There’s no such thing as fucking angels
in the middle of hell. That’s what David Starsky thought the first
time he saw Ken Hutchinson. With the
boyish blond good looks and ocean blue eyes he must have been straight out of
heaven.
Starsky’s hell
wasn’t just the dirty alley he was sitting in, but the gut-wrenching agony that
wound its way through his veins like an asp spitting furious venom during its
trek. If he could quit the goddamn
shaking he’d make it.
Whatever Hutch
was saying Starsky would never remember.
He could barely understand a word since he was so caught up in the
wretched pain. “Goddamn,” Starsky
muttered.
Hutch pulled him
to his feet and half dragged him down the alley. Nobody noticed or cared as the two young men walked in step
together. More curses escaped Starsky
as this guy kept a tight grip on him.
While the trip
seemed to last forever, it soon ended in a small dingy motel room. Starsky was set on the bed and he didn’t
hesitate to roll to his side. Pulling
his legs up to his chest Starsky’s body shook, rebelled and did what it wanted
despite the losing battle within.
He opened his
mouth to talk, but all that came out was a groan. Starsky shut his eyes and forgot about who had brought him here
or why. All that mattered was getting
rid of the tiresome hurting. It kept
going with no letting up.
Starsky tried to
bat away the wet cloth wiping away the dirt and grime, but this damn angel
wouldn’t stop. “Shit.” He liked how that felt. He couldn’t remember the last time anyone
did anything nice for him.
Shaking his
head, Starsky refused to think anymore.
He was beaten. This bitch that
had a hold of him had won. Just give in
to it, Starsky thought. Give in and let
it take you. When a glass was put to
his lips, he drank.
“Fucking angel,”
Starsky swore. The water tasted good
and the soft words eased the pain a little.
Hutch wasn’t going to let the bitch win no matter what he wanted.
***
Three days
later, Starsky stepped out of the shower feeling almost human. The bitch had lost the battle. The war would continue to be fought for some
time. Maybe this time he could actually
win a few.
After taking a
seat on the bed, Starsky looked up at the opening of the door. Hutch came through carrying hot coffee and a
sack. He said nothing as a cup was put
in his hand and a donut was set on a nearby napkin.
“Thanks.” Starsky took a drink and watched Hutch take
the chair across from him. “Why?”
“Why not?” Hutch searched his pockets and found the
cigarettes. After lighting one, he
leaned back. “Didn’t seem right, you
know. You hurting like that and no one
doing anything. You pissed I didn’t get
you something?”
“Nope. Glad you didn’t.”
“Can I ask you
something, Starsky?”
“I threw up on
you.” Starsky took a bite of the
donut. “Ask anything you want.”
“How’d you get
hooked?”
“Got to ‘Nam and
never found an opium den I didn’t like.”
It was a simple
explanation, but Hutch couldn’t comprehend the hell that he saw replayed on the
news night after night. Maybe anyone in
their right mind would have found the fastest escape possible. “What are you doing to do now?”
“What I was
doing before.” Starsky’s eyes locked
with his. “Just like you.”
Hutch lowered
his eyes and toyed with the smoke between his fingers. “I made a choice…you didn’t.”
With a laugh,
Starsky stood and went to Hutch. He
stole a cigarette and stuck it in his mouth.
“We all make choices, Blondie.
That’s why we’re so fucked up.”
After lighting a match, Starsky brought the flame close. He continued to study Hutch.
“Maybe you
wouldn’t say that if you knew my story.”
Starsky shrugged
and went back to the bed. “There’s a
million of them on the street. You know
that. We all got here the same way.”
“I’m going to
college. I have a year left.”
Sighing, Starsky
propped a pillow and rested his shoulder on it. “It pays the bills.”
“I told my old
man to go to hell and he cut me off.”
The corner of
Starsky’s mouth lifted. He took a long
drag off the cigarette. “You’re not
just any ordinary vanilla. You’re a
rich one.”
“My father is
rich. I’m telling him to fuck off is by
paying for college and making sure I do it with a 4.0 average.” Hutch chuckled, snubbed out the cigarette
and said, “I made a choice.”
“And I kept on
using until it got me kicked out of my uncle’s house.” Point made, Starsky blew a smoke ring. He watched it rise, then turned his eyes on
Hutch. “I’ll get through today without
the shit and maybe I can do something with my life.”
