, but Scott had to say it out loud.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil
didn’t say a word. For a moment, Scott wondered if he wasn’t
going to get slapped. Then Phil was perfectly capable of crushing him
or breaking down his spine with his bare hands too...</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span> The
whole room went dark for a moment. Leave it to the moon to go out
like that, when you need some light. Scott could only hear Phil
breathing. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">...Do
you want me to leave now?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">What?
No... I would appreciate it if you stay, and sleep next to me.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Olay...</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil
didn’t seem particularly angry, or disappointed. Or anything...
Scott knew better than this. The blonde guy was crushed – only in a
much different, slightly more painful and much less satisfying way
that Scott expected to be crushed if Phil had his way with him...</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> He
couldn’t help feeling a bit sorry for the guy.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil
went back to his earlier position, hugging Scott from behind. Then he
asked him if he would like him to move into a more comfortable one.
In a matter of a few minutes later, Scott rested by Phil’s side,
his head nestled on his chest, with a strong arm around his waist and
an adventurous hand caressing his lower back and butt...</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Is
this okay?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">It’s
perfect...</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Go
to sleep, now...” Phil kissed the top of his head. “It’s really
late, and we both have to go to work early in the morning.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
didn’t have to wake up so early, but he was tired.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> He
still felt like he owed him some apology.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">...Are
you okay?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">I’m
good.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">I
mean... You don’t mind that you didn’t get to...</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Never
mind that, Scott... Never mind...</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil
really didn’t sound disappointed – so much that Scott found it
strange. Who wouldn’t feel disappointed after this? Scott’s pride
was back in charge. It wasn’t his fault if he had such a delicate,
sweet piece of ass.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> There
was a playful quality to Phil’s answer, however.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">What
is it?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span>Hmmm?...”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Come
on. What’s on your mind.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">I’ve
been thinking about this, pretty much from the moment I saw you.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">And
what have you been thinking... exactly?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">You
were really thin when you came over here. I couldn’t help feeling
sad over the fact that you were handsome and sweet, but so lean
and... tight.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
felt a shiver running down his spine. That was the magic word.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Seriously,
this guy could bring him to the last stages of foreplay using only
his voice... Scott was feeling all tingly and feverish again.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">You’ve
certainly had opportunities to fully appreciate it...</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Even
more so, I could feel your progress with every new massage... You’re
no longer so lean and mean. As a matter of fact, you’ve grown quite
a round belly, lately.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">I
know...</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Then
you seem to enjoy your food... a lot!</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
let out a sensual sigh, almost a moan.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">I
know... I love to eat.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">You
get to enjoy a lot more than food.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Huh...
yes...</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”
Scott blushed.</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span>Then
all we have to do is to fatten you up...”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">...What?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">When
your tight end has grown into a pair of large, meaty buttocks, juicy
and good enough to cushion the blow... if I may say so myself...</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil’s
hand pinched Scott’s plump butt, so well that his body answered
without consulting him. Whatever Phil was about to say, his lips were
sealed with Scott’s and they remained so for a long moment, as the
blonde hunk wasn’t pinned down so much that he was kneading and
rolling his fattened friend’s belly against his chest...</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<div style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: verdana;">■ ■ ■</span></b></div>
<div>
<b><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></b></div>
</div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> The
moon was definitely gone when they finally agreed on getting some
well-deserved rest. It wouldn’t be long for the sun to show up.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil’s
voice was just so caressing as he was. They had only had a good talk
like this on a few occasions... Scott had troubles remembering all
the things that he had eaten or drunk on that day, from breakfast to
dinner, but he promised to write it down for him.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">You’re
playing a dangerous game with the people in Augustine Bells...</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">I
know...</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">This
is what happens when you’re not careful.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">I’m
fine now... I can handle these guys.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span> Phil
didn’t sound too convinced. Scott could tell from the way he was
hugging him tight, like a big brother – an incestuous big
brother... </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> That
thought was enough to bring a smile to his face.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">You
don’t get to play your part in this game, do you?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">No...
Mr Porkenham has always pushed me to the side. As for the others...</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Do
you know the first rule about this game?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">What
rule?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">It’s
that... you should never play by anyone else’s rules. You make them
play by your rules...</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
felt the blonde, bearish stud move against him.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">That’s
the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard... Scott, there are no rules.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Huh?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">The
first rule about this game is that you should know who you are
playing against...</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<div style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: verdana;">■ ■ ■</span></b></div>
<div>
<b><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></b></div>
</div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> It
was almost 2PM when Scott woke up. Phil was long gone. The bedroom
felt so quiet – almost empty.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> The
burning, squirming and gnawing feeling in his stomach was also gone.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span> Scott
didn’t want to get out of bed, but he was getting hungry... </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Eventually,
he got up, went to the bathroom, took a quick shower, dressed up and
went outside.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> It
was a foggy, cloudy afternoon, and a dun-colored veil hung over the
house-tops, looking like the reflection of the mud-colored streets
beneath. Scott was also feeling dizzy, thinking about last night.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Mrs
Amber Gloria Morgan, 38</span></span></span><sup><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">th</span></span></span></sup><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">
Evergreen Lane...”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> The
place looked very sloppy from the rain which had fallen through the
night. Its garden was bounded by a three-foot brick wall with a
fringe of wood rails upon the top, and traversed by a narrow,
yellowish pathway which was a mixture of gravel and mud.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
read the name by the letter box. Until Michael’s death, Mrs Morgan
had been working as a chambermaid in Augustine Bells. She was the
first person on the scene.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> It
took her a moment to answer the door.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Hello?”
</span></span></span>
</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Her
tone was not welcoming at all.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Are
you Mrs. Morgan?”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">I
am... Who are you?”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Scott
Girder. I’m Press.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> He
gave her one of his last professional cards.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Are
you really... Well, I have nothing to do with the Press, so I guess
you made a mistake.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">I
was actually looking to meet a maid who used to work at Saint
Augustine Bells preparatory school. Are you Consuela?”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
noticed a slight shrinking of her pupils. She looked very much on her
guard, like a cat in front of a frozen pond.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">My
name is Amber. You must looking for someone else, young man.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> She
was about to close her door, but Scott stopped her on time.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Phil
gave me your name and address.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Oh...
You’ve been talking to Doctor Hewdge.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
nodded. She looked hesitant, but he was allowed to come inside.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Forgive
my manners, Mr. Girder. I can’t say that I am particularly proud of
the way I have deceived most of the staff in that school. I was
Consuela Rodriguez for more than six months, until I was offered a
better job in town.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">So
you weren’t fired? I thought...”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> There
was that angry look again – like a flash. Scott didn’t insist.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">I
left with a most elegant letter of recommendation for my new
employer. Why would I be fired? I didn’t do anything wrong – or
they didn’t know that I had done something wrong.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">How
did Phil find out about it?”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">I
don’t know. Phil is actually smarter than he looks. That’s the
privilege of dumb blondes, I guess: looking so dumb... He saw right
through me, and my Southern pride. I was new in Biberton and I needed
an easy job to smooth things out with my bank, and my landlord...”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Why
did you have to pretend that you came from Mexico?”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US"> Mrs
Morgan </span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">invited
him to sit down.</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> She
was a relatively short, dark-haired lady. From the color of her eyes
and her skin tone, Scott couldn’t deny that she would be labelled
as the Latino type.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">People
don’t just expect you to do your job, Mr Girder. They want you to
play your part. Then you have to look the part. They couldn’t
imagine a chambermaid from South Carolina. My character couldn’t be
flaxen-haired and pale, I had to be Mexican. It so happens that I get
a good tan pretty easily.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Do
you speak Spanish?”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Not
a word... On a good day, I barely had to say hello to the people I
worked for. Simple as that.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">I
see...”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">I
am quite confident that no one except Phil ever suspected a thing.
Then he was the only one who took a moment to talk to me, so...”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
wasn’t too comfortable, sitting on the couch. It only took him a
moment to realize that he was getting aroused at the mere mention of
Phil’s name.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Maybe...
huh... your Southern accent gave you away?”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">I
don’t know... Maybe. His accent is actually stronger than mine, but
he never had to hide it.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Some
people have an ear for that kind of things...”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">It
would be rather funny for a guy like him. I’ve been told that he’s
almost fifty percent deaf, after he got shocked during action or
something... I guess it’s not that funny.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
was almost ready to interrupt and ask her to stop talking about
Phil... He was beginning to sweat, in his tight shirt and dark suit.</span></span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">I
didn’t really expect you to be from South Carolina, to be honest.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> She
seemed flattered, when Scott was only trying to focus on something
else.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Of
course, Morgan is a rather common name. But I was raised in a wealthy
family, with relations to the right people in town.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US"> She
went on a bit about her upbringing, only mentioning Phil’s
obviously poor background to make her point. </span></span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
was amazed at his own reaction. Why should he feel so excited when
Mrs. Morgan reminded him that her parents would always call him
“white trash”? It didn’t make sense... Scott already knew what
a magnificent bad boy Phil was.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">I
hope that I’m not bothering you...</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Honestly?
I was looking forward to this. I have been thinking about it...
You’ve come to ask me about Michael.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">That’s
right.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">What
can I say? It was Sunday, so I only started working at eight. I was
not really in the mood to clean up teenager mess, change bed sheets
and towels for their bathrooms. I looked at the panel and saw that Mr
Astern’s light was on.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">What
light?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">All
the students have a panel in their rooms with a few call buttons.
It’s the equivalent of your sign saying “Chambermaid’s service
requested” at a hotel. All calls are recorded in the maids’
office.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">I
see...</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Michael
was a relatively decent boy, so I decided to answer his call. I went
up. It was about half past eight. I opened the door and... well, I
found him on the floor.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">When
you opened the door...</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Yes?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Do
you have a key?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">I
had a pass. There are too many bedrooms in these dormitories...</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">So,
did you open your door with your pass?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">I
don’t know...</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Mrs
Morgan looked puzzled for a few seconds.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Now
that you mention it... Why, it’s so strange. I never really thought
about the key.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">...What
about it?</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">I
had my pass, but... Let me picture it again... Yes, I used it but I
didn’t have to. It was a surprise for me that I only had to push
the door. Then I forgot about it... You know...</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">Of
course...</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">But
you’re right. Michael’s door wasn’t locked.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">It
wasn’t.</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">–
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">No.
His door was closed, but it wasn’t locked...</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div align="right" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">(</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US"><i>To</i></span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US"><i>
</i></span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US"><i>be</i></span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US"><i>
</i></span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US"><i>continued</i></span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><span lang="en-US">...)</span></span></span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5094005257601699515.post-37255180449753429482016-02-19T16:44:00.003-08:002022-11-06T05:52:59.481-08:00A Bittersweet Symphony (4th mvt.)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QvmPBJJsKc0/VseZEEzA7yI/AAAAAAAAAdg/sQ7qu7aRzB0/s1600/Fonds%2BBittersweet.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="204" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QvmPBJJsKc0/VseZEEzA7yI/AAAAAAAAAdg/sQ7qu7aRzB0/s640/Fonds%2BBittersweet.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><b>IV</b>
– [Finale – Giocoso e molto pesante] </span></div><div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> “</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b>The
last steps to FAT Heaven</b></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">”
</span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Dory
didn’t remember being so excited since she had first laid eyes on
her Nicky – and that was saying something. She had talked to Sean
over the phone the night before, so she knew everything would be
fine. But now she was waiting for Jim to come and see her at the
agency. It was time for his second photo session today – the “fat”
one. As much as she tried to keep cool and act professional, she
couldn’t wait to see her boy back. Was he chubby and plump in all
the right places, like she had so often dreamed to make him ?… As
he liked to play mysterious sometimes, Sean had only told her that he
had “done it and more” with the young model, and that she
wouldn’t be disappointed with that final “and more” part. Now,
Jim was going to be late again – why did she come in so early ?…
Was she just too impatient to see what difference three weeks with
Sean would make on her boy’s trim body ? </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> She
probably was: No matter how late Jim always was, she had overlooked
that and come to the office earlier than she usually cared to… But
after everything Sean had done for her Nicky dear – now her Nicky
bear – and her, she trusted her feeder friend to turn the old,
lanky, cranky Jim into a happy, chunky Jimbo! </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Her
phone rang. It was her secretary, Tracy. </span>
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“What
is it, Tracy ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">There’s
a young man in the lobby. He says he has an appointment with you.” </span>
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I
thought I had no appointment today. Tell him I’m busy.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> There
was still more than two hours before the session started – so, make
it at least two hours and a half before Jim would show up! </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">This
was such a bad idea. Dory was getting nervous. The first operators
and crew members were already having coffee in the studio. The
producers would also be here soon. And the director… And her phone
was ringing again. Tracy was really proving to be useless today… </span>
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“Is
there a problem ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I’m
sorry, but he won’t take no for an answer.” </span>
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Who
won’t ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">That
guy.” </span>
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Well,
who does he think he is ? Tell him to call for a regular appointment,
this time.” </span>
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I
don’t know… I don’t think he belongs to a model agency,
anyway…” </span>
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">What
do you mean ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I
mean… He’s not the kind of boys you would hire as a model.” </span>
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Why
are you lowering your voice down ? Just tell him we’re not looking
for new models here. I have enough trouble with the ones I already
have, by the way.” </span>
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Huh…
okay.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Dory
hanged up the phone. “Still not here”, she thought. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">“And
he wouldn’t have the decency to call! </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I
guess Sean can’t change everything about a guy…” Her phone rang
almost immediately. Was it Jim ? It wasn’t. It wasn’t any of the
producers either, but Tracy again – boy, was she crossing the line
to be fired soon… </span>
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“What’s
now ?!” </span>
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I’m
sorry but…” </span>
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">He’s
still here ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Huh…
yeah.” </span>
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Didn’t
you tell him that we’re not looking for new models ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">He
says he is a model.” </span>
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">You
just told me that was not possible!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I
know. I mean… He’s really <i>fat</i>…” </span>
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span>…<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Send
him in!” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> And
there he was. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">It
was no surprise that Tracy had not recognized him at all: the fact
that he was on time for the first time in History put aside, Dory
couldn’t believe her eyes either. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">This
tubby blonde boy smirking at her was her Jim – the smirk at least
had not changed. Jim’s chest was now shaped into a ball under his
large T-shirt, with his belly nicely curved under fleshy man boobs.
It was hard to tell if Sean had bought a shirt too tight for his
fattened up boy, or if Jim had been mischievous enough to wear it
today on purpose. Quickly looking at him, Dory noticed that his ass
and thighs looked fuller too. So were his cheeks a little. He had
filled out in all the right places – she was so pleased. </span>
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">“Wow,
Jim! You look gorgeous!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Well,
I certainly gorged my way up to this size…” Jim answered with a
grin. </span>
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Now,
this had to be Sean’s influence on him. Dory couldn’t mistake it.
</span>
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“So…
I guess you had a good time at Sean’s place ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Yeah,
that guy was everything you said and more. He’s really good. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">He
was very helpful, and patient… and friendly, and oh!… </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">he’s
such a great chef!” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I
know! Huh, I mean… He’s got quite a rep in the business. And he
really liked you too.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">He
called you ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Of
course. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">He
wants to know what your photos will look like, and if the production
people are pleased with it.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">They
better be pleased, because it’s going to cost them!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">What
do you mean ?…” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Just
wait and read my contract again.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Your
contract ? </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I
thought…” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">What
?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">It’s
funny, you had not read it in the first place, and…” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I’ve
had four weeks to work on that. I may be slow, but I'm not <i>that </i>slow.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">It’s
just so not like you. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">I
mean, you didn’t want to do this at first, and… there you are,
thirty pounds fatter!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">And
more.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">It’s
like… you’ve never been on time for a photo session, and there
you are.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">And
early. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">What’s
wrong about that ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Nothing,
but why did you come two hours in advance ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Jim
looked away.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“I
thought you would be here…” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">You
know I don’t get in before nine.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Okay, okay. I wanted to eat a big breakfast at the production buffet.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Dory
followed him to the buffet. She couldn’t take her eyes off him as
he kept stuffing his face on the crew’s muffins, doughnuts and
buttery toasts. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“You’ve
built up quite an appetite, Jim…” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">No
shit. I haven’t stopped eating, at Sean’s place! And they wanted
me to put on thirty pounds, after all!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">So…
I thought you had. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">In
fact, you look somewhat larger than I thought. You told me you have
grown more ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Almost
twice their infamous ‘mandatory’ weight gain!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">You
mean, 60 pounds ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Oh
yeah!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">So
what’s with the morning cravings for muffins ? </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">You
don’t need to gain any further.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">I’m
just hungry… Okay, okay. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I
would like to pose with a full belly. Give some better roundness to
it, you know ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I
see… But, why did Sean make you gain twice too much ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Jim didn’t think that it was “too much”, but he had a more appropriate
answer ready for her. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“He’s
found out that each pound that I gain after the first thirty ones I
had signed for is worth five hundred bucks. So that’s fifteen
grands they owe me!” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Are
you serious ?…” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Of
course I am! Just wait and see.” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> Jim’s
second photo session was supposed to be the “unhappy, fat” one,
complete with big, jiggling belly pics and movies where he would be
walking slowly, so heavy with blubber as he could be. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Jim
was taking a shower when the crew arrived. He had left the buffet
table almost empty, but he didn’t quite feel full… When he came
into the studio for his first pics, all the guys around thought he
was looking truly dashing with his hair wet and a little messy as
they always were – but what about his bulging gut ? so much in
evidence over his towel, it was tantalizing… Catching everyone’s
attention didn’t seem to hurt the young model, no matter what their
reason was. If they were shocked, he didn’t care – if they were
turned on, he didn’t care much either. After a month of intimacy
and overeating – which he would call “solitude” and “effort”
for the production people – Jim missed being checked out by guys,
especially professionals, and photographed and filmed… He looked
nice, large, plump and comfortable – all in all, in the perfect
mood for another day long session. Except he was still hungry. Dory
had asked Tracy to go get a few boxes of doughnuts and other pastries
from the bakery outside. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> The
director came in before she had brought the cakes to Jim. He had
talked with Dory and the producers for a minute, but he was
speechless when he saw the new and enhanced version of Jim. His
welcoming small talk was a little nervous, but still polite – in a
director’s way. And Jim had no problem answering his questions,
this time. The crew was still taken off by his answers, sometimes.
They thought they knew Jim and his moods and his strange sense of
humour, but this was new. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">The
production people were the only ones to be openly pleased by his
attitude: the boy was even fatter and rounder as they hoped he would
get. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Yes,
he had taken good care of his body, and stayed in shape –
considering that a sphere is a shape, after all... He had followed a
steady diet – or was it a sturdy diet ? and had to cut his working
out routine down to once a week for a month. Mostly free weights. No
more cardio exercises. He was considering quitting his old gym,
anyway. Concentrate more on the good stuff… Bananas were good
stuff, for instance. He didn’t think forty a day was too much...
But these cakes looked fine too. If you asked him, they could replace
bananas for the time being. No, he was not going to tell them what
special ingredient he put in his morning milk. He liked to go for a
nap after a good meal, by the swimming pool. No, he didn’t swim
much anymore. He would certainly float… Yes, he’d had to ask for
professional help on the side. Jim didn’t think he couldn’t make
it without Sean’s help, anyway... A nutritionist. Sean was a friend
of his, now. No further questions about that. Yes, he was good. The
best, according to him. But you could guess he had quite a good
appetite, too. Who knew, huh ?… Of course, Jim had always liked to
eat. The usual... Just got it to the next level. He had nothing to
tell them about it. He wasn’t on a diet anymore, but he was
reminded that he would soon have to lose the weight, according to his
contract... </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> There
were no more questions from the producers about Jim’s new eating habits – although every guy in the crew was feeling his mouth
watering… Jim was looking at them discreetly. It was most
interesting – Sean was right. After a while, the director asked Jim
to pose just as he had done the first time. Until then, Jim had been
standing in front of them, wearing nothing but his pair of boxer
shorts and munching on doughnuts as the lights were getting ready. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">It
wasn’t clear to them if he wanted to look even rounder than he
naturally was, or if he couldn’t help himself and just had to eat
constantly! </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Dory
joined them after a while. Jim had not stopped eating, and the
director was getting sick and tired of his model’s constant
interruptions and pauses by the buffet… He was still trying to hold
it together and get the pictures done. Dory knew Jim well enough to
suspect that he was only laying ground for a bigger confrontation
with the producers. So she asked them to follow her in her office,
and started discussed the more important, if overlooked, aspects
Jim’s contract – a certain clause that they remembered of course,
but which had totally slipped their minds. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br />“So…
You see where I’m going ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Yeah,
I’ve got the picture.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">Have
you really, John ? This picture is going to cost us more than the
ones being shot right now! </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">How
much does the son of a bitch weighs ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">He
told me he’s gained sixty instead of thirty…” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">What
?!” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">That
cunning, little bastard!…” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">But…
that’s like 15.000 $!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Thank you George, I didn't flunk math! It’s not just about the money, Dory. You told
us this would be a f</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">air
deal! Are you the one who gave it away to the fucking doughboy ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">No.
He found about it on his own – I guess…” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> Boy,
could she lie! </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">The
three producers weren’t really buying it anyway. They had to check
for some damage control, first. They rushed back into the studio. Jim
was still eating muffins, surrounded by the guys who weren’t busy
on the set. They were almost drooling, as they watched him shove more
pastries into his mouth. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“Where’s
Jim ?!” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> The
young model just waved, keeping his cool when all the others around
him were surprised at how angry the producers looked, after they
seemed to be so pleased with him. It was a good thing that the
director at least was setting the place for the shots where Jim had
to stand on a scale. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“Why,
you greedy asshole, you…” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Now,
now… Let me handle this.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> The
most patient of the three tried to make things go smoothly. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“What’s
the trouble, guys ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">We
were wondering… How much do you weigh, Jim ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Oh,
I don’t know for sure… I’ve been trying to grow so large and so heavy as I
could, lately.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Well,
that’s… fine, but now that we’re in the middle of your last
pictures session, you don’t have to gain any more.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I
know.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Okay,
good. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">Someone
get us a scale!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> The
director got back the digital scale they had borrowed in the first
place. Jim stood on it and was found to weigh a good <b>235</b>lbs. He acted
like it was no big deal, but all three producers were pissed at him
now... They tried not to say a word, as their attitude was raising questions and comments from the crew. The first photo session was far
from over, after what felt like the longest morning ever, where only
a handful of test pictures had been taken. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;">“We
should say something now…”</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“Come on. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">And
let it out in front of witnesses ? </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Why
don’t you just throw money at them ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">We
could shut it down… It’s not too late.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Don’t
be ridiculous.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">They’re
finally ready to shoot. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">We
would look like the worst kind of jerks.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I
know…” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">He’s
making fun of us as we speak… Look at him!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> In
spite of the director’s obvious indications to make this set of
pics convey a “fat is unhappy” message, Jim was standing up and
posing like his body was just so lean and trim as before. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Then
he gave the camera his trademark husky, smothering and sexually
aggressive look. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“Huh…
Jim ? This is not exactly what I asked from you.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">What
do you mean ? You asked me to go like this and look at the camera.”
</span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Yes,
but I asked you for a ‘fat’ look, you know…” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Looks
like I don’t. Care to explain it to me ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Just
give me the look that says, well… </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">‘I’m
fat’.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Oh
? okay.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Jim
went back and struck an even hotter pose, then looked right at the
camera with eyes that would have sold anything – anything but what
the director had asked him to stand for. He didn’t comment on it
and asked for a second shot. It was just the same… Once again, Jim
was not listening to his instructions. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">“Jim,
this is probably even worse than what you first did!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Wow!
that bad ?” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">No,
no… It’s no big deal. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I
guess I wasn’t clear before.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Tell
me what was wrong, then.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Well…
Let’s just say that… I didn’t quite get the right vibe from
your last pose. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I
don’t feel like you pose as a ‘fat’ guy, you see ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">What
are you talking about ? </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">I
don’t have to pose as a fat boy – I AM a fat boy!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">I’m
afraid it’s not what you gave me. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">You
didn’t really ‘look’ fat to me.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Okay…
Is it all right that I look ‘overweight’ to you, at least ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">That’s
not the point, Jim. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">But
let’s try a different approach. I want you to stand there, take a
deep breath, just be yourself and look at the camera like you ‘feel
fat’…” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Say
no more. Got you.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Perfect! Now, please take your mark and do it for me.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> So
Jim went back in position again, and took a deep breath – but when
he posed for the picture, he was looking through the camera in the
hottest way possible. And as if this wasn’t enough, his right hand
was slowly rubbing his curvy, full belly while his left hand rested
on his thigh and caressed it to pat his butt… That was the final
straw. The director yelled at him from the top of his lungs </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“<b>WHAT
THE FUCK</b>…” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Hey,
watch it!” the chief operator stopped him just in time. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Jim!
What do you think you just did ?!” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Only
what you asked me to do…” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">Yeah,
right! I think my exact words were ‘look at the camera like you
feel fat’! </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Is
that how you pictured it in your head ?!” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Pretty
much. That’s they way I feel about it, anyway.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">Oh
? Oh… I see… But Jim, you’re giving me ‘puppy fat’ – or
‘happy fat’ – I’m not looking for ‘happy puppy’ fat
here!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“S</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">o you want me to play ‘I lost my heart in San Francisco’ fat
or what ?…” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Jim
was probably a lot easier to deal with when he was the one that got
angry and yelled until he got tired of it all. The director took a
step back, and started trying to put some sense into the model’s
handsome but rather thick head. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-GB">“This
is a pretty simple campaign, Jim. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">We
are endorsing some new slimming product, here. Repeat after me:
<i>Slim</i>-<i>Ming</i>! So, what do they teach you in advertising class ? </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Your
product has always been the best, but it’s new and improved now for
better sales, and the rest of the world is just like shit on the
market place!… </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">See
my point ?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">I
guess.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;">“Slim
equals good. Not slim, not good… In the wonderful world of diet
products and night cream, fat guys are predestined to be unhappy
until they discover the miracle that is <i>Healthyline</i>…”</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“Do you think I should crash cymbals before on after I say that word ?”
</span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I’m
not joking! As a fat boy working for the Healthyline company, you
should give me your best ‘unhappy’ looks – or do you want to be
like… a rat in Disneyland ?!” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I
guess that’s the real deal... Right ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Yeah.
Sorry that I had to make you point at it like that, but…” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Deep
down, it’s saying to people ‘Okay, so you’re different and
that’s a crime – but you have money, so just cough it up to us
and we will clean you up and give you a more respectable, fake new
identity’. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">That’s
what you’re looking for my next pics ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Boy,
when you listen carefully…” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I
won’t do it.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">What
? Why ?… You just nailed it!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Exactly.
I’m taking a break.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Wait,
wait, wait, wait…” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Jim
was even more stubborn now that he knew he was right. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">This
was just great – he was supposed to look like he was unhappy and
wrong about being fat! </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">The
director was not stupid either. There had to be a way to take pics
that would meet the producers’ expectations somehow. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“Okay,
Jim... I didn’t want to take such drastic measures, but you give me
no choice. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">No
pause before the pics are taken and the movies wrapped up!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Says
who ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">I’m
the director here. You may be large but </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I’m
in charge, so will you listen to <i>me </i>before we start working overtime
again, Jim ? Now you guys, take all the snacks out of here. I don’t
want to see a crumb left on that buffet table.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I
was going to have doughnuts.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Right,
Jim. And you will, when we’re finished here… I think we can still
make it.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“H</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">ow ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">You
go back there and give me the same pose as before.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">But
you said I was doing it wrong…” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Nu-huh.
Just follow my league. You take a deep breath, Jim. Now, look at me.”
</span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Jim
was still looking confident and hot. But the director knew what he
was doing. All he had to do was to slowly put his model into the
right mood and make him give just the look they needed on the
pictures. So, he kept his voice calm and precise, and asked Jim to do
it over and over, giving him the adequate indications. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“That’s
good, Jim… Okay now, you’re a sexy young model with a nice layer
of puppy fat on his bones. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">Give
me the puppy look, Jim… Good! So, you’re quite a plump hot stud,
but you haven’t been fed for a while, right ? Give me that hungry
puppy eyes, Jim… Excellent. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Now,
you’re not just hungry for food, you know. You’re on an empty
stomach, sure, but you want something <i>fattening </i>– something that will
butter you up on the inside as you eat it, right ?… Give me that
lusty, hungry look, Jim. Very good. Hold on for a second…”
</span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> The
change in Jim’s attitude was obvious. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Each
new picture was better than the previous one – and also getting
closer to what they were looking for. The director asked his
assistant to bring a box of doughnuts back and hold it next to him,
under the camera. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“Let’s
take this further, Jim. You’ve been hungry for doughnuts for a
while… Now, these are the most delicious, most fattening kind of
chocolate frosted, cream-filled doughnuts. Don’t look at the
doughnuts – keep looking at me. You know you won’t get any of
them unless you convince me to give them to you, all right ? So…
you don’t have to say a word to me – but tell me with your eyes,
Jim. Come on, say it to me in a glance. ‘I want the cream-filled
doughnuts’…” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> But
Jim was giving him bedroom eyes – not what he was aiming at. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br />“No,
no, Jim. You’re not trying to seduce me to give you the box of
doughnuts… You only have to convince me that you’re so painfully
hungry that I should be generous and give it to you. What do you say
we try communicating like this ? Okay, that’s better. I think you
have a point, Jim, but you look quite plump to me – and this is
very fattening food… Why should I give it to you, then ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Because
I…” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“Nuh huh. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Only
with your eyes, Jim... </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">You
just tell me if I misinterpreted the looks you give me.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> So
Jim started answering to his director like that…</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"><br /></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“I
was asking you… Why should I give a box full of creamy doughnuts to
you, when you already look pretty well-fed to me ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> And
you could read in Jim’s eyes “Because I haven’t had a decent
meal for a long while, and I have such a large stomach to fill before
the hunger goes away…” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“That’s
better. But you don’t look like you have such a large stomach…
</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">You’re
just plump, that’s all. I’m sure you would be full just with two
or three doughnuts!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“Come
on… I have quite a large capacity, and I’m starving here…”
Jim’s eyes answered to the director teasing him. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“If
you had such a big belly, you would show it to me. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">You’re
just slightly overweight… and I don’t feel like I should give you
an entire box of fattening pastries just because you pretend to be
hungry!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Then
Jim didn’t only answer to the director’s instructions with his
look but with his whole body and posture. He started pushing his
belly out, shaping it into a ball of blubber and looking desperate to
grow some more. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“Okay,
so you want to get fatter ? That’s right, Jim… </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">That’s
what you really want. You’ve eaten your way up to this size and
softness, but you’re still so painfully <i>thin</i>! </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I
think one box of doughnuts won’t be enough, Jim. Not even close!
You deserve better than this… but this is all you can get your
hands on, right now. And to think you have to convince me to give it
to you ? Come on, tell me how you feel…” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Jim’s
pose was perfect, now. He looked plump and pot-bellied, but
frustrated and hungry somehow – and in his eyes still full of lust
and stars, you could see how much he resented to be reduced to this.
This would do to convey the “fat and unhappy” message of the
company. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“That’s
all right, Jim. I think we got it, right guys ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Oh
yeah!…” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Okay
that’s good. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">You
can have all the doughnuts you want, Jim. I should say you've
earned them, this time.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="center" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; line-height: 15.4px;"><br /></span><b style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; line-height: normal;">■</b></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> The
situation was quite different with the producers.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“You
say we owe you fifteen thousand dollars ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Yes.
I thought it was about time we mentioned it, by the way.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I
don’t understand...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Don’t
fuck with me, okay ? </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I
wasn’t happy about this whole thing when I signed for it. Then I
have done my best to meet your expectations – and as it turns out,
I’ve grown beyond that goal. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">This
may be the same to you, but you have signed for it too!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I’m
afraid that Jim has a point, here.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">What
are you talking about, George ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">But
your contract is not quite over, really… is it, Jim ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">What
do you mean ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">You
have yet to lose all the weight that you have gained.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">No
I don’t.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">What
?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">The
contract says that your company will help me lose the weight, and if
we can’t make it together in time for your ad to be on the air and
in magazines, you will use the first set of pictures and movies we’ve
made. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">There’s
really no pressure on me here, since you have a back-up.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Is
that true, John ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">That
was the plan…” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">The
contract only states that you will pay for every food, working-out
activities or any other treatment that will make me drop the weight.
</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Makes
sense, since you’re in that kind of business.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">Okay,
Jim. Now, you’re robbing us!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I’m
only following the terms of our contract.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Oh
come on, will you cut down on this John Grisham crap!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Easy,
John… I think I know how we’re going to deal with Jim.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">You
do ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Correct
me if I’m wrong, Jim, but you have been thinking a lot about this.
</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">And
you have come to the right conclusion, working for your best
interest. I can’t say I agree with what you’re doing here, but I
respect that. And I’m sure we would have done just the same.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Now,
you sound like you should have been part of </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"><i>The
Firm</i></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">
cast…” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Then
let’s see if we understand each other. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">What
you’re suggesting to us would cost like fifty, sixty grands –
just to help you trim down and lose the thirty unexpected pounds on
top of our estimations, then pay you for these excessive thirty
pounds… again! </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Now,
you know you won’t get it ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Like
Hell I won’t!” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">The
budget for this campaign is about a hundred thousand dollars. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">If
we have to cut it in half, we can’t get it on the air… or
anywhere. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">So
we will have to shut it down! No strings attached: we call this
project off. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">We
don’t get to put our product on the market in time, and you don’t
get anything.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Is
that true, Dory ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I’m
afraid it is, Jim…” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Yes
it is, boy. You could try to sue, but then it would be one of those
lose-lose deals, you know ? I hate those. So… the only reasonable
answer to it is a mediation.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">What
does that mean ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">We
change the terms of the original contract. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">We
help you lose the weight, and you forget about ripping us fifteen
thousands dollars.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">What
?! Are you out of you mind ? </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">I
would rather keep the weight and get the money!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">Really,
I’m shocked. Of course you would go for the money, but I won’t
let our company facing a lawsuit when you pretend we have forced you
to fatten up like this, based on remains of a rearranged contract!”
</span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Oh
right, because you are the victim in this story ? </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Seriously!…”
</span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Maybe
we can take this case to the lawyer and let him decide on the right
terms of your agreement…” </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Dory
suggested. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> But
Jim had already left them, banging the doors on his way out and
mumbling to himself. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">He
passed a few guys from the morning crew. They were still happy about
their photo sessions, so they couldn’t quite figure why he was in
such a killing mood. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“Why
such a long face, Jim ? I think this was your best session ever.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">I
couldn’t care less about this fucking campaign! </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">And
these guys!…” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Wow,
cheer up, Jim.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">Yeah…
peace out, pal!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">Piss
off, jerks!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="center" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; line-height: 15.4px;"><br /></span><b style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; line-height: normal;">■</b></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> Dory
was back with the cranky Jim she had learned to love, and trust, and
try to help grow into a better, fatter person… A lawyer from
Nicky’s office had been assigned on his case, and she had been kind
enough to listen to Dory’s suggestions, when Jim didn’t even want
to hear of a mediation. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Disregarding
his rude attitude, Dory thought that it had come to the right
conclusion. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“Listen
to me, Jim.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">So
that you will tell me what ? </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">That
I’ve worked for these guys, and put on weight, and gained more, and
played nice for NOTHING ?!” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">No,
it’s just that… since you won’t get that much money, anyway…”
</span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Whose
agent are you, Dory ? </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Or
is there like some new law I haven’t read or heard about that
allows you to be like a double agent ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">Okay,
that does it. Now, you listen to me, mister!.. I’ve put you back in
the pool when you were ready to give up on everything! </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I’m
not going to let you abandon ship again and let your modelling career
go belly up… so to speak.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">You
really have your way with words, huh, Dory ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> According
to his new contract with the Healthyline company, Jim was to be paid
five thousand dollars, on top of whatever it would cost to make his
weight go down under 190lbs again. Dory had suggested that a 20lbs
weight gain over six months wouldn’t be ground for a lawsuit. Jim
reluctantly agreed on those terms. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Over
the next three months, Jim worked out a lot with a professional
coach, and followed a strict diet. He was trimming down to his old
size – before he had met Sean – much to Dory’s disappointment.
Of course, she encouraged Jim like this was a good thing. And it was,
considering he would be hired for some new commercials or fashion
products endorsement. But truly she hated that he was already back
under <b>200</b>lbs... Jim wasn’t happy about it either. They were both
lying to themselves, as well as they were lying to each other. Their
friendship wasn’t affected by all this misunderstanding, since they
were more frustrated than really angry. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> When
Jim’s bodyfat was down to about 12% again, the young model
considered posing for a new photo book and resume. The last months
had left him tired in many ways, and given some deeper darkness to
his look. But he was stunningly beautiful, and at 185lbs, his
physique was more athletic than you would expect from a model his
height and age. Dory was giving some serious thought into having Jim
work in the bodybuilding products area – which was new territory
for him, but full of unexpected promises, according to Dory. She had
something in mind for her boy. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Besides,
it couldn’t wait much longer. Dory was worried that Jim would go
back to his old, selfish habits. She had to strike, now - and she
couldn’t afford any mistake. But as usual, her plan was clever and
carefully laid. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="center" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; line-height: 15.4px;"><br /></span><b style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; line-height: normal;">■</b></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Guess
who’s back in town tonight, Jim ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-align: justify;">“I have n</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">o
idea, and I don't give a fuck… Well</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">…</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"> Okay, who ?”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">You
remember Sean ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Sean’s
here ?” A big smile suddenly blossomed on Jim’s blushing face. “He’s
here tonight ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">He’s
asked me about you. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">How
you were doing. I thought it would be better if he saw you in person.
After all the efforts you’ve made…” </span>
</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Yeah…”
</span>
</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I
can make a reservation at his hotel’s restaurant, if you want to
meet him there.” </span>
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Of
course I want to see him! </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Thanks,
Dory.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Jim
was very excited to see Sean again but he felt like something was wrong,
when they met at the bar and got a table. It wasn’t Sean’s fault.
He was being so nice to him as he had always been. But there was
something missing. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">Or
there was something between them – whatever it was: distance ?
obstacles ?… </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Anyway,
Jim was sighing from time to time, and Sean asked him what the
problem was. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“Aren’t
you glad to see me too ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I am. It’s just that… this isn’t really you. And it’s not
really me…” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Do
you think this restaurant is also make believe ? </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Because really, such tiny, kiddy portions of lobsters…” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">That’s
not what I meant.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I
think I know what you mean.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">This
is not the way I was thinking our next meeting would be. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I
wished… I wish it was like last time. Exactly like that.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">So
I was right about the food quantities here ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Well,
duh! Who serves a barbecue steak under 96 ounces, anyway ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">You
haven’t eaten anything close to it for a while to shrink down to…
how much do you weigh, Jim ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">185lbs.
According do my doctor, I’m about 10% bodyfat too.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Nice…”
</span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Don’t
give me the trademark ‘healthy, healthy’ crap… I know you, Sean
– and you know me. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">This
is what I was talking about!” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">What
were you talking about ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Everything’s
changed. And I can’t stand it anymore! These last months without
you, it’s been like torture. When Dory told me you were in town, I
thought I could go back to you and you would feed me again, like you
did when we first met. It’s ridiculous, I know… but that’s how
I feel.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I
had no idea.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">I
should have called you. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I’m
sorry. But you’ve changed too. You’re not the guy I fell in…
You’re not the same. If I had met the Sean I know tonight, there
would have been no one around and a lot more food. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">And
no ties! and hardly a piece of clothes between us!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I
haven’t changed.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span>…<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">What
?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /> Sean
had got up. Now he was going to the register. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">He
only told the Maitre D’ to have everything ready as he had
requested at first. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Jim
had followed him there – but he didn’t quite understand what was
going on… </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Follow
me, Jim.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Where
?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">To
my place.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Sean’s
place for the night was only his room, but it was enough – with the
help of room service and a few home products he had brought for Jim –
to stuff him just the way Jim had confessed he missed so much. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-GB"> There
were trays and plates everywhere when Sean finished feeding his hot
boy. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Sun
was slowly rising, painting the creamy white walls and ceiling in
deep shades of red and luscious golden orange. Jim was lying on the
bed, legs spread, his belly shaped into a ball and swollen to its
maximum. Sean was massaging it right now. He was naked like Jim, and
complimenting him about his appetite. Once again, the model’s belly
had proved to be more expandable than you would expect.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-GB"> Jim would belch from time to time. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Sean
was forcing his last pitcher of weight-gain shake down his throat.
They were both so hot to each other, this wasn’t meant to stop. Not
now. Not like this. Never.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“Time
for your big English breakfast, Jimbo.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Please
yes!…” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> But
the phone rang, instead. Sean had to catch his plane. Jim followed
him to the airport. He was so sad, it was painful for him just to try
and hide how sad he was. Things had to change. He couldn’t just see
and enjoy Sean from time to time. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“Is that your flight ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Yes,
so… I have to go now.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">When
will you come back ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Depends.
I have work to…” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">When
will you come back and see me ? </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Just me ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Anytime,
Jim.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span>…<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Kiss
me.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> Sean
backed off for a second. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Jim
had never asked for a kiss like that before. And they were right
before the hub. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">It
wasn’t exactly a public place: it was a crowded place! </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“Right
here ? People will think…” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">I
don’t give a flying rat's ass about what they think! </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Everyone
around here with eyes and half a brain must be thinking that you’re my
boyfriend already, and that you have to leave for some stupid
reason, after you’ve stuffed me and we’ve had the best sex ever, all night…
Let’s prove them right.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> And
Jim kissed Sean right there – a deep, long, wet kiss. They were
both blushing when it was over. Jim rearranged Sean’s collar, and
whispered to him. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“I’m
your boyfriend, now. Come back to me, and you can fatten me up to
whatever size you desire…” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Sean was gone. Jim spent the rest of the week-end in agony, between
life and bathroom… Sean called him, but they didn’t say much to
each other. Whatever they wanted to share wasn’t the kind of things
you can tell over the phone. Jim only gave a call to Dory. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">Strictly
business, in a way - straight and to the point: he had to meet her. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Monday
morning came up. Jim stepped on the scale. He had been completely
lazy for two days, eating junk food on every meal but resting mostly,
and hoping the bloated feeling in his gut would be replaced by some
adequate plumpness. He was right. Sean had done a nice job fattening
him up, once again. Jim’s weight was up to 191lbs, and he could
tell by the way his abs were beginning to drown under softer flesh. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-GB"> It
gave him some well-needed confidence. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">He
had to tell Dory. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">He
was going to be bold about it – this was the most important
decision of his life!</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">“So
you had a great time with Sean. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">What
did you want to tell me ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">It’s
grown into something more. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I’m
in love with him.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Oh…
I see. Did you tell him you were ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I
did. I think he’s in love with me too.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">So…
Are you asking me to sing at your wedding, or…” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">There’s
something you should know about my relationship with Sean.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Huh…
Okay.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Jim
was looking dead serious. Dory had never seen him like this. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“With
Sean as my boyfriend, chances are… No, it’s a sure thing that I’m
going to gain weight. You know, like when you first sent me to him.”
</span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Are
you really so sure about it ? </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Sean
was under a contract to fatten you up, like you were…” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">It’s
not the same but… Let’s say, it’s been the foundation of our
friendship, okay ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I
see. And you’re afraid you’re going to be too fat to pose for the
agency again.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I’m
not afraid. I know I will get too fat to keep my job as a model.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Dory
got up from her desk. She was slowly taking it in.
</span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“I’m
sorry, Dory. I thought…” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">It’s
a good thing that you told me. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">After
all, you don’t owe me anything, and I don’t own you in any way.”
</span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Jim
was still amazed, in a way. She looked like
everything was falling into place – not falling apart. He didn’t
expect Dory to take it so well… </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“All
right, let’s say Sean is going to make you gain weight again. You
think he can fatten you up over 350lbs ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Oh
well… it’s a… yeah, definitely. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">It's bound to happen.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Then
your career as a model is <i>far </i>from over!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span>…<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Are
you serious ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">I’m
always serious when it comes to work. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I
have my hands in a lot of different business and projects I’ve
never told you about, because you weren’t the right guy for them.
Now... this is different.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">What
kind of projects ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Did Sean take progress pics, like on a monthly basis ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Every
week, when I was at his place…” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Excellent.
If he takes video clips too, we can document your gain.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">He
does take videos. But… when you say <i>document</i>, are you thinking about some new
“Supersize Me” will…” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Not
that kind of documentary. Give me some credit, here. I meant s</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">omething
more accurate. More positive… possibly more erotic ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I
see your point – but who’s gonna want to watch that ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">You
would be amazed, Jim… Now, on to something more professional.
</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Movies,
what do you think ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I’m
not really an actor.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Then,
you won’t even have to act. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Here,
read this.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /> Dory
opened a drawer and gave a file to Jim. It was a script for a movie
called <i>X Excel</i>. It sounded like porn - and flipping through the
scenes, Jim could tell it was just the thing. </span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Okay,
Dory… I had no idea about this. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">But
<i>porn </i>?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">It’s
okay, Jim. Read the main character’s scenes. There’s no actual full-front nudity or <i>sex </i>involved. Just a montage of eating sequences and fantasy…” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">This
looks nuttier than squirrel's shit.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Read
it now. Take your time and tell me what you think.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Jim read the scenes involving Arnold – the main character. Dory was
right. If the production was serious like she was, this was harmless
and probably involving a good deal of money. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br />“How
much would I get paid ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> When
Dory told him about his new salary, he accepted immediately. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="center" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; line-height: 15.4px;"><br /></span><b style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; line-height: normal;">■</b></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> Sean
was always on the set for the six or seven scenes Jim had to shoot.
</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Dory
had called him first, as soon as Jim had signed his new contract. His
new boyfriend had been extra careful to announce him that he was
considering a career in gainer porn movies – where in fact Sean was
all for it. He agreed with Jim and read the contract over and over.
Then he read the script and asked to be Jim’s personal assistant
and coach for <i>X Excel</i>. Dory asked the producers about that.
They were already enthusiastic as they had seen Sean’s book
featuring Jim’s progress pics. But they were way beyond that when
they saw Jim ready on his first day. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Neither
Dory nor Sean lost any minute to get the picture project in
motion. Over the week that it took them to set everything up for
shooting, Jim had worked out and eaten consciously – so excited as
he was in anticipation. He had trimmed down to 185lbs once again, and
his bodyfat was just low enough to make him look like a
semi-professional bodybuilder… </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> The
plot of <i>X Excel</i> was simple. A young hunk, Arnold, works in
a cubicle for some anonymous company. The teaser shows him working on
his computer and doing something in accounting on Excel. Then he goes
on the Internet and starts watching video files of fat men, belly
pics and some chubby porn. Then comes the main title. In the first
scene, Arnold (Jim) takes his morning shower, steps on the scale -
the camera records his weight, and quite low bodyfat. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">Arnold
sighs: His muscle body is really hot but that’s not what he wants.
</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">You
see him sighing again on his computer, then the fantasies start and
with a few blurry cuts, you jump to the really hard-core scenes,
featuring chub porn stars. Arnold’s character only appears in
between the sex scenes – but in his second scene he’s in the
kitchen and, still daydreaming, starts stuffing himself on what looks
like a family-sized meal… Other sex scenes come up, with some more
professional gainer actors – then you see Arnold bloated, and
jerking off. And the cheap, 80-something clip music blended the whole
thing together. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> The same sequence of events went on for the rest of the movie: Morning shower and early
daydreaming, jump-cutting to more chub on chub action scenes. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Arnold eating in his bedroom, in the kitchen again, on the couch, by the
pool. The only interest of those repetitive scenes, according to
Sean, was that Arnold’s progress was obvious and genuine. In the
movie’s last scene, Arnold steps on the scale for his morning
weigh-in – and he’s an even 200lbs, nicely plump and curvy. He
smiles to himself in the mirror. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> As
a consequence, the shooting of Jim’s scenes was very easy: “early
shower scene”, “eating scene: before”, “eating scene: after”.
</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">It
only took a week for Sean and Jim to give the director everything he
wanted – which wasn’t much. Sean made a few suggestions to the
producers sometimes, but it wasn’t really what he was there for. He
had been hired as Jim’s personal assistant and “stuffer” –
like you had “fluffers” in some old-fashioned gay porn
productions. After the morning scenes, Sean would spend the day alone
with Jim, feeding him all the fattening foods he had requested from
the production, and in quantities large enough to make the poor model
boy gain about two pounds a day. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">This
was a success: Jim was noticeably fatter, and everything was wrapped
up on time and on budget! Dory got excellent feedback from the
editors too: Jim’s body caught the light just so well as a fat boy
– probably even better than in his modelling days… </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><br /></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> <i>X
Excel</i> did fairly well in its rather unusual, underground box office – Jim’s
generous check from the production was there to prove it. Sean had
made an arrangement to lower down Jim’s basic salary and give him
percentage. That was a smart move. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /> According
to Jim, the movie was a big success, but he had never really
figured anything out when it came around money. <i>X Excel</i> was
okay, but it was still run-of-the-mill gay porn: nothing
impressive, nothing original. The only interest of the movie, as Sean
was to find out on the Internet, was Jim’s performance – or
rather, progression </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">–</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> from muscle hunk to beginner chub. This gave
Sean a few ideas, so he called the studios and told them about a new,
more interesting, gainer porn movie for Jim. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-GB"> The
producers were a bit puzzled, at first. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">But
they knew Sean was good at what he was doing – and the ideas he had
suggested to them before would have probably made for a better movie.
The only problem was the budget of it. Sean accepted to be paid only
with a percentage – which also gave him the final cut and artistic
control. That was a bit funny, in the pornographic industry. After a
few meetings and discussions with Sean, Dory and Jim, they came up
with what had to be the most expensive movie these guys had ever
dealt with…</span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; line-height: 15.4px;"><br /></span><b style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; line-height: normal;">■</b></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> Sean’s
project was a twisted retelling of <i>Hansel & Gretel</i>. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">When
Jim was asleep, he had noticed how he could look a lot like a child,
when he wanted to – whether he was laughing, sad or pouting – of
course, plump cheeks would make it easier for him to look like a
teen. Before the first day of shooting, Jim had to dye his hair in a
lighter shade of blond, so that he would pass for German. Sean was
also playing in the movie – and even if there was a director of
photography, he was really the person in charge, so you could say he
was directing it. The only other cast member was the witch, played by
none other than Dory… The producers weren’t sure about this –
so Sean, Jim and her played a scene just for them, without costumes.
But you could tell they were believable… </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> The
costumes were rather bland </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">–</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US"> except for the witch, who had two very different dresses: one looking of a Victorian maid's uniform, the other one more
stylish and younger, with silver jewels, leather, black lace and
denim… </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Dory
had designed it herself. The first scenes would be shot outdoors, in
the woods near Sean’s country place. The only costly set was the
gingerbread house. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Sean
had thought about it, and accepted to “redecorate” his country
house: the front porch was decorated with all kinds of pastry-like
figures, but not in an overly charged way. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">This
was still tasteful. There were some minor changes to Sean’s
kitchen, so that you could think it was old-fashioned. Some shots
would be set by the fireplace. The children’s bedroom was decorated
pretty much the same way. But the really important set was for the
cage and the oven. The largest wall in the house was covered with
false stone, shelves and cooking devices. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">The
steel cage was already there, and the oven was brought in: it was
only lights and colours, so it was the coldest place in the room in
fact, when the lights were up and they were ready to shoot a scene…</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Sean’s
script was not about a 10 year old Hansel and his sister, but a 20
year old Hansel (Jim) and his boyfriend Russell (Sean). In the
teaser, the two “boys”, dressed in Bavarian light clothes are
running through the forest. It is not clear at first if they are
running from their parents or just enjoying a good sunny late
afternoon together. After they stop running, falling in each other’s
arms, Hansel and Russell have their first sex scene – their clothes
thrown away on low branches, roots, mousse and so on until Hansel has
an on-screen orgasm against his lover’s torso. Then come the main
titles, on images of the forest at sunset, and going into the night. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> When
Russell gets up, it’s very dark around them. He and Hansel already
have trouble finding their clothes. How are they going to go back to
the village ? That scene is played in some sort of romantic comedy,
despite the “Blair Witch” darkness background. Their lines are
only interrupted when they kiss, longer and longer each time. Still,
they keep bickering in an almost childish way. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> They
wander through the forest and see a red light. It’s the gingerbread
house, of course. Hansel and Russell approach very slowly, then start
eating pieces of it. The witch comes out and invites the two men in.
She’s not old at all – just dressed in old-fashioned clothes, and
Hansel can’t help to make comments on it. Russell stops him on time
and they follow the witch inside the house and into her kitchen. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> The
first eating scene is already quite lush: the table is covered with
all kinds of delicious foods. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">The
two boys sit in front of each other, while the witch goes from one to
the other, attending to both of them and checking out once in a while
how muscled or plump they are. They must be hungry, since they are so
thin… She encourages them to eat everything they want on the table.
Russell and the witch do most of the talking, as Hansel just eats and
makes a pig of himself. The dialogue between Russell and the witch,
on the other hand, is heavy with both seducing and menacing subtext,
innuendoes and double-entendre… Russell doesn’t feel so good in
here, but Hansel accepts for the two of them that they spend the
night in the witch’s guest room upstairs. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Alone,
and resting comfortably on the bed, Hansel and Russell go back to the
long kisses and foreplay they had in the forest, as they start
undressing each other. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">They
are constantly interrupted by the witch, however, in the style of
some light vaudeville: she keeps bringing more and more cakes, pies
and doughnuts to the boys, “in case they feel hungry during the
night”. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Hansel
and Russell keep their cool as much as they can - but when she comes
back for the fourth time, Russell tells her they have already eaten
more tonight than they would usually do in a whole week. And to make
his point, he lets out a long, deep belch right in front of her. She
looks quite angry at him being so rude, but she finally leaves the
two of them alone. Russell closes the door and turns to find Hansel
already munching on the doughnuts. This makes him smile. He slowly
lifts his boyfriend’s shirt for good, revealing his bloated belly.
</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Then
he starts massaging it slowly, in a most sensuous way. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Hansel
moans and asks for some more to eat. So Russell gets undressed too,
feeds him the rest of the pies and eats a few cakes himself. Then
they lie down on the bed and kiss, rubbing their tongues and their
full bellies one on the other, until they have sex for the second
time. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Hansel
doesn’t feel quite full, somehow. So Russell comes downstairs for a
few more pastries – silent like a mouse. In fact, he’s the one
who hears strange noises...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> and finds the witch in all her wicked
glory, chanting some sort of weird incantation. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"><br /></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> He
rushes to the bedroom and tells Hansel they have to run away –
fast! </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">But
the witch is already there and casts the right spell on them... so they stop screaming and running at once. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">In
fact, the two boys just stand still in front of her, with the same
blank look in their eyes. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Then
they follow her, slowly, as she leads them downstairs. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /> The
basements are in complete darkness, except for the stairs and a few
pieces of furniture, lit up in a fantastic, rather ghostly way.
There’s a large oven with steel doors, pretty much like a large, industrial bakery but with a deep fireplace – a complete set of steel bars
and free weights – then a cage large enough to fit a couple of
bears or tigers from the circus. Its steel bars and door look
well-oiled, as they are glistening in a wicked shade of coppery orange and red. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> The
witch is yelling orders at the boys now, and they obey immediately: it looks as if they have no willpower left. A monumental scale appears in front of them. Russell, still in his magical haze, steps on it, wearing only
his briefs. His weight is <b>200</b>lbs with a solid frame, good
muscles and his stomach just full of food… Considering how strong
he is, the witch asks Hansel to step on the scale just the same. The
younger boy is weighed in at a somewhat lighter but much softer <b>198</b>lbs. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br />“Excellent!”
she says. “Russell, come here. You will be my slave, for the time
being. You will do all the chores in the house. You will also eat and
work out so that you stay strong and awake to cook and feed some
delicious meals, desserts and cakes to your dear friend Hansel…”</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Then
she cuffs Russell with some silvery jewels, one on each wrist, and
straps a leather collar with a steel ring around his neck. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">“Come
here, Hansel!” the witch yells at him again, then pinches him and
pokes him for a while. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“You
are not quite plump enough for my taste, but you have a promising
appetite. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">So
you will eat, Hansel – eat, drink and sleep… I’m
going to keep you so well-fed and so <i>stuffed </i>that in a few weeks you
will be fat enough for me to eat you!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> And
so she makes him get inside the steel cage, where large plates full of
cakes, pies and pastries are already waiting for him </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">–</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"> next to big
bowls of chocolate mousse and high pitchers of what looks like whole
milk. The poor boy starts stufing himself immediately.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><br /></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“This
cage is enchanted to have you eating constantly – like a real hog! –
and keep you always wanting for more. Now eat up, Hansel! Eat… You
won’t get out of that cage before I tell you to. I will have your
friend Russell feed you in here all day, and fatten you up until he
has turned you into a real prized pig, with tender and juicy meat on your
bones…” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /> The
next scenes naturally involve a lot of overeating for
Hansel, and a lot of feeding from Russell. The witch couldn’t be
more satisfied with her slave and prey, but the first plot twist is that
Hansel and Russell are under her spell only for what she has told them. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">So
they are totally conscious of what they are doing – and they are
taking advantage of the situation: Russell works out his pecs and
biceps, his tighs and calves, and back, next to Hansel’s cage while the fat boy is filling up his stomach.
</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Then
he can join him in the cage and forcefully feed his already bloated friend.
The spell cast on the cage must be strong, because they have some
more meaningful sex scenes together in there – and as these scenes
are laced with more feeding sessions, you get the feeling that a few
days go on like that. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /> The
next scene with actual dialogue is between Russell and the witch, in
the kitchen. A week has gone by since the witch has trapped the two
boys. Considering how big, muscled and <i>meaty </i>Russell has already
grown, answering exactly to her demands, the witch can be assured
that her other boy is quite heavier too, in his cage –
and rounder and fatter as well. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /> She
asks Russell to step on the scales again. He’s <b>212</b>lbs, with a 34”
waist and a slightly rounder stomach, but quite athletic as
requested. Russell has to stand straight as she pats him and pinches
him on the arms, chest and waist to feel how the layers of fat are
getting slowly thicker on his muscled frame. It finally occurs to him
that the witch has poor eyesight. It may also be a reason why she has
him feeding Hansel, in the darkness of the cage… </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> Russell
goes back to work: Once again, he has cooked a huge meal for Hansel –
with roasted ham and mashed potatoes, scrambled eggs and bacon, pork
and beans, and greasy sausages with macaroni and cheese… The witch
can’t wait to feel how plump her boy has become after a week of so much eating and force feeding. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">But
she doesn’t want to spoil her pleasure. She tells Russell to
wait for her to come by, in the morning, so she will check Hansel out before he
starts stuffing himself silly… </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> This
is Russell’s big break. While the witch goes to sleep, knowing that
he will do as he's bee told, anyway, he takes the portable scales down with him and
goes to Hansel in his cage. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">Sure
enough, his boyfriend has become much fatter – and pretty fast!
</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Russell
asks him to stand up on the scales. So they find out that, in only a
week, Hansel has gained more than 50lbs, weighing in at <b>256</b>lbs, with
quite a large waist and an even bigger belly… </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> Russell still feeds him the entire meal </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">–</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US"> partly because he has to, but more
importantly because that’s what he wants too! Then, he warns his
lover about the witch and gives Hansel a hand – literally: it’s a
wood hand he has chopped before from the characteristic decorations
of the witch’s living room. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">And
it would match Hansel’s right hand perfectly, if he had not grown
so chubby…</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Everything
happens as Russell had foreseen it. When the witch asks for Hansel to
stick a finger out of his cage, so that she can figure out whether he
is fat enough already, the boy gives her the wood hand to feel
instead. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">The
witch can hardly hide how shocked she is: It looks like Hansel has not
gained an ounce! She orders Russell to go back to work at once, cook for him and feed him a lot more – as much as he can! </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> The
next week at the witch’s house is shown in a complex montage of
symbolic sequences – Russell cooking and eating in the kitchen, the
witch rushing him and yelling at him, Russell working out, Hansel
being stuffed to the point of bursting, Hansel and Russell having
sex, the witch casting a spell to increase the boys’ appetite –
around some more developed scenes, like Hansel and Russell enjoying
each other’s body and sharing ideas to get out of such a dangerous situation, and how to make the same situation go on like this – as
much as they can… </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Another
scene with dialogue, in the witch’s living room this time, shows
how frustrated she is at Hansel’s persistent thinness. As usual,
Russell is cooking up a storm, and the insane amounts of delicious
and fattening foods he has already prepared are displayed with some
twisted humour, as the scene unfolds – a long master shot with a
wide angle and the camera slowly going back, along the table, making that abundance of food look endless – while Russell tries to match wits with
the witch. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">She’s
starting to feel hungry, and she doesn’t understand how she can
smell fat male flesh so strongly when Hansel seems to be just so thin
as he was before… Russell argues for a short while, then takes it
on him: he’s got bigger, and fatter, and as the witch makes him
work out for hours every day in the basement, he sweats a lot. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">She
takes a closer look at him, then pats him a little around the belly
and chest. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">The
boy has a point: Russell has been eating steadily for the last two
weeks as her slave, showing quite a good appetite. In fact, the witch
is pleased with his hard work and obedient behavior so much that she
has already treated him some of her best cream cakes,
chocolate mousse and whole milk shakes twice – feeding him ripe
bananas too, one at a time, with Russell sitting on a chair after a long day… It’s only natural that so much fattening food,
eaten once in a while, would take its toll on his well-built body! </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> She
puts him on the scales once again. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">Russell
was right about his own gain: he’s 16lbs heavier, and while most of
it may still be muscle mass, his waist is up to 36 inches, and
he’s starting to put on a gut. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">So
the witch stops complaining and sends him back to work. Russell is
smart enough to understand that it is only a matter of time – and
that he shouldn’t let her take such interest in his own belly
growth so soon… He has to think of a way out for Hansel and him. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> Fortunately,
the witch is still determined to make Hansel gain and grow, no matter
how long it will take Russell and her to turn him into a pig… As a
matter of fact, Russell shares her interest – although not quite in
the same way: He sneaks into his boyfriend’s cage and wakes him up
to have him weighed in too, before he starts feeding him pastries and
drinking gallons of his creamy milkshakes. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Hansel
stands up wobbling on the scale – he’s grown quite a large, soft
belly – and his weight is up to <b>310</b>lbs. He might be fat
enough to meet the witch’s expectations, but Russell has some other
wicked plans for his boy. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">His
concern is soon replaced by lust, so he pins Hansel down, force feeds
him and fucks him at the same time, until neither of them can take
any more of it… </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Sean’s
script followed the four weeks of feeding that the brothers Grimm had
first established, so two more weeks go on like that – with a
slightly accelerated cutting of the “decorative” scenes around
the plot ones. Most of them revolve around Russell, who has to be
cunning since the witch is getting more and more impatient to see
Hansel grow plump – and as she has every reason to be… He makes
some fine moves, suggesting a few minor changes that would help
Hansel expand and soften up – where in fact he’s taking advantage
of her to have his way with his expanding, softening boyfriend. A few
more intimate scenes between Hansel and Russell stands for some sort
of porn reward for the dialogue ones. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> They
don’t break the overall mood of darkness and danger. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">After
four weeks of working and cooking and waiting – and no result on
Hansel’s behalf… – the witch starts looking at Russell in a
different way: He’s developed quite a strong, meaty body, but his
muscle growth did not quite match his weight gain, and he’s looking
nicely plump and smooth. As we have seen the witch force feed Russell
again in an earlier scene, this was bound to happen: In quite a long
and static master shot, where he’s tied to the kitchen chair, she
kept stuffing him chocolate muffins and bananas dipped in honey then
in hot chocolate… </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> Standing
on the scales, Russell proves how wrong the witch was when she thought
he wasn’t good enough to be fed in the cage – and that his greedy
boyfriend Hansel should go first, instead… Over four weeks of hard
work, heavy lifting and deliberately increased overeating, Russell
has put on more than 50lbs, almost half of it in his belly and love
handles, but also covering his muscles smoothly, all over his body –
giving some sort of “buttered up” look to him – and in a most
appealing way… The witch could have almost forgotten about Hansel,
at this point! </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><br /></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“Fine,
Russell. Fine… Go get some wood and start a fire in my oven
downstairs. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">I
think it will be time for some different kind of cooking, tomorrow…
Then you will feed Hansel with the foods I have cooked for him –
pork, beef and chicken rich meals, mashed potatoes and fries, buttery
pastas, cheesecakes, cookies, pies and pastries – as much as you
can! </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">But
also… don’t forget to fill your own belly, tonight – as much as
you can hold…” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> She
pats Sean around the bellybutton, almost lovingly, and the boy starts
obeying at once. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">Just
looking at him go, bringing wood logs to the oven, baking pies and
grabbing a bite from time to time, the witch feels more confident
about her dark arts: this boy at least will do for a fine meal – so
let’s roast the first one, skinny as he is! </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Russell
joins Hansel in the basement, with loads and loads of food. In spite
of the witch’s doubts about her spells, the “skinny but greedy”
boy couldn’t have been more obedient, or fitted any better for the
feeding treatment he has received in the cage. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">His
boyfriend has grown muscle and fat to make it to his current weigh of
<b>258</b>lbs, but Hansel has only been fattened up – day and night –
for a hundred and thirty days straight… He’s got so round and
huge that he must have gained 200lbs at least, according to Russell.
</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">And
now that they are facing the greatest danger for both of them, the
two enchanted boys can’t help themselves in the cage: They pig out
on greasy pork ribs, beef steaks and buckets of crispy chicken wings.
</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">They
keep cramming fries or large spoons of mashed potatoes into their
mouths. As soon as they have emptied their plates, pretty much at the
same time, they both feast on lasagna, leaving the trays clean.
Sitting face to face, they feed pastas and meatballs to each other
until their chins and chest are glowing with oil and butter… They
hardly pause to guzzle beer from the large pitchers Russell has
brought in, and they’re ready for a round of cheesecakes,
strawberry tarts, apple and blueberry pies. They eat through the pies
in no time, and almost inhale the creamy coconut cakes… Russell
makes Hansel wash his last remaining pastries down with some special
gainer milkshake – some of the witch’s best stuff, it seems –
but they don’t even slow down on the eating, even when their bellies
are full to the point of bursting. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Then
Russell snaps out of it. Realising what has just happened to him, he
admits he would have got just so fat as Hansel, had he been chosen by
the witch to stay inside the cage… He comforts his overstuffed
boyfriend for a while, then comes back to the kitchen for some creamy
pastries and cakes he has been cooking during the day. Hansel is
still under his greedy spell, anyway, and he is begging for more… </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> The
witch has not lost any of it – the sounds of it, at least. When
Russell is back in the kitchen, she calls for him again and rubs his
full belly – it feels just perfect, like his softening pecs and
butt… She’s giving his round belly sides a few last, appreciative
pats. Russell feels like he should complain about having his belly
stretched out so much. But the witch interrupts him. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">“You
better get used to it!… </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">because
it’s going to be your turn, by tomorrow. I will take care of you
myself, and feed you and fatten you up so much that you will
compensate for my failure with Hansel… Now, go back and feed him
some more. If you can’t fatten him up, eat up yourself! These
pitchers of beer and weight-gain shakes are for you, anyway. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">Drink
them tonight and start fattening up on them!… Now, go!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> And
with a wicked laugh, she sends him back to Hansel. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Russell
bloats on the beer as he stuffs Hansel with more food like crazy…
When he’s finally finished with his weight-gain shakes, he lets out
a loud, long belch and rubs his over-expanded gut with a deep sigh.
