happening. Only one thing was clear: He was onstage at the Moulin Rouge.
* * *
LISA STROLLED DOWN a big, broad, tree-lined avenue lined with small clothing stores and perfume shops, but no libraries. She had planned to ask the redcheeked woman at the hotel before she left, but there hadnât been anyone in reception, just a hippopotamus-like man sitting in an armchair in the lobby reading a newspaper who had eyed her with suspicion and wariness. And now she was feeling more and more dejected, because every time she would approach someone to ask for directions they would stick their noses up in the air the second they realized that she couldnât speak French. She was starting to suspect that not all French people were as helpful to foreigners as the man and woman at the Frainche-Fraille. She let her eyes browse the various display windows to see if any of the shops seemed like they might carry books. But it was mostly dresses. Nice dresses, actually. Lisa stopped to look at one particularly remarkable dress. As she stood there,she suddenly noticed something reflected in the store window, a woman standing across the street wearing a trench coat and big sunglasses. The woman was too far away for Lisa to be able to see her clearly, and yet there was something strangely familiar about her. And even though Lisa wasnât sure who the woman was, it was very clear that the woman was watching her.
Lisa started walking again, pretending to be engrossed in the storefronts, and sure enough: The woman across the street was following her.
Lisa felt both her heart and her feet starting to speed up. Who was this woman and what did she want? Was it � Could it be �
The woman was crossing the street!
Lisa started to run.
There were lots of people on the sidewalk and Lisa tried darting quickly in and out between them while shekept her head down so that the woman wouldnât be able to see her. And yet, when she turned around she caught a glimpse of the womanâs coat between some pedestrians behind her. Lisa ducked into a narrow alley and ran. But she ran only a few yards before she discovered that it was a dead end with a wall at the end. She pressed her back in against the wall behind a downspout and waited, staring out toward the main street. There was the coat! It ⦠it ⦠passed the alley without pausing to look right or left. Lisa exhaled in relief. Now she had to get back to the hotel. The phrase book and baguette would have to wait. But just as she was about to head back out to the street, she saw the coat again. It had come back and was now stopped right outside the alleyway! It stood there as if sniffing for her scent. Lisa saw an iron staircase leading down to a cellar door below her and scurried down the steps. The steps ended in front of a door, and Lisa stood there, waiting and holding her breath.
Seconds passed.
Then she heard a sound from above her in the alley. Someone was approaching.
Lisa pressed down on the door handle. To her relief, it opened! She stepped into the darkness and shut the door behind her and leaned against it with her back. Her heart was pounding like a tap-dancing rabbit. It wasnât so strange that the door had been left unlockedâas far as she could make out, this was a completely empty room. What was strange were the sounds and the smell. It was like an orchestra of squishing, slurping, and sucking, as if there were about a hundred invisible fathers eating lamb and cabbage stew in there. And the smell was like ⦠like rotten meat and stinky socks. Just then, she screamed. Something wet, slippery, and cold just caressed the back of her neck! She ran to the middle of the room and looked around. By now her eyes had adjusted to the darkness enough that she could see that there was something on the walls â¦something moving, something undulating with long, enormous feelers. And not just over there, but there and there and ⦠they were everywhere,
* * *
LISA STROLLED DOWN a big, broad, tree-lined avenue lined with small clothing stores and perfume shops, but no libraries. She had planned to ask the redcheeked woman at the hotel before she left, but there hadnât been anyone in reception, just a hippopotamus-like man sitting in an armchair in the lobby reading a newspaper who had eyed her with suspicion and wariness. And now she was feeling more and more dejected, because every time she would approach someone to ask for directions they would stick their noses up in the air the second they realized that she couldnât speak French. She was starting to suspect that not all French people were as helpful to foreigners as the man and woman at the Frainche-Fraille. She let her eyes browse the various display windows to see if any of the shops seemed like they might carry books. But it was mostly dresses. Nice dresses, actually. Lisa stopped to look at one particularly remarkable dress. As she stood there,she suddenly noticed something reflected in the store window, a woman standing across the street wearing a trench coat and big sunglasses. The woman was too far away for Lisa to be able to see her clearly, and yet there was something strangely familiar about her. And even though Lisa wasnât sure who the woman was, it was very clear that the woman was watching her.
Lisa started walking again, pretending to be engrossed in the storefronts, and sure enough: The woman across the street was following her.
Lisa felt both her heart and her feet starting to speed up. Who was this woman and what did she want? Was it � Could it be �
The woman was crossing the street!
Lisa started to run.
There were lots of people on the sidewalk and Lisa tried darting quickly in and out between them while shekept her head down so that the woman wouldnât be able to see her. And yet, when she turned around she caught a glimpse of the womanâs coat between some pedestrians behind her. Lisa ducked into a narrow alley and ran. But she ran only a few yards before she discovered that it was a dead end with a wall at the end. She pressed her back in against the wall behind a downspout and waited, staring out toward the main street. There was the coat! It ⦠it ⦠passed the alley without pausing to look right or left. Lisa exhaled in relief. Now she had to get back to the hotel. The phrase book and baguette would have to wait. But just as she was about to head back out to the street, she saw the coat again. It had come back and was now stopped right outside the alleyway! It stood there as if sniffing for her scent. Lisa saw an iron staircase leading down to a cellar door below her and scurried down the steps. The steps ended in front of a door, and Lisa stood there, waiting and holding her breath.
Seconds passed.
Then she heard a sound from above her in the alley. Someone was approaching.
Lisa pressed down on the door handle. To her relief, it opened! She stepped into the darkness and shut the door behind her and leaned against it with her back. Her heart was pounding like a tap-dancing rabbit. It wasnât so strange that the door had been left unlockedâas far as she could make out, this was a completely empty room. What was strange were the sounds and the smell. It was like an orchestra of squishing, slurping, and sucking, as if there were about a hundred invisible fathers eating lamb and cabbage stew in there. And the smell was like ⦠like rotten meat and stinky socks. Just then, she screamed. Something wet, slippery, and cold just caressed the back of her neck! She ran to the middle of the room and looked around. By now her eyes had adjusted to the darkness enough that she could see that there was something on the walls â¦something moving, something undulating with long, enormous feelers. And not just over there, but there and there and ⦠they were everywhere,
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