Already filtered through eight different tests and a swarm of Spiders, but still a center of attention as the weakest link in the pack’s chain, I lounge on the pile of blankets with Humpback’s gift, a packet of walnuts in the shells. I crack and eat them, chasing them with raisins, and a thought occurs—it’s not that bad, being a convalescent. On the other hand, I’m not allowed out into the hallway, and therefore not able to look at the girls and smell for myself the new Law in action. Sphinx keeps saying that there’s nothing interesting going on out there, but I don’t believe him. How can he know what is or isn’t going on in other places when he’s right here in the dorm? Also, I’d like to check up on my dragon. I haven’t had a chance to look at it properly yet. But both breakfast and lunch are served to me in bed, and even Sphinx, charged with guarding me, takes the meals without leaving his post. So I’m left with nuts and raisins. And they are about to run out.
“If you keep grumbling, I’ll invite Long Gaby,” Sphinx says threateningly. “Then you’ll have your new Law right here in all its inimitable glory.”
“I’ll have a coffee, please,” I say to Alexander, and to Sphinx I reply, “You’re bluffing. You’re not man enough.”
“You’re this close to getting it,” he warns.
But all of that becomes irrelevant, because Long comes by herself. Without waiting for any invitation from any of us. Slams the door and saunters in with that giraffe-like gait. Plops down on Alexander’s bed, crosses her legs.
“Well, hello, dudes,” she rasps.
The skirt is almost nonexistent, and we are treated to a view of the elastic on top of the black stockings and a band of white skin above it. Great legs, no argument there. Something to feast the eyes on, especially as compared to the face. Black lifts up his glasses. His eyes open so wide they’re almost square. He stares at the legs and then at Sphinx.
“What the hell’s that?” he says.
“
Black blackens. He’s still unaware of the whole business with the locked door, and now he’s imagining things that are doubtless intriguing but unfortunately do not have anything to do with reality. He thumps the book down and rounds on Sphinx.
“Was this your idea?”
“Black, come on,” Sphinx sighs. “Of course not. You seem to have a very strange impression of me.”
“Whose, then? You were mentioning her just now!”
“Now that was a joke. Besides, what’s your problem? The new Law is in effect, everyone is free to invite whomever they want.”
“That’s right,” Gaby pipes in, lighting up. “Chill, man. Who knows, maybe someday it’s going to be your lucky day too.”
“Who?” Black screams, ripping off his glasses. “Who invited you?”
“Blind.” Gaby winks. “Like the boss of your boss, unless I am mistaken.”
Black sits back down. At first he seems paralyzed. Then he pulls the book back and buries himself in it. Looking right through it. Gaby puffs. I resume teasing the nuts out of the shells. Looks like a very promising development.
Sphinx’s polite comments regarding the weather and the teachers result only in Long snorting merrily and recrossing her legs, which are impossible not to look at. So I don’t fight the urge and gawk freely. Sphinx does as well. Humpback and Alexander seem to prefer studying the ceiling. Finally Gaby becomes bored just sitting there, gets up, and starts pacing about the room.
“What’s this you have here? And this? Ni-ice . . .” Boobs on the table, butt sticking out in our direction, oohing over the record stacks. “Oh, wow. Cool stuff. I think I heard this one. And the one on the B-side here is, like, the shit! I didn’t know you guys were into this.”
Humpback goes pale and cranes his neck. I become uneasy too, especially when she proceeds to shake the records out of the sleeves and turn them around, leaving dozens of paw prints on both sides.
“Look at all that dust,” Long says. “Do you wipe them, like, ever? Shame.”
She extracts a handkerchief and spits on it.
“Halt!” Sphinx screams, shooting up. “Freeze, bitch!”
Humpback, who jumped at the same time, falls back on the bed and wipes the sweat off his face.
“Would you like some nuts?” I inquire.
Long dutifully stands frozen exactly where Sphinx’s yelp caught her, and probably cogitates whether she should take offense or not.
“Bad for the teeth,” she grumbles, taking a step away from the table. “You guys are, like, jumpy. Yelling and stuff. What if I’m gonna stutter now?”
“It’s the day of the physical, you see,” I explain. “Everyone’s on edge. You might even say it’s traditional.”
Long leans against the headboard and tilts toward me. “Yeah, they tried poking me too. So? I don’t give a shit. Like I never been poked before, right? Now this one time when I got raped . . .”
