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¨I got into this town last night；〃 William Campbell said； speaking against the sheet。 He found he liked to talk through a sheet。 ¨Did you ever talk through a sheet？〃
¨Donˇt try to be funny。 You arenˇt funny。〃
¨Iˇm not being funny。 Iˇm just talking through a sheet。〃
¨Youˇre talking through a sheet all right。〃
¨You can go now； Mr。 Turner；〃 Campbell said。 ¨I donˇt work for you any more。〃
¨You know that anyway。〃
¨I know a lot；〃 William Campbell said。 He pulled down the sheet and looked at Mr。 Turner。 ¨I know enough so I donˇt mind looking at you at all。 Do you want to hear what I know？〃
¨No。〃
¨Good；〃 said William Campbell。 ¨Because really I donˇt know anything at all。 I was just talking。〃 He pulled the sheet up over his face again。 ¨I love it under a sheet；〃 he said。 Mr。 Turner stood beside the bed。 He was a middle…aged man with a large stomach and a bald head and he had many things to do。 ¨You ought to stop off here； Billy； and take a cure；〃 he said。 ¨Iˇll fix it up if you want to do it。〃
¨I donˇt want to take a cure；〃 William Campbell said。 ¨I donˇt want to take a cure at all。 I am perfectly happy。 All my life I have been perfectly happy。〃
¨How long have you been this way？〃
¨What a question！〃 William Campbell breathed in and out through the sheet。
¨How long have you been stewed； Billy？〃
¨Havenˇt I done my work？〃
¨Sure。 I just asked you how long youˇve been stewed； Billy。〃
¨I donˇt know。 But Iˇve got my wolf back。〃 He touched the sheet with his tongue。 ¨Iˇve had him for a week。〃
¨The hell you have。〃
¨Oh； yes。 My dear wolf。 Every time I take a drink he goes outside the room。 He canˇt stand alcohol。 The poor little fellow。〃 He moved his tongue round and round on the sheet。 ¨Heˇs a lovely wolf。 Heˇs just like he always was。〃 William Campbell shut his eyes and took a deep breath。
¨You got to take a cure； Billy；〃 Mr。 Turner said。 ¨You wonˇt mind the Keeley。 It isnˇt bad。〃
¨The Keeley；〃 William Campbell said。 ¨It isnˇt far from London。〃 He shut his eyes and opened them； moving the eyelashes against the sheet。 ¨I just love sheets；〃 he said。 He looked at Mr。 Turner。
¨Listen； you think Iˇm drunk。〃
¨You are drunk。〃
¨No； Iˇm not。〃
¨Youˇre drunk and youˇve had d。tˇs。〃
¨No。〃 William Campbell held the sheet around his head。 ¨Dear sheet；〃 he said。 He breathed against it gently。 ¨Pretty sheet。 You love me； donˇt you； sheet？ Itˇs all in the price of the room。 Just like in Japan。 No；〃 he said。 ¨Listen Billy； dear Sliding Billy； I have a surprise for you。 Iˇm not drunk。 Iˇm hopped to the eyes。〃
¨No；〃 said Mr。 Turner。
¨Take a look。〃 William Campbell pulled up the right sleeve of his pajama jacket under the sheet； then shoved the right forearm out。 ¨Look at that。〃 On the forearm； from just above the wrist to the elbow； were small blue circles around tiny dark blue punctures。 The circles almost touched one another。 ¨Thatˇs the new development；〃 William Campbell said。 ¨I drink a little now once in a while； just to drive the wolf out of the room。〃
¨They got a cure for that；〃 ˉSliding Billyˇ Turner said。
¨No；〃 William Campbell said。 ¨They havenˇt got a cure for anything。〃
¨You just canˇt quit like that； Billy；〃 Turner said。 He sat on the bed。
¨Be careful of my sheet；〃 William Campbell said。
¨You just canˇt quit at your age and take to pumping yourself full of that stuff because you got into a jam。〃