There are still more fudge cakes and juicy pear pies for his
boyfriend to eat. There is so much left to do – so much more they
could do together – his feelings for Hansel are so strong – that
he starts massaging Hansel’s huge, pillowy gut as he forces large
pieces of pie down his throat, but soon his belly playing grows into
something much hotter. The music plays louder as the sexual tension
of the scene grows more and more until they both climax in a clash of
flash-back images mixed with broken glass and what looks like snow…
</span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> This
powerful scene cuts to a funny shot of the witch, sitting back
against the wall next to the basement’s opened door. She’s
cutting potatoes in a large barrel, to make fries – and listening
to the loud, distant belches of the boys. The image is sped up five
times so her moves are incredibly fast. The belches added in
post-production are also too close and overlapping to be realistic –
but she still keeps the same blank expression on her face… Then we
go back to Hansel sipping from the pitcher of weight-gain shake and
drowning into sleep. Russell is still rubbing his round cheeks, his
blubbery gut and love handles, feeding him pop tarts with a
somewhat evil grin, encouraging him and whispering to him </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">“You
better get used to it, tubby… </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">because
I’m not going to stop feeding you, tomorrow.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> He also drowns into sleep, eventually, in Hansel’s chubby arms... He hasd time to explain everything to him </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">–</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"> how he’s going to finally trick the witch
for good, tomorrow. They slowly disappear in the darkness of the
room…</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-GB"> Early
in the morning, the witch comes downstairs and wakes up the two boys-turned-pigs.
</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Russell
gets up immediately and asks her what work he can do to please her,
as he’s done every day until now. But it seems that the witch has
already planned something different for him </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">–</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"> for a change.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br />“There’s
no need for you to get up, boy… No need for you to get
out of this cage anymore, in fact. I say you are going to stay in
here and eat up, from now on – just eat, drink and sleep… You
have worked well for me as a slave, so I expect that you will do just fine, making a pig of yourself and getting fatter by the day, the
way Hansel should have… Here, I will get you started with some
breakfast.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"> She
has brought a great number of plates and boxes of pastries for him – four apple
pies, four blueberry pies and three strawberry cream cakes, five
dozen jelly-filled doughnuts and just so many chocolate-frosted and
cream-filled ones, three dozen brownies and two large chocolate fudge
cakes, along with cinnamon rolls, chocolate chip cookies, waffles with maple syrup and whipped cream,
chocolate mousse and other pastries… </span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> This would be a ridiculously
oversized meal in any other circumstance. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">Clearly,
the witch can’t wait to have Russell fattened up <i>huge </i>and obese for
her own, grim delight: For his first morning in the cage, there is
almost as much as what Hansel had for his previous breakfast!
</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">In
spite of all that, Russell is already sitting down when she gives everything to him, with four large pitchers of her special
weight-gain milkshake. In the same, spellbound haze, he starts
stuffing his face immediately, much to Hansel’s horror. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“There
you go, Russell! There’s more, waiting for you in the kitchen. So
eat up, boy, and we will be fine! </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">You
will NOT stop eating unless I tell you to stop, anyway!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"><span style="line-height: 100%;">“</span>Russell,
no… Come on, you have to fight it! </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">You…”
</span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="line-height: 100%;">“</span>I
can’t</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">…</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"> I have to eat now…” Russell manages to answer his friend, between
mouthfuls.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="line-height: 100%;">“</span>But
the witch… she’s going to…” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><span style="line-height: 100%;">“</span>Hansel!</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">” the witch commands.</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US"> </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Get up and come to me, you good-for-nothing! </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">I’m
sick and tired of feeding you, and waiting for you to grow a man’s
belly… We’re going to roast you like a chicken today. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
don’t care how thin you are. Get out of the cage!”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> And
so, leaving a helpless Russell to his rushed eating and loud, obnoxious gulping down in the
cage – where he doesn’t seem to notice anything but the food
around him, right now… – Hansel slowly stands up and walks a few wobbly, ponderous steps toward the oven. The witch yells at him to hurry up for
once. But when she bumps into the huge and soft, fleshy ball that is
Hansel’s belly, she doesn’t understand what’s happening. She
goes from surprise to astonishment when she grabs the boy’s chubby
wrists, feels his chunky love handles, his drooping man boobs, and
pinches his wide butt, his plump arms and shoulders… </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“What
the…” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> After a moment of pure anxiety, the witch comes to the conclusion that Russell has played a trick
on her. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">She
couldn’t be any more pissed off at first, but – okay, then</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">…</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-GB"> </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">–</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-GB"> judging from the shamelessly piggish eating sounds coming from the cage,
it won’t be long before he grows about the same size as his enormous boyfriend!
Then she will teach him a proper lesson, for trying to mess with a
witch – but before she takes care of Russell’s punishment, she
should enjoy her reward. Finding out</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"> that she has fattened up such a nice, plump Hansel is truly
enough to calm her down, for the time being… The only problem is
that Hansel has become so large, so round and so heavy that she can’t just
roast him like that. She can’t even make him sit down, or he won't stand up again.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Thinking
fast, the witch angrily calls for her other boy to help. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><br />“Russell!
Stop eating, you cunning piglet! G</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">et out of the cage… It looks like you have fattened your friend Hansel
better than I thought – even better than I thought we could force him to grow, really… but you’re not quite finished working for me
yet!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> Russell
snaps out of her eating spell, finally leaving the cream cakes,
brownies and milk shakes… with a tremendous belch. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">There’s
hope for the boys, at last! </span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> The witch tells Hansel to go sit back in
the cage, and goes upstairs for a few more logs and her spell book.
She’s obviously confused – mumbling and talking to herself,
trying to figure what will be best to do with them. This must be an
unprecedented situation for her. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">On
the other hand, Hansel and Russell can barely take a break, breathing
slowly, sweating and rubbing their overlapping, soft and hard,
distended bellies in circles… Russell looks like a human water
balloon, over-inflated with greasy food and about to burst – Hansel
looks like a melting, buttery mountain of a boy. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> With
not one but <i>two </i>boys, overfed and stuffed beyond obesity, the
witch wants to weigh them in, so she can decide how she wants to handle theis new situation. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">She
asks Russell to go first – and he sure shows a lot of promise,
already tipping the scale at <b>268</b>lbs, with a 38” waist and a 44”
bloated belly. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Then
it’s Hansel’s turn. Russell has to help him step on the scale.
</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">He’s
grown beyond both their expectations: <b>435</b>lbs! </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><br />“This
changes everything! </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I’m
going to need a bigger magic fire, so I will only roast you
tomorrow morning, Hansel… This leaves you boys one last day to enjoy
yourselves. Now, Russell! </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">You
will go get the lasagna and all the other meals I have ready in the
kitchen, and feed them to your beautiful Hansel pig... Then I want
you to finish your breakfast – and finish all your food just the same! Understand ? Then, before you go back to overeating and grow too fat to move, I want you to
help me with the oven!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> When
she comes back to the boys with more logs for the fire, Russell is still feeding lasagna and meatballs to his boyfriend, and eating brownie</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">s! </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">The
witch can’t help it but drool at the sight of the two hot, male
bodies – round, plump and full with blubber and fattening food –
sweating and being stuffed some more, their bellies expanding by the
minute… </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“Russell!
Come here!” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">But…
I’m not finished.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">You’ll
get back to it when we’re done with the fire! </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Here,
take these logs.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Wood
won’t be enough. This magic fire needs something big and <i>wicked </i>to burn, all
right.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"> And
in a sudden move, Russell takes the witch by the waist. He lifts her
up and throws her into the fireplace. Then he closes the steel doors,
not listening to the screams and cursing from inside. They get more
intense then die away… The witch is dead.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“We’re
saved, Hansel! There’s only the two of us, now.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Oh
Russell, I was afraid we wouldn’t make it!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">I
was afraid we wouldn’t make it without breaking her spell. Let me
see</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">…</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Russel
takes a whole blueberry pie in his hands and gives it to Hansel.
Without thinking for a second about how bloated he is, the boy chows
down, bite after bite of it until he’s licking his sticky fingers –
Russel is eye-fucking him already.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Good,
you’re still bewitched</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">…</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">” – then, grabbing another cream-pie, he also gorges on food, drinks in a few rushed gulps, lets out a roaring belch and rubs both
their guts – “</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">…</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">and so am I, now that I’m done with the fire!
Wow, I feel so hungry. What do you say we go back to some more
important business ?</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">…</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Yeah</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">…</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"> Let’s go back – into the cage!”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"> The
movie pretty much ends here. The last feeding and sex scene slowly
gets blurry for the credits to start rolling in.</span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; line-height: 15.4px;"><br /></span><b style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; line-height: normal;">■</b></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-GB"> It
took four months to shoot the scenes of <i>Hansel & Russell</i> –
the schedule had been carefully established so that each day in the
movie was shot over four to five days. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">There
were little rehearsal, but the crew had to light the set, put the
camera on rails, a crane or a dolly for some shots. Sean had been
given the green light from the production because he wanted the boys’
gain to be consistent, of course – but it made for some comfortable
shooting conditions for the rest of the crew, as the two main actors
needed long pauses to take in all the food they were stuffing their
faces with on-screen.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> Not
surprisingly either, the rushes put together were about 48 hours
long... Sean had already worked with the editing script so he knew
exactly what was going to make it and what would have to hit the
floor. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">But
he had not quite figured how long the final cut would be: the plot
scenes only were about an hour and a half, and with the “decorative”
scenes – Jim’s and his personal favorites, actually – <i>Hansel
& Russell</i> was no less than two hours and ten minutes long.
Not quite the format you would expect for porn…</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> When
they heard about this, their producers started freaking out – mostly
because they had given Sean the final cut. The early feedback they
got from the crew was very positive, if not enthusiastic. But no
matter how good it was, they had yet to find the right audience for
it. Sean invited them for a private preview, like a screen test. The
sound tracks only lacked the music. The four producers came and were
given a pen and paper to write down whatever suggestions or critics
they had. They saw the movie and gave the pages back to Sean. There
was nothing written on most of them. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">Only
one producer had first written “complex symbols and images” but he
had scratched it and only added “OK” on the side, and “Great!”
at the end. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> It
was a lot more satisfying, of course, with the soundtracks. In
addition to the elaborate sound design for most of the scenes, where
Sean had only given instructions to some students of the AFI, the
music was composed with excerpts from operas – not just
Humperdinck’s </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><i>Hansel
& Gretel</i></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">,
but also Wagner’s dramas, Liszt’s symphonic poems and other
powerful orchestral works… mostly nineteen century Romantic stuff.
</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">The
first sex scene in the forest had been shot and cut in order to fit a section of </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"><i>Tannhäuser</i></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">’s
orgiastic prelude, for instance. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> The
final product was the most bizarre and ambitious picture the porn studio
had ever produced, or even seen. They were actually proud to show it
to distributors, who were astounded at first – but in the end, just
crazy about it. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">The
porn aspects put aside – or the gainer aspects, if you want – it
had the quality of a high-standard, classic, avant-garde movie… And
it was probably the first time in history that these underground
industry people had a fight over the rights of a movie – an
independent one, no less! </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Jim
and Sean had no idea about this, honestly. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">And
they couldn’t care less about it: Sean had done his best, because
that’s who he is, but he had had his share of a good deal and he
was just happy that he could have shared it with Jim and Dory. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">The
three of them had enjoyed every minute of it. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> For
the opening scenes, Jim had trimmed down to <b>190</b>lbs, once again. But
since his body couldn’t wait to grow back, Sean had no problem
fattening him up very fast… It made for some amazing full-bellied
early scenes, and after four months, the former model had put on a
huge belly, plump like a pillow full of delicious butter fat. It was
his best accomplishment as feeder. And his personal best, too – as
he had gained and grown himself better than he thought he would. When
the last scenes were shot and the rushes ready for editing, Jim and
Sean allowed themselves a break to go in Florida for a week. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-GB"> After
being cooped up in the kitchen and basements of their house in the
mountains for four months, they needed some sun. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">They
needed some actual private, quality time together, too – since the
DP at least would always be there operating the cameras during their
sex scenes. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">More
than anything, they needed some rest: A hundred and twenty-two days
of eating and bingeing, twenty hours a day sometimes, had left Jim
drained of all energy.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Sean
had fed him more than he had been fed, but he had to be everywhere at
once, and not just his character going from Hansel to the witch: all
the important decisions, and a lot of the minor ones, were left up to
him…</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> They didn’t do anything for the duration of that week – since sunbathing, sleeping,
taking a nap and lying on the couch aren’t exactly Olympic
disciplines… Sean had put both of them on a healthy diet, to
restore their tired and enlarged stomachs, guts and digestive
systems. It was just the thing to do to let their bodies take in the
food, grow fat and settle down. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Before
they left the hotel, Sean asked for their end results: he weighed no less than <b>250</b>lbs, with a 38” waist – which made for
22% body fat, covering the muscles on his solid frame and
concentrating more in a round pot gut around his bellybutton. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“How
about you ‘my dear Hansel’ ?… Think you’re oven material, yet
?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> Jim
was a little over <b>420</b>lbs – and in theory his waist was about 66”,
but maybe that’s what you would call circumference: his body looked
like a round head, chubby arms, and meaty thighs and legs had been
assembled around a magnificent ball belly topped with two large,
drooping man breasts, and resting on larger, rounder butt cheeks. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">“420lbs,
Jim ?… and 45% body fat, I guess.” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Hmmm,
then I’m not quite ready yet.” </span>
</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Right,
you need some more fattening up.” </span>
</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Let’s
go back.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> When
Dory welcomed them, back in town, it hit them. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">As
far as reviews go in that restricted porn industry dealing with
gainer business, <i>Hansel & Russell</i> had won some
unprecedented critical acclaim. And, more than anything, copies of
the movie had been sold like ten times to the same sex clubs, who
planned to keep it on display for months – a smart move from these
guys, too, who must have had some experience in cult movies. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">It
had already made a ton of cash, and the producers found themselves
under a constant flow of money that was covering the product’s
original budget two hundred times and more! </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">When
Sean finally called them, they were excited so much that he thought
they were mad at him for some reason… As it turned out, they were
going to offer him a position as production manager. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> After
a few good laughs, Sean realized what he had done. Dory had told him
about the large deposit made to his bank account for his mandatory
percentages and royalties – but knowing Dory, he thought she had
made a joke to cheer them up… But it was pretty much the same for
Jim and her. They couldn’t believe it. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Sean
thought about it for a moment. Money was good, but it also meant some kind of
publicity that he didn’t like in the least… They started
receiving letters from theatres and sex clubs owners who claimed to
be official fans. Then the letters got less and less official. It was
even worse on the Net. Jim and Sean needed to take a step back from
this turmoil – so Sean wrote to an editor who had already worked on
the design and books related to these gainer porn movies. He was
offering him to publish Jim’s gainer documentary, which would also
work as “behind the scenes” for “Hansel & Russell”. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">The
title was self-explanatory: “S&M – </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><i>Sean
& the Model</i></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">”.
</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">That
proposition was immediately accepted. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Taking
a few weeks at his place to clear his mind and focus on what was
really important to him, Sean chose the pictures with Dory and Jim,
wrote the presentation and commentaries. It was a bit of a
melancholic work for him. In fact, he considered it as his ‘final
tour’ on the feeding scene. He was totally devoted to Jim’s gain
– and his own. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Jim
was almost <b>440l</b>bs, and he needed plenty of loving and comforting.
Sean helped him go back to a serious work-out routine and build
some good muscle mass too, after the shooting of “Hansel”, so
that he could gain more and still stay healthy – in the lazy
lifestyle that he had been accustomed to. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> The
first edition of <i>S&M</i> was ready. Dory was left in charge of
dealing with the editor. Feeling that the book would be a success,
the editor thought further about it and asked for a DVD version of <i>S&M</i>. Sean accepted on the phone, but he had something else
in mind. The propose of the book for him was to end it and tear the
“myth” aspects apart, from the inside. Basically, the message was
“Anyone can do it the way we did. So everybody should be allowed to
do it” – Sean only added to Jim “and let us keep doing it in
peace”… </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> The
book wasn’t exactly a best-seller by any common standards, but it
did pretty well. Unfortunately, the readers hod only bought it for
the progress pics and stats – and chances are they didn’t read
anything more of it. The feedback they got from gainer sites or
groups on the web certainly looked like they had not seen Sean’s
point. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">The
funniest thing that Jim and Sean were asked – if not requested –
to do was… a sequel of the book or a second DVD! </span></span>
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“Wow,
the Internet is a <i>crazy </i>place.” </span>
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">It
really is. But asking for more books or movies ?… come on!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I
know… Like they didn’t understand it was make-believe.” </span>
</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">But
we’re not like that, right ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">No
we’re not.” </span>
</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">You
and I, we want it to be real.” </span>
</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Sure
we do – not just some hack writer storytelling…” </span>
</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">You
know what we really want ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I
think I know what you want, Jim.” </span>
</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Okay,
so… what do you think I want ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">More,
Jim. You want more.” </span>
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Exactly.” </span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Well, more is what you'll get, then. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Come
on…” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> With
all the copies of <i>S&M</i> sold along with the one-year DVD
documenting his weight-gain, Jim asked Dory how much money he had
made, and being serious about it for the first time… </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">He
almost fainted: he thought he was filthy rich. Jim would never have
to struggle or work ever again. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"> He
had to get drunk and be force fed immediately. Good thing Sean was up
to the task. He was getting nicely plump himself, slowly but surely –
and he could fatten up for good now, taking care of Jim. And they
lived together like that, so “happily ever after” as reality can
afford, and so “happily ever fatter” as money can buy… </span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><b>FINIS
OPERIS</b></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5094005257601699515.post-80408849299568283012016-02-19T14:33:00.003-08:002022-11-06T06:08:00.541-08:00A Bittersweet Symphony (3rd mvt.)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zSm5ogM_u88/VseLdjnnHLI/AAAAAAAAAdQ/FMjM4L9uco4/s1600/Fonds%2BBittersweet.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="204" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zSm5ogM_u88/VseLdjnnHLI/AAAAAAAAAdQ/FMjM4L9uco4/s640/Fonds%2BBittersweet.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><b>III</b>
– [<i>Scherzo</i> – Rondo allegretto] “</span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><b>Out
of Sean’s past</b></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">”
</span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /> Sean
was a feeder. Raised in the country, where good food was always the
first step toward great sex, he would have invented feederism, had
there been no gainers and feeders before him. In fact, he had only
found out about gaining and feeding websites or groups when he had
first logged in on the Internet, and he was already 25 years old. He
had been involved in quite a few great, fattening relationships by
then. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> His
first attempt at feeding boys was when he turned 15. He had realized
once and for all that he was gay, having his first crush on one of
his classmates, Pete. He kind of knew it was a mutual attraction too.
They went to movies, parties and other teen stuff, to the point where
they became like inseparable, and more intimate with each other very
soon. It started with little things, as they were slow to get fully
on with it in spite of their attraction toward each other. They had
been very cuddly from the start, but Pete was still uncertain when it
came to actually having sex. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> To
cut down on the tension, Sean would usually offer Pete some food:
cookies, cake, cheesecake, all sorts of sweets – soft drinks and
more ‘adult’ drinks like beer or light cocktails... He was good
at this, and quite a good cook already: when they had a chance to
spend a night alone, Sean would fix up lasagna for his boyfriend, or
whatever favorite meal Pete had in mind. They felt a lot better –
Pete was less on his guard and Sean was happy: Following this
pattern, their food play had swiftly evolved into sweaty sex play.
Sean was always on top. He didn’t know he had such a domineering
personality in him before, but this was going to be the definition of
sex to him: take a thin guy, seduce him and feed him too much, play
with his full belly to entice him, fatten him up and turn him into a
more enjoyable sex slave... </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> Even
as a teen, you could tell Sean was going to become quite a good-looking guy. His first love story with Pete had been a success:
It lasted more than six solid months. They had to stop seeing each
other only because their moms were getting worried about the true
nature of their friendship – and for good reason... What betrayed
them, however, was that Pete had put on more than 40lbs, going out
with Sean, and that he had no intention of loosing a single pound of
flesh or an inch of belly! In the end, they had to move to some other
place. Sean missed his chubby boyfriend, but he kept in touch with
him and went on to his next prey. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> He
was a very active guy, going to the gym twice a week, and taking good
care of himself. Looking damn serious most of the time, he looked a
little older than he was, maybe, but with such a well-built,
well-hung, strong and cut body, he could have had any man or woman he
wanted... He was not the showing-off type, but he was pretty
confident about himself. His great inner strength was his will: When
Sean had set his mind on something, there was no way he wouldn’t
get it in the end. He had been a good student, he was now successful
in his job. The money was good. He had bought some rundown place in
the country and arranged it into a large house, where he felt more
like himself and – much more important – where he could have a
guy over to feed him just the way he liked. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> As a matter of fact, Sean was even more successful as a feeder than on any
other level. Sometimes, he liked to see it as his “calling” in
life. After a short while, Sean had considerably improved his
technique for fattening up thin or strapping young men. He had also
developed some sort of sixth sense to figure out sensitive or
susceptible muscle hunks who needed just the right amount of male
encouragement to definitely slip into chubbiness – well-fed
sportsmen or party boys who had been fighting the battle of the bulge
for a while and were eager to surrender... Within a few months, Sean
was able to turn a guy's life around – have him forget all his
values and lessons in life and teach him some more interesting, dirty
new ones – taking care of everything and introducing him to the
pleasures of overeating and drinking in binge... until he had to let
him go away, considerably bigger and fatter, but a much more
satisfied man than he was before. Sean would never force anyone into
eating or drinking too much – but the way he looked at you, subtly
but surely talked you into it – the way he cared and cooked for you
– the way he touched you deeper than you had ever dared to explore,
most of the time – Boy, you HAD to eat!... </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="center" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; line-height: 15.4px;"><br /></span><b style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; line-height: normal;">■</b></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> Now
that Jim had gone back to work, Sean was feeling a little depressed,
cleaning the kitchen, bedrooms, pool house and living room. There
were no leftovers, as promised. There was not much left there, in
fact... Just the house. Big and empty as it was. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> Once
again, Sean had let his guest go back to whatever his life was or
would be – with a big smile on his face. After four weeks packed
with fattening entertainment, sex and all kinds of exciting mind and
body plays, he was facing the emptiness of it. Sean didn’t feel so
good, as much as he was used to being in that kind of situation. Once
they were plump and round enough to become the best boyfriends, these
guys had to leave him – and they didn’t seem to mind that much. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> When
the house was all clean and ready to be closed, Sean quietly sat on
the couch, and looked at Jim’s daily progress pics... It was
amazing to see the boy’s belly get full, just peaking, taking shape
then blossom into a large, bulging pot, with growing love handles,
and overlapping on his speedo – his thighs and arms getting thicker
and plump, too – his ass cheeks rounding up and starting to droop a
little from too much weight and softness – his pecs turning into
fleshy man tits... He had really been growing fatter and fatter, and
yummier by the day! </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> Hard
as he was, looking at that fast succession of pics, Sean was also
proud about Jim’s weight gain and awesome growth. He paused to
remember and compared him with some of his earlier fat boys... </span>
</span></div>
<div align="center" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; line-height: 15.4px;"><br /></span><b style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; line-height: normal;">■</b></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> Sometimes,
he would feel like playing or challenging himself. It would be for
his next guy’s best interest, after all! so he wanted to try new
things out and sharpen his state-of-the-art technique to some
superior level. These occasions were scarce, but they made for the
best memories. After one of his latest feeding projects had been
completed, leaving his 24 year old boyfriend with a gain of 120
pounds that really looked good on the boy's 5'8" frame, Sean
felt like going to a gay club, for a change of pace. He had just gone
to the bar when this cocky young stud started hitting on him. He was
a tall and lanky, good-looking blonde, wearing a skin-tight T-shirt
that put his pecs, biceps and abs on display, with a pair of light
jeans just so tight around his bubble butt. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> Sean
scanned him immediately: A bit young for his taste, not more than 18
years old – 6'2", maybe 3" – and weighing probably less
than 180 pounds of what looked like solid muscles – the type of boy
easily drunk, still green, and probably not that great in bed...
Besides, the way he talked to Sean was more irritating than appealing
to him – like he was doing Sean a favor, just standing in front of
him and not ignoring his presence. Sean was a bit shorter than him
but pretty much so defined as he was, and he looked more relaxed –
which was only to be polite, because he found the boy’s
conversation annoying and pointless. He wasn’t so much listening to
him than thinking about his case, anyway... Clearly, that boy had no
problem about self-confidence! But, for an experienced guy like Sean,
these tricks were like see-through: It was most certainly an act, and
it would be good for the boy to learn a few lessons. Then it hit him:
Sean was thinking “God, if he doesn’t have an ego the size of
Mount Rushmore...” – and came to his conclusion “What if I made
him grow to the size of that ego ?” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> That
was just the thing to do, of course. Sean offered the boy another
drink, then took him to the back of the club and fucked him better
than he deserved. Then, as the boy was already drunk and drifting
into sleep, Sean took him home to his apartment. He took off all his
clothes and carefully put his trim, limp body on the scale. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“So...
<b>182</b>lbs for you, big boy ? How about ‘double or nothing’ ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> Now
that he had plans for him – and so out of the ordinary, even for a
feeder like him – he was looking at the boy in a different way.
With the eyes of a feeder, but also like a bigger brother, somehow –
Sean never lost touch with his good nature for long. This boy was
just so hasty, selfish and clumsy during sex as Sean thought. He
needed help... </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Mike
woke up late, the next morning. Finding himself naked in bed with a
stranger – and in his apartment, he almost freaked out. But Sean
was there to make him feel better. He didn’t mention their night at
the club, invited him over breakfast in a polite but really casual
way, then started talking to him. It wasn’t small talk, either.
Sean was being friendly, but Mike had too many questions. As he was
getting angry at him too, Sean let it out that last night was
obviously Mike’s first time with a man. The boy choked on his
pancake when he heard that, and reacted more revolted as, in point of
fact, it was true. <br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">“I didn’t mean to put you down. After
all, you have to start some day...” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">What
do you know about it ?!!” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">You
think I’ve been waiting for you ? Puh-lease... But I can help you.”
</span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">Like
I need the help of an old guy!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">Older
guy” is okay, “old” is out of the question. I’m only 26.” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I
don’t want to get involved in a relationship, really...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I’m
not talking about a relationship.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">...What’s
your deal, then ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> Sean
talked about being his </span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">sex coach</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">”</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"> for a while, leaving him free to
date anyone he wanted in the meantime, but teaching him the right
moves – and as Sean introduced that idea to him matter-of-factly,
he could see the temptation crawling inside Mike’s mind and body.
The boy refused at first, but it would not be long before he snapped.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“If
you change your mind, you know my address now.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I
don’t care about your address. I hardly care about you.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">...and
if you’re too lazy to remember it or look for my phone number, just
call this one. It’s my cell phone. If you haven’t called in a
week, deal’s off.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> Mike
called in the evening – then every evening... After a week, he was
acting more natural and relaxed around Sean. And just as expected,
his true nature was shy, unsure – and not so easy to cope with. But
he always accepted to have dinner with Sean, go to a restaurant or a
bar. This would only warm up Mike before Sean taught him his “lesson”
at his place. The boy was more than pleased with that method. He
didn’t call Sean “old” anymore. He had never thought about him
as an “old guy”, anyway. But now, he was impressed at his
strength and technique. He was also a little intimidated by him, to
be honest: Sean was always so nice to him during the evening, then so
dominant and rough when he took him to bed. The contrast between
these two attitudes was incredibly appealing to him – but puzzling
too, sometimes... </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> Sean
also had his share of a good deal. Mike was proving to be an apt
pupil, and giving him back some pleasure as they had better sex
together now. The boy was easily submissive too, which encouraged
Sean to plan for harder sex lessons after a few weeks. Mike turned
out to be a lot into kink, actually, much more than he expected.
Little did he know then that the boy’s biggest turn-on and most
secret wish was to be handcuffed, blindfolded and tied to the
bedpost. Sean wasn’t so much into that kind of bondage stuff, as he
wanted his partner’s body to move along with the strokes, among
other things... But this was a possible step toward feeding, even
force feeding, so Sean thought about it – and after a month of
practice, they approached bondage and some light S&M situations
in the bedroom with surprisingly good results. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> It
was only a fling, anyway, according to both of them – Sean had more
carefully laid plans than Mike had, but even he had no idea how long
their relationship would last, and if he could fatten him up so much
as he wanted to... Only the more time they spent with each other, the
more they both wanted to go on like this. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> Mike
was still waiting for Sean to put on a black “Master” outfit –
which was so not like Sean, even if he had bought a few leather
accessories for both of them... Sean was also waiting for the main
course as feeder – although the boy already ate pretty well. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> Like
most teenage, sexually active guys, Mike had a large appetite: You
just put food in front of him and he would eat without questions or thanks.
It was a sign of love to get such large amounts of food in every
meal, and never less than five meals a day... Mike admitted he loved
the way Sean cooked for him. It would mostly qualify as comfort food
– before or after their sex sessions: lasagna, spaghetti with
meatballs or fettucine alfredo, fried chicken and potatoes, roasted
ham and pineapples served Hawaiian-style, all kinds of sweet pies
with ice-cream, creamy chocolate cakes and muffins, pancakes and so
on... </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> Sean
was also coaching Mike at the gym – in a way. His first duty was to
make him cut down on the cardio exercises and start him on a
heavy-duty course – which was easier said than done – but after a
while, Mike followed Sean straight to the machines and didn’t
mention running anymore. Then Sean encouraged him to lift heavier in
short series and work out his pecs and shoulders, along with his arms
and thighs. He had also told him he could come and join Mike at the
gym only once a week, because he had too much work to do – and so,
without even realizing, Mike stopped working out on Mondays and
Wednesdays. He didn’t feel good anymore, going there alone and
pumping iron without Sean’s kind words of encouragement, or his
appreciative looks... Mike would go to his apartment, instead –
Sean had given him a spare key – and wait for his friend to come
back. There was always pie or cake waiting for him on the kitchen
table, almost hot from the oven as Sean had baked it in the morning,
before going to work. There would also be a note with a few loving
words. Mike read the note, put it in his wallet and ate the pie,
washing it down with the whole milk Sean kept in the fridge, thinking
about him. Then he would go to the living room, sit on the couch,
look at his lover’s pics. Mike was already hard. He usually ended
up jerking off in the bathroom. Sean had totally won him over. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br />“You
know, I’ve seen this pair of pants, on my way from work. Leather
pants... I think they would look great on you. What do you say ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">You
want to buy me new clothes ? I’m in!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> Sure
enough, Sean wanted and needed to buy his boyfriend some new clothes:
Mike was filling up the jeans and shirts he was wearing a little too
well, by now. When Mike tried his new pants on, Sean made sure that
they were two sizes larger than his current ones. They fit perfectly
around his ass and thighs, bending a little under Mike’s growing
gut. He looked so good in them, Sean didn’t hesitate to make his
boy feel how hard he was in the small changing room. Mike blushed.
They kissed. He was happy: the pants were just his style, and fitting
the way he liked. As he was changing back into his old clothes, Sean
put the leather pants back and came to the counter with a pair two
sizes even larger, unnoticed to Mike... </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> Two
days before, Sean and Mike had half-jokingly celebrated their three
months anniversary, being in a relationship together for that long
and calling it a “relationship” for the very first time. After a
rather light dinner, a few drinks and a long, raw sex exam, Sean put
his boy on the scale again – drunk and asleep as he was. Mike was
noticeably bigger and curvier, getting plump in all the right places.
</span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“<b>205</b>lbs ? That’s more like it...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> When
he first put on his new clothes, Mike was of course surprised that he
was almost floating in them, but he was more than a little relieved:
for the last few weeks, he had been a really greedy boy, and he was
afraid Sean would mind. He had put on weight, and it showed: Mike’s
stomach, chest and rear were beginning to bulge and stretch the seams
of his old clothes. After two months with Sean, he had taken to
leaving the front button and fly open, covering it with his shirt so
nobody would notice during his days at school. Now, even with his
jeans open, he could hardly breathe or fit in them... His love
handles were growing as well, and getting harder to cover with his
shirts, no matter how loose these used to be, as the fleshy rolls
around his waist were pretty chunky already... Good thing that there
was some room left in these new pants! </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> Sean
was always so cuddly around him, probably even more now that Mike had
grown that much more skin for his lover to grab on and play with.
Sean was so sensual, always more insatiable as he was more giving,
and he was drowning Mike with pleasure. Sometimes, the boy thought he
was only taking advantage of his sex master. It dawned on him then,
that he was afraid he could lose him. And he would probably lose him
if he kept putting on weight like that! It started to worry him, but
he couldn’t possibly say no when Sean offered him a second or a
third helping with a smile. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> At
that point, Mike thought he had truly fallen in love with Sean. It
was the first time he was feeling so great with a man. Sean had made
him proud of everything he was – so lazy, so gay, so submissive...
and with quite an appetite for good food and sex! Their relationship
was very fulfilling for both of them, on many levels. Mike had left
his dorm without regret to move in with Sean – who was even helping
him with his studies... Mike was a little behind in Maths, and Sean
didn’t want him to fail – he had big plans for his boy’s Spring
Break. He was cooking his favorite meals every evening, and lots of
it! Mike was feeling a lot better, staying at Sean’s place: he
thought his boyfriend wouldn’t have asked him to stay if he wanted
to break up with him. At least not in the near future. It was
secretly comforting to him, and so he indulged himself without
looking back to how many helpings and desserts he had been served –
when Sean was secretly delighted by his boy’s growing appetite and
very noticeable recent gluttony! </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> It
was all for the best, anyway: They were having sex every evening now,
all night long – and all day too, during the week-ends, going from
one Role Play Game to another, following Mike’s desires and Sean’s
vivid imagination. Mike was an incomparably more skilful partner now
than when he had first met Sean. On the other hand, his master showed
more interest than ever in his boy’s growing and softening body –
which made Mike shaking all over, and almost dizzy. He was more
sensitive around his bellybutton and ass, answering to Sean’s every
demand in bed – and in the kitchen – as his master always agreed
to tie him or do it just the way he wanted, making him beg for it
most of the time, stuffing his gut and pleasing him to the point
where it was painful... Mike was his helpless little lamb – or
rather, growing pig! – feeling his heart racing before the
slaughter, and writhing in ecstasy during all of it... </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> Sean
could easily consider his boyfriend like a pig – as all his
classmates did, behind his large back – but he never really treated
him like one, not even during their sex plays... For the last few
days, Mike had also been coming back to his place at noon, and he was
eating all his meals there now. He would always accept a third
helping or refill, and didn’t leave any leftovers – just like
Sean had taught him... Before Mike knew it, his feeder boyfriend had
put him on a strict diet: his meals were the most fattening kind Sean
had ever cooked before! To top it all, he made sure that Mike always
had something to eat: the fridge was full, and there were candy bars
everywhere in the apartment’s kitchen, on the living room tables,
even in their bedroom... Sean also filled his school bag with
sandwiches, sweets and soft drinks. It worked because it was never
done in a blunt way – Mike couldn’t complain about being cared for so well. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> Then,
Sean limited Mike’s outdoor activities to a minimum. There was
nothing left but his weekly workout at the gym. Mike spent most of
the time sitting on the couch or lying in bed – as Sean never
missed a chance to be with him and make him hungry. Mike had to eat
as much and so often as possible. Then Sean would come and feed him
some more, just to play with his stuffed body, make him drunk and
drowsy with hot sex. That was a lot to take in for Mike, all at once
sometimes... but he was getting fairly lazy and greedy, anyway –
and after a few satisfied belches, he would sleep like a baby. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> All
these efforts paid off soon enough: by the time Mike was finished
with his exams, he was tipping the scales at 220lbs – if not
more... Sean congratulated him for passing his exams, and as he
wanted to give him a gift, he was pleased that Mike asked for some
new clothes again. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“All
right, I’ll buy you some new clothes – the kind that’s easily
stripped down...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Jockstrap
– really ? You said you didn’t like that...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Come
on, this is for you to enjoy, too... But, to be honest, I was more
thinking about spending some time together at my new place, as a gift
to you.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">The
place I saw in your pictures ? That would be great!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">How
about a month together, then – just the two of us ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I’m
in.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="center" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; line-height: 15.4px;"><br /></span><b style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; line-height: normal;">■</b></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> When
they came into Sean’s living room, Mike was welcomed with a large
box on the couch. It was sent through Feed-Ex [no publicity here...]
with a card and a few words of congratulations from Sean. There was a
complete slave suit in the box – very slutty, with leather straps
adjusting with large buckles to fit his chest, chrome snaps connected
to strong O-rings on the front and back. There was another strong,
black leather band that would run along his spine down to his hips
and crotch, where the built-in cock ring was connected to the last
O-ring behind his lower back by a leather belt with another large
buckle. Sean could handcuff Mike to that last ring... and this would
be his only clothes for a month here! Mike was very enthusiastic
about it. He immediately put the outfit on, and showed it to Sean,
beaming. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“So...
you like it ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">I
love it! Thank you so much... Master ?” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Yeah...
It looks really good on you, my little slave boy.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Do
you have a mirror ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">In
the bathroom. You will go there, but... Come to me first.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> Sean
fondled his boy’s body in that suit. It was perfect for what he had
in mind: he had chosen a model where the leather straps only
restrained Mike’s chest, shoulders and back – leaving his ass
exposed, and his belly completely free to expand into a huge ball
full of fattening foods... They were both so hot that they had to
have sex right now. Sean took his time with Mike, leaving the boy
numb and dry – so much that he was ravenous, when he invited him to
keep it up in the kitchen... </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Then
it was time for what Sean called feeding! He was really pleased:
Everything in the kitchen was brand new – he had waited for this
moment for months, and Mike was not disappointing him. Whatever Sean
was cooking for him, Mike stuffed his face with it as soon as it was
put in front of him: beef and ham, deep-fried chicken breasts and
wings, large servings of potatoes and gravy, fried onions and French
fries, and pastas – followed by desserts that were almost forced on
him in even larger amounts: chocolate cakes and cheesecakes, apple
pies, lemon meringue pies, banana cream pies, juicy pear tarts and
apricot tarts... The boy’s belly was swelling and expanding,
unrestrained, with every new bite he was taking. Then there were more
pastries to come – pancakes and muffins, and more chocolate fudge
cake... Sean wasn’t even slowing down, baking more pancakes when
Mike was struggling to chow down and take in the ones he had now with
maple syrup. He was amazed at Sean’s enthusiasm – and at his own
gluttony! He had never eaten so much, or so easily!</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> Of
course, the only limit that was left to tell how stuffed he was on
Sean’s food was his belly skin itself – buttery, plump and
expandable as it was. Mike had no idea how this leather outfit would
be comfortable in such situations, too – and when he could have
felt guilty for overeating so much and so fast, he was feeling pretty
good now that only his belly was stretched! </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> After
such a long and rich meal, Mike was feeling lazy and horny again. So
was Sean. They took a nap for an hour or so, then Sean began
massaging his boy’s belly, and fondled his growing rolls, pressed
and caressed his bulging, stuffed gut, worked his way to Mike’s
rounding ass, then he was too hot and hard to wait any longer. Mike
asked him for handcuffs again, so he tied him to the bed and they had
sex, followed – or laced with – more belly play... Then Sean took
a shower, leaving Mike to rest and comfortably burp on the bed –
and after a few more cuddling and belly pats, it would be time for
another long, filling meal... </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> Sure
enough, Mike was gaining nicely. And it showed so well, as he walked
around the room in that leather slave suit... But Sean never said a
word about his expanding belly. He was very mischievous when he
encouraged Mike to eat more and again. Mike felt sexy in bed, because
Sean worshipped his soft curves and rolls, and he made him enjoy his
own body as well as his boyfriend’s strong muscles. But in the
daytime, when he looked in a mirror, Mike had doubts about himself –
was this greasy, overhanging full gut really attractive to someone
like Sean ?... or was he just being nice with him and basically
telling him he loved him no matter how plump he was ? </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> Mike
wasn’t really good at decoding cryptic messages or signals like
these. Sean was taking advantage of it and confused him sometimes.
They were at the supermarket and Mike looked at Sean – his
boyfriend wasn’t listening to him – his eyes were lost in
adoration, as that young hunk of a boy was standing there by the
ice-cream windows. He actually bore some resemblance to Mike – at
least, when Mike had first met Sean, and he was 50 to 60lbs
thinner... Then, Sean answered exactly to his question, looked back
at him and packed five large buckets of ice-cream to feed his boy.
Mike didn’t protest or say anything. He was hungry but he was
convinced he was too fat, patting the underside of his gut. When they
were back at Sean’s place and in the kitchen, he asked him: </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“Do
you think I should go on a diet ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> Then
Sean knew they were at the crossroads. He had to play his cards
right. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“I’m
glad you talk about this. I think maybe you should...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Why
didn’t you tell me before ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I
didn’t want to be hasty. You’re eating... pretty well.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I
know. I’m eating too well on your cooking.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">No
problem, really. It’s nice that you have such a grown-up appetite.
And I wouldn’t mind cooking more for you...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">You’re
being really nice to me, Sean, but... Do you really think I’m
attractive ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">What
kind of a question is that ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">...Do
you ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Of
course I do. And you’re a great boyfriend.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">Then,
why... Oh, fuck this! it’s so stupid...” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">What
is ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Why
are you looking at hot, muscle guys the way you do ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Hot
muscle guys ?... When did I do that ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">When
we were at the ice-cream parlour. That guy was so turning you on. How
can I turn you on as well, when I’m getting fat like a hog ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Is
that what this is about ? I wasn’t looking at that gym guy.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Don’t
lie to me, you were definitely looking at someone.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">All
right, I was. I didn’t think you would notice, but okay. If you
want to know, I was looking at that young clerk... the one who helped
me with the ice-cream.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">Who
? Oh, you mean... No way! that FAT boy ?” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> Mike
remembered there was this grocery clerk, a guy they had recently
hired, who had to weigh 300lbs at least. He sported a large ball of a
gut, topped with drooping man boobs and his round nipples showing
under the company shirt. Of course, the cold didn’t help. Mike
didn’t believe it. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“You
had the hots... for him ? That little fatso turned you on ? Then...”
</span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">It’s
fine, really. Forget it, all right ? I only have eyes for you, Mike.”
</span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I
don’t get it, but then... you really like me the way I am ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Hey,
I’m a little responsible for the way you are now. And I love it.”
</span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Why
did you agree with me going on a diet, then ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I
meant a diet that will fatten you up. Didn’t you mean a fattening
diet ?...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Huh...
No, I...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Well,
you should go on a diet where you do nothing but eat and eat all
day.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">...Eat
and eat, all day ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">You’ve
noticed it today, Mike. I have a thing for nice and chubby, overweight, overeating guys.
There’s only one better kind of guys – the best: reasonably thin guys who
put on weight, get unreasonably fat and want more of it... A lot more!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Is
this how I got to keep you as a boyfriend ? I really made you happy
as I was gaining weight ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Well,
among other things... But yeah, you did. You so turn me on, Mike.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> Sean
was holding him in a tight embrace, but Mike was still worried. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“What’s
wrong, Mike ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I
guess... I was afraid to lose you. I’m sorry. It’s ridiculous.
But I can’t help thinking, if you’re looking at fatter guys like
that, and not me anymore...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">When
I first saw you, I thought you were way too skinny. But you’re a
nice boy. And we worked along great. And you’ve gained some weight.
You have nothing to be afraid of...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">No...
I don’t want to take that risk.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> Mike’s
voice was incredibly serious. Sean suspected he had already won, but
it was so pleasing to him that he wanted the game to last a little
longer. Just for sport. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“Risk
? What risk ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">There
are so many other ‘nice guys’. Chubby or not. You don’t look at them, but I keep seeing them looking at you. If they had the chance, they would elbow me
out of the way. And I couldn’t stand it. Right now, I want to keep you
as my coach and master. You know I want it and you should want
it, too! I’m not finished learning what you said you would teach
me.” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">All
right, then... See ? We’re not finished.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">I
don’t want this to end before I’m done! So... I understand you’re
looking for a very specific kind of guy – right ? I’m actually
glad that I’m the only one to know about this. All these guys
muttering ‘what’s such a hunk doing with that tub of lard’... I
get it. If it comes down to this, I’ll be that guy for you.” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">So...
You would be ready to go on that diet ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Yuh
huh. Just... Just tell me what you want from me, Sean.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I
won’t ask you to become another person just for me, Mike. Just be
yourself. I want you to keep eating everything you like – just... a
lot more than you do now.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Okay.
Shouldn’t be so hard...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Then
I want you to gain weight and grow a much bigger belly." </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">Okay...”
<br />“I want your body to be totally mine, too: You will be lazy and
submissive – open your mouth and eat when I tell you to eat. Open
wider when I will make you drink. Listen to me and let me take care
of you, then.” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Okay...”
<br />“I will put you on the scales today. Maybe take some measurements too.
Then you will eat and be fed until there’s nothing left in the
fridge.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> Mike
felt his heart skip a beat. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">“But,
we just did all our grocery shopping for the week-end! If I leave the
fridge empty tonight...” <br />“I’ll go back and fill it again tomorrow.” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I
mean... If I keep eating like that every day, I'll end up fatter
than...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">How
about, fatter than that grocery clerk ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="center" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; line-height: 15.4px;"><br /></span><b style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; line-height: normal;">■</b></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"> It
looked like it was a big sacrifice on Mike’s part to put on more
than 80lbs for Sean – but he had soon considered the better aspects
of that deal, too. Sean completely belonged to him now – and he was
so devoted to feeding him and teaching some new sex moves to his ever
fatter, stuffed bottom partner – it made Mike melt under his touch.
He had stopped worrying about his weight, and was showing quite a
glutton’s appetite. Of course, Sean was still feeding him too much,
and in more aggressive ways, but it was most appealing to him.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> Mike
had first been weighed in at 225lbs, with a nice beginning belly and
a 40” waist. They had a long road before them, but they were both
determined to go all the way. In fact, as he wanted to make a strong
statement to encourage Mike and make him more comfortable about it,
Sean had finally accepted to cuff him to the living room’s large
radiator – the boy’s ankles were also tied to each other as he
was sitting on a small mattress, wearing nothing but his jockstrap
briefs now, and his right hand was only free so he would dig in and
stuff his face with all the good food Sean was leaving in large
plates and bowls around him. It was not the most comfortable position
for Mike, but it kept him in a permanent horny and hungry state, no
matter how full he was or how stuffed Sean forced him like a sausage.
</span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> Using
such methods, it was obvious that Mike would gain and grow quite
fast... When Spring break was over, Mike was tipping the scale at
248lbs, with most of his gain showing in his belly, chest and ass,
much to Sean’s pleasure. The boy was feeling a lot better about it
too, even proud as he let his belly bulge and hang over his new
pants. He wanted more! </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> Back
in town, Mike was welcomed by what felt like a round of applause, in
a way. His friends were all like: “Hey, fatty!” – “So, have
you thought of a name or is it going to be twins ?” – “Seriously,
dude, what did you eat last night ? your family ?” – “Is that
really your gut, or did you hide the children’s beach ball under
your shirt ?” – “And what a plump rear! You’ve gone camping
inside a Swiss cheese or what ?” – and so on. You get the
picture... </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> Mike changed clothes again, changed friends, changed his gym
membership card for some Burger King coupons... That Fall was all
about change, really. Mike had grown round and plump, and he had
grown to love this – but maybe Sean wasn’t enough to make him
feel really totally good about it: Mike wanted to be seen as a fat
boy, but in a positive way. He started searching on the Internet for
some Fat Admirers websites. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> On all the progress pics Sean had taken of him, Mike was more than
attractive – he was like a live gainer show... There were so many
clicks on his profile that he was a little afraid that he couldn’t
pick up the good guys among the proverbial crowd of lurkers and
fakes... Yet, after a few evenings on Sean’s computer, he had been
chatting with two or three serious guys, that were so attractive and
interesting to him as he was to them. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> As
it happens so often, there was one particular guy who was the apple
of Mike’s eye right then. He said his name was Bob. He was turning
19. His profile said 5’9’’ and no more than 170lbs, but he
sounded determined and willing to grow up to 300lbs. Mike had talked
about Sean and his feeding sessions – not giving away a lot of
details, as he didn’t want Bob to lose interest in him too soon...
until one evening, out of the blue, he had invited him to join them
for a week or two and be fed like he was. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> Now,
Mike found himself in big trouble. He tried to talk about his new
friend carefully, slowly coming to the point... Sean had already
smelled the rat, and he knew which websites, groups, rings and chat
rooms Mike had been going to lately. Having another young boy to feed
didn’t sound so good to him, but as Mike had finally had the guts
to ask this from him as a personal favour, he thought further about
it and accepted. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> By
that time, Mike had grown quite well – his round paunch was growing fast, and blubbery – and his weight was
close to 260lbs. But Sean was sensitive enough to know that the
‘magic’ of their relationship was fading – if you wanted to put
it that way: Mike and him were looking for very different kinds of
boyfriend. For their next vacation together, Sean had only had to say
the magic word: “food slave”, and Mike was immediately on board.
But it was a misunderstanding – while Sean put the emphasis on the
food part, Mike had highlighted the word slave – a good compromise,
but soon to be a disaster for both of them. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> Having
another boy under his care – assuming Mike really cared for him too
– and turning him into a decent boyfriend to let him go... now,
that didn’t sound so bad, after all! Sean joined Mike one evening,
and chatted a little with Bob to make things right. He wasn’t
really enthusiastic about Bob, like Mike was: The boy’s pics looked
good, barely above average to Sean, but he didn’t sound very bright
and the closest thing he knew to spelling was Tori Spelling – which
Sean felt was kind of a shame, for a gay dude... </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> Then,
this wasn’t a boyfriend hunt for him – and you could tell Bob was
serious about eating (too much), being fed (way too much) and getting
(way) fat! Sean let Bob have his (way)s in the chat room, but he
would take care of everything, as soon as they met. Fortunately, Mike
and Bob had pretty much the same schedules, so they planned for a
two-weeks feeding session at Sean’s place. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="center" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; line-height: 15.4px;"><br /></span><b style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; line-height: normal;">■</b><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span><br />
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"> The
memories of those two weeks – and the following feeding sessions
the three of them shared for a while – brought Sean back to the
present. It was a pity that he had not used that cage with Jim –
just the swing he had put in the kitchen. He had only bought it about
a year ago, then he had made some arrangements on the leather seat
and chains. When Mike and Bob had followed him into the
living/feeding room, Sean had just installed that steel cage - which
was in the basement now. Sean had found it on e-bay. It belonged to
an old circus whose manager was going bankrupt. It was certainly
meant for tigers, at first – now for either of his plump boys to
be...</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> Mike
and Bob wanted to flip a coin to decide, but Sean had already told
Bob to get naked and get in. He was so naturally commanding that the
thin boy was immediately there – excited and hard. Mike was hard
too: it was the first time he saw Bob naked for real... Sean had them
weighed in – at 290lbs for Mike, and only 174lbs for Bob. Then he
ordered the thin boy to sit in the cage, close to the steel bars –
where he handcuffed him to one, making sure that he wouldn’t back
off when he force fed him. Then, Mike was back into his slave suit,
and they were ready to go. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> These
two weeks were so packed that they flew by in a whisper. Sean had to
cook more than ever. Mike had to gorge himself even more, while Sean
was taking care of their ‘guest’... Watching the two others go on
was encouraging for each one of them. So much eating would have been
easily considered like torture for any average-sized guy like Bob, as
Sean wasn’t really patient with him – but he was a good sport,
and he did his best to take in all the pastas, mashed potatoes,
pastries and milk that was forced on him... His poor beginner belly
was so stuffed that it looked like a horse’s gut under his
straining rib cage – and he was sweating like one as well!
Considering him better now, after a long day with much effort from
both of them, Sean was rather pleased: Bob would become a really good
fat boy, and probably make a suitable boyfriend for Mike too. It was
perhaps two in the morning before the three of them got to rest –
exhausted or stuffed to the gills... Sean had let Bob go to the
bathroom. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“How
are you feeling, Bob ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">Oh,
dude... I... <b>BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRPPP</b>! Huh, sorry...” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Nice
volume control you got there...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">Yeah!
Not bad, for a skinny twink.” Mike teased. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">Who’re
you calling a twink, you wussy ? I’ll show ya!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Show
me what ? You’ve eaten a few potatoes and you’re bloated ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">I
been stuffing my face all day – and when a wasn’t, he did!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">So
what ? Sean could take your baby belly, shape it into a ball, and it
would still fit in my bellybutton...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">Then
maybe I could shove somethin bigga – into your plump ass!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Now
now, boys... You’ve both been doing good, okay ? Bob, you go back
in the cage, lie down and go to sleep. Here’s a pitcher of... well,
let’s call it ‘milk’, for the time being. Mike, you come with
me.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> There
were two large pitchers of weight-gain shake for Mike, but he would
drink them in their bedroom. He was hard and ready for action, after
that little scene with Bob. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“By
the way, what was that ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">What
was what ?...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">You
two bickering like that!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Just
having fun. Looks like you were enjoying it too.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">Well,
you’re going to enjoy this: look.” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">What’s
in there to look at ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">The
bed. I’ve made arrangements.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Clearly
not the ones I asked you...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">No,
I wasn’t thinking about that – can’t you guess ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">What’s
new, then ? It’s the same king-size bed you’ve always had.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">Yes, but this king has never had to deal with such a big, <b>FAT </b>queen! I’ve
reinforced it.” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Oh... when ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Last
week. When I weighed you at 285lbs and your waist was like, I don’t know,
54’’ ? I thought it was about time...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Huh...
So, we can ?...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">...do
it like you’ve begged me to do for the last two weeks ? Yuh huh! At
least now, if you feel that the earth is shaking, you know it’s not
the bed!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Mike
and Sean’s lovemaking was like professional, by now – but it was
not lost on Sean that Mike’s feelings were definitely hotter for
Bob... Of course: Bob was younger than him – his tastes matched his
– he was still on his way to get so fat as he was... And he was
brand new, basically. Mike was not at all tired being with Sean –
which made him torn somewhat between the two guys around him, both
lusting for his fat body... <br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> The bright side of that tangled
situation was that, being fed by Sean and having Bob watch, then look
at Bob being stuffed while he kept on eating – Mike was consuming
more food than ever, fatter food than he was used to, and gulping it
down faster than he even thought possible. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> Bob
was also eating well – considering his size. Sean was ruthless with
him. He forced him to eat constantly and drink gainer shakes. Then he
teased him through the bars, poking and pinching, looking for some
appreciable growth and softness around the boy’s gut. Bob’s
feeding sessions only ended late at night – then Mike and Sean
would turn in, and he could go to sleep in his cage. He didn’t seem
to mind at all. He enjoyed being treated like that – like a prize
pig fattened up in his little sty... After all, he had asked for it –
and he loved every minute of it. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> Sean
was being more serious and organised as it looked like: For the
entire first week, he only fed Bob greasy pastas like cannelloni and
lasagna, mashed potatoes with rich gravy, creamy pastries,
cheesecakes and other soft foods like scrambled eggs or white cheese,
with lots and lots of whole milk gainer-shakes, stout beer and coke.
Bob didn’t have to munch a lot – it was always easy to go down,
so he wasn’t feeling tired of it that he was already full, no
matter how fattening the food was... </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> After
a week, the boy’s weight gain was so obvious that Sean wanted to
put him on the scale. Mike had grown quite round and blubbery as
well. He sported a manly gut now, complete with sagging man boobs,
chunky love handles and large expanse of ass that perfectly matched
his <b>302</b>lbs! </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">“Your
turn, skinny!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> Bob
tipped the scale at <b>188</b>lbs – a gain of 14lbs that showed mostly on
his bulging belly and softening cheeks. The boy couldn’t believe
his eyes as he read his weight. Sure he had grown and fattened up,
but that much ? </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">“Heh,
waddaya know ? I put on more weight than ya did!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> He
was so enthusiastic about going back inside the cage and get fed that Sean
changed his diet, adding home-made pizzas, fried chicken, ham and
pies to Bob’s menu – all kinds of food that required some chewing
effort from him. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> Mike
wasn’t forgotten at all, in the meantime. Sean was cooking
extra-large meals to satisfy his boy’s appetite – or rather, to
fill his stomach and guts that felt more and more like a bottomless
pit... The boys were too busy eating to exchange more than looks in
the kitchen, from Mike’s bench to Bob’s cage – but what Sean
could read in their eyes couldn’t be translated in words other than
“I love you” and “Eat some more”. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> One
night, Mike left Sean sleeping in bed – at least, he thought his
boyfriend was sleeping – and came back into the living room, to see
Bob in his cage. The overfed boy couldn’t sleep either. They were
both whispering, but Sean could guess what he didn't clearly understand as they were saying
to each other. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“Are
you feeling okay ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Well...
Yeah, I guess.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">You’re
so full, man... Look at your gut.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">A
don’t need to – it feels full. Your boyfriend is an amazing
cook!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Yeah,
he’s good. I can’t get enough, myself.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">That’s
‘cause you’re such a fat pig, man.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">You’re
growing quite well, too. I can’t wait to see you at 250lbs...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">I’ll
get fatter than that... With Sean here ? I’d say more like 500lbs!”
</span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Yeah...
I guess.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">What’s
wrong ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">It’s
all good, being fed and fattened up by a sweet guy like Sean. But
you see how he separates us ? I don’t want you to sleep in a cage.
I mean... I don’t want to sleep in a bedroom when you’re in the next room!... I...” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Hey...
It’s okay. Me too.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">...You
do ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Course
I do. Am getting fatter for you, here...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">Oh,
man... you’re so hot!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">Like
you’re not. Look at ya – so round... So fat, nice and juicy...
You’re gonna have to come home naked: no way you can fit into any
kinda pants!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Looks
like those briefs you're wearing are cutting into your plumps hips
too...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Yeah,
it’s killin’ me... I’ll ask Sean for scissors tomorrow.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Hmmm,
I’ll cut your waistband myself.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">Oh,
man! those pancakes and milk shakes... If we keep gaining weight like
that, we’re gonna get too fat to wear nothin’ but diapers,
dude...” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Not
even diapers, babe. I don’t want any piece of clothes between us.”
</span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Deal.
when we’re back, I'm gonna start you on a super weight-gain diet
for you, dude.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Oh
yeah...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">And
ya keep stuffing your face 'til that bloated, sexy gut on you bursts
open whatever shirts or pants they try to dress you with.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">Hmmm,
some day I’ll get to check out that chunky muscle-boy body... God,
dude, you're gonna get fatter and fatter!" </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Yuh
huh. When we’re back, Mike... bedroom all the way, I tell ya.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> Sean
was already aware that his relationship with Mike couldn’t last
much longer –and he found this last week with Bob between them to
be the perfect opportunity to talk about it. But not before they were
finished here! </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> After
the second week was over, Sean complimented both his gainer boys for
their weight gain and progress. Mike had definitely made a pig of
himself, and he had done a great deal of effort, for a boy that heavy
and fat already, to consume more and more fattening food, day after
day. His weight was up to <b>312</b>lbs, and those new 10lbs were all into
belly rolls and ass, with more blubber that ever in his love
handles... Gaining 22lbs in two weeks was an achievement, at that
point! </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> But
even Mike’s great results kind of paled in comparison with Bob’s
gain. Who would have thought that a boy so thin and lean as he was on
his first weigh-in would eat and grow so well ? Sean had decided to
trust Bob, and done his best to feed him like a pig, according to the
boy’s early request. Now, it was time for his reward: Bob’s
six-pack was long gone, of course, but now his belly was shaped into
a perfect ball, from his lower ribs to his crotch, nice and curvy on
the sides and plump around his bellybutton... His cheeks were
somewhat fuller and softer, like his pecs and arm pits. His butt
cheeks were a lot rounder, and his thighs were getting a bit thicker
too. Mike and Sean were enjoying so much looking at him that they
didn’t want to rush anything and have Bob get on the scale. But the
boy’s weight held the promises of his fat body: Bob weighed no less
than <b>204</b>lbs – a weekly gain of 16lbs, even better than on his first
week! </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">“Wow,
Bob! That’s an even 30lbs over two weeks...” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> When
Bob came back to his place, he got teased a lot by his friends, but
he was so proud of his gut that he shut them off without even arguing
much. Mike and Sean were back to their place. Sean was honest with
his boyfriend: he should rather be with Bob, sad as he was that they
had to let him go. It was no big deal for him: Mike and him had never
really planned to be in a relationship. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“So...
you’re okay about this ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I
can’t say I like how it has to end... I don’t even like that it
has to end. But if you’re happier with him than you are with me,
then... go for it.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Oh...
Okay, I guess.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Want
to make a deal ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">What
kind ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">Our
last deal together: I’ll let you go as soon as you’ve put on 50
more pounds – how does that sound to you ?” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">50lbs
? I would be... 360lbs, then ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> It
was exactly what Sean had in mind. Fatten this boy up to twice his
before weight. Letting Mike go would be easier for him if he had at
least accomplished what he had first planned for that cocky, young
stud he had randomly met, then got to know better, appreciate and
care for. This would be a clean cut. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> Mike
didn’t know why Sean had asked for 50lbs only, but he agreed with
him. That was a deal. Sean and him had a few more feeding sessions
with Bob. The three of them were a lot more opened to each other. Six
months later, after a good time spent at his house, Sean put his two
boys on the scale for the last time: Mike weighed <b>365</b>lbs, huge and
obese, with a 77’’ waist that was lost in the girth of his round,
drooping belly. Sean told him this meant more than 50% body fat! </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> Now
he had won his bet, after more than a year and a half together. Sean
was proud of his boy, and delighted to see him prouder about this
than he was: Mike stood in front of him, beaming, as he had this
sexy, <b>260</b>lbs chubby guy named Bob who was looking at him in
adoration... </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="center" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; line-height: 15.4px;"><br /></span><b style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; line-height: normal;">■</b></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"> It
was easier for Sean to keep in touch with his previous boyfriends,
now that he was logged in. He had never been with a man longer than
two years, but always leaving the other guy on good terms. Besides,
his experience with Mike had made him realize that he was not only a
shaper of fat men’s bellies and bodies, but also helping his
overfed boy to have some self-esteem or justified pride. Now, he was
glad to see every one of the chunky boys that he had dated and
fattened up to their current size had no intention of loosing weight,
and were so often involved in a solid relationship with their
boyfriends or girlfriends. Sean was not against dating bi guys.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> Letting
Mike go had left him facing a huge void – literally huge... He
didn’t go out so soon, but went on chat rooms and web sites
instead, trying to figure it out – and look at the different
opportunities they offered. He was quickly disappointed. The guys in
chat rooms were only interested in his boy’s progress pics. Sean
wasn’t an idiot, so that little game didn’t last long. But then,
he was harassed by those guys or others who constantly asked for more
pics or videos. Some of the messages he got were almost menacing –
for what purpose ? God knows!... – or insulting. In the end, there
was a rumour that he was a fake. And like most things stupid and
useless, it spread really fast, leaving him bitter and depressed,
unable to fight back. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> Sean
wasn’t looking for a guy to feed right away. He stopped logging in.
He had only kept his profile up on one of the very few interesting
web communities for young gainers and feeders. The best he could do
was to wait. He had better things to do than to worry about a handful
of jerks. He had work to do. The real good guys would show up,
eventually. Sean was optimistic that way. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> That’s
how he got to meet Nick. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="center" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; line-height: 15.4px;"><br /></span><b style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; line-height: normal;">■</b></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Nick was not a guy you would expect to be interested in gaining weight –
you wouldn’t think he was interested in fat men, either – nor
really interested in men, for that matter. Looking at him, the first
thing that came to mind was “Now, that’s a handsome guy!” –
That is, if you met him at the workplace. On the evening, your first
thought, if not words, would have to be “Hello, gorgeous!”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Then,
after a short while, you had to wonder “Why is he so shy ?”</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Nicky
was not uncomfortable with others, whether he was invited at a family
reunion, a friend’s wedding or a party on the beach: he was already
uncomfortable with himself. Nobody knew about it, really – because
THAT never came to mind...</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> At
25, Nicky was the perfect built for his 6’2’’ frame, weighing
around 180lbs of solid muscles. His hair was of a very particular
light brown shade – you could say “dark blonde” – cut short
and trendy. His eyes were the piercing brown, almost ebony kind. His
best feature, however, were his lips and perfect set of teeth –
when Nicky smiled at you, you better had a glass of water nearby,
because you WOULD catch on fire!... </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> With
so much going for him, Nicky could not be single, but there was
always something missing to make him feel like he could be involved
with someone. He couldn’t keep a girlfriend for more than two weeks
– and as he wasn’t out about being bisexual, he couldn’t
possibly have a serious boyfriend, either. After a few unfortunate
experiences where he had been both seduced and rejected pretty much
the same by a girl and a boy, Nicky started questioning himself for
good, and came to the conclusion that he couldn’t choose and that
being bi was also a sexual orientation – but that he was more
attracted by fat guys than any other kinds of men or women. He was
still confused, but there was something about a fat, manly body that
was too appealing for him to dig further. So he was only half right
about himself, but that was already something. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> Nick
had been looking online to date plump or fat boys. He was amazed to
find out how much interest there was in that subject. Pretty soon, he
learned about gaining and feeding, and this proved to be an even
bigger turn-on. As soon as he pictured a boy being fed like a baby,
only grown-up fattening foods and way too much, he was totally hard
and horny. He read everything he could find about it on web sites. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> Chatting
with gainers and encouragers was rather easy – but to find the
right feeder proved to be much more difficult. Nicky didn’t like
some of the guys’ approach, or rather pick-up lines... Deep down,
he wasn’t just looking for a feeding session. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> There
were not so many feeders’ profiles online, so that limited his
research, in a way. He chatted with some of them, asking them about
their methods, likes and dislikes, and so on. He learned a lot, but
he was still looking for a feeder when he found Sean’s profile. It
looked like that guy was never online, but from what Nicky could
read, he was not like all the others. It was hard to say. There were
some interesting points in what he said about himself and what he was
looking for. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> Sean
was at work when he got his first email from Nicky. His first
impression was good enough to answer right away, saying he would be
online later that night. Both of them were rather anxious about it –
Nicky, because he was inexperienced in that – Sean, because he had
only had more than his share of bad experiences... </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“Hello (smiley face)”
<br />“Hi there – how are you ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“F</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">ine, thanks. You ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Same.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> They
were going to be the best of friends... </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> Sean
was soon pleased that Nicky wasn’t begging for pics. He had
questions, but they were genuine and personal. On the other hand,
Nicky was impressed at Sean’s wide knowledge of gaining and
feeding. He was also reassured by the calm and polite tone of his
questions and answers. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> On
their first night chatting together, Sean was by far the most talkative, but he had good
insights of Nicky’s expectations, and gave a few thoughts about his
personality right away. This was a rather shy, unsure boy again,
looking for his special feeding care, but who also needed some
confidence and above all, trust. So he told him everything he wanted
to know, and talked at length about himself, which was unusual for
him. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> They
met online pretty much every evening after that. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> When
Sean finally suggested that they should meet, and asked Nicky for a
pic to recognise him at the airport, he was so surprised at the boy’s
looks that he even thought it was a very bad joke, at first. But it
was obviously the guy he had been talking to for a month... Sean was
dumbfounded. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“You
didn’t get the pic ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Sorry...
I did. I don’t know what to say.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Why
?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I
was wondering – I had no idea you were so fit.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Oh
? yes, I’m still thin. I thought it would not be a problem.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">Of
course not. I’m just surprised, that’s all. You’re really
good-looking!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">(blushing
smiley)” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I’m
not sure I should send you a self pic now...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> It
was Nicky’s turn to be taken off at how handsome Sean was. They
were both very impatient to meet ASAP. Sean invited Nicky over for a
week-end. It was not a long trip for him, fortunately, so they could
share some quality time together. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">“I
can’t believe that I'm going to fatten up such a perfect poster boy!...”
