The Stories of Paul Bowles (81 page)

The morning of departure Tom was busy handing out money to those who had performed services of one sort or another in the house. Anita went with him to the kitchen and shook Johara’s hand. She was hoping to see Sekoü and bid him good-bye, but it was too early for him to have come around.

“I’m really disappointed,” she said, as they stood outside the house waiting for Bessier’s nephew.

“You finally decided to like Sekou,” Tom remarked. “You see, he didn’t want to rape you.”

She could not help saying: “But he dreamed of me.”

“He did?” Tom seemed amused. “How do you know that?”

“He told me. He dreamed he came and stood by my bed.” She decided to stop there and say no more. Tom’s expression was despairing. He shook his head. “Well, it’s all too much for me.”

She was glad to see the Land Rover approaching.

When they were far out in the desert she was still reviewing the no longer painful story. Sekou knew much of it, but she knew it all, and she promised herself that never would anyone else hear of it.

(1993)

Grateful acknowledgment is made to Black Sparrow Press for permission to reprint certain stories contained herein.

A hardcover edition of this book was published in 2001 by Ecco, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

Dates provided are the year of the story’s first publication.

THE STORIES OF PAUL BOWLES
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Copyright © 2001 by the Estate of Paul Bowles.
Previously published material copyright © 1945, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1954, 1955, 1957, 1958, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1967, 1970, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1981, 1988, 1993 by Paul Bowles.
Introduction copyright © 2001 by Robert Stone.

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EPub Edition © MARCH 2010 ISBN: 978-0-061-13704-4

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