“College?”
Starsky almost
busted a gut. Yeah, put me in a class room, he thought. He’d be the spitball captain before the day was out. “I’ll think of something. Meanwhile, I’ll keep doing what I’m doing…maybe
save up for a car or something.”
“I guess I can
graduate so I can send the old man an invitation with a big fat ‘fuck you’
written on the front of it.”
“What time is
it?” Starsky grabbed his jeans and
slipped them on.
“Almost three in
the afternoon.” He watched Starsky
dress for a minute. “You should rest
for a couple of days.”
“Nope.” Taking a look around, Starsky found his old
t-shirt on the floor. He reached down
and grabbed it. “You’ll be graduating
by the time I have enough money for a car.”
Pulling at a
small tear on his jeans, Hutch kept his eyes down. “Maybe we can keep an eye on each other…check in from time to
time.”
“You don’t have
anybody?” Seeing the shake of his head,
Starsky sat back down. “Me
neither. Sure, why not?”
***
Starsky hadn’t
touched another drug since that night over two months ago. He still kept on making a living…just like
Hutch did. He’d seen his share of drug
addicts pumping the stuff into their arm no matter what. Mom’s would starve their kids in order to
get the next hit. He swore that would
never be him, but the night Hutch found him, Starsky’s morals had disappeared.
A week of hard
rain had put a damper on business and before Starsky knew it, he was tearing
into his meager belongings looking for anything to sell. He stopped at the small rings sitting at the
bottom of a drawer.
Without a second
thought, Starsky had snatched them up and was out the door. A cramp had hit hard and fast halfway to the
pawn shop. Rain was falling and as
Starsky leaned against the brick wall he looked at the gold rings in his
hand. Shining brightly they reminded
him of where he was and how low he had sunk.
On the way to the cement, Starsky jammed them on his pinky finger and
made himself comfortable in hell. That
is, until Hutch found him.
It soon became a
nightly ritual for Starsky and Hutch to meet for coffee after working. As the sun rose, they would sit in the café
sharing good and bad nights, finding common ground and tightening the bond
growing between them. The dark life
Starsky led now had a little light in it and that gave him reason to never
touch the stuff again.
During their
nights on the street, Starsky would lean against a window and gaze at
Hutch. Seeing all that angelness in
this hellhole gave him more hope than he ever thought existed. He’d stare as Hutch would lean on a car,
lower his head and then after a moment open the door.
After Hutch was
gone, Starsky would put on his best act and hustle for a trick. After making a little bit of cash, he’d
hurry back to make sure Hutch returned.
This was a deadly line of work they were in and Starsky wasn’t convinced
Hutch could make it. Even all the
assurances in the world that Hutch knew how to take care of himself couldn’t
get rid of the anxiety.
How Hutch managed
to keep it all together escaped Starsky’s comprehension. During the day he went to college and
managed to keep up the grades while walking the streets at night to pay for it.
Heading back to
the corner he worked, Starsky stopped off at small grocer, bought a pop and a
candy bar. He knew if he thought too
much about what he was doing, it would drive him crazy. Being someone’s fuck toy certainly wasn’t on
his list of things to do when he grew up.
‘Nam had taught
him one thing. Killing could be as easy
as cleaning his fingernails. That’s how
he made it through every night on the cold street. The acts he performed for money was as matter of fact as opening
a can of peas. It was simple to go from
one john to the next.
Taking his place
near the window, Starsky looked up and down the street. He had hoped Hutch would be back by now.
***
Almost every
time Hutch got in a strange car he would begin the mental yellow brick road
trip back to his childhood when life was far simpler. He would be in a snowball fight with his buddies from school or
sneaking his sister down the stairs so they could get an early peek at their
Christmas presents.
By the time his
mouth was on some strange dick or he lowered his pants his mind would be
reliving the best memories of his childhood.
There were enough to get him through the last year and a half.
A regular job
was barely covering his college expenses.
No loans were available due to his father making sure the Hutchinson
name or credit couldn’t be used. Every
avenue to financing his education was cut off.
Swearing to be
more stubborn than his old man, Hutch had no qualms about selling himself. Hell, he never had ownership of his life
before. Why should it be any different
now? If the great Richard Hutchinson
thought his son was a waste now, Hutch wasn’t about to disappoint.
