As it turned out, I liked the room very much. It was at the rear of the hotel, taking in the afternoon sunlight, which made it bright and airy to an Englishman coming from a London winter. It was small, containing nothing more than the bed, a small chest of drawers where the telephone sat, and a chair.
“If you’ll undress? You can put your clothes on the chair.” He went to the bed and tugged aside the covers.
I turned my back to him. He might have thought it was due to a sense of modesty, but it was really to make sure he didn’t spot the little pistol in my waistband. I unbuttoned my shirt, removed it, and placed it on a chair, then slipped the pistol under its folds.
“Oh, my, senhor! Such a beautiful dragon.” He came to me and stroked the wedge-shaped head, the serpentine neck, and the
