“Spend the night with me, Keith…” Tom asks. He gets frightened by his own impudence, gets frightened and begins to speak hastily and inconsistently:

One night, Kitty, please! Lou will never know... it won't happen, I swear! I won't touch you if you don't want to, just spend this night with me... Don't leave me alone... I love you...

Oh, fuck, fuck, saints! He said IT! Everyone, the bridges are burning! What will she answer? What? He will send... laugh, say, you're crazy, lilʼbro*... Fucking iodine, how scared he is!

Tom is standing right next to her, almost looming over the short figure, not daring to touch her. Flapping long...