METROPOLIS stared each other in the face. Then Josaph.1t's hands Hew to Slim's throat. Slim lowered his head. He threw forward his arms, like the grabbing arms of the octopus. They held each other, tightly clasped, and wrestled together, burning and ice-cold, raving and reflecting, teeth-grinding and roent, breast to breast.
They tore themselves apart and dashed at each other. They fell, and, wrestling, rolled along the floor. Josaphat forced his opponent beneath him. Fighting, they pushed each other up. They stumbled and rolled over armchairs and divans. The beautiful room, turned into a wilderness, seemed to be too small for the two twisted bodies, which jerked like fi.hes, stamped like steers, struck at each other like fighting bears. But against Slim's unshakeable, dreadful coldness tlle white-hot fury of his opponent could not stand its ground. Suddenly, a. though his knee joints had been hacked through, ]osaphat collapsed in Slim's hands, fell on his knees and remained there, his back resting against an over-tW1led armchair. staring up with glassy eyes. Slim loosened his hold. He looked down at him. "Had enough yet?" he asked, and smiled sleepily. Josaphat did not answer. He moved his right hand. In .11 the fury of the fight he had not lost hold of the black cap which Freder had worn when he came to him. He raised the cap painfully on to his knees, as though it weighed a hundredweight. He twisted it between his fingers. He fondled it.... "Come, Josaphat, get upl» said Slim. He spoke very grav~y and gently and a little sadly. "May I help you? Give me your handsl No, no. I shall not take the cap away from you . ... I am afraid I was obli~ed to hurt you very much. It was no pleasure. But you forced me into it.» He left go of the man, who was now standing upright, and. he looked around him with a gloomy smile. "A good thing we settled the price beforehand," he "Now the Aat would be considerably cheaper." He sighed a little and looked at Josaphal:, "When will you be ready to go?" "Now," said Josaphat.
.am.
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