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〃I wish I could help。〃
〃Nobody can help；〃 he said。
〃But I can help in other things can't I？〃
He started to say there are no other things but he did not say it and instead he said； 〃You have and you do。〃
He wiped the last of the egg and mustard up from the shallow dish with a small piece of bread and then drank some tea。 〃How did you sleep？〃 he asked。
〃Very well；〃 the girl said。 〃I hope that's not disloyal。〃
〃No。 That's intelligent。〃
〃Can we stop being so polite？〃 the girl asked。 〃Everything was so simple and fine until now。〃
〃Yes； let's stop。 Let's stop even the 'I can't David nonsense；〃 he said。
〃All right；〃 she said and stood up。 〃If you want to go swim ming I'll be in my room。
He stood up。 〃Please don't go；〃 he said。 〃I've stopped being a shit。〃
〃Don't stop for me；〃 she said。 〃Oh David how could we ever get in a thing like this？ Poor David。 What women do to you。 She was stroking his head and smiling at him。 〃I'll get the swimming things if you want to swim。
〃Good；〃 he said。 〃I'll go get my espadrilles。〃
They lay on the sand where David had spread the beach robes and the towels in the shade of a red rock and the girl said； 〃You go in and swim and then I will。〃
He lifted very slowly and gently up out and away from her and then waded out from the beach and dove under where the water was cold and swam deep。 When he came up he swam out against the chop of the breeze and then swam in to where the girl was waiting for him standing up to her waist in the water her black head sleek and wet； her light brown body dripping。 He held her tight and the waves washed against them。
They kissed and she said； 〃Everything of ours washed into the ocean。
〃We have to get back。〃
〃Let's go under once together holding tight。〃
Back at the hotel Catherine had not arrived and after they had taken showers and changed David and Marita sat at the bar with two martinis。 They looked at each other in the mirror。 They watched each other very carefully and then David passed his finger under his nose while he looked at her and she blushed。
〃I want to have more things like that；〃 she said。 〃Things that only we have so I won't be jealous。〃
〃I wouldn't put out too many anchors；〃 he said。 〃You might foul the cables。〃
〃No。 I'll find things to do that will hold you。〃
〃That's a good practical Heiress；〃 he said。
〃I wish I could change that name。 Don't you？〃
〃Names go to the bone；〃 he said。
〃Then let's really change mine；〃 she said。 〃Would you mind terribly？〃
〃No。。 。 。 Haya。〃
〃Say it again please。〃
〃Haya。〃
〃Is it good？〃
〃Very good。 It's a small name between us。 For nobody else ever。
〃What does Haya mean？〃
〃The one who blushes。 The modest one。
He held her close and tight and she settled against him and her head was on his shoulder。
〃Kiss me just once；〃 she said。
Catherine came into the big room dishevelled； excited and full of accomplishment and gaiety。
〃You did take him swimming；〃 she said。 〃You both do look handsome enough； though still wet from the shower。 Let me look at you。
〃Let me look at you；〃 the girl said。 〃What did you do to your hair？〃
〃It's cendre；〃 Catherine said。 〃Do you like it？ It's a rinse that Jean's experimenting with。〃
〃It's beautiful；〃 the girl said。
Catherine's hair was strange and exalting against her dark face。 She picked up Marita's drink and sipping it watched her self in the mirror and said； 〃Did you have fun swimming？〃
〃We both had a good swim；〃 the girl said。 〃But not as long as yesterday。〃
〃This is such a good drink； David；〃 Catherine said。 〃What makes your martinis better than anyone else's？〃
〃Gin；〃 David said。
〃Will you make me one please？〃
〃You don't want one now； Devil。 We're going to have lunch。〃
〃Yes I do；〃 she said。 〃I'm going to sleep after lunch。 You
didn't have to go through all the bleaching and re…bleaching and all of it。 It's exhausting。〃
〃What color is your hair really now？〃 David asked。
〃It's almost like white；〃 she said。 〃You'd like it。 But I want to keep this so we see how it lasts。〃
〃How white is it？〃 David asked。
〃About like the soap suds；〃 she said。 〃Do you remember？〃
That evening Catherine was completely different from the way she had been at mid…day。 She was sitting at the bar when they drove up from swimming。 The girl had stopped off at her room and when David came into the big main room he said； 〃What have you done to yourself now； Devil？〃
〃I shampooed all that nonsense out；〃 she said。 〃It made gray stains on the pillow。〃
She looked very striking； her hair a very light almost toneless silver that made her face darker than it had ever looked。
