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¡¡¡¡Ish¡¡started¡¡to¡¡say¡¡that¡¡he¡¡would¡¡give¡¡them¡¡his¡¡pistol£»¡¡but¡¡checked¡¡himself¡£¡¡Firearms¡¡were¡¡as¡¡likely¡¡to¡¡create¡¡as¡¡to¡¡solve¡¡difficulties¡£¡¡In¡¡all¡¡probability¡¡Milt¡¡had¡¡never¡¡fired¡¡a¡¡gun¡¡in¡¡his¡¡life£»¡¡and¡¡he¡¡did¡¡not¡¡look¡¡like¡¡an¡¡apt¡¡learner¡£¡¡As¡¡for¡¡Ann£»¡¡she¡¡gave¡¡the¡¡impression¡¡of¡¡being¡¡one¡¡of¡¡those¡¡excitable¡¡women¡¡who¡¡would¡¡be¡¡as¡¡dangerous¡¡to¡¡friend¡¡as¡¡to¡¡foe¡¡if¡¡she¡¡ever¡¡started¡¡cutting¡¡loose¡¡with¡¡a¡¡pistol¡£¡¡
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¡¡¡¡Next¡¡morning¡¡Ann¡¡was¡¡having¡¡another¡¡warm¡¡martini¡¡at¡¡breakfast£»¡¡and¡¡still¡¡plaining¡¡that¡¡there¡¡was¡¡not¡¡a¡¡scrap¡¡of¡¡ice¡¡in¡¡New¡¡York¡¡City¡£¡¡They¡¡urged¡¡him¡¡to¡¡stay¡¡longer£»¡¡they¡¡urged¡¡him¡¡even¡¡to¡¡stay¡¡permanently¡£¡¡He¡¡could¡¡certainly¡¡find¡¡himself¡¡a¡¡girl¡¡somewhere¡¡in¡¡New¡¡York£»¡¡they¡¡said£»¡¡she¡¡would¡¡make¡¡a¡¡fourth¡¡for¡¡bridge¡£¡¡They¡¡were¡¡the¡¡pleasantest¡¡people¡¡he¡¡had¡¡found¡¡since¡¡the¡¡catastrophe¡£¡¡Yet¡¡he¡¡had¡¡no¡¡desire¡¡to¡¡stay¡¡there¡¡with¡¡them£»¡¡even¡¡if¡¡he¡¡could¡¡locate¡¡a¡¡girl¡¡for¡¡a¡¡fourth¡¡at¡¡bridge¡and¡¡other¡¡things¡£¡¡No£»¡¡he¡¡decided£»¡¡he¡¡would¡¡strike¡¡back¡¡for¡¡the¡¡West¡¡again¡£¡¡
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¡¡¡¡He¡¡doubted¡¡whether¡¡they¡¡could¡¡survive¡¡the¡¡winter£»¡¡even¡¡though¡¡they¡¡piled¡¡broken¡¡furniture¡¡into¡¡the¡¡fireplace¡£¡¡Some¡¡accident¡¡would¡¡quite¡¡likely¡¡overtake¡¡them£»¡¡or¡¡pneumonia¡¡might¡¡strike¡¡them¡¡down¡£¡¡They¡¡were¡¡like¡¡the¡¡highly¡¡bred¡¡spaniels¡¡and¡¡pekinese¡¡who¡¡at¡¡the¡¡end¡¡of¡¡their¡¡leashes¡¡had¡¡once¡¡walked¡¡along¡¡the¡¡city¡¡streets¡£¡¡Milt¡¡and¡¡Ann£»¡¡too£»¡¡were¡¡city¡dwellers£»¡¡and¡¡when¡¡the¡¡city¡¡died£»¡¡they¡¡would¡¡hardly¡¡survive¡¡without¡¡it¡£¡¡They¡¡would¡¡pay¡¡the¡¡penalty¡¡which¡¡in¡¡the¡¡history¡¡of¡¡the¡¡world£»¡¡he¡¡knew£»¡¡had¡¡always¡¡been¡¡inflicted¡¡upon¡¡organisms¡¡which¡¡specialized¡¡too¡¡highly¡£¡¡Milt¡¡and¡¡Ann¡the¡¡owner¡¡of¡¡a¡¡jewelry¡¡store£»¡¡a¡¡salesgirl¡¡for¡¡perfumes¡they¡¡had¡¡specialized¡¡until¡¡they¡¡could¡¡no¡¡longer¡¡adapt¡¡themselves¡¡to¡¡new¡¡conditions¡£¡¡They¡¡were¡¡almost¡¡at¡¡the¡¡other¡¡end¡¡of¡¡the¡¡scale¡¡from¡¡those¡¡Negroes¡¡in¡¡Arkansas¡¡who¡¡had¡¡so¡¡easily¡¡gone¡¡back¡¡to¡¡the¡¡primitive¡¡way¡¡of¡¡living¡¡on¡¡the¡¡land¡£¡¡
¡¡¡¡The¡¡Drive¡¡curved£»¡¡and¡¡he¡¡knew¡¡that¡¡they¡¡would¡¡now¡¡be¡¡out¡¡of¡¡his¡¡sight£»¡¡even¡¡if¡¡he¡¡turned¡¡around¡£¡¡He¡¡felt¡¡the¡¡warmth¡¡and¡¡fullness¡¡of¡¡tears¡¡in¡¡his¡¡eyes¡Good¡bye£»¡¡Milt¡¡and¡¡Ann£¡¡¡
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¡¡¡¡Chapter¡¡5
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