Sean kept saying to himself, as he was driving to the airport. “There
must be something more to him than just a desire to gain weight... I
guess I will find out soon enough.” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> Nicky
looked even better in all three dimensions, and he moved with a delicate
grace that let out how shy he naturally was, and how fast his heart
was beating in anticipation. Sean was straightforward and easygoing,
not rushing him, treating him like an old friend rather than a young
bride. He got to break the ice and make Nicky more comfortable on the
way to his place. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> The
place looked great to Nicky, who was welcomed by a large
Thanksgiving-style dinner, complete with candles and the right kind
of family plates and silverware you take out of the shelves on these
occasions only. It made the atmosphere inside the kitchen so warm and
cosy, Nicky felt – and behaved – like a child on the holiday’s
eve. Sean knew he had done well – and that his efforts to decorate
the table were appreciated. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“Sit
down, Nicky. This is all for you.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">All
this ? Wow, that’s... incredible!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">But
edible, trust me. And, I hope, enjoyable ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> As
soon as Nicky was seated, Sean started filling his plate – and as
promised, his boy got to enjoy a fat roasted turkey with mashed
potatoes and pastas, butter sauce and gravy, cornbread stuffing with
more gravy, cranberry sauce, a large pan of sweet potato casserole
topped with marshmallows, mashed turnips with creamy butter and
nutmeg, biscuits with butter and jam, creamed carrots and broccoli
with cheese and sauce, tossed salad with cheese dressing, pumpkin
pies, apple pies with vanilla ice cream, mincemeat pie, chocolate
fudge cake and cookies for dessert. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> Tall
and well-built as he was, you could tell Nicky would have a good
appetite, but this was obviously too much for him. He was doing his
best to eat his way through that oversized meal, when Sean reassured
him with his calm, almost soothing voice. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“Don’t
overdo it, Nicky. You have plenty of time...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Is
this... is this okay ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">You’re
doing great. How do you feel ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Honestly,
I’m starting to feel full.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Then
you know what you have to do. Open up your pants and shirt.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> Nicky
did as Sean had told him – then he got to eat some more. There was
such a variety of dishes, and they all tasted so good that he
couldn’t complain – he naturally wanted to eat everything! Sean
noticed that, and did his best to encourage him to eat again, more
and more – never really forcing him or rushing him to eat in any
way, but supporting him, since this was exactly what he wanted from
his boy. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"> After
a fourth or fifth large helping of sweet potatoes, Nicky was about to
give up, no matter how painful it was for him to stop. He was already
trying too hard, according to Sean. <br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“Now, take a deep
breath...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Okay...”
<br />“All right. Now, take a break. You have still time to finish
this, if you want.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">Thank
you. God! I feel so stuffed...” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">You
know what, Nicky ? you ARE pretty much stuffed right now.” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">...Already
?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I
should think so... But I’m impressed. Honestly, you are a much
better eater than I thought you would be.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I’m
not finished yet.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Okay.
Tell me when you’re ready...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I
feel so hot...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">You
know what you have to do. Take off your pants and shirt.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> Sean
had not insisted that Nicky would eat naked, because he didn’t want
to scare him away, after providing such a good show. Now, this looked
much closer to the feeding sessions he was used to. Nicky’s belly
was round and protruding quite far – it was nice to know that it
could expand so easily, so early on... </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“Take
off your boxer shorts too, if you don’t feel good in them.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> Nicky
had been struggling with them for a minute – trying to lower the
elastic waistband down and... further down – to let his underbelly
swell and process all the food it was stuffed with. Now, this was
probably going to be Sean’s best feeding session ever! </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“Ready,
Nicky ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">...Sure.
Just give me a minute, and I’ll eat all this.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Take
all the time you need.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> It
took Nicky six hours to finish the eight-pound turkey – the large
amounts of potatoes that Sean kept filling his plate with, along with
the buttery pastas and toasted bread – then the second pan of sweet
potatoes Sean had left in the hot oven – with all the different
sauces and creamy vegetables – and all the biscuits Sean dipped in
butter and jam before he put them into his mouth – finally munching
on the pies, the chocolate cakes, the ice cream and sweets… </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> Most
of all, Nicky was a little drunk on Sean’s red wine and beers…
Watching him eat and eat, Sean was feeling somewhat drunk too – he
had never seen such a hunk eat so much, almost constantly, for such a
long time! And this was their first session, for crying out loud!… </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> Sean
helped his stuffed boy get into bed. Nicky’s skin was so tight around
his waist, and he was so heavily packed that his midsection felt like
a marble statue – except there were very few Greek or Roman statues
with such a round, full gut... Besides, Sean’s hands were sliding
on the boy’s torso, greasy and sweating as it was. When Nicky
finally lied down on the bed, hiccuping and lightly belching once in
a while, Sean took his time to look at him – the expression on his
face as he was slowly drifting into sleep, and his overfed thin boy’s
belly glistening in the moonlight... </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> In the morning, Nicky was still stuffed and tired too much to face
another meal. All he wanted to do was to lay in bed and rest. Sean
had seen it coming. So he was the “lazy Sunday” kind of boy –
but that wasn’t going to stop him. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“How
about breakfast in bed for my gorgeous Nicky to enjoy ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Breakfast
in bed ?... You're the best!” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> So
Sean spent all Sunday morning and afternoon feeding his boy in bed –
eggs and bacon, toasts with butter and jam, yoghurt, muffins,
cookies, orange juice, chocolate milk and whole milk… This was all
done pretty slow, while Sean was fondling Nicky’s body, making him
horny and hungry – also checking for some signs of early plumpness…
Things would have to go faster, in the future: Nicky was a good
eater, but he really needed organisation and coaching if he wanted to
gain weight for good. His metabolism seemed to be like a blast
furnace, too. Not really good news for Sean, but – once again, he
loved the challenge. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> Their
first week-end was over, and they were both happy and confident about
each other. So much that their chat room sessions were soon replaced
by phone calls. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“So,
Nicky – how was your week-end ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Awesome,
Sean. You’re a great guy, and you’re an amazing feeder. I’ve
weighed myself this morning, like you asked, and I’m up five, maybe
six pounds.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Six
fat ones ? Nice job, my friend...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Looks
to me like it was your job... If congratulations are in order, you
totally deserve them. I’ll put more of myself in our next session.”
</span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">That’s
all music to my ears, Nicky. How do you feel about this ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I
feel... huh... good ? I don’t know...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> That
was Nicky’s answer to pretty much everything: “I don’t know.”</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“What
would you say to me, then – in ten words or less ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">...Only
three, Sean... I. Want. <b>More</b>!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> And
“more” was just what Nicky got. Their second week-end / feeding
session was better prepared, so Sean got to cook his regular five
meals each day, and stuff his boy’s belly in between meals. Nicky
looked so fucking hot to Sean: with his bodybuilder’s build and
frame, and his incredibly good looks, he was showing quite an
appetite – then he let himself be fed on the couch for hours, where
Sean would rub and caress his stuffed belly too. Nicky was so bloated
and hard, he was painfully tight in his briefs. To make it worse, his
feeder was forcing thick, buttery crust, strawberry jam and creamy
cheesecake down his throat now, while his left hand was going from
belly to crotch, starting to masturbate him, gently at first, then
harder and harder. Nicky was about to come. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“No,
Sean... Not like this.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Follow
me, then.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> Having
sex by the pool and watching the sun set was something new for Nicky
– and also for Sean, who had never done it like that with Mike...
This was their first time together, too. And Nicky was much more
giving than his previous boyfriends. Sean was feeling wild, just
looking at him during sex. The rest of their week-end was a whirlpool
of fattening food and passionate love making. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> They
could hardly stay longer with each other, as they both had work to
do. But after a month, Nicky’s gain began to show. He told Sean he
was now weighing <b>195</b>lbs. Of course, 15 pounds over four weeks didn’t
sound like a lot to Sean, but it was promising enough, for future feeding sessions... </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;">“Did
they notice anything, at your workplace ?”</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I
don’t think so. They’re so used to the way I looked before that
they don’t bother to look at me .” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I
see...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Of
course, I haven’t gained enough to make a big difference yet.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Now,
now... Fifteen pounds should count as something, Nicky. The way I see
it, you’ve been gaining pretty well but too slowly to cause a real
surprise. You know what ?...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">What
do you have in mind ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">How
about you and I take a week off work, and spend it at my condo
feeding your little belly all day, all night ?...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">That
would be great!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">...Then
I think your collegues will notice some changes in your body.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> Sean
had more free time than Nicky, but they managed to meet by the end of
the month, in the last days of Spring. Sean had been arranging the
place, done grocery shopping and even cooking for two days before
Nicky joined him. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">“Wow!
This really is a LOT!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">Hey,
my job is to make sure you are continuously supplied with luscious,
high-caloric, extremely fattening food... Your job is to eat all of
it!" </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Let’s
go to work, then.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> Then
Sean started him on a rich diet, heavy with pastries, pies, cakes,
pancakes, waffles, ice-cream, whipped cream, white cheese, chocolate
and cookies – making sure he was eating for at least 18 hours a day
– a diet which had to be over 30,000 calories... Nicky’s ‘before’
weight was 196lbs, with a 34’’ waist and some unmistakable signs
of increasing plumpness, but Sean told him to forget about his weight
and size – he would only be weighed in at the end of the week. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><br />“This
is... Oooof, this is yummy, Sean, but really heavy!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Open
your mouth and swallow.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Thank
God it’s soft food... Hmmmmf hmmm...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">You
should gain over 25 pounds, this week – maybe up to 30 pounds, if
we do it right… It all depends on
how much you burn calories, actually. But I’m pretty confident that your
metabolism has slowed down a bit…” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> Their
next days went by in a blur. Nicky spent all his awake time
eating almost non-stop, chocolates and candies, when Sean wasn’t
feeding him. His belly was so stuffed most of the time that he had to
take off his straining briefs and let it rest in his lap. Then he
would sleep to take in all that good food. His feeder would wake him
up by massaging his huge belly to make room for more, then the
stuffing process would begin again. During those seven days, Nicky
felt himself grow larger almost by the hour, until he lost track of
time, how much he could eat, or how fat he was becoming... He just
stuffed himself until he was too tired to eat anymore and Sean had to
force him to gulp down and have some more. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> At the end of the week, Sean told Nicky to stand on the scale. As he was looking
in the mirror, the bloated boy could hardly believe his eyes: He
was enormous! and the scales tipped at almost <b>224</b>lbs. A gain of 28
pounds, almost 30 pounds in a week! </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><br />“Wow,
this is... so great!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">Want
to know something that tops your weekly weight gain ? Check this out:
your waist has sprouted up to an even 40’’!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">No
way!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“Way way. S</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">ee ? You’re a BIG boy, now!...” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> Sean
waited for a few days before he called Nicky on the phone again, to
know how his friends and collegues were responding to his new girth.
But there was so much enthusiasm in Nicky’s voice, just as he said
“Hello” to him that Sean was reassured about the most important
part of his feeding work: the boy was enjoying himself. He was more
openly happy and a lot more confident than he used to be. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">So,
did you get a lot of comments ?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">I
wish I had put on a pound for every ten comments I’ve got at work –
I would be huge and obese, then! But the best reaction I’ve got is
from this woman I’m working with, now… She’s a client for my
company, but she said she had seen me twice before, so she was aware
of the gain and changes.” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">What
did she say ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Not
much, actually. But for someone into body language, you could so tell
she liked what she was looking at. It was only after the meeting with
all the other scarecrows that she asked me about my health and
weight. I was only... well, half-honest with her, but she told me she
appreciated the new ‘me’ a lot more than the thin guy in a suit I
used to be. And she invited me for dinner.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Hmm
hmm ? Sounds interesting. What’s happened then ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">She
said she liked the way I was eating – I mean, she didn’t say it
right away, but after a few courses and glasses of wine, I wasn’t
thinking clearly any more. So I guess I was chowing down like you’ve
taught me…” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">And
she liked that, huh ? Sounds to me like you’ve found yourself an
admirer.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">A
what ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">She’s
already into you, if you ask me – and if she’s into watching you
eat like a pig... Chances are, she’s a FA.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“What's a FA ?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Fat Admirer, silly. Although it may also stand for </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Food Addict</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">”</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">, so I can't blame you on that one.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">A
Fat Admirer ? Huh... I hadn't thought about it that way. Of course, it makes perfect sense!... I have to... Okay, listen Sean, I have a favor to
ask you.” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Anything
you want – what is it ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">I
have business with her this week, then she will come back only in a
month. I need you to fatten me up in between!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">How’s
that a favour ? I will fatten you up anyway!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">I
know... I meant... Don’t spare me: Make me really fat, this time.
I... I would like to impress her, when we meet again.” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Oh...
I see. Sounds like you like this girl a lot. What’s she like ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I
don’t know. Let’s say... Shorter Nicole Kidman meets Meg Ryan in
Working Girl. Minus the infamous shoulders pads.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">That’s
quite a catch! Okay, I’ll help you get there. When can you come ?”
</span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">End
of the week. Please, Sean... I’m not kidding about this. You’ve
always asked me to get over it, let go and be a pig... When I’m
with you, I'll do whatever it takes to gain and grow as <i>fast </i>as
possible! I know you haven’t been so hard with me as with your
other fat boys... but you have so many techniques – take your most
fattening one, and try me on it. That’s the favour I ask.” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Got
you, Nicky. I’ll give you everything I have and 110 percent.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> Fortunately,
Sean had just closed a very important deal for his company, so he had
time to concentrate more on his feeding activities for a while. And
he was not going to miss such an opportunity. Sean came back to his
now fully-equipped condo, filled the refrigerator, pantries and
shelves, and cooked for three days – that is, if you consider
preparing gallons and gallons of gainer-shake “cooking”… But he
was also baking his own pies and cakes, based on his own, special
recipes. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> When
Sean finally welcomed Nicky, there was enough food in the house to
host a week-long wedding party for a Sicilian groom and bride, and
all their relatives – all sorts of fattening foods just waiting to
be eaten... </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br />“What
do you know, Nicky ? You’re already <b>230</b>lbs ?… I thought you
looked </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">just a little bit meatier</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">, when I first saw you.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“I
didn’t know… but I shouldn't be surprised. I’ve been
eating really well with Dory.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Who’s
Dory ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">That
girl I was talking you about.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Oh,
the Fat Admirer ? Yes… Hmmm hmmm, looks to me like she’s more than
admiring.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">You’re
not wrong. She’s been inviting me to restaurants quite often, and
she’s always encouraging me to eat some more.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I
thought so… and to make you gain six pounds like that, and so fast…
you must really like her ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Oh,
I… Yeah, I really do.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">When
will you guys meet again ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">End
of the month. We have ten days ahead of us. You think I could grow up
to 250lbs before I see her again ?...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“T</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">old you – I’ll do my best. Now, come over here.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> Sean
had prepared the living room for his feedee. Next to the kitchen was
a large, inclined table with a mattress attached on it. Sean strapped
Nicky naked, spread-eagled to the table, then gagged him with a
funnel and feeding tube. The boy’s mouth was open and his throat
ready to take in the flow of gainer shakes Sean kept ready for him. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“Okay...
Now, I'm going to pump you full of weight-gain shake for a few hours.
Please, don’t move around too much with that tube down my throat,
or you will irritate your throat and oesophagus.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Hmmmf...”
(meaning okay) </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Let’s
go, then.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> Nicky
could feel the thick, fattening shake going straight into his
stomach. There was nothing he could do but take it, and he loved that
feeling… There were pies already warming up in the ovens for him,
when he would be finished. Sean had planned to feed him shakes non
stop for two hours – maybe three, considering Nicky enjoyed being
force fed like that, and really swallowed like a champion now… –
then keep going with more solid foods. He pumped about 20,000
calories into Nicky, just with the shakes. As this was promising to
do his belly good, he massaged Nicky's growing stomach and lightly
played with his hard dick. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> When
Sean took the funnel gag away, Nicky could look down and see that his
once-hard midsection was now a mass of soft blubber, swelled up so
much that it was hard again, but in a much different way. The bloated
boy uttered a loud belch. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><br />"Will
you just look at that, Nicky ?" Sean complimented him, grabbing
a handful of newly developed flesh. "You're really fattening up,
here! Now, if you're not going to be poster boy for all porker boys…"
</span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">Oh,
I wish!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">Let your belly grow some more before you go out on your date with Dory –
so you will blow her mind!…” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> Then
it was time for pies. Then cheesecakes. Then Sean decided to keep
Nicky strapped there for the week – just eating and resting,
sleeping and growing. He was also carefully increasing his caloric
and fat intake, day after day. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> Nicky
was willing and obedient – so he kept growing, fatter and fatter! His belly was getting huge, and so blubbery, Sean couldn’t keep his
hands off it. When he finally let him up, after such an intensive
week of feeding, Nicky could hardly move: He had packed on no less
than 40 pounds, weighing an even <b>270</b>lbs, now! Nicky looked at himself
in the full length mirror in Sean’s bathroom. He was overjoyed by
the results, but he could certainly not jump – he was just too fat…
Sporting an overhanging, pillowy, soft gut, Nicky caressed its
roundness, then moved to his chest, which had turned into fleshy man
boobs with his nipples erect. His love handles and ass were chunky
and doughy just as well… With every step he took, he could feel his
fat jiggle. His body was now shaped like a human bowl of jello. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> He
didn’t want to go back to work – and he didn't have any clothes
to wear, as he had outgrown even his briefs a while ago… Sean had
foreseen it, of course, and bought him some new pants and shirts. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“So…
have you seen her ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">I
have. Thank you so much, Sean!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">What
did she say ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">Well…
nothing, right away. But when we were alone, she was almost so
straightforward as you are. We’ve spent the night together at her
hotel. It was amazing!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Good
for you, Nicky. So… what happens next ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Next
thing I had to do was being honest with her. So I told her about
you…” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">About
me ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Of
course. As a matter of fact, I told her pretty much everything… The
feeding sessions, and so on… I hope you don’t mind.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Why
should I ? Honestly, I don’t think that she will share this stuff with many
people, anyway…” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Right.
But she would like to meet you.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Why
?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">To
thank you, I guess… or to ask for your help to make me fatter for
her.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Let
me think about it.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> Sean
was a good observer. Nicky’s physical transformation from
“Abercrombie & Fitch” model to Super-sized blimp was mirrored
in his behaviour and state of mind: he was much more confident, less
cold in public meetings, more easy-going in private... He was even
making people more comfortable. And his sexual orientation was not so
bottom and submissive anymore, but more assertive – he was feeling
just so good being on top now... and now, he was attracted to a
woman. Sean smiled at this – such a far cry from the Nicky he had
first met online! Granted, Dory was a very specific kind of woman,
but it would probably be for the best. He only wanted to know for
sure. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> Nicky
and Dory came to visit him in the city. Sean was speechless, meeting
Dory. It felt like looking in a magically sex-changing mirror. What
was supposed to be nothing more than a formal introduction was
prolonged into a long evening of talking and sharing interests. They
met a few more times before Sean was asked to give his blessings to
the couple, as they were going to get married. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“All
right, Dory” Sean said, jokingly. “But you owe me, right ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">Oh,
I know I owe you big! I owe you big and FAT...” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> Dory
was an unusual friend for Sean, whose tastes were exclusively
masculine. But she had this great personality. She was following his
advice and feeding her chubby hubby so well… She was an interesting
person, even outside their feeding gig. Dory was an agent in a model
agency, with quite a handful of great-looking boys under her care. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> As
Sean was always eager to learn, he had asked her a few questions
about her job, the pros and cons of it, her best achievements, her
missed chances, her most bitter regrets, her fears and
expectations...</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> That’s
how he had learned about Jim. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><br />“See
this one ? You said I have quite a handful of pretty boys… Well,
this guy is quite a handful on his own!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">He’s
quite the hunk... Let me guess... Proud, selfish, self-absorbed ?”
</span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Oh
he’s all about ‘self’, all right. I’m worried about him.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Tell
me more...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="center" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; line-height: 15.4px;"><br /></span><b style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; line-height: normal;">■</b></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Dory
and Sean had first talked about Jim about a year earlier. Sean had a
hunch that this boy was meant to be a model, but that he was also meant to
be fatter – and a lot fatter – somehow... After Jim had broken up
with his boyfriend Phil, Dory was so worried and pissed at her boy’s
bad behavior that she had called Sean. They had to do something. Sean
worked on a little something with Nicky: there was this ad campaign
to be done for the new Healthyline product, and nobody had really
found an “edge” to sell it in time. Sean submitted the idea of a
reverse before/after effect, complete with photo sessions and videos.
Nicky and him worked on the deal and contracts so well that the
project was approved – no matter how unusual it looked.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> The
rest was now part of Sean’s best memories. He had taken a better
look at Jim than anybody else – and the young model was a lot more
beautiful in real life. He was irresistible to Sean when he ate –
and too hot for words when he got to feed him... </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> There
was no way that he could compare his experience with Jim to the ones
he had shared with his previous boyfriends. The boy’s bad temper
was like hot spice, adding flavor to him – and he had showed such a
glutton’s appetite that only Nicky’s would reasonably compete
with... In the end, Jim had enjoyed putting on weight more than he
thought he would – but pretty much the way Sean had expected it –
and he had grown even fatter, naturally encouraged by his lover and
feeder! </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> What
Sean had not quite expected was how he would gain himself, in the
process. This was new for him. As much as he had been feeding and
fattening up boys for a while, now, he realized he had never got to
share this completely with his boyfriends. But it was different with
Jim. As a matter of fact, if he had only relied on his old methods,
tricks and techniques, the reluctant model would have only put on the
thirty pounds he had been told about in his contract - and it would
have been over between them. To make him gain almost twice that
weight meant that he would be totally honest about it and more. He
had joined him in a heartbeat when it came down to overeating – or
talking in bed after sex – or opening your mind to new
possibilities – opening your heart to share your feelings. Deep
down, it all revolved around their hearts, their truth, and the
feelings they had for each other. It was so far from just food and
sex. Rubbing his little expanse of a well-fed gut, Sean
absent-mindedly came to the conclusion that he was in love with Jim. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> He
was now impatiently waiting for Dory to call him back...</span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5094005257601699515.post-85288313804510049862016-02-19T13:36:00.002-08:002022-11-06T06:03:14.419-08:00A Bittersweet Symphony (2nd mvt.)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YvEZThdUtjE/Vsd72Vrwm-I/AAAAAAAAAdA/TkSMpQ1gelk/s1600/Fonds%2BBittersweet.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="204" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YvEZThdUtjE/Vsd72Vrwm-I/AAAAAAAAAdA/TkSMpQ1gelk/s640/Fonds%2BBittersweet.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"><b>II</b>
– [Largo sostenuto] “</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"><b>Five
steps, four weeks</b></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">”
</span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"><br /> The
house was big, with large windows opening on the landscape –
nothing but trees and the distant mountain tops. It was almost too
peaceful for words. Jim spoke louder and more than he used to. He
thought the living room was big enough to host parties for fifty
guests, at least, but most of all he was amazed at the size of Sean’s
industrial kitchen: If he used all his tools to cook for him, and if
he was half as good as a chef as he was good-looking, Jim was now
pretty confident he would put on weight fast, without having to
struggle against his blast-furnace metabolism... </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"> Sean
told Jim he could have the large bedroom by the pool. It was in a
separate pool house, actually, and it looked just perfect with a hot
Jacuzzi next to it. Jim liked his bedroom at first sight: It was on
ground floor, like the living room and kitchen. On the first floor,
Sean had his own bedroom next to a fully equipped gym and another
guest room that wouldn’t be used now. Each guest room had its own
bathroom. Jim unpacked, changed into shorter, light linen clothes.
Then he sat down on the living room’s large leather couch and
looked around him. Sean had quite good interior decorating skills,
too. Jim was running through his DVD collection when he joined him.
They both knew it was time to get back to serious stuff again. Sean
was still politely engaging the subjects. </span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">“I haven’t
asked you yet, Jim, but... if it’s not a problem for you, I would
like to follow your progress, for the next four weeks.” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Follow
my progress ? What does that mean, exactly ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I
was thinking, this is a great opportunity for me to get new data
about a man’s weight gain. So, I would like to weigh you, take some
measurements, check your pulse, blood pressure and so on. I was
thinking on a daily basis – like every morning, right before
breakfast. It would be the best moment for it, if you don’t mind me
taking pics of you.” <br />“Come on, Sean. I’m a model. I don’t
mind at all. I can understand you look at it with the eyes of a
nutritionist.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Yes...
And also, I want to make sure you are healthy and in good shape.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Then
I should have no reason to say no, really...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Thanks,
Jim. How about taking your first set of pics now ? It’s still 8:30.
Did you have something to eat in the plane ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Nothing
much. I don’t think that will count”, Jim laughed. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> Sean
put a large scale in place at a corner of the room, while Jim took
off the shirt and short pants he had just put on. He had no trouble
undressing in front of Sean, anyway. He stood straight on the scale,
and Sean read </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"><b>171</b></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">lbs.
Jim’s waist was 31” – which Sean commented was almost too thin
for his 6’1” frame. Sean also measured Jim around the chest,
hips, arms and thighs. He wrote everything down on his clip book.
Then he took a few pics of Jim. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“That’s
all for today. Now for the fun part... I hope you’re hungry, Jim.”
</span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Oh
yes.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Let’s
get started, then.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Jim
sat down at the kitchen table, while Sean was beginning to cook. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“I
haven’t told you, Sean, but I really liked what you said in the
car. You know, about the steps into gaining weight...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I’m
glad you agree with it, Jim. Want to know about the next steps ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">What
was your last one ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Don’t
you remember ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I
think it goes like... One – make me happy. Two – make me lazy.
Three – make me hungry... Am I right ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">You’re
damn right. You’re an excellent listener. And if you’ve
understood it so well so soon, I should be proud of you in a near
future...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">So,
what’s step four ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Step
four is the obvious one. Can’t you venture a guess ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Oh,
well...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> Jim
was blushing again and again. He was totally under Sean’s charm,
without even thinking about it. Still wearing nothing but his briefs,
as he didn’t bother to put on his shirt when Sean had asked him to
sit at the kitchen table as he was preparing breakfast, Jim looked at
his cook. The weather was so hot, Sean would probably take off his
shirt off, too. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">“So,
I guess step four would be – make me eat ?...” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Of
course it is, Jim. I can only hope to be as good a master as you are
a student. You’re right: After I’ve made you comfortable and
hungry, I have to make you eat – and eat a lot, in fact, if we want
you to put on weight.” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Okay...
So, what am I going to eat ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Don’t
disappoint me now... We’ve been talking about this.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">In
the car ? Oh, you mean...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Yes,
Jim ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Let
me think again... Or rather – not think, right ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Jim winked at Sean, offering him his best smile. Sean smiled back. The two were really
clicking. Sean was tending to the pans and casseroles on the oven hot
plates, but he was looking at Jim with more interest. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">“There
was apple pie. I love pies but, to be honest, I haven’t tasted one
in years! There was pizza too. I like pretty much all kinds of pizzas
– except when they have anchovies... What was next ? Oh, yes:
lasagna, of course. Or was it spaghetti ?...” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">It
was lasagna, Jim. But it’s good. Go on.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Okay,
then I had fried chicken. Home-made is my favorite. I never liked it
so much in a bucket. But I don’t think it will be a problem for
you... Then, I’m pretty sure I thought about fast food. I’m not
sure why, because I never go to burger joints...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I’ll
make you home-made cheese burgers, Jim.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Then,
there was cheesecake. Or chocolate cream cake ?... Oh, and chocolate
mousse!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">You
like chocolate mousse, Jim ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Well,
duh!... Who doesn’t ?” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">You’re
right: everybody loves chocolate mousse. What’s more important is
that you like it a lot. But you have forgotten something.” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">What
? Huh... Okay, wait... Oh, I know: French fries.” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Yes,
but then again, what’s important is not the French fries.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">It’s
not ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">It’s
what they stand for: all your favorite kinds of food. And that’s
exactly what you will eat from now on.” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Oh
?... Of course, that’s the best thing to do.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">What’s
your favorite ice-cream flavour ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I’m
sorry, I have no idea... I’ve barely even tasted ice-cream. Where I come from is
a lot colder than your neck of the woods...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Then
I will introduce you to ice-cream, Jim. Do you like pancakes ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Yes! Love them!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">What
kind of jam ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">What
kind do you have ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Name
your favourite kind and you will get it, at least by tomorrow
morning.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I
should not make life difficult for you. I like strawberry, raspberry
and all the others...” <br />“It’s an important question. I’m
making pancakes for you now. With both strawberry and raspberry jam.
There will be scrambled eggs, sausages and bacon. And here’s your
first cheesecake. Make a wish, Jim.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Jim
wished that Sean would make him enjoy every next bite and pound more
than the previous ones. And, looking at the cake, he trusted his cook
to be up to the task and make this wish become reality. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“Eat,
Jim! We don’t have much time, so I will explain you how we are
going to spend the next four weeks together later.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> Jim
was soon surrounded by a number of large plates almost overflowing
with scrambled eggs, mounds of bacon and sausages, white bread
toasted with butter and chocolate, pancakes after pancakes being put
in front of him with more butter and jam, or maple syrup. Sean had
also cut the cheesecake in eight large pieces. Jim had already
understood that he was supposed to eat it whole... </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">“Don’t
eat too fast. You have time: As long as your mouth is full and
you have more in your plate, you know you’re not in trouble. So,
you can take it easy.” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Hmmmmph...
Okay. Thanks.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">How do you like those pancakes ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Jim
nodded. He was still eating pretty fast, and he didn’t mind showing
Sean how good it felt to have so much delicious food just waiting to
go down his throat and into his stomach. The attention he got from
his devoted cook and servant didn’t hurt either, and it was not
lost on Sean that he could take advantage of it, later. Right now,
Sean opened a second box of pancake mix, offered a tray of chocolate
muffins to Jim and watched him eat. He smiled to himself as Jim was
already showing the first signs of gluttony. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">“God,
Sean! This tastes so good... You’re an amazing cook!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Good,
Jim. Then clean your plates and get ready to eat some more... I must
say, when Dory told me about you, I had doubts. Now that I’ve met
you and we’ve finally started you on a new diet, I feel a lot
better... Which leads me right to our next and last step: Five – to
make you enjoy.” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> This
took Jim by surprise, and he stopped stuffing his face for a moment.
This was just what he had wished for! How fast was it going to happen
in reality ?... </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“Looks
like you’ve understood the first four steps no problem. This last
one is the most important, really. You’re not just eating to eat,
now. You shouldn’t even eat to put on weight. No, you should be
eating because you LOVE to eat so much. And I should only cook to
make you find your true passion in life. And that it is a passion for
good food...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Jim
was eating ravenously again, but still listening to Sean. He was
going through his second round of pancakes in large mouthfuls, when
he felt like he should share his thoughts with Sean. Besides, he
could afford to hold on for a moment. He had eaten quite well
already, having emptied four plates of pancakes and three pots of
jam, along with two large plates of eggs and bacon and the dozen
muffins. Sean had made some hot chocolate milk for him, too, and he
drank it almost all at once. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“Don’t
overdo it, Jim. Like I told you, there’s no rush.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">I
was thirsty. And this tastes just great!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I’ll
make more for you, then.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I
have to say, Sean... This is all new for me, but you’re so right
about... about enjoying ourselves. I think we should enjoy
ourselves... doing this together.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">If
you’re happy about it, then I am just as well. I wasn’t wrong
when I said you were a good student. If everything goes the way I
expect, you might be the best guy I’ve ever had under my care. And
that’s saying something.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">I
was just wondering... I mean... You said, I should eat to enjoy
myself. And I couldn’t agree with you more, but... But that’s
going back to step one, isn’t it ? – making me happy. So... if I
follow this pattern, you make me happy, so I get lazy, so I get
hungry, so you make me eat a lot and so that I enjoy myself, so I
feel happier, get lazier than I was, and hungrier than before, then
you can cook and make me eat even more... It’s a circle.” </span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> This
was time for Sean to stop – cooking, in his case. He looked at Jim
in a totally different way. It was more than interest now, and more
than pride. There was admiration in his eyes, almost adoration. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">“Do
you know what you just did, Jim ?... You’ve got it! You’ve
totally got it. You thought about this method better and faster than
any of the other guys I’ve had to feed!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">I’m
not sure I have. This is all great and delicious, but my question
was: How could a guy you’ve put on such a pattern can get out of
the circle ? I don’t get it. How could Russel Crowe possibly get to
lose weight for his next movie ?...” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">You
don’t know ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I
should think further about it ?...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">You
won’t have to, really. I’m sure you will find out soon enough by
yourself...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Do
you think so ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I
do. I trust you like you can trust me.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Then
I should eat more, instead!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Exactly.”
</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Jim didn’t need more encouragement. He started stuffing his
face again. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">“I
can’t tell you how happy I am to have met you, Jim. You’re
brilliant!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">...Are
you kidding ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">I’m
not. Just eat, Jim. Eat! I promise, if you follow my advice in that
state of mind, you will be my masterpiece. There... Eat some more.”
</span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> And
Jim ate. Sean cooked more food for him with enthusiasm – for five
hours straight. Food was always easy to go down: more muffins,
different kinds of pudding, orange sponge cake, white cheese with jam
and whipped cream, buttery croissants, buns and doughnuts... Sean had
been baking all day, before Jim had come to his place. Now, he
encouraged him to eat and eat more. Jim was overwhelmed by the
enormous amount of food, and the variety of it, but probably even
more by the strong mix of feelings and thoughts he had shared with
Sean. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Jim
had to stop eating when he felt his stomach and guts were too stuffed
for him to possibly eat another bite. Sean didn’t insist. He was
already so proud of Jim. The young male model had gone lie down on
the couch. Sean was washing the dishes. He joined him in the living
room and looked intently at Jim’s almost naked, bloated body as he
was sleeping. Jim was full in such a way that you could already tell
how he was going to grow. This made Sean excited and delighted in
advance, as he was picturing him twenty, thirty pounds
fatter than he was now... </span>
</span></div>
<div align="center" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; line-height: 15.4px;"><br /></span><b style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; line-height: normal;">■</b></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> When
he finally got up, Jim thought he was still pretty full. It was a
good thought, as he had wondered in his sleep if it was possible for
him to gain his thirty pounds faster, so his relationship with Sean
wouldn’t be so single-minded. Jim resisted the urge to get on the
scale. In fact, he was feeling so heavy, sitting on the couch, and he
didn’t want to get up. It wasn’t bad either: Jim remembered he
was supposed to be lazy. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“Did
you have a nice sleep ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Oh,
yes... Were you here all the time ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">No,
I’ve just come back.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Where
have you been ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“S</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">hopping. I have big meal plans for you, tonight.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Of
course,” Jim chuckled. “Wow, it’s already 5 PM ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">You’ve
been eating past noon... And you needed to sleep at some point.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Still...
I should do something else than just sleep, when you’re here...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">No,
you shouldn’t. When you feel like sleeping, just go for a nap.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Huh,
okay... Is there something else I should do ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">That’s
right, we haven’t talked about my ‘rules’ around the house.
There aren’t many. And you will find they’re pretty simple to
follow, after what we’ve discussed before.” <br />“Okay ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">There
it is: First – You will attend to every meal I cook for you.” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Are
you joking ? That’s not even a rule!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I’m
afraid it will be. You’ve only had one meal today, until now.
You’ve eaten quite well, but by the end of the month, I expect you
to make six whole meals a day.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Six
? You mean... like this morning’s breakfast ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Pretty
much. Maybe not so much at a time...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">That’s
a lot!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Then
you have to eat a lot, remember ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">You’re
right. I should know better...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Second
rule is about your physical activities: Looks like you’ve adopted
this couch. It will be yours. I will coach you so you work out once a
week – never more than this. Your next days will be spent between
your bed and shower, this couch, and the pool.” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">How
about kitchen ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">You
will eat here, and I will feed you as well.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Feed
me ? I’m not a baby...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">That’s
not what I meant. Feeding you will be easier after you’re quite
full. It’s okay if you eat enough on your own, but I would like to
give you a taste of it tonight anyway – just like I will have you
taste ice-cream after dessert.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Oh,
okay then... Who knows ? I may enjoy it, after all.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Yes,
who knows ? Third rule is about food again: I want no leftovers. I
will always ask you first, if you’re up for this kind of food or
another. But once you’ve said yes, you will have to eat it to the
last crumb. I hope you understand this last rule.” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">I
should! I’ve signed on that contract without reading it. I won’t
let myself get caught like that again... Is that all ?” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">If
you’re okay with it, then that’s all.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">So...
What’s for dinner, then ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Everything
you’ve asked for: lasagna with a side salad, spaghetti with
meatballs and a creamy tomato sauce, home-made cheeseburgers and
grilled cheese steaks, two pizzas with ham, pepperoni, mushrooms,
eggs, cream, cheese and black olives topping, fried chicken breasts
and wings with French fries, strawberry cheesecake and cream cake
with chocolate frosting, home-baked apple pie and...” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“Huh, don't tell me</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">... chocolate mousse ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">A
whole punch bowl full of it. All for you, Jim. Are you on board ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Jim
was looking at Sean, his eyes glowing with lust in the beginning
darkness. He was absent-mindedly rubbing his gut, still shaped into a
round curve, full of food being digested. Of course he was on board
with Sean. He laid back on the couch, finding a more comfortable
position for his back. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“Just
wake me up when the lasagna is ready...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="center" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; line-height: 15.4px;"><br /></span><b style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; line-height: normal;">■</b></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> After
a week, Sean thought he had figured out how Jim worked, thought and
saw the world around him. That boy was insatiable. He was impatient,
moody at times, easily irritated but also easily pleased. He had
doubts, but he was not hard to convince. He was smart, but he didn’t
match wits with Sean. He was not at all disciplined, but as Sean held
him in a tight grip, he turned out to be obedient and a good eater,
pretty soon. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> From
his first day as his guest, Jim had shown an appetite Sean considered
like it belonged to his fantasies. Jim was trying hard to please Sean
too, so he always ate as fast as he could. Of course, Sean was
cooking too much for Jim, and the poor boy was challenging himself to
eat it all, for two or three hours, if not more, as he had made him a
promise. Sean hardly ever stopped feeding him before he was stuffed
full. And Jim’s pauses were always short – so his stomach only
had time to stretch and get ready for more, not rest and shrink
down... </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> What
was really amazing to Sean was that Jim <i>always </i>ended up cleaning his
plate, no matter how long it took. His first dinner felt like it
would be an endless feast. Jim had gone through his first courses –
lasagna, pizzas and pastas – in less than an hour maybe. The first
signs of fullness and efforts were during his second helping of fried
chicken with cheese steaks and fries. Jim suggested they have a short
pause, and after a few minutes he was feeling better and ready for
more. Sean had only accepted because it was his first big meal. Then
he fed him again and more, showing no mercy. His cooking was too good
to be turned down, anyway... </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> Jim
began to complain for good when Sean put the huge chocolate cream
cake on the table and told him he had to eat. They made a second
pause, and Sean kindly put his hands on Jim’s stuffed stomach,
massaging it slowly and in ways that made Jim moan. He wouldn’t
complain about being full anymore… As a matter of fact, he ate his
way through the chocolate cake faster than expected, and finished his
last piece of pie with a few spoonfuls of chocolate ice-cream six
hours after he his first bite of pizza. And he told Sean he loved
ice-cream. When Sean put his overfed boy to bed, he looked at him
again and smiled. He couldn’t be more satisfied by Jim. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> There
were other reasons for him to be proud of his boy. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Sean
had made it clear to Jim that he wouldn’t tell him about his
morning weight or measurements every day – he would have to wait
for a week, so the results would be more significant. Jim had
accepted it, like this was no big deal to him. Sean said he didn’t
want to put too much pressure on him, but he knew how impatient Jim
really was to know about his gain. This was rather sly of him,
because the wait and almost anxiety about the end results made Jim
hungry and eating much better, day after day. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> Jim’s
childish disrespect, sporadic outbursts and moments of bad mood put
aside, Sean was secretly enjoying the changes of attitude in his boy.
A month had gone by since Jim had broken up with a boyfriend who was
too generous in bed, and you could so tell he was needy. It was
summer. The weather was heavenly hot, he was fed too much and too
good... To make it even worse, Sean was cooking naked under his
apron! Jim couldn’t stop drooling. He had so much energy in him –
his blood was all sugar-high and boiling... He was restless, not even
trying to hide his constant hard-on anymore... but the only way Sean
left him to get it all out was to eat. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> So
Jim almost never stopped eating. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> It
went way beyond temptation. Sean would call for him to eat half a
dozen apple pies or taste some new ice-cream flavour – he would
comment on the fact that Jim had nothing to eat, after they had been
by the pool for a moment. Jim always had to eat, when he was with
Sean. Then, Sean would leave him alone, and Jim couldn’t stand it
so he joined him and ended up eating some more... Jim didn’t mind
feeling full all the time. He thought it would please Sean, too, and
that it was a good thing for both of them that he put on weight as
soon as possible. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Deep
down, Jim didn’t care so much about his weight. He had to gain, and
he was doing his best. He didn’t really care about the food either.
It was his favorite food, and top quality, but he was more looking
for attention – a compliment – or some affectionate words from
his cook and friend. Deeper down, he was waiting for Sean to finally
fuck his brains out... </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"> Unfortunately,
Sean had much more self-control than him. He was hard most of the
time, but that was to be expected from such a healthy guy, always
half-naked and too busy in the kitchen. Sean fed Jim with a lot of
attention, making compliments and encouraging his boy now and then...
but on the whole, Jim found him to be rather cold. Like he was not
interested. That hurt him. He would get angry against him and pout
for a moment, then his needs took him over, so he played nice and
obedient when Sean came back to feed him some more. He calmed down
eventually, talking with Sean, eating more than before, hoping they
would get to know each other better and get to more sweaty business.
</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> Besides, Jim found Sean to be totally his type. He looked a
little like Dean, actually. Jim had a thing for tall and strong,
dark-haired, handsome guys like Sean. As he was shaving him every
morning before his weigh in, measurements and pics, Sean neglected to
shave himself, and he was growing a bushy, chestnut beard that
matched his perfectly hairy chest and torso. It was only practical,
and after a week Sean cut his full beard quite short – which was
surprisingly appealing to Jim. Sean had to be at least 180lbs of meat
and muscle, and he was imposing to Jim. He was also working out
upstairs, while Jim had to lie down on the couch and eat a whole
chocolate cake, two apple pies and a gallon of chocolate mint
ice-cream... </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> No
matter how fat he was getting, it was hard for Jim to think that he
couldn’t win this guy and take him to bed. After a short night of
sleep on a bloated belly, Jim woke up usually doubting about himself,
feeling sloppy and unattractive. He found some comfort in the company
of Sean, who was being so nice and friendly, complimenting him about
his appetite – and feeding him increasing quantities of good
food... </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> What
was beyond any doubt, for the two of them, were the changes in Jim’s
physique. Sean managed to restrain himself – and it wasn’t easy –
but Jim had no idea how bad he wanted to grab his growing love
handles and rounding belly... Sean behaved and waited – as it was
all for a greater good. He kept encouraging Jim about eating and
everything. He made a few critiques, too. Just the right amount to
make Jim want to do better, and so he wasn’t only praising him.
These methods were not his favorites, but they worked. So he complied
to them. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> Jim
was getting plump, a little bit more from one day to the next. He was so
stuffed for the most of the time that he didn’t really know in the
morning if it was a little or a lot more – or if it was enough.
It was <i>far from enough</i>, according to Sean, but he didn’t comment on it, because Jim was growing pretty fast too. His first
measurements, before Sean started feeding him, were</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">:</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<dl>
<dl>
<dl>
<dl>
<dl>
<dl><dd><table cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="break-before: auto; page-break-before: auto; width: 170px;"><colgroup><col width="79"></col><col width="82"></col></colgroup><tbody>
<tr><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-bottom-width: 3pt; border-bottom: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-width: 3pt; border-left: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-right-style: none; border-style: double none double double; border-top-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-top-width: 3pt; border-top: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm 0cm 0.03cm 0.03cm;" width="79"><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: helvetica;">Chest</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm;" width="82"><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="margin-right: -0.4cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: helvetica;">40"</span></div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-bottom-width: 3pt; border-bottom: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-width: 3pt; border-left: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-right-style: none; border-style: double none double double; border-top-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-top-width: 3pt; border-top: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm 0cm 0.03cm 0.03cm;" width="79"><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: helvetica;">Neck</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm;" width="82"><div align="justify" class="western">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: helvetica;">15"</span></span></div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-bottom-width: 3pt; border-bottom: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-width: 3pt; border-left: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-right-style: none; border-style: double none double double; border-top-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-top-width: 3pt; border-top: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm 0cm 0.03cm 0.03cm;" width="79"><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: helvetica;">Shoulders</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm;" width="82"><div align="justify" class="western">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: helvetica;">70"</span></span></div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-bottom-width: 3pt; border-bottom: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-width: 3pt; border-left: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-right-style: none; border-style: double none double double; border-top-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-top-width: 3pt; border-top: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm 0cm 0.03cm 0.03cm;" width="79"><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: helvetica;">Waist</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm;" width="82"><div align="justify" class="western">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: helvetica;">31"</span></span></div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-bottom-width: 3pt; border-bottom: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-width: 3pt; border-left: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-right-style: none; border-style: double none double double; border-top-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-top-width: 3pt; border-top: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm 0cm 0.03cm 0.03cm;" width="79"><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: helvetica;">Hips</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm;" width="82"><div align="justify" class="western">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: helvetica;">33"</span></span></div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-bottom-width: 3pt; border-bottom: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-width: 3pt; border-left: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-right-style: none; border-style: double none double double; border-top-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-top-width: 3pt; border-top: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm 0cm 0.03cm 0.03cm;" width="79"><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: helvetica;">Thighs</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm;" width="82"><div align="justify" class="western">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: helvetica;">26"</span></span></div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-bottom-width: 3pt; border-bottom: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-width: 3pt; border-left: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-right-style: none; border-style: double none double double; border-top-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-top-width: 3pt; border-top: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm 0cm 0.03cm 0.03cm;" width="79"><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: helvetica;">Arms</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm;" width="82"><div align="justify" class="western">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: helvetica;">19"</span></div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-bottom-width: 3pt; border-bottom: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-width: 3pt; border-left: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-right-style: none; border-style: double none double double; border-top-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-top-width: 3pt; border-top: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm 0cm 0.03cm 0.03cm;" width="79"><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: helvetica;">Weight</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm;" width="82"><div align="justify" class="western">
<span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"><b>171</b></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">lbs</span></span></span></div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-bottom-width: 3pt; border-bottom: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-width: 3pt; border-left: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-right-style: none; border-style: double none double double; border-top-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-top-width: 3pt; border-top: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm 0cm 0.03cm 0.03cm;" width="79"><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: helvetica;">Body Fat</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm;" width="82"><div align="justify" class="western">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: helvetica;">9,5 %</span></span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</dd></dl>
</dl>
</dl>
</dl>
</dl>
</dl>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Not
much to work on, really. But Sean secretly loved the challenge. And
he was honest with Jim – as much as he could to get what he wanted.
Jim looked great, and he was just like Sean said: well-built,
slender, almost too thin for a 6’1’’ model... It would be a
good thing for him to bulk up a bit, and get a more impressive,
massive look.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> Now,
after a week on Sean’s cooking, with four to five large meals every
day, followed by long naps by the pool, on the couch or in his
bedroom, Jim had grown quite a lot. And all the added weight was so
fat as promised. Sean was smiling covertly when he saw his sleepy boy
undress for his morning check-up: Jim sported a great tan, and his
smooth skin looked even more appealing to him as it was expanding
from the effects of laziness and intensive overeating. Jim had
fleshed out nicely: his beginning belly was bulging, round and
spreading as Jim took a deep breath and let go – almost shaking
with flab, as he stepped on the scale... Sean had to promise he would
share the results, this time. Jim wanted to know how he was doing. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> His
measurements for that day were</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">:</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<dl>
<dl>
<dl>
<dl>
<dl>
<dl><dd><table cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="break-before: auto; page-break-before: auto; width: 170px;"><colgroup><col width="79"></col><col width="82"></col></colgroup><tbody>
<tr><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-bottom-width: 3pt; border-bottom: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-width: 3pt; border-left: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-right-style: none; border-style: double none double double; border-top-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-top-width: 3pt; border-top: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm 0cm 0.03cm 0.03cm;" width="79"><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: helvetica;">Chest</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm;" width="82"><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="margin-right: -0.4cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: helvetica;">41"</span></div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-bottom-width: 3pt; border-bottom: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-width: 3pt; border-left: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-right-style: none; border-style: double none double double; border-top-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-top-width: 3pt; border-top: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm 0cm 0.03cm 0.03cm;" width="79"><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: helvetica;">Neck</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm;" width="82"><div align="justify" class="western">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: helvetica;">15"</span></span></div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-bottom-width: 3pt; border-bottom: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-width: 3pt; border-left: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-right-style: none; border-style: double none double double; border-top-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-top-width: 3pt; border-top: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm 0cm 0.03cm 0.03cm;" width="79"><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: helvetica;">Shoulders</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm;" width="82"><div align="justify" class="western">
<span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">70"</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">½</span></span></div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-bottom-width: 3pt; border-bottom: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-width: 3pt; border-left: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-right-style: none; border-style: double none double double; border-top-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-top-width: 3pt; border-top: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm 0cm 0.03cm 0.03cm;" width="79"><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: helvetica;">Waist</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm;" width="82"><div align="justify" class="western">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: helvetica;">34"</span></span></div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-bottom-width: 3pt; border-bottom: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-width: 3pt; border-left: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-right-style: none; border-style: double none double double; border-top-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-top-width: 3pt; border-top: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm 0cm 0.03cm 0.03cm;" width="79"><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: helvetica;">Hips</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm;" width="82"><div align="justify" class="western">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: helvetica;">34"</span></span></div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-bottom-width: 3pt; border-bottom: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-width: 3pt; border-left: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-right-style: none; border-style: double none double double; border-top-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-top-width: 3pt; border-top: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm 0cm 0.03cm 0.03cm;" width="79"><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: helvetica;">Thighs</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm;" width="82"><div align="justify" class="western">
<span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">26"</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">½</span></span></div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-bottom-width: 3pt; border-bottom: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-width: 3pt; border-left: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-right-style: none; border-style: double none double double; border-top-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-top-width: 3pt; border-top: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm 0cm 0.03cm 0.03cm;" width="79"><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: helvetica;">Arms</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm;" width="82"><div align="justify" class="western">
<span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">19"</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">½</span></span></div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-bottom-width: 3pt; border-bottom: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-width: 3pt; border-left: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-right-style: none; border-style: double none double double; border-top-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-top-width: 3pt; border-top: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm 0cm 0.03cm 0.03cm;" width="79"><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: helvetica;">Weight</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm;" width="82"><div align="justify" class="western">
<span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"><b>182</b></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">lbs</span></span></span></div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-bottom-width: 3pt; border-bottom: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-width: 3pt; border-left: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-right-style: none; border-style: double none double double; border-top-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-top-width: 3pt; border-top: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm 0cm 0.03cm 0.03cm;" width="79"><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: helvetica;">Body Fat</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm;" width="82"><div align="justify" class="western">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: helvetica;">15,3 %</span></span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</dd></dl>
</dl>
</dl>
</dl>
</dl>
</dl>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;">“Wow,
I’ve really put on 11lbs in just a week ?”</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">You
sure did, Jim. And what’s good too is 3 more inches of waist.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Really
?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Of
course. They were asking for a noticeable difference, for your next
session, right ? I’m proud of you, Jim. This is a good result.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Gee...
Thanks! Right now, I feel thicker in the middle – and heavier,
that’s true. But I have yet to put on another 19lbs, according to
my contract.” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">And
I’m sure you will.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Honestly
? I thought I would never make it. Now, I know I would never have
been able to do it... but I’m confident that you can make me do
it!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I
can and I will, Jim. And you’ve been eating very well.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Thanks...
It’s not hard to eat too much when it’s always so good.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Then
I will feed you the same – and more.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">What
can I say ? You’re the expert!” Jim was very cheerful. “Whatever
you tell me to eat, I will stuff my face and stomach with it.” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Glad
to see you’re in such a good disposition.” Sean said with a
half-wicked smile. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">And...
are my stats good for you ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Your
stats ? Let’s see... I was hoping you would gain a little more
weight, honestly. But we shouldn’t concentrate so much on these so
early on... You’re right: we have three more weeks to go, then you
will show some more appreciable changes.” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="center" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; line-height: 15.4px;"><br /></span><b style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; line-height: normal;">■</b></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> Jim
didn’t change his mind. His pouts became less and less frequent. His angry
outbursts were disappearing and soon forgotten. Jim was getting
mellow, in fact. He spent his days in such a prolonged stuffed haze
that it was getting more and more difficult to complain. He felt too
heavy – and getting heftier – to argue with Sean. His own body
softened any blow, as it was growing plump and buttery. Jim didn’t
even resist Sean feeding him any more, after a week of intensive
overeating under his encouragement and coaching, and no matter how
forceful he was then: when Sean came to him with a large bowl or
plate, Jim knew he had to eat whatever was weighing the container
down... </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> He
did everything as he was told, now – and he didn’t mind at all.
He had been so nervous at first, afraid he would not put on weight
fast enough. After his first weekly measurements, Sean had made his
point: He knew how to make a hot jock get fat, even against a
metabolism so fast as Jim’s was. The young model had made his
point, too: He may have been a little slow on the intake, but Sean
was pleasantly surprised with his progress. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> Jim’s
physical changes – obvious weight gain and belly growth – were
not so interesting to Sean as his psychological changes: The boy was
getting greedy, and at such a rate that his cook began to consider
turning him into a genuine glutton as a strong possibility... Jim was
also getting horny, more irritable and frustrated about it after each
day. Sean had slowly but constantly increased the quantities in Jim’s
every meal, as he was adding more butter, lard, sauce, sugar and
syrup to the recipes – so Jim could compensate his lack of sex
activities with too much food. But it wasn’t enough any more for
Jim, and Sean noticed it with a grin: Jim didn’t care so much about
the quality of Sean’s cooking – and he didn’t feel so satisfied
as he used to, when his belly was full. It made him even hornier, in
fact – and hungry at the same time! This was perfect – just what
Sean had been working on for two weeks. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> The
formerly trim model was almost ready for him, now. Plump and ripe...
Sean could smile again: Jim was definitely getting plump! </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br />“You
have a very interesting body, Jim. I understand why you have so much
success as a male model.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">You
really think I look good ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Of
course. You’re a very attractive boy.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> Jim
was totally bloated – and resting, arms and legs spread out on the
couch, his ball belly round and stretched to its max – as he was
now after every evening meal Sean cooked for him. He wasn’t feeling
at his sexiest ever, but a compliment was always good to him. It was
a welcomed change from something else to eat: Sean was slowly pouring
creamy hot chocolate milk down Jim’s throat, holding the boy’s
head. Then he pushed a large piece of his home-made butter toffee
into his mouth, after each long sip. Jim didn’t find it so easy to
answer as he had to chew and swallow. But Sean may have had a topic
in mind, this time, because he let him pause and talk back... </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“It’s
nice to hear that I’m attractive for the last time, before I go back
to work...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Why
? Do they tease you at work ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">They
did a little, but they will tease me a lot. I can already hear them:
‘Wow, Jim! You got so fat!’... Fucking bastards.” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">They’re
probably fucking themselves already – My opinion ? they will be
jealous of you.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Because
I’m getting fat ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">It
looks just perfect on you. Honestly, Jim... Don’t you think you
look better now that you’ve put on ten pounds ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Hey,
watch it: Eleven! And I hope I’m up to fifteen, after tonight’s
meal... You’re such a good cook, I guess I would have put on weight
even if I wasn’t supposed to.” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">That’s
very flattering.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">That’s
the truth... But to answer your question, I’ve realised a few days
ago that... Well, I don’t mind getting plump. I heard what
you said to me. I had a reason to try it out, so I did – with
enough tasty food and support to gain twice as much as I did... and I kinda like it. So... I don’t regret it.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">If
you really think so, I will have no problem fattening you up to a
good thirty pounds!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Jim
laughed and patted his round belly. Sean watched him slowly get hot
and horny under his own touch – it was only a matter of days...
Rushing things would be a mistake, but Sean was wondering now if it
wasn’t just the right time already. He was pouring more milk into
Jim’s opened and enlarged throat. His boy was showing signs of
early chubbiness – cheeks looking rounder and fuller, double chin
forming and growing... Lost in his thoughts, Sean almost forgot to
take the pitcher away. Jim would have had to drink like half a gallon
of buttery whole milk in a single sip – but he snapped out of it
just in time. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“Sorry,
Jim. I was, huh...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">It’s
okay... It’s... <b>BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURP!</b>” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> That
was the loudest belch Jim had ever let out, and such a long one too.
He blushed and excused himself – he had never belched before, in
the two weeks Sean had been feeding him and fattening him up. He was
so confused, he didn’t notice how hard Sean was right now, and
lusting for him. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br />“...I’m
really being rude... Sorry.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Don’t
feel sorry, Jim. It’s good that you belch.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">You
don’t think it’s gross ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Why
should I ? I’m the one responsible for it, after all!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Huh...
Yeah, but...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">It’s
good feedback, really. Now I can carefully say that I’m keeping you
well fed. I’ll take it as a compliment.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">That’s
a pretty weird compliment to make.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">How
could you tell me in a better way that my food tastes good ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">So...
it’s okay if I belch again ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Please
do, Jim. Stuff your little belly and belch all you like!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> Milk
was followed, after a short pause, by an endless beer bong for Jim –
where Sean forced him to drink like a dozen bottles of Guinness
Stout. That made him secretly happier than he cared to admit. Sean wanted his boy to put on a good, overhanging beer gut. Then he stuffed him with hot dogs
dripping with ketchup or mustard on the side... Sean had changed his
original plans for the night to feed Jim some more, and so he could
hear him belch – long, loud and low... </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> It
was puzzling for Jim that Sean took such side interests in his weight
progress. But Sean had already let it out that the young boy was way too
uptight for a model. So he let himself go. He let Sean feed him
a lot more, meal after meal. He spent the rest of the day lying on
the couch, or by the pool, guzzling beer and burping like he wanted
to set some new world record... On top of everything he ate, Sean
forced him to chow down way too much food – like a pig. Jim was
secretly pleased and aroused that he was taken care of in such a
rough, manly way. So he kept on filling and stuffing his gut until it
was Monday again... It was also starting to be hard for him to get up
and stand straight on the scale. After two weeks following Sean’s
diet plans, Jim’s fat had mostly settled in his belly, with only
growing curves and rolls all over his body. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> His
measurements now were</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">:</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<dl>
<dl>
<dl>
<dl>
<dl>
<dl><dd><table cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="break-before: auto; page-break-before: auto; width: 170px;"><colgroup><col width="79"></col><col width="82"></col></colgroup><tbody>
<tr><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-bottom-width: 3pt; border-bottom: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-width: 3pt; border-left: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-right-style: none; border-style: double none double double; border-top-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-top-width: 3pt; border-top: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm 0cm 0.03cm 0.03cm;" width="79"><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: helvetica;">Chest</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm;" width="82"><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="margin-right: -0.4cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: helvetica;">42"</span></div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-bottom-width: 3pt; border-bottom: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-width: 3pt; border-left: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-right-style: none; border-style: double none double double; border-top-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-top-width: 3pt; border-top: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm 0cm 0.03cm 0.03cm;" width="79"><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: helvetica;">Neck</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm;" width="82"><div align="justify" class="western">
<span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">15"</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">½</span></span></div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-bottom-width: 3pt; border-bottom: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-width: 3pt; border-left: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-right-style: none; border-style: double none double double; border-top-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-top-width: 3pt; border-top: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm 0cm 0.03cm 0.03cm;" width="79"><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: helvetica;">Shoulders</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm;" width="82"><div align="justify" class="western">
<span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">71"</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">½</span></span></div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-bottom-width: 3pt; border-bottom: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-width: 3pt; border-left: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-right-style: none; border-style: double none double double; border-top-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-top-width: 3pt; border-top: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm 0cm 0.03cm 0.03cm;" width="79"><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: helvetica;">Waist</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm;" width="82"><div align="justify" class="western">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: helvetica;">37"</span></span></div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-bottom-width: 3pt; border-bottom: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-width: 3pt; border-left: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-right-style: none; border-style: double none double double; border-top-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-top-width: 3pt; border-top: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm 0cm 0.03cm 0.03cm;" width="79"><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: helvetica;">Hips</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm;" width="82"><div align="justify" class="western">
<span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">35"</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">½</span></span></div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-bottom-width: 3pt; border-bottom: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-width: 3pt; border-left: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-right-style: none; border-style: double none double double; border-top-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-top-width: 3pt; border-top: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm 0cm 0.03cm 0.03cm;" width="79"><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: helvetica;">Thighs</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm;" width="82"><div align="justify" class="western">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: helvetica;">27"</span></span></div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-bottom-width: 3pt; border-bottom: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-width: 3pt; border-left: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-right-style: none; border-style: double none double double; border-top-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-top-width: 3pt; border-top: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm 0cm 0.03cm 0.03cm;" width="79"><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: helvetica;">Arms</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm;" width="82"><div align="justify" class="western">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: helvetica;">20"</span></div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-bottom-width: 3pt; border-bottom: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-width: 3pt; border-left: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-right-style: none; border-style: double none double double; border-top-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-top-width: 3pt; border-top: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm 0cm 0.03cm 0.03cm;" width="79"><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: helvetica;">Weight</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm;" width="82"><div align="justify" class="western">
<span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"><b>192</b></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">lbs</span></span></span></div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-bottom-width: 3pt; border-bottom: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-width: 3pt; border-left: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-right-style: none; border-style: double none double double; border-top-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-top-width: 3pt; border-top: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm 0cm 0.03cm 0.03cm;" width="79"><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: helvetica;">Body Fat</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm;" width="82"><div align="justify" class="western">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: helvetica;">20,5 %</span></span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</dd></dl>
</dl>
</dl>
</dl>
</dl>
</dl>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">What
? Only ten pounds ?” Jim complained, “Am I getting behind
schedule ?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Don’t
worry about it, Jim. It’s still good. Look at your measurements: 3
more inches of waist. 2 more inches of hips. Your chest is getting
fuller too... And you’re just starting to get a nice ball belly.
Let me see...” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Sean
put the tape measure around Jim’s stomach, and he was proud to tell
his boy that his belly was a round 38”, getting larger than his
official waistline. This calmed Jim down a little, but he was still
concerned about his weight. He should be heavier and fatter. He knew
Sean thought so, but didn’t want to bother him about it or put him
under too much pressure. It was more than enough to make him
ravenous, that day. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="center" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; line-height: 15.4px;"><br /></span><b style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; line-height: normal;">■</b></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> Sean
had to eat sometimes too. He was working out upstairs during Jim’s
naps, but he also joined him for a bite or two during his meals and
feeding hours. After two weeks of constant overeating under his care,
and with such good results, Jim commented to Sean that he looked
somewhat bigger too. Sean was quite the stud, athletic and active
around the house, but you could see there was more than a hint of a
belly forming over his shorts, as he was shirtless all the time. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br />“...How
much do you weigh, Sean ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Off-season,
I tend to put on a little weight. But I’m usually around
180, up to 185lbs.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I
wonder... Would you mind checking on the scale ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Not
at all.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> Jim
was right: Sean weighed no less than 195lbs – and with a 33”
waist he measured himself. He would not fit into the jeans he was
wearing when he had first welcomed him, two weeks ago. Jim remembered
they were size 30”. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br />“So
you’ve put on 10lbs too ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Actually,
I had weighed myself in before you came, and I was down to 182lbs. So
that’s a good, lucky 13 pounds gain, at least.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">And
3 inches of waist ?...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">What
do you know, Jim,” Sean laughed heartily, rubbing his rounding
stomach. “You’ve been fattening me up all this time!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> Jim
was a bit puzzled by Sean’s reaction again. It didn’t make any
sense: Sean was the one fattening up Jim, not the other way around.
Then he was allowed to step on the scale too, and get measured by
Sean one more time. It was only Wednesday before noon, but Sean was
okay with Jim knowing that he had gained at least more than his cook.
Jim was being shy about his growing belly, and a lot less positive
than Sean about his gain. Of course, Sean was there to make him feel
better. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"><br />“There
you go, boy: 198lbs! You’re heavier than me.” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">But...
I’m not being weighed in on an empty stomach...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">So
what ? I wasn’t either, and you have meals waiting for you, for the
bigger part of the day. Look at this: your waist is up to 39”...
and your belly is already stretching about 42”. You’re getting nice and
plump, boy! Granted, you’ve had a filling breakfast, today... but
there’s room for more!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">All
right... I gotta eat. Now.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Sean
was more than eager to provide and feed him the most fattening meals
he could. The large kitchen was looking more like a factory or an
industrial bakery, now. All three ovens were on twenty hours a day,
cooking large lasagna pans and pizzas, chicken, beef, ham and other
meats, all kinds of cakes, muffins and cookies... Sean was baking a
lot, of course, and there were trays always waiting on the table next
to the ovens. It was truly hard work for Sean, but he didn’t
complain. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> He
liked to change his boy’s menu, try some new recipes to make him
hungry and always feed him a little bit more. He was slowly
“improving” his old recipes, too – putting more butter, oil,
lard, eggs, flour, sugar and syrup than before. Then Sean would also
eat – a lasagna piece here, a cookie there, a doughnut or some
fried bacon, just for a taste test... And that was enough to explain
his recent weight gain. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Jim
had recently developed a taste in corn. Sean fed him whole punch
bowls of it – in a fresh salad with hard-boiled eggs, sliced ham,
green peas, cold macaroni and soy beans, all drowning in mayonnaise
dressing – or popped, covered in a rich gravy, with deep-fat fried
chicken breasts, onion rings and fries, dipped in Texan sauces. As
Jim was constantly stuffed, he would lie down for his afternoon
feeding session, almost crushed under his own weight and the massive
amounts of food he was being fed. Sean usually grabbed a bite once in
a while, to let his boy breathe – and so he was eating quite well,
himself. <br /><br />“Why are you eating, Sean ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Because
I’m hungry.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">You
shouldn’t eat that...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Why
not ? It tasty.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">It’s
fattening. You’ve already put on more than 10 pounds...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> Sean
looked at Jim. He fought against the urge to laugh at this: It was
hilarious to step back from this a little, and watch this overfed,
former male model turned into a grown pig of a boy give weight
watchers advice to the guy who was fattening him up. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> It
was also funny for Sean to fully understand how naive Jim could be. For a
total weight gain of 12 to 13 pounds, there were 6 pounds of solid
muscle at least, and maybe 7 pounds of belly fat. Jim had only
stopped working out for the last two weeks, but it was like he had
completely forgotten about it. And he was beginning to look like a
boy who had never seen the inside a gym. But even his thoughts were
all fat-oriented, now: fat food, fat sleep, fat weight gain – and a
fat boy to be soon...</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> Sean
didn’t laugh. This was better than it sounded at first: He had
raised his boy well. So he smiled – a gentle, not a wicked smile –
and decided to play along. Pushing his little gut forward and rubbing
it slowly, Sean began to really tease Jim. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"><br />“Yes,
I’ve put on 10 pounds... So what ? I may end up gaining 5 more, chunky ones.” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">I’m
supposed to put on 30lbs and you would put on 15lbs on the side ?
Come on...” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I
said ‘why not ?’ I may not gain any more...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">But
you never know. You should watch what you eat.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I’m
too busy watching what you eat, Jim. And watching you eat it. Is that
wrong ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Oh...
No! No, no... I’m not complaining at all. Your cooking always
tastes so great I’m always impatient for what will come next, even
when I’m full from the previous meal... And... you’re doing a
great job with... Uuuuuuuuuuurp!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Come
again, Jim ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">...with
my belly,” Jim blushed, caressing his round, large expanse of gut.
He was getting really soft there too. “You’re fattening me up
right on money, Sean. I’m full!...” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">My
pleasure, Jim. Looks like you appreciate this combination of buttery
corn, macaroni and cheese with a good beer – and your body does,
too.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Sean
put his hand on Jim’s belly, caressing it too, making the flab
shake a little, holding his stuffed stomach and teasing him to fill
it some more. Jim was moaning and breathing heavily. But he was
pretty sure he had reached his limit. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“Please,
Sean... Please stop. I can’t eat another bite.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">What
if I feed you by force, again... push it right into your mouth ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">No...
Don’t. I feel like I’m going to burst already...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"> Then
Sean stopped caressing Jim’s gut, all of a sudden. He sat up
straight by the couch, grabbed a forkful of macaroni and cheese,
complete with corn and glistening with butter. After holding it in
front of Jim, he ate it in one bite – then started to dig in for
some more. </span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“What are you doing, Sean ?!” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">If
you’re not going to eat it, then I will.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">...What
?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Hmmm,
I love this too. You have the best tastes in food, Jim.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">But...
