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Show ItZ-down there like a school of hungry sharks. I didn't even think of covering up with Kita's coat. I tried to get her arm around my shoulder so that she could use me as a crutch but that didn't work, her ankle * wouldn't take any weight. I still expected more people in from the street -- thank god there were not apartments in the basement. I had had dreams of going naked in public but they were as smoke to my solid bare body. She Silver-hair was starting up to help me, probably even to help shield me, but decisively I stoodped to lift Kite, one arm behind her knees, she a lot heavier than a sack of oats but my strength the strength of ten because of my hysteria. Up the stairs I started and almost tripped and fell over her trailing coat. I had to set her down, carefully on one <f> foot, get her coat in my arm too, lift her again, a draft telling me that now I was all visible below, especially to those down below. I could not see the stairs but my bare feet found them, slowly but surely making our way up toward Carrie. She stepped back into her doorway and watched our assent remorselessly, watched without pity as I turned into the apartment with nothing to shield # my back ^as I walked straight across the livingroom to the daybed. I dropped Kite there anu without pause went on inco the hall and to tiie bedroom, leaving Carrie to see that the daybed had not been slept on and that my clothes were in Kite's bedroom. But I was out of sight at ldast, into it! Is out, pants. I did not want to go back out. I buttoned up a shirt,.then walked very quickly across the rug to the door, slamming it in Carrie's face. "My purse is still out there," Kite said, her voice tight with pain. "It'll be O.K." I saw no way I could once again open that door with those people still there, let alone walk down the stairs for her purse. To hell with her purse. But I had to answer the knocking on the door; K^tft. insisted. It was the silver-haired man, his napkin gone and with Kite's purse and her left shoe. "Are you certain she's all right?" "Sure, sure, she's all right." "If her ankle's broken she should go to a hospital for an X-ray." |