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.But the next morning, the steward didn't seem to be in any rush and I blessed my luck.I had Madison for company in the breakfast salon."You know what I found out?" he glowed, as he chomped his bacon and eggs."That El Cid was anabsolute PR masterpiece!""Don't talk so loud, Mad.My head hurts.""Oh, you'll really love this," he said."You're so amateur when it comes to PR that you just plain won'tbelieve it.But El Cid was the total creation of PR men.In the eleventh century, too! You see, when hewent outlaw against the king of Castile, he was really trying to set up a kingdom for himself right here inValencia, totally separate from Spain.But his PR figured, hey, that's not so good for his immortality sothey rewrote the whole script.They tailored it up so he looked like a Spanish national hero and he's beenone ever since! Man, I wish I knew the name of his PR.What an expert he must have been!"Such enthusiasm did not fit my mood.Trying to hold my head in a position where it would not hurt yetstill not fall off, I went down on the dock, intending to limp off somewhere beyond the reach of sportsdirectors-maybe to a cool, quiet park.Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlTeenie was standing at an ice-cream cart, probably intending to top off her breakfast with an helado.Istepped quickly out of view between two buildings.She might have ideas for more excursions.Suddenly a cab came roaring up.An arm from the back seat suddenly pointed at Teenie.The cabscreeched to a halt beside her.A burly figure leaped out.The black-jowled man! He went right up to Teenie.He was shouting, butbecause of dock noise, I couldn't make out what he was saying.But he was angry!Teenie took a bite of the ice cream, not looking at him.The man gave the ice-cream cart a shove.I was amazed.Where had this man come from? And why was he so upset at Teenie for eating icecream?He had dropped his voice and I couldn't hear what he was saying.But he was shaking his fist at her!She just kept on eating ice cream.He kept on talking.She offered him some ice cream.He pushed it away.She put her arm around hisshoulder.He pushed it off.She gave him a kiss on the cheek and he grabbed out a handkerchief andwiped off the resultant sticky goo.She was talking soothingly.The ice-cream man apparently hadn't been paid yet.He was standing there with his hand out.Helooked cross over having had his cart shoved.Teenie put her arm around the black-jowled man again.She was saying something in his ear.Suddenly the black-jowled man reached into his pocket and pulled out some pesetas and paid theicecream man.Teenie took the black-jowled man's handkerchief and wiped the last of the ice cream offher hands.She was continuing to talk as she did so.Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlThe man looked around helplessly.Then he opened the door of the cab.Teenie got in and they droveaway.Unease stirred me.But then I shrugged.I shouldn't have.In my stupidity, I assumed that there wassimply no understanding teen-agers.Or middle-aged men who would fly all over the place just to getanother crack at unripe tail.Little did I know what Fate was building up for me.Had I even guessed, I would have run until therewas no more wind left in me.Looking back on it, I am utterly amazed that I never even came close to fathoming what was reallygoing on!I was at RISK!Chapter 2Sitting in the owner's salon that afternoon, I came out of a brief doze with a start.I thought I was seeing things!Right there on the viewer was a green ring.That's all that was in the picture: a green ring.Like a smokering somebody had blown except that it was green.I looked at the second viewer.Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlA green ring!Oh, I knew that hashish would do me in.I was now seeing things! Yet I hadn't eaten anything but lunch.I looked back at the first viewer.Another green ring.I looked at the second viewer.Same thing!I noticed something.I wasn't giggling.I held my head in my hands.Maybe it wasn't the hashish.Maybe that blow on my forehead had alteredmy vision.Maybe this was the beginning stage of going blind.A horrible vision of Teenie leading me around on a leash and beating me with a white cane rose toplague me.It was her fault for leaving the skateboard there.I glanced back at the viewers.Heller's face was on one, Krak's face was on the other
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