I just said you shouldn’t eat that. Even if you don’t want it to
go to waste, it’s not good for you. I mean... Like I said... It’s
very fattening!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Oh,
I should know!” Sean laid a hand on his stomach. “It doesn’t
make me love it any less. You know what ? From now on, I will eat all
your leftovers.” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Why
would you do that ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Then
if you don’t get fat, at least one of us will.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Sean
laughed. Jim was not cheered up at all by this.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“Did
you even listen to me ? Why would you want to get fat ?!” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I
don’t. I just don’t care if I do. But... do you mind ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Do
I mind what ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">That
I eat and put on weight... It seems to bother you.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">No,
it’s... It’s just that... I should be the one gaining those 12
pounds...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Oh...
Okay. Sorry, Jim... I won’t eat your food again. You’re right:
All this should be yours. This food, the bread, the beer – and my
belly fat too!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Don’t
be ridiculous. I was just saying... You shouldn’t start to grow a
belly, just because you are feeding me too much for my own
capacities.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">So...
you feel guilty about this ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I
don’t know... I feel responsible for it. Now if you don’t mind, I
should be okay with it. But I’m not, to be honest. I’m a little
worried about this. I’m only getting used to the idea that I have
to overeat on purpose and get fat. Now, I’m not sure I can make it,
if you’re gaining too.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Too
much to handle, right ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I’m
sorry, I’m thinking too much...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">That’s
okay... but you’re not eating enough. Open up...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Sean
approached the big bowl and fork to Jim’s mouth again. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">“Oh
God! Have mercy... I’m way full, and I have to take in what you’ve
already stuffed me. It’s not easy for me, Sean: I know my
metabolism is reluctant to grow this fat... My stomach can’t hold
so much food, yet. And I’ve never shown a big appetite, before. I’m
not like you...” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I
guess you’re right. You’re a man, you have your limitations. It
would be unfair to ask you to run like a puma, not matter how fast
you can run.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Or
in my case – eat like a pig when I’m just a guy.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I
hope I’m not treating you like a pig – but I’m sure I can make
you eat your way up to become a real fat boy.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">This
must be disappointing for you...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Not
at all. You have made some real efforts here, Jim.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Still...
I feel bloated so soon that I’m always resting or sleeping, and
half the day goes like a big, boring waste of time.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">It’s
not. You need a lot of sleep to grow... You can only start with what
you have, Jim. And I think you’re eating better and more than you
used to...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Hmmmm...
Nine more pounds to go!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Jim
pondered the question. He was tempted more than ever, but part of him
was still opposed to the idea of becoming a large, overfed pig. This
was not lost on Sean. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">“I
guess you would like to turn me into a really fat boy...” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I
would. And I’m pretty sure you would enjoy it, too. I know you like
my cooking. I love feeding you and watching you eat too much – as
long as you don’t mind getting larger, round and soft, then...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Yes...
You don’t seem to mind, yourself.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Mind
what ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">That
you’re gaining too. I can’t help but remember how trim you were,
just two weeks ago... Don’t you miss your abs, for instance ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I
really don’t care.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">You’re
kidding!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">If
I was, would I be eating your food ? I’m serious, Jim.” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Sorry...
I had no idea.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">See
how easy you can gain when you stop thinking about it constantly ?”
</span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Then
I’m a lost cause, Sean... I can’t help but think about it.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Okay,
how about not being obsessed with it, then ? You’re still only
thinking you have to put on thirty pounds – because you have signed
a contract. Because you have to...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">But
it’s true: I have to...” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I
know, but wouldn’t you feel better if you were thinking about it some other way ? Doesn’t it strike you, how great it can be for you to
overeat like this and get fat ? how this may be a great opportunity
for you ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Opportunity
for what ? I would feel rather weird if I was thinking so...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> Sean
paused, but he didn’t leave the game. Somehow, he knew Jim’s old
values and habits were shaking. And he wasn’t so easily turned
down. He rubbed his boy’s belly very lightly, slowly, showing more
interest than usual in Jim’s growing bulge and love handles. He
talked about food again, describing his menus at length and watching
Jim’s reactions – the mere mention of food made him horny, now,
and his mouth was watering in anticipation. Only his round gut was
stuffed too much to let himself completely go for it. These last
signs of inner struggle and resistance had to be crushed! </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“...Do
the large quantities of food ruin its taste for you, Jim ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">No,
it makes me craving for more, really! You’re such a talented cook,
Sean.” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Thanks...
Then, you won’t mind eating a lot more of it, right ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Just...
not right now. But you’re right: when it comes down to eating, I’m
never tired of it. It’s like... I can’t get enough. I’m sure
you’ve noticed that already... After all, we’re both living
proofs that your cooking would be up to a great chef’s reputation.”
</span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Nice
touch, Jim. And you don’t care if it’s fattening when you eat it
?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Actually,
I do. But I know it’s supposed to help me gain.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">It
is – and there’s nothing wrong with that, right ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Huh...
No, not at all. I...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Jim
was blushing. Sean was turning him on again, caressing the sides of
his belly and hips. It was a very hot day, but getting hotter by the
second...</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">I
don’t mind that... As a matter of fact, I feel like I can’t wait
for my stomach to feel empty again so you can feed me some more.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Hmmm...
Very good. Just tell me when you’re ready.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Okay,
I will...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> Sean
was standing up again, leaving Jim to rest – but leaving him
frustrated from his tender touch and closeness! </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">“...God!
I’m afraid I was right, before: You have given me such bad eating
habits. I’m not sure I can ever go back to the meals, foods and
portions I was used to... I’m still wondering about this.” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">You’re
tall and well-built. You will work out like before and beef up
nicely. And you will make a killing as a model – big, plump and
muscled.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I’m
afraid I’ll be asked to go for ‘fit’ or ‘trim’ again...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">And
you don’t feel like it anymore, huh ? Very good!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">How’s
that good ? A pound or an inch too much, and I could lose my job!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">You
won’t. You will start out a new trend of hot, plump models.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"> They
both laughed. Jim was starting to feel better. Sean was definitely
teasing, at times, but he was nice to him too. And Jim actually liked
his friend’s twisted, positive sense of humour. </span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“So... I
should be asking for more just to ask for more ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">That’s
a lot better than worrying about not receiving enough, Jim. You’re
getting it, now. But I already knew that you’re a quick learner.
Open up and eat, Jim. Eat and enjoy...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Please,
Sean... I’m still so bloated with it, how can I eat more ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Eat
it – or I will. I’m serious, Jim.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">You’re
just being mean...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">So
what ?” Sean lifted the fork of greasy macaroni and cheese up to
his mouth. “You don’t feel like eating ? I feel like eating.
Serves you right: I will finish your plate. Then I’m going to stuff
myself with your next meal in your place. And I will keep on eating
like that until you’re ready to be fed some more!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> Jim
got to know he wasn’t kidding, when he saw Sean cramming buttery
pasta, corn, soy, cheese and oily bread into his mouth, and reach for
the beer. There was a huge bowl still half-full of food. Jim
instantly pictured Sean going on like that, and his gut swelling in
front of him to the size of a fleshy beach ball… </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">“Oh,
drop it, Sean! Just... Stop it!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Will
you eat, then ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I
will. Stop playing with me, okay ? Just... feed me.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“Atta boy</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">, Jim.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> It
was torture for Jim to get force fed like that, having his stomach
stuffed again with so much rich food, to the point of giving... But
after the first four or five mouthfuls, he was back into the game and
chowing down almost as fast as Sean was filling his mouth. Sean was
also very careful and nice to him, now that he let himself be fed... </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> This
pattern went on and on. It was time for Jim to eat pies, then
cheesecakes, before Sean treated him with a never-ending flow of
whole milk, hot apple pop tarts and his thick, home-made chocolate
mousse... He wanted his boy to put on sweet fat too – and when Jim
was sleeping, he always left a cookie jar next to him, with large
cups of liquorice and toffees, candies and milk. Jim would munch on
them absent-mindedly, as he didn’t really want to sleep so much as
he needed to lie down and rest.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> It
was late into the night before Sean agreed that his boy was stuffed
to the gills and couldn’t have eaten any better. Jim’s torso was
nicely curved like a huge barrel of beer, his chest lifted up by his
stomach and guts way too full. He couldn’t get up or walk without
Sean’s help. This was eye candy for him! He was almost drooling
over Jim’s rock hard belly – his plump, widening butt – his
softening pecs and meaty thighs... </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Sean
had been eating quite a lot himself, by the way – just to threaten
and trick Jim into eating some more... This was a success for him. He
gave a gentle, satisfied pat to his rounding gut, then rubbed Jim’s
massive, growing belly – slowly, carefully – not letting Jim
notice how hard he was. He was getting too hot for him, now. Sean
treated Jim with a few kind words, but he couldn’t wait much
longer... </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“You’re
still thinking about food as an enemy of yours, Jim. And you want to
eliminate it. Like you’re only eating so you won’t have to see it
anymore... You should consider food is a good friend for you. A hot
friend you want to invite in, then ask him to stay forever... in your
belly.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">You’re
funny, Sean.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I’m
serious. This is part of enjoying yourself, too.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I
would have thought it was about enjoying good food. But hosting a
permanent food and beer party in my gut ?... Sounds interesting.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">...And
that’s how you will feel better about it. If food was a bad thing
you only need to live on, take it in and process it, you could have
the digestive system of a bug just as well. Now, this grown man’s
belly wants more food for a reason. If you want to welcome more
friends and have them stay over, you have to make room for it... Make
your body comfortable, soft and warm...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Sounds
good...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Jim
was whispering and moaning, eating bedtime butter toffees with more
milk. Sean was also whispering to his ear, staying very close to him
on purpose. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“We
should make you the size of a Frat House, Jim.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">You
have such strange ideas...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">But
you’re smiling. You’re even laughing, at times. And you’re
eating more. Now, isn’t that better ?... Aren’t you enjoying
yourself a little more ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">You’re
right. I have been enjoying the food. It’s too good not to be
enjoyed, anyway. But I wasn’t enjoying myself. I guess that’s not
a simple lesson in life... So, I guess I’m beginning to see your
point, Sean.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">You’ve
been pretty keen on it too, no matter what you say. It takes time to
find out what makes you happy, get over the old moral or social
pressure, and go for it. Some people, I’m afraid they never really
get it. Even if you get good results, like your weight gain – you
sounded so disappointed at your 10 new pounds on the scale, if was
the same as if you had lost weight...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Did
I really sound like that ? It’s weird... but you’re saying I’m
doing good here ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">You’re
doing great. And that’s a big step you’ve made today.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Good,
then. I have you to thank you for it. I’m not being easy with
you...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Never
mind... Do you think I’ve been doing good myself ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">You
mean, in terms of weight gain ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Yuh
huh.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Well...
I don’t know. You... you weren’t supposed to put on weight,
so...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Don’t
step back, now, Jim. You know that’s not the point.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I
mean... Personally, I have a goal to achieve. I know what I should
aim for... So, out of the blue, I would say you’ve been eating
well. Very well, in fact... And a 12 or 13 pounds gain should be
considered a lot for just two weeks, especially since you’re
feeding another guy. And... Okay, I admit it looks good on you.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Thanks,
Jim. You really think so ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I
do. Your body’s so thick with muscles, anyway. I was even thinking
that you looked a little menacing, at first. You had that ‘cut’
look, you know ? 12 pounds make a difference, I guess... because I
don’t think so anymore... In fact, you look cuddly to me.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">So
it’s not unattractive to you ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">It’s
different. And it’s more like you, maybe... So, yes. I find it
pretty hot.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Very
good answer, Jim.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Thanks...”
</span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Jim
couldn't help blushing, stuffing his mouth with cookies like crazy, so he
managed to avoid looking at Sean straight in the eyes. Only he couldn’t think
of anything else but Sean – Sean kissing him – Sean patting his
full gut, and rubbing his whole body... Obviously, his hunk of a cook
had something else cooking for him... Sean patted his own little
bulge of a gut and asked Jim, looking at him intently:</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“Is
this turning you on ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Huh...
I... Yes.” Jim looked down. “Yes, you’re turning me on.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Then,
don’t you want me to gain more ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Wh...
what ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I
said, would you like to see me gain some more ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“Well, </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I
don’t... I don’t know. It’s up to you, really... Do you want to
gain more weight ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“Good</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> call, Jim. It’s up to me. And it’s up to you, too. Do you want to
gain more ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">...I
do. I know I want it, now.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">And
if I was to fatten you up more than the thirty pounds you signed for
?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Oh...
I don’t think I would mind. We’ll see if I get better results by
the end of the week. Just feed me always a little bit more, and I’ll
do my best to turn it all into flab, all right ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">You’re
the best, Jim. I’m really happy with you... There, eat. Eat some more!”
</span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Sean
shoved a few handfuls of chocolate chips cookies into Jim’s mouth.
Then he made him drink again from his pitcher of whole milk. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">“Do
you... – Uuuuuuuuuuuurp! – Sorry... Do you want me to gain that
much ?” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">I
do, Jim... I really do. You’ve been honest with me before, so I
should treat you the same. I’m sure all the guys have already told
you how hot you are, but you look a whole lot better to me now than
when you first came in... And I can’t wait to see you put on more
weight, get fatter and grow a real, manly belly!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">That
much ? Wow! Sean, I... – <b>UUUUUUUUUUUUUURP!</b> – God, this milk stuff
is great! I mean... I didn’t know you had such interest in me...”
</span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Now
you’re not telling me the truth. You knew I love watching you get
fat and pudgy.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">I
thought you had other reasons for it, not because it was attractive
to you... How could I know anything of it ?” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Because
you’ve made me notice my beginning belly.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Okay,
so... what’s the point ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">You
want to know the reason why I’ve been putting on more weight than I
ever did, and also faster than ever ?... It’s you. You’ve made me
want to gain those 12 pounds.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">...I
did ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Yes.
And you’re the reason why I want to put on some more weight...
because you look so hot, growing your belly pound after pound of
flab, expanding its soft flesh inch by inch after each new day of
feeding... It made me wish I was gaining too. You’re not a model
for nothing, Jim.” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I’m
not a role model...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">I’m
telling you, when you go back for your second photo session, every
guy in the room will want to be like you – and if half of them have
the balls they claim for, you will see them cut off any kind of
workout and diet they had, and start stuffing their guts at the
agency cafeteria... for starters...” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="center" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; line-height: 15.4px;"><br /></span><b style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; line-height: normal;">■</b></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> Sean’s
words, heavy with flirting subtext, made Jim feel beyond happy and
sad. He didn’t get it, really: if Sean was talking to him that way,
telling him he loved how he was growing and getting soft, why weren’t
they having sex together already ? After he had done so many efforts,
and with all the extra weight he had put on, Jim felt like he should
get something back. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> Sean
was still being so nice and enticing to him – but he was too nice!
Was he like all talk ? After Jim was too stuffed and heavy to get up,
that night, Sean had helped him go to his bedroom and put him in
bed... and that was it! Jim had spent the rest of the night itching
with frustration and pestering about him. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Now,
Sean’s early morning compliments made him crazy. He couldn’t
stand it any longer, and told him bluntly. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"><br />“Will
you cut the crap, Sean ?! Stop being such a hypocrite!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">...I’m
being a hypocrite ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">You
keep telling me I look hot and all, and I have a nice body – you
don’t mean it, so stop pretending.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I
do mean it. I thought I had made it clear that you look much better
now...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Then
why do you always act like I’m repelling you ? Am I not good enough
for you ?!” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">...Beg
your pardon ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> This
had gone too far. Jim couldn’t let it slip – and he didn’t want
to. He was now blushing with anger, huffing and puffing, his heart
racing under the lard of his man tits. He had to get it off his
chest. Or rather, off his gut... </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br />“If
you think I’m attractive enough that you want to get fatter
yourself, then why don’t you make the moves ? I should be turning
you on, if your compliments were sincere. Why am I not turning you on
?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">But...
You are, Jim... You look really hot to me. And you can be also
charming, when you want to. It’s true, I have feelings for you. But
that was not a reason for me to make a pass at you, last night.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Why’s
that ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Well...
Okay – how about you, Jim ? Do you like me ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Of
course I do.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Are
you attracted to me ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Of
course I am.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">You’re
young and horny – I get that. But are you attracted to me because
you have feelings for me, or is it because I’m the only guy around you ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">What
if it was ? All I know is, I want you and if you say you want me
too... Let’s do it! I’ve never questioned it, really.” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Sean
sighed, and sat next to Jim. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“Boy,
boy, boy... You’re only 5 years younger than me, but you’re such a child... When you have experienced a few more partners, you will
learn that “just sex” is the closest thing to nothing.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">But...
it’s already something, right ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Love
is everything, Jim. What doesn’t depend on it is just dead... Or
are you saying you can love me ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I
think... Wow, why do you always have to take it on dangerous grounds
?...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">No
stepping back, now. Just tell me.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I
think... Yes, I have feelings for you, and... if I could know you
better, they would grow eventually. And so, you could say I’m
falling in love with you... Why does sex has to be at the end of your
list ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">It’s
not. But you’re right when you say you don’t know me enough.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Then
tell me, Sean... I want to know more about you.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">You
only have to ask.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Okay...
Then... How can I make myself attractive to you ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">In
other words, you want to know what’s my taste in boys. All right,
I’ll tell you. I like a guy who can be honest with me as he is to
himself. I like open-minded guys, and guys intelligent enough to
listen to their heart instead of their head all the time. I am
attracted to younger guys, who are confident in me – even dependant
on me. I love taking care of them in every possible way. I have a
tendency to make my boyfriends put on weight, because I am turned on
by chubby guys, or rather guys getting plump and chubby...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">So...
it could totally be me!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">It
could... but it could still be pointless. I would still have to be
the guy you truly want to be with. And the real question is: Are you
already like the guys I described ?” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I
don’t know... Why would it be pointless ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">When
you sacrifice yourself, even part of yourself, for another guy’s
love... Okay, it can last a few months, even a year or two if you’re
really patient and selfless – but you will have to break up,
eventually. You can’t possibly feel good if you’re so
concentrated on making your partner happy and he doesn’t give you
anything back but sex. You’ll start hating yourself for being so
cheap. And more than anything, that’s just not fair... Jim ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Sean’s
last words had gone deep into Jim’s mind. He was thinking about
Dean, and how things had gone from great to strenuous, then worse and
worse as his boyfriend was feeling dissatisfied and left out. Jim
remembered now, and he had an explanation for it. He told Sean about
this. It was good to share this with such an understanding guy. As he
was bound to make long speeches when he felt like there was something
interesting to be explored, Sean was a good listener as well. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“Sounds
like this boy has let you feast on him all the time, and you just let
him starve...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Am
I... Am I letting you starve too, Sean ?...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I
was going for a metaphor, there.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Sean
laughed and gave his belly a gentle slap. He had been eating more and
more openly now that he had confessed to Jim that it was turning him
on. And it showed – the elastic waistband of his boxer shorts was
stretched wider out than it was a week ago, and there were love
handles forming. But his pecs, arms and legs were still so hard as
they were. Sean stopped laughing. Jim was serious, for once. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">“I
mean... Who am I kidding ?” Jim was brooding, “I’m getting fat,
and I pretend I don’t like it. You keep telling me I’m more
attractive as I get fatter, and that I should forget about my old
limits and standards. But you stick by your own set of fucking
values, yourself! That’s not fair. I wish I was good enough to make
you lose it, too. I wish I was irresistible to you. So... what’s
the big deal ? Am I not fat enough for you ? Am I not being... honest
with you ?” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> This
was the first time Jim talked to him like that – then, it was
probably the first time Jim had opened his heart to someone else,
ever – Sean was deeply moved by Jim’s last words. He hugged him
and calmed him down, then answered his questions. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">“Two
good reasons, Jim. You’ve put on 20lbs in the last two weeks. If
you ask me, I would say they look so good and sexy on you. But I
guess you don’t feel that way – and you’ve never really asked
me, either: I was always encouraging or pushing you for it. In spite
of everything I told you, you’re still gaining because you have to,
because your contract says so... and because I keep you well-fed and
comfortable, obviously. It’s not like you had a choice in it, right
?” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">I
feel a lot better, thanks to you... But I have needs that food can’t
fulfil, honestly. If you’re turned on by my body, then let’s do
it! You have been really good to me, so I shouldn’t make you feel
bad about this... Does it matter so much to you ?” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">It
doesn’t bother me so much. But then again, should we have sex
because we feel strongly about it and we are deeply connected to each
other, or only because there’s no one else available ? And are you
getting plump because you have to, or because you want to ?... That’s
a big difference, Jim. Like... Should I ask you to get fatter for my
own entertainment, or for our common pleasure ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">You’re
so complicated, Sean. I’m touched that you care so much about how I
feel but...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Maybe
that’s where your current problems lie, Jim. The way I see it,
you’ve never given much, if anything, back to your ex-boyfriend.
You’ve taken whatever he was giving to you, then you took it for
granted. If that’s so, I can say you’ve never been in love.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">You
mean my feelings were fake, too ?...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">They
were only glimpses of what true love feels like. And you considered
yourself happy with very little, really. I know it’s not logical,
but if you wanted to enjoy what Dean was offering to you, you had to
give it back – and more.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Give
it back, and more ? Where did you get that ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">It’s
in Shakespeare, silly. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"><i>Romeo
& Juliet.</i></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><i> </i>My
bounty is as boundless as the sea</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> My
love as deep – the more I give to thee,</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> The
more I have, for both are infinite.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br />Now,
if those two weren’t in love with each other, who was ?...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Jim
didn’t answer. He had to take it all in, and think. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“Then
I know what to do. You like guys to be true to their words, right ? I
will expect no less from you. You like to fatten up guys and turn
them into lazy chubs ? Now, I have it in me, and I will give it to
you.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> He
leaned closer to Sean, and whispered to him, cheek to cheek. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">“Feed
me, Sean! I want to get <b>fat </b>– for you...” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="center" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; line-height: 15.4px;"><br /></span><b style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; line-height: normal;">■</b></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> Days
were going faster and faster for Sean and Jim. It was their first week together
as lovers, but their last week too, as Jim had to go back to work. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Sean
was being just so good to Jim as a boyfriend as he was cooking for
him. The feeding sessions were laced with all kinds of foreplay and
sex – Jim’s nights were just so packed now as daytime, since Sean
always combined sex with more food play and made night and day feel
like an uninterrupted feeding session. He was always on top of Jim,
which made it easier to stuff the boy’s face with ice cream, white
cheese, whipped cream and jam, chocolate mousse or peanut butter,
with a constant flow of whole milk or beer. Jim would get up for his
morning weigh-ins and measurements almost as full as he was when Sean
had put him to bed... </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> This
late change in his diet plan showed little on his third week
check-up, but they didn’t look at the results as they did before.
Jim’s weight and stats were still good – even impressive for such
a short period of time</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">:</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<dl>
<dl>
<dl>
<dl>
<dl>
<dl><dd><table cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="break-before: auto; page-break-before: auto; width: 170px;"><colgroup><col width="79"></col><col width="82"></col></colgroup><tbody>
<tr><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-bottom-width: 3pt; border-bottom: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-width: 3pt; border-left: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-right-style: none; border-style: double none double double; border-top-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-top-width: 3pt; border-top: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm 0cm 0.03cm 0.03cm;" width="79"><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: helvetica;">Chest</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm;" width="82"><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="margin-right: -0.4cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: helvetica;">44"</span></div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-bottom-width: 3pt; border-bottom: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-width: 3pt; border-left: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-right-style: none; border-style: double none double double; border-top-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-top-width: 3pt; border-top: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm 0cm 0.03cm 0.03cm;" width="79"><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: helvetica;">Neck</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm;" width="82"><div align="justify" class="western">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: helvetica;">16"</span></span></div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-bottom-width: 3pt; border-bottom: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-width: 3pt; border-left: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-right-style: none; border-style: double none double double; border-top-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-top-width: 3pt; border-top: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm 0cm 0.03cm 0.03cm;" width="79"><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: helvetica;">Shoulders</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm;" width="82"><div align="justify" class="western">
<span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">71"</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">½</span></span></div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-bottom-width: 3pt; border-bottom: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-width: 3pt; border-left: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-right-style: none; border-style: double none double double; border-top-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-top-width: 3pt; border-top: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm 0cm 0.03cm 0.03cm;" width="79"><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: helvetica;">Waist</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm;" width="82"><div align="justify" class="western">
<span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">42"</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">½</span></span></div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-bottom-width: 3pt; border-bottom: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-width: 3pt; border-left: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-right-style: none; border-style: double none double double; border-top-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-top-width: 3pt; border-top: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm 0cm 0.03cm 0.03cm;" width="79"><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: helvetica;">Hips</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm;" width="82"><div align="justify" class="western">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: helvetica;">37"</span></span></div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-bottom-width: 3pt; border-bottom: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-width: 3pt; border-left: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-right-style: none; border-style: double none double double; border-top-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-top-width: 3pt; border-top: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm 0cm 0.03cm 0.03cm;" width="79"><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: helvetica;">Thighs</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm;" width="82"><div align="justify" class="western">
<span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">27"</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">½</span></span></div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-bottom-width: 3pt; border-bottom: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-width: 3pt; border-left: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-right-style: none; border-style: double none double double; border-top-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-top-width: 3pt; border-top: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm 0cm 0.03cm 0.03cm;" width="79"><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: helvetica;">Arms</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm;" width="82"><div align="justify" class="western">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: helvetica;">21"</span></div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-bottom-width: 3pt; border-bottom: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-width: 3pt; border-left: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-right-style: none; border-style: double none double double; border-top-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-top-width: 3pt; border-top: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm 0cm 0.03cm 0.03cm;" width="79"><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: helvetica;">Weight</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm;" width="82"><div align="justify" class="western">
<span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"><b>210</b></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">lbs</span></span></span></div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-bottom-width: 3pt; border-bottom: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left-width: 3pt; border-left: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-right-style: none; border-style: double none double double; border-top-color: rgb(192, 192, 192); border-top-width: 3pt; border-top: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm 0cm 0.03cm 0.03cm;" width="79"><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: helvetica;">Body Fat</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm;" width="82"><div align="justify" class="western">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: helvetica;">29 %</span></span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</dd></dl>
</dl>
</dl>
</dl>
</dl>
</dl>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Sean
was also weighed in at 202lbs, with a 36” waist and 17% bodyfat. It
wasn’t much compared to Jim’s gain, but deep down it was a sign
of success for Sean, because it meant he was feeding his boy better
now – and probably better than he had fattened up any of his
previous guys...</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> This
was due to Jim’s versatile attitude toward gaining. When he was in
a good mood, Jim usually let Sean eat along to encourage him. They
would make different kinds of deals or challenges – when Jim had
gone through six apple pies, Sean would have eaten a whole pie too,
for instance – or when Sean was feeding Jim a pan of lasagna, there
was a smaller pan next to them, just for him and where he would dig
in after he had forced Jim to take in four or five large mouthfuls...
Basically, Sean would eat about five times slower than Jim, then. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> But
when Jim didn’t feel like that – and he could change his mind
quite suddenly – Sean had to talk him back into eating. These were
really challenging moments for him. If Jim was only pouting for some
reason, a few gentle words and expert belly rubs would be enough, and
Jim opened his mouth for more. It was more serious than this, most of
the time. Then, Sean tried to take advantage of the boy’s
impatience. His best shot was to go all out and threaten Jim by
eating in his place – from the first day he had made Jim obey,
using that method, Sean knew it would become his ultimate weapon. He
only used it in case of emergency – at least twice a day. Jim
couldn’t take how gross it was to see this bellied muscle boy stuff
himself so much and so fast. Sean wasn’t afraid to eat loud, chug
on beer and belch even louder. Jim begged Sean to stop and feed him
what he was eating. No matter what, Jim always surrendered to Sean...
</span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> On
the whole, Sean ate less than a third of what he fed Jim – but the
same fattening food. As this would have been enough calories to
sustain a bodybuilder the size of Sean during his ‘bulking up’
phase, it was no surprise that Jim’s earnest cook would put on some
sympathy weight – and that the extra pounds were mostly fat... </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Sean
had to stay in command, so he didn’t drink beer so much – while
Jim’s daily beer bongs were looking more like a dam had broken and
the falls were flowing right down his throat. Sean also “charged”
his Guinness stout with some other ingredients, like banana cream,
orange syrup or sweet apple juice – which were going straight to
Jim’s belly bulge and love handles, packing it on over his widening
rear and hips... </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> The
only other big difference between them was how lazy Jim had become.
After a good, filling meal and a few (dozen) drinks, he would slowly
waddle and go for a nap, or rest by the pool to improve his
magnificent tan. Sean was swimming for two hours every day, as Jim
slept and the ovens were hot. He worked out every two days during
Jim’s afternoon resting hours, where the boy would watch DVDs, let
the pressure go down in his overfed belly, let himself go and drink a
few soft drinks, along with some of Sean’s candies or cookies that
were always around him for a reason. They shared some more intimate
moments, too, where Sean made Jim get more comfortable with his
softening, large gut – feeding him chocolate candies, fudge and ice
cream, licking his body when he dropped some, fondling and caressing
his growing rolls and love handles. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> Sean
was more patient than Jim, when it came to foreplay. He took his time
to rub his big boy’s belly and ass, slowly, going further and
further down, with increasing strength and intensity, making Jim
ready for some later, harder strokes... Sean was also more into
cuddling after they had both hit their climaxes, and he had soon
converted Jim to it. Not that he was shy, but as he had grown so
fleshy and plump, Jim found himself pretty uncertain in bed for
anything that wasn’t strictly related to sex. It was only there for
a few times. Now, he would smile in his sleep when Sean held him in
his big arms. This whole experience was definitely making Jim feel
better about himself. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> He
was not just mellow any more. He was more positive – even
enthusiastic, at times. Of course, having all his needs satisfied and
sharing this with a hot guy like Sean had totally changed him. Jim
complied to Sean’s requests too – he didn’t hesitate to eat
more like a pig, chug down, gulp down and belch so loudly as he
could. Sean was always grateful and showed it to Jim with more than
just compliments. That was the life for him! After another very
productive, greedy day, Jim was caressing his vastly enlarged gut in
satisfaction. He was proud of his growth. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br />“Boy,
I’m getting so fat...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">We’re
both getting fatter, Jim.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">It
doesn’t really compare, really.” Jim laughed. “When our friends
see us back in town, they will say to you ‘Wow... You’ve been
working out ?’ – then they will take one look at me and say ‘Wow! You’ve been
porking out!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="center" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; line-height: 15.4px;"><br /></span><b style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; line-height: normal;">■</b></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Have
you read your contract lately, Jim ?” <br />“I didn’t even read
it in the first place. Why should I bother reading it now ?”
<br />“There might be something interesting for you...”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> It
was about 3PM – Jim was stuffed and still had the taste of
his last apple pies in his mouth, no matter how much milk he was
drinking or butter toffees he was munching on. It was a really hot
day, too. Sean was rubbing his plump boy’s body with solar oils,
and whispering to him. This was not the best topic, however. Jim
didn’t want to think about his contract. Not because it was the
initial reason for him to put on weight – but it reminded him this
was his last week with Sean, now... He would have to go back to his
old life... all the fucking idiots he had to work with... Jim wished
the company had left him some more time to gain, or that they had
requested him to put on 50lbs instead of a meager 30... </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“What
could be less interesting than these three pages of fax ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">There
is a special clause in the fine prints. It’s one related to the
main article which says you have to put on no less than 30lbs over
the above mentioned period of time... yadda yadda yadda... and this
addendum covers the extra weight you could end up gaining – for
each pound gained over the first, mandatory 30lbs, you will be paid
500 $.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Five
hundred... what ?!!!” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">You’re
going to be rich, Jim. At 210lbs, you’ve already made three
thousand bucks!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Where
does it say so ?...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Here,
Jim. See ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> Technicalities meant nothing to Jim, but Sean’s approach was worth reading
them again, and listening to his cook. Five hundred dollars for each
pound, from now on. How could he say no ? On top of everything, that
would really screw those corporeal fuckers!... </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">“Tell you what, Sean...
I’m <b>HUNGRY</b>!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">There
you go, Jim!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"> Sean
cooked and cooked for his boy – from his scrambled eggs, macaroni
and cheese, greasy sausages and bacon, pancakes, puddings, white
cheese, whipped cream and thick yoghurts, cheesecakes, chocolate or
blueberry muffins and apple pie after apple pie with ice cream in the
morning, to tender beef steaks and T-bones, ham and pork ribs,
chicken deep fried in pig's lard, turkey served with the finest
stuffing, onions rings and large fries drowning in ketchup and creamy
sauces, baked potatoes with gravy and butter, rich home-made
lasagnas, pizzas, fettucine and cannelloni, chocolate fudge cakes and
countless other sweets... Sean found ways to put more butter, more
sugar and more cream into each new dish, packing more and more
calories into the same large servings. </span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> Jim
wasn’t into counting calories, anyway. Every day, his body swelled
more and more as he ate, growing rolls upon rolls of soft new flesh,
love handles spilling out of his straining briefs. Sean had worked on
a special sex swing and improved it so it was now hanging out from
the kitchen’s ceiling, and strong enough for Jim to sit and stay
there: His legs were spread out a little to make room for his plump
rear, and so the underside of his belly was contained with
strapped-on leather bands, like Jell-O in a bowl. There were more
leather pieces to hold Jim’s back and help him stand straight. Sean
made sure he didn’t move anyway, as he would also strap Jim’s
wrists to the chains of the swing. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Every
morning, Jim had Sean help him sit in that swing after his daily
weigh-in, measurements and pics. He would spend the whole day in
there, with his mouth opened and fattening food being constantly
stuffed in, willingly. He didn’t even get out of it when he needed
to sleep. He only rested there, and Sean took some private pics of
his fat boy in his cage, watching his overhanging belly get softer,
spilling on the front of Jim’s swing and expanding more and more –
like his ass, straining the leather seat as it was growing wider and
wider...</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> At
night, Jim could barely get up without Sean pulling under his thick
and softening arms from the leather swing and outfit. Then they would
slowly waddle him out of the kitchen and take him to his bedroom,
where Sean massaged his sore, overstuffed gut and slowly made Jim
aroused and awake for hours of sex. Jim was only complaining about
this short walk from the swing to his bed – it was all he did
during the day other than eat, but it seemed longer and longer to
him, as he got fatter and fatter. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Sean
was showing no mercy to his food slave, of course. His underlying
dominant ways had grown on Jim too, and food was more appealing when
Sean forced it in him and ordered him to </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">“<b>Eat!</b>”
</span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"> Jim
wasn’t exactly a victim, either. He was so impatient as ever, and
when it was taking too long for Sean to cook or bake his next meal,
he would treat his cook like some other kind of slave:</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"><br />“<b>Feed
me</b>, damn it! I’m not getting any fatter, here...” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> They
had every reason to be happy with each other. Sean’s initial diet
objectives were blown out – for both his boy and himself. And after
four weeks at such a rate, Jim’s practice around food and his
largely increased capacities would make him the center of attention
in any pie-eating contest! </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> It
was the end of their four weeks together, however. Their end results
were both impressive and disappointing – sad as they were sad that
their gaining game had come to its natural conclusion, they felt it
was too soon. Jim’s measurements and progress were still the best
so far: </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<dl>
<dl>
<dl>
<dl>
<dl>
<dl>
<dd><table cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="break-before: auto; page-break-before: auto; width: 170px;">
<colgroup><col width="79"></col>
<col width="82"></col>
</colgroup><tbody>
<tr>
<td style="border-bottom: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-right: none; border-top: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding-bottom: 0.03cm; padding-left: 0.03cm; padding-right: 0cm; padding-top: 0.03cm; padding: 0.03cm 0cm 0.03cm 0.03cm;" width="79"><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: helvetica;">Chest</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm;" width="82"><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="margin-right: -0.4cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: helvetica;">45"</span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-bottom: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-right: none; border-top: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding-bottom: 0.03cm; padding-left: 0.03cm; padding-right: 0cm; padding-top: 0.03cm; padding: 0.03cm 0cm 0.03cm 0.03cm;" width="79"><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: helvetica;">Neck</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm;" width="82"><div align="justify" class="western">
<span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">16"</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">½</span></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-bottom: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-right: none; border-top: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding-bottom: 0.03cm; padding-left: 0.03cm; padding-right: 0cm; padding-top: 0.03cm; padding: 0.03cm 0cm 0.03cm 0.03cm;" width="79"><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: helvetica;">Shoulders</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm;" width="82"><div align="justify" class="western">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: helvetica;">72"</span></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-bottom: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-right: none; border-top: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding-bottom: 0.03cm; padding-left: 0.03cm; padding-right: 0cm; padding-top: 0.03cm; padding: 0.03cm 0cm 0.03cm 0.03cm;" width="79"><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: helvetica;">Waist</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm;" width="82"><div align="justify" class="western">
<span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">46"
</span></span>
</span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-bottom: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-right: none; border-top: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding-bottom: 0.03cm; padding-left: 0.03cm; padding-right: 0cm; padding-top: 0.03cm; padding: 0.03cm 0cm 0.03cm 0.03cm;" width="79"><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: helvetica;">Hips</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm;" width="82"><div align="justify" class="western">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: helvetica;">39"</span></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-bottom: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-right: none; border-top: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding-bottom: 0.03cm; padding-left: 0.03cm; padding-right: 0cm; padding-top: 0.03cm; padding: 0.03cm 0cm 0.03cm 0.03cm;" width="79"><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: helvetica;">Thighs</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm;" width="82"><div align="justify" class="western">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: helvetica;">28"</span></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-bottom: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-right: none; border-top: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding-bottom: 0.03cm; padding-left: 0.03cm; padding-right: 0cm; padding-top: 0.03cm; padding: 0.03cm 0cm 0.03cm 0.03cm;" width="79"><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: helvetica;">Arms</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm;" width="82"><div align="justify" class="western">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: helvetica;">21"½</span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-bottom: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-right: none; border-top: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding-bottom: 0.03cm; padding-left: 0.03cm; padding-right: 0cm; padding-top: 0.03cm; padding: 0.03cm 0cm 0.03cm 0.03cm;" width="79"><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: helvetica;">Weight</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm;" width="82"><div align="justify" class="western">
<span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"><b>232</b></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">lbs</span></span></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-bottom: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-left: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); border-right: none; border-top: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding-bottom: 0.03cm; padding-left: 0.03cm; padding-right: 0cm; padding-top: 0.03cm; padding: 0.03cm 0cm 0.03cm 0.03cm;" width="79"><div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: helvetica;">Body
Fat</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: 3pt double rgb(192, 192, 192); padding: 0.03cm;" width="82"><div align="justify" class="western">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: helvetica;">33.5
%</span></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</dd></dl>
</dl>
</dl>
</dl>
</dl>
</dl>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">60lbs
of yummy butter fat, Jim!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Yup
– packed into 16 more inches of waist...” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Actually,
your belly is up to 48”. And it was non-existent to start
with, over your tiny 31” waist... Congratulations, tubby!” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Sean
hugged him, getting hard as he was patting and pressing Jim’s generous love
handles. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“You’re
so soft, Jim...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">How’ve
you been doing yourself, you big bear ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> Sean
stepped on the scale, weighing a good 210lbs, with a 37” waist and
18% body fat. Once again, he had gained 4 pounds of muscle, mostly
upper body – arms, shoulders and pecs – and 4 pounds of belly. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“Are
you going to keep it ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Maybe,
maybe not... I usually bulk up like that when I’m alone over here,
but never that much. I have to thank you for that!... How about you
?” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Me
? Huh... You know I will have to lose it all... I guess...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">How
bad are you going to miss weighing over 230lbs ?” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">About
half as bad as I’m going to miss you...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Nice,
Jim. Here, I’ve got these for you...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> Sean
had bought him some new clothes, and they fit, but Jim had forgotten
how uncomfortable it was not to be naked around the house. He already
had difficulties to walk for too long a distance... This was almost
physically impossible! </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“Do
you like them ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">I
hate them.” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Then
I’ll tear them out for you. Come...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Jim
had to leave. They couldn’t decide if their last moments together
would be about food or sex – in the end, Sean fucked Jim all
morning in his bedroom, feeding the plump boy his big breakfast at
the same time... No beer, just milk. It was too much, on both
accounts, however, and Jim came with a long belch that was like a
roar... </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> In
the airport, he promised he would call Sean as soon as he was
landing.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> And
for the first time in his life, Jim would hold a promise.</span></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5094005257601699515.post-43867300589939364452016-02-19T12:31:00.001-08:002022-11-06T05:55:08.708-08:00A Bittersweet Symphony (1st mvt.)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OEqLjB_RLtQ/Vsd2UEmjd4I/AAAAAAAAAcs/uD7rAHANDMs/s1600/Fonds%2BBittersweet.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="203" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OEqLjB_RLtQ/Vsd2UEmjd4I/AAAAAAAAAcs/uD7rAHANDMs/s640/Fonds%2BBittersweet.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; text-align: right;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: times;"><i>dedicated
to Matt Hess</i></span></span></div>
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: times; line-height: 16px;"><i>on </i>Beefyfrat</span></div>
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-GB"><b>I</b> – [Agitato – </span></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-GB"><i>Preludio
e Fuga</i></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-GB">]
“</span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-GB"><b>All
about Jim</b></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-GB">” </span></span><br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> Jim
was a model. A lonely child raised in the city and grown into a
rebellious teen, he had learned to be strong early on, and use his
good looks to his advantage. When he was still in College, he had
been approached by an older guy who said he ran a model agency. Jim
was smart enough to tell him to go to Hell, but he had kept that
proposition in mind, then gone to a few auditions on his own. He was
surprisingly good. Jim gave you that husky, smothering, aggressive
look hands down. He had beautiful, chestnut blonde hair, perfect
green-blue eyes, delicate head with a chiseled jaw, perfect skin and
a young muscled body that held a lot of promise. More than anything,
he caught the light of the camera like no other guy in town. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> His
pics made a remarkable first impression – especially for a guy in
his teens with no experience whatsoever. Jim got calls almost
immediately, from all kinds of agents, working for male models
agencies or advertising companies. He didn’t tell his parents, but
they didn’t care anyway. He usually skipped classes, but it was
difficult for him to go down town for an interview or picture
try-outs. Jim made the effort and went to a few auditions like that.
He was a total failure. He had no idea about the fashion, design and
merchandising business. He was both naive and bold, unsure and
insolent. Money meant nothing and everything to him. In the end, Jim
didn’t get a job. He wasn’t calling them back either. He began to
wonder. They didn’t seem to need him, and he would probably need
them in the future, as he was flunking his exams and chances were he
wouldn’t be accepted in any University. Finally, he went back to
the last agent he had seen, a woman named Dory. She was in her early
thirties, which made her fall into Jim’s “old” category, but
she had been friendly and seemed to understand him better than the
other corporial stooges. She had been more patient with Jim than any
other agent, for instance... </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> Without
asking for a second interview, he introduced himself to her secretary
and was lucky enough that Dory had time to see him right then. He
wasn’t sure he would have waited for her in the lobby... But she
remembered their first meeting, and looked pleased to see him again.
Jim talked nonsense for a while, then he almost begged her to find
him a job. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> Dory
listened to Jim without interrupting, then she gave him some advice
on how things worked or didn’t work in their business. And she
signed him on a contract. Jim’s pay – or rather: market value –
was not as good as he had hoped. But it was better than he thought,
right then, and a pretty fair deal on both accounts, to be honest.
Jim had listened to Dory. He auditionned again, following her careful
instructions, and after a few successful ad campaigns, his pay was
doubled and he started to get some recognition. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> Jim
was still pretty rough around the edges, thought, not very patient
and prone to violent arguments with photographers and directors. He
would go so far as to turn down a campaign he had been selected
for... This gave him a bad reputation and people in the business were
reluctant to work with him. But there were always new opportunities
and contracts for him, thanks to Dory. It took quite some time for
Jim to realize how hard her job actually was. She had figured him out
pretty early on. So, she limited the chances of conflict to a
minimum. She was always there during his photo sessions, to help him
and get him out of trouble, as he was bound to go too far for his own
good. When she couldn’t avoid it, she was often apologizing in his
place to the companies or agencies Jim had insulted, left behind or
ignored. It was tough, as she already had a packed schedule and other
more successful models under her watch. Maybe Jim was special – he
was so annoying, self-absorbed and innocent, she could tell he needed
help to socialize. That was Dory. She also did her best to put Jim in
the best conditions for his photo sessions. Her hard work finally
paid off, too: Jim learned and behaved. He was accepted as an
interesting newcomer by the big leagues in the business, and although
it was never said out loud, she was known to be the one who had made
it possible. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div align="center" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span><b style="background-color: #fff9ee; line-height: normal;">■</b></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; text-align: start;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; text-align: start;"> When Jim turned 21, his situation as a model was discrete but solid. Dory had been his agent for more than three years, now. She was more confident about him, and he was more grateful to her.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"> Then, something happened that neither Dory nor Jim had foreseen. During a session that felt just like any other session, Jim first met this young camera operator named Dean. He was a taller guy than Jim, and standing like he was feeling out of place, but good-looking enough for Jim to mistake him for a model he didn’t know. Dean blushed when Jim told him so, admitted he was new around here, but not the kind of guy you put in front of the camera. </span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: start;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />
</span><div class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> Dean worked really well, for a beginner. And Jim was on his best behaviour ever. The
photo shots and movie session turned out to be easier than the
production manager thought, and the director was so pleased he
invited the crew for a drink. For the first time in his career, once
again, Jim followed them to the bar. He was only talking to Dean, so
the others immediately left them alone, knowing what was happening
between those two probably better than they did themselves. Dean was
still complimenting Jim, and Jim praised Dean’s work. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“It’s
a lot easier to work with such a good-looking guy. My camera loves
you.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> He
had really bad lines like this one. Jim was looking at him, half
amused. Dean wasn’t good at the whole flirting thing – not that
Jim was the smooth talker and seducer, but compared to Dean, he felt
a lot better. Dean’s attempts at being charming were so lame, it
made him more interesting than he tried to appear. Jim realised he
had never taken interest in anyone else like that... </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> They
met at another filming session, where Jim was so nervous, thinking
about Dean and trying not to look at him, he missed it completely and
had to leave. The director was blaming him for everything that went
wrong that day, and for once the crew was on Jim’s side. But they
didn’t let it out. Of course, Jim was trying too hard when Dean looked at him, and he ended up looking wooden and lost in confusion.
Finally, the production people came in and called it a day. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> Jim
didn’t understand what was happening to him. He was heart-broken,
but he didn’t know why. Wandering in the corridors, he saw Dean calling him. He was concerned about Jim’s bad day, and offered to
cheer him up at his place. Jim felt a lot better, all of a sudden.
They talked in the car and in Dean’s appartment. They had come to
the same conclusion. They kissed, made love and talked for hours in
bed. It was their first night together. Two weeks later, Jim was
moving in with Dean. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="center" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b style="background-color: #fff9ee; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">■</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> Jim’s
career as model stopped almost immediately. His heart wasn’t in it
so much anymore. He was only looking at Dean, when his lover was
there. The production was soon aware of the problem, but if they
hired another cameraman, Jim would always show up in a bad mood and
ruin the whole thing. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> When
Dory came back from her honeymoon, she faced this new situation with
a deep concern for Jim, mixed with the sad thought of so much time
and efforts going to waste... She was quickly informed about Jim’s
boyfriend by her colleagues. Maybe it wasn’t too late, so she asked
to meet Dean. She was glad to find a good-natured guy with his feet
firmly on the ground. Dean was getting worried about Jim’s
outbursts and moods too. They agreed not to tell him about this
little talk, and smartly combined their efforts to put Jim back on
the right path. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> As
it turned out, they did very well... for a while. Jim was a lot more
professional in his work, when he put his pride or love for Dean aside. Dory opened the doors for him again, and he was signed on for
a few commercials. On the set, Dean made the whole thing easer
between him and the rest of the crew. It worked, but Jim was still
unaware of it. He was excessive, at times. And now that he was being
more cooperative in his work, his frustrated or angry moments would
be with Dean... </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> Jim
was proud of his body, as he was working out three to four times a
week without any professional help, and taking perfect care of his
skin and hair. He was also a very demanding lover. Dean was not the
type to kiss and tell. He didn’t complain, either, so his
relationship with Jim was deep and solid, according to everyone they
knew. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> Dory
was surprised then to get a call from Dean, on a Friday at noon – a
call that sounded like a cry for help. She met him at his place for
the second time without Jim being there. Dean looked tired. Fresh
out, actually. But he looked so sad you almost forgot how tired he
looked and was. Dory was afraid they had a fight – for whatever
reason, if any... But it was not the case. After a few polite words,
Dean told Dory he simply couldn’t handle it anymore, and he was
going to leave Jim. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br />“I
don’t understand, Dean. You’ve been together and exclusive for
almost a year...” <br />“Yes. Oh, yes. I guess... I’ve done
everything I could. I know you have done more than your share, too. I
guess that’s the reason why I’m telling you this before I tell
him.” <br />“You haven’t told him yet ?...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">No...
But I will. Don’t worry.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">You’re
the one worried here, Dean. What happened ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Jim
happened. Then... I don’t know... It was like heaven, and now it’s
slowly turning into Hell. And I can’t take it anymore. If I don’t
end this now, it will be harder for both of us. I’ve thought about
it...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> Dean wasn’t crying, but tears were rolling on his cheeks. Dory was
appalled by this. She had witnessed some violent lover’s fights and
been involved in a few break-ups, for both straight and gay couples
she knew. She felt different, somehow, looking at Dean. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br />“I
know Jim is not easy, but... Are you really sure about this ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">If
Jim was here, I would only have to look at him and say no. But...
yes, I’m sure.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">You
really didn’t have an argument with him ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">No.
We’ve never had any kind of argument, really. The more I think
about us, where this is going, I know – I don’t just think... I
know – I’m not the right guy for him.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">How
is that possible ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I
don’t know how to tell you... I guess... I don’t give him what he truly needs ? Please, don’t ask me any more. I’ll make it easier
for you. And for Jim too, I hope. I’m going to leave town, go back
to my home place. I hope I will have the strength to tell Jim
before... I’m not sure I can. I guess it’s also why I needed to
tell you first. You must be thinking I’m a coward, but you’re the
only person I can talk to about this, too. I’m sorry...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> Dean was gone, and his cell phone wouldn’t work anymore. Dory was truly sorry
for him. She was also more worried than ever about Jim. But she
waited for him to call and tell her. Strangely enough, he was showing
signs of a better behaviour, and didn’t talk to her except about
work. This was new. Then he told her to cancel all his appointments
for photo sessions or anything for the next month. That was just like
him, but he sounded so happy over the phone, like Dean and he were
going on a trip together, Dory knew he was in trouble... </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> She
knew better than to believe Jim, anyway. She only had doubts. After
telling her husband about Jim’s case, she even called a few friends
for some advice. Finally, she found a new contract for Jim that was
just what he needed right now. Dean’s last words about his
ex-boyfriend were still in her mind. She took a deep breath and
called Jim. He was there, and didn’t seem to mind working again. In
fact, he accepted the job immediately, came to her office looking at
his best, and signed the contract without looking at it, as he had
taken on that bad habit after a year or two, counting too much on her
for that kind of boring red tape and signature stuff... </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> Jim
was supposed to do two sessions, complete with pics and movies. He
showed up early for his first one, looking truly dashing with a
haircut that made you want to run your hand through it and kiss him.
Catching everyone’s attention didn’t seem to hurt, either. He
looked comfortable, and in the perfect mood for a day long session. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> The
director’s small talk was a little unusual, however. Jim answered
his questions without raising further questions, and he didn’t seem
to mind. He was still taken off by them, sometimes. The production
people were a little annoying too. More than Jim cared to answer
their own questions. Why yes, he was taking good care of his body –
like they couldn’t tell... He worked out four times a week, now.
Mostly free weights... With no less than forty minutes of cardio
exercices before and after. The usual. He didn’t think it was a
lot... He was not going to tell them what body lotion he used in the
spa. A half-hour was enough after his workout. He liked to go
swimming. No professional help on the side. Jim didn’t think he
needed help, anyway... Yes, he was fairly active. So, you could guess
he had a good appetite. Of course, Jim liked to eat. The usual... He
had no particular preference. No, he wasn’t on a diet, right now...
</span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> There
were more questions from the producers about Jim’s eating habits –
in spite of his total lack of interest for that matter. After a
while, he started to show signs of impatience and irritability. He
had been standing in front of them for the whole morning, wearing
nothing but a pair of boxer shorts or a speedo. If it wasn’t clear
to them that he was in perfect shape, they could throw away their
glasses as well! </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> Fortunately,
Dory was there too. After Jim was sick and tired with more questions
related to pizza toppings and sandwiches, she invited the producers
to follow her in her office, so they could discuss the more important
aspects of the ad. Jim was still nervous. The director was setting
the place for his next shots, where Jim had to stand on a scale. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br />“How
much do you weigh, Jim ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I
don’t know for sure, but I guess this is for me to stand up on, so
we will know.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">This
is a movie scale, Jim. It’s big and all, but not exactly precise.
Seriously, you don’t know how much you weigh ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Never
cared much about it, to be honest.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Huh...
Okay, that’s good. But you should know.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Do
you even have a point about it ?...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Well,
of course... It’s about time we mentioned it, by the way. Someone
get us a scale over here, people!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I
don’t get these guys...” Jim mumbled to himself. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> The
director had asked for a real, digital scale. Jim stood on it and was
found to weigh a solid </span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"><b>170</b></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">lbs.
He was truly pissed at everyone right now: The crew and coffee people
were having bets about his weight, as he was waiting for that scale,
and laughing behind his back. Jim contained himself and his first
photo session was over, after what felt like the longest afternoon
ever, surrounded by the worst kind of jerks. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br />“I
think we’re done, Jim. See you in a month ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">In
a month ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Yes,
after you’ve put on weight.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> Jim
didn’t even react to that last line – he hit the assistant
director in the face, punching him down flat on the floor. Leaving
the piece of shit there, he took his clothes back and came rushing
into Dory’s office. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br />“Who
the fuck are these guys ?!!!” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Did
you really hit the first assistant director ?... I heard you broke
his nose.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Serves
him right! He’s been on my nerves all day! Who hires these dorks,
anyway ? I don’t get it! Who are they working for ?” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Sit
down, Jim... Please.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> Dory
waited for Jim to put his clothes fully back on. Then she waited for
Jim to sit down. She had that worried look on her face. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br />“So...
What’s the problem ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Problem
is this guy is probably going to sue...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">I
meant the commercial, Dory! What’s this ad campaign, by the way ?
Why did they keep asking me about what I eat ? how often ? how much ?
– how stupid is that ?” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Dory
let him go on for a while. She kept her voice down and cool.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br />“The
commercial you’ve just been signed on is for Healthyline, Jim. It’s
a new product they want to see running by the end of Summer. I guess
you know it’s a very important contract.” <br />“You’re telling
me...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Maybe
you should have read the contract, Jim.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Like
I ever did. Who cares ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">I
do. And in a minute, you will. You think this session was a little
out of the ordinary ? Well, it was! These people don’t make deals
like that, with guys so irresponsible as you are. You’ve been off
the hook for two months straight, and this session today is exactly
two months worth of your regular pay, with the exact same paycheck in
a month.” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Wow!
Really ?...” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Your
check’s already in the mail.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Sorry...
I had no idea. I guess it’s been hard for you to put me up front
again, after... after two months of absence.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Not
so hard, but I had to answer to some more unusual offers for you.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">But...
why did that jerk tell me in a month, after I’ve put on weight ?”
</span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Because
you’re supposed to put on weight. It’s mandatory.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">What
?!” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Your
contract says so, here. They take pictures and a few video clips of
you today, then they will take a second group of pics and videos
after thirty days, leaving you that time to put on weight. They want
to take ‘before’ and ‘after’ shots of your body to endorse
their new line of slimming products.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">And
so, they’re shooting the ‘before’ shots after the ‘after’
ones ? That’s crap! What kind of advertising is that ?!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">The
contract also specifies that they will help you lose the extra weight
after your second photo session, using their products. But they need
their ad on the air pretty soon. If it took too long for you to get
back into shape, they would use these first pics as a back-up. It
makes sense, really. Everything has been carefully planned, and
you’ve already been paid, Jim. Big money, as a matter of fact. You
can’t leave them behind now.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> Jim wasn’t listening. Dory was used to watching him making a scene
like that, but he was beyond himself, now. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"><br />“No
wonder it was paid so much! Is that what they meant, ‘after I’ve
put on weight’ ? The prop guys were making fun of me, saying I
looked like I already weighed 190lbs. But it would be physically
impossible to gain and lose 20 pounds in just a month! I knew their
was something wrong with them! I can’t do it, I just can’t...” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Wait
a second, Jim. You will only have to gain weight for a month. You can
lose it after you’re done with the pics.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Still...”
<br />“And just so you know, your contract actually requires a
minimum weight gain of 30 lbs. It also says here that your extra
weight has to be mostly fat, and preferably all fat. Of course, they
don’t want to talk numbers: their clients need to see a noticeable
difference in your body, one you can tell and sell on pics or in a
movie.” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Thirty
pounds in a month ?!!! I don’t think it can be done.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Come
on, Jim. I know you’re always ready for a challenge.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">You
call this a challenge ? It’s madness! Besides, I just found out
that I’ve lost a little weight, recently... I used to be 175lbs, as
far as I remember, and their scale only recorded my weight at 170
lbs. I’m not in the right mood for big meals, anyway...” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">You
have to set yourself in the mood for it, Jim: this is a very serious
campaign. I can’t tell our client that you’re having second
thoughts about their contract or product. These guys you call jerks
know more about this business than you ever will. They have power,
influence and relations with people who have already heard enough of
you, too! Think about it...” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I
just did. I won’t do it.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> Jim’s
mind ran pretty fast, but with little result. Deep down, he knew it
was a serious problem and Dory was right – or she wouldn’t insist
about it so much. She knew him, and he knew her. She was looking at
him, merely a shadow of the hunk who had shown this morning. He
looked back at her. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br />“So...
At least, you’ve read the contract. There’s no loophole in it ?”
</span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Loophole?
I don’t think so.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Really
?...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Why
would there be a loophole, in the first place ? I told you. This is
serious stuff. You can’t turn your back on that contract, and I
won’t put my ass on the line to cover for your misbehaviour again.
You’re tired from your day, and I’m tired too. So... Why don’t
you just take a break ? Ask Dean to take a few days off and spend the
week-end in my condo together ? I’ll give you the keys tomorrow.
I’m sure he understands what you have to do, and he will help you
with it.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Dean and I just broke up...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> It
was the first time Jim said it out loud, or told anyone about it.
Dory didn’t know what to say. This was a bigger deal than any
commercial, of course. But her surprise wasn’t fake, either. She
had been wondering if Dean had been honest to Jim and broken up with
him for good... </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br />“I’m
sorry, honey... I understand you’ve been under a lot of pressure,
lately... But... you don’t have to feel so down. I didn’t say I
wouldn’t help you.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">That’s
exactly what you said, Dory.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I
meant to say that I couldn’t get you out of a deal you signed on, but I’m not
letting you down... And you’re going to make it, anyway. You’ll
see... In the end, you always get to shine. But you need help now,
obviously. And me ? I’m here to help you. As a matter of fact, I
think I know someone who could really help you.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Help
me ? How ? I’m not in the mood for dating, yet...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Please,
I’m not talking about you dating someone else. I’m talking about
your weight.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Oh,
that ? Yes... It’s not enough that I’m single again, now I have
to put on weight too.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Don’t
be so gloomy, Jim. See ? I was right about you needing help. I had no
idea you needed it that bad, but this is quite fortunate. You will
see Sean is a very positive person.” <br />“Who’s Sean ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">He’s
a good friend of mine, and just the guy you want to meet right now.
Not just for moral support – which he will provide anyway... but
for physical, material support. If you’re okay about it, I will
call him.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Sounds...
good. So this guy’s a cook ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Not
professionaly. But he’s a good cook. You could say he’s a...
nutritionnist.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">A
nutritionnist ? Of course...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> Suddenly,
Jim saw a light at the end of that tunnel: there was no better choice
than to ask for the help and expertise of a nutritionnist, in his
case. Once again, Dory had her way with any hard situation, and she
handled it brilliantly. Jim wanted to know exactly what she had in
mind. He was a lot more opened to her suggestions now. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br />“Sean
recently told me he was going to spend Summer at his house. It’s a
rather remote place, in the hills. Very quiet too, so you can relax
and put some distance between you and your work, your appartment,
everything... It would be a good change of pace, really. My husband
and I were invited, at first, but we have family obligations. I
haven’t told him yet, so it would cushion the blow if I tell him
you will be there in our place. He’s not the lonely kind of guy...”
</span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">It
would be great for me, but still... I don’t want to bother him with
more work during his vacations.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Don’t
worry, I’m sure he will be eager to help you out. I will explain it
to him, anyway.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">When
were you supposed to join him there ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">This
week-end. He’s already there, opening the house and making room for
us. What do you say I call him now, and we see if he likes the idea
?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> Jim
was all for it. Dory called Sean. He listened to her and asked to
talk to Jim. They exchanged a few words. Sean made a good first
impression on Jim. He had a nice, low, somewhat soothing voice, and
he sounded concerned about Jim’s current problem. Jim appreciated
that he didn’t mention it, really, or anything related to weight
gain, during their short conversation. It was like a polite
invitation to come to his place and enjoy himself, like Jim was
already a good friend of his. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="center" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span><b style="background-color: #fff9ee; line-height: normal;">■</b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> After
everything was settled, Dory lost no time. Jim packed on a few
clothes fast, took a night flight and was welcomed early in the
morning at the airport by a tall man wearing loose clothes that did
little justice to his body. Jim could tell that this guy worked out
on a regular basis. He was in his early thirties, his dark hair cut a
little too short for Jim’s taste, but focusing his attention on his
eyes. They were the deep mahogany kind, soulful and sparkling. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> Sean
introduced himself and helped Jim with his bags. He was walking quite
fast, with an elegant spring in his steps that made Jim think Sean
had to be a good dancer, too. There was a five miles drive from the
local airport to his place. They could talk about each other and get
more aquainted, before Sean would show Jim around the house. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br />“So,
Jim ? Dory’s told me you’ve never been around here before ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">No,
I’m... much more of a city boy, I guess.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">I
hope you will enjoy your stay... Do you like swimming ?” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Swim
? Yes, I... I like to swim, but...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">I
have a large pool next to the house. You’ll see. On these long, hot
summer days, it’s the best thing I know to work out your body, and
ease you down at the same time.” <br />“That’s what I like about
swimming pools, too... Oh, crap! I forgot to bring my bathing
suit...” <br />“We can go buy you one, if you want. I know a place
nearby. I like to go naked and tan by the pool, myself. There’s no
neighbour around, anyway.” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">So...
How about Dory and her husband ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> Sean
laughed. Of course they would all go nude. Jim blushed, because he
had never thought about Dory that way. She was always so serious and
all about work to be done. He didn’t know she had it in her. He was
also surprised to find out he didn’t have it in him so much. This
was due to his recent breakup, maybe, but he was rather defensive.
Sean had not said anything yet, so Jim said it was no problem for
him. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br />“I’ve
always wanted to do that, but...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">I
understand you never had an occasion, where you live. I’m sorry, I
should have asked you first. If you’re uncomfortable about
something, just tell me. You’re here to enjoy yourself...” <br /></span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> Jim felt better already. Dory wasn’t kidding about Sean being a nice,
open-minded guy – and it was a good thing that he had stepped on
his own, moral line. He repeated Sean’s last words to himself:
“That’s right. I’m here to enjoy myself...” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> Then
he thought about it. He wasn’t going to spend a month with
Sean to enjoy himself. He was there for a very specific and unusual
purpose... Sean was now suggesting that they could go hiking. He had been
all about physical activities. It was nice of him to avoid the very
subject Jim didn’t want to discuss, but they would get to it
eventually. So, Jim thought he would make a point if he asked Sean
about it frankly and at once. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"><br />“Yes...
I think we would have a great time hiking in the mountains, except...
I don’t want to sound rude, but I’ve only come to see you so you
can help me put on weight. I mean, that’s the... main... reason ?”
</span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Of
course, Jim... Of course. You have questions about it ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Huh...
Do I ? Not really... Dory has told me I could trust you. And I
trust her, so I... trust you...” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Don’t
sweat it, Jim. I understand you’re nervous about it. And you have
every reason to be, since you’ve found yourself facing such a
challenge. But you have no reason to be afraid. You’re in good
hands, really. I know you’re on board, and I know I can help you
make it.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I’m
not sure Dory has told you everything. I have to gain thirty pounds
in less than a month. Have you done anything like that before ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Dory’s
read your contract to me over the phone, and I asked her to fax it to
me. I have thought about it too. It’s not the easiest thing, but I
have helped guys gain thirty pounds in about a month. I’ve helped
guys put on much more than thirty pouns, in fact. But I’m sure you
know guys in your profession who have done it no problem.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Huh...
not really. Until now, I had no idea you could even ask a model to
put on weight... Because they mean fat weight. Not muscle, you know.
They want to see belly and love handles!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Of
course, and probably ass cheeks too! It might be a little unusual for
male models, if you say so, but it’s very common for actors.” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Wait
a minute... Actors ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Yes.
And when they have to put on some mass for a part in a movie, like
Russel Crowe did for </span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"><i>Revelations</i></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">
and </span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"><i>Gladiator</i></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">,
or Tom Hanks for </span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"><i>Cast
away</i></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">,
or Brad Pitt for </span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"><i>Snatch</i></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">,
they ask for a special nutritionist’s services, most of the time.
That’s the kind of services I provide... among other things.” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Really
? Dory didn’t tell me you had experience like that...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I
could tell you more about it, and the whole business behind it, but
you will find out soon enough. Besides, what’s most important to me
is that you enjoy yourself as I will take care of you for a month.”
</span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">You’re
very kind, Sean, but how am I going to enjoy myself ?... The way I’ve
been thinking about it, all I have to do is to eat more, right ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">And
how far have you gotten, using that method ? Not very, I guess.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Yes...
You’re right.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">First
step, and quite an important one, is to put yourself in the right
mood. Look around you, Jim: Peace and silence, warm sun and fresh
air, trees and clouds, good food... Are you telling me the food won’t
taste better to you, after you’ve been under that sun, taken a few
good breaths and gone for a walk in the woods ?” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">That’s
a good point.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Second
step – I’m sorry to be blunt about it, but it’s to find ways to
make you hungry. Ravenously hungry... And hungry all the time, if
possible. Then, all I will have to do is to surround you with food.”
</span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">That
would be okay – I guess... But if I spend all day swimming, hiking
or whatever, chances are I’m going to lose weight or gain muscle
instead of getting fat. </span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">We
only have one month...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I
know. As a matter of fact, I will ask you to be so lazy as you can. I
suspect you have a fast metabolism, and you look like you’ve missed
a few nights sleep... So I won’t be too hard on you with your diet,
on your first days. You have to rest, first. But there are other ways
to make you hungry, you know.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Like
what ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Like
using psychological factors, for instance. Want to try something out
? Close your eyes.” <br />“...Come again ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Don’t
worry, Jim. I’m the one driving here. Come on, close your eyes...
Good. Listen to the distant sound of the road... Listen to the wind
in the trees... Listen only to my voice, now... Think about this...
Think and focus... Think about a white box... It’s an empty box...
Do you see it in your mind ?...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">...Yes.”
<br />“Open the box... Slowly... Now, don’t open your eyes, and
look at what’s inside the box... It’s not empty any more –
there’s food in the box – just for you – ready to be eaten –
what kind of food ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Apple
pie...” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">It’s
just changed – quick – what kind of food for you, now ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Pizza...”
</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Again – what is it now ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Lasagna...”
<br />“Again – faster – what now ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Fried
chicken and French fries.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Again
– more! – what is it ?” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Cheese...
Cheeseburger.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Good
– again!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Cheesecake.”
