Thousand: Four Hundred Twenty-Six

to his feet and strips off Bernie’s pants. He takes Bernie’s hand and leads him naked to the bathroom. In one corner, taking up most of the small space, is a round wooden tub set into the floor. Wisps of steam loll upon an unstill surface under the mild light of three candles. The man whirls out a dark towel and wraps it around Bernie’s chest. It is heavy, damp and so warm Bernie shudders, the last of the cold lifting off like moths. In another corner waits a low stool with a hole in the middle, a porcelain pot