The memory he
found for this particular night was the pond hockey initiation. While embarrassing it was certainly
memorable. Wearing nothing but a jock
and skates Hutch had slid ass first into a snow bank.
Jack Mitchell
gave him his nickname, brought him and the rest of the guys home for hot
chocolate and they teased him without mercy.
Hutch almost began feeling bad until past initiations were brought up.
Reality brought
Hutch to the here and now when cash was slapped into his palm. He shoved the bill into his front pocket and
watched the middle aged man open his pants.
Just as Hutch was about to lean over, hard hands grabbed hold of his
hair.
“Gimme a kiss,
bitch.”
“You get what
you pay for.” Hutch wasn’t about to
comply. The hands clenched the growing
blond strands and he flinched at the pain.
“Goddamn
it!”
The man yanked
him forward and before Hutch could get any closer, he doubled up his fist and
swung as hard as he could. Once the grip
was loosened, his hand went searching for the door handle.
“Fucking
bitch!”
Before Hutch
could find it, a fist was smashed into his face causing his head to hit against
the window. He was so dazed, he never
knew it had cracked upon impact.
***
At seeing a
local hooker he knew, Starsky walked up to her. “Hey, Cherry, you got the time?”
“Time is money,
baby.” Seeing the seriousness in his
eyes, she glanced at her expensive watch.
“Almost midnight.”
“Thanks.” Starsky went back to his place and stuck his
hands in his pockets. Almost an hour,
he thought. Too much time had
passed. He straightened and started
down the street. Hutch had his regular
spots and it wouldn’t take long to check them out.
Hearing running
feet behind him, Starsky turned. Huggy
Bear was headed in his direction.
“Where the fire?”
Huggy leaned
forward and rested his hands on his knees while catching his breath. “Where’s Hutch?”
“I was just
going to look for him?”
“He didn’t come
back?”
“Hug, you know
where he is?”
“One of my girls
told me…” Huggy took a deep
breath. “Hutch got in Landry’s car.”
“Shit,” Starsky
bit out. “If he was busted we’d know it
by now.”
“You got that
right.”
Starsky knew
exactly where Landry would take Hutch for personal business. He broke into a run with Huggy close behind.
***
No one paid
Hutch a bit of attention even though he lay bleeding and half-laying on the
sidewalk. It was only a few people and
as the night grew later, he saw less and less.
The asshole had
beaten the hell out of him. Hutch couldn’t
think of a place on his body that didn’t hurt.
All he needed was a few minutes and he’d get up. He could barely see. His left eye was already started to swell
shut.
Hutch tried to
maneuver to a more comfortable position, but wound up relaxing when the pain
got too much. He cursed himself for his
stupidity. The street knew about
Landry. The dirty cop was known to have
a sadistic streak, but the money was always good. It wouldn’t have been the first bad fucking he’d had.
Thinking of
Starsky, Hutch sighed. He would be
pissed. His friend always worried. Teasing him, Hutch would let Starsky know
there was more to him than the white bread looks. “There’s some meat in
between the slices.”
He laughed a
little remembering the spiral of the dirty conversation.
“Hutch.”
It hurt to turn
his head, but seeing Starsky was such a relief. “Sorry,” he mumbled.
Starsky knelt
and ached for every mark on the fair skin.
There was more wrong than the swollen eye, split lip and bloody
nose. “Let’s get you back to my place.”
“No hospital,”
Hutch whispered.
“No is right,”
Huggy said as he moved opposite of Starsky on the other side of Hutch. “Come on.”
Hearing Hutch
grimace as they got him to his feet was like a kick to Starsky’s gut. Soon as Hutch was back on his feet he’d make
sure Landry never cruised these streets again.
“My place is only a few blocks away, Huggy.”
“Good,” Hutch
said. His feet didn’t want to move
much. “I can lie in bed and make
breakfast at the same time.”
“You can lay in
bed and wash dishes at the same time,” Starsky corrected.
“Lie,” Hutch
said.
“It’s the
truth…”
Hutch started to
laugh, but it hurt too much. “Not lay,
dummy. Lie.”
“Oh.”
***
After getting to
the small studio apartment, Starsky held Hutch close while Huggy pulled the bed
out of the wall. It almost filled the
entire room except for a small table and two chairs in the corner.