<br />“More!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Chocolate
cake.” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Again,
Jim! It’s all for you!” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“Huh... </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Chocolate
mousse ?” </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Excellent!
Open your eyes, Jim... You did very well.” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Jim
opened his eyes. The harsh light of day hit him through the shady
branches, going fast next to him, as they were approaching Sean’s
place. Jim was sweating, and he felt somewhat numb. Sean was smiling
and looking at the road.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"><br />“Wow!
That was... How did you do that ?” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">I
didn’t do anything, really. But you did better than I thought. I’m
starting to think I will have </span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"><i>no
problem</i></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">
with you... and you should have a terrific time here too, Jim.” </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"> Sean
looked at him and smiled. Jim smiled back – he had a hunch that
Sean didn’t make idle promises: He was going to have a </span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"><i>terrific</i></span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">
time with him!</span></span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5094005257601699515.post-86668715543340415882016-01-06T12:36:00.009-08:002022-12-18T12:27:18.235-08:00The Augustine Murders - Season 3, Episode 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OvHgcYhqNCc/Vo1pbDtRN1I/AAAAAAAAAbw/4na_ARmwkcg/s1600/The%2BAugustine%2BMurders%2B-%2BTitle%2B3.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OvHgcYhqNCc/Vo1pbDtRN1I/AAAAAAAAAbw/4na_ARmwkcg/w400-h177/The%2BAugustine%2BMurders%2B-%2BTitle%2B3.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;">III.1</b><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NbrJG5Boof4/Vo1ttr3IOMI/AAAAAAAAAcM/ckV1PA2zpYc/s1600/3%2BBerlioz%2Bexergue.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="86" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NbrJG5Boof4/Vo1ttr3IOMI/AAAAAAAAAcM/ckV1PA2zpYc/w400-h86/3%2BBerlioz%2Bexergue.jpg" width="400" /></a><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;"><br /></b><br />
<b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div>
<div align="right" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>(“Give
me the poison that should illuminate or kill my reason!”)</i></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><i>February
17</i></span></span><sup><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><i>th</i></span></span></sup><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><i>,
1990</i></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">
– Saturday</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> The
steel door closed behind Scott. He was walking slowly, still wearing handcuffs. He was in jail now.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">I’d
like to call a friend.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">You've
had your phone call. Follow me.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Sheriff
Maxwell was guiding him downstairs. Biberton’s police precinct had
a number of small cells in its basements. They were empty at the
moment.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">This
won’t do... I didn’t catch you drunk on the
Interstate. Besides...” the sheriff yawned. “</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">It’s
time to go to sleep.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Scott
yawned as a way of answering. It was almost 4AM.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">You’re
lucky that we put a bed in there, with a new mattress, new drapes and covers.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> The
sheriff had just introduced Scott into a closed room, with a solid
door, that was used as the main cell in the precinct. It was scantily
furnished, of course: a table and a chair, both painted in an
immaculate white, a large bed and a sink in the corner. There was no
window... A small, barred opening in the wall, close to the
ceiling, let the moonlight in through reinforced glass. These walls were made of thick concrete, only decorated with wood panels on
the outside.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">How
do you like it?”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“I</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"> should be fine in here for the night.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Good.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> The
sheriff opened Scott’s cuffs. As he turned around, they exchanged
one last look.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">You
wouldn’t give me the presidential suite if you thought I had
anything to do with that man’s murder.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">That’s
where you’re wrong. I’m convinced that you had something to do
with the death of... What’s his name again?”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Huggins.
Dylan Huggins.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Right.
You told me yourself that you were supposed to meet the guy.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Yes,
only yesterday... In his office. Not today.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">And
he didn’t show up.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">No...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">We’ll
have to wait for the autopsy report, but it’s pretty clear to me
that he may have been dead for more than one day... Who knew about
this meeting of yours?”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
have no idea.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Sheriff
Maxwell took off his hat and put it on the table before Scott. Then
he looked straight into his eyes.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">You’ve
been looking for trouble since the first day you’ve come to
Biberton, haven’t you?”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Scott
didn’t know what to say.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> He
had only been in town for a few weeks, and he had played his hand
rather well – only the game was more dangerous than expected.
Spending a night in jail might be the least of his troubles, if he
went on with it.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
don’t know... I’m no detective, I’m a journalist. Whatever I’ve
been looking for must be a concern for some people I don’t even
know.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Give
yourself some credit. You’ve started asking questions as
journalists do, but you have been investigating just the same. Some
people would rather deal with a P.I. than a journalist.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Why?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Because
those guys can keep their eyes shut, and nobody will know. That’s
the upside of being private. Your job is to make everything public. A
crime is a crime, you turn it into an event. You’re making a scene.
You add drama. You create scandals. That’s more damaging than a
crime... for those people.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> The
subtle tone of threat was not lost on Scott, no matter how subtle the
sheriff could be. Clearly, the man’s position depended on the
general feeling of safety and security for everyone in the county.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> The
phone rang in the sheriff’s office. He didn’t rush to answer.
After two rings, the call was automatically transferred downstairs.
He took the receiver outside the cell.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Biberton
P.D. What can I do for you? Oh... Sorry?”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Scott
was sitting on the bed, waiting. It was more comfortable than he
thought. He noticed Sheriff Maxwell waving at him.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">It’s
for you.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Really?”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> He
took the receiver. It was Will calling from his office.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Will?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">The
one and only... Seriously, Scott, is that a time to play games and
ask me for a “get out of jail” card?”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">You
know it’s not a game.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Boy,
do I know. Mr Horn is furious like you wouldn’t believe...”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">What
did he say?”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">In
a nutshell... </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">You’ve
had your fun. It’s time to go back to work.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">I
am in the middle of work right now!”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Right...”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">What
does he think I’ve been doing?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">From
the way you’ve spent the newspaper’s money, “holiday” doesn’t
begin to describe it. As an editor, Mr Horn thinks that you’ve only
been enjoying yourself. He didn’t want to send you away, that was a
rotten job, but you took advantage of him.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Oh,
boo hoo... What now? What’s next?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">There’s
nothing next. He wants it to stop now.” Will took a deep breath.
“I’ll be in Biberton, first thing in the afternoon.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">What?
No way...”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Sleep
tight, Scott.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Wait!
No... Wait...”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Will
had already hung up.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">That
scheming, little bastard!”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">...Trouble
with your boss?”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Sheriff
Maxwell was looking at Scott in amazement.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> The
young journalist nodded. Then he started laughing. Will was right. Mr
Horn was right. Of course, he had been enjoying himself immensely on
his employers’ money. These last weeks in Biberton were the best
time in his life...</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> And
he had no intention to stop. There was a crime to solve. There was a
new crime attached to the first one, just to spice things up... Scott
wasn’t the kind of guy who would give up so easily. He only wanted
to keep enjoying himself.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>■ ■ ■</b><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> </span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> The
meeting had to take place in Mr Porkenham’s private salon. It was a
very large chamber, lined with innumerable volumes, many of which had
overflowed from the shelves and lay in piles in the corners, or were
stacked all round at the base of the cases. A number of comfortable,
black leather armchairs were in the center of the room. In the only
large couch, propped up with pillows, was the headmaster of the
school, Mr Porkenham.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> He
put a little bell on a coaster next to him, after ringing it. Coffee
would be served in a moment, with cookies, marble cake, small pies,
toasts, butter and jam.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Do
sit down, gentlemen...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> The
entire board of administrators was present, which made the absence of
one of them more remarkable. The recent death of their colleague, Mr
Huggins, was a crushing blow for them.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Mr
Swayn was the only person still standing. He was pacing nervously,
picking up a book from time to time, and leaving it only a few steps
away from its previous place. Mr Thorne kept trying not to smack his
lips, waiting patiently for coffee to be served. As a cook, Mrs
Spread didn’t look so thirsty or hungry, but she removed a few
items from the low table in front of the headmaster, so the maid
would have no problem with the platters of food. The others were
sitting in an uncomfortable silence. Father Knox was the only one
actually busy, writing a few words now and then on a piece of paper
laid across his knee.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> When
the maid came in with the coffee and cookies, she didn’t feel
welcome at all. Everyone was waiting for a more important visitor,
whose presence was even less desired than hers.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">What
time did he say he would be here?”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Does
it really matter? Mr Wingrave is bringing him here from the station.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Everyone
looked at the people sitting in the other armchairs. There was only
one empty place left – where Mr Huggins used to sit down, have a
drink, listen to his colleagues and make a harmless joke every once
in a while...</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;">This
was no time for a joke.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">It
looks like we have a visitor.” Mr Swayn announced, looking outside
from the window.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Do
you see Mr Wingrave and our guest coming this way?”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">No...”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">What,
is he alone?”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">I
didn’t see them yet.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">How
can you tell, then?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Mr
Scupper has just stopped raking the leaves. Then the bell must be
ringing at the gate. There, just as I thought.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> At
the end of a very large field, the gardener was opening the school’s
gate. Then Mr Swayn confirmed that the head of security was coming
their way with a younger and much thinner man, looking well-dressed
and impetuous.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">We’ve
met him before. He attended Michael Astern’s funeral.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Did
he really?”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Taking
pictures, I believe...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Mr
Swayn turned to face his colleagues. He straightened his jacket with
a sly grin, secretly quite satisfied of his little act. There he was,
looking perfectly quiet and confident, while they were all pale and
stiff with anxiety.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> After
a moment, Mr Richard Wingrave introduced their guest in the salon,
and Mr Porkenham made the presentations for Will.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">How
do you do?”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">How
do you do...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">What
a bunch of pasty, gloomy masks for a <i>Mardi Gras</i>...” he thought with
a discrete smile.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> Will
had been thinking about the whole case on his way to Biberton. Scott
had told him pretty much everything about Saint Augustine Bells
school for boys. He knew what to expect, and one look around the room
was enough to have his hunch confirmed. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> The
death of one of their students under mysterious circumstances was a
concern, of course, but seeing one of the administrators – one of
</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><i>them</i></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">
– killed no less mysteriously was more than they could handle. They
looked like a sword was hanging over their heads, which they had not
noticed before.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
have been wondering about the kind of</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">
announcement you would like to make for the press.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Mr
Porkenham rose from his couch. His large, blue-veined hands were
clasped tightly over the ivory head of his cane.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">We
do not wish to make any declaration to the press. We will, naturally,
let the police do its job... but we leave all the official business
involved in this case to the officials.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Will
tried not to smile in front of the headmaster.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Have
you informed the victim's family?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Mr
Huggins was single, God bless him for that!” Mr Porkenham
interrupted with that sharp, decisive manner for which he was famous
in Saint Augustine. “To inform one's family must, in the long run,
mean to inform the public, which is what we particularly desire to
avoid.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> The
old man sat down. Clearly, he had not slept much. Will noticed the
glimmer of anger in his eyes. There was no need for him to be told
that no account of the previous night's events should ever be printed
in any newspaper...</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Are
you all quite clear about this case?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Not
quite... To be perfectly honest, I can make neither head nor tail of
it. So far as I can see it is just as tangled a business as ever I
handled.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">How
so?”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Well,
there is no motive.” Mr Swayn suggested.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Here's
a man's dead. Killed... There's no denying that.” Mr Porkenham
almost growled. “But, so far as I can see, no reason on earth why
anyone should wish him harm.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Will
lit his cigarette and leaned back in his chair.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Come
on. Let's hear about it.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">We've
got our facts pretty clear...” Mr Swayn straightened his jacket
once again, not feeling so confident anymore. “We simply can't
imagine how to put them together in a way that makes sense. Mr
Huggins had nothing against him either as a teacher or as an
administrator in Saint Augustine Bells. He had few relations outside
this school, and he was generally considered as a decent, quiet,
hard-working man.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Will
only had to wait and let him say his piece.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">What
about the place where his body was found?”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">That's
the gardener's pavilion.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">The
old gardener's pavilion...” Mr Porkenham corrected. “The school
has provided a new place for Mr Scupper to store his equipment. That
pavilion was no longer used by anyone...”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Is
it under surveillance?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Everyone
turned to Mr Wingrave, who almost choked on his piece of pie.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">I
regret to say that... No, that part of campus wasn’t under
surveillance.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">How
is that possible?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">We’ve
had trouble with the camera. It’s been off for almost a week,
now... I have called the repairman, but it was not considered top
priority, since there was nothing to look at, except that little, old
building of no particular interest.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Evidently,
Mr Wingrave wished that he could hide under the pillows like a little
mouse – even more so as Will guessed that the head of security
weighed no less than a hefty 320lbs...</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">So
the place was closed down?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">I
thought it was. Evidently, Mr Huggins had access to it.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Who
else had a key?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Mr
Wingrave, our head of security, of course. And Mr Scupper, our
gardener.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">How
about you, Mr Porkenham?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> The
old man froze. He was about to rise from the couch, holding his cane
like a stick when Mr Swayn came to his rescue at once.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Almost
anyone in the staff would have access to that pavilion... The
school's locking system has only been improved recently.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">How
so?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Two
years ago, we realized that any key used for a teacher's bedroom or
office could open another office, or any store room for that matter.
Naturally, the board of administrators decided to make individual
locks and keys, but this change only affected the new buildings and
the rooms currently in use.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">I
see...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">It
is quite possible that one of these old keys was stolen, or at least
lost and found... by a student.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">This
is only speculation!” Mr Porkenham almost snarled at his younger
colleague.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">It
was speculation until we found such a key in one of the students’
bedroom. That’s when we decided to take action.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Mr
Swayn sat down, his face a bit flushed after such an argument.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">We
have made a thorough search of all the rooms and bedrooms...”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Is
that so?” Will asked nonchalantly.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Of
course, research of that kind can only lead us to a certain point. I
happen to know that some of our... least disciplined boys have a
number of hiding places for their personal belongings.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Then,
even a student could have come to the pavilion, where Mr Huggins was
killed.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">I'm
afraid that we can't dismiss that possibility.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> This
was bad news for Will, who only enjoyed a puzzle when he was could
solve it in less than an hour. This was tougher. He had no clue at
all...</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Who
knew about the camera being off, for the last few days?”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">I
wasn’t aware of it!” Mr Porkenham claimed.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> The
other people in the room nodded, dumbstruck and shivering.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">How
about the students? Young boys are so much more in tune with modern
technologies, they must have noticed this. It’s like a sixth sense,
for them...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Of
course, a breach in the school’s security system could explain
everything.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> What
would Mr Huggins be doing in a place like that, unless he had some
secret business to do? Did he ask for someone to meet him there, or
was he answering to an invitation? The second possibility sounded
better. Someone had asked him to come – and killed him.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> Looking
up, after a long moment almost lost in his thoughts, the young photographer found
solace in the fact that he had just raised everyone’s level of
anxiety to some unprecedented heights. The tables were turned.
Whoever was behind Michael’s murder may no longer be interested in
more or less innocent, young boys... </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Anyone
of them could be the next victim.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<b><span style="font-family: verdana;">■ ■ ■</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> The
basements in the police precinct were warm. Scott’s cell was close
to the janitor’s closet, with the building’s heating system. His
bed was a bit smaller but almost as comfortable as the one in his
bedroom at the Paddington Hotel. He was still lying in there, naked,
looking at the sky through that little window.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> It
was raining outside. Everything was so quiet. Scott didn’t want to
get out of bed...</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> He
stretched his arms and moaned for a moment. Then he turned his back
to the wall and saw a pile of sandwiches on his table, with a few
bottles of soft drinks.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Hmmm...
Sandwiches again?”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Scott
had already eaten a hearty breakfast around 9AM. Sheriff Maxwell had
brought a bunch of sandwiches, made by his wife Maria – especially
for him.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Then
he had enjoyed an even larger lunch, with Tupperware boxes full of
rice with spicy meatballs and sauce, home-made tacos and sandwiches,
followed by desserts. He wasn’t particularly hungry now, but the
sight and smell of those sandwiches made his mouth water...</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Okay,
I’ll only have one or two... or three.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Scott
grabbed two sandwiches in each hand, and went back to bed.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Sitting
against the wall, he ate the first one in a matter of minutes, then
the second. He tore into the third one even faster, and it wasn’t
long before the last one joined the other three in his stomach.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">God,
Maria’s cooking is so good!”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> He
was already rearranging the covers with four more sandwiches next to
him. They were too delicious to resist. And there were five or six
more on the table.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">No
wonder her husband is getting fat...”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Scott
hardly mumbled those words, eating and moaning as he grabbed one bite
after another, not even slowing down on his chewing.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> When
the last sandwich was gone, he felt surprisingly frustrated that
there had been only fifteen foot-long sandwiches with meat balls and
spicy marinara sauce. He was also quite full, after such a “snack”.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">BUUURRRP!”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Scott
rubbed his belly under the covers. He had a hiccup for a moment, then
all felt comfortable, quiet and fuzzy around him. That was enough to
make him fall asleep.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> He
may have trouble with his jeans’ top button, when the sheriff would
let him out of his cell – but he couldn’t care less, right now...</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> The
young prisoner was only looking forward to another home-cooked meal
for dinner.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<b><span style="font-family: verdana;">■ ■ ■</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US"><i>February
19</i></span></span><sup style="line-height: 100%;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><i>th</i></span></span></sup><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US"><i>,
1990</i></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">
– Monday</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Visiting
hours in Biberton’s hospital and Police precinct started around
9AM.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> Will
was naturally impressed with Sheriff Maxwell’s commanding good
looks. He had to wait for a few minutes, and sign a few forms, to be
allowed to see Scott. As a matter of fact, his colleague was still
eating breakfast, and he didn’t feel like dressing up so early in
the morning. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Looks
like they’re not treating you so bad... I’m ready to swear that
you have put on more weight in here!”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Scott
didn’t answer. He looked grumpy in his tight jeans and shirt.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Good
morning to you too!” Will chuckled.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">You
didn’t come to Biberton just to say hello... What’s the news?”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">There
isn’t much to be told, so far. It is just as you and I suspected.
They are all afraid that there is a killer loose in that school. It
may be one of the teachers. It may be one of the students... It may
be anyone, really.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">This
second murder should give us enough information to narrow it down.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">I
can’t imagine how. The only person who had an appointment with the
victim on the day of his death is... well, you.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Seriously?”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">According
to his notebook.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Just
my luck...”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Will
threw him a sideways look.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Don’t
get me started about your luck. You’ve been a pretty lucky bastard,
so far, hanging around such handsome fellows, in an atmosphere of
pure mystery and delicious sweets, and... masculine sweat.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">What’s
that supposed to mean?”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">How
about that stud muffin of a sheriff, for starters?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Please...
The guy’s married. And happily married, you can trust me on that
one.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Huh
huh. I see you’ve done some more comparison shopping.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Can
you blame me?”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Will
nodded cheerfully, and sat on the bed next to Scott.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">How
about that blonde hunk, doctor Sexy?”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">That’s
not his name.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Doctor
Something? Who cares, they always call him Phil.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Not
in Saint Augustine, they don’t.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Right,
they call him... What is it already, golden Graham?”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Just
Graham.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Yeah...
Why’s that?”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">You
wouldn’t believe me if I told you... And you’d be appalled if I
did.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Anyway...
Phil... Woof!”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Give
it a rest. Have you seen him lately?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Yesterday
evening. Now there’s a guy who looked like he had spent two days
and nights in prison... not eating his way out of a gingerbread
house!” Will poked Scott’s belly.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> The
two boys had a friendly cat fight on the bedspread, until Scott
crushed his opponent under his weight – which was enough for Will
to put an end to it.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">What
was wrong with Phil?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">He
was in charge of performing the autopsy. That’s no fun, of course,
but they also told me that he had not slept for more than an hour
between Friday and Saturday, so he wasn’t exactly at the top of his
game. Still, the administrators in Augustine Bells insisted on
getting a report as soon as possible, so he had to hurry up and join
us in Mr Porkenham’s office.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">I
can only imagine...”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">The
poor guy was a kept under pressure for the last 48 hours.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Will
leaned back against the wall, hands behind his head.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Of
course, I could think of a few ways to make him feel a lot better...”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Don’t
even try.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">How
far did you get with him? He looks cuddlier than a teddy bear.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US"> Scott
blushed as he remembered Phil’s passionate kiss, after he had
compared him to a bear. It was a special occasion. They were both
tipsy. Scott was drunk, actually, and he had eaten way too much at
</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US"><i>Matt’s</i></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">I
see...” Will teased.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Nothing
happened the way you think it did.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Too
bad. You would have enjoyed quite a night... And I’m willing to bet
my bottom dollar that he’s up to the challenge. Ha ha!”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">He’s
a good guy. Don’t play games with him.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">I
know you, Scott. You want to be the only one who “plays games”
with him.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Once
again, Scott didn’t answer. Will was right.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">What
is he for you, another boy toy?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">I
don’t know... He’s a doctor. The guys I used to date own a Volvo
dealership, at best. They weren’t the sharpest pencils in the box,
with little to no personality, and they had money. Phil’s nice and
all, but he’s poor like a farmhand.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Is
that so...”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">I
don’t know. He’s different.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">You
never cease to amaze me. That kind of change would be for you.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Scott
let out a sigh.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">You
know what my mom used to tell me, as a kid.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">I
wouldn’t mind it if you reminded me.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">She
always said that I had too many toys... I would never know what I
really want.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<b><span style="font-family: verdana;">■ ■ ■</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Mr
Huggins’s body had been sent to the morgue early in the morning.
Phil had hardly left the corpse, from the pavilion where it was found
to the hospital. The young doctor wasn’t quite ready to perform an
autopsy, but he was only allowed an hour of rest. One phone call to
the mayor, then to Dr. Lipton, and Phil was up again, alone and
working on the case.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> Nurse
</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">Vickers
started managing</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">
the desk around 8AM. She joined Phil in his office and helped him
with his report. His work shirt and T-shirt were a mess, as always,
and she made him change so he would look decent before the board of
administration of Saint Augustine Bells.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> More
than anyone in the hospital, Nurse Vickers knew the importance of a
good impression. Phil had never been raised properly, in her own
opinion, which was evident from the way he stood in front of an
audience or a jury. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> She
wasn’t entirely wrong. Phil put on a dry, clean T-shirt, but he had
no shirt left, except for his sleeveless plaid shirt. As for his
jeans, they were worn out and almost shiny around the seams... </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> As
one of the few people present in Mr Porkenham’s salon, Will could
tell Scott how the doctor’s autopsy report had turned into a very
personal interrogation. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> He
had tried to lift the mood a little, shaking hands with Phil and
welcoming him like a newcomer in a bar, also commenting not too
subtly on the way he was dressed.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Howdy,
Woody Guthrie!”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> But
that cheerful outburst fell flat.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> It
was only a matter of minutes before Mr Swayn and Mr Porkenham backed
the young doctor into a corner. According to Will, their attitude may
have been part of their routine, since Phil happened to be part of
the staff as their male nurse. They were particularly mean to him, as
it was.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> The
facts were presented with some clarity, although the doctor was
constantly interrupted.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">The
victim was found around 8PM last night... He was immediately identified
as Mr Dylan Huggins, whose whereabouts were unclear for the previous
24 hours.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Phil
had to catch his breath. Mr Porkenham gently hit the corner of the
coffee table with his cane, so the people around him eventually
stopped mumbling and chattering to listen to the autopsy report.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Considering
the rigidity of the corpse, it is clear that Mr Huggins was dead long
before his body was found.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> That
statement alone was enough to keep everyone’s mouth shut.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">To
be more precise, I would establish the time of death between 2PM and
4PM on the previous day.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">How
do doctors get to know these things? I’ve always wondered...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">The
contents of the deceased’s stomach showed traces of food consistent
with lunch, which he may have eaten alone in his office. As we all
knew Mr Huggins to be a man of regular habits, he only drank coffee
in the company of a teacher or a member of the staff, around five o’
clock...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">True...
True.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”
Mr Porkenham encouraged him to go on.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">There
was no trace of caffeine in his system, so we can assume that Mr
Huggins was killed before he had the opportunity to drink coffee.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">That’s
good enough for me!</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”
Will was really tempted to applaud the blonde guy, who kept shifting
his weight from on leg to the other, standing in the middle of the
room, next to the coffee table.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> There
was a moment of silence, then Mr Porkenham asked the question that
was on the tip of everyone’s tongue.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">How
did it... happen?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Mr
Huggins was killed with a long piece of thin, but solid rope or
wire.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Like
piano wire?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Huh...
Maybe, something like that...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Who
uses piano wire to strangle someone? This is absurd!</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">How
would anyone get his hands on piano wire?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”
Mr Thorne asked. “I doubt that there is any musical instrument in
this school bigger than a whistle!”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Phil
tried to make himself clear. It wasn’t too easy for him, as he was
already struggling to keep his eyes opened.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">The
nature of the wound is consistent with the marks left by a certain
length of thin, flexible wire or rope... The killer may have used a
strong fishing line, for instance.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Mr
Thorne nodded approvingly.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Fishing
line... That is certainly more plausible. You can keep it in your
pocket, swiftly pull on it, and then hide it just the same as you
leave the scene.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Mr
Swayn suddenly turned to Phil.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">If
the murder didn’t happen yesterday, how about the scene of the
crime?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
beg your pardon?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Is
it possible that Mr Huggins was killed somewhere else, and his body
was moved and hidden in that pavilion thereafter?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> That
was a lot of information for the blonde guy to take in.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I,
huh... I really don’t see what you mean.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">If
the man was killed in the middle of the afternoon...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”
Mr Thorne interrupted, “it would be hard to move his body to that
remote, little place unnoticed.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
never suggested that this must have been done by day, right after Mr Huggins
was killed. But sometimes during the night, maybe?...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Will
didn’t like the way Mr Swayn was looking at Phil.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">That
pavilion is quite far away from the main buildings, I will agree to
that... but not so distant from the gym and swimming pool, and
infirmary.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">These
are all in the same building.” Mr Thorne protested.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Quite...
Not so distant from your apartment on campus, then, since it is the
only one still in use in that building...” Mr Swayn looked straight
into Phil’s eyes, rather aggressively. “Am I right?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Well...
yes, you are right.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Mr
Porkenham was getting impatient.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">What’s
your point, Mr Swayn? Mr Huggins was found by that young busybody, I
mean... Mr Girder...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”
The old man turned to Will with a little, apologetic bow. “as he
was leaving from the infirmary. That’s a ten minute walk, at best.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Then
I should ask our male nurse if he didn’t happen to see Mr Huggins
during that fatal afternoon.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I couldn’t... I was busy in my office, then I had to go to the
hospital.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">We
have all been asking ourselves the same question: where were we when
our friend and colleague was killed. Evidently we’ve made a
mistake, looking for everyone’s alibi on Friday evening, when we
should have been focusing on Thursday afternoon.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> With
a long, theatrical gesture, Mr Swayn proceeded to ask the people
sitting around him. Mrs Swayn, then father Knox and the others told
about their various occupations on that day, sometimes producing
their agendas to leave no doubt about it. Phil also had his notebook,
where every appointment was written down and could be easily
confirmed by one of the nurses at the hospital.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Then
we are all in the clear...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”
Mr Swayn sat down, and joined his fingertips “...unless someone
here is lying.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Will
was amazed by the young man’s attitude, once again.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Much
to everyone’s surprise, Phil had something else to say.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
would have to agree on what you suggested earlier.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">What
was it, exactly?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">The
body was moved. Mr Huggins was already dead when his killer made him
sit in that chair on the pavilion’s first floor...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> There
was a long moment of silence. Even the few people who had listened to
Mr Swayn’s argument with an amused smile were horrified now.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Then
he was moved...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Where
was he killed, then?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">There
were a few bloodstains in the stairs, when I joined Scott and Sheriff
Maxwell...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”
Phil offered “...and very few traces on the floor, which was almost
white with dust.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">...So?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">My
point is...” Phil scratched his head. “There was no sign of
struggle. Sheriff Maxwell should look for them on ground floor, where
the furniture is stored in such a mess that clues could be easily
overlooked.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Mr
Porkenham agreed. He was ready to let everyone go when Mr Thorne
added a few words of warning.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">There
is another possibility...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Yes?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Of
course, we should keep looking for everyone’s whereabouts during
the last three days, check the security cameras for any remarkable
detail, but there are some people that we can’t question. And yet,
we can’t ignore them.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Mr
Thorne’s colleagues knew what he meant, but Will insisted.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">The
students?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">That’s
right... Mr Huggins was close to them. He handled their school
records. He may have known something important about Michael’s...
death.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> The
old man suddenly stopped talking. Everyone turned to the windows. The
wind had been howling around the school buildings all afternoon, but
there was a loud rumor outside.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">What
is it?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Will
rushed to look outside. There was a crowd of at least two hundred
students on school grounds, running under the heavy rain. They were
not leaving their bedrooms, but there was something happening behind
the West wing that was too interesting for them to stay behind.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">There’s
a great column of smoke...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">A
fire? There’s a building on fire!</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Almost
everyone ran outside, cut through the crowd of chubby boys then stopped before the gardener’s pavilion. It was true... The relatively modest building was burning like a mass of charcoal. It looked like
it had been blown up first.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">No...
No... No...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”
Mr Swayn mumbled between his teeth, his fists clenched by his sides.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Father
Knox urged the students to go back to their rooms, and lead a few of
them himself. Mr Porkenham joined Will and Phil, who had run so much
faster than him.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Will
only had eyes for the blonde guy, getting all wet in his tight, white
T-shirt and sleeveless plaid shirt. Phil, on the other hand, just
stood there almost petrified. Will couldn’t tell if there were
tears or the rain rolling down his cheeks.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Mr
Scupper was already there with a large, black umbrella. He offered it
to the school’s headmaster – with a few bitter words.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Whose
clever idea was it to put a police cordon around the building?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">What
do you mean?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”
Will turned to ask.</span></span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"> The
short, wrinkled gardener hardly even looked at him. His argument was
with Mr Porkenham, who stood speechless under that umbrella.</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 100%;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Surely
you knew that it would attract our boys better than flypaper!</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<b><span style="font-family: verdana;">■ ■ ■</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> That
was the end of Will’s report.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Damn...
So, the place is destroyed?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">The
fire was easily put out. It was raining cats and dogs.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">It’s
still raining...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Scott
was still considering the pieces of the puzzle set before him. There
were a few new pieces, but also a few missing ones, which would be
lost forever.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">We
won’t find any piece of evidence in that pavilion.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">That’s
what they kept saying. Except Phil... and me, of course.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Seriously?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">The
sheriff will only find something different... It was a murder scene,
now it’s arson. Different crime, same investigation. He’s already
working on it.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Is
he looking for something specific?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">As
a matter of fact, he is. I have told Sheriff Maxwell that the fire
started with an explosion. Then there must be some kind of device
left in there.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
see.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Phil
didn’t agree. The poor blonde guy’s just too good to have
brains.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Why?
What did he say?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">In
his opinion, the fire was simply a fire. With everything that was
scattered around the building, including the windows and frames...
Give me a break.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div><div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
didn’t want to argue with Will, but Phil was an Army doctor. He
certainly had more experience around fires and explosions than the
two journalists could even imagine...</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">You
said Sheriff Maxwell was in Augustine Bells?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Yes.
That blimp who works as head of security, Mr...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Wingrave.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Yes,
he called him at once. Then they secured the area a bit better, to
avoid another incident.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">How
so?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">There
will be someone guarding the remains of that pavilion at all times,
until the investigation is over. That should keep them busy for a few
days...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">No
doubt. Did the sheriff have something else to say?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">He
was rather busy, when I left.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
bet he was...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">He
was interested in the autopsy, and our blonde friend the doctor kept
trying to tell him about it, but there were too many people around
us, you know... Too many students, buzzing like bees in a hive.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Of
course.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> There
was some noise in the street. Scott could swear that it was the
police car being parked on the opposite side of the wall.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
guess his job’s done, back there...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Will
got up and took his coat on the table.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">...And
my job’s done with you here. I’ll go back to town. Where do you
think I should find a certain blonde, Southern bear at this hour?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Scott
stretched out his body on the bed, looking sensual and mischievous
like a cat.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">If
I knew where you can find him, why should I tell you?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Don’t
tell me that there are other bears in these woods... I know you
better than that.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Don’t
tell me than you could be interested in only one guy. I know you
better than that...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">You
know me well, all right.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">You’re
a hunter.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I’m
not hunting so much as... looking for pleasure in all the right
places.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> They
could keep playing that game all day. Only Scott wasn’t in a good
mood, right now.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">What
could you possibly want with Phil?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Please,
</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
want that saltine cracker spread on toast...”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Scott
decided to laugh about it.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">All
right, go and look for him. He’s probably still in Augustine
Bells.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> There
were the sounds of footsteps in the basements. Sheriff Maxwell opened
the door to Scott’s cell. He wasn’t alone.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Good
evening! Visiting hours are over... You’re going out
tomorrow morning, Scott, but you’ll have to make room for a cellmate for
tonight.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Behind
the sheriff’s tall, large frame, Phil was standing and waiting.
Scott shook Will’s hand and wished him a pleasant evening </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">– but </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">with an
impish grin.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<b><span style="font-family: verdana;">■ ■ ■</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Once
Will was gone, Scott was free to ask Sheriff Maxwell about Phil’s
presence in his cell. The blonde boy was drenched, and so tired that
he didn’t sit on the bed so much that he fell on the side and
started to sleep.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
hope it’s okay with you.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">No,
it’s perfect...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”
Scott stuttered. “Perfectly fine.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Phil
was already snoring, which made him sound like a big, purring cat.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">It’s
fine, but why did you bring him in here?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Honestly?
It felt like the best thing to do, at the moment...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Putting
him in jail was the best thing to do?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Yes.
Look at him, he could barely stay awake to answer my questions.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Wouldn’t
he sleep better in his own bed?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">No
doubt, but the others wouldn’t leave him alone for a minute.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">What
others?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Those
guys in Saint Augustine Bells. They kept asking him questions, just
as they kept asking me questions. I already had a headache. Taking
the doctor for an interrogation at the Police precinct was the only
way to put an end to all that yapping.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Okay,
then...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> After
a few words regarding the fire and the emotion it caused in the
school, Sheriff Maxwell brought one last bag full of sandwiches for
Scott’s dinner.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">More
sandwiches? You are too kind!</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Maria
was really pleased when I told her that there wasn’t a crumb left
from the previous ones, so she made these especially for you.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Please
thank her for me...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Scott’s
mouth was already watering.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Good
night.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Good
night. See you in the morning.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Scott
wasn’t too hungry, but he knew how delicious Maria’s sandwiches
could be – and he wasn’t disappointed. The whole meal was
finished in little more than ten minutes.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil
was sleeping on the bed, behind him, still wearing his wet shirt and
T-shirt.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Hello...
Hello? Phil, wake up.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Scott
made him sit up, but he could only be half awake.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">You’re
wet like a stray dog... Take off your shirt.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Phil
did as he was told – slowly, carefully, like a guy under hypnosis.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">All
right. Your T-shirt, too.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Scott
couldn’t help smiling and licking his lips, looking at the sleepy,
shirtless guy. The aftertaste of Maria’s marinara sauce was
delicious, and so was the sight of Phil’s muscled, furry blonde
chest.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Time
to turn out the lights, you big bear...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”
Scott let him fall back heavily on the bed cover.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Phil
was still wearing his shoes. Scott eventually decided to take them
off, along with his socks. This caused the handsome, blonde guy to
moan a bit, but it didn't wake him up. Then they both assumed
sleeping positions in bed.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> For
a moment, the two boys took some well-deserved rest together. Phil
was sleeping on the side, with his back turned to Scott. It was all
too tempting for him to just lie awake there...</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
carefully turned and hugged the big, beefy boy from behind. Phil was
shorter than him, which allowed him to bury his nose in that wet,
blonde mane of hair for a moment. It felt clean, nice and fragrant,
as if he had just come out of the shower. Scott whispered a few words
into his ear, very softly at first, then a bit louder – to see if
he would react.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil
hardly even moved. The experience was a success.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> Closing
his eyes, Scott went on a special game he had sometimes played in the
past, with guys he allowed to spend the night in bed with him:</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">
checking him out with his hands, trying to reconstruct the boy's good
looks as he fondled his body and followed its sensual curves, from
his thighs and buttocks to his upper chest, tracing the outlines of
his arms and shoulders, then again from the back of his neck to his
face – in the case of a sound sleeper – without being distracted
by a smile or a wink. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Back
when he was a football star, Scott would do so in the morning and it
helped him establish just how much he had been drinking the night
before. With a little more experience, he had improved the whole
process and considered it a good “test” to get past first
impressions, flirts and other deceptions, looking for potential
roommates, bedmates or – highly unlikely – boyfriends.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Just
as I expected...” Scott thought. “There’s a lot more to this
guy than meets the eye.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> It
was only natural that Phil's body should feel brawny and strong in
all the right places – Scott was still delighted with everything he
got to grope and grab, at the moment. Those worn-out jeans weren't
much of a barrier, considering how thick and sturdy Phil's thighs
were. His calves felt bigger than Scott's arms. Then the fabric of
his pants was little more than paper thin around his meaty bubble
butt – so magnificently shaped and so firm that Scott couldn't help
licking his lips once again...</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Not
surprisingly either, Phil was relatively well-fed. His waist was lean
but his abs were hidden under a good layer of fat, which made his
tummy comfortable and appealing, very much like a teddy bear. Phil
truly deserved to be referred to with that kind of nickname, in a
school like Saint Augustine Bells.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
decided to start again from Phil's shoulders and going down. He was
all too excited for his own good, at this point.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Hugging
his friend close, he could feel just how well-rounded those shoulders
were – and those pecs. Had this blonde guy been smooth, his chest
could have been cast in bronze and looked like an armor in a
gladiator movie... But Phil was nicely furry, and Scott enjoyed
following that happy trail of blonde hair – like a yellow, thick
road going South through the forest, over the hills and in the
valley.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">Time
to look for the wizard...” Scott thought with a broad smile on his
face, his heart racing in anticipation. He was already holding his
breath.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> On
more than one occasion, Scott had been wondering – and itching to
check – if this cute, Southern guy didn't keep a roll of socks in
his crotch or something like a large, ripe banana. Phil never made a
display of it, but from the way he sat down, rose from his chair or
simply stood up, a guy like Scott could guess that he was more than
well-endowed...</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Clearly,
this guy would feel a lot better if the medieval kind of leather
codpieces should come back in fashion!</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
was moving slowly – making sure than Phil was still sound asleep –
but there he was, and holding his breath was no longer enough. He
could swear that his heart had just skipped a dozen beats... Lying so
close together under the covers, both his body and Phil's felt warm
and toasty.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Okay...
I really need to calm down...”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> All
in all, he had gathered all the information he needed – and more...
No roll of socks would ever feel this thick and firm. No banana would
ever grow this big, no matter how ripe it could get. Scott certainly
knew enough to make the difference – and he was amazed.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> His
heart was racing again. The two boys were sweating to the point of
feeling slippery now. Scott came a bit closer to whisper into his
friend's ear, once again.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Hold
me, big brother?”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> He
wasn't too sure that such a trick would work – but it did... Phil was
asleep to the point of being easily influenced. He rolled on to lie
on his back, keeping Scott in his arms to let his friend's head rest
against his chest. Then he hugged him a bit tighter to encourage him
to go to Sleep.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
felt as if his own body had turned to silly putty...</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> His
move had worked. Phil was unconscious to the point of following his
instinct and treating Scott like one of his younger brothers.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> It felt more than comfortable to sleep on top of such a big, cuddly and sexy </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">T</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">eddy bear. Scott had no brother or sister. He had
never shared his bed with anyone – except for naughty games and
sex. It was something entirely new for him, to be comforted like
that. Phil was snoring again, which made him sound like a big cat...
Scott wondered for a moment if bears were able to purr.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Well,
this bear does, I guess...”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Surrendering
to Phil's encouragement to sleep comfortably, Scott nestled his head
between his friend's shoulder and chest, taking a good breath of his
natural masculine scent, and closed his eyes for good.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> He
had never been so aroused in his life. And he had never been with a
guy like this and kept his pants on... Still, he didn't want to ruin
such a perfect moment, and he fell asleep almost immediately.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<b><span style="font-family: verdana;">■ ■ ■</span></b></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: -webkit-center;"> </span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><i>February
21</i></span></span><sup><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><i>st</i></span></span></sup><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><i>,
1990</i></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">
– Wednesday</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Scott's
interrogation only confirmed what everyone knew. As the guy who had
found Mr Huggins's body, he was a person of interest, but he had
noticed nothing special about the crime scene. It was dark, and he
had left pretty soon.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> The
whole place was a pile of ashes, right now. More than forty-eight
hours had passed, and going through the remains of the pavilion had
provided little result. There was no sign of a bomb, or any explosive
device so far...</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Will
left Biberton with a long letter of explanation to their boss. Scott
had also asked Sheriff Maxwell to add a few words on the side.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Sure,
if that can help you...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">It's
signed, stamped and official. A word from you should carry some
weight.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> The
sheriff answered with a big smile.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">If
you want </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US"><i>anything</i></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">
to carry some weight, you've come to the right guy!”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> And
he patted his round belly lovingly. Scott couldn't be more grateful.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">A
few words from the people running the school would be good too...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Scott
wasn't too sure that he could count on them. He was pleasantly
surprised when he received a phone call from Mr Porkenham himself,
inviting him to attend the next meeting in his office.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> Sheriff
Maxwell let him out with a few words of encouragement. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">He
would give them a call that would cut corners around his coming in
and out of that school.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Considering
their current situation, the board of administrators had to make a
few important decisions, some of which dealing with internal rules
and discipline or communication, some others regarding Scott in
particular. As a journalist, he had caused some trouble around the
school. Some people accused him of being responsible, at least partly
or indirectly, for their recent crisis.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Now,
now... Gentlemen!” Mr Swayn tried to have some order in the room.
“Mr Girder is merely a journalist. We shouldn't make him a
scapegoat.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Their
argument still went on – until Mr Porkenham put an end to it. When
Scott joined them in his office, he only had to make their decision
toward him official and agreed by all parties.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> His
main concern, which only a highly intuitive man like Mr Swayn had
guessed, was that Scott could sue the school, or make their methods
a matter of public debate in the press. He could describe them as
“rough” or morally “dubious” all too easily...</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Could
he really do that?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">If
things get any worse, he might...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Mr
Thorne reminded everyone that Scott wasn't quite in the position to
be such a threat to their school. No matter what slanderous articles
he could write about their school, his editor would refuse them. The
press wasn't so pressing an issue, at the moment.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">What
about a lawsuit?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">I
doubt that a man like Mr Girder has the means to start such a
fight...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Mr
Porkenham was still unconvinced.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Do
not forget,” Mr Swayn suggested to his colleague, “that Michael
Astern's mother stands behind Mr Girder, in this instance. And I have
no doubt that she can buy the best lawyers in the country... maybe
even ours too.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Mr
Thorne had no more objection.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">But
what kind of evidence can he produce before a jury?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Well...
Surely you must have noticed that Mr Girder has put on a good amount
of weight, since he's come to our school.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Mr
Swayn turned to give a look to the head of security, Mr Wingrave. For
the last few weeks, he had been quite close to Scott. He had not only
granted him access to every building on campus, but allowed him to
stuff his face with all kinds of their most delicious pastries.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> The
massively overweight man answered with half a smile. Scott's gluttony
had also allowed him to lose some really excessive fat mass, which
he was thankful for. He kept defending him in front of the
administrators, and their new debate would probably make him look
bad...</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">I
don't see how a few more pounds on his frame could convince anyone
that he has been treated badly.” He chuckled, certainly not amused
by this.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Nevertheless...”
Mr Porkenham started.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> This
meant the worst. When Mr Porkenham used words like “nevertheless”
or “hence”, or “disregarding”, everyone knew that they could
stop listening for a good quarter of an hour and tune in again for
the inevitable conclusion.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> As
a matter of fact, the old headmaster wasn't done talking when a maid
came in and announced that Scott was waiting in the corridor.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Mr
Girder.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Well...
Come in.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Much
to everyone's surprise, the conclusion of their debate was quite
simple, and presented in no uncertain terms. Scott also had reasons
to be surprised, but his certainly weren't the same as theirs...</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">You
should be pleased to know that we have decided to let you stay and
work for another two weeks in our school. According to Sheriff
Maxwell, you cannot be allowed to leave the county for the duration
of the official inquiries around the loss of our dear colleague, Mr
Huggins. As headmaster, I would also appreciate it if you could
attend his funeral.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Oh...
Naturally. I'll be there.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Good.
Then we considered the possibilities, and it appeared that it would
be more convenient, and perhaps more decent, if you stayed with us on
campus. I'm confident that father Knox knows which rooms are vacant.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> There
was no immediate reaction. Father Knox had fallen asleep in his
armchair next to Mr Wingrave. Rick offered a simple solution.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">There's
an empty bedroom by the gates, on top of the security office, now
that we only have two security guards. I guess that would be okay?”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Mr
Porkenham welcomed the proposition – not without a grain of salt,
however. Rick had managed to mention the recent cuts in his budget,
which was a taboo subject...</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
couldn't be happier with all this.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Naturally,
there is one condition.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Okay...
What is it?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">According
to our policy, it is essential that you should provide a good example
for our students in Saint Augustine Bells. Since you are neither a
secretary nor a teacher in this school, contacts should be kept to a
minimum with our boys.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">It
may be in your own interest, too...” Mr Swayn commented.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Nevertheless,
your conduct should be in accordance with the rest of our staff. You
tend to wear remarkable, flashy clothes, but I can only approve the
way you shave and maintain good personal hygiene. Naturally, no
drinking is allowed.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Scott
shot a sideways glance at Mr Thorne, who acted as if he was distracted
by something hanging from the ceiling.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">And
we can't recommend enough that you go on a diet.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">...I
beg your pardon?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">A
diet. You should go on a diet.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Why?...”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Well,
the purpose would be for you to lose some weight, of course.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> They
had made up their minds about it. Clearly, they had already started a
plan to make him eat less, do cardio exercises, sweat off as much as
he could and see that his waist would shrink by more than a few
inches...</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
couldn't be more disgusted with all this.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<b><span style="font-family: verdana;">■ ■ ■</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>February
2</i><i>3</i><sup><i>rd</i></sup><i>, 1990</i> – Friday</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Losing
weight. That's what he had to do...</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> That's
what everyone told him now – and every day.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
was in a bad mood. Deep down, he knew that he was the one to blame
for it... He had only accepted Mr Porkenham's offer because he
couldn't afford to refuse. Staying in Biberton was better than
leaving town. Staying in the school at night was better than not
being allowed to get in. These were no small privileges – but Scott
had to pay for them. Hard.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Mr
Porkenham had put Rick in charge of Scott's diet. The head of
security used to let his friend share his food, which was more
abundant than ever on his desk – a monument to the glory of
chocolate eclairs, pies, cupcakes, cookies, donuts and brownies, in
the shape of piles of large and heavy boxes...</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Rick
could no longer allow Scott to pig out. He didn't like that
arrangement. It may have been a way for the school's headmaster to
take revenge on him after his shrewd complaint over his budget. No
matter how embarrassed he was, his orders were clear, and results
were expected from him. And no matter how much he disliked it, Scott
hated it even more!</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> The
board of administrators had also appointed their male nurse to make
sure that Scott would exercise, run or swim, and tone up a bit. Phil
had been hired as a doctor as well as a gym teacher – until he was
told that all sports classes were canceled... That was part of the
school's policy to keep their overactive, violent boys quiet and
lazy. It also meant that Phil's paycheck was cut down by half. The
blonde guy had been struggling with money ever since.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
wasn't too enthusiastic as the first – and definitely only – boy
allowed to use the gym again...</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil
was perfectly aware of his situation, and he was by far the most
devoted, most gentle, most caring gym instructor Scott had ever
known. To think that this cuddly blonde bear of a guy had been a
surgeon in the US Army felt like a joke – or one of Scott's most
perverted fantasies...</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Their
routine was still quite complete, and effective. Phil didn't enjoy
watching his friend struggle when they went for a jog in the morning,
when he made him lift weights in the afternoon, or when they spent
two hours swimming together back and forth, late in the evening. When
Scott got tired of feeling starved and miserable, he reminded himself
that he had never spent so much time with Phil.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Their
days were as packed as his schedule at the hospital allowed. This
meant that they had to get up early – another thing that Scott
hated to do...</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> The
blonde, Southern boy had to be patient for two. Scott wasn't the
easiest person to be with, when he was always so hungry. On the other
hand, his weight loss was quite impressive: starting at a flabby
220lbs, Scott was down to 205lbs in little more than a week. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Under
any other circumstances, he would have been happy – but he wasn't. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> He
was brutally honest with Phil. Losing weight was the toughest thing
he had ever had to do, he missed being allowed to stuff his face, and
he actually felt like something was missing about his body. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Maybe
Scott wasn't totally honest with Phil, however. Being hungry made him
grumpy, of course, but he was frustrated more than anything.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> How
could he wake up before dawn and follow Phil around campus when there
was a pile of pastries ready to be eaten on Rick's desk? How could he
be served a small plate of chicken and vegetables while Rick was
forcing himself to keep on eating waffles? How could he walk downtown
and not stop for a good beer at the <i>Double D</i>? It was Biberton,
for crying out loud!</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> And
– last but definitely not least – how could he follow such a hunk
as Phil and watch him run, swim and lift weights without pouncing on
him just the way he did jump on the tight end on the field?</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> The
school's methods didn't leave him angry and frustrated. They were
torture. Pure and simple. It only made him more easily pissed off.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Rick
didn't notice much of a change in Scott's behavior. Phil couldn't
ignore it.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">Day
after day, Scott encouraged him to use heavier sets of weights to
show him how to lift properly. He made him swim a bit more, run a bit
more, sweat a bit more. The example he provided was never good
enough...</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> After
a week playing this game of cat and mouse, Phil was exhausted.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Their
only real moment of peace was when they sweated for a good hour in
the school's sauna... Phil had come up with the idea. The equipment
needed a bit of repair, at first. He spent a whole evening working on
it, so it worked perfectly.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> These
relatively intimate moments allowed them to discuss about the double
murder case in their school.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">I
don't know if you remember, Scott...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Remember
what?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">On
that day, before you found Mr Huggins in the pavilion...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Yes...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">You
</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">tol</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">d
that... you knew how Michael was killed.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Did
I, really?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Phil
looked a bit confused. It was so easy to make him blush. Of course,
as a soldier showing occasional signs of post-traumatic stress, Phil
had troubles with his memory. He could easily forget what he had
eaten for breakfast before it was time for lunch, or remember
something that had only happened in a dream...</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">I
don't know... I'm probably mistaken.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">What
I did tell you about is that feeding machine they keep in a secret
part of the dorms.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">No
wonder I forgot about it...”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Why?”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">It
sounds like something out of a science-fiction story.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Forget
about fiction. Forget about science. I was there.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Okay.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">So...
I thought, maybe Michael was sent there, too.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Maybe
he was. What then?”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">It's
a machine, you big, dumb blonde bear. It may have stuffed him to the
point of... you know...”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">I
really doubt it. Michael didn't die from being stuffed full of food.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">But
he </span><i style="line-height: 100%;">was</i><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"> stuffed.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">He
was... Honestly, that's hardly a clue, in a crime like this. Consider
where it happened. All the boys in this school are stuffed with more
food than their bellies can hold.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Not
quite. They're overfed. I'm talking about a machine.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">I
heard you. What about it?”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">We
know Michael was fed something he was allergic to. That's how he
died. That's the kind of little detail which a machine would ignore.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">True...
The only problem is that Michael's body wasn't found in any secret
part of the dorms. He was in his bedroom.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Maybe
they moved his body, just the way Mr Higgins was moved after he was
killed.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">That's
not possible. Mr Huggins was only moved upstairs, in a small
building. Besides, didn't you see Michael going to his bedroom on the
security tapes?”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">You're
right. I saw him...”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> That
was the only notch in his plan. Scott resented Phil for pointing it
out like that. He deserved to be punished – or at least teased some
more.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Would
you say that Michael was stuffed full when he was caught on camera?”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">He
looked... fat. I can't say. He looked like he had eaten a good meal.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Then
he had to be stuffed later...”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Scott
wished that he could be treated the same.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Well
– not really. Michael had been killed, after all...</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">I
can't understand how he was killed.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">You've
heard the rumor. It was Ian's ghost.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Sure...
I'd love to get his interview. “A killer from beyond the grave”.
That would make the headlines in any newspaper.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">There
may be another way...”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">What
do you mean?”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">The
first person to enter Michael's bedroom was the maid. If you want to
interview someone, it should be her...”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">True.
She must have something interesting to say.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Just
like you were the first to find Mr Huggins.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Was
she interrogated by the sheriff?”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">No.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">How
could she avoid that?”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">She
didn't ask for anything. The school refused to let her be
interrogated.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> That
was suspicious enough to make Scott interested in meeting her...</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Where
is she now?”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">The
real question would be: which one is she?”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Oh...”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Then
I've been through my closest friends in and around school. And...
I've found her. Her name isn't Consuela, Carlotta or whatever name
they told you. I have her real name and address.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Okay,
that's great.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Scott
appreciated it, but he was still playing games with Phil. The hungry
boy didn't mean to hurt his friend's feelings, but he had a sharp
tongue and no other toy to play with than this blonde teddy bear.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Phil
didn't mind being compared to a bear, so that wasn't good enough –
only Scott's senses were in full alert, lately, and the way they
would sweat together was driving him wild... </span>
</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> From
the first day of their training, he had started mentioning how strong
Phil's masculine scent was, and he had slowly turned it into a wicked
game.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">...That's
the reason why people call you a bear, you know.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">I
didn't even know that they had a nickname for me, really...”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Consider
yourself lucky that the smell reminded them of a big bear... I would
do something about my b.o. if I were you.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Okay...”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">I
mean, like, first thing tomorrow.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">What
can I do about it? We're meant to run and swim and sweat all day,
these days...”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">That
may be, but people wouldn’t have you confused with a big, furry,
</span><i style="line-height: 100%;">sweaty</i><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"> bear if you started shaving your chest, for starters!”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSC_3zSkMK3bg-_Ij2fOetaCkFgDmOXcbGwPxfmzTZrvz5TZkPCbqkn41_QdUT8Z6MpCFodM_PvvORt-M7_hDfow1XIZMxcGs_V1K_D7rYjdSpEklucrGkDqEjdaUgPNPJYv-eD3zGsdTKmUHjs3o-j1rHOBL6yuwQtxiZ3js6HrDEv7w2tSnXZAFaEw/s3200/The%20Augustine%20Murders%2015%20-%20Sauna%20big.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2696" data-original-width="3200" height="540" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSC_3zSkMK3bg-_Ij2fOetaCkFgDmOXcbGwPxfmzTZrvz5TZkPCbqkn41_QdUT8Z6MpCFodM_PvvORt-M7_hDfow1XIZMxcGs_V1K_D7rYjdSpEklucrGkDqEjdaUgPNPJYv-eD3zGsdTKmUHjs3o-j1rHOBL6yuwQtxiZ3js6HrDEv7w2tSnXZAFaEw/w640-h540/The%20Augustine%20Murders%2015%20-%20Sauna%20big.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Phil
didn't stand a chance in this game. Scott was too good at this –
and maybe his friend was too nice, or too polite to come up with a
snappy answer.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> It
didn't solve Scott's problem. He was still hungry and frustrated.
Only he was no longer the only one to feel tired, sweaty and miserable...</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<b><span style="font-family: verdana;">■ ■ ■</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> It
had been raining all night and it was still drizzling in the park, on
the morning of Mr Huggins's funeral. He was to be buried by the
school's chapel. Scott was standing between Phil and Rick, on the
front row. He was able to put on pants he had bought two weeks
earlier – needless to say, he was hungry...</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">Father
Knox was close to the end of his last speech to their departed
friend.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US"> </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">So
shalt thou feed on Death, that feeds on men,</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> And
Death once dead, there's no more dying then.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Scott
was a bit puzzled by that conclusion.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Is
that from the Bible?”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">It's
taken from a sonnet by William Shakespeare.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US"> Mr
Thorne, who had remained silent the whole time during the father's
speech, and looked like he was both standing and sleeping, like a</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">n
old</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">
horse,</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">
suddenly looked up and smiled, </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">commenting
on Phil's answer</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">What
do you know, he's right! These are the last verses from Sonnet 146, I
believe... I didn't expect a guy like you to be familiar with the
Bard.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US"> The
blonde guy</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">
turned to him discreetly, </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">still
</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">not
raising his head. Scott couldn't hear what they </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">were
saying</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">,
but the old man nodded in acquiescence.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">True...
I've heard that they even study Greek poetry at West Point.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> They
had to stop talking when Mr Porkenham gave them a stern look.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Once
the ceremony was over, everyone went their own ways. Phil had to go
back to the hospital. Scott had to follow Rick for lunch – a sorry
excuse for a meal, in his own opinion. Mr Thorne had an appointment
with a bottle of scotch. Mr Swayn followed Mr Porkenham into the main
building.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Holding
on to their black umbrellas, they passed by the construction site of
the future concert hall. There was a fair amount of scaffolding
against the walls, but no one was allowed to work on that day.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">What
do you think?”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">It
was a good ceremony.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">I
don't mean that. I mean... him.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Oh,
well...”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Mr
Swayn lowered his voice, as they entered the hall.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">I
think we can start phase 2.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Are
you sure?”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">...Quite
sure.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Are
we ready for phase 2.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">I
think we are... He certainly is!”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Mr
Porkenham turned around, looking for Scott and Rick as they were
going to the security office, by the school's entrance gates.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">I
guess you're right.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Trust
me on this. I can hear his stomach rumbling from here.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<b><span style="font-family: verdana;">■ ■ ■</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><i>March
2</i></span></span><sup><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><i>nd</i></span></span></sup><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><i>,
1990</i></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">
– Friday</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Scott
was in the middle of what Rick called “breakfast” when the phone
rang in his office.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Mr
Swayn? Oh... Scott, its for you.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Thanks.
Hello?”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Scott.
If you're not too busy at the moment, could you come and see me in my
office?”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Scott
had nothing to do, of course, except watch Rick gorge on apple pie –
his favorite item to get him started on a good day. He was already on
Mr Swayn's doorstep and knocking on the door.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Come
in, please.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Good
morning...”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Good
morning, Scott!” Mr Swayn welcomed him.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> He
shook hands with him, looking amiable and cheerful – even more so
as his guest was positively gloomy.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Coffee?”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Thank
you.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Sugar?”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">I
guess... if that's okay.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">How
could sugar not be okay?”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Mr
Swayn's laugh always felt so fake. He was certainly good at his
job, but his social skills were an acquired taste.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">I
don't know...”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">How
about milk? Cream?”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Listen
now, I didn't come all the way up here to be insulted.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> There
was a moment of awkward silence. Scott had reasons to feel offended –
then Mr Swayn stopped playing games with him.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Have
a seat.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Okay...”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Mr
Swayn sat in front of him, not at his desk but next to him.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">You
need to understand something, Scott. This school has never known such
a crisis in all its years. Two deaths in less than two months? And we
can't dismiss the last one... It is, undoubtedly, murder. As
headmaster, Mr Porkenham always looks for what is best for our
school, and makes it his number one priority... Its reputation, for
instance.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Scott
was listening.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">In
light of the most recent events, he was under the impression that you
may sue Saint Augustine Bells as an institution. We've had quite a
heated argument about this, and Mr Porkenham chose... against my own
advice, if I may say so... to intimidate you.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">How
so?”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">By
imposing this ridiculous diet on you, of course.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">What
did you recommend, then?”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Mr
Swayn held out his hand over his desk and put a file in front of
Scott.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">I
recommended that we settle this argument once and for all.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Scott
read what was typed in that file.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">You
want me to swear that I will never bring a lawsuit against the
school.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">That's
right. All we want is to keep on minding our own business, educate
and work in our classrooms and offices, with the assurance that they
will still be there tomorrow.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Okay.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">This
shouldn't prevent you from working with us, in your own field.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Oh...”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">As
a matter of fact, having to deal with the death of a colleague, the
way we all did, meant a considerable amount of work. We are getting
behind our regular schedules.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Yes...
You can't afford to lose too much time.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Naturally,
this deal makes the previous one null and void. I should also tell
you that, according to paragraphs nine to eleven, the school has
booked a new bedroom for you at the Paddington Hotel, all expenses
paid. Your access to every building on campus will also be renewed,
and no particular restriction will be required of you.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Okay...”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">How
does that sound? All parties get their fair share of a deal... The
American way.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Scott's
signature was the only one missing, at the end each page. He accepted
Mr Swayn's pen and signed the school's copy, then his own.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> When
he left the building, he was floating on clouds...</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> Being</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">
allowed to go back to the Paddington Hotel </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">was
more than he had hoped for</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">.
The </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">bedroom</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">
provided </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">by
the school</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">
was even larger than his first – with </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">a
good</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">
mini-bar </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">and
a</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">
luxurious Jacuzzi in the bathroom...</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Okay...
I'm going to eat until I </span><i style="line-height: 100%;">explode</i><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">!”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<b><span style="font-family: verdana;">■ ■ ■</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><i>March
3</i></span></span><sup><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><i>rd</i></span></span></sup><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><i>,
1990</i></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">
– Saturday</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Scott
was stuffed. He had spent the whole morning with Rick, eating all the
pies and cupcakes and brownies and donuts his friend kept putting in
front of him. By lunchtime, his belly looked like it was ready to
burst.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Of
course, he couldn't stuff so much food as before – but everything
would go back to normal, soon.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">BUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRP!!!”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Rick
laughed, and gave him a good pat on top of his stomach.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Feels
good, doesn't it?”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">Feels
just like home!”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Scott
waddled out of the security office, his shirt feeling tight again,
his pants' top button opened again. Strange as it may sound, he was
going to the gym – not to lift or swim, but he had invited Phil to
take a short afternoon break in the sauna with him.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> The
blonde was both disappointed and relieved when Scott had told him
about the school's new dispositions about him: Phil was sad because
he clearly enjoyed spending time with his friend – but he couldn't
afford to be out of the hospital so often...</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil
didn't say a word about the amounts of food Scott had already
devoured in one day. The young journalist knew that he preferred a
guy with a good appetite. Even as a doctor, he would rather
recommend him to eat to his heart's content – but he didn't look
too happy about Mr Swayn's offer.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">You
have planned to interview a number of people in our school...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">That’s
my job.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">And</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">
they often invite you to taste food, too.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Also
part of my investigation, I guess...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">I
know it is, now more than ever. Then you should be more careful.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">...About
the people I interview?”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Not
only that, but about the food you eat in Augustine Bells...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Scott
winked at his blonde friend, who seemed to care so much about his
diet.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">So
what if I put on a little more weight?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> He
gave a good thump on his smooth, shiny belly. Phil looked no less
serious about it.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">You
have a healthy appetite, Scott. That’s not what I meant.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Why
should I be so careful, then?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Phil
took a long breath.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">You
remember what I told everyone about Mr Huggins’s autopsy.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Yes.
He was strangled.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;">He
was. We all saw it. It’s in my report...” He hesitated for a
short moment. “But I didn’t tell them the truth.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">What?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
didn’t tell them the whole truth, at least. Mr Huggins was
strangled, just as I said... but he was poisoned first.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Poisoned?
How?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">I
don’t know, but Mr Huggins was a tall and corpulent man, yet pretty
active. I’ve performed a few more tests, and the results were
positive. The killer used a slow-acting poison, as a mean to weaken
his victim or at least make him sick.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">So
the killer wasn’t so strong as Mr Huggins.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">He
certainly made the assault a lot easier for him...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">If
the guy was unconscious, how much strength would be required to pull
on that string, or... wire, and leave those marks on his neck?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Not
very. A student could have done it, really... or an older man,
considering the rush of adrenaline at the moment of the crime.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">A
man or a woman...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Oh,
sure... A woman could have inflicted such a wound on the body.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Scott
took a moment to think about it. He looked at the timer in the sauna.
He was hungry again.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">What
does this tell us about the murder?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Not
much. Except for the fact that it indicates premeditation.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Oh...
Right.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">We
found no sign of violence on the body, except for the marks on his
neck. No sign of struggle either. It didn’t feel right that a
murder should look so brutal and so... clean at the same time.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Then
you suspected that there was poison involved from the moment you saw
him in the pavilion?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Call
it a hunch. Now you and I know how it happened.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> It
was getting hard to breathe in the sauna. Scott couldn’t tell if
that was due to the heat or his own excitement over the case.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Who
else knows about it?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Sheriff
Maxwell, of course. I called him on the phone, first thing in the morning.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">What
do we do about it, then?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">You
will have to look for poison, I guess.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Poison...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Yes.
