Appointment in Samarra [antikvár]

CHAPTER ONEour story opens in the mind of lxjther l. (l for LeRoy) Fliegler, who is lying in his bed, not thinking of anything, but just aware of sounds, conscious of his own breathing, and sensitive to his own heart-beats. Lying beside him is his wife, lying on her right side and enjoying her sleep. She has earned her sleep, for it is Christmas morning, strictly speaking, and all the day before she has worked' like a dog, cleaning the turkey and baking things, and, ' ' until a few hours ago, trimming the tree. The awful prox- '.!,' imity of his heart-beats makes Luther Fliegler begin to want : ! his wife a little, but Irma can say no when she is tired. It f' is too much trouble, she says when she is tired, and she | won't take any chances. Three children is enough; three children in ten years. So Luther Fliegler does not reach out for her. It is Christmas morning, and he will do her the favour of letting her enjoy her sleep; a favour which she will never know he did for her. And it is a favour, all right, i because Irma likes Christmas too, and on this one morning ^ she might not mind the trouble, might be willing to take a chance. Luther Fliegler more actively stifled the little / temptation and thought the hell with it, and then turned ^ and put his hands around his wife's waist and caressed the little rubber tyre of flesh across her diaphragm. She began to stir and then she opened her eyes and said: 'My God, ', Lute, what are you doing?''Merry Christmas,'he said.! '^'Don't, will you, please?'she said, but she smiled happily and put her arms around his big back. 'God, you're crazy,' she said. 'Oh, but I love you.' And for a little while Gibbs-( .!II.:ville knew no happier people than Luther Fliegler and his I ' ,'1 .wife, Irma. Then Luther went to sleep, and Irma got up and then came back to the bedroom, stopping to look out' f ;of the window before she got into bed again.