Starsky helped
Hutch into bed while Huggy hurried to the bathroom. He leaned over and brushed the hair away. “Easy now.
Soon as we get you cleaned up, you can get some rest.”
“I should’ve let
him…”
“Stop it,”
Starsky ordered. “Landry’s a sick son
of a bitch. Wouldn’t have mattered what
you did.”
“He wanted to
kiss me, Starsk.” Hutch closed his good
eye. “I couldn’t.”
Huggy returned
with a cool wet cloth. “Give me half an
hour and I’ll be back with a few things to get him fixed up.”
“Thanks,
Hug.” Starsky sat on the edge of the
bed and began unbuttoning Hutch’s shirt.
After a few minutes he got most of Hutch’s clothing off. Seeing dark bruising coming alive around his
ribs, he took a moment to get his bearings.
“Hutch.” Starsky moved in close. “Did Landry…did he…”
“No, he
couldn’t’ve.”
“Couldn’t?”
The eye came
open and settled on Starsky. “I kicked
him in the balls.”
Relieved,
Starsky smiled and picked up the washcloth.
“Way to go, buddy.”
Hutch tried to
laugh, but groaned instead. He relaxed
under Starsky’s tender care. “Guess
this makes us even now?”
With a soft
smile, Starsky shook his head. “No,
Blondie, it doesn’t. I’ll always owe
you.”
***
Careful not to
make any racket, Starsky slipped inside and eased the door closed. He set the backpack on the floor and toed
off his tennis shoes. As he went to the
fridge, he stole a glance at Hutch.
It had been
three days already and it took cajoling and threats to keep Hutch in bed. Starsky got a beer and leaned against the
counter. He had to go out tonight. Another night without working would short
him on available cash.
He straightened
when Hutch began moving about. Once
those luminous eyes were on him, Starsky went to the floor and picked up the
backpack. “You still need a couple of
days so I took the liberty of heading to your place.”
Hutch sat
up. “You what?”
“Relax.” Starsky set the bag on the bed. “I told your roommate you were sick. He got some classmates to loan their notes
and there is a long list of bookwork to catch up on.”
“I don’t know
what to say.”
“Promise you’ll
do your homework while I’m out tonight,” Starsky replied with a cheeky grin.
“Yes, mom.” Hutch opened up the backpack and looked
up. Starsky was readying his good jeans
for the upcoming night. “Starsky, you
don’t have to keep doing this, you know.”
“Yeah, I
know.” Starsky set the jeans on a hanger
and hung it on a nail sticking out of the wall. He opened up the closet to search for a shirt. “I gotta have a car.”
Angry now, Hutch
shoved the backpack away. “You’re doing
this for a damn car?”
Stilling at the
sound of Hutch’s voice, Starsky lowered his eyes. “I didn’t realize it sounded so dumb.” He walked over and sat on the corner of the bed. “You’ll keep going until you
graduate…right?”
“Yes.”
“Ever since you
found me in that alley, you’ve been the reason I’ve stayed off the shit. Can you blame me for wanting it to last as
long as possible?”
“Starsky,
what’ll you do then? You can’t keep
using me as a crutch like this?”
“You’re no
crutch, Hutch.” Starsky ran his hand
over the bedspread near Hutch’s feet.
“You make me wanna do this for myself.”
“And after I
graduate?”
“Guess we’ll
see,” Starsky shrugged. He started to
get up, but Hutch grabbed his hand and kept him in place.
Raising his
hand, Hutch touched Starsky’s face.
Mesmerized by the tenderness and passion in the dark blue eyes, he
thumbed Starsky’s cheek. “I have a
feeling we’re stuck with each other.”
With a smile,
Starsky nodded. “Yeah.”
“Starsky, kiss
me.”
The request
startled him. Kiss him? After what Landry tried to do? “Why?”
“I never let
anyone before because it’s too intimate…too close. You’re the only I want that with now.”
It was easy to
understand. Other physical contact was
fine with total strangers, but a kiss could convey so much more. It meant opening oneself up for emotional
access. Starsky had his own way of
blocking such intimacy out on the street.
Our goddamn defenses, Starsky
cursed to himself. Sometimes they were
a blessing and others…a risk.