That’s why I recommend caution.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Phil
was getting out of the sauna, his shoulders and torso glistening with
sweat. With his long, golden hair and goatee, he looked like some kind of Nordic god.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; line-height: 100%;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">You’re
not just interviewing people in Augustine Bells... You’re swimming
in deep and troubled waters. Then there’s at least one shark in
that pool.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Don’t
worry!” Scott laughed half-heartedly. “I won’t let anyone bite
me.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">What
if you grab a bite of the wrong kind of pie?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> Scott
gulped down anxiously. He still tried to joke about it.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">– </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525; text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Who
knew there was a... wrong kind of pie?</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">Pie’s
all right.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 100%;"><span lang="en-US">”
Phil turned to him with a smile. “But you can find poison in the
most delicious pastries, and it may be too late when you figure it
out.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 100%;"> For
some reason, Scott didn’t feel so hungry right now...</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div align="right" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">(</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"><i>To</i></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"><i>
</i></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"><i>be</i></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"><i>
</i></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB"><i>continued</i></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">...)</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5094005257601699515.post-29974299964131181922015-04-20T14:31:00.006-07:002023-01-13T08:14:20.494-08:00The Augustine Murders - Season 2, Episode 7<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wETYUnUt2xg/VTVljCwBQcI/AAAAAAAAAbM/X7ZWfExvpI0/s1600/The%2BAugustine%2BMurders%2B-%2BTitle%2B2.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wETYUnUt2xg/VTVljCwBQcI/AAAAAAAAAbM/X7ZWfExvpI0/w400-h177/The%2BAugustine%2BMurders%2B-%2BTitle%2B2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><b style="line-height: 16px;">II.7</b><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #252525;"><br /></span>
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #252525;"> “</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-GB"><span style="color: #252525;">When their bones are picked clean and the clean bones
gone,</span></span><br />
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">They shall have stars at elbow and foot;</span><br />
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">Though they go mad they shall be sane,</span><br />
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">Though they sink through the sea they shall rise again,</span><br />
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">Though
lovers be lost love shall not;</span><br />
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">And death shall have no dominion.”</span><br />
<br />
</span><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-GB">Dylan THOMAS</span><i><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #252525;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><i><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #252525;">Twenty-five Poems</span></i><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN">–</span><i><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><i><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">February 15<sup>th</sup>,
1990</span></i><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">
– Thursday</span><i><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott had to leave. It was only a matter of
days – less than 48 hours, actually. The young journalist had been staying in Biberton
for weeks. He couldn’t spend a whole month on a mission like this. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> His boss, Mr Horn, wouldn’t understand that
there was a lot more to be told about Michael Astern’s death, and Saint
Augustine Bell’s school for boys, than he could write in the obituaries. Both
his articles had been submitted, accepted by the editor-in-chief, summarily
rewritten and published. Scott was done with his job here. His boss wouldn’t
allow him another day of vacation...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> So he had to leave. The thought had bothered
him all evening, after Maria, the sheriff’s wife, had driven him back to his
hotel. He didn’t want to go back to work – he was not done with this murder
mystery.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Even as he struggled to find a way to stay in
Biberton, Scott had never slept so well. As a matter of fact, the sun filled
his bedroom with smoldering nuances of gold when he woke up, with a long moan.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> He had been dreaming again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> In his dream, Scott felt light and soft,
bathing in sunlight. He was lying on his back, in bed – yet, there he was
floating in the air, looking down on the ground. The horizon was merely a line,
fading in the distance...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Looking further down, Scott saw the valleys
and hills beneath him, hundreds of feet under his body. Something didn’t feel
right. He had been dreaming about this before. Once again, he was fully naked,
fully bloated – his body was almost shaped like a hot air balloon – and very
near to bursting!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> His eyes got more accustomed to the light
around him. Scott found his arms ridiculously small, compared to his gigantic
body. His chest was also little more than a pair of fluffy pillows. Gulping
down in anxiety, he could swear that his cheeks were no less chubby...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott’s body was floating and slowly moving
in the wind. There used to be a gentle, warm breeze over the hills, in his
memories. The sky above him was shiny, blue and deep like an ocean. The pastures
were an impossible shade of green. It was so silent and peaceful that Scott could
surrender to that feeling of well-being he had discovered in Biberton, as his
body kept growing and swelling before his eyes. For a moment, his underbelly
rested on a bank of fluffy, white clouds, and he let out a long moan of pure delight.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> That feeling didn’t last.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott he saw grey clouds, as he remembered
then, long and thin like a trail of smoke. Scott’s attention was drawn to them
as they looked like rockets, getting closer and closer at an alarming speed...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> He had never been able to tell whether these
were more than dark clouds. They seemed to be more agitated, as if an angry spirit
was in command of the way they moved. As they passed by in a rush, Scott’s
ballooning body rocked to the side and wobbled a bit. Then he got caught in a
whirlwind, as the bank of white clouds reacted to that assault from the dark
clouds. Scott felt them surrounding him and catching him like a feast suddenly closing
on his belly. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> It hurt him more than he expected. Then the
sun hit him in the eyes, and he cried for help.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> That wasn’t the sun. Scott had forgotten
about that last cloud, fiery and bright, just so vague and alive as the others
– like a dragon’s breath or feathers from a phoenix – blazing furiously.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> A fight began between the elements.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott already knew then that they were
fighting for him. He couldn’t move, but he heard that loud, ominous voice tell
him<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;">– “You belong to the
dark...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Another voice, softer but deeper, no less
harrowing, told him<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;">– “You belong to the
light...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott was tempted to shut his eyes, clench
his fist against them so he wouldn’t see, but the thunder rolled around him and
he was too terrified to ignore that fight. The whole sky was torn to shreds, black and white streaks with a long line of fire going through it like
an even deeper scar.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> As the ballooning boy forced himself to keep
his eyes opened, he realized that these angry “clouds” weren’t clouds at all –
they looked like giant snakes or dragons, biting, scratching and hissing. Light
against Darkness, and Fire on top of it – the confusion was complete, and Scott
was simply overwhelmed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Then something happened that caught his attention
immediately. He had forgotten about that crowd of people who had gathered
on top of a hill, far below his obscenely bloated body. Scott saw that they had
built some sort of butterfly net </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">– </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">and they seemed determined to catch him...</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;">– “You belong to the night...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> There was a large round of laughter again. Scott
suddenly felt the large circle of that net around his belly, like a new
waistband cutting into his soft flesh. He was pulled down with surprisingly
great strength – so fast that it felt like a fall – then he opened his eyes...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> He was sweating profusely. The last thing he
could remember from his dream was that strange voice, whispering in the dark:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;">– “You belong to <i>me</i>... fat boy!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>■ ■ ■</b><br />
<b><br /></b></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Scott had to leave – only, right now, leaving
meant getting out of bed. Scott didn’t want to get out of bed. His body felt
heavier than ever, and the layers of blankets and bed sheets were too
comfortable for him to even consider moving a finger, as they pushed him a few
inches further down against the soft mattress. He let out a long sigh.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">I
only have two days left... I can’t afford to stay in bed all morning.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> If he didn’t know better, Scott could swear
that someone had stuffed at least one pillow under the covers, while he was
sleeping. He had to make sure, so he took everything off, and looked at his own
midsection, still laying in bed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> For a second, Scott wished that he had been
in the habit of wearing pajamas. It would have allowed him a moment of
reasonable doubt – so he could pretend that whoever had planned to tease him
had been thorough, and stuffed one or two pillows under his T-shirt...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> There was no way for him to pull that one
off: there he was, naked in bed as always. If there was a pillow in sight, way
too large to be ignored, it had been stuffed right under his own skin – a ball
of dough the size of a knapsack, with his bellybutton on top.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">Wow!
did I really grow... that fat ?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott hoisted himself up in bed, and gave his
belly a few good pats with his right hand. He could see the flesh rippling and
jiggling as he shook it gently – little waves going from his stomach to his
budding love handles, in the morning light...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Still partly wasted from last night’s dinner
at the Maxwell’s, the young man didn’t feel bloated anymore. As a matter of
fact, his gut was groaning, not from being full but out of pure hunger. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;">– “Okay, okay... Time to
feed the beast!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Walking to the bathroom, Scott kept tripping
over himself, then he saw himself in the full length mirrors on the bathroom
walls. He had definitely put on some serious weight. He answered to his
groaning guts with an equally angry grumble, cleaned himself up slightly, and got
dressed in his noticeably tighter clothes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;">–
“Why... did I... only... buy... size... 34... pants?” Scott struggled.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> His new jeans were already too small around
his waist and hips – jeans he had bought only three days before! Scott
stretched out his arms until his back almost popped, and held out his breath so
he could get the top button closed. Then he let out a deep sigh.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Fortunately for him, he had chosen
comfortable shirts in a generous L size, so he didn’t have to worry about
popping these buttons... That was a relief.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;">–
“I should have bought these pants with a 36” waist, not 34...” Scott mumbled to
himself, although he remembered that his first choice was 32. “There isn’t much
of a difference between a 36” waist and a 34” waist, after all... Right?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Standing in the middle of his bedroom, he
could see the fabric of his pants and shirt stretching with every breath he
took.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;">–
“Well... as long as it doesn’t rip or burst along the seams...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US"> Scott was summarily reminded that he was
hungry. He went down to the buffet, loaded six plates full of </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN">scrambled eggs with pork sausages, beef sausages and bacon, poached eggs
with mushrooms, tomatoes, fried dumplings, pudding, toasts and potato scones</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">.
He sat down and ate in a hurry, washing it all down with </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN">orange juice, whole chocolate milk and apple juice</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US"> He only took a moment for a few pieces of </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">strawberry pie, orange sponge cake, some <i>crèmes </i></span><i><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">brûlées</span></i><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US"> with maple syrup and whipped cream – then three or
four cinnamon rolls for the road. Scott </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">had other and more
pressing things on his plate: places to go, people to see...<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> And he only had two days left.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: verdana;">■ ■ ■</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> The streets of Biberton were usually quiet,
especially around the Paddington Hotel, with its private park and spa. Scott
always took a walk through it to get to his bus stop. He had been taking the
bus to go to Saint Augustine Bells, to the hospital, to the police precinct, to
the sheriff’s home...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> There he was now, walking down the street in
a part of town he had never seen before. It was a long one way street. The
buildings around it were two or three stores higher than in the historical
center, and the shops looked smaller and more modest. Scott looked for n°87,
looked at the list of names by the door and rang the bell.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Mrs. Warren lived on the last floor – of
course... Scott secretly resented her for it, when he saw the paper attached to
the lift: “Out of order”. It looked like that paper had been here for some
time, and there was no repairman in sight.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott’s forehead was sweating when he got to
her place. He already had to stop and take a pause in the middle of the stairs.
The sign on the door said “Oda Mae Warren, astrology, cartomancy, palm reading,
etc.” – not what Scott would call “impressive”. It looked rather shabby.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Still, the sheriff’s wife had told him about
her special talents, and the fact that students like Michael asked for her help
and guidance, sometimes. Maria had also given a letter of introduction to
Scott, assuring him that Mrs. Warren would see him. It looked like she wasn’t
even in the book – then it was clear that she didn’t need any advertising.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> The waiting room was empty, with only an old
woman getting dressed in a long coat. She waved at Scott as she was putting her
gloves on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Good morning, young man</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Good morning..</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">. I’m looking for Mrs. Oda Mae Warren?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “I see... She’s with a client, right now. </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">I’m
Mrs. Davis, her roommate.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">How
do you do?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">Please,
sit down. Mrs. Warren will be with you in a moment.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott didn’t have to wait for long, although
he rather enjoyed his large, <i>art déco</i> club chair. A young black woman came in,
dressed in a long robe decorated with motifs in garish colors, with jewels and
a necklace that must be weighing her down by a good ten pounds.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“That would be the same as a camera, then... am I right?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Huh</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">...
Why a camera?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “You know what they say: “The camera adds
ten pounds on you”</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">. I’m Mrs. Warren.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott offered to shake her hand, but she took
a step back.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Sorry, boy</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">...
I don’t go for that kind of salute. You must be Scott.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> The young journalist only nodded. He didn’t
know what to say – did she just read his mind, or was it a clever trick?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “No tricks</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">...” She answered,
without him asking. “Of course, I could read in your eyes that you were
thinking about it. Don’t get up.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“...Why?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “You’re feeling comfortable in this chair</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">.
That’s good. It allows me to feel better about your case as well. Mutual
benefit... Now, give me your left hand, palm up if you please.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott did as he was told. From the way she
spoke, Mrs. Warren had to be from Jamaica, or Haiti, but he didn’t want to get
distracted right now.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Yes..</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">. You have found
some peace and comfort in our little town, when you were looking for something
dark and violent... I can see it now.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">What
do you see?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Give me a minute, boy..</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">. Give me a minute.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“What <i>did</i> you see, until now?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Mrs. Warren smiled and looked into his eyes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “You are quite clever, you know that? What I
saw, when I came in, was what every people would see in you at first sight: a
confident young man, with a love for all kinds of pleasures... and wearing
pants one size too tight.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">Huh...”
Scott blushed. “I guess I’ve been eating a bit too much.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“You have been <i>stuffing</i> yourself,
silly</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">.
And don’t try to deny it.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott looked away. Mrs. Warren stopped
holding his hand.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “No need to read you palm</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">.
In your case, I should work with something more substantial... more personal.
Would you mind taking off your shirt?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“I beg your pardon?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Take off your shirt, Scott</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">.”
She asked nicely, but in such a way that he couldn’t refuse. “I can already
feel that the source of your spiritual self is not in your hands, but in your
belly...”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">Why
is it not my hands?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> As
Scott was taking his clothes off, the soft leather of his club chair felt more
sensual than ever against his back. The overfed young man let out a sigh – the
top buttons of his pants would never get closed again!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">Now I’m sure...” Mrs. Warren
smiled, rubbing her hands together with some scented oils. “Do you know what
the greatest sin is today, in America?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“I don’t really know...” Scott didn’t want to say: <i>Gluttony</i>. “Pride?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “No, no</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">... Pride is good. A
man should have some pride.” She started rubbing his belly, in small circles. “<i>Greed</i> is the modern man’s sin. That will
cause the Fall of what you and I still call Civilization...”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Okay..</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Greed is worse than curiosity that will
never be satisfied, worse than thirst that will never be quenched, worse than wounds
that will never get healed... One gets hurt, and still wants to feel more of
that same pain.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Ouch.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
was certainly not in pain, at the moment, having his belly slowly rubbed by
someone who knew exactly what she was doing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Think about it</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">: climbing a
mountain – just for the sake of it. You don’t know what’s beyond that summit. You
had nowhere to go in the first place. You just want to get on top. Your whole
body is suspended to your fingers, to your hands. That is where Greed strikes:
in your hands.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“I see..</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“A man’s hands are made to take, and grab, and pinch...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> She squeezed Scott’s sides gently, making him
feel massive – and manly!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “You are ambitious, Scott, in many ways... but
that kind of ambition isn’t really in your nature</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">. The way I see it
now, spirits have taken residence in your guts.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Mrs. Warren...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Please, call me Oda Mae.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">Are
you sure about this? I don’t really believe in spirits...”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“So what? You don’t believe in spirits. They believe in you.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“...Really?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Don’t even doubt about them</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">. Besides, you do believe in spirits. I can
feel it.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“But... in my guts?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Of course. T</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">hat’s
a good thing, too. A man should have guts.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
wasn’t quite convinced. As Oda Mae was rubbing his belly and kneading his flesh
like cookie dough, he got to feel more and more relaxed, but he had not come to
this place for a massage. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Underneath this nice, white skin of yours,
there is a deeper, darker person, whose name may not even be Scott... but it’s
you, more than you even know.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> She
kept rubbing his belly, more forcefully and in larger circles. Scott admitted
that he usually appeared as “superficial” – he was definitely aware of his own
vanity – but he was more concerned with the darkness he had been feeling around
him, lately...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “The answer to your question would be: <i>yes</i></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">. There is something
about that school for boys. Saint Augustine Bells. Many students have come to
me, looking for help, protection, guidance... There is true evil in that place.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Like... an evil spirit?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Something like that...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”
Oda Mae paused for a moment. “Spirits come and go. Sometimes, there were almost
as many spirits as there were students... some good, some bad... The really <i>bad</i> ones are the ones who won’t let go.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Like a ghost, then.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Mrs. Warren frowned.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “You should listen to yourself... And you
should listen to me. I am talking about spirits, not ghosts. Ghosts aren’t even
what you think they are. It has nothing to do with dead people.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“I thought...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “You weren’t thinking. You were only
repeating what people have told you. If you truly put some thought into what
you have been doing for the past few weeks, what would you say?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott was stunned by that question.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“I... I have...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Yes? Think about it.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“I haven’t done much, really.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Now that is what your boss is thinking, not you.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“I have been investigating... about a murder.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “That is what you have told everyone in
town. Tell me what you have truly been doing... what you truly think about this
time you have spent here with us.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> It was much harder to answer than Scott
expected. Looking down at his own belly, he found that the answer had always
been there.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“I have put on weight.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Okay... That’s a good point. You have been eating a lot.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“No... I mean... Yes, I have. But I didn’t eat so much than I got... fed.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“You mean to say that people have been feeding you?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Yes... fattening me up, really.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Like the other boys at school?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“I wouldn’t know... Maybe, a little bit.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Tell me about it.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“I have spent some time around school, but not so much with the students.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“So, who has been feeding you?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott let out a sigh.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Everyone, really...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Everyone?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Yes. From the head of security, Rick... I
mean, Mr Wingrave... to the male nurse they have there, Phil. They don’t even
call him by his real name. Then the sheriff and his wife...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“I know. Maria loves to make her man eat as much as he can.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“I have spent one evening with them, and I have never been treated to such a
feast!</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Good...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Oda Mae patted Scott’s belly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “That’s not all... I have tricked Phil into
buying me dinner twice, and I’ve never eaten so much in my life! Then the
breakfast buffet at my hotel is just heavenly, I just can’t help myself...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“I can see that.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Now I’m fat, just like the boys in that godforsaken school.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Certainly not.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Mrs. Warren was done with Scott’s belly. She
got up and washed her hands from the scented oil with a towel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“What do you mean?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Oh, you have grown quite fat, Scott, but
this is entirely different. The boys in Augustine Bells are forced to eat, and
be lazy. You wouldn’t understand.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Try me.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Feeling free to move, Scott chose to be more
daring.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Most of the boys in Augustine Bells are
forced to grow very large and heavy, which is not only against their metabolism
but against their spiritual nature. That kind of bad treatment can already
cause a spirit to get angry.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“So he would get... vengeful?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Definitely. Then if you add all the
resentment and rage emanating from a number of mostly harmless boys, you can
actually generate an evil spirit.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Oh...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott had not thought about it. Michael’s
ghost coming back to haunt him, or Ian’s ghost coming back to cause Michael’s
death, felt a lot less complicated than this – and a lot less threatening.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“So you would say that... all of this only has to do with <i>karma</i>?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“In your case, I would consider it.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> The way she looked at him made Scott blush. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“I’m going home, you know... Tomorrow.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“I know. You’re sad about it.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Then I’ll lose all this weight.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">” Scott chuckled, or tried to chuckle. “I
don’t get that kind of good food and beer at home... you know?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“I have no doubt. You’re sad about it too.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott protested.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Why should I be... sad about it?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “You’ve already told me about this. You will
miss being large, and round. And fat. More than anything, you will miss being
fed.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Huh...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">” Scott didn’t feel
like arguing, at this point. Deep down, he knew how right she was. “So this is
the kind of... spiritual energy I have?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Mostly, yes. You can call it <i>karma</i>,
like most people do these days, or you can call it <i>charm</i>. And you do have charm, Scott. So, don’t feel bad about it.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Then... why am I feeling like this?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“If you allow me, I would have a question for you.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Shoot.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Okay... Do you usually remember your dreams after you wake up?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Now Scott was startled – he had been wishing
to tell Mrs. Warren about his recurring from the moment he had entered her
place.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> He had to tell her twice about his visions,
as she asked for details and he was far too nervous to give her a complete
description. She seemed rather satisfied with his story, eventually.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “This is a very interesting dream, Scott.
What you first thought were clouds, then flying snakes, are actually dragons.
They represent spirits, very powerful spirits too. I have rarely found such a
rich gathering of the w</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">hite dragon, the black dragon and the dragon of
fire...”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“What is the meaning of all this?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “The black dragon is the spirit of darkness,
and Life. It is coming to hurt you, harm you, maybe even crush you. I have
sensed danger around you from the start. You are surrounded by it.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“What about the dragon of fire?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“He represents love.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Love?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Don’t scoff. You may have already been
killed, without its presence over you.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Did you get a feeling of it when you saw me?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Clear as a bell... You’ve become a rather
popular boy in Biberton.” Oda Mae teased him. “Of course, love is also fire. You
should be careful, or you may end up roasted like a turkey.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“I’ll keep that one in mind...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Good.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “How about the white dragon? I was resting
against its soft belly, like a bank of fluffy clouds. I guess that’s a good
thing?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“You were asleep, so naturally you were in the white dragon’s lap.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Okay.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “But I wouldn’t say that it’s a good thing.
You see, that was only a vision for you... of perpetual sleep. The white dragon
represents light – and <i>Death</i>.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>■ ■ ■</b><br />
<b><br /></b></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="text-align: justify;">“See you in two days, then.
A</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="text-align: justify;">bout
2PM.”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Mr Huggins had invited Scott on Monday. The
young journalist had just skipped lunch, after his long session at Mrs.
Warren’s office, so he wouldn’t be late to meet the secretary of Saint
Augustine Bells. It was almost 2:30PM now, and no sign of Mr Huggins...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott was waiting in the hall. The door to
the secretary’s office was closed, but not locked. After a few more minutes, waiting
less and less patiently, Scott opened to find that the office was empty. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> The silence in the hall was deafening.
Classes had started again, so there was no reason for anyone to be here. Scott
had nothing to do. He wished that he had been less polite and grabbed lunch
somewhere, as he was getting rather hungry.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Where is that guy?... Why
is he not here?...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">” Scott kept thinking. “Even if he forgot about this
interview, he should be at work, by now. Then I should see him.”</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> He was beginning to feel worried. Mr Huggins
had made it quite clear that he had important information to share with him.
Scott remembered his exact words: “What you’re looking for is a lot darker, a
lot deeper than anything coming from beyond the veil.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> His recent visit to Mrs. Warren allowed Scott
some new insights about ghosts, or spirits, but he was still uncertain about
it. His mind told him that Mr Huggins was right, that there was no ghost in
Augustine Bells – then something kept him from dismissing it so easily.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott could feel it in his gut, even if he
couldn’t put his feelings into words. He had to follow his gut.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “I know, I would follow you to the next
diner...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”
Scott sighed, as his stomach was groaning hungrily.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Alone in the hall, the young journalist let
go for a moment, and patted his soft belly resting naturally and hanging over
the waistband of his jeans. It was true. He had grown quite plump and round on
all that comfort food...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Hello, Scott. What are you doing here?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott was startled, once again. He had not
seen Mr Scupper walking in the hall, coming from the stairs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Oh... Hello, Mr Scupper. I’m waiting for Mr Huggins.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Are you, really? I was just looking for him.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“You were?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;">– “I was about to ask you if you had not seen
him.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Sorry... No, I did not see him.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Now, this is strange. I haven’t seen him all morning.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> As if Scott had not enough to worry about,
Mr Scupper told him about his day, and how he was supposed to work on some
document with Mr Huggins, then he had come to see him and the door to his
office wasn’t even locked. It always took a long time for Mr Scupper to say
the simplest things, and Scott had no time to lose – especially with an old man
rambling on and on like that.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> He found a way out, asking a question
completely out of the blue.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Do you think that there is a difference between ghosts and spirits?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Mr Scupper was usually faster when he was
intellectually challenged.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “I guess so, at least in the way we define “ghosts” and “spirits” in
the Western world. In japan, for instance, ghosts are generally called <i>Yūreis</i> but some
ghosts are the spirits of dead people. They are <i>Shiryōs</i></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US"> and correspond to our own definition of a ghost... Then ghosts can be summoned
by someone who holds a grudge against someone else. These are <i>Ikiryōs</i></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US"> tormenting spirits of people who are still
alive... Then there are <i>Onryōs</i> often
described as vengeful spirits...”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: justify;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: justify;">It took Mr Scupper some time before he asked
Scott why he was wondering about such a distinction between spiritual entities.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“I was just wondering...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“About ghosts and spirits?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Yes... About Ian’s ghost, as you have told me about him.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Oh? Yes, quite. I should show you my a</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">lbum
sometimes... I have kept a few clippings from the newspapers, about Ian
McNeill, from the year he was killed.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott was no longer listening. He had been
distracted by Mr Scupper’s explanations, where ghosts looked like a collection
of insects, pinned down inside little boxes, dissected and classified.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Then he had suddenly considered how a plague
of locusts also caused famine. Science would provide statistics, a system of
theories and laws – it wouldn’t prevent the next famine. Then it didn’t explain
a thing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“I’m sorry. What did you just say?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“I was mentioning the clippings I have concerning Ian’s death.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Really? I thought everything had burned down.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“What do you mean?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “The archives, at the newspaper...” Scott
realized how confused he was. “I didn’t expect that someone would have kept any
record of the event.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “You should come to my office and take a
look. It doesn’t look like Mr Huggins will join us, at this point.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Mr Scupper was probably right. It was
already past 3PM. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott spent the next hour in the old man’s
office. There were only three articles from 1932, mentioning the assault in
Saint Augustine Bells prison, the fire and the death of a security guard named
Ian McNeill. That was it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“No picture...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Pictures were quite rare in the news, in 1932.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“So, this is everything we have to work with.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“I thought that you had nothing to work with, so far.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“That’s true...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">” Scott felt like he should give up. “That’s fine.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“I thought that any document could be of help with your investigation.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“You’re right. But there won’t be any investigation.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Why is that?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Because... I am leaving, tomorrow evening.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> As he was about to leave campus, Scott
noticed that the lights were on in Rick’s office. The head of security may know
where Mr Huggins was, if he had already left, or if he had not even showed up
in the morning.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> It was almost 4PM, and Rick was sitting at
his desk, devouring doughnut after doughnut. Scott was definitely hungry, at
this point!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Hey, Scott! Come in here...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Good evening, Rick.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Do you feel like cinnamon rolls? Chocolate eclairs? Cherry pie?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“All of the above. I’m starving!</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> And, for the next two hours, the two men
didn’t exchange a word – merely grunts of mutual encouragement, appreciative
nods and smiles when one of them would be done with a full box of pastries and
got to grab the handful of fifty or hundred dollar bills that where stashed
under the cardboard.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> For two hours, Scott got to forget about his
worries – no more thoughts about ghosts, or spirits, or death, or whatever – no
more thoughts about leaving this place – not even thinking about ever getting
up from that chair...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Rick was rather good company for Scott. From
the way he ate, it looked like he had come to terms with his own weight and
size, but Scott knew better: he kept offering him the largest boxes, containing
the tastiest, most fattening treats. If that meant more money for Scott, he was
okay with it, but he was clearly trying to make his partner eat a lot more than
he had to.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Come on, you’re eating too slowly...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“I’m eating faster than you are.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“That’s only because I’ve been here all day. You need to catch up, little guy.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Rick did more than offering Scott a box of
brownies. He took one in his hand, came to sit next to Scott, and began to feed
him quite forcefully...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Open up...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Hmmmph...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”
Scott protested.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“And eat up!</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> The two men spent another hour eating and
being fed like that.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott let his shirt and T-shirt fall on the
floor, then he had to let his pants drop around his ankles, before the pile of
pastries on Rick’s desk looked small enough for the two grown men to get rid of
it. It was down to seven or eight large, pink boxes, by now. Rick was
determined not to let Scott go anywhere, until the last piece of pie was gone!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“There. Have another one...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Hmmmph... Hmmmph!</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">” Scott could only utter a muffled protest.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Rick hardly allowed him a moment to breathe.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;">–
“I wanted to tell you... I’ve tried.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“...Tried what?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “I talked to Mr Porkenham. I talked to Mr Thorne, who may have talked to Mr Porkenham. I even talked to Mr Swayn, who
may have told Mr Thorne to tell Mr Porkenham... No dice. They didn’t tell me
anything, but clearly <i>someone</i> wants
you out of here. Yesterday.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Oh...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott didn’t expect to be called and asked to
stay for another month, at this point. It was too late. He was secretly
grateful to the head of security to put in a good word for him, especially when
it was such a lost cause.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Well... Thanks. You did what you could.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Yeah.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">” Rick sighed. “And
it didn’t make any difference... You should expect someone large like me to be
in charge!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Rick lifted his belly with both hands, then
let the round, soft mass fall and settle in his lap again. No matter how
stuffed the young journalist was, at the moment, he was still much fatter than
Scott.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">– “I’m going to miss you. Who’s going to get
through all this when you’re gone?</span><span lang="EN-US">”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Honestly, I have no idea.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “It doesn’t really show... that much, but
I’ve lost another five pounds, over the last few days.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott congratulated him. In some corner of
his mind, he couldn’t help thinking that he must have gained at least five
pounds over these last few days.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Then, of course, Rick didn’t have to leave
town.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“I’m going to miss all this...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">” Scott admitted, in a rare moment of
sincerity.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Then you should eat these pies! Open up. Wider!</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Hmmmph...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Rick was quite forceful in the way he fed
Scott. Closing his eyes while he was chewing, the overfed young man had a
flashback from his dinner date with Phil. The Southern blonde beefcake was
incomparably gentler in the way he would offer more and more food to his hungry
friend.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Thinking about his dinner with Phil made
Scott remember his late night kiss on Phil’s check – then Phil’s kiss on the
lips – then...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> That was a dangerous pattern for him to
follow: he was only wearing his boxer shorts, after all!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Fortunately for him, Rick was only focused on
stuffing his colleague as fast – and as much – as he could! Even as he gave him
loud, friendly slaps on his full stomach, Scott was little more than a
surrogate belly for Rick, a bag of fattened flesh that wasn’t attached to his
ribs and back...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Boy! you’re <i>really</i> going to miss
me...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “I know, I know...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">” Rick complained.
“You wouldn’t believe how hard I’ve tried to keep you around here, find
something official for you to do in Augustine Bells. I’ve asked Mr Scupper for
advice... That was the dumbest thing to do.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott was fed enormous, cream-filled
doughnuts. There were only five left: that was the last box on Rick’s desk. He
had to keep munching, and gulping down hard, as Rick was only beginning to slow
down.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “I’ve even asked Graham when we trained
together, this morning. Of course, that was the dumbest guy to go to.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Rick
meant Phil – everyone in Saint Augustine Bells kept calling him “Graham”, the
school’s best specimen of a big, cuddly bear.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
had a sudden impulse thought.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Did you try asking... Mr Huggins?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “The secretary? Yes, I saw him yesterday,
told him about you and everything. He tried to weasel his way out of it, to
tell you the truth.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“But... did you see him today?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Not that I remember...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”
Rick gave it a thought. “Huh! That’s odd... I guess I only saw him around
eight, this morning.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“So you didn’t see him leave tonight?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“No, but it’s not so late, it’s hardly...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Rick turned to look at the clock. It was
almost 7PM.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Wow! Where does time go?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott only answered with a long, sounding
belch that made the papers pinned on the walls shake like dead leaves on a
willow.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“BUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRP!</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Rick patted his friend’s painfully bloated
gut, almost lovingly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Well done, Scott. Only two doughnuts left.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“I will leave them to you, okay?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Come on... and the money that goes with
them?” Rick teased. “You’ve gone this far. You can’t leave the game when you’re
so close to the goal.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott took a deep breath. He couldn’t
possibly swallow another bite.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Rick’s encouragements also felt bittersweet,
considering his situation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“I thought I was getting close to something.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Maybe you were.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Maybe I was...” Scott rubbed his aching
belly. “Maybe I was. I guess we will never know.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“It’s only a couple doughnuts.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“It’s also 7PM. Time out. I’m out of here...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Rick didn’t insist. He had to help Scott get
up from his chair. The poor guy could hardly stand on his legs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Ouch!</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Baby steps, Scott.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“I know, but... Yikes!</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“What’s wrong?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“It’s my hip... It has never hurt so bad since the day I got injured.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>■ ■ ■</b><br />
<b><br /></b></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott accepted Rick’s offer to drive him back
to the Paddington Hotel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> He had trouble walking, with his whole belly
so heavily laden with food. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Don’t forget this.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Rick handed him an envelope with his money.
There was more than enough to pay for surgery, but Scott was only focused on
the pain he felt in his leg, from the top of his hip to the tip of his toes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> What was the point of being young and loaded
if you had to walk with a cane? Then what was the point of being young and
loaded if you didn’t get to enjoy all the finest things in Life? What was the
point of being young if you couldn’t get loaded?...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott let his thoughts wander as he waited in
the lift, eyes closed with his back against the cold marble wall.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> He had to do something – one last shot. He
didn’t care if it was another shot in the dark.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Alone in his bedroom, Scott sat by the phone
and dialed. He knew that his boss would still be there.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Sir?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Mr Horn speaking. Who is this?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“It’s me. Scott Girder.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Oh, right... Where are you, boy?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“I’m in Biberton.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“What, you’re still there?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“My train leaves tomorrow around 8PM.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Okay, so?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“I had to tell you... I can’t leave town.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Why?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“I just... I can’t explain why. I just can’t.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Why?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Mr Horn...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">” Scott scratched
his head, as he was starting to sweat. “I know you didn’t send me here to find
anything... but I did. I’ve found something that will make the headlines.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Okay, now we’re talking. What did you find?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“I mean... I haven’t found it yet, but I’m on it.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“So you are. Let me tell you a story, my boy.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“... Okay.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Listen. When I was about your age, I worked
for a local newspaper in Dallas. Then one day, my boss asked me to attend a big
political event. I had heard that the president was coming with his wife and all
the top brass following behind. It was my first real, big break. Then I was
told to go interview the mayor of a small town, who was inaugurating something totally
meaningless with a bunch of his totally meaningless collaborators. That was my
assignment. I was furious, then I went to the bar and had a few drinks. I was
sitting next to some sap who kept mumbling and mouthing about the presidential
visit. I didn’t listen to him that much, as I kept calling my boss on the
phone. I almost begged the old bastard. He wouldn’t change his mind...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Huh... Okay.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “I didn’t listen to him. I missed my bus on
purpose, and stayed in Dallas. Next thing you know, President Kennedy was shot
and I was there to witness the whole thing. I wrote a full paper, and showed it
to my boss. He wouldn’t take my word for it. The way he saw it, I had been
slacking off the job, and tried to cover it with fictitious interviews and
everything!</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Oh...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;">– “So I was fired... But that’s not the worst
part. I’m pretty sure that I was this close to get Lee Harvey Oswald’s last
interview. No one would believe me. So...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Yes?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Is that the kind of <i>big fish</i> you’ve found and decided to catch in that little pond
where you’re standing?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Well... nothing presidential.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Then stop whining and s</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">tart packing.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott wasn’t quite finished, but Mr Horn had
already hung up.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Oh, what the hell does he know!</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”
the young journalist almost smashed the phone on its receiver. Then he looked
down at his enormously bloated belly. “I <i>have</i>
been packing, in a way... just packing it on.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> He was upset. His stomach wasn’t upset – that
was always a good thing – but he was. Scott had to do something: one last shot
in the dark, even if that was only a shot of gin.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Phone in hand, once again, he pushed n°7 on
speed dial.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Room service. How may I help you?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Tom? Is that you?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Yes, Scott?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Get your ass over here... No need to bring too much food, tonight.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>■ ■ ■</b><br />
<b><br /></b></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span></span><i><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">February 16<sup>th</sup>,
1990</span></i><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">
– Friday</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;">– “Only one slice left, Scott... Pace yourself a bit.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Tom was holding the last slice in his hand.
There were three empty plates of pies and cheesecake by the bedpost, next to
the alarm clock. It was almost 1AM.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;">– “You pace yourself, naughty
boy!” Scott gave his usual answer, with a wicked gleam in his eyes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> The Bell boy had been following his
instructions all night, once again. This was Scott’s last night at the
Paddington Hotel, and he intended to go with a bang. The young journalist had
grown such an appetite, since he had come to Biberton, that he was able to eat
more sweets only a few hours after Rick had stuffed him like a sausage! Tom was
genuinely impressed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott was also one of the best customers at
the hotel – according to Tom, at least. Meeting him after hours always meant a
hundred and fifty bucks for “room service”, with another fifty for desserts in
bed. His rates had been going up, lately...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;">– “Your wish is my command, Sir.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;">– “Make it a bit faster, then...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Tom was lean and limber, but still too lazy
for his taste... With the Bell boy sitting on him, and his money next to the
empty pie plates, Scott had every right to be the lazy one.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Come on! You can do better than this...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“I don’t want to... hurt you, you know.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span><br /><br />
</span><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott's hip didn't hurt right now. He was comfortably resting on his back, feeling the weight in his belly slowly shifting back and forth with Tom's moves.</span></div>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“As if you could hurt me, the way you do it...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Okay, then I don’t want to get seasick.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott didn’t understand.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“What do you mean?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Honestly? If I closed my eyes, I’d feel like I’m humping a waterbed.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“...a what?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;">– “Come on, Scott. Admit it.” Tom paused.
“It’s probably a good thing that you’re leaving tonight. I couldn’t go on like this.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Why’s that?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">Well,
y</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">ou’ve become... quite a handful, you know.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Tom grabbed one of Scott’s love handles to
make himself perfectly clear. There was enough flesh to hold on to during sex –
even rough sex – as Scott wished for it even more, feeling frustrated right now.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“So what? I thought you enjoyed this.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Oh, please...” Tom let go of Scott’s plump
sides and caught the two hundred dollar bills on the bedpost. “This? I wouldn’t
go anywhere without it... makes the world go round. This?” He pointed at the
empty plates of food. “I wouldn’t come an inch closer... makes your belly grow
round.” Tom chuckled. “Now, this?... I don’t know.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> He patted Scott on the top of his belly,
watching the flabby mass of guts quiver and jiggle slowly, like a man-sized
bowl of Jell-O.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Jell-O, huh?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Pretty much.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Then why don’t you try a bit harder to kiss my behind? It’s a real peach!</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott teased, but he was getting angry at
Tom. The bell boy only shrugged.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Sure... But I’m warning you, that would cost you extra.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“I thought that was part of your job description.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> That hit a nerve in Tom. He slapped his large
customer’s belly with both hands.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Okay, you want me to be blunt? I can be blunt.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Shoot.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “You know how the guys I work with give
nicknames to everyone... It took us a few days to get yours right, but one guy
at the counter nailed it. So now you’re <i>the
blimp with a limp</i>.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> In any other circumstance, Scott would have
found a nasty comeback for Tom – but not this time. That was both mean and
personal, and he actually felt hurt.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Are you always this... creative?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Nah, he got lucky with that one.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Do you have a nickname like that for every customer?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Anyone who stays for than a few nights...
You can’t expect us to remember the first names and last names of all the
suckers who keep coming and going around here. I wish you guys were forced to
wear your names on your clothes, just like us. It would make my job a lot
easier...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>■ ■ ■</b><br />
<b><br /></b></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott had nowhere to go. He had signed the
register at the Paddington Hotel, and the bill to be sent to his boss. His
luggage was in the lobby, at the station. His suitcase was in the same locker
as his luggage. Scott only had the key to it in his pocket, and his ticket in
the inside pocket of his jacket, next to his wallet. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> His train would leave at 8:23PM. He had the
whole day off.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> The bus stopped as he was leaving the
station. Scott hopped in without even thinking about it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> It was hardly 10AM, and he could use his free
bus pass one last time, get to Saint Augustine Bells one last time, see Rick
and maybe Phil one last time. For some reason, he had not even caught a glimpse
of that brawny blonde bear, for the last two days...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“There it is. Saint Augustine Bells.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
knew those high walls and towers almost by heart. There was a light fog around
them, making the fields and the brownstone buildings emerge like elements of a
dream. Scott was still quite impressed by this place: the gates entirely made
of red bricks and covered with ivy, the tall trees growing over neatly trimmed
grass, the grey brick roads leading to various, identical buildings, and the
large dome surrounded with scaffoldings, as it was being restored into its
ancient glory...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “I couldn’t say that I like this place... I
hate this architecture. Then I can’t help feeling that I’m going to miss all
this. How strange is that?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> As a friend of Rick, Scott had a secret key
to the back of his office. The head of security had forgotten about it, and
Scott had no intention of giving it back, even if he would never get to use it
again. Right now, it allowed him to get through security completely unnoticed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> The last thing he needed was another full
morning with Rick. Scott’s pants were feeling dangerously tight around his
waist – and he was wearing them as low as he could – with the top button always
opened...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Okay, then... where should I go?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott took the small notebook he had in his
wallet. He had spent enough time on his own, personal map of Saint Augustine
Bells to know where he <i>didn’t</i> want to
go. There were plenty of buildings left for him to explore.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> After a moment, he chose one building with a
few lights on, at ground level, and opened the door.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Mr Swayn was there with about two dozen students,
all quietly sitting in front of computers. From the silence in the room, he
could guess that they were not playing video games.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Hello, Scott.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”
Mr Swayn welcomed him, stone-faced as ever.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Hello...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US"> With a finger to his lips, the </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">tutor and lecturer of
Augustine Bells invited Scott to talk to him in private. The students wouldn’t
be disturbed, passive as they were, answering question on the screens by
pushing one button or another.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “I thought that you had already left.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “...I’m leaving tonight. I only wanted to
say good-bye.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “That’s awfully nice of you.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> The silence of the students made Scott even
more uncomfortable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “What is this place, exactly?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Just an examination room. This is a test.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “What are you testing, at the moment?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Math.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Oh, so you meant actual tests. Nothing
experimental, or... scientific.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Math is a branch of science, so this would
still be scientific, I guess.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Of course.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “I guess you’re right. There is more to be
tested here than their knowledge of the last math classes. Look at them...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Yes?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “All sitting, almost immobile. They’ve had a
pretty substantial breakfast, of course.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Of course.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Good, lazy, sedentary lifestyle...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
didn’t know what to say. From the back, the boys he could see looked generally
obese, ranging from chubby to massively overweight, with large love handles jutting over plump, masculine hips and butts pressed against their chairs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Mr Swayn had better things to do than give the young journalist a tour. He was
there to make sure than none of these cunning boys was cheating. Scott also noticed that he carried a note pad with everyone's name on it, to make sure that no student would stay at his desk for more than ten minutes before he was served another large doughnut or a piece of pie. There was a plate next to every keyboard, and the tutor would check on every boy who had more than two uneaten pastries left. If he didn't clean his plate immediately, it was almost the same as if he had given a wrong answer to his math test.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “I guess I’ll... say good-bye to your
colleagues.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Of course. Have a nice day.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Dusty as it may be, the hall provided a
welcomed breath of fresh air for Scott. He was sweating profusely.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Scott? Are you feeling all right?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> It was Father Knox. Scott could recognize
that voice anytime.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Huh... Hello.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “I thought that you were already gone.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “No... I’m leaving tonight. I only wanted to
say good-bye.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “How nice of you to come by. My prayers are
with you.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Oh? Thank you...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “But what were you doing here, in the game
room?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “I thought the students were passing an exam
with Mr Swayn.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Father Knox shrugged, and took Scott further
down the hall.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “He may call this kind of test an
examination, it’s still a game, if you ask me.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “They don’t really look like they’re
playing.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “No, but you shouldn’t trust them by the way
they look.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “What’s wrong with multiple-choice tests
like this? I’ve seen a few.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “...And it will become common practice, I
have no doubt.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “But you don’t like them.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “No, I don’t. For one thing, our boys can
hardly get to complete a sentence, and they have become too lazy to write.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott remembered Michael’s journal and his
strange system of notes – so he couldn’t agree more.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “And this is only the beginning. Who knows
what you will achieve by keeping our boys in front of that <i>Idiot box</i> for hours on end, day after day?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “I thought TV was the Idiot box...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “So it is, but I don’t see much difference
between the two. Mr Swayn is happy because the average student gains 40 to 45
pounds a year, around the hips, just from sitting like this between meals.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Wow...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “But how does it affect their minds? How
does it corrupt their spirits? Think about this. There is n</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">o
need to make our students wear blinders, when their field of vision is reduced
to the side of a window with garish colors and rather square shapes keeping
reality at bay.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Huh... I had never thought about it.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “When was the last time you stopped looking
at your TV screen, or your computer screen, just to look at a real window?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “I don’t know...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Then you see my point.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “But computers are a necessary tool for
them. They will use computers in their professional life.”</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “I know, I know... It’s a lost battle. </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">Machines
will always be more productive, more effective than regular workers. I only
regret that our younger generations are being raised to desire and be satisfied
with what machines can offer – and nothing more.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott couldn't leave Father Knox on such a sad
note.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Did you ever discuss it with one of the
students?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> A thin, clever smile curled up the old man’s
lips, and he looked into Scott’s eyes gratefully.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “I did discuss the subject with one of them.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Then it had to be Michael.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “The one and only... Mr Astern was a fine
young man.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Everything I have found about him tells me
that he must have stood out...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Yes... Like a sore thumb.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Father Knox was a bit moved, remembering
Michael. He was shaking nervously.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “What do you mean?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;">– “You don’t know what kind of violent,
vicious boys we have in Saint Augustine Bells...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “I’ve... got to meet a few of them.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Trust me, my boy, you haven’t seen <i>anything</i>. It’s not just the students.
Even Mr Swayn made jokes about Michael, since he was Jewish. I would call him
a “fine young man”, he would nickname him <i>Feynman</i>.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Oh...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> That sounded like something Mr Swayn would
do. He was the one who had come up with the nickname <i>Graham</i> for Phil, after all, because the poor guy was from a
Southern state. Scott didn’t even remember the joke, only that it was terrible.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Father Knox pulled himself together almost
immediately.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Anyway... It is too late for Michael, now.
He’s with the Lord, and we have to deal with the rest of that...wild bunch.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “I guess he agreed with you about computers?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Not entirely. He had a few interesting
things to say in favor of computers... but discussing with me also allowed him
to stay away from computers</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">, at least in the evening.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Why is that?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Most students have to spend the evening in
one of our </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">game
rooms. Michael enjoyed video games as much as the next boy, but he got tired
rather quickly. Since he was one of the few quiet boys in school, he got to
spend some evenings with me or with another teacher. He was a really good chess
player.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
suddenly remembered something.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “On the night he was... found dead...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Yes?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Michael came back to his bedroom around
9PM, I think.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “That’s what I was told.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “I didn’t pay much attention to it, earlier.
I only thought that it was a bit early for such a young boy to turn in.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “I guess it was, but I see your point.
Michael was one of the few students who could do that. You could call it a
personal favor from Mr Porkenham to him...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> <span lang="EN-US">The young journalist wouldn’t forget those words: a <i>personal favor</i> – that got him
mysteriously killed...<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>■ ■ ■</b><br />
<b><br /></b></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""Verdana","sans-serif"" lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US"> Talking with Father Knox only made Scott more
eager to explore that part of the school where he had followed him, a few days
before: he had not given up on finding the secret basements at the end of that
darkened alleyway.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “There it was. Turn left, then... There it
is.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott was lucky to find the little signs he
had marked on the skirting boards. There he was, alone, going faster and faster
in a dimly lit maze of alleyways – almost as if he knew where he was going...
and what he would find at the end of his search.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Okay... Then the whole place was in
complete darkness.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> The tall young man remembered that it had to
be the result of someone switching off the lights, or a circuit breaker being
opened somewhere. The most likely solution was a switch, not too far from where
he was standing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Let’s try this one.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> The lights went out, but only in the
alleyway. Scott wasn’t close enough.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “How about this one?...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> When Scott switched it off, all the lights
went out – and he heard something click at the end of the hall. He had just
found the secret passage...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US"> Slowly, carefully, he opened the door and
listened to the distant noises coming from the basement. It sounded like this
was only a boiler room, with washing machines and maybe something else – a bit
louder, like the old printing machine they had at the newspaper.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott only had his pocket flashlight, so he
could only see a small circle of light on the wall, or on the floor, as it made
more sense for him to mind his steps.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> A wide spiral staircase was going down,
making Scott’s attempts at figuring out his surroundings seem rather hopeless.
He tried not to make too much noise as he went down those stairs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> The batteries in his flashlight must have
been dead. He couldn’t see a thing, when he got to the lower level. The noises
around him were hardly more precise – only he could discern some muffled cries
and protests.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> He
wasn’t alone.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> In the dark, the best thing to do was to
touch a wall and go around the room in a full circle. Scott extended his hands,
and felt a hard, cold, metallic surface at his fingertips...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Good. Now, all I need to do is...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott didn’t get to complete his sentence –
or his thought.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Suddenly, he felt grabbed by his wrists,
and thrown inside the room behind that metallic surface, which had to be
another door. Just as he had been pulled, he was pushed and made to turn so he almost fell on his ass, facing that door – only he didn’t fall flat, but found
himself sitting in a solid armchair, and a strong hand forced him to stay in
position against a headrest.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Everything had happened so fast that Scott
didn’t even protest. The device that held him in that sitting position had to
be purely mechanic: what he had taken for a hand wearing a glove was in fact a
metallic plate, curved to cling to his forehead, with a thick layer of sponge
to cushion the blow.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott was about to move when he felt his
wrists and ankles strapped in thick, metallic cuffs, as well as his arms and
forearms, and other plates resting on his knees heavily...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “What the...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> There was only one thing that could not be
remotely controlled. The door was closed with a discrete bang, and Scott could
swear that he heard a voice saying <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “You should have left and never come back.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott was so nervous that he couldn’t
recognize the voice. It was a man’s voice, but that wasn’t exactly a clue...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> The last thing he could hear rather
distinctly was a rack-type wheel being turned, like some oversized timer,
followed by a high-pitched bell.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Then the machines took over.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott was in a lot of pain, forced as he was
to stay sitting and immobile. His hip hurt more than ever, and so did his knee
with that amount of weight pressing against it. In the dark, he suddenly felt
like he was going to be strangled – or at least tortured – as his whole face
felt cold. Some kind of mask had been applied, then Scott felt something
against his teeth, forcing him to open his mouth, as wide as he could. When he tried to call out for help, he
felt a large tube against his tongue – going further and further, almost to his
tonsils.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> There was a distant, wheezing sound, and
Scott felt something thick being pumped into the back of his mouth, going down his throat. He
recognized the faint taste of rice pudding, and understood where he was in a
heartbeat: it had to be some kind of feeding machine. He was trapped inside a feeding machine!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott only got to guess what he was being
fed: rice pudding, oatmeal with lots of honey, chocolate mousse, cottage cheese
with plenty of jam, creamed corn, half-and-half, custard and whipped cream, apple-pie filling,
cream cheese, frozen yogurt, flan, whole milk and more...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US"> All that food was almost entirely liquid or gooey. Scott was forced to swallow more and more of everything at an alarmingly fast
pace! He almost forgot about the pain in his hip as he was focused on his swollen throat, right now. He could also feel his stomach expand by the minute, his intestines get hard
from being stuffed too fast, and the buttons of his pants pop open. Scott’s
second button actually hit the metallic door of that feeding machine like a
bullet!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US"> For a moment, Scott tried to resist, but he couldn't move. He couldn't even turn his head to the side. The feeding tube was inserted too far inside his throat, still pouring whole milk down his esophagus, bloating him mercilessly, which forced him to squirm on his chair. </span><br />
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US"> Much to his surprise, Scott felt the surface of his chair hardening and brushing against the fabric of his jeans, pulling them down, along with his briefs. Soon, the big boy found himself butt naked. While he would naturally feel cool in such a drafty basement, the surface felt cold and hard like porcelain. Scott was on some sort of toilet seat </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">–</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> and he would definitely not complain about it, as he already felt stuffed to the point of exploding...</span><br />
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “I guess it's better to just... let go, for now?” He thought.</span><br />
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US"> Letting go meant that he allowed himself to take a good leak. Some vacuum system started immediately. Its discrete humming encouraged Scott to keep going, just as the pressure in his throat and the constant flow in his guts forced him to go for some rather impressive bowel movements.</span><br />
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US"> It was the only thing in there that made him feel a bit better </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">–</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> but he wasn't out of his misery...</span><br />
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> Still completely in the dark, with a hard
mask over his face, Scott had no idea about how long he had already been
sitting in there. Every new kind of cream was forced down his throat in a
constant, rather gentle flow, with sudden and more powerful surges coming regularly to
force the young man’s jaws to catch up and gulp down – hard ! – then a greater
amount of soft food would be filling his stomach in no time...</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott tried to focus on the quantities he was
forced to eat. After a few changes, going from flan to rice pudding then back
to chocolate mousse, he felt like he was being forced half a gallon of
everything! The thought made him shiver, and he felt a cold tingling going down
his spine.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US"> This was worse than any kind of forced
feeding Scott had ever experienced. Even Rick wasn’t so rough... This was pure
torture.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US"> Much to his horror, Scott felt a second, much larger tube coming against his lips, against his teeth, going inside his mouth with another mask covering the lower part of his face. The first tube stopped pouring, and was automatically removed, sliding inside the second tube. Then the distant wheezing sounds of the machine changed </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">–</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> like w</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">heels turning faster, or a beehive going angry.</span><br />
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> Scott felt a much more powerful surge of food inside his mouth, which forced him to puff out his cheeks. It was almost as if he had just stuffed three whole doughnuts in there at once. Then his mouth was filled with what tasted like chocolate milk, and he had to gulp down immediately, before some similar amount of food was pushed automatically.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Moaning and groaning, the overfed young man squirmed grotesquely in
his armchair, unable to move except for his wobbling, expanding belly... Scott
felt his T-shirt riding up on him so much that the label at the bottom got to
the level of his tits. His shirt was now stretched to the point of ripping or
sending more buttons to knock against the door. Even as he tried to move, Scott
was forced to swallow and gulp down... He thought that he would faint at any
moment now.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>■ ■ ■</b><br />
<b><br /></b></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Swallow and gulp down...</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US"> Swallow and gulp down </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">–</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> hard</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">...</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US"> More and more – Scott’s eyes were closing. He
was exhausted.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
</span><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US"> Every now and then, he would piss like a horse </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">–</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> or worse. Then he didn't get to feel any better, as the machine seemed to know that his intestines were less full. More food was forced into his mouth immediately, faster than an ice-cream machine.</span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Swallow and gulp down... Keep going.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott’s forehead was sweating abundantly. He
understood why a thick piece of sponge had been attached to that mask. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Swallow and gulp down...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott couldn’t give up. Right now,
surrendering to the rhythm of the machine was the right thing to do. It was the
only thing to do.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott may have passed out, at some point,
then he felt something hard, poking at his stuffed and aching belly...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: justify;"> </span><i style="text-align: justify;">He had
just reached a certain size</i><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: justify;"> – his bellybutton had come against the off
switch, and the machine simply stopped.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>■ ■ ■</b><br />
<b><br /></b></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US"> It was too good to be true. </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">The feeding machine had
finally stopped.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott couldn’t stand on his legs. He was in
too much pain. His pants and boxers were still around his ankles. His shirt and T-shirt were too tight around his large keg of a belly. Then he stretched his back, and let out an endlessly echoing
belch.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRP!!!</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US"> Much to his surprise, he heard someone laughing.
It was a man, once again – or a boy </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">–</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">maybe the same man who had trapped him inside and
programmed the machine.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott couldn’t let anyone get away with such
a trick.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> He heard someone climbing the stairs, and
rushed to follow him. It was easier said than done, as his belly felt like a
ball in chain, weighing him down as if he had been eating bricks instead of
cream!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> But he had to catch that bastard – Scott
almost fell, climbing the stairs in long strides. He saw the light in the
alleyway through the door, as it was getting shut by the same device that he
had used. Scott was fast enough to catch the door at the last moment. He
wouldn’t let anyone keep him locked in anymore!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> In the dim light of the alleyway, Scott
couldn’t see the shape of the guy he was running after. He was already turning
around the corner, anyway. There wasn’t a second to lose...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott had never been much of a runner –
certainly not after his football injury. Heavy, stuffed and nervous, he was in
no condition to outrun a guy who seemed to go faster than a speeding bullet!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Then he had to find his way out of that maze.
Scott had no time to look for his markers – he was running on fumes, only
following his instincts. Turning right, then left, then out of the dorm and
into the main hall, climbing the stairs, going up to the first floor, climbing
that second flight of stairs...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> It was pointless. He had lost sight of him,
whoever it was.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott gave up. He couldn’t walk one step
further – the guy had definitely outrun him...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kIOjt1xqYLM/VTVuPqdFEyI/AAAAAAAAAbc/L3nBHJdwVX8/s1600/The%2BAugustine%2BMurders%2B14%2B-%2BScott%2Brunning.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" height="528" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kIOjt1xqYLM/VTVuPqdFEyI/AAAAAAAAAbc/L3nBHJdwVX8/s1600/The%2BAugustine%2BMurders%2B14%2B-%2BScott%2Brunning.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Scott? Are you okay?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “...Huh?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> The young journalist was exhausted. Looking
up, he saw the school’s male nurse coming his way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Phil?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “What’s happened to you? Boy, you look...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “I know, I... Huh...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">” Scott panted.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> He was ready to collapse on the cold,
slippery floor. This was a hall with offices and classrooms for students in their first year. The boys around here were only starting to grow plump. Then anyone around here could run decently fast. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott felt desperately frustrated. Running after that guy was a mistake. He may not be far ahead of him, but he
had disappeared... like a shadow.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Seriously, Scott... You look like you’ve
been chasing a ghost.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>■ ■ ■</b><br />
<b><br /></b></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="text-align: justify;">– “Does this hurt?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="text-align: justify;">”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “No, that’s... actually good.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “My hands aren’t too cold, I hope.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “They’re fine...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott agreed that a good massage was the
answer to all his troubles. Phil had invited him into his office. Lying on the
table, Scott had no choice than to be on his back – which was new for him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> The young doctor looked very much concerned.
Scott could imagine why. With his shirt, T-shirt and pants neatly folded on a chair next to the massage table, he looked like a white elephant. A pregnant elephant...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “How about your hip, there... when I do
this?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Ouch! Yeah, that hurts.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “And your knee?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Ouch! You son of a bitch!</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “It hurts, all right...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil proceeded to give him a careful and
thorough, full body massage. When he started rubbing his belly, Scott
remembered how Oda Mae Warren had warned him about the “spiritual” dimension of
his guts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Looking down, he admitted that he had never
been so big, or so round, in his whole life. Then something struck him as
strange: as Phil was gently rubbing his full stomach, he could swear that he
saw it expand even further!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Woooaaah! What kind of massage oil is this?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “The usual... why?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “I just thought that... It’s silly, really, but...
didn’t my belly just, like... grow before our eyes?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “How do you mean... grow?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Like an inflated balloon! Okay?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott had almost yelled. To his horror, he
could see his belly growing rounder and larger with every breath he took. Phil
let go and considered his friend like a doctor examining a case. Scott noticed
that the blonde man looked exhausted too, although not from being overfed but
simply from being overworked.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “It does strike me as odd, but I think
you’re right. Let me check something.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil took a long tape measure, slipped it
under Scott’s back and closed it around his enormous mound of guts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Hold still, please...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott tried to turn his body into a statue,
but his intestines were churning.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “There is no need to hold your breath...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”
Phil’s voice was soothing as always. Being with him helped Scott calm down
“Yes, something in your stomach is...”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil didn’t get to tell his friend. He was
interrupted by a most obnoxious belch.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRP!</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott felt red in the face, after such a
primal cry. Then he noticed that his belly looked noticeably smaller. It didn't feel so painful, for a moment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Just as I thought...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “What were you thinking?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;">– “You must have been drinking too much beer,
this afternoon.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “I didn’t drink any beer.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">Then you have been </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">eating something that contained a lot of
yeast. It must be what makes your belly swell so much...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Yeast?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">”</span><br />
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “I should think so.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”</span><br />
<br /></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US"> While he had no way to be sure, Scott found the suggestion rather strange. He had been stuffed with a lot of dairy products, and sweets, but yeast would be a bit extreme </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">– then his memories of the feeding machine were more than a bit extreme...</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="text-align: start;">– “Are you suggesting that I was stuffed yeast so my belly would just... swell and expand?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: start;">”</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="text-align: start;">– “I don't know... Just look at your belly now.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">”</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> Phil was right. The swelling in his belly wasn't only alarming as it was </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– i</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">t kept increasing, making Scott's situation worse and worse by the minute... The guy on the table was petrified.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="text-align: start;">– “Don't hold back. It's probably better for you to...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: start;">”</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="text-align: start;">– “What... burp?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: start;">”</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="text-align: start;">– “I think you have to.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: start;">”</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="text-align: start;">– “BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRP!</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: start;">”</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott felt a little better knowing that a
simple belch could save his life, right now – or a simple fart, as he immediately
proved on the massage table.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Okay...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">” Phil tried not to
laugh. </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">“There, there... You should be fine. This is only a lot of food, and yeast combined with the right ingredients is inflating your belly. It's just the same as a baker letting bread grow.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">”</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="text-align: start;">– “Did you just call me a dough boy?</span><span style="text-align: start;">”</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="text-align: start;">– “It couldn't get more accurate than this...</span><span style="text-align: start;">” Phil chuckled.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> The blonde doctor gave a gentle pat to Scott's belly, still helpless on the table, as his stomach felt like an anvil and his guts reached a truly impressive size, once again... The process was quite fast.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“This raises the question: What have you been eating today?”</span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “To be perfectly honest... I don’t know.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “You don’t remember?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US"> Scott answered with a booming and much needed belch.</span><br />
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRP!</span>”</span><br />
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Better out than in, I guess...</span>”</span><br />
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “You bet!</span>”</span><br />
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “So, what did you eat?</span>”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “I. don’t. know.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Okay...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil rubbed his forehead, like a man with a splitting headache. He had to sit down.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;">– “To be honest, I don’t remember what I had
for breakfast...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott remembered about his breakfast. He only had trouble with what he had been forcefed. The young journalist already knew how his friend suffered from memory lapses sometimes. Phil may be
only trying to be nice, though.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “What day is this?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Friday.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Really? I thought that you had to leave on
Friday.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;">– “I’m leaving tonight.” Scott rolled his
eyes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Why did you come back to Saint Augustine
Bells?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “I wanted to say good-bye to the people who
have welcomed me so nicely.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Oh? That’s good.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Come on! Don’t be a pussy! I had to try and
find something related to the case.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Michael’s murder.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Right.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “So... did you find anything?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> It was a fair question. Phil didn’t know
about the darkened alleyways, the dead end, the secret passage, the
basements... the feeding machine.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott had not even thought about putting one
and one together. Looking at his grotesquely bloated belly, still swelling at a
much slower pace, he suddenly remembered how he had seen Michael’s body, lying
on a table at the morgue – <i>exactly as he
was now</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “...Scott?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Huh... yes?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Are you sure that you’re okay? You just
looked terribly pale.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott couldn’t expect any less. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Phil... How much do you think I weigh?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Honestly?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Honestly.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “You look stuffed... I would say </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">240lbs.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Yes. I guess so.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US"> He had
to pause to let out another loud belch, followed by a long fart, almost as
loud... Phil simply looked away. The sun was going down, and he almost closed
his eyes.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “How much did Michael weigh... when he was,
you know...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “I don’t remember exactly.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “About 250lbs, am I right?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “More like 270lbs... and he was a lot shorter than you.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott was sweating again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Phil... </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">Am
I going to die?”</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">Don’t
be ridiculous...”</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">I
don’t want to die like Michael!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>■ ■ ■</b><br />
<b><br /></b></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Phil had to calm him down. Scott was almost
hysterical for a moment.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Why would you die... like Michael?
Honestly...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”</span><br />
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<br />
</span><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US"> Students had been warning Scott about it. They <i>had </i>to eat, or they would die just like Michael. It made perfect sense, if they were taken to that dark room and locked in those feeding machines when they were considered </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">“not overfed enough</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">” by Mr Swayn or someone else from the board of administrators.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US"> What if one machine stopped working correctly? What if it didn't stop at the right moment, and kept stuffing and stuffing the boy trapped inside? There must have been a few incidents in the past </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– maybe not lethal, but still seriously dangerous for the boys' health!</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US"> Then </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">Scott couldn't stop thinking about it </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– what if the machine had been programmed <i>on purpose</i>? What if one student had to be silenced once and for all? This would be easily explained, just like any other mishap...</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US"> Scott's deepest belief, which he couldn't dismiss, no matter how hard he had tried, was that the machine may have gone crazy </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– as if Ian's ghost had taken over the original program... or Michael's ghost, in Scott's case? What kind of evil spirits were at work in this school?</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> This was too much for Scott. He had to share his thoughts somehow.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “I have to tell you about something, but you
have to promise me two things.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Okay.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Number one: you have to believe me. I’m not
making this up.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">” Scott gave a sounding slap to his huge, quivering
belly. “Number two: you have to keep it to yourself. Do you promise?” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Sure...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">” Phil almost
yawned.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Do you promise?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">” Scott almost
yelled again.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Please, Scott... don’t get angry. I haven’t
slept last night, I’m really tired.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “What happened to you?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “I was on call at the hospital. Doctor
Lipton is out of town. The phone never stopped ringing. Then I had to work on
the latest check-ups of all the boys in school for Mr Porkenham. Then I was
in the middle of coaching Rick when I got a call from Mr Thorne, who had chest
pains. That’s when I saw you... and I only know what I did because I wrote
every appointment in my notebook.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Okay...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “So, let me help you with this: number one,
I trust you. No questions asked. Now tell me what you have found.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “How about number two?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Oh... I forgot.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “You have to keep it a secret.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “I guess I will, if I forget what you have
told me...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Then
Scott told Phil about the feeding machine, and how he had spent hours locked in
there, being force-fed and stuffed almost to the point of bursting like an
overcooked sausage!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil
was listening patiently. He was back in the game, and focused.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US"> When
Scott was done, he waited for a reaction. Phil didn't provide much of a response. Scott would have appreciated a little more feedback </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> so he started asking questions immediately.</span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Michael was allergic, right?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Yes. Analyses confirmed that he was
allergic to kiwi, mango, and a variety of nuts or seeds. Poor kid...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Then he died of... what did you call it
again?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Anaphylactic shock.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Right. Then... you told me that allergies
like this caused some kind of swelling and the boy choked?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “That’s how he died, unfortunately.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Then, if his throat was shut tight, the
swelling in his belly only got worse and worse, and...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott had to let out another endless, booming
belch.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRP!!!</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil had already caught his drift.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Yes... He couldn’t belch and let it out.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott
was out of breath. He had to close his eyes – then he saw the vision he had
already seen, in his dream. Everything was bathed in light. According to Oda
Mae’s reading, this would mean that Death had won the battle. Death was everywhere...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Then
his eyes got accustomed to the light – it was pure fire. Death had lost the
battle. Scott was saved. There was no Death! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> He opened his eyes, and turned his head to
face Phil.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">–
“</span><span lang="EN-US">I
know how Michael was killed!”</span> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>■ ■ ■</b><br />
<b><br /></b></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">The sun was down. Scott had little more than
an hour to catch his train.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Are you sure that you should leave?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “I’m not leaving. I will see my boss, first
thing on Monday. Then I will tell him the whole story, and I will be back with
everything I need to solve this case.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Okay...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil didn’t look quite convinced. Scott was
feeling better, but it may not be safe to let him travel, even by night train.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott waved at him. Now that he knew that he
wasn’t leaving for good, he felt like a weight had been lifted off his chest –
metaphorically speaking. The weight he felt in his gut was nothing in
comparison. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> As Scott was walking on school grounds, he
spotted the gardener’s pavilion – where he had enjoyed quite a few naps, after
an afternoon long massage or an even longer eating binge with Rick. The thought
made him smile. He was in a good mood. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> The door to the pavilion suddenly clapped and
creaked. It was only the wind, but Scott found it strange. He remembered that
the place was abandoned, and rather carefully closed. Scott had his security
pass, but no one should have left the door opened like this. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott should have ignored this. He was in a
hurry, after all – not that he cared too much about missing his train, but he
didn’t want to give his boss any reason to complain, when he was about to ask
him something important.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Curiosity got the better of him. Scott knew
that he couldn’t resist his urge to spend one last moment in that lonely place.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> As soon as he was in there, Scott saw white
footsteps almost glowing in the nocturnal light. Scott’s own footsteps were black
and muddy on the dusty floor. Plaster had been falling off the ceiling. Then someone
must have come upstairs recently.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> And no footsteps were there to show that
someone had been coming out of the pavilion.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott felt nervous again. He looked at the
furniture around him, which he had come to know pretty well: the long couch
where he used to take a nap, the dessert table, the mahogany sculpted chairs,
the garden chairs in painted wicker, the shards of broken glass and the petals
of dead roses...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> So stealthy as he could be, Scott climbed the
stairs. He had never been to the first floor. There was only one large room,
with bay windows and balconies on all sides. The floor was definitely quite
dusty.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Then Scott saw something and almost panicked.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Oh my God!</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Mr Huggins was there, sitting in an
armchair, facing the door. His hands were really pale and tense. His eyes were bulging
out of his face, his mouth gaping and his tongue hanging in a grotesque grimace
of pain. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott had to catch his breath before looking
at him again – white like a blanket, except for his blood-shot eyes and red
marks around his neck. The poor guy had been strangled.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>■ ■ ■</b><br />
<b><br /></b></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Sheriff Maxwell was getting impatient.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Okay, lock this place down. We’ll take him
away in the morning.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil
had been called to examine the body. Strangulation was the obvious cause of
death.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “When would you say he was killed?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Sometimes yesterday. Then this pavilion is
quite cool and drafty. Insect activity will provide a better estimation.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Cold place, all right.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”
The sheriff rubbed his belly with both hands.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> He didn’t look happy about all this. Having
to deal with another murder – one that couldn’t get dismissed as an accident so
easily, like Michael’s murder... – and the perspective of police reports to be
typed, filed and classified with more paperwork for various administrations
made him angry. Scott had a hunch that a magnificent dinner was waiting for him
at home...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Hey, doc!</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Yes?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “What’s your name already?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Phil. Hewdge.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Okay doc, what would you say if he was
killed earlier today?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Early in the morning?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Yeah.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “It looks a bit unlikely, but I wouldn’t say
that it is impossible.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott was wondering why the sheriff kept
asking questions like that. The whole staff of Saint Augustine Bells had come
to the scene, and left. Mr Porkenham was shocked. Mr Thorne had to sneeze to
avoid crying. Mr Swayn tried not to smirk. Rick tried to keep his work shirt
closed...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> It was almost 8:30. Scott would definitely
miss his train, unless sheriff Maxwell called the station and took him there in
his car.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Sheriff...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Yes?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “I don’t want to bother you with your
investigation, but...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">You’re
not bothering me. You’re going to follow me.”</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">What?
