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Show 17 the late shift doesn't show up until after six. Through it all Garrett is exhausted from having stayed out late the night before, anfl when he goes home it is with a headache, soaked in perspiration and saturated with ill-humor, ready for aspirin and a very early night. And although he has of course been curious about Ahmed he is in fact glad when he does not meet the Turk at the door, in the kitchen, in the living room. His bedroom door is still shut. Garrett fixes himself a tuna fish sandwich and sits down in front of the television. When there is a commercial he shuts his eyes. When he thinks he hears a noise from Ahmed's room, he opens them. The news is over. Compulsively he goes to the door, stands by it a moment and then when he hears nothing, opens it. Ahmed is not there. Now Garrett is awake. He decides that a number of things are possible, the most likely of which is that Ahmed is off with friends, probably from the lab, who picked him up at the farm. Still he is uneasy. Outside it is still light. With his unfinished sandwich in his hand he lets the screen door slam behind him and stands above the garden. It needs weeding for the first time. Behind the house he discovers that small hard apples have appeared on the apple trees, pears on the pear trees. He can see no evidence of cherries but the evidence is nonetheless in, spring is over. He pisses in the outhouse. He decides to visit the horses. He has brought nothing for them to eat, even his sandwich is finished now, but they greet him anyway with great whinnies of expectation. Garrett reaches across the gate of the big barn to stroke one of them on the head, the |