But how could he
deny Hutch? Since meeting the angel
there was nothing he wouldn’t do for him.
That included letting Hutch know how he felt.
Starsky crawled
onto the bed and scooted in close. He
put his arm around the back of Hutch’s neck and leaned in to the beautiful
man. This’ll be more than just a kiss.
It’ll be me.
A breath left
Hutch’s body as Starsky ran his fingertips over the soft lips. Is it possible to taste beauty? There was only one way to find out. Lowering his head, Starsky touched his mouth
to Hutch’s and their lips melded matching each and every move.
Lying back on
the pillow, Hutch wrapped his arms around Starsky and pulled him down. Never breaking contact, exploring, tasting
and breathing they shared themselves without words.
Strength of the
man above him flowed into Hutch and he yearned for more. The spicy taste of wet passion grew and
needing more, he moved his body as close to Starsky’s as he could get. Needing more of this all-encompassing love,
Hutch pushed his tongue in Starsky’s mouth and moaned his want.
What the
fuck? Starsky’s body was in overdrive
in a matter of seconds. The fire inside
was spreading and needing to share it, he pulled off his shirt with Hutch’s
help. Once his hands went on Hutch’s
smooth skin, he realized that mouth wouldn’t be enough. ‘More’ was all his body understood.
As clothes were
discarded they wound up tangled in the sheets as the hot sex desire pushed its
way through their defenses. Nuzzling
their legs between each other’s thighs cocks surged even more and they moved
against each other.
Hutch grabbed a
hold of Starsky’s ass. “Goddamn!” He
swore under his breath. The firmness
under his hands only drove him more.
Instinct kicked
in and Starsky spread his legs. He
latched onto Hutch’s neck determined to taste every bit of him. Licking and sucking at the nape of his neck,
the aroma of sex filled his nostrils and went straight to his cock. “Please, Hutch, please,” he whispered.
His prayer was
answered when a finger found the small opening between his cheeks. Moving his hips for better access, Starsky
was further gratified and moaned his thanks.
“Yeah,” Hutch
said. Now using two fingers, he could
barely keep up with the urgent humping of the hungry body on top of him. His cock ached. “Wanna fuck you so bad.”
That was when
Starsky broke the contact between them.
His eyes locked with Hutch’s as he slid down and rested between the long
legs. Starsky took hold of Hutch’s cock
and without breaking eye contact, pumped on it. “Gonna get you ready for me, babe.”
The low dirty
whisper surged into Hutch’s veins and he thrust his hips upward. Once his new lover’s mouth was on him, he
put his hands on Starsky’s head. “Fuck,
yeah.”
Nothing else
mattered but the tongue wetting his dick.
Nothing ever felt so damn good and Hutch swore Starsky had to have been
a god the way he deep-throated him. He
was going to explode soon.
It was as if
Starsky had known Hutch’s body his entire life. The way he was tuned into its very rhythm and life was like
spending years with a mate when in fact it had only been a few short
months. How it was possible, Starsky
didn’t know.
He moved over
Hutch and took those lips in a hot kiss.
Keeping his legs spread, Starsky hovered long enough to grasp onto the
thick erection.
When he looked
into Hutch’s eyes, he almost said it. The
words were right on the tip of his tongue.
Unsure of himself at that moment, Starsky paused.
Seeing the
hesitation, Hutch ran his hands up the strong thighs straddling him. “Now, Starsk,” he breathed. “Need you so goddamn bad.”
Both men groaned
as Starsky sank down onto the cock.
Filling and being filled brought fullness and satisfying
completion. No, this wasn’t just a fuck
as if they were out on the street hustling.
Their bond went beyond one saving another’s life, beyond common ground,
beyond friendship and beyond the physical joining they were now
experiencing. Their fate was joined in
the coupling.
How aware they
were of what this powerful meeting of the flesh meant was soon taken over by
the sexual need searching for the only drug to satisfy them. Starsky rocked his hips back and forth and
Hutch surged deep inside. Holding to
each other as a lifeline, their climax was fast approaching.
Hutch pulled
Starsky close and they humped each other.
Starsky’s cock was getting off on the carnal friction and Hutch’s was
wrapped in hot flesh.
“Shit!” Hutch closed his eyes as he exploded inside
of Starsky. He could feel his lover’s
sperm spilling out over his belly.