Where?”</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “To the precinct, of course. </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">You’ve
found the body. You’re our first witness. I have questions for you.”</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“But</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">...”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Sheriff Maxwell meant business. As a matter
of fact, Scott saw him take his handcuffs from his belt. Not that he didn’t
enjoy a little kinky play with cuffs, but Scott knew that it wouldn’t go down
that way with the man...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Wait... What are you doing with these?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Just a reminder. In most cases, the first
witness is also the primary suspect.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “You’re suspecting me? Come on!</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “What were you doing here in the first
place?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “I... Huh...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “I thought that you had a train to catch.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “I had some time before it...</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”
Too late, it was 8:30. “...leaves.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “What were you doing on campus today,
anyway?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “I wanted to say... good-bye.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Oh! cut the crap!</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil was still there. He was busy taping off
the crime scene, as the sheriff had asked him to do something useful. Scott
knew how tired he was, but he could be help him now.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “I was with Rick all morning, today. And I
went to see Phil in the afternoon.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Who’s Phil?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “He’s standing right behind you.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Oh, right... Hey, doctor. Did Scott spend
the afternoon with you?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “He did?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">” Phil looked as if
he was trying to calculate the square root of 1990. “I don’t know.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “What now?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">” The sheriff
shouted. “You don’t remember?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Honestly... No, I don’t.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Sheriff Maxwell turned to Scott.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “Anything else you wanted to tell me, like that?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “You’re not going to arrest me, are you?</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">– “It doesn’t feel like such a bad idea, right
now.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil finally came up with something
helpful. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">He
has a right to call his people on the phone.”</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">Right...
Well, go ahead.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">Scott
didn’t know what to do. Then he saw the sheriff smile and wink at him. Phil
was also smiling, behind him. They both knew. This brought some colors back to the young journalist’s cheeks.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">Mr Horn?”</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">Speaking.
Who is it?”</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">It’s
me, boss. Scott Girder.”</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“Scott! </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">Still
in Biberton, huh?”</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">I’m
afraid so. I’m under arrest.”</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">...What?”</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">–
“</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">I’ve
just been arrested... for murder.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">Sitting
in his armchair with a white handkerchief over his face – his arms stretched
out, his shirt slightly opened revealing his hollow chest, his beer belly
resting in his lap – Mr Huggins’ body was pale, almost glowing in the
shadow... like a ghost.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">(<i>To</i></span><i><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span></i><i><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">be</span></i><i><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </span></i><i><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">continued</span></i><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">...)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Next season:</span><i><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> « Poison »</span></i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5094005257601699515.post-37036348234990743712015-02-08T05:51:00.004-08:002022-12-18T11:37:26.128-08:00The Augustine Murders - Season 2, Episode 6<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cz467db2oR4/VNdpXJICj7I/AAAAAAAAAak/DloHjqxZg64/s1600/The%2BAugustine%2BMurders%2B-%2BTitle%2B2.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cz467db2oR4/VNdpXJICj7I/AAAAAAAAAak/DloHjqxZg64/s1600/The%2BAugustine%2BMurders%2B-%2BTitle%2B2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>II.6</b></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b></b></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> “On ne devine pas qu’il a le ventre plein;</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Et c’est lui, bien gavé, qu’on accueille et qu’on plaint!”</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> (People don’t know how full his belly is;</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; text-indent: 1.23cm;"> And, stuffed so well, he’s welcomed and pitied!)</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="right" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;">Edmond ROSTAND</span></div>
<div align="right" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>Les deux Pierrots ou le souper blanc – sc. 4</i></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><i>February 12</i></span></span><sup><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><i>th</i></span></span></sup><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><i>, 1990</i></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> – Monday</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“I</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> am... so... stuffed...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott kept repeating those words – with moans, and whispers, and sighs. Even as he was silent and trying to stand still, his thoughts kept running in circles, slower and slower, like horses passing through a muddy river.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Phil had helped him walk through the empty lobby and get into the lift. Scott was in his bedroom now – alone, and exhausted. It took him a minute to take off his shirt and T-shirt, tight as they were around his chest, then he let out another long sigh of relief.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">BUUURRRP!” Scott blushed. “Oops...”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Being shirtle</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">ss helped him feel better, but that wasn’t enough. Scott tried to get the top button of his jeans opened – then he realized that it had been for a while... along with the next three buttons. As a matter of fact, his pants looked like the seams were simply tattooed on his butt and thighs, and they couldn’t be pulled down any further unless he took them off entirely.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I swear, the cleaning service in this hotel could do a MUCH better job... These pants must have shrunk again!”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott managed to pull them a bit with his thumbs in the pockets around his crotch. Even his boxer shorts felt painfully tight. His movements reminded him of a grass snake trying to leave its outer skin sloughed in one piece – something a cold-blooded reptile could achieve, but it was an almost impossible task for him at the moment...</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Come on! I can’t pull them down... I can’t peel them off...” Scott patted his full belly once again. “Looks like I can’t pull it off either.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> In the dark, Scott could only feel the weight of his full belly, and imagine its shape – not to mention its size... His whole midsection had to look like a beach ball. He could feel it rumbling and groaning. As he slowly rubbed the soft expanse of flesh around his navel, with both hands, he also felt how warm it was, almost feverish – radiating so much heat that Scott wondered if his belly wasn’t growing bigger and rounder with every breath he took.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I am... so... stuffed! I must have consumed 40.000 calories in one sitting...”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Phil’s invitation for dinner at </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><i>Matt’s</i></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> had turned into a rather unexpected but exhilarating experience. There was no doubt that Scott had never eaten so much in a single meal until that night. What little pauses he had taken were nothing compared to the sheer amounts of food he had been served – a genuine stuffing marathon...</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> There were mirrors on the walls in the bathroom. Scott heard the fabric of his jeans creak, and threaten to rip in strategic places, as he walked to the switch... In the dark, the tall guy only pushed the first button, which provided a very dim and almost ghostly light.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> It was probably for the best. Scott wasn’t particularly keen on watching how big and full he was in the mirrors. Curiosity had brought him this far, but he needed to be reassured somehow.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> The large, circular hot tub was ready for him with water jets, foam and bubbles. Scott didn’t hesitate.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Okay... these pants are ruined anyway.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> The young journalist took a pair of scissors by the sink, and followed the seams along his thighs and legs. He also cut the waistband of his boxers as his moves were rather clumsy. Scott was still tipsy from all that French wine.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">That’s more like it...”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Naked in the hot tub, Scott was finally able to relax. Spreading his arms around the circle of porcelain and stretching his legs in the water, his body still felt like it was growing, more and more – larger – larger and rounder – like a sponge...</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> With powerful, hot water jets massaging his back and lower back, Scott’s sides were jiggling and wiggling. He rubbed his stomach with a lazy hand. It felt round, solid and heavy like a bowling ball. His intestines were groaning and grumbling like an industrial butter churn. Scott participated to the bubbles in his whirlpool bath with an enormous fart.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> That helped him release some of the pressure.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Still, as he tried to shift his weight for a more comfortable position, Scott found that his butt would be easier moved if he was sitting in the water holding a pair of anvils against his chest... He let out one last sight, giving up.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I am... so... stuffed...”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>■ ■ ■</b><br />
<b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott’s eyes were closed.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> The darkness around him seemed to fade away. He was bathing in sunlight. His body felt a lot lighter too. There was no need for him to stand up. As a matter of fact, when he opened his eyes, he had to look down to find the ground. He had to be standing on top of a mountain, at the edge of a cliff, for such a view: the horizon was far, far away. The sun was rising, and so was he – but he didn’t feel anything under his feet.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Looking further down, Scott saw no mountain, no cliff... The valleys and hills beneath him were simply hundreds of feet under his body. Something didn’t feel right. Why was he naked, up there?</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Why was he faced down so much, and not falling? And where were his feet?</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> The answer to Scott’s concerns was simple enough: he was floating high in the air, like a hot air balloon. That was also the reason why he couldn’t see his feet. They had to be somewhere, but his whole body was round and full to bursting...</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;">Now that his eyes were more accustomed to the light around him, Scott found his arms ridiculously small, compared to his gigantic body. His chest was reduced to a pair of smaller, slightly sagging balloons as well.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott’s body was floating and slowly moving in the wind. There was a gentle, warm breeze over the hills. The sky above him was shiny, blue and deep like an ocean. The pastures were an ideal shade of green. It was so silent and peaceful that Scott surrendered to that feeling of well-being, as his body kept growing and swelling. For a moment, his underbelly rested on a bank of fluffy, white clouds. He let out a long moan of delight.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Then he saw a different cloud in the distance. It was grey rather than white, long and thin like a trail of smoke. Scott’s attention was drawn to it as it looked like a rocket. I moved just the same, at an alarming speed...</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> When it was close enough for Scott to tell, it turned out to be nothing more than a dark cloud – but an angry one, assuming that clouds could get angry. Its rush made Scott’s ballooning body rock to the side and wobble. Then he got caught in a whirlwind, as the bank of white clouds seemed to react to such an assault from the dark cloud. Scott felt them surrounding him and catching him like a feast closing on his belly.</span></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Then the sun hit him in the eyes, and he cried for help.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> That wasn’t the sun. Scott was amazed to see another cloud, fiery and bright, just so vague and alive as the others – like a dragon’s breath or feathers from a phoenix. It was blazing furiously, and a fight began between the elements.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott understood then that they were fighting for him. He couldn’t move, but he heard a loud, ominous voice tell him</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">You belong to the dark...”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;">Another voice, softer but deeper, no less harrowing, told him</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">You belong to the light...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott was tempted to shut his eyes, clench his fist against them so he wouldn’t see, but the thunder rolled around him and he was too terrified to ignore that fight. The whole sky was torn to shreds, scratched in black and white – with a long line of fire going through it like an even deeper scar...</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Then something happened that caught Scott’s attention immediately. He had not noticed that a great crowd of people had gathered on top of a hill. They were far below, but Scott saw that they had built some sort of butterfly net – and they seemed determined to catch him.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">You belong to the ground...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> There was a large round of laughter, and Scott suddenly felt the large circle of that net around his belly, like a new waistband cutting into his soft flesh. He was pulled down with surprisingly great strength – so fast that it felt like a fall – then Scott opened his eyes...</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> He was sitting again, in a dark room – sweating profusely as the temperature had to be about 120. He couldn’t see a thing. He could get up. His legs moved desperately, in the water. Scott felt wet up to the waist, maybe a little above the waist. Of course, he was in his hot tub when he had fallen asleep. It was strange, however, that the surface should oppose such resistance when he was floating and trying to raise his body from that tub. For some reason, Scott pictured himself like a fish in a frozen pond, trying to catch a breath and get through a hole drilled in the ice – except he was too large to fit through that hole.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Everything became clear then. He was no longer sitting in his tub. It was just as big, and filled with hot water, but made of cold steel instead of porcelain. It was a cauldron, and the water was slowly boiling around him – or under him, as the edge clung to his belly, front, sides and back like a large, burning ring.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott panicked. He was so fat that his body worked like a cork on top of a boiler about to explode from too much heat and pressure. Things could only get worse from then on: he was trapped in an impossible time bomb!</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> A strange voice whispered in the dark:</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">You belong to us... fat boy!”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>■ ■ ■</b><br />
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<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott’s eyes were wide opened.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> It was only a dream, and his scream of horror may have been completely silent. The people sleeping in the next room wouldn’t complain to the hotel about him – one warning about the noises he made while having sex with the bell boy was enough. Everything felt real, however – so real that Scott wiped the sweat from his face and forehead with a towel, trying to keep his eyes opened and stop thinking about long clouds fighting in the sky in a frenzy of light and darkness.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> For a long moment, Scott simply focused on breathing – then he saw his chest and belly going up and down in the water with each breath. He rested his left hand on top of his stomach and found it reasonably full, only much bigger than he remembered. He did the same with his right hand, gently pushing against his liver, with similar results: it felt heavy and engorged, a lot softer than usual, with a thick layer of skin around it...</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott grabbed his sides and squeezed budding love handles that seemed only too eager to grow. He reached for his underbelly with both hands and brought a massive ball of dough to the surface – glistening rolls of fat, quivering with every move he made, and with his navel on top like a crease ready to plant a sign with the price for such a pile of butter.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">God! When did I get so... fat?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Turning to the mirror on the wall, he saw how changed his face was: it was only a bit fuller, but his cheeks had grown noticeably rounder, and there was a hint of a double chin. One only had to look at his neck to guess that Scott had a strong appetite, just as his sensual lips betrayed the glutton inside him, with a taste for fried foods and sweets.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott was shocked. He was fat – he couldn’t deny it any longer. He felt fat. He felt the weight of it, the warmth and fuzziness of it. He was dreaming about it. He was haunted by it...</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> And, just as he was about to cry, he let out a long, shameless moan of pleasure like a wild animal in heat.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px;">
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>■ ■ ■</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> 7AM – Scott was anxious. The breakfast buffet was always so rich and varied at the Paddington Hotel. It was impossible for him to eat a “light breakfast”. Lately, a “light” breakfast meant six plates piled high with </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en">scrambled eggs, bacon and sausages, poached eggs with mushrooms and fried dumplings, potato scones, full baguettes sliced and spread with butter, jam and cream or chocolate paste – not to mention the </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">apple pies, strawberry pies and blueberry pies </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en">he couldn’t resist.</span></span></span></div>
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– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">No wonder I’m getting fat...”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> Overeating didn’t make him feel guilty or anything, but he was amazed that two large plates of eggs and bacon couldn’t satisfy his hunger anymore. There was something about the food. It was delicious, and Scott couldn’t get enough – even when he knew that he would have to go through a small mountain of boxes full of pies and pastries, doughnuts and</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> cinnamon rolls in Richard Wingrave’s office, in Saint Augustine Bells...</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"> No matter how tasty the food was in Biberton, Scott was amazed at his own appetite. There had to be another explanation.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> It may be a very simple explanation too. Will had already commented on the strange atmosphere in Biberton – the wide, open spaces, the lack of smog over the town and the </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><i>Biberton Brewing Brothers</i></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> factory close by, the comfortable lifestyle in the county... Scott had quit smoking recently, and he didn’t even feel the need for a cigarette. What would be the point, when his boss was miles and miles away, when he had not seen his tiny office for more than a month, when his job was finally exciting without being stressful?</span></span></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> The mystery surrounding Michael’s death was still fascinating him. Scott usually lost interest in an assignment, a job or a lover, after a few hours or a few days at best. This was different. The young journalist couldn’t tell why he was ready to keep working on this case, but he remembered Phil’s advice: he should follow his intuition – then ask questions.</span></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott got back to his bedroom and decided to put on his best suit as he was about to meet Michael’s mother, Mrs Astern. She had seen him wearing it at the funeral. That was barely three weeks ago, and he couldn’t get the zipper to close up to his pants’ top button – which wouldn’t get closed if he breathed in to the point of getting red in the face...</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Come on! Seriously...”</span></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> It was pointless. His pants were simply two sizes too small for him now – two sizes at least... Scott sighed and let go, then he saw what a big ball of dough he carried over that straining waistband, in the bedroom mirror.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I’ve really grown fat... Did I sleep in my hot tub for a month, or what?”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott tried to put on his jacket, thinking that he may cheat and keep his pants on with his leather belt. It felt tight around his chest, but Scott could get enough buttons closed so the mess with his pants wouldn’t be visible.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"> His white shirt was another matter. Two buttons would just not go all the way to their holes, at the level of Scott’s navel. He could hardly breathe and his neck was a bit too thick for his collar. Scott put on a nice tie to cover it up.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"> What he couldn’t hide, in spite of all his efforts, was how painfully tight he was in his designer clothes. The young journalist’s midsection looked like a sausage prepared with too much stuffing, and about to pop.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I shouldn’t have eaten so much breakfast...”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Complaining wouldn’t do him any good. Besides, his stomach was only angry against his confining shirt and jacket, but happily groaning from the massive amounts of food Scott had put in store there.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"> After a few hesitant steps, Scott found that he could walk, sit down and stand up without too much pain – and no buttons popping like bullets. He took the lift and got to the top floor. Mrs Astern had agreed to meet him privately, in the hotel’s conference room, for her interview.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"> She was still wearing black, and Scott made a good impression on her as he looked like a man in mourning – although his expression was due to the leather belt cutting into his underbelly. There were two flunkies with her, going back and forth, answering the phone for her in the next room, presenting printed notes for her to read or sign with a pen they handed to her, silent and bowing.</span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Mrs Astern told them to leave her alone with “Mr Girder” – Scott wasn’t quite used to being referred to as a “Mister”, and it lifted a weight off his shoulders. He wished that it had been lifted off his belly, but he sat down more naturally than he expected. Some kind of butler brought a tray with coffee and cookies. Mrs Astern asked him for a cigarette, then she made a gesture at Scott: he could talk to her.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"> The interview started with condolences and mundane questions. Scott couldn’t develop any of his questions, as he was a bit out of breath. Mrs Astern was wearing large sunglasses – she had not taken them off – and it made him a bit uncomfortable: she kept staring at him while he couldn’t get her to express any emotion. They were off to a bad start.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Suddenly, she asked him out of the blue.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Have you found any clue, about my son’s murder?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Murder...”</span></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott had only repeated her last word, but they exchanged the first real look in their meeting. She knew. Scott should have known. She had only accepted to meet him because he was looking for Michael’s killer or killers.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I have found a few leads... It’s still vague.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Tell me. What did you find out?”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"> It didn’t take long for Scott, as he chose his words carefully. He didn’t tell him about the strange messages he had received, the “I.M.N.” riddle or that ancient story of forced feeding, death and revenge from a ghost. He presented her with a few simple facts, the video feed from the security camera he had printed on cassette tapes, the testimonies from his classmates and teachers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> Scott didn’t want to tell Mrs Astern about some of his more disturbing findings – like the strange activities in that school, which may be related to their </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><i>Quiet Diet </i></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">policy. He was reluctant to share such information, considering that he was talking to the victim’s mother.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Mrs Astern was listening – then she interrupted him again, with a comment Scott didn’t expect from her.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Some men are meant to be fat.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I beg your pardon?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">You heard me. Some men are meant to be fat... They enjoy life in such a way that they eat too much. Naturally, they get fat. And they deal with it. There’s nothing wrong about it...” She paused. “Michael wasn’t meant to grow fat.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott didn’t know what to do with such an opinion. Was it directed toward him? He would probably avoid the cookies on that plate, and drink his coffee black for a change.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"> It was an opportunity to ask her about Michael, at least. He had not gathered much information from the people in and out of Saint Augustine Bells.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Would you like to tell me something about your son? What was he like?”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Mrs Astern left her cigarette in the ashtray. Asking a mother about her dead son would mean opening the floodgates – Scott assumed that much. She painted quite a picture of how clever he was, how brilliant he was in all his classes except gym, how he kept in touch with her when he was at school...</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott listened, but he had trouble figuring how such a well-adjusted teenager could live in a preparatory school meant for misbehaving, disturbed kids, violent or addicted to something – he would have stuck out like a sore thumb in that environment.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Then his parents shouldn’t have sent him to Augustine Bells in the first place.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Mrs Astern may be lying to keep up appearances. She may also feel guilty for taking such a decision. Scott had to ask.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Why did Michael come to study in this school, in Biberton?”</span></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> There was a moment of uncomfortable silence. Mrs Astern answered almost angrily, her lips tightened.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">My husband signed his application form. I had nothing to do with it.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"> That was no answer, and she was perfectly aware of it – but she also knew that Scott wouldn’t insist. He had to find another way to make her talk.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">You know...” he hesitated. “I have only seen your son’s dead body. I didn’t get to see his face or anything. May I see a picture of Michael?”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> For the first time since Scott had seen her, Mrs Astern smiled. She opened her purse and took a few photos from her wallet. Scott took a look at them, one by one. Michael was a short boy, quite thin when he was a child, with dark hair and guileless, hazel eyes – rather cute, in Scott’s opinion.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">What do you think?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">He looks quite nice...”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott was looking at a picture of Michael when he was 17 – still short, still thin but growing up to be a really handsome young man. Scott couldn’t help noticing his smile, a bit mischievous with his delicately pouty lips. The young journalist knew that smile. He had seen it before – he had some practice in that area... It reminded him of his own method when he hooked up in high school: an innocent, shy and engaging smile, with just the right amount of sensual tease.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"> There was no doubt about it. Scott also considered the way he posed and how well-dressed he was. That boy was on his way to become quite a seducer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">This is a recent picture...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Was this before your husband sent him away?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Yes... Our last happy Summer.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott looked at the picture. Mrs Astern was sitting in her garden, on a large, white wicker chair, wearing a white dress. Michael was standing next to her, almost like a guardian angel. He was more handsome than in any of his previous pics, with his hair cut short and a lean face, looking like a young adult instead of a child.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> But he wasn’t smiling on this picture. There was sadness in his eyes, his pose was less affirming than before – his expression was anxious, almost distressed. He was looking away, like a man trying to escape. Scott was actually impressed. These pictures revealed a young man with more personality than the journalist had in mind. He wouldn’t write the same about his last days in Augustine Bells, from now on.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">This is the last picture I have of him...”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott was still considering the growth and changes in Michael, but he wasn’t quite prepared for this new pic.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Michael was wearing his school uniform. It was clearly three or four sizes larger than his previous clothes, but it fit him rather snugly. His face was much fuller, and his cheekbones were a lot less visible than his cherub cheeks. He must have put on an easy sixty pounds... He wasn’t smiling.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"> His eyes were still shining with anxiety.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> There was something strange about that pic – something dark, like a shadow hanging over the boy’s short, plump figure. Scott couldn’t be more fascinated. For some reason, the darkness surrounding Michael felt familiar. He had seen it before – at the morgue, for instance...</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott had also seen that shadow, or at least felt its darkness, when he had first watched Michael going to his bedroom on video. The light bulbs in the hallway may be old and dusty, the camera may have a low resolution and be out of focus – all that didn’t explain the gloom and doom of that particular moment.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> He didn’t want to comment on that last pic.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Thank you...”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Mrs Astern took the pictures and put them back in her wallet. Looking into her purse, she seemed to hesitate, then presented Scott with a small leather-bound book – a notebook or a diary.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">This is my son’s journal...”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott let her talk about it.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Mr Porkenham has kept most of Michael’s </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">personal belongings</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">”</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">... as he told me. I had to insist to get his journal, with his family pictures and a few books.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> After a last moment of silence, she handed it to Scott.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> The young journalist opened the diary and skipped through the pages. Michael’s handwriting was really small. Every page was covered with chicken scratch, even in the margin... Scott had to look really closely to read it.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">Jan. 15</span></span><sup style="line-height: 13.3333px;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">th</span></span></sup><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> – GC. S: “LLL” – B... What does it mean?”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I know, my son had his own system, very elliptic... GC means German Class. Michael was often discussing with foreign students in Saint Augustine Bells. He helped them with their English, and he learned from them as well.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Okay. How about that... S: LLL, B ?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">I don’t know...” Mrs Astern thought about it. “Michael had recently told me about Shakespeare. S could be a reference, then LLL must also refer to </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><i>Love’s Labour’s Lost</i></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">. In Michael’s system, B means that he brought the book back to the library.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I see...</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Michael's scribbling was both difficult to read and to understand. Scott only saw a few words fully written, here and there, among enigmatic notes, such as the series:</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana; line-height: 0.59cm;">Kg6 Kb6, Kxg7 f5, Kf6! f4, Ke5 f3, Kd6 f2, c7 f1Q, c8Q Qf4+, Kd5 ½-½.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Is that some sort of code?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">It’s classic notation for a game of chess... This looks like an endgame.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Okay...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott skipped through a few more pages. His forehead was starting to sweat. He had trouble breathing in such a tight shirt and jacket, but Michael’s intellect also baffled him. More notes and initials. More code. Scott welcomed the first two lines of fully written words.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-align: justify;"> “</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><i>Si numeres anno soles et nubila toto,<br /> Invenies nitidum sæpius isse diem</i>.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-align: justify;">”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Michael had translated those lines in fine print.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">If you count the sunny and the cloudy days of the year, you will find that the sunshine prevails. Ovid, </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><i>Tristia –</i></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> V, 8...”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> There was nothing for Scott in all that... Skipping to the last pages, the young journalist found them blank – naturally. Turning back to Michael’s last entry in the journal, Scott found that he had only written two initials at the bottom of the page, about “10PM”.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Jan. 21</span><sup style="line-height: 13.3333px;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">st </span></span></sup><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">: </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">M–</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">D.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">That M sign with a line meant </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><i>meeting</i></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">, in Michael’s system.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">So he was going to meet someone... on that night, when he was...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Murdered. Yes.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>■ ■ ■</b><br />
<br /></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott had to take a nap after his interview with Mrs Astern. He was still out of breath, and sweating like a sponge even after he had taken a cold shower...</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Slowly pacing in his bedroom, naked, Scott finally got to relax. He had made some major progress, thanks to Mrs Astern. She would send him a full copy of her son’s journal. Scott could also count on her support to keep digging into the mysteries of Saint Augustine Bells.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> He was only concerned with one pesky detail. His boss, Mr Horn, wanted him back by Monday – which meant that he had less than a week left to complete his research... When he mentioned it to Mrs Astern, she agreed that he couldn’t accomplish much in so little time, and she offered to call the newspaper to allow him another month in Biberton. They parted on words of mutual encouragement.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Yet Scott knew that tone. Mrs Astern wouldn’t lift a finger to help him. She could have called Mr Horn when he was still there. The young journalist had to find another way out...</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I really don’t want to leave...” Scott sighed, then he patted his bulging belly. “I don’t know... It may be for my own good.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott decided to run a few errands in town, to clear his mind. His first stop was at the mall, where he bought new pants and a few shirts. They were cheap, but Scott would mingle easier in that crowd of lumberjacks he had seen roaming in the streets.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> He felt a lot better, wearing jeans four sizes larger than his old designer pants.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> His next visit was to the local newspaper, the </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><i>Biberton Bugle</i></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">. He was received immediately, and politely introduced in the editor’s office.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott’s intentions were to look into the archives, to read all the articles covering the fire in Saint Augustine Bells in 1932, with all the details he could find about Ian McNeill, the prison guard who was forcefed to death – then he would like to follow the line of events regarding his revenge as a ghost.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> Considering the director’s warmth toward him, Scott had something different in mind, more strategic: why should he go back to a job he hated in a second-rate newspaper, working for someone he despised? What if he was offered a better position at the </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><i>Biberton Bugle</i></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">?</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> He was immediately disappointed – on both accounts.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">This is where we keep our files.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I would like to check the boxes from January and February 1932...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">1932?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Yes.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">I am sorry, but the </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><i>Biberton Bugle</i></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> didn’t keep a record of its daily issues until 1960. There may be a few older copies or clippings in the local library.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Oh...”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> Scott left the building, thinking that the </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><i>Biberton Bugle</i></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> was a really modest newspaper. Even if he was hired, he wouldn’t get paid much, and he wouldn’t be able to keep inquiring about Michael’s death.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> His situation was more delicate than ever. Mr Horn must have taken a look at his hotel bill, and his expenses as a reporter amounted to a few thousand bucks already... Scott didn’t know what to do.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I need a beer...”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>■ ■ ■</b><br />
<br /></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: start;"> Scott had seen enough scribbling for one day, so we was taking notes in his own book rather slowly, while sipping on his second beer.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: start;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Meeting D...”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Sitting in his favorite diner with a plate of fried chicken and pickles, Scott tried to make a list. “D” could mean a first name. He had met a few people whose names started with a D.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Let’s see. Number one: Daniel Hilton – one of Michael’s classmates... Number two: Dirk Swayn – tutor and lecturer at Augustine Bells... Number three: Dylan Huggins – secretary. Number four: Diana Spread – chef... Number five: Father Dean Knox – priest...”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott ordered a third beer, and considered what he had come up with.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">That’s five people already.” Scott let out a sigh. “Tough...”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> It could also be a last name. Miss Astern had already implied that Michael kept his distance with the people around him. Scott had met two students who also happened to sleep next to Michael’s bedroom. Number one: on the left side, Brad Dulles. Number two: on the right side, Owen Dickson.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">We’ll have to call it a tie.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> It could be an adult, of course. Scott gave it a thought. The only name he could come up with was Robert Desmond, mayor of Biberton.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I wonder why a boy like Michael should meet the mayor... unless he had to tell him something big about Augustine Bells...</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> There were enough secrets about the school to warrant investigation. The local administration could also be involved.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Hmmm... What else?”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> Scott considered his other options. “D” could refer to a title. Miles Thorne was the dean of boys in Augustine Bells. Gregory Porkenham was the director... It could also be a nickname. Scott had heard a few students referring to Richard </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-GB">Wingrave as </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><i>Dickie</i></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">That’s a bit far-fetched... I already have too many suspects, as it is.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> A shadow covered the page as he was looking at his list of names. Scott turned and saw Mr Huggins standing behind him.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“H</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">i there... Boy, you look like you could use another one of those.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Mr Huggins waved to the bartender, making a V sign.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">I could also use a good </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en">“lazy groundhog” cocktail, right now</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott quickly closed his notebook.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">How are you doing, Mr Huggins?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Please, call me Dylan.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Okay...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">The real question here is: how are you doing with your investigation?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Honestly? So-so...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I see... You got to interview Mr Thorne, didn’t you?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I did. He told me a few things, but I’m afraid that it was a dead end, or I have reached a point where I don’t know where to turn.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Dead end, huh?” Mr Huggins chuckled, taking a good swig of beer. “I guess you could say that, but your investigation started just the same, with a boy’s death... You see, Death is only the beginning.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> He winked at Scott, grabbing a few pickles from his plate.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Is Ian’s ghost story famous in Biberton?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Famous? I wouldn’t say that. It’s certainly become quite popular in our school, lately! Mr Porkenham called for a special meeting yesterday, with our complete staff, teachers and educators. I wonder if the whole team of cook will have to be there...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">What’s the point?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Rumor has it that someone has recently let the cat out of the bag. Well, let’s say... a kitten.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">And that made the fat cats angry?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Hmm hmm.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Mr Huggins finished his beer and ordered two more.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Is it all about Ian McNeill?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Ian McNeill’s dead. He’s gone. What’s causing trouble in our school now... Well, you can call it whatever you like.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I’ll go with the name I was given.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott had no problem keeping up with his new friend. He would match him pint for pint, until the guy would talk.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Yes...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Sorry, what?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“I</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> just answered your silent question. Yes, I know more about that... ghost.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Okay...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Mr Huggins was getting a bit tipsy. Scott knew that it would require at least twice the number of “lazy groundhogs” they had been drinking to get his partner under the table, but he seemed to be in a chatty mood.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">A ghost... You’re chasing a ghost. You might be chasing your own tail...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Come on!” Scott encouraged him. “What do you know?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> They were served two more beer cocktails. Those “lazy groundhogs” felt quite heavy as Scott chugged. Mr Huggins turned to face him.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Hey... what do you know? You’ve attached a pretty good keg to your pipe.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Sorry?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Look at that paunch!” Mr Huggins chuckled again. “Isn’t that something?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I guess it is...” Scott interrupted, blushing.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">You look like you belong to this town.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> That comment caught Scott’s attention. It reminded of his dream, and those strong voices calling him like distant trumpets. What did that man mean, when he commented on the fact that Scott “belonged” to this town?</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">What did you say?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">You look like you belong to this place. When you first came to Biberton, it was clear that you were used to living in a big city, that you worked in a more active business area... There was no question about it.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I see.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Consider the shirt you’re wearing. I remember you in a black leather suit and a fancy shirt, something in an electric blue...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Yes. I guess it was a bit too bright.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">What you’re wearing now makes you look like a local guy. And the way you’re filling that shirt certainly doesn’t hurt...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Oh...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott looked down. His beer gut was bulging and almost resting in his lap.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I guess I have put on some weight.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">That’s perfectly normal. Every man in this town grows fat, sooner or later.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Really?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">You’ve been investigating in Biberton for more than a month, and you haven’t figured that out?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I didn’t really draw any conclusion...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Right.” Mr Huggins set his empty pint of beer down on the bar. “It’s a real mystery. Some people blame it on the atmosphere in town, with the brewery so close. How childish is that?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">You can’t get that many calories from what they release in the air...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Quite. You do a much better job guzzling what they release onto the market.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Mr Huggins gave a few appreciative pats on Scott’s belly, full of beer as it was. He was right. That belly was well on its way to be bouncing and jiggling...</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Would you say that it’s a... good thing?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I don’t know. What do you think?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">All I can think of, right now, is that I have less than a week left to complete my research, write one last article and leave Biberton.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Do you, really? I had no idea...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott noticed some genuine concern in the man’s voice.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">What if I told you something new... about your investigation?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I’m all ears.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Mr Huggins was still on his guard. He wasn’t so drunk as Scott was hoping he would get, going for one pint of “lazy groundhog” after another. After a long look to check who was in the diner, he leaned forward to talk to Scott.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I have followed your investigation... more or less. All I can say right now is this: you’ve been barking up the wrong tree.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Okay... So, naturally, there is no ghost in Augustine Bells...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Forget about the ghost!” Mr Huggins brushed it off. “What you’re looking for is a lot darker, a lot deeper than anything coming from beyond the veil.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott looked at Mr Huggins, paying close attention to his attitude. Obviously, that man didn’t believe in ghosts, but he probably didn’t believe in God either.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">What can you tell me, then?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I’m sorry...” Mr Huggins caught his breath. “I can’t tell you anything right now. Come and see me in my office.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Sure thing. When can we meet?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Let me think... How about Thursday afternoon?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">That’s fine by me.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Okay then.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Mr Huggins looked nervous rather than drunk. His hands twitching on the bar were a sign. Scott could tell the difference. He suddenly got up, telling the bartender to put everything on his tab.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">See you in two days, then. How about 2PM?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I’ll be there.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> Scott saw the man leave the place, fading away in the fog that filled the air on Main Street – then Scott noticed that he was in </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><i>Dean’s diner</i></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">. In Michael’s journal, “D” could also refer to a place, where he might have met someone, before he was murdered... It may have been the killer himself – then it could be anyone in town.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>■ ■ ■</b><br />
<br /></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><i>February 13</i></span></span><sup style="line-height: 13.3333px;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><i>th</i></span></span></sup><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><i>, 1990</i></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> – Tuesday</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> 9AM </span>– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Waking up in his bedroom, well-rested and hungry, Scott considered some of his previous thoughts about that mysterious “D” and found them silly. Michael wanted to meet someone on that fateful day, but he was in his bedroom by the time of that meeting. Was it cancelled at the last moment?</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Michael couldn’t go to Dean’s diner, for instance. Whoever was supposed to see him would have to join the young student in his bedroom, in the dorm. It had to be a classmate, a teacher or a member of the staff in Saint Augustine Bells.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Of course, Scott knew that no one had come to the boy’s room, that night.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> The whole thing didn’t make a lick of sense. Still, Scott was convinced that the mention of a “D” in Michael’s journal meant something. It was a clue. There was nothing else written on that last page, when the boy usually scribbled endlessly. Clearly, he had something else on his mind – not Latin poetry, Shakespeare or a game of chess...</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">It’s not like it narrows it down for me... There are quite a few people in my list.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott had plenty of time to think about it, in Augustine Bells. For the last two weeks, he had spent his mornings in Richard Wingrave’s office. His job was easy enough – eat half a dozen pies and three boxes of chocolate éclairs or brownies.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;">There was no doubt that helping the head of security to slim down had caused Scott to gain pretty much the same amount of weight that Rick claimed he had already lost.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Still munching on brownies, Scott asked his friend about it.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">How much do you weigh, these days?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Only 355!” Rick patted his belly, still pretty much the size of a beach ball. “I have lost 40 pounds, at least!”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Great...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Thanks to you.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">No need to thank me...” Scott mumbled, with his mouth full.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> He was wondering if he had really put on that much weight. It felt like a lot – then his own midsection wasn’t exactly flat or lean... The security guard was probably lying about his weight loss, on the other hand.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">What’s wrong?” Rick asked. “Something on your mind?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">More like... something in my stomach. I’ve really packed it on, lately.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I know, but you were so thin when you started working with me. I can’t even imagine what would happen to me if I had to keep stuffing myself alone...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">You should consider hiring someone else, soon.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Why is that? I thought that we had a deal.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">We do, but it won’t last.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Don’t tell me that you don’t like these pies. I’ve never seen you eat so well.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> Rick encouraged him, but he sounded genuinely worried. Scott knew that he wasn’t concerned with his health or anything, but with the vast amounts of food he would have to get rid of – without attracting anyone’s attention on his little business of bribes and </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“get out of jail</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">”</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> cards with the boys </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">in school.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">What’s wrong, then?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I have to go back. It’s a matter of days, now.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Days? You mean...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Less than a week. My boss wants to see me in his office on Monday.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Scott looked at Rick from the corner of his eyes. He was red in the face, out of breath </span>–<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> almost as if he could breathe fire, with his nostrils flaring so much.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">No... You can’t leave so soon.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I’ve spent more than a month in Biberton. This case is getting cold.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">What did your boss expect? You don’t solve a mystery like this in a few days. This isn’t a TV series!”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">And I’m not a private detective.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Rick admitted that he had a point. His concern now was all that food he would have to eat – all of it – which meant that he was bound to grow enormously obese, soon...</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">No... No. You can’t leave Biberton. Not now. You have truly made your mark here... People have come to know you too... Deep down, you know that you came looking for something more than what you find summed up in a few words in the obituaries.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I guess...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">You can’t leave Biberton so soon. This is where you belong.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott was startled by that last sentence.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">What did you say?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I mean... You have work to do... starting with these doughnuts!”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Rick pushed a large box in front of him, urging him to eat more.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I don’t know... I’m rather stuffed, right now.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Don’t be such a baby!”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Oh, I’m the one behaving like a baby, here?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Okay, then. Be a baby... Give me a big belch!”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">What?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Come on. Let it all out.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott didn’t need to be told twice.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">BUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRP!!!”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Good boy. Now, have another doughnut.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Rick had to insist. Scott protested a bit, but in vain.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I will talk to Mr Swayn, and Mr Thorne. They may convince Mr Porkenham to call your boss. Then you will stay with us for another month... or two...”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott was secretly grateful for his friend’s efforts to keep him around – but he also kept him eating, more than his usual share... As a matter of fact, Rick didn’t let him leave his office before the last blueberry muffin was eaten and swallowed to the last bite.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> The young journalist had to take a nap. He wobbled his way to the gardener’s pavilion he had found before, where he could lie down on an old couch, knowing that he wouldn’t be bothered by anyone.</span></div>
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<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I am... so... stuffed...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>■ ■ ■</b><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> 6PM </span>– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Scott had accepted the sheriff’s invitation to have dinner with him and his wife. This was the evening before Valentine’s Day, and they would certainly prefer to be left alone, so it was the first and last chance for him to be with them.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> He had not eaten lunch, knowing only too well that sheriff Maxwell had a big appetite and enjoyed to be in the company of other young men making a display of their own capacities.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> The Maxwells lived in a one-story house, with a short driveway, a small garden with two bushes. It looked both modest and tidy, the classic “perfect home” for newlyweds. Scott smiled, but he didn’t feel ironic.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Sheriff Maxwell opened the door and welcomed Scott with a strong, masculine handshake.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I hope that you’re hungry. Maria has been cooking up a storm.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> No surprise there. Scott took a good look at the sheriff, while he was putting his coat in the pantry. God! The guy was handsome – especially now, wearing casual clothes instead of his tight uniform, a pair of well-worn jeans and an immaculate wifebeater.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> For some reason, Scott remembered having lunch with a slightly slimmer black man. The sheriff’s belly looked quite round and bulging, but soft and hanging a bit further over the waistband of his tight jeans...</span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Maria came out of the kitchen to welcome her guest, and Scott caught a whiff of various delicious Mexican foods... It made him smile broadly and close his eyes with a sigh. When he opened his eyes, he was pleasantly surprised. Maria was amazingly beautiful: not too short for a Latino girl, with dark hair flowing around her face, long hands, sensual lips and bright eyes with that glimmer of gold Scott had seen too rarely in other women – enough to drive a man crazy.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Scott, meet Maria...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Pleased to meet you.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> It was not lost on Scott that Maria was checking out his body from head to toe as the sheriff was introducing him, and the case he was working on. Judging from her gentle, malicious smile, Scott could tell that she liked what she saw – and wished to see more, if there was an opportunity for it...</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott wasn’t listening to the couple’s small talk. He was fascinated. In the blink of an eye, he had already punched sheriff Maxwell flat on the floor, swept his wife off her feet, and taken her away – somewhere, anywhere – to have sex all night, adoring that luscious body and being worshiped in return!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Sheriff Maxwell woke him up, offering him to sit on the couch.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Maria likes you...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Huh... What?”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott couldn’t help blushing furiously.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">She has an eye for guys like you... guys like us...”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Sheriff Maxwell was rubbing his bulging, groaning belly. Scott didn’t know what to say. This wasn’t exactly the kind of evening he had in mind, with a quiet, young couple living in the sticks.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Guys like us? You mean... guys who like to eat well?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Damn straight!”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott laughed – a single “Hah!” His host and hostess wouldn’t understand. They couldn’t possibly imagine what was going on in his mind. For a guy like him, the sheriff and his wife were at the same level of attractiveness: just as he had been drooling over the husband’s body, he had pictured himself in bed with his young wife – and now, his overactive brain was considering the various advantages of a threesome deal.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Bad boy, Scott! Bad boy...</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">What did you tell your wife, about me?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I don’t remember exactly. I told her that she would be pleased to meet you.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Oh boy! She would be...” Scott whispered to himself.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Maria joined them with two large plates – one for each man: thick tacos with lots of fillings, avocado, tomato, onions and guacamole.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“Dig in, boys</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">! Dinner will be ready in a minute.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott had been so distracted that he only noticed then how Maria spoke with an accent, a cute Mexican lilt that added flavor to some of her words. She also spoke Spanish to her husband, obviously encouraging him to enjoy as much food as his stomach could hold. The temperature in the room kept rising, and Scott decided to focus on his food to keep his mind clear...</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> There was a long moment of silence, as Scott and the sheriff were only eating tacos made with </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><i>carnitas</i></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> filling and drinking beer. The food was too delicious to waste a moment on conversation.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"> When Maria came back with more tacos – grilled shrimp tacos – her husband had cleaned his plate, and Scott was hardly one mouthful behind...</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Are you both done with your first round of tacos? Perfect.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Perfect timing! You wouldn’t want our guest to get hungry...”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Maria gave a new plate to Scott, with four more tacos. They were too big to be considered “appetizers”, but he had a hunch that he was only at the beginning of a long and adventurous night.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Your wife is a great cook.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“She's the best!</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">” Sheriff Maxwell grabbed a bite.</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Maria isn't exactly my wife. We have been together for some time, and we wish to get married soon, but...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Is there a problem?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> Sheriff Maxwell looked like he would let out a heavy sigh, but he grabbed another large bite of food to hide it, like the </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><i>macho</i></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> man he was.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I’m not exactly wealthy, and Maria’s parents are rich – like... really rich. Old money, catholic and everything, in Mexico. You get the picture.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I see...” Scott mumbled between mouthfuls. “You have found the right place for your love nest.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">You’re absolutely right!” Sheriff Maxwell answered enthusiastically. “We only wanted to put some distance between her family and our couple. Then Maria found out about Biberton, just what we had in mind: the perfect little town... to grow big!”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> Reaching for another taco, sheriff Maxwell </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en">caressed the bulge of his fat gut and gave it two smacks on the side, feeling that magnificent, exposed flesh jiggle. Scott was a bit puzzled at his smile.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Was it really important for you... to grow big?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Oh yes! definitely.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott was still eating. His friend opened two bottles of beer, and told him about his relationship with Maria.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> They may be living in sin, in the eyes of some people – “some people wearing blindfolds all their lives”, as the sheriff put it – but they were deeply in love with each other. They had similar tastes and beliefs, and interests. She loved to cook. He loved to eat. She wanted him to gain weight. He was determined to grow a nice, round belly for her.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> The sheriff didn’t mention anything about their sex life, but Scott had already seen enough to draw his own conclusions. They were the most perfect couple he had met in his life.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> For the first time since he had come to Biberton, Scott felt jealous. He had to do something. A proud young man like him wasn’t used to feeling second best. The answer came to him at once: he was ready to challenge the sheriff with every dish they would be served, and beat him at his own game – so he would look like a possible mate for his wife.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott immediately realized how absurd it was, but he also knew his own Nature – that deep, dark impulse that made him do crazy things sometimes, but that brought color and flavor to his life.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">So, basically... Maria is fattening you up.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I guess you could say that.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Maria was coming back just then, with blended margaritas. She protested that she wasn’t just “fattening up” her boyfriend. Scott felt the cold blade of jealousy slide along his back again, as that sexy, young woman gave sheriff Maxwell a tight, heartfelt hug from behind, rubbing her hands on his wifebeater to make him giggle...</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">People in Biberton have come to understand a very simple truth, that big men should be held in higher esteem than thin men.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Okay....”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">That’s the way of this world. Now, my Damon is the sheriff in this county, and I want him to be the most... respectable man in town!”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> She punctuated her sentence with a hard pat on her boyfriend’s soft paunch, like someone fluffing a pillow all too gently. Scott found that move insanely sexy. His throat was dry. He thanked her for his margarita, and chug it down in one single gulp.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I’ll make you another one.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Wow... strong margaritas!”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">I used original </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><i>Cointreau</i></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> in those.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Okay...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott had tears in his eyes. Even he couldn’t tell if that was due to the alcohol, his amazement at Maria or his own excitement. Sheriff Maxwell encouraged him to eat his tacos – and Scott managed to eat faster than him!</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Look at that! Well done...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> The sheriff’s praise made Scott blush, but he also understood something. This was no contest. He could never win against sheriff Maxwell, because the man didn’t even feel challenged... What could be the point, when he had already won the prize?</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott’s twinge of jealousy was gone. It was only replaced by a deeper, darker, colder feeling – loneliness.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> For more than a month, Scott had been living alone in Biberton. He was already living on his own, like a lone wolf, before he had been sent to this godforsaken town – but he had never considered how lonely he was.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Is everything okay?...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Huh?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott was a bit startled. He decided to be honest about it.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Not really. I just thought about something, and I’m feeling... hollow.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Hollow?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Yeah...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Well, let’s fill that void together! There’s plenty of food for the two of us.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Sheriff Maxwell’s generous offer almost brought tears to the young journalist’s eyes. Scott tried to smile. He decided that he would never do anything that would hurt him or Maria, or put their couple in jeopardy.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> He had never taken such a resolution – maybe he </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><i>did</i></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> belong to Biberton. This town had a good influence on him, after all...</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">You’ve always been really nice to me, sheriff.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Come on... call me Damon.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Thank you, Damon.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Maria was coming back with truly enormous cook pots and platters.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><i>Es la hora de tragar</i>!”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> And so, for the next two hours, Damon and Scott stuffed themselves full of flour tortillas sprinkled with grated, melting cheese, then nachos with beef, beans and more cheese, mixed beef and chicken fajitas served on a hot iron skillet, enchiladas </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><i>con chile rojo</i></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> and enchiladas with </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><i>tasajo</i></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> beef.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> The two men were sitting on the couch, pushing the large trays in their lap a bit further with every bite... They had to open their pants buttons, pretty soon.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">BUUUUUUUURRRRRRRP!”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Nice one, Scott.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Huh... Thanks.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I’m impressed. Maria would love it if I could belch like that...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">You’re certainly eating enough to project a real, good one.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Believe me, I’ve tried.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> That was a welcomed change for Scott. He was actually doing something better than his friend – something that his wife found sexy, too.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">It’s really not that hard. Let me show you... You grab a few bites, like this.” Scott explained, with his mouth full. “Really big bites... Get a lot of air into your stomach as you gulp it down.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Okay...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Now, you keep it up a few times. Eat a whole fajita like that, then...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott sat a bit more straight to really let it ramble on.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRP!”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Wow...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> Maria was back in the living room. She answered to Scott’s loud and rather obnoxious belch with a good laugh. She may have applauded too, but she was carrying a heavy plate of </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><i>puerco pibil</i></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> – large pieces of slow-roasted pork meat marinated in citrus juice with annatto seed.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Are you trying to teach Damon how to burp?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Huh... I know it’s not very polite...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott was blushing, but he truly turned red in the face when Maria came close to him and kissed him on the cheek, as a way to thank him.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">You can eat all the food you want.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Just as Scott thought, Damon wasn’t jealous at all for that innocent little kiss – or was it an innocent little kiss? Scott couldn’t tell. He didn’t want to be told either. He only knew two things, right now.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Number one: The Maxwells were an extraordinary couple, exceeding every expectation. Number two: He felt comfortable with them, and he would treasure their friendship.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> There was enough pork roast for eight, but Scott started devouring without thinking. He had not even noticed that the second button in his jeans had just popped opened...</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Then it’s a deal. You’re welcome to have dinner with us whenever you want, and you can show me how to belch like a man. I may teach you a thing or two in return...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I wish I could come back often... but I am supposed to leave by the end of the week.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Says who?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Damon was truly surprised, then shocked when Scott explained that his boss wanted to bring his “vacation” to an end.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">What does he think that you are doing here?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I have no idea...” Scott rubbed his full belly absent-mindedly. “It shouldn’t be too hard for him to guess when he sees me.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">You can’t leave Biberton...” Damon interrupted him suddenly.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> He looked angry, for some reason. Scott had never heard him saying anything with such a commanding tone.</span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">You have made some really good progress in only a month. They can’t tell you to stop now, when you’re following a lead.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott saw the sheriff leave food in his plate. He had to be truly upset.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">No. You can’t leave so soon...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Are you going to say that I belong to this town?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Damon looked straight into Scott’s eyes.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">If you want to put it like that...” he whispered. “All I know is that some people in Biberton need your help, so they need you to stay... important people too.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> He was talking to himself. Maria asked them why they were looking so serious... She offered to watch the last episode of </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><i>The Golden Girls</i></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> she had recorded, a few days before. Scott was a fan of the show, and he had not seen it.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> So they watched </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><i>The Golden Girls</i></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">. The episode Maria had recorded was “An illegitimate concern”. Damon, Maria and Scott enjoyed a good half hour in the company of Dorothy, Rose, Blanche and Sofia. The story about Blanche’s dead husband’s infidelity and his young son visiting her in Miami was interesting.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> They talked about some of their favorite lines from the show. Scott had always found Dorothy’s answer hilarious in one of the first episodes:</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I don’t know why people throw rice at weddings.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Because tomatoes leave stains.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Maria was fond of Rose, and Sofia reminded Damon of one of his old aunts. They were in the right mood to keep on feasting on rich Mexican food.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">What if I threw rice at you, Scott?” Maria teased him deliciously. “Fried rice, of course...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I don’t know. I’m feeling rather... full.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en"> Scott was just coming back from the toilets, feeling that his paunch had swelled to nearly twice the size it had been upon his arrival. He felt relieved, but he was no longer hungry </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">–</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> to say the least! His shirt was stretched tight across his chest and belly, and no amount of tugging it down would help cover all that soft, exposed flesh...</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Maria lifted his shirt a bit, and gently rubbed his belly.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-align: justify;">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><i>Traga, puercote. Tienes que engordar</i>.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> With that teasing, sexy tone, she may have asked him to eat a whole stick of butter. Scott felt so hot that it would have simply melted on his tongue and flowed down his throat. Damon was s</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">preading himself on the couch, ready to eat until he would burst...</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">You should make yourself more comfortable, you know...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I find this couch quite comfortable, really.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I meant your shirt.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">What about it?” Scott started blushing again.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">You know what I mean. Don’t be embarrassed, take it off.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Are you sure? I’m not wearing any T-shirt underneath...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> The sheriff’s invitation to get shirtless was sincere, almost like the natural thing to do in such a situation. Scott wasn’t sure – until his host rose from the couch and took off his wifebeater, standing proudly before Scott with his fully exposed belly, ready for a lot more than a couple tacos and empanadas.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Wow...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Come on, Scott! You don’t want to leave Biberton without enjoying its lifestyle to the fullest.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott got to the conclusion that he had a choice: he could grow fat and feel sad about it – like Rick – or grow even fatter and be happy about it – like Damon.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> He decided to follow his Nature. A healthy, sexy, well-fed young man like him would never allow himself to be unhappy.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Count me in.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> For the next hour, Damon and Scott were fed enough fried chicken and fried rice to last any normal guy a lifetime, with shredded lettuce, sour cream, salsa, </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><i>pico de gallo</i></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> and nacho cheese.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Ooof...” Scott complained. “I can hardly move!”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I can hardly breathe...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Yeah...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">You do the talking.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott remembered that he had come to share information regarding Michael’s last night in Saint Augustine Bells. He had brought the first video tape, showing the boy around 9PM.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– "<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">That’s him, walking down the hallway. This is his bedroom... He’s going to bed now. You won’t see him come out of his room.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– "<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">Huh...” Sheriff Maxwell commented. “That’s strange.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– "<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">I know...”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Of course, Scott had seen that particular moment a dozen times. Maybe his friend had seen something he had missed.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">What’s strange about it?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">9PM. Isn’t that really early for a young student to go to bed, on a Saturday? Why did Michael go to his bedroom like that?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Huh... I had not thought about it that way.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott’s stomach rumbled ominously. He was truly gorged like a fattened pig.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I need to lie down.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Sure. You can have the couch, if you can help me get up from it!”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">No... way...” Scott chuckled.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> The two men were so comfortable with each other that Scott decided to stay next to his friend. Damon invited him to lie down completely and rest his head on his side, against his belly.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott didn’t hesitate. He put a hand on top of his own belly, feeling his bloated, hard and warm stomach – groaning as it was, like a beehive.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Time for dessert! Apple pie, chocolate chip cookies and milk-shakes for you, boys...”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p9ngF1cu2X4/VNdpjqjtdeI/AAAAAAAAAas/bZAEgmSx2uw/s1600/The%2BAugustine%2BMurders%2B13%2B-%2BDinner%2Bat%2Bthe%2BMaxwells.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" height="530" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p9ngF1cu2X4/VNdpjqjtdeI/AAAAAAAAAas/bZAEgmSx2uw/s1600/The%2BAugustine%2BMurders%2B13%2B-%2BDinner%2Bat%2Bthe%2BMaxwells.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Maria kept bringing more pastries and sweets... Scott couldn’t resist temptation like that. He was back in the game, with a winner’s appetite!</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> The young woman came to rub her boyfriend’s belly lovingly. He had been chugging down a whole bottle of Coca-Cola, so he was quite round and soft, with a nice sheen of sweat.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">BUUUUUUUURRRRRRP!”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> They were all startled. Damon had just belched, loudly, like a real man.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Hey, what do you know? This works!”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I’m proud of you, big guy.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Maria hugged her overfed man and kissed him passionately.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><i>Quiero que tu panza esté bien llena y pesada</i>.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> This marked the beginning of a true orgy of sweets and soft drinks. It was impossible for any of the men to turn down Maria’s offer for another piece of pie. When Scott protested that he couldn’t get himself to sit down, his friend pushed the piece into his mouth and told him to munch on it.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Come on! That won’t do...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> They were in no hurry either. After a short pause, Scott ate a few more pastries and accepted to show them how to really belch like a pig. Maria brought the right beer for him: </span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">a full jug of </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="en">“growling bear”,</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span lang="en-US"> </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span lang="en-US"><i>Biberton Brewing Brothers’</i></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span lang="en-US"> strongest product</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"><span lang="en">!</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Okay...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott began chugging straight from the jug, Adam's apple bobbing with each swallow. He drained about a full quarter of beer, then slowed down a bit, and set it down on the table heavily when the jug was empty to the last drop. He wiped his mouth with his hand, and rolled out another impressive belch.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRP!!!”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> There was a round of applause for him.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Damon was getting quite full. Scott was getting quite drunk. Maria was washing dishes in the kitchen. It was time for some more personal talk between friends.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Seriously, Damon... You look like you’re about to deliver triplets.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Shush.” Sheriff Maxwell brought a finger to his lips. “Don’t say that out loud.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">...Why?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Oh, well... I guess I can tell you...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">What do you want to tell me?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Maria and I... We’ve been together for about five years. We’ve been trying for some time, but we couldn’t get her pregnant.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Oh...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">We’ve seen Doctor Lipton, last week. According to him, it looks like we won’t have children of our own.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Damn. I’m sorry, Damon...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I can deal with it... more or less. But Maria has been taking it hard. She’s working at the daycare center, you see. She’s used to being surrounded with kids. She’s already a mother at heart.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">So, I should never mention any of this around her?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Don’t be silly. We’re all adults here.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> There was some noise coming from the kitchen, running water in the sink.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Maria came to offer a mug of good, strong coffee to her guest and friend. Scott graciously accepted. When she came back with a hot pot of black coffee, the young journalist thanked her for that delicious meal.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I should have bought my new pants two sizes larger in advance.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Then he invited Maria to really join their conversation. He had already been talking about Michael’s death all evening, so he congratulated them for their lovely home, and he commented on the things he had also found and enjoyed in Biberton.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott was absolutely honest, for once. He didn’t want to leave.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> He belonged to this mysterious, little town.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">This reminds me...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Yes?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I have been sleeping in a great hotel. Really nice room, good service, great food...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">You’re staying at the Paddington Hotel, right?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">That’s the one. Yes... I just wanted to say that... I have had these really strange dreams, for the last few days.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">What kind of dreams?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I don’t even remember. Something to do with... clouds. Fluffy clouds, long clouds. White ones, dark ones...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Sounds quite peaceful to me.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">No, no. They were fighting. The sky was torn to shreds...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Maria had an idea.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">I know someone you should see. Mrs Oda Mae Warren, on 4</span></span><sup style="line-height: 13.3333px;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">th</span></span></sup><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> street.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Oda Mae Warren?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Come on, Maria...” Damon shrugged. “You know that woman.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Right. I know her, and I know that she gets results. She helped Mrs Stauffer get rid of her nightmares.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Yeah, her and Napoleon... Mrs Stauffer’s been replacing her orange juice with brandy again.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Excuse me... Who is this Oda Mae Warren?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> The Maxwells answered in unison.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">She’s a psychic.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Maria was serious, while Damon was clearly not enthusiastic about her. They agreed on the fact that she could help Scott if he told her about his dreams in detail. Maria looked for her card in her wallet.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I wonder if Michael Astern didn’t go to see her.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Why would he do such a thing?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I have seen Mrs Warren every week, at the center. She told me about the boys in Augustine Bells. Troubled kids, looking for answers... Every year, some new student comes knocking on her door.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Sheriff Maxwell approved. He didn’t trust the woman. Some people in town called her a witch, as she claimed to be a “witch doctor”, and he didn’t want to deal with that kind of rumors and disorder.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott accepted Maria’s card.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">It’s funny. The more I’m looking into Michael’s past, the more I find that there is still to be explored...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Didn’t I tell you about it? You can’t leave Biberton so soon.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott couldn’t agree more. It was just not up to him.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Sheriff Maxwell put a hand on his shoulder.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">You’ve been eating really well. Have another cup of coffee...”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I should really be going... It’s getting late.”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Have one last cup of coffee with me, and I’ll tell you what I know about Michael Astern.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott sat down next to the sheriff.</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">What do you know about him?”</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I have seen Michael before his death. He’s come to the Police precinct once. That was two... no, three days before he was found dead.”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<b><span style="font-family: verdana;">■ ■ ■</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: start;"> Scott could hardly walk. His belly weighed him down so much that he had to hold it with both hands. Maria had been kind enough to drive him back to his hotel. Now he wished that someone could carry him all the way to the lift.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: start;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I am... so... stuffed...”</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Going back to his bedroom, at the Paddington Hotel, the young journalist let out one last, loud, long belch that woke him up from his stupor.</span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
– “<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRP...”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> His thoughts were running in circles again – faster and faster, erratically, like birds caught in a whirlwind. He should have taken notes when Damon was telling him about Michael, at the end of their conversation, after that endless dinner... Why would a young student in a preparatory school turn to the Police... unless there was something obscure threatening him, lurking in the dark?</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
“<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US">D” could mean Damon, sheriff Maxwell. Scott had not even thought about it.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> He opened his notebook and found the list of names, next to the letter he had received from his boss, urging him to leave town and go back to work.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Scott couldn’t leave town – not now, not like this...</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: verdana;"> Falling asleep almost immediately, the young man knew that he didn’t want to leave Biberton. He knew that he had to leave, and he knew that he shouldn’t.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> He wasn’t quite sure that he </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"><i>could</i></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span lang="en-US"> leave...</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div align="right" class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">(</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><i>To</i></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><i> </i></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><i>be</i></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><i> </i></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><i>continued</i></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">...)</span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5094005257601699515.post-62671380673919929232014-11-28T11:44:00.002-08:002022-12-18T11:24:36.432-08:00The Augustine Murders - Season 2, Episode 5<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SE7KfmylXFI/VHi6ofSHJxI/AAAAAAAAAZ0/XnShzgvHGBA/s1600/The%2BAugustine%2BMurders%2B-%2BTitle%2B2.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SE7KfmylXFI/VHi6ofSHJxI/AAAAAAAAAZ0/XnShzgvHGBA/s1600/The%2BAugustine%2BMurders%2B-%2BTitle%2B2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">II.5</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="font-family: Verdana;"> </b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">“Who ever loved that loved not at first sight?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 106.2pt;">
<br /></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">Christopher MARLOWE<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">Hero & Leander</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">February 10<sup>th</sup>,</span></i><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> 1990</span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">
– Saturday</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Scott always
felt “electric” after a long, good massage – like a cat. The fabric of his
tight jeans created little sparks as he walked on campus grounds, his thighs
rubbing against each other sometimes. The air was a bit foggy in the afternoon,
but his clean, smooth body was all warm. </span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> The young journalist didn’t even need his leather
coat, right now. He would only wear it because it looked great on him, and he
kept looking at his own reflection as he came to the main hall, with its
windows closed and darkened rooms on ground floor.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Someone’s going to get some, tonight...”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> His thoughts
were still hazy – or sweaty, since he could only think about sex, at the
moment. Scott had come close to the students’ dorms, wandering with no
particular purpose, except to release some of his tension and frustration.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> The answer
to his problem was easy to be found. He would go back to his hotel after
dinner, meet Tom in the lobby or call him later, at his desk. Scott didn’t
remember if he was on duty that night, but they would come up with something to
spend a few hours together. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> It was
always more exciting when Tom was supposed to be working at the front desk,
instead of going full frontal – his manager could find out – he could be in
trouble – they could get caught. Scott enjoyed that thought too. Tom was also
resourceful: he had rushed into his room, a few days ago, with two large boxes
full of liquors for the hotel’s mini-bars. A maid had been staying in some room
for too long, with her cart outside...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> That was a
night to remember: wild, loud and drunk – exactly what Scott was wishing for,
right now!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Still,
something was missing in that abundance – in spite of all the excitement, all
that forbidden sex and fun, and mystery... Scott couldn’t put a label on it,
but he wasn’t fully satisfied, even when he was clearly full!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “What’s that now?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"> <span lang="EN-US"> There was a small group of people leaving the
dorms. Scott recognized Mr Porkenham and Mr Swayn following a tall,
corpulent, well-dressed man with two men in black at his sides – obviously
bodyguards. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “That’s Robert Desmond, our mayor.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Scott
stopped and turned, startled. Mr Scupper was behind him. He had not noticed
him, gathering dead wood behind thick, large bushes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I was just thinking that his face looked
familiar.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “That’s one of his main assets. I’m pretty sure
that “Diamond” Rob got elected just because he looked like he had already been
in office all his life. Some people look the part even before they rehearse for
it...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “<i>Diamond</i>
Rob?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Most people refer to him that way”, Mr Scupper
shrugged.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “What was he doing here?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Mr Swayn has obtained local funding to get our
auditorium fully restored.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “You have an auditorium?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “There used to be one, at least. Now it’s barely
more than a huge store room. It was almost destroyed in the great fire of 1932.
Only the outside walls still stand, now.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “So it’s been empty for almost sixty years. It
must be a ruin!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Only if you get inside... It’s still our largest
building. Does it look anything like a ruin?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Mr Scupper
pointed to the great dome behind the boys’ dorms. It was built with the same
bricks and white tones as the main halls. Scott had never been further than the
kitchens, but he couldn’t imagine that such a vast space was currently empty.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Somehow, it
reminded him how he had been troubled by the atmosphere in Saint Augustine
Bells. So many things looked grand, old and respectable, but felt strangely
fake at the same time – like landscapes painted on large canvases, or
elaborated sets meant for a play. Scott was sometimes scared for no reason,
like a man walking into a trap – a maze...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Thoughts
kept coming to his mind, making his ears ring like whirlwind. Was this only
“make believe” – or worse: an empty shell? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Are you feeling all right?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Huh?... Yes, I’m fine.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “You just turned pale, as if...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “...What?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Don’t mind that”, Mr</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> Scupper smiled. “I was
going to say: as if you had just seen a ghost...”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<b>■ ■ ■<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Michael
Astern’s death had been handled really well by Mr Swayn, in terms of public
relations. There was a big check attached to Senator Astern’s letter of thanks
for the ceremony in the memory of his son, so much that the school’s budget was
now flushed with federal money. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Mr Porkenham had a few major projects, which had been postponed for years. He
could finally get things done. The mayor’s visit was also a good sign. Biberton
would certainly invest more money into their school. He could think big... And
for a man whose entire business revolved around “thinking big”, it meant that
the sky was the limit – if there was any!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Scott got to
discuss what the board of directors and administrators had told the staff with
Mr Scupper, then with Mr Wingrave. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Rick was in
a good mood. He could hope for a substantial pay raise, and new equipment for
his duties as head of security.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Starting with a new uniform?” Scott teased with a
smile.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I wish! These pants have shrunk, just like you
said!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “They look the same to me, honestly...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I can hardly get them closed, these days. Even my
thighs feel super tight in the afternoon!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Oh... I thought that you were jogging every day.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “You’re right, I do. I guess that’s it. I can’t get
myself to walk in these things, sometimes...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> In truth,
Rick couldn’t get up from his chair without help, after a long morning in his
office, stuffing his face full of pastries which the students kept providing in
the hope of getting some unregistered time out every now and then. The man may
be a bit stronger, but he looked fatter than ever...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Scott would
never blame him for the way he ate, since he was eating about as much as Rick –
and he took advantage of the students’ bribes just the same. It meant five to
six thousand dollars on a “regular” day, after all!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Oh... Thinking about security equipment...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Yes?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I have something for you. Off the record, right?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Rick handed
a big carton box to Scott, with three videotape cassettes in it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Is this...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Video feed from the night when Mickey died.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Thanks!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Don’t thank me... There’s nothing on tape. You’ve
already seen the boy’s last appearance on camera, and when the maid found his
body. Everything else is... well, just looking at an empty hallway.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Scott didn’t
insist. He was convinced that there was more to it than just static, in spite
of Rick’s lack of interest. He was smiling and excited as he took the bus back
to his hotel.<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<b>■ ■ ■<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">February 11<sup>th</sup>, 1990</span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> – Sunday<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Woof... Hello, world!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> The hotel
bathroom was almost like a steam room when Scott came in there, naked. He had
turned every button to the max, so his whirlpool tub was hot and toasty, with
its surface gently bubbling with foam. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Perfect...” Scott praised himself, as he sat on
the edge of the hot tub, leaning back to fully enjoy the water jets behind his
back.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> There were a
few small bottles of various liquors next to him, under the mirror. Scott had
not only raided the minibar, last night: since Tom had brought such a large supply
of bottles to his bedroom, he kept more than sixty of those, stashed in his
suitcase. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Just what I need... I could spend all day like
this.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Scott closed
his eyes, resting his chin on his chest. Doing shots on full bottles like this,
and keeping them in a line on the side of his tub made him feel like a giant,
looking over an ocean of warm, agitated waters...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> He remained
silent for a long while, clearing his mind, losing focus even on how good he
was feeling right now – sweating abundantly and playing with the water as it
kept springing and bubbling around him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> It was a truly large tub – but Scott wouldn’t
share it with anyone!<i><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I guess it’s just the right size for me...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> The big boy
ran a hand through his wet hair, which felt a bit flat on his forehead – then
he opened his eyes and looked at his own belly, glistening with sweat. If he
wanted to feel like a giant, he didn’t have to look further than this...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Scott had
put on almost 30 pounds in three weeks.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Oh well... I guess I’ll...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> He stopped
as the phone was ringing in the bedroom. Scott had to rush out of the tub and
bathroom. Leaving that tropical comfort was enough to put him in a bad mood, so
his morning “Hello” didn’t sound exactly welcoming.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Who is it?”</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “It’s me, Will... Is this a wrong time to call?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “No, it’s...” Scott looked at the clock. It was
almost 11AM. “Okay...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Wow... Good morning, sunshine!” Will commented
sarcastically.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “What is this about?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “It’s about you. Isn’t everything...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “What about me?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Mr Horn will call you tomorrow, or in a few
days... He’s not really happy with your work so far.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Why?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “You ask him... He must be thinking that you’ve
been staying in Biberton long enough.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Okay... Then I will let him know that I’ve made
some really good progress lately. As a matter of fact, I am going to interview
Michael’s mother tomorrow.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Mrs. Astern? Are you kidding? She never receives
anyone.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “And I’m not going to Washington. She will be here
tomorrow.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Huh...” Will paused, clearly impressed. “I guess
this will buy you some time.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I should hope so!” Scott concluded, a bit
abruptly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> He was
getting cold, standing naked in his bedroom, when he could be soaking in the
hot tub – but that wasn’t the kind of information he was ready to share with
Will...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Okay, then... Consider yourself warned. Mr Horn
has lost interest in this story about Michael’s mysterious death. If you play
your cards right...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I’ll think about a way to sell it to him. Thanks
for the heads up, Will.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “You’re welcome... And what about you “playing your
cards right”, by the way?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “What do you mean?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="text-align: justify;">– “Don’t even try to weasel your way out of this
one! You know what I mean... or who, to be more precise.”</span><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Scott couldn’t help a smug grin.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Right... A certain blonde doctor, built like a
big teddy bear playing rugby?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “That’s the one. So, do you keep him as a trophy
on your mantelpiece?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I’ll tell you when I do...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Come on... Tell me something.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Let’s just say that I’m keeping this one under
the vest...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Damn, you pervert... I hate you!”<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fff9ee; text-align: center;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<div style="font-size: 15px; margin: 0px;">
<b>■ ■ ■<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Will’s
advice was not to be ignored. Scott had been enjoying himself for three weeks,
and it made sense that he would have to go back to work, sooner or later – but
he wanted to keep on enjoying himself!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> It was
particularly wicked from him to mention that he had a date with Phil that
night, but it was the truth and he couldn’t resist making Will so green with
envy that the photographer would have a frog in his throat for days...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Scott
thought a bit further about his dinner deal with Phil. He had not been very
honest about the whole thing, since Phil had actually guessed right about the
amount of weight he had already put on. The young doctor was no sore loser, at
least, and he had agreed to treat Scott at the most expensive restaurant in
Biberton – which meant French cuisine. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Phil had
promised him that the food was really tasty and not unbearably fancy. Scott expected
from a Southern guy who clearly didn’t belong to the upper class. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Eating well
was the least Scott could do. He was getting himself prepared for a real feast.
