282

A café in Paris, 20th arrondissement.

Mona: What did he say to you?

Alvin: He spoke in English.

Mona: He seemed very assured.

Alvin: But I wasn’t sure exactly what he said. It sounded like, “I smoke because smoking doesn’t cause panther. Not in Paris.”

Mona: It does cause panther in Paris. It causes panther everywhere.

Alvin: You have ash on you.

[He brushes ash from her jacket sleeve.]