He knew how little the real Marie resembled the speciously amiable, altogether attractive Marie who faced a smiling world when she went pleasuring.

He knew, but--he wanted her just the same.

He wanted to tell her so many things about the burros, and about the desert--things that would make her laugh, and things that would make her blink back the tears.

He was homesick for her as he had never been homesick in his life before.

The picture flickered on through scene after scene that Bud did not see at all, though he was staring unwinkingly at the screen all the while.