The young journalist had eaten a large breakfast at the Paddington hotel’s
buffet – as usual – but no lunch, so he wouldn’t spoil his appetite. This
allowed him to take a long nap in his whirlpool tub, too, which was the best
way to keep him happy – and make him hungry!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I guess this will cost him a bit...” Scott rubbed
his round, soft belly. “Oh well, he already made it clear that he likes a man
with a good appetite...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> It was
almost 4PM when Scott finally got dressed – nice, white T-shirt – a deep blue
shirt with a light metallic sheen to it that looked great on him – blue
jeans... not too tight – the right pair of shoes to go with his black leather
coat...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Scott looked
at his hair in the mirror again – bleached and spiky on top, well combed on the
sides, just the way he liked. He was perfectly clean-shaven, with the right
touch of cologne to make a good impression. Scott was quite satisfied. If he
could look so appealing to himself, the man who would say no to him was yet to
be born!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> As he was
about to leave, the young journalist took the last cassette and put it in a
pocket of his coat. It was no small treasure, and obtaining it from the school
would certainly make him look even more successful to Phil.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Let’s go for it...”<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fff9ee; text-align: center;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<div style="font-size: 15px; margin: 0px;">
<b>■ ■ ■<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> It was a bit
early, but Scott was supposed to meet Phil at Saint Augustine Bells, and he
could always find something interesting on a Sunday, with no class for the
students, and little to do on the side. It was more likely that the boys would
be opened to discussion. Scott was hoping to unveil some of the school’s
mysteries that way. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Michael’s
body was found on a Sunday morning, for instance...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">
Unfortunately for the young journalist, there was no group of students
outside. The weather was still foggy, and a bit too cold for their taste. Scott
could hardly blame them, thinking about his hot tub and its deliciously bubbly
massage effect. That was enough to keep him tingly all day long...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Okay... Plan B.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Scott took a
notebook from inside his leather coat. He unfolded one of his handwritten maps
of the school’s buildings – more specifically, the dormitories next to the
chapel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> He kept
coming back to that place, secretly hoping to find where Father Knox took the
boys who had to be “punished” for one reason or another. It was one of the
mysteries around Saint Augustine Bells that didn’t revolve around Michael’s
death – or maybe there was a connection to it... Scott had to find out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Where do these boys end up?” He kept thinking.
“And what happens to them in that darkened place?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Even with a
pretty detailed map in his hands, Scott felt lost like a rat in a maze, turning
right and left with no real purpose – going from one corridor to the next,
looking for slightly narrower hallways, as he remembered what path Father Knox
had taken.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Scott’s
memories were not exactly accurate, so he was trying to focus on a few clues:
dim lights, working with a timer, dead end...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> In spite of all his efforts, Scott could see
no alteration in the light, and there were timers pretty much everywhere in the
building.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “This is just impossible... I haven’t been
dreaming about it.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Evidence
kept proving him wrong. Everything around him was familiar, with these clean
surfaces and repetitive patterns – door casings, chair rails, crown moldings, carpets,
paintings on the walls with no personality whatsoever – but nothing was quite
the way he expected. It was enough to make a guy mad, especially after he had
spent so much time around that place.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “This isn’t a dream... Come on. It’s not a
dream...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Scott could
feel his pulse going faster as he kept walking and walking with no sense of
direction. His map was completely useless, at this point. He was lost.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Then
everything changed. All the lights went black around Scott, and there was no
way for him to switch them on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Great! Just great...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> The power
must have broken down, but the situation turned from inconvenient to downright
strange: Scott saw a dim light in the next corridor. His eyes were getting
accustomed to the dark, and he walked in that direction, with his heart leaping
in his chest.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Just then,
he heard some distant mechanism and found himself facing a group of boys in
uniforms, slowly guided by Father Knox.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Oh! it’s you, Scott...” The old man saluted him.
“What were you doing here, my son?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I was... Huh, I was lost.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Obviously... Well, feel free to join our little
flock.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> The boys
around him weren’t so “little” – and they looked like livestock more than
anything else: five young pigs, overfed to the point of standing with their
shirts opened to the last button, ruffled jackets, bloated faces and a sleepy
gaze.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Scott didn’t
say a word as he followed them on their way out. He felt shocked and relieved
at the same time. He had not been dreaming any of this. There was a secret room
in that building, somewhere close, devoted to fattening these boys at full
speed... <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> A thought
came to him. Scott pretended that his shoelaces were untied and paused for a
moment around the corner. There, he marked the baseboard with his key – a
discrete sign he could look for, when he would come back. And he was determined
to come back.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Father Knox
was leading the boys to some other room. The lights were back to normal, and he
opened the door to a large room with tall window panes looking over the park.
It was Spartan and almost empty, like a military hospital with six beds. Each
bed was equipped with brown leather bands and restrains.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Time for a good nap, boys. Come on, come on...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> The boys
didn’t offer much resistance as he took them by the shoulders to get them to
bed, one after the next. Scott noticed that they looked exhausted, even more
than they looked stuffed. They must have been eating for hours on end...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Would you mind helping me, Scott?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Sure...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Scott had
certainly not expected to help a young student take off his vest and shirt,
help him to sit down and lie down on his bed, tuck him in – then bind his wrists
and ankles to the bedpost, just as Father Knox did with another boy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> With their
stomachs full and distended to the point of bursting like piñatas, they didn’t
mind taking a nap... Being forced to lean forward or backwards made a few boys
utter loud and long belches.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “BUUUUUUURRRRRRRRP !”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> There was no
doubt that these boys would engage in some contest to establish who could
outbelch his comrades – going for louder, lower, longer and stronger noises,
like regular teenagers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Only Scott
couldn’t accept their current situation as “regular”. He couldn’t help
comparing the size and shape of their bellies to Michael’s, when he had first
seen the dead boy’s body lying on a table, at the morgue...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Father Knox
was closing the door behind him as they were out of the room.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Forgive me, Father... Could you explain something
to me?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Of course. What is weighing on your mind, my
son?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> That was
just the right choice of words to distract Scott. The tall journalist only
hesitated for a moment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “What just happened in here?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “We only put five of our students to sleep. They
will feel better in a few hours.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Why did we have to bind their hands and feet?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Merely a precaution. They can get pretty violent,
if you lower your guard.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “It sure looks like some kind of punishment...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “You could call it disciplinary action. But that’s
really no punishment.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Scott tried
not to think about the kind of “punishment” they applied in Saint Augustine
Bells...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Of course, they are grounded. You know what these
five young hoods did, only two days ago.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “No...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “So you haven’t heard about the attack on one of
our guards? He’s still in the hospital.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Oh? Right, Mr Wingrave told me about it.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I see...” Father Knox smiled. “Of course, you
would never picture these sleepy boys breaking a man’s arm, would you?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Not at the moment. They’re quite harmless for
now.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “That’s right.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">They were
leaving the dormitories. The sun was slowly setting down, and the fog was
getting thicker around the buildings. Father Knox took a deep breath, as the
air was fresh and invigorating.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Men are sheep, you know. Especially young men...
They need a shepherd.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Right”, Scott nodded. “I see where you’re going
with that.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Do you, really?” Father Knox turned to face him. “Naturally,
Jesus was a good shepherd. Did you know that historical evidence shows that he
never actually grew a beard?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Huh... No. I had no idea. Why is that important?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “It was actually important for his disciples, when
they told stories about him. A full beard was a sign of maturity and power in
the Middle East. Their Messiah had to sport a beard, so the apostles could
preach in a more convincing manner.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Okay...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Times have changed, of course... Look at the
cherubs! A </span><span class="lang-he"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana;">kerūb</span></i></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">
used to be a fierce and mighty angel, a soldier of God. They were represented
with the head of a king, the body of an ox and the wings of an eagle. That’s as
far as you can get from the crying, pouty piglets you see in our chapel... If I
had to preach with pictures today, Jesus would be tall and athletic, wearing a
pair of jeans, a tight T-shirt, with cow-boy hat and boots, a well-fed belly and a full trucker’s
beard!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Wow...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Scott
secretly admitted that he wouldn’t mind being caught praying to a God like that
– Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Devilish thoughts kept coming to his mind about
such a divine threesome...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “You need the right shepherd for the right flock.”
Father Knox continued. “That was true two thousand years ago and it still
applies to our world, today. We are always looking for leaders who look the part: determined,
commanding, reassuring.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “...Fat?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Well...” Father Knox pondered, “Certainly not
skinny! We’re doing our boys a favor by fattening them up like this. They
will grow rounder and softer, slow and heavy. The boys in this wild bunch will
finally be at peace with themselves. Then you know how it goes: look confident,
inspire confidence.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “That’s true...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Even as he
agreed with Father Knox, Scott couldn’t forget that one of their students had
recently died, being stuffed in a similar manner – if that wasn’t exactly the
same...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I guess you’re also doing them a favor... by
keeping them safe from some other attempt to make them grow really large,
really fast.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Father Knox looked puzzled.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Are you referring to that story they keep talking
about?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “If you mean Ian’s ghost, then so do I.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> The two men looked at each other in silence
for a moment. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Oh well...” Father Knox chuckled. “If you want to
put a name on it.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “You don’t believe in ghosts?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I’m a priest, young man...” He smiled. “If I
didn’t believe in the existence of an afterlife, I wouldn’t be here.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “You didn’t sound too convinced about this.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I am willing to believe that some people get
judged and punished for their actions, and that their spirits may be bound to
Earth until they are forgiven...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “All right, then. But what about evil spirits?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “You don’t have to be a Christian to observe that
there are evil forces at work in Nature and mankind.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I’m not discussing philosophic stuff here...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “What would you like to know, then?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Do you think that, maybe, Ian’s ghost was
responsible for Michael Astern’s death?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Scott’s
question felt a bit too direct, almost blunt for a man of the cloth working in
Saint Augustine Bells... Father Knox still took it well, and offered to share
his thoughts with the young journalist.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Would you follow me to his bedroom?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Why?” Scott wondered. “I thought it was still
closed by the Police.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Come on, it’s been weeks. Sheriff Maxwell was
there yesterday to remove the locks. But it’s still unoccupied.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Okay... So?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Michael was Jewish. I guess you already knew
that. He was a brilliant young man, and we had some very interesting talks,
every once in a while. We came to agree on a few important things, like the
fact that we keep praying for an eternal life when we don’t even know what to
do with this one.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I see...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Scott wasn’t
quite ready to follow a priest on such subjects. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “During the last few days, maybe a week before he
died, Michael came to me to talk to someone he could trust. He was nervous and
agitated. I was also under the impression that he was depressed, with mood
swings ranging from self-pity to anger... Then he told me that something was
threatening him, something he couldn’t figure out.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “A threat over his life?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Later evidence would point that way, don’t you
think?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Well... yes.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Michael didn’t believe in ghosts. He didn’t even
believe in most legends. With all his intelligence, he could only analyze
things, put them on a dissection table under the cold light of reason.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “You mean to say that he had no faith.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Exactly.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “And... This would be the reason why he died?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I didn’t say that, but it’s a thought not to be
dismissed...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> They were
standing by the door, in front of the chapel. Father Knox looked a bit tired,
after another long day. Sunday had to be the busiest day of the week for him,
just as it was Scott’s laziest day...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Why did you want me to go to Michael’s bedroom?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Some students keep claiming that you can still
hear noises like munching and guzzling, gulping down, distant burping and so
on, all coming from inside his room.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Oh...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Who could pretend that it isn’t so? It’s a
dormitory, after all. If these so-called distant noises don’t come from his
bedroom, they are uttered from the room next door...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Of course. Someone should listen more carefully,
to make sure...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Would you be willing to do it?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Scott was startled by the question. It felt
like a genuine offer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “How would I do that?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Easy, just spend the night in his bedroom. You
could sleep in his bed, I don’t see why it should be frowned upon.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Huh... I don’t know, really...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Why? Are you afraid that you might... see a
ghost?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Father Knox
had come much closer to Scott, who only realized then that he was blushing
deeply – but maybe not for the reason he would tell. This was a really tempting
offer, and the young journalist was struggling not to say yes right away. The
handsome black priest pulled him out of his hesitation with a clear,
sympathetic laugh.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Very good, young man!” He patted Scott on his
shoulder. “You are willing to believe in a ghost you don’t see, and you feel
more comfortable not being in its presence... Saint Thomas might have
learned a few things from you. Ha ha!”<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<b>■ ■ ■<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Scott wasn’t
feeling too reassured after his talk with Father Knox. Sitting on the couch in
the doctor’s waiting room and watching the video from the VHS cassette he had
brought was like a breath of fresh air.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> There was a
TV set with a recorder for Phil’s patients – probably to keep them waiting
reasonably patiently. Scott was interested in his opinion about the last
moments on tape. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Do you
notice anything I should know about?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I don’t
know... From what I can see here, everything happened just as Mr Porkenham communicated to everyone.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Phil was focusing on the way people kept
coming in and out of frame. He had to rewind again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I
believe that Mr Porkenham and Mr Wingrave have missed something.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">–
“Okay...” Phil started reading again. “What did you have in mind?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Nothing
in particular. Just something...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Scott didn’t know where to look, because he
was convinced that there could be something or someone that was there when it
shouldn’t have – and something that was missing on frame which was brought
later to the crime scene.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> After another five minutes of film, Phil
paused to rewind again. Then he only offered a suggestion.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I think
you’re right...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “What
did we miss?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Almost
nothing that could be caught on camera... Of course, we have focused entirely
on that. Now, what if we pay attention to the sound?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “But
there’s no soundtrack!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “That’s
right. Real clues are never actually visible until you put them under the
correct light. If you turn off the sound of your TV, what you see is silenced,
but it does not become dumb.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Okay...
Let’s go silent, then. We won’t feel dumb.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Look at
this scene. You know that an explosion is violent and loud, but when you see
windows breaking, walls trembling and a big bolt of light on camera, you are
still able to guess that something exploded, even off screen...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Huh...
Interesting. And how does it apply to our video?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Look at
the final five minutes.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Phil
started reading after “8:16AM”. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “So the
maid comes in. Nothing dramatic yet... Students passing by in their pajamas...
Then it changes suddenly. They all gather at the door, other bedroom doors are
opened, and every boy on that level rushes to the victim’s door... The maid must
have been screaming.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Sure,
but we already knew that.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Right.
Now, just look at the door next to the victim’s... The maid screams, everyone
in the hall is startled and come to see what just happened, others are
following. And now, only now, this boy next door gets out and joins the crowd.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Scott could see that door opening, close to
the camera, and a very tubby boy step into the hall, looking drowsy. He looked
strangely familiar. Where was the last time Scott had seen him? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Is that
all there is to be seen?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Dan should
have been one of the first boys there, and he came up last.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I
guess.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “He
should have been out of his room much sooner.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “You
don’t think he’s just...” Scott was about to say “too fat to run”, but he
didn’t feel like calling the boy fat, for some reason, so he said “...a bit
slow?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “You
could say that. But look at the other door next to Michael’s. Do you see how it
goes on that side of his room?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> That bedroom was further down the hall, and
there was a crowd of chubby, agitated boys standing in front of it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I can’t
see a thing. All those boys are hiding it completely.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “At eye
level, unfortunately, yes.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “What do
you mean?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Look at
the top of the door... There, it’s only getting opened now. That’s even later
than on the other side.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “So...
what does it tell us?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “It means
that Dan... I mean Daniel Hilton... and Owen Dickson stand out in this crowd.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I don’t
even see Owen...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “There
he is, with his best friend Brad. Bradford Dulles.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Wait!
They were involved in that assault, a few days ago...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “That’s
right. I haven’t seen them since that day.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Oh,
I’ve seen them. Don’t worry about these two. I almost interviewed Owen, and I
was supposed to interview Brad, but...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Yes,
that boy always meant trouble.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Scott looked at the time on the video
recorder. It was past 8PM.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Time to
go. You don’t want to be late when you have a reservation, right?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “You’re
right. I’ll be ready in a minute.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Phil took
off his lab coat and washed his hands in the sink. He was only wearing a plain,
grey T-shirt and a pair of jeans. Scott gave him a funny look.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Are you
all dressed up?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “My coat
is hanging in the dresser.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I
mean... This is the best clothes you have for tonight.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Pretty
much.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “So
there is no dress code in that restaurant, where you’re taking me?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Come
on, this is still Biberton. We’re not in New York...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Scott didn’t argue over it. Phil’s coat was
pretty much like his jeans. It didn’t look bad on him. Phil would be fine in a
diner, but he would stand out like a sore thumb in a fancy restaurant.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> The young journalist turned and coughed to
hide a smug grin when his friend took his wallet and put it in his pocket. It
looked desperately flat, especially set against the remarkable bulge in the
blonde guy’s crotch...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Okay.
Let’s go, then.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<b>■ ■ ■<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> <i>Matt’s</i> was the only French restaurant in Biberton. It was rather
discrete, in a small street on the corner of Main Street after the hardware
store. There was a flight of stairs leading to its entrance, with a French flag next to
the neon sign.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> With a modest exterior, the place
was clearly classy once the customer stepped inside. Phil opened the door
before Scott, and they were welcomed by Mr <i>Matthieu</i>, the owner – a typical Frenchman in his
early forties with dark, well-combed hair and a little mustache like Errol
Flynn.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Welcome
Phil, <i>mon vieux</i>...” He embraced Phil,
then turned to Scott and shook his hand. “<i>Bienvenue</i>
in my restaurant. I hope that you will enjoy a pleasant evening with us.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">There were only two or three
couples drinking and eating appetizers, but Scott followed Matt and Phil across
the room. A waiter offered to take their coats and they entered a private </span><i style="font-family: Verdana;">salon</i><span style="font-family: Verdana;">, where a table for two was already
dressed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “This is
turning into a real dinner date...” Scott thought, genuinely impressed by the
place, with its cozy atmosphere, nice furniture and silverware.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Matt helped Scott sit down and
retired politely. He was followed by a young man in a black and white suit, who
came with matches to light the candles on the table.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “<i>Bonsoir messieurs</i>... My
name is André, I will be your waiter for this evening.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> He handed
the menu to Scott. Every dish was presented in French, with a few words of
explanation in English. Scott skipped through the pages. Something was wrong
about it: there was no mention of price in his menu.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> With a
slightly puzzled look at Phil, he asked why that was missing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “<i>Monsieur</i> is a guest tonight.” André
explained. “It is only natural that you enjoy your meal without being
distracted by how expensive it may be.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Phil didn’t say
a word. Scott admitted that it showed good manners toward the guests, but he
was burning to know. There was probably more than curiosity in his attitude.
Scott couldn’t tell if he only wished to find out about the restaurant’s rates
in general, or make sure that he would be served what cost more than anything
else on his menu. It could be a combination of both – with the added spice
attached to any forbidden action.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “If <i>Monsieur</i> needs anything, don’t hesitate
to ask me...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Thank
you. Well, I don’t know... Everything looks so good.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I will
come back in a moment.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Scott was
still aching to know. Phil told him about the suggestions of the day and a few
specialties of Matt’s, but he wasn’t listening.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I need
to wash my hands.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">–
“Okay...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Leaving
their private <i>salon</i>, Scott proceeded
to the men’s room, passing by the counter where he was sure to find a pile of
menus. He could always take a peak when nobody would be watching.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">–
“...Scott?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Matt was
just stepping out of the kitchen. Scott was almost caught red-handed, but he kept
his cool.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “May I
have a word with you?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Sure...
What is it?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Please,
follow me to the bar.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Scott did as
he was told, and Matt poured two glasses of red wine. They were standing in a
relatively dark corner of the restaurant, where they could have a private
conversation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Great
wine...” Scott appreciated, and ventured a guess. “Is it a Merlot?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Merlot
is only a kind of grapes.” Matt corrected. “This is a <i>Haut-Médoc</i>, a pretty good vintage of Château Laffite.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">–
“That’s... Bordeaux, right?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Right.” Matt hesitated a bit. “There is something
I wished to share with you, but I need your word that you won’t tell Phil about
this.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “What is
it?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I know
that it may sound a bit rude, but you are well aware that Phil couldn’t afford
dinner in this place.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I
guess... Is that why you put us in a private corner?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “More or
less.” Matt nodded. “I agreed with Phil that you would enjoy a more pleasant <i>soirée</i> without being bothered or
interrupted, but it allows me not to comment on the way you are dressed.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I knew
it! I’ve told him about this.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Scott still
resented the fact that Matt put him in the same category as Phil in terms of
clothes. What he was wearing had to be more expensive than a dinner at his
place.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Matt took a
sip of wine and got to the point.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Of
course, Phil is good friend of mine. Well... maybe not really a friend, but
he’s always been there for me and my wife, and our daughter. So I couldn’t say
no to him when...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “What
did he ask you?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “He
didn’t ask so much as he offered to pay for your dinner in a way that he could
afford... more or less.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">–
“Okay...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “So he’s
been spending every evening in our kitchen, this week, working on your meal for
tonight. Jérôme, our chef, only looked over what he was doing, but it went
fine. Phil is a pretty great cook, you know.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I
see... What should I choose on my menu?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “You can
have anything you want.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I don’t
understand. What did he cook for us?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Phil
cooked every item on your menu. He couldn’t tell what you would wish to eat, so
he prepared a plate for you.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “How
about his own dinner?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “He will
simply eat something else that he has already cooked. Whatever you decide to
eat is already prepared in our cold room. Our chef only has to heat it up and
add the appropriate decoration.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “But why did Phil do all that?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I guess
he wished for you to enjoy a nice meal, in a nice place... He still has to pay
for the wine, which will cost him a pretty penny. That’s the best way he could treat
you. I suspect that he’s already in trouble with his bank.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Of
course...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “You
weren’t supposed to know any of this. Phil asked me to keep it a secret.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Why are
you telling me, then?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I don’t
know...” Matt looked away. “Naturally, Jérôme was a bit bothered with our
little <i>arrangement</i>. If anything had
to go wrong with your meal, he wouldn’t want to be blamed for it. He’s a
professional, and he would feel responsible even for something he didn’t cook.
So he’s been pestering me about it, all day. Then I thought about it, and my
conclusion was that you had a right to know what your friend did for you. But
not a word to Phil... <i>D’accord</i>?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “You
have my word.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> It hardly
took a minute for Scott to take a leak and wash his hands. Standing in front of
the mirror, he noticed that he had not stopped smiling, like a child on
Christmas Eve. He was happy – more than just “happy”: he was excited about his
dinner in a way he didn’t quite expect.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “This
will be great. I’m hungry...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Back in
their private <i>salon </i>with Phil, Scott asked him nonchalantly about what he had
chosen to eat.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I’m
down to a few choices... How about you?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I don’t
know yet.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">” Scott didn't even look at the pages.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">“</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">I can’t decide... Everything always sounds so tasty on paper.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> André, their
waiter, came back to take their orders on his small notepad.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “What
have you decided, gentlemen?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">–
“...Scott?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">–
“Everything looks so good... I guess I’ll have that.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “What
exactly will you “have”, <i>Monsieur</i>?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Didn’t
I just say it? I’ll have everything.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> There was a
moment of silence. André had lost his stiff composure, staring at Scott
wide-eyed and almost gaping – like a goldfish in a glassy bowl. Phil also
looked frozen with the menu in his hands.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">–
“Everything? <i>Monsieur</i> is joking, of
course...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Why
would I be joking? This will save you some time too. You only have one word to
write on your pad...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Of
course.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Scott gave
the menu to the waiter, whose hands were shaking a bit. Then he turned to Phil.
The blonde guy looked pale, completely lost for words.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “How about
you, Phil?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Huh...
I don’t know, really... Are you sure about your order?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Of
course. This will be a real treat!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Phil looked
into his menu, trying not to look dizzy, although his ears must be ringing at
the moment. André was writing “everything” with his pen.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “You can
always eat leftovers from your friend’s meal...” He mumbled.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> That comment
earned him a sudden look from Phil that was more striking than lightning. It
didn’t last a full second, but the waiter was put back in his place at once.
Comparing a paying customer to a dog wasn’t exactly the right thing to do – he
could always hope for a zero percent tip.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Phil only
ordered something that would resemble steak, dressed in a mishmash of fancy
words. Scott still noticed that his friend spoke good French, and the way he
ordered drinks was quite commanding – and impressive, considering Matt’s
earlier comment about the prices of their vintage bottles.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I think I can trust
you to choose the right wine to match every dish for Mr Girder.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I will
do my best, <i>Monsieur</i>...” André bowed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> When their waiter was gone, Scott took a long
look at Phil. The poor guy was catching his breath. He was still pale, but
anger and panic kept flushing his face with red blood, which made him look like
a wild tiger trapped in a cage.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Scott didn’t say a word. It dawned on him
that he had just put the two of them in a rather strange position. Just as he
was about to feel guilty, Matt almost rushed into the <i>salon</i>.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “André
just told me about your... choice for tonight’s dinner.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Is
there a problem?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Matt and
Scott exchanged a pretty intense look, until the owner’s lips curled up into a
bright smile. Then he turned to Phil.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Is that
okay with you?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Of
course... Scott will get a pretty good taste of your French cuisine.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “You are
absolutely right.” Matt stood straight, beaming with pride. “And since you have
engaged my restaurant into such a challenge, our staff will endeavor to please
you in the best way we can. This will be a true <i>service à la française</i>. Would you allow me to take a picture of the
table?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Sure...
What is a <i>service à la française</i>,
exactly?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I guess
you would call it a “buffet dinner for one”. We shall bring various dishes at
the same time, but every plate will be served to you.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “That
sounds great! You do that...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Matt left
them together, as they unfolded their napkins. Phil was smiling, but Scott
could tell that there was a knot in his stomach. It was a bit wicked of him to
take advantage of what Matt had told him as a secret. Phil didn’t suspect a
thing, obviously, but the poor guy had to be thinking about how much this would
cost him in the end.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> For the
first time since the day they had met, Scott gave him a thorough look. Phil
looked uncomfortable, sitting in his chair, wearing that rather plain T-shirt –
which was really tight around his arms and upper chest. A guy like him didn’t
belong to a place like this. Still, he was quite handsome with his slightly
tousled blonde hair, that nice goatee that brought out his sensual rosy lips,
his broad shoulders and strong, masculine neck. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Scott was
also fascinated by his eyes – deep, sparkling green with a feverish glimmer of
gold. He thought that tonight’s dinner would probably cost Phil his shirt – a
metaphorical shirt, much better than what he was wearing now – but he couldn’t
feel guilty over it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> If that was
a way to get this blonde boy shirtless, he would go for it!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I...
didn’t expect you to be so hungry...” Phil eventually managed to say.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I’m
starving. And you remember the rule.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “What
rule?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Our
rule for tonight. You said it yourself.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I only
said that you would have to eat everything on your plate. I didn’t mean that
you should eat everything on the menu...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Three
waiters entered with a number of large plates. Matt kept the door opened for
them. Acting like a maître d’, he announced every dish to Scott with the proper
French accent.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “<i>Salade de
lardons des Ardennes et velouté de potiron</i>... <i>Tartines de fromage de chèvre et </i></span><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">Gazpacho
de poivron aux concombres</span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">... <i>Foie gras de canard mi-cuit et </i></span><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">Bavarois
de tomates au basilic</span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">...”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Scott
welcomed these <i>entrées</i> with his eyes
wide opened: there was already quite a lot of food for him. But there was more
to come.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “<i>Jambon
persillé de Dijon dans son bouillon de moutarde et vinaigre de vin</i>... <i>Tarte flambée forestière et salade frisée
aux noix</i>...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> A third
waiter came in with the last <i>entrées</i>.
Scott was surrounded with plates, so many delicious dishes served in truly generous
amounts and presented in a fancy way. There was a full range of delicacies,
cheese, seafood and vegetables.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “<i>Moules
marinières et paillasson de frites au sel de Guérande</i>... <i>Rillettes de thon </i></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana;">citronnées</span></i><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> et tapenade d’olives noires</span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">... <i>Escargots
de Bourgogne en croute dans leur soupe à l’oignon</i>...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> The first
waiters had to bring a small table next to Scott, with the proper tablecloth.
There was no room left on their table, with two plates right in front of Phil
although he hadn’t ordered any first course. When the last plates were in place,
the air around Scott was like the inside of a kitchen.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"> That was
enough to make his mouth water – he was ready to take them on that challenge.
His breakfast was long gone, after all. He was </span><i style="font-family: Verdana;">hungry</i><span style="font-family: Verdana;">!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Don’t
wait for me... Dig in!” Phil told Scott with a smile.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> For a few minutes, Scott tasted a bit of
every dish. A waiter brought an extra basket of baguette bread. Then Scott
proceeded to devour dish after dish, using his bread to lick every plate clean
and put them in a pile by his side, growing up taller and taller...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I’ve
been thinking about what you said earlier...” Scott said between mouthfuls.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “What
did I say?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “About
the tape. There is something in it that we haven’t noticed yet.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Oh...
Yes, I also think that we have only scratched the surface.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Phil still
didn’t look comfortable, but he was eager to talk. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “All right, I’ll switch to easier questions. Let’s
talk about you.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “How is that easier?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Because you should know the answers.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Okay...
What did you want to know?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Scott
flashed him a satisfied grin. He had a few questions ready, but they might not
be appropriate at the moment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Start
with the beginning, I guess.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Okay.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “What’s your birthday?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “January 15<sup>th</sup>. I turned 30 a few weeks
ago.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Hey!” Scott mumbled with his mouth full. “Happy
birthday, grandpa!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Phil answered
with a sarcastic “Ha. Ha.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “So, that makes you...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Old?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I meant your astrological sign.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Oh... I’m a Capricorn. Do you believe in those
things?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I sure do. I’m a Leo. And proud of it!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “So you were born in August.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “August 4<sup>th</sup>, to be precise.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Nice...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “You’re a Southern boy, right?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Right.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Where are you from, exactly?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Richmond, Virginia.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Sounds
nice. I’ve never been to Richmond.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I
wouldn’t know. I was born in a hospital, like any other child in the area. My
family moved from place to place for a few years.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “What,
you guys were living in a trailer?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “No,
nothing like that. We just moved...” Phil’s voice sunk a little. “Then we
settled in Norfolk.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Where’s
that?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “On the
Atlantic Coast, North of Chesapeake. They have a big shipyard there, and a
great naval station for the US Navy.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Sounds
like a nice place.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I
should think so. I’ve been living there for more than ten years...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Trick
question. What’s the town’s motto?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Huh...”
Phil thought about it, then he smiled. Scott appreciated that he looked more
relaxed. “It’s short, but you should like it.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “What is
it?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “It’s <i>Crescas</i>... in Latin, of course.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Huh...”
Scott tried to figure it out, still devouring his <i>tarte flambée</i>. “What does it mean?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “<i>Thou shalt grow</i>...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Phil was
looking straight into his eyes, such an intense look that Scott suddenly felt
naked – in the worst way: not as if his blonde friend had torn his shirt and
T-shirt to shreds, but as if they had caught on fire and immediately turned to
ash in the wind...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">–
“Nice...” Scott whispered absent-mindedly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> He was
almost done with his “appetizers” – which proved what an appetite he had! The <i>foie gras</i>, or goose liver, was
particularly great but rich and heavy. He had been served quite a generous
amount of it, too. As Matt sometimes came to check on Phil and him, very
discreetly, Scott looked ready for more.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Two waiters
took the dirty dishes, but the big boy’s seafood meal required four waiters now.
Matt, still serving as a regular maître d’, offered a glass of white wine to
Scott, as he announced what he would have to eat next.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “<i>Demoiselles
de Cherbourg en Bellevue et oeufs mimosa</i>... <i>Matelote provençale aux ravioles et tomates farcies</i>... <i>Paupiettes de sole de la Côte d’Argent et
timbales de riz à la sauce hollandaise</i>...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Oh,
my...” Scott looked at all the food coming his way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “<i>Huitres
en coquilles au citron et olives vertes</i>... <i>Duo de truites blanche et
saumonée aux amandes grillées... Brandade de morue à la nîmoise... </i><i>Papillotes
de saumon à l’étouffée de légumes et pommes vapeur</i>...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Wow...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “<i>Combat
de homards Thermidor, salade fricassée d’écrevisses et pointes d’asperges à la mayonnaise</i>...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> The two
whole lobsters presented to him last made Scott smile like a child. This was
more than dinner: it was a parade of food, with fireworks – and he would tear
into it enthusiastically!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Enjoy...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Phil was
still not served his steak, and he had to be getting a bit hungry – but Scott
made it quite clear that he wouldn’t share his food with anyone. As a matter of
fact, everything was so delicious that a long moan of pure pleasure got past
his closed lips whenever he would grab a good bite of some new dish...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> The size of
Scott’s plates was mute testimony of Phil’s cooking habits. The food was
undeniably French, but such generous servings were the signature of a true
Southern cook. It was nowhere near the ridiculous amounts of an all-you-can-eat
restaurant, but eating three dozen oysters, two large filets of trout on the
same plate or a tall heap of shrimp ravioli with cream would feel more than
copious to anyone familiar with <i>nouvelle
cuisine</i>...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Where
were we?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “In
Norfolk, Virginia.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Right.
So...” Scott almost gobbled his food, tender as it was. “Any brother or sister?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I have three brothers and sisters.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “How
many is that?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Three
brothers... and three sisters. We were seven kids at home...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Okay, that’s... a lot! I think I saw a picture of
them on your desk.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “At the hospital? Yes, that was us... a few years
ago.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “All right. Tell me about them.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Ryan is almost seven years younger than me. He’s
in Law school now. Cody was born two years after him. Then Josh is nineteen.
Maggie is seventeen. Pat and Ginnie were born three years later.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Pat and Ginnie?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “That’s short for Patricia and Virginia.” Phil
looked away as he added, “My mother was a fan of Patsy Cline...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “And
they were born on the same year?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “On the
same day... Pat and Ginnie are twins.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Wow! Where
did your mother give birth, in a litter box under the stairs?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Scott almost choked on his last words. He
didn’t mean to sound snappy, but it was too late. Phil didn’t look angry at
him, but Scott comparing his mother to a cat probably hurt the guy even more than
being compared to a dog by the waiter.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “So... You’re the big brother in the family.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Yes.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> There was
still a moment of silence. Scott had a hunch that Phil had been short of cash
for much longer than he thought. It had nothing to do with the way he dressed,
or the way people looked down on him – although it appeared that he was used to
it, even when he met someone new...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Scott was no
longer eating: he was stuffing himself, like a genuine glutton. In the way he
ate, and considering the large amounts of food around him again, he came to the
conclusion that Phil may have known <i>real</i>
hunger as a child – the kind of hunger that keeps burning inside your stomach
for days on end, hunger that turns your saliva into blood, and your blood into
poison – the kind of severe malnourishment that plagues the Poor and can only
come from a prolonged lack of food, when even bread or milk become more
precious than gold...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Thinking
about this brought unpleasant memories to him. Scott remembered how he had
suffered from hunger pangs for a few months. What if Phil had gone through
years and years of it? That would explain a few things about the guy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Thinking
about how hungry he had been also renewed Scott’s appetite – and he devoured
his food so fast that Phil kindly suggested that they were in no hurry...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Scott
changed the subject again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Where did you study medicine?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “In the Army. I left home when I was seventeen. My
parents could not afford to send me to Med School, so I enlisted as soon as I
could.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Where
did you go, then?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I was
still in Virginia...” Phil hesitated to drink a glass of wine. “I started
studying in Lexington... Then I spent
some time in Fort Sam.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “What’s that?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “</span><st1:placetype><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">Fort</span></st1:placetype><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span><st1:placename><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">Sam</span></st1:placename><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span><st1:place><st1:city><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">Houston</span></st1:city></st1:place><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">. It’s in Texas, near San Antonio.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Nice... Did you get to meet any cowboy?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I have
a cowboy hat somewhere,” Phil smiled. “But real cowboys have become an
endangered species, you know...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Then
you were a soldier.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Yes,
Sir.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Scott felt a secret tingling in his heart as
Phil had just said “Yes, Sir” as a reflex – the way only a real soldier gets to
say it. That was the sexiest thing for him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “How...”
He mumbled. “How long have you been a
soldier?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I left the Army three years ago. So that’s... about
ten years, in total.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Did you see much action?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> As much as
he was willing to have a nice conversation with Scott, Phil did not look too
comfortable about sharing such information.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “You know... I am not really a soldier.” He almost
stuttered. “I was a brigade surgeon, in the Brigade support battalion... I was
Charlie.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Charlie? What, like <i>Charlie’s Angels</i>?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “What? No... God, no...” Phil managed to smile.
“Members of the Medical Corps are sometimes called the “Charlie company”. We
come after “Alpha” and “Bravo”, you see. Supply and distribution, and Field
maintenance...” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Okay. But you’ve been into combat situations,
then.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Fortunately, not too much. Only a few
occasions... I was lucky that we were no longer openly at war in Asia, although I did spend some time in Korea.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I must have seen a document about that in your
office.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Phil only shrugged
as Scott mentioned it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Don’t pay attention to these. It’s all official.
It’s only paper...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “You mean it was only skirmish.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Something like that...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Scott was more
than a bit full after all the fish and shrimps and oysters and lobster he had
feasted on. Matt came back to announce his <i>entremets</i>
– which meant that there would be even more food to come!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> The new plates disposed on the
table were hardly smaller than the previous ones. Scott was beginning to sweat
as much as he had been drooling earlier, as the food presented to him seemed
particularly tasty.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “<i>Réduction
de coq au vin et coquillettes à la crème</i>... <i>Crabes et crevettes en terrine, salade de maquereaux et anchois au vin
blanc</i>... <i>Bouchées à la reine et
gâteau de pommes de terre limousines</i>... <i>Pieds
de porc à la Sainte-Menehould et coteaux champenois</i>... <i>Quiche lorraine et fondue d’épinards au gingembre</i>...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> There was
enough meat and dough for a whole family, but Scott had not seen the half of
it: chicken and roasted pig, in almost massive amounts, with more pasta and
potatoes – all for him!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “<i>Blanc</i></span><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">s
de poulet fermier aux carottes sur lit de tagliatelles</span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">...</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> <i>Cochon de lait rôti sur champ de pommes
dauphines</i>... <i>Boudin noir de
Pierrefonds et gratin dauphinois</i>...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Scott’s head
was spinning. He had to catch his breath again... The air in that private <i>salon</i> had turned from inviting to
intoxicating, with so many delicious little – far from little! – delicacies
ready to be eaten.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Matt wished
him a devilish “<i>Bon appétit</i>!” and
left him to face the next round of his challenge. Scott was full, in a way he
had never been full before – not in his athletic, Football days – not even
since he had come to Biberton. Just 100% full.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Scott? Are you feeling okay?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I’m fine. This shirt is just way too tight, right
now...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> While it
would feel natural to open a button on top, Scott felt the need to start with
the buttons around his waist, where the fabric of his shirt was distended and
pulled in all directions to the point of bursting along the seams...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Do you mind?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Mind what?...” Phil wondered.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Scott got up
and opened his shirt down to the last button. Then he let his belly breathe,
which made him let out a loud belch.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “BUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRP!!!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Still
sitting at the table, Phil blushed but didn’t comment on it. Scott sat down and
proceeded to eat some chicken – for starters...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Are you feeling better?...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Much better!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I guess Matt’s food is okay.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “That would be an understatement...” Scott gulped
down his food with a glass of white wine.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> There were
five bottles on the table – three bottles of red wine, two bottles of different
white wines – and there were only a few drops left in the first four bottles...
Scott’s head was no longer spinning: he was already tipsy, and well on his way
to get himself stinking drunk like a skunk!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> For some
reason, being with Phil made everything feel okay – as if the blonde, handsome
guy was looking after him rather than just looking at him. Matt was bringing
another bottle of excellent red wine. Scott felt a sudden impulse, when the
Frenchman asked him if everything was to his liking.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Are you kidding me? This is the best food I’ve
eaten in my life!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I’m... glad that you enjoy it so much.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I do, I do... I really, really do...” Scott was
almost babbling. “You know what?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “What?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I would like to say a word to your chef, what’s
his name?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “You mean <i>monsieur
Jérôme</i>?” Matt looked a bit peaky.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Yeah, <i>monsieur
Jérôme</i>... Could you ask him to come to our table?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I will see what I can do.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Phil looked
even more embarrassed than Matt, but there was nothing he could do. After a
minute, Matt came back with a tall man in a white apron and chef’s hat. Scott
couldn’t praise him enough about his cooking.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> The cook was
standing next to him, looking down and shifting his weight from his left leg to
his right leg – what the French call a “dancing bear”, <i>la danse de l’ours</i>. Scott couldn’t enjoy himself more over this...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “<i>Monsieur</i>
is too kind...” The cook finally mumbled, or grumbled.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Keep bringing it on, chef!” Scott grinned,
leaning back on his chair – then he gave his full belly a few sounding slaps.
“This is my kind of food... I could eat like this all day, every day... I
wouldn’t mind getting FAT on it!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Matt and his
cook were definitely stunned by Scott’s outburst. While that last bit couldn’t
be regarded as rude, it was certainly not a compliment. The chef had good
reasons to feel both angry and humiliated over this.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Once he was
gone, Matt found a few words to put everyone in a better, brighter mood...
Looking at Phil with some genuine respect, he commented on Scott’s compliments.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Being unjustly blamed always hurts, but
undeserved compliments can sting just as bad. I should hope that you gentlemen
will enjoy the rest of your dinner.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Scott
noticed a change in Phil’s attitude. He was so stunned that he wouldn't be embarrassed anymore. This dinner
date was a disaster, and he was ready to face the consequences. Then he was
looking at Scott in a different way – as if the young, overfed journalist presented
some new and unexpected interest.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “You didn’t have to praise their food with such
enthusiasm, you know...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Everything tastes delicious, so far. I don’t see
why I shouldn’t compliment the chef on it.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I guess... You were right about something.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “What’s that?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “If you keep eating like this, you are going to
get fatter... I mean, fat.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “...So?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “You have already put on some weight. It’s getting
quite noticeable...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I know!” Scott smiled, still stuffing his mouth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “You don’t mind getting a bit fatter, then.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Phil’s voice
felt softer than silk. Scott could be wrong, but he felt the blonde man
caressing him with his eyes – and probably undressing him even more than he was
right now.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I must have been spending too much time in Saint
Augustine Bells...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “True...” Phil let out a sad sigh. “Life around
here isn’t really healthy.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “It wouldn’t be much healthier if they lived on
carrots and turnips like a bunch of rabbits. And it would be a much more
dangerous place if these violent kids were locked together in a Fat Camp.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “You’re absolutely right.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “So what if I put on another thirty pounds? I
rather like being a bit overweight. It’s actually better for your body to be slightly
chubby than even slightly skinny. I’ve read it somewhere...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “You’d have to establish what <i>slightly</i> stands for, in the first place.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Scott’s stomach was still
churning when the “main courses” were announced. Matt was coming back at Scott
in a most gallant way, the way you should expect a Frenchman to fight back...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “<i>Magrets de
canard poêlé à la plancha, cèpes farcis à la bordelaise et pommes de terre sous
la cendre</i>...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “That’s duck meat, right?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> There was so
much meat that three ducks must have been participating to that dish alone...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana; text-align: justify;">– “</span><i style="font-family: Verdana; text-align: justify;">Entrecôtes
maître de chai aux échalotes et fagots de haricots verts</i><span style="font-family: Verdana; text-align: justify;">...”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Matt
announced that dish as a plural. This was also Phil’s order. The blonde guy was
starving, at this point. Scott had not even let him get his hands on a piece of
bread, until now...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Tipsy as he
was, the young journalist didn’t say a word, but it was not lost on him that
Phil’s beef steak was noticeably smaller than the one he was served.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “<i>Tournedos
Rossini, écrasé de pommes de terre aux fines herbes et lentilles vertes du Puy</i>...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Wow, more beef steak with goose liver on top?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “<i>Andouillette
au Beaujolais et artichauts à la crème</i>...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Scott was drooling again. This was turning
into a never-ending orgy of meat! He almost felt like ordering champagne...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “<i>Aloyau
braisé au Cognac et ratatouille de courgettes et aubergines confites</i>... <i>Confit d’oie du Périgord au chou rouge et
pommes frites à la sarladaise</i>... <i>Quenelles
de veau relevées à la moutarde... Flamiche picarde et champignons de Paris</i>...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Ooof...” Scott was about to whisper “Have mercy
on me!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “<i>Filet de
bœuf Chateaubriand sauce béarnaise, pommes château et piperade</i>... <i>Pâté de rognons de porc à la crème aux deux
poivres</i>...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> The
atmosphere around Scott and Phil was worse than intoxicating, at this point –
it was steamy. The two men started eating in silence, exchanging looks every
now and then. Scott mentioned the Army again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Where were you last stationed?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “In Germany... I completed my studies there. It
was a great place to learn. I got to practice a lot in the LRMC.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “What’s the LRMC?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “It stands for <i>Landstuhl
Regional Medical Center</i>. There is an important US Army base around there...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “How long did you stay?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “About three years, maybe four... I had plans to
join a team to do research.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “What stopped you?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I...” Phil’s voice broke a little. “I failed...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “What, did you flunk chemistry or something?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “No, nothing like that...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> After a
moment of hesitation, Phil poured himself a glass of red wine.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I had a nervous breakdown... I couldn’t go on.
The Army signed my discharge and sent me back home.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Oh... What happened?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I don’t know if you have heard much about the “Ramstein Air Show” incident?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I don’t remember, if I have.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Phil drank his
wine in two sips. It was the end of the bottle, and it looked like he would
need something stronger to tell Scott about that event.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “It occurred </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">on
August 28<sup>th</sup></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> 1988.
It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon. About three hundred thousand people had
come for </span><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">Flugtag '88</span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">, the annual air show in Ramstein US Air Base. We had
invited aircrafts of the Italian Air Force, and three planes from their team
crashed to the ground... All the pilots died, and no less than 67 spectators.
Another pilot also died in the emergency medical evacuation helicopter. I knew
him pretty well, we had been working together. The whole day was catastrophic. About
thirty-three hundred civilians sustained serious injuries in the resulting
explosion and fire.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Scott managed to make a long, whistling sound.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">How did that even happen?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Well... </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">The jets were
performing the <i>Durchstoßenes Herz</i>
formation. I mean, the “pierced heart” formation. Basically, two groups of
aircrafts create a heart shape in front of the audience along the runway. When
they complete the lower tip of the heart, the two groups of planes pass each
other parallel to the runway. Then a lone aircraft comes in the direction of
the audience, and <i>pierces</i> the heart.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">Huh...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">In this case, the last jet
hit another one and crashed on the runway. A lot of people in the spectator
area were hit by small airplane parts. Then the fuel oil spilled and caused a
fire in a matter of seconds. It was horrible...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">I can imagine.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">I was there with a few
friends. We weren’t prepared for anything like that. We tried to react and
provide first aid, but there was too much panic among the crowd... I didn’t
have much equipment with me. It took almost an hour to get ambulances and
assistance. We took as many injured people as we could to the hospital.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">What did you do then?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">I did what I could... I
helped... We all worked around the clock for a whole week, with over five
hundred patients in need of treatment. Then the whole personnel was audited, as
the incident had caused inquiries and some reports came back, revealing serious
shortcomings in the handling of large-scale medical emergencies by German civil
and American military authorities. Then we found ourselves under a lot of
pressure.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">Red tape to heal the wounds?”
Scott frowned. “I don’t think so...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Quite right</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">... Then I was
assigned to crisis counseling, since a center had been immediately established
at the nearby Southside Base Chapel. I spent weeks in there, only working at
the hospital during the night. As a witness to the event, I could provide group
and individual counseling.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Phil’s voice was sinking lower than his usual baritone register. Scott was also fascinated by the color of his eyes,
going much darker as he was looking into some old and painful memories. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">Okay... So you did pretty
well.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">I don’t know. I guess... I
was really stressed for a while, so it was probably better that I had a lot of things
to do, and people to talk to... Six months after the event, when the Army ended
that counseling program, I just... collapsed.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “What do you mean?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I don’t know... I couldn’t get myself to sleep at
night. I couldn’t get out of bed in the morning. I had to be pushed to do
anything, even taking a shower. </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">That’s
how I got sent back to Richmond.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">Well, you’re obviously over
it now.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">I should think so...” Phil
concluded, unconvinced but smiling.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Scott was interested in his
friend’s memories, but he almost regretted opening such wounds. It was quite
likely that Phil had suffered a few more injuries like that. The way he looked
at everyone and everything with a kind smile could be covering something much
deeper and darker in his nature.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Are you ready for ice-creams and desserts?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Matt’s interruption came at the
right moment – even as Scott was seriously considering the possibility that his
whole belly could burst like an overcooked sausage. He thought about the
students he had put to bed, a few hours earlier. These kids were only amateurs
compared to the way he looked and felt, now!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Sure.” Scott panted. “Bring it on...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> He couldn’t tell whether Matt
was proud of his <i>cuisine</i>, in the way
he told him about every new dish – or raising the bar to Scott’s level, like a
good sport – or poking fun at him in an almost sadistic manner.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “<i>Duo de
fraisier et framboisier glacés</i>... <i>Pets
de nonne à la confiture de cerise des neiges</i>... <i>Médaillons de nougat cantonné de nougatine et coulis de framboise</i>...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Facing
sweets and ice cream was a genuine breath of fresh air for Scott. His belly was
groaning angrily, and the big boy felt the urge to rub some ice around his
bellybutton.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “<i>Poire
Belle-Hélène et sa couronne de meringues</i>... <i>Profiteroles à la chantilly et fontaine de chocolat</i>... <i>Crêpes Suzette et bombe glacée au Grand
Marnier</i>...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Scott was
torn between the demands from his gluttonous appetite and the need to release some tension in
his guts. He couldn’t wait for Matt to leave him alone with Phil.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “<i>Parfait aux
bananes fraîches et blancs d’œufs battus</i>... <i>Charlotte aux fraises en sucre glace et crème bavaroise</i>...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> As soon as Matt and the waiters
were gone, Scott let out another long, loud and obnoxious belch. He had been
eating too much meat and sauce, way too fast.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRP!!!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Phil was getting used to it, at
this point. Scott’s rude attitude amused him. He wouldn’t have to think about
burning bodies, opened wounds, blood and corpses – not when he was in the
presence of a young, handsome man who put on such a show... Scott looked more
than “meaty”, right now – with his belly exposed between a pair of pants
already too tight around his hips and a dirty T-shirt that kept riding up on
him with every breath...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Sorry about that...” Scott blushed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Please, there is only the two of us. Make
yourself comfortable.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Now that you mention it... My pants are killing
me!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Scott got up
again, reaching for the top button of his jeans. His hands were a bit slippery,
but his wish was still granted – much faster than he expected, too – as two
buttons suddenly popped out... The young man’s belly jutted even further and
sagged in front of him a bit. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Standing
next to the dinner table, Scott let out another booming belch that put the
light out of a few candles. He looked like he was about to deliver twins at any moment, now...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Are you still ready to eat all this?” Phil asked,
genuinely concerned.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Of course... I just need a little time.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I guess you need more than a little time. You
need a little help.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Didn’t I make myself clear, in the first place?
I’m not sharing any of this with you... or anyone else, for that matter.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Phil didn’t
know what to say. Scott felt almost hungry again. In a way, being aggressive with Phil made him feel better, as if everything was under control.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Got it? Food. Mine!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Okay... That’s not what I meant, anyway.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “What did you mean?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Scott was leaning back on his
chair, rubbing his belly in circles. Phil smiled and got his own chair close to
him. Then he grabbed a spoon and took a piece of ice-cream with chocolate.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Open up.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “...Huh?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “You’re too tired to eat. You need help... This is
me helping.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Oh... Right.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Phil gently brought the spoon to
Scott’s lips. The big boy licked it clean, his friend reached for something different and fed him a bit of everything, in a matter of minutes.
This felt a lot better than shoveling for food and eating all by himself. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “How do you like that?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “It’s delicious...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Good.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I want more!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> For some reason, Scott’s frozen
desserts went by a lot easier than anything he had eaten before. It was a
different kind of delight, too – not only for his taste buds, but flowing
through his whole body.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Phil was even encouraging him, as
he was almost down to the last bites...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “You really have quite an appetite!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I know... I love food. I love to eat...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “There’s nothing wrong with that, you know.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “You said it earlier... I’m going to get fat.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Eating well won’t make you... that much fatter.
There is measure in everything.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Not with me...” Scott sighed, trying not to moan
again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “What do you mean?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I don’t know... It’s like... I have this gaping
hole inside me. Like a bunch of unanswered questions.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “You’re always asking questions...” Phil looked
into Scott’s eyes with a friendly smile.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I feel the need to feed my hunger...” Scott
gulped down. “Then I just can’t stop... I’m insatiable.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I see...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Scott was
done with that first round of desserts. Phil pulled his chair a bit, still listening to him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I’ve been through therapy. My mom insisted on it,
but they only told me crap. I know that I’m following a dangerous path. That’s
just my nature. That’s how I got to be a Football star in college. That’s how I
got myself injured. Then that’s how I got fat... and thin.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Then you should stop asking questions, Scott...
Follow your nature.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “What if that makes me crash and burn?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Then...” Phil thought about it. “Then that will
make you a star, instead of a black hole...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> It was a
beautiful thought. Scott looked into his blonde friend's eyes – almost
lovingly... There was a moment of silence, but they no longer felt embarrassed
over anything. Words were no longer necessary between them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> The door was opened. Matt was
already back with desserts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Scott sat straight, ignoring the
fact that his belly was resting in his lap like a large ball of dough.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Are you ready for warm desserts, now?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I’m more than ready! This oven is hot...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Matt was actually impressed with
Scott’s capacities. Clearly, there were no hard feelings on his part. He was
proud to serve such a customer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “<i>Tarte tatin
sur lit de crème anglaise et sa boule de crème glacée à la vanille</i>... <i>Trio de crèmes brûlées au caramel et sirop
d’érable</i>... <i>Fondant de chocolat aux
noix et pains d’épice aux noisettes</i>...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Hmmm... Good!” Scott licked his lips.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">–
“<i>Croustade aux pommes et mousses aux
trois chocolats</i>... <i>Mousse de pêches
et oreillons d’abricots frais</i>... <i>Tarte
aux mirabelles et eau-de-vie de Nancy</i>...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Scott was in Heaven. He couldn’t care less if
cooking like this was murder!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “<i>Duo de
flaugnardes aux pommes et aux poires fraîches</i>... <i>Tarte aux quetsches et soufflé glacé au marc de Gewürztraminer</i>...”<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Phil didn’t get to eat any
dessert, but he didn’t seem to mind. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “This should be a piece of cake...” He joked.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “It will be, if you cut it for me.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Scott winked at his friend, who
got close to him again, and fed him everything down to the last bite. Phil
didn’t even force him. Scott kept eating at a steady pace, and his blonde
friend enjoyed it almost as much as he enjoyed every piece of cake or tart, or
pie...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Hmmmph, this is just too good...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I wonder how you even got to be skinny.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “No money, no food. You do the math.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I understand...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Hmmmph...” Scott moaned shamelessly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “You’re a lot better off, being overfed.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Oh, definitely! As a matter of fact...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Yes?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Phil paused.
Scott was now rubbing his belly with both hands.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I meant to say... I’m not looking forward to
leaving this place.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “This is still desserts, Scott. We’ll have to
leave at some point.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I didn’t mean this restaurant. I meant... Biberton.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I heard you in the first place...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Scott
couldn’t miss the sadness in his friend’s voice. This made his heart beat a lot
louder inside his chest. Then he realized that he would miss a lot more than
the food and comfort he had found in Biberton...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Do you have to leave... anytime soon?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I will have to discuss it with my boss.” Scott
grunted. “Going home means no more beer like the brews you have in here. No
more breakfasts like the buffet they serve at the Paddington hotel. No more
meals like the feasts they force on you in Saint Augustine Bells.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I guess...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Then I’ll have to go lean again... Lean, lean,
lean...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Phil had
brought a whole pear pie to Scott’s lips, only a bit larger than his palm – but
Phil had such big, masculine hands... Scott devoured, proudly, making a pig of
himself.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I had no idea that you hated being so lean.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I’m definitely happier like this!” Scott thumped
his belly, which was larger than a ripe watermelon. “I will ask for my boss to
let me stay for another month. I may have to beg him for it...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “You do that...” Phil fed him another small pie.
“We need you around here. You have done some real progress, investigating
Michael’s murder.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “You don’t mind me asking questions, then.” Scott
teased.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I guess that’s part of your nature.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Then I should follow my path.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “You should follow your star...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Scott could
use a little compliment like that. It helped him go through the rest of his
chocolate mousse, too.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “You know what I think about all this?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Sure...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Saint Augustine Belch... Ha!” Scott snapped.
“That school’s motto should be<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> <i>Skin and
bones will do you harm, <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"><i> While blubber keeps you warm</i>!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Phil looked
at Scott, a bit puzzled again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I didn’t know that one, but you certainly have a
point.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Scott also
made a good case for it. His belly was more than full – it looked like a
balloon, only inflated with something a lot heavier than air!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Matt came back into their private
<i>salon</i>, silently admitting defeat.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “All right... Check please.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Phil excused himself, following
Matt to the counter after that gargantuan meal. He looked pale again, as if he
had to pay for everything with a pint of his own blood – like a man who would sign a deal
with the Devil...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Scott was alone for a moment, but
he was served a few large cups of coffee with a myriad of <i>mignardises</i> – sweets that would make any candy maker cry for joy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “How do you call these?” He asked the waiter.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “We call this our <i>Trio d’éclairs au chocolat</i>... This is our <i>Millefeuille fondant et crème pâtissière</i>... <i>Café gourmand aux madeleines de Commercy</i>...” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “How about these?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “This is our famous <i>Pièce montée aux choux à la crème, pâte d’amandes et croquignoles</i>...
And this is a <i>Clafoutis aux cerises
noires</i>...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Hmmm...” Scott purred like a cat. “Delicious. And these?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “<i>Macarons au
chocolat et caramel au beurre salé</i>...” André enumerated patiently.
“This is an <i>île flottante</i>, with our
own recipe of <i>cannelés de Bordeaux</i>,
and these are <i>mirlitons de Pont-Audemer</i>...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Sitting at the table alone, Scott
suddenly wondered about the time. He wasn’t wearing his watch, but the door to
the restaurant was opened, and there was a clock. It was almost 3AM!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Have we been really here for... six hours?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> It felt like half an hour to him
– then three weeks in Biberton hardly felt like a few days. Scott was enjoying
himself way too much in that little town! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> With the door opened, he could
listen to Matt’s conversation with Phil. The poor guy was sorry for tonight’s
misunderstanding, but the Frenchman reassured him entirely. It was more than
possible that he enjoyed acting generous and forgiving about the whole evening.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Quel goinfre, ton copain, quand
même!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Scott didn’t understand French,
but he guessed that it had something to do with the way he had been stuffing his face and burping like a pig <o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">– more like the King of Pigs!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Oh well...” He gave a few more appreciative pats to his belly.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<b>■ ■ ■<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
</div>
</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana; text-align: justify;">Scott had not only eaten a ton of
food. He had also been through four bottles of red wine and four bottles of
white wine, with a few cognacs and liquors before coffee... Needless to say,
Phil had to help him get out of the place.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “There you go...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I’m so stuffed. Why did I even eat that much?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “It’s better if you don’t ask yourself that, Scott. Come on.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Yeah...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Phil was doing his best to guide
Scott, but the taller, grotesquely overfed boy kept leaning on him. They had
hardly taken two steps out of <i>Matt’s</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I hope that you had a good evening, at least...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “That was the best!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Good wine, and good food...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Scott remembered that Phil was
responsible for the quality – and quantity – of his dinner... He took his friend
by surprise, turning to hug him rather clumsily. His coat fell on the ground,
along with Phil’s.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “That was the most delicious meal ever... Thank you, big bear!” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfVX3eAEh45PLzkA_pSvT-JfFdXUTY5-R_h55q6qw1N--Mb5-Ndo9UNTs2aqe5smFrUqCwalIfxWCAbt00dX8I0Rnvu5E-p0Sym-L64qWqxLZriYkg5l09o0EjUPj5qyOARqiDoavOZj2EQNSZ61w1hJPQOruCouHkqKW5ihtyZ8s-E0pmLsnezw99jQ/s3200/The%20Augustine%20Murders%2012%20-%20Kiss.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2648" data-original-width="3200" height="530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfVX3eAEh45PLzkA_pSvT-JfFdXUTY5-R_h55q6qw1N--Mb5-Ndo9UNTs2aqe5smFrUqCwalIfxWCAbt00dX8I0Rnvu5E-p0Sym-L64qWqxLZriYkg5l09o0EjUPj5qyOARqiDoavOZj2EQNSZ61w1hJPQOruCouHkqKW5ihtyZ8s-E0pmLsnezw99jQ/w640-h530/The%20Augustine%20Murders%2012%20-%20Kiss.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"> And he kissed him on the cheek. He
was probably aiming for the blonde boy’s lips, but his legs were no longer
ready to carry him and he missed the point. Phil blushed as he had to keep him
standing against his chest.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Did... Did you just call me <i>big
bear</i>?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Hmmm? I guess I did. After all, you have this... big, bearish frame!”
Scott was leaning over him with all his weight. “And you have all this big
bear brawn... and a big bear’s chest, with lots of big bear fur...” He patted Phil's
stomach, firm and tight as it was now. “And you have this big bear voice, and
kids love to play with you like a big teddy bear...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Scott was totally ignoring how
red in the face Phil was, right then. In his tipsy, happy state, he kept on rubbing
and patting the blonde guy’s meaty, muscled chest like a fluffy pillow.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Of course, you’re pretty... beefy. You must have the heart of an ox...
but it wouldn’t feel right to call you a <i>bull</i>,
right?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “No, I guess that wouldn’t be quite... appropriate.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “And you’re always busy like a beaver, but you are <i>so</i> meant to be a bear!” Scott went on, losing sight of his own
train of thoughts. “I mean... You’re clearly not an eagle. Ha!” His sharp laugh
startled his friend. “And you wouldn’t want me to call you a <i>deer</i> either. Right? Nice Virginian, what
is it... Whitetail? Hmmm?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “No... Not really.” Phil concluded, still blushing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Then he snapped out of it, holding Scott in a
close embrace, as the tall boy looked like he would fall flat on his face. Phil was close enough to whisper into his friend's ear.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I guess I should thank you for making me feel... like a bear.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Huh... Sure. Why?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Phil’s eyes were already
half-closed, darker and brighter than the night around them in all its star-spangled glory.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “You’re asking too many questions, Scott...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Hmmm?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Just follow your Nature...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Then Phil kissed him. It was a
much stronger kiss, but Scott had a hunch that rambling on like he just had,
comparing his friend to a variety of wild animals, had ruined what could have been a
perfect moment between them. The thought was enough to get him sober
immediately. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Woah... huh...” Scott resumed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Phil’s kiss was still amazing: lips,
tongue play, hands, posture – this was a perfect ten out of ten, even according
to Scott’s own standards...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> The air around him felt warm
again. Phil had just grabbed his coat before Scott would step on it, and he was
gently putting it on his shoulders. This caused a shiver down his spine.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Don’t get cold now... I’ll walk you to your hotel.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> Scott had only shivered because
he was too stunned for words... He didn’t expect someone like Phil, who always looked like a
drifter, to show such perfect manners toward him. Then Phil was raised in the South </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">–</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> maybe
that counted for something...</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>■ ■ ■<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Verdana;"> </span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> The night was full of stars. As they walked
down empty streets, Phil discussed what Scott had already mentioned in the
video feed from Sunday morning, when Michael’s body was found by the maid and
his classmates.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Sure... What about it?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I was thinking about Michael’s neighbors, Daniel and Owen... and
Brad.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Just because they were closer to the scene and came up after everyone
else?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Yes. I
believe that they had trouble sleeping.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Huh...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “A</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">nd I believe that the reason why they had a pretty
rough night is linked to what happened inside Michael’s bedroom, during that night.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “So
whoever or... whatever killed Michael had to be pretty noisy. We just don’t
have it on tape, because there is no sound.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I would
say it was loud enough to be a nuisance for Michael’s neighbors.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “But not
enough for them to come out and complain about it...” Scott suggested. “If that
was the case, we would have seen one of them on camera, at some point during
the night!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “That’s
right. An inconvenience, but with no reaction to it, no action against it. Now
you can probably estimate the level, almost the nature of that noise.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “It
would have to be a lot like this...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> And Scott grabbed a few rushed, large bites
of air, mimicking what he had been doing for hours, smacking his lips and
patting his belly. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">–
“Maybe...” Phil smiled. Then his voice got deeper and serious. “Or maybe there
was something more to it.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “What did you have in mind?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “It must
have been a rather constant noise, or they would have fallen into sleep
anyway... Boys like them tend to overcome that kind of inconvenience. So it had
to be pretty loud, at least for a few isolated moments.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Then
why did they let it go on?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “It
depends on what they heard... It may have been loud, but they didn’t dare to go
check.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “Are you
thinking that, maybe, that was Michael calling out for help?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “I’m
afraid so. It would be very likely, although... when you take into account the
nature of his <i>accident</i>, the boy was
too engorged to cry out... So it wasn’t out of guilt that they came out of bed
later than the others.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “What
else could it be?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 95.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">– “...Out of <i>fear</i>.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">(<i>To</i></span><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></i><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">be</span></i><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></i><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">continued</span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">...)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
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