3/5/2009
15
L’Orage
He
paid in cash—francs, and few of those, because of her temperament.
When he entered the pen to claim her, Berbers, Arabs,
and Tunisians lined the enclosure to watch the black fiend
trample the foolish Lieutenant. Paul walked quietly up to her,
and when the laughing merchant stripped off the blindfold and
hobbles, Paul spoke a single word. l’Orage calmed immediately
and let him stroke her face.
Contemptuously,
he led her on a light field-lead out of the marketsquare.
The marketplace had turned into a frenzy of babbling
men, women, and children. The native peoples sidled out of
Paul’s way as if he were himself a demon from the pit. At the
edge of the market, to the amazement of the spectators, Paul leapt
upon l’Orage bareback and rode off at a gallop. He laughed
all the way back to the garrison.