¨Thereˇs a law against it。 If thatˇs what you mean。〃
¨No； I mean you got to fight it out。〃
Billy Campbell caressed the sheet with his lips and his tongue。 ¨Dear sheet；〃 he said。 ¨I can kiss this sheet and see right through it at the same time。〃
¨Cut it out about the sheet。 You canˇt just take to that stuff； Billy。〃
William Campbell shut his eyes。 He was beginning to feel a slight nausea。 He knew that this nausea would increase steadily； without there ever being the relief of sickness； until something were done against it。 It was at this point that he suggested that Mr。 Turner have a drink。 Mr。 Turner declined。 William Campbell took a drink from the bottle。 It was a temporary measure。 Mr。 Turner watched him。 Mr。 Turner had been in this room much longer than he should have been； he had many things to do； although living in daily association with people who used drugs； he had a horror of drugs； and he was very fond of William Campbell； he did not wish to leave him。 He was very sorry for him and he felt a cure might help。 He knew there were good cures in Kansas City。 But he had to go。 He stood up。
¨Listen； Billy；〃 William Campbell said； ¨I want to tell you something。 Youˇre called ˉSliding Billyˇ。 Thatˇs because you can slide。 Iˇm called just Billy。 Thatˇs because I never could slide at all。 I canˇt slide； Billy。 I canˇt slide。 It just catches。 Every time I try it； it catches。〃 He shut his eyes。 ¨I canˇt slide； Billy。 Itˇs awful when you canˇt slide。〃
¨Yes；〃 said ˉSliding Billyˇ Turner。
¨Yes； what？〃 William Campbell looked at him。 ¨You were saying。〃
¨No；〃 said William Campbell。 ¨I wasnˇt saying。 It must have been a mistake。〃
¨You were saying about sliding。〃
¨No。 It couldnˇt have been about sliding。 But listen； Billy； and Iˇll tell you a secret。 Stick to sheets； Billy。 Keep away from women and horses and； and〃 he stopped ¨eagles； Billy。 If you love horses youˇll get horse…s and if you love eagles youˇll get eagle…s〃 He stopped and put his head under the sheet。
¨I got to go；〃 said ˉSliding Billyˇ Turner。
¨If you love women youˇll get a dose；〃 William Campbell said。 ¨If you love horses〃
¨Yes； you said that。〃
¨Said what？〃
¨About horses and eagles。〃
¨Oh； yes。 And if you love sheets。〃 He breathed on the sheet and stroked his nose against it。 ¨I donˇt know about sheets；〃 he said。 ¨I just started to love this sheet。〃
¨I have to go；〃 Mr。 Turner said。 ¨I got a lot to do。〃
¨Thatˇs all right；〃 William Campbell said。 ¨Everybodyˇs got to go。〃
¨I better go。〃
¨All right； you go。〃
¨Are you all right； Billy？〃
¨I was never so happy in my life。〃
¨And youˇre all right？〃
¨Iˇm fine。 You go along。 Iˇll just lie here for a little while。 Around noon Iˇll get up。〃
But when Mr。 Turner came up to William Campbellˇs room at noon William Campbell was sleeping and as Mr。 Turner was a man who knew what things in life were very valuable he did not wake him。
TODAY IS FRIDAY
Three Roman soldiers are in a drinking place at eleven oˇclock at night。 There are barrels around the wall。 Behind the wooden counter is a Hebrew wine…seller。 The three Roman soldiers are a little cock…eyed。
1st SoldierYou tried the red？
2nd SoldierNo； I ainˇt tried it。
1st SoldierYou better try it。
2nd SoldierAll right； George； weˇll have a round of the red。
Hebrew Wine…sellerHere you are； gentlemen。 Youˇll like that。 ＇He sets down an earthenware pitcher that he has filled from one of the casks。＇ Thatˇs a nice lit