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He came up behind her; where she was standing; before the open full…length windows。 She was gazing out with all the rapture attending a first discovery。 And it was a first discovery in every sense of the word; she had never seen this place before; a cloud had darkened it until now。
They stood looking out in silence for a while; he at her shoulder。 The lucent evening sky; the wavy black hills against the hidden blue gas flares left behind by the sunset。 And nearer at hand; those streaks of luminous talcum; stretching away in narrowing perspective; that were the streets and bright cafйs poor little Clo…Clo had known so well。
Her ghost must still be ambling along them right now; down there; but a pert; friendly sort of ghost; not a terrifying one; smiling and flipping her handbag jauntily at the passers…by she met。
〃So you're going back?〃 he said finally。
〃I guess so。 On the next boat。 But that's not for thirty days yet。 What're you going to do?〃
〃I don't know。 Stay down; I guess。 Things seem to be opening up a little more for me now; since that happened。 Belmonte and I are to share that reward offered by the municipal council; I told you that; didn't I? And His Nibs the missioner has even offered me a job as a sort of special investigator without portfolio on his own immediate staff。 And just to round out things full circle; I had a letter this morning from my old client; Kiki Walker; hinting that a little misunderstanding shouldn't stand between friends and she'd be very glad to have me do publicity work for her again。 What I'll probably do is open a little agency of some sort; now that I've got capital。 Typewriters or shaving cream or something very undramatic like that。〃
〃You should get yourself a girl and settle down。〃
〃I have already; but she doesn't know it yet。〃
〃When are you going to tell her?〃
One of his four or five cumbersome hands made vague motions behind her back; but without actually touching her。 〃Pretty soon now。 Sometime within the next thirty days; before that boat leaves。〃
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