〃You're too damned beautiful；〃 he said。 〃But I wish they'd never touched your hair。〃
〃It's too late for that now。 Can I tell you something else？〃
〃Sure。〃
〃Tomorrow I'm not going to have drinks and I'm going to study Spanish and read again and stop thinking only about myself。〃
〃My God；〃 David said。 〃You had a big day。 Here； let me get a drink and go in and change。〃
〃I'll be here；〃 Catherine said。 〃Put on your dark blue shirt will you？ The one I got you like the one of mine？〃
David took his time in the shower and changing and when he came back the two girls were together at the bar and he wished he could have a painting of them。
〃I told Heiress everything about my new leaf；〃 Catherine said。 〃The one I just turned over and how I want you to love her too and you can marry her too if she'll have you。〃
〃We could in Africa if I was registered Mohammedan。 You're allowed three wives。〃
〃I think it would be much nicer if we were all married；〃 Catherine said。 〃Then no one could criticize us。 Will you really marry him； Heiress？〃
〃Yes；〃 the girl said。
〃I'm so pleased；〃 Catherine said。 〃Everything I worried about is so simple now。〃
〃Would you really？〃 David asked the dark girl。
〃Yes；〃 she said。 〃Ask me。〃
David looked at her。 She was very serious and excited。 He thought of her face with her eyes closed against the sun and her black head against the whiteness of the towel robe on the yellow sand as it had been when they had made love at last。 〃I'll ask you；〃 he said。 〃But not in any damned bar。
〃This isn't any damned bar；〃 Catherine said。 〃This is our own special bar and we bought the mirror。 I wish we could marry you tonight。〃
〃Don't talk balls；〃 David said。
〃I'm not；〃 Catherine said。 〃I really mean it。 Truly。〃
〃Do you want a drink？〃 David asked。
〃No；〃 Catherine said。 〃I want to get it said right first。 Look at me and see。〃 The girl was looking down and David looked at Catherine。 〃I thought it all out this afternoon；〃 she said。 〃I really did。 Didn't I tell you； Marita？〃
〃She did；〃 the girl said。
David saw that she was serious about this and that they had reached some understanding that he did not know about。
〃I'm still your wife；〃 Catherine said。 〃We'll start with that。 I want Marita to be your wife too to help me out and then she
inherits from me。
〃Why does she have to inherit？〃
〃People make their wills；〃 she said。 〃And this is more important than a will。〃
〃What about you？〃 David asked the girl。
〃I want to do it if you want me to。〃
〃Good；〃 he said。 〃Do you mind if I have a drink？〃
〃You have one please；〃 Catherine said。 〃You see I'm not going to have you ruined if I'm crazy and I won't be able to decide。 I'm not going to be shut up either。 I decided that too。 She loves you and you love her a little。 I can tell。 You'd never find anybody else like her and I don't want you to go to some damn bitch or be lonely。〃
〃Come on and cheer up；〃 David said。 〃You're healthy as a goat。〃
〃Well； we're going to do it；〃 Catherine said。 〃We'll work out everything。〃
Chapter Seventeen
THE SUN WAS BRIGHT now in the room and it was a new day。
You better get to work； he told himself。 You can't change any of it back。 Only one person can change it back and she can't know how she will wake nor if she'll be there when she wakes。 It doesn't matter how you feel。 You better get to work。 You have to make sense there。 You don't make any in this other。 Nothing will help you。 Nor would have ever since it started。
When he finally got back into the story the sun was well up and he had forgotten the two girls。 It had been necessary to think what his father would have thought sitting that evening with his back against the green…yellow trunk of the fig tree with the enameled cup of whiskey and water in his hand。 His father had dealt so lightly with evil； giving it no chance ever and denying its importance so that it had no status and no shape nor dignity。 He treated evil like an old entrusted friend； David thought； and evil； when she poxed him； never knew she'd scored。 His father was not vulnerable he knew and； unlike most people he had known； only death could kill him。 Finally； he knew what
his father had thought and knowing it； he did not put it in the story。 He only wrote what his father did and how he felt and in all this he became his father and what his father said to Mob was what he said。 He slept well on the ground under the tree and he waked and heard the leopard cough。 Later he did not hear the leopard in the camp but he knew he was there and he went back to sleep。 The leopard was after meat and there was