At this Kristian looked up in surprise. "Freudian slip, maybe?" The boy registered a blank. He ground out his cigarette, and shifted position in the booth. "Let's get on with this case, huh, Chris? I've got to get back to the dorm for lunch.'

"Go ahead. If we run overtime, I'll buy your lunch."

At this offer, the boy became serious, put his feet on the floor, and started talking in earnest.

"Well, like I said, he came over and asked for a light. I gave him one, and he offered me a sundae if I wanted one. Said he just got paid. I said 'thanks, no,' but offered him a seat in the car. This must have been what he wanted, as he got right in. We talked about nothing in particular for a while, you know how it is... Then he asked if I wanted to drive around for a while. I said 'Okay' and we pulled out."

"Yeah! What happened then?"

"Not so fast! Let me tell it as it happened. He kept watching me out of the corner of his eye, and I guess he had me pegged. At any rate, after a few blocks he told me all of a sudden to stop the car, and follow him. I parked, and we went up to his studio apartment, on the second floor.”

Kristian was making code marks on a small scratch pad, in the cramped script that the English and some others seem to prefer. When Tom stopped for a moment, Kristian turned to him and said, "Door locked?”

"No. Just closed. He told me to sit down and walked over to a liquor cabinet. He poured only one drink and handed it to me. Then he asked to be excused for a minute, and went into another room, probably the bathroom."

"Can you describe him? What did he look like? What sort of clothes was he wearing?"

"Clothes! That's just it! He was changing clothes in the other room, it turned out. When I met him he had on a tan sports shirt and a pair of those new grey cords. I guess he was about 150 pounds, and stood about five feet ten. Actually he was quite ordinary...I mean in the sense that he would be lost in a crowd. Just typical average young American, I guess you'd say. Physically, that is!" "What was he wearing when he came back?",

"An outfit. It looked like he had gotten it together for some occasion. He was wearing the tightest pair of faded bluejeans I've ever seen, a pair of motorcycle boots, and a tight wool sweater that looked like it was made in France."

"Did he give any explanation of the change? Or did he try to seduce you, or what?"

"No, none of those. He just asked me if I was comfortable, filled up my drink, and walked away. He stood over by the window and looked out, then began humming a little to himself. I began to feel as if I wasn't there!" "Why?"

"" Cause he just ignored me from then on. But that's what was so eerie about 14 mattachine REVIEW

the whole thing. He started rubbing his hands all over his body,' slowly at first, then in short quick circles. Gradually he was breathing rather hard, and I thought he'd have an orgasm.

"Did he?"

"Not that I know of. Anyway, he moved off toward the bed, and sort of got on it, well I can't explain it just right-like it was a person, maybe. Sort of sneaked onto it, sideways. Then he started rubbing all over again, this time with real pants of passion, I guess, instead of just breathing hard like he did by the window."

"It does sound different! What then?"

"He turned toward me and I could see his lips were slightly open, and wet. Pretty soon he licked them again, and his whole body went into a sort of spasm, like a wave was passing over him."

"That's a good way of putting it!”

"It is? Well, this happened again just the same way. Then he arched back his head, eyes closed, and whispered, 'Go now"!" "So you left right then?"

"Yes, I most certainly did! I left without saying a word. Went to Art's to have a beer and then to a movie. Just got in for the feature." "Then you didn't ask him the standard questions?"

"I told you already I didn't! Why do you keep riding me?"

"I'm not riding you. Just asking simple questions. If you didn't get any information, that's that."

"Isn't what I just told you information?"

"Yes. You're right. It's just that I want as much as possible on each case for the analysis. The more complete cases we get, the less we will have to do in total."

"I understand your position. Well, I've got to be getting back to the dorm. When do you want me to see you again?"

"I'll get in touch with you. I have to go downtown right away. Why don't you have lunch here? I'll tell Midge to put it on my bill. Okay?"

"Okay, Chris. That's swell of you! See you Monday if not before."

He watched his friend leave the cafe and walk down the street. As he mused on their "project," and the incident he had just related, he heard a sound behind him. He turned around suddenly, and then with a broad smile, said softly, "Hello, doll!"

The other boy sat down in the booth opposite him, and smoothed his hair, taking longer to do it than most persons would. Then he said, "Have you gone and told him after all?"

Tom replied with some amusement, "No. You're just a number, that's allTwelve in fact. I told him there was no contact, that it flopped. Okay?" "Whatever you say, doll. Is anything changed?" "Nothing. It's just like always."

"Good! I get off work at nine. See you then."