RANSVESTIA

the blondes, the center of a boisterous and obviously adventurous group of tourists-"I only hope they knew how adventurous they were being!"

"They're doing all right," I said. "Perhaps you'd rather join them?”

I waited while she gave me a quick look, trying to weight up what it was that I wanted. For a man in her position, presuming her to be a man, she probably had to be very wary of casual contacts like me. She'd never know when she might attract a real freak-that is, if she didn't consider herself freak enough.

"Very well, she said lightly. "I'm very tired. You can take me home." I rose quickly, but her hand held on to my arm. Her eyes were staring up at me, and I saw that they were green. "That's all," she said seriously. "You just take me home."

Gerhard had had the sense to leave the car for me whenever he had left, as I had guessed he would. I wondered how long he had waited before he'd found a taxi or stomped off to the Metro. He must have been tempted to use the spare key to the car that I'd insisted he

carry.

Romy lay back in the seat while I drove the car out of the narrow alley and edged out in the general direction of the Champs Elysee. Her head lolled on the edge of the seat and rested against my shoulder as the Citroen eased itself into the late night traffic. She lived in a hotel, a middle-priced unpretentious building if the district of the address was anything to go by.

As soon as the car's ignition was turned off, Romy awoke, blinked rapidly and hastily pulled herself away from me. Then, seeing my amusement, she laughed, too, in unselfconscious humor. "I'll see you to your door, fair damsel," I said flippantly, getting out rapidly and going round to her door.

"Thank you," was all she said when I took her arm, slipped it through mine and escorted her in through the main doors of the hotel.

The solitary night clerk gave us a nod and a quick appreciative glance as we strolled over to the fairly modern elevator. "They all

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