to get the words out.“ It is all around you.”“ What is?”
“ Get out!” There was an urgency in the woman’ s voice, a high, shrill keening sound like an animal in pain. Catherine could feel the hair on her scalp begin to rise.
“ You’ re frightening me,” she moaned.“ Please tell me what’ s wrong.”
The old woman shook her head from side to side, her eyes wild.“ Go away before it gets you.”
Catherine felt a panic rising in her. It was difficult for her to breathe.“ Before what gets me?”
The old woman’ s face was contorted with pain and terror.“ Death. It is coming for you.” And the woman rose and disappeared into the back room.
Catherine sat there, her heart pounding, her hands trembling, and she clasped them tightly together to stop them. She caught the waiter’ s eye and started to order a drink, but stopped herself. She was not going to let a crazy woman spoil her bright future. She sat there breathing deeply until she had gotten control of herself, and after a long time she rose, picked up her purse and gloves and walked out of the taverna.
Out in the dazzlingly bright sunlight Catherine felt better again. She had been foolish to let an old woman frighten her. A horror like that should be arrested instead of being allowed to terrify people. From now on, Catherine told herself, you’ ll stick to fortune cookies.
She stepped into her apartment and looked at the living room, and it was as though she were seeing it for the first time. It was a dismaying sight. Dust was thick everywhere, and articles of clothing were strewn around the room. It was incredible to Catherine that in her drunken haze she had not even been aware of it. Well, the first exercise she was going to get was making this place look spic and span. She was starting toward the kitchen when she heard a drawer close in the bedroom. Her heart leaped in sudden alarm, and she moved cautiously toward the bedroom door.
Larry was in the bedroom. A closed suitcase lay on his bed, and he was finishing packing a second suitcase. Catherine stood there a moment, watching him.“ If those are for the Red Cross,” she said,“ I already gave.”
Larry glanced up.“ I’ m leaving.”“ Another trip for Demiris?”“ No,” he said without stopping,“ this one’ s for me. I’ m getting out of here.”“ Larry …”“ There’ s nothing to discuss.”
She moved into the bedroom fighting for self-control.“ But— but there is. There’ s a lot to discuss. I went to see a doctor today and he told me I’ m going to be fine.” The