Neither cared
about the semen and sweat they shared as Starsky relaxed on top of Hutch. Bathed in perspiration, they needed to catch
their breaths. After a few moments,
Starsky pulled out and rolled to his back.
“Damn, Hutch…”
“I know,” Hutch
said between heavy breaths. He got up
and went to the bathroom.
Starsky took the
opportunity to grab a couple of beers from the fridge. He crawled back on the bed and looked at
Hutch who had returned.
“Thanks.” Hutch took the offered bottle and sat next
to Starsky. After taking a long drink,
he said, “What happens now?”
Taking a look at
the angel, Starsky sighed. He could
keep the man in bed for an eternity.
“You going to stop?”
“No,” Hutch said
shaking his head. “I have to finish
school.”
“That’s what I
thought. Same here.” Starsky tipped the bottle. “Well, until you’re done.”
What wasn’t
said, they both knew. No one had to
speak the words because it had all been said during their coupling.
***
Life on the
street takes you two ways, Starsky realized.
Either slow or fast. He didn’t
want to go fast as some he’d seen. The
slow way wasn’t much better, but knowing that he wouldn’t spend his time on the
street alone made it much more bearable.
His day was never complete until he saw Hutch.
They continued
meeting at their regular spot on the corner and had coffee afterwards. If Hutch didn’t have an exam or heavy
studying to do, they met at Starsky’s place and found comfort with one another
between the sheets.
It wouldn’t last
forever and both men knew it.
Eventually, they would have to find their way into the daylight among
the life normal people lived.
Starsky
continued on the lookout for Landry. He
still planned on extracting the price for the dirty cop’s crime out of the
man’s hide. His friend Huggy knew it
which was why he sent word to Starsky to meet with him.
Walking into the
dirty bar, Starsky eyed Huggy in the back at a corner booth. When he came upon him, he was surprised to
see another black man although a bit on the hefty side.
“Starsky,” Huggy
said as he stood. “This is Lieutenant
Dobey. Have a word with the man.”
Not having much
use for cops these days, Starsky shoved his hands in his pockets. “No reason to.”
“Sit down, son,”
Dobey ordered. “We’re going to talk
about a cop we both know.”
“Come on,
Starsky. At least listen to what the
man has to say,” Huggy urged.
Starsky took the
seat across from Dobey. When his friend
was gone, Starsky pulled a pack of smokes out.
“Spill it. I ain’t got all night.”
“I hear you’re
looking for Landry.”
“What’s it to
you?” Starsky lit the cigarette and
leaned back.
“He works for me.”
“You’re still
not telling me anything.” He took a
long drag and studied the cop. Starsky
could like the man…maybe.
“I hear you’re
looking for some old fashion revenge because he went after a friend of yours.”
“My
business.” Starsky flicked an ash in
the ashtray. “You won’t get a dead body
if that’s what you wanted to know.
He’ll be alive, but he won’t be working the streets anymore.”
“I’ll get him
off the streets.”
“How do you plan
on doing that? My buddy isn’t
interested in testifying. You should
know better, cop.”
“Landry will be
taken out by the law,” Dobey assured him.
Seeing the distrust on Starsky’s face, he leaned forward. “Huggy Bear tells me Landry’s been
strong-arming folks like you and we think he’s skimming from some of his
busts. It’s only a matter of time.”
“Yeah,” Starsky
bit out. “Time enough for him to make
another go at my friend.”
“Help me out
here, Starsky. Find out what he’s doing
and where he’s doing it at. We’ll do
the rest.”
It was a
tempting offer. Starsky wouldn’t have
to get his hands dirty and he wouldn’t see the inside of a jail. His way was far riskier. “If I do this, you’re to make sure he’s not
a cop anymore. You got that?”
“You’ve got my
word.”
“Fine.” Starsky stood and put out the smoke. “I’ll get word to you through Huggy.”
“Starsky, when
this is over, you owe me one street cop.”
With a sly grin
and a chuckle, Starsky said, “Lieutenant Dobey, you might just have two street
cops.”
As Starsky
walked away he was patting himself on the back for a good wisecrack, but by the
time he got out on the street he was beginning to wonder. He and Hutch had talked often enough about
what they hated seeing on the street.
They had discussed what should be done and how best to help