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¨The Keeley；〃 William Campbell said。 ¨It isnˇt far from London。〃 He shut his eyes and opened them； moving the eyelashes against the sheet。 ¨I just love sheets；〃 he said。 He looked at Mr。 Turner。
¨Listen； you think Iˇm drunk。〃
¨You are drunk。〃
¨No； Iˇm not。〃
¨Youˇre drunk and youˇve had d。tˇs。〃
¨No。〃 William Campbell held the sheet around his head。 ¨Dear sheet；〃 he said。 He breathed against it gently。 ¨Pretty sheet。 You love me； donˇt you； sheet？ Itˇs all in the price of the room。 Just like in Japan。 No；〃 he said。 ¨Listen Billy； dear Sliding Billy； I have a surprise for you。 Iˇm not drunk。 Iˇm hopped to the eyes。〃
¨No；〃 said Mr。 Turner。
¨Take a look。〃 William Campbell pulled up the right sleeve of his pajama jacket under the sheet； then shoved the right forearm out。 ¨Look at that。〃 On the forearm； from just above the wrist to the elbow； were small blue circles around tiny dark blue punctures。 The circles almost touched one another。 ¨Thatˇs the new development；〃 William Campbell said。 ¨I drink a little now once in a while； just to drive the wolf out of the room。〃
¨They got a cure for that；〃 ˉSliding Billyˇ Turner said。
¨No；〃 William Campbell said。 ¨They havenˇt got a cure for anything。〃
¨You just canˇt quit like that； Billy；〃 Turner said。 He sat on the bed。
¨Be careful of my sheet；〃 William Campbell said。
¨You just canˇt quit at your age and take to pumping yourself full of that stuff because you got into a jam。〃
¨Thereˇs a law against it。 If thatˇs what you mean。〃
¨No； I mean you got to fight it out。〃
Billy Campbell caressed the sheet with his lips and his tongue。 ¨Dear sheet；〃 he said。 ¨I can kiss this sheet and see right through it at the same time。〃
¨Cut it out about the sheet。 You canˇt just take to that stuff； Billy。〃
William Campbell shut his eyes。 He was beginning to feel a slight nausea。 He knew that this nausea would increase steadily； without there ever being the relief of sickness； until something were done against it。 It was at this point that he suggested that Mr。 Turner have a drink。 Mr。 Turner declined。 William Campbell took a drink from the bottle。 It was a temporary measure。 Mr。 Turner watched him。 Mr。 Turner had been in this room much longer than he should have been； he had many things to do； although living in daily association with people who used drugs； he had a horror of drugs； and he was very fond of William Campbell； he did not wish to leave him。 He was very sorry for him and he felt a cure might help。 He knew there were good cures in Kansas City。 But he had to go。 He stood up。
¨Listen； Billy；〃 William Campbell said； ¨I want to tell you something。 Youˇre called ˉSliding Billyˇ。 Thatˇs because you can slide。 Iˇm called just Billy。 Thatˇs because I never could slide at all。 I canˇt slide； Billy。 I canˇt slide。 It just catches。 Every time I try it； it catches。〃 He shut his eyes。 ¨I canˇt slide； Billy。 Itˇs awful when you canˇt slide。〃
¨Yes；〃 said ˉSliding Billyˇ Turner。
¨Yes； what？〃 William Campbell looked at him。 ¨You were saying。〃
¨No；〃 said William Campbell。 ¨I wasnˇt saying。 It must have been a mistake。〃
¨You were saying about sliding。〃
¨No。 It couldnˇt have been about sliding。 But listen； Billy； and Iˇll tell you a secret。 Stick to sheets； Billy。 Keep away from women and horses and； and〃 he stopped ¨eagles； Billy。 If you love horses youˇll get horse…s and if you love eagles youˇll get eagle…s〃 He stopped and put his head under the sheet。
¨I got to go；〃 said ˉSliding Billyˇ Turner。
¨If you love women youˇll get a dose；〃 William Campbell said。 ¨If you love horses〃
¨Yes； you said that。〃
¨Said what？〃
¨About horses and eagles。〃
¨Oh； yes。 And if you love sheets。〃 He breathed on the sheet and stroked his nose against it。 ¨I donˇt know about sheets；〃 he said。 ¨I just started to love this sheet。〃
¨I have to go；〃 Mr。 Turner said。 ¨I got a lot to do。〃
¨Thatˇs all right；〃 William Campbell said。 ¨Everybodyˇs got to go。〃
¨I better go。〃
¨All right； you go。〃
¨Are you all right； Billy？〃
¨I was never so happy in my life。〃
¨And youˇre all right？〃
¨Iˇm fine。 You go along。 Iˇll just lie here for a little while。 Around noon Iˇll get up。〃
But when Mr。 Turner came up to William Campbellˇs room at noon William Campbell was sleeping and as Mr。 Turner was a man who knew what things in life were very valuable he did not wake him。
TODAY IS FRIDAY
Three Roman soldiers are in a drinking place at eleven oˇclock at night。 There are barrels around the wall。 Behind the wooden counter is a Hebrew wine…seller。 The three Roman soldiers are a little cock…eyed。
1st SoldierYou tried the red？
2nd SoldierNo； I ainˇt tried it。
1st SoldierYou better try it。
2nd SoldierAll right； George； weˇll have a round of the red。
Hebrew Wine…sellerHere you are； gentlemen。 Youˇll like that。 ＇He sets down an earthenware pitcher that he has filled from one of the casks。＇ Thatˇs a nice little wine。
1st SoldierHave a drink of it yourself。 ＇He turns to the third Roman soldier who is leaning on a barrel。＇ Whatˇs the matter with you？〃
3rd SoldierI got a gut…ache。
2nd SoldierYouˇve been drinking water。
1st SoldierTry some of the red。
3rd SoldierI canˇt drink the damn stuff。 It makes my gut sour。
1st SoldierYou been out here too long。
3rd SoldierHell； donˇt I know it？〃
1st SoldierSay； George； canˇt you give this gentleman something to fix his stomach？〃
Hebrew Wine…sellerI got it right here。
＇The third Roman soldier tastes the cup that the wine…seller has mixed for him。＇
3rd SoldierHey； what you put in that； camel chips？
Wine…sellerYou drink that right down； Lootenant。 Thatˇll fix you up right。
3rd SoldierWell； I couldnˇt feel any worse。
1st SoldierTake a chance on it。 George fixed me up fine the other day。
Wine…sellerYou were in bad shape； Lootenant。 I know what fixes up a bad stomach。
＇The third Roman soldier drinks the cup down。＇
3rd SoldierJesus Christ。 ＇He makes a face。＇
2nd SoldierThat false alarm！
1st SoldierOh； I donˇt know。 He was pretty good in there to…day。
2nd SoldierWhy didnˇt he come down off the cross？
1st SoldierHe didnˇt want to come down off the cross。 Thatˇs not his play。
2nd SoldierShow me a guy that doesnˇt want to come down off the cross。
1st SoldierAw； hell； you donˇt know anything about it。 Ask George there。 Did he want to come down off the cross； George？〃
Wine…sellerIˇll tell you； gentlemen； I wasnˇt out there。 Itˇs a thing I havenˇt taken any interest in。
2nd SoldierListen； I seen a lot of themhere and plenty of other places。 Any time you show me one that doesnˇt want to get down off the cross when the time comeswhen the time comes； I meanIˇll climb right up with him。
1st SoldierI thought he was pretty good in there to…day。
3rd SoldierHe was all right。
2nd SoldierYou guys donˇt know what Iˇm talking about。 Iˇm not saying whether he was good or not。 What I mean is； when the time comes。 When they first start nailing him； there isnˇt none of them wouldnˇt stop it if they could。
1st SoldierDidnˇt you follow it； George？
Wine…sellerNo； I didnˇt take any interest in it； Lootenant。
1st SoldierI was surprised how he acted。
3rd SoldierThe part I donˇt like is the nailing them on。 You know； that must get you pretty bad。
2nd SoldierIt isnˇt that thatˇs so bad； as when they first lift ˇem ＇He makes a lifting gesture with his two palms together。＇ When the weight starts to pull on ˇem。 Thatˇs when it gets ˇem。
3rd SoldierIt takes some of them pretty bad。
1st SoldierAinˇt I seen ˇem？ I seen plenty of them。 I tell you； he was pretty good in there today。
＇The second Roman soldier smiles at the Hebrew wine…seller。＇
2nd SoldierYouˇre a regular Christer； big boy。
1st SoldierSure； go on and kid him。 But listen while I tell you something。 He was pretty good in there today。
2nd SoldierWhat about some more wine？〃
＇The wine…seller looks up expectantly。 The third Roman soldier is sitting with his head down。 He does not look well。＇
3rd SoldierI donˇt want any more。
2nd SoldierJust for two； George。
＇The wine…seller puts out a pitcher of wine； a size smaller than the last one。 He leans forward on the wooden counter。＇
1st SoldierYou see his girl？〃
2nd SoldierWasnˇt I standing right by her？
1st SoldierSheˇs a nice looker。
2nd SoldierI knew her before he did。 ＇He winks at the wine…seller。＇
1st SoldierI used to see her around the town。
2nd SoldierShe used to have a lot of stuff。 He never brought her no good luck。
1st SoldierOh； he ainˇt lucky。 But he looked pretty good to me in there today。
2nd SoldierWhat became of his gang？〃
1st SoldierOh； they faded out。 Just the women stuck by him。
2nd SoldierThey were a pretty yellow crowd。 When they seen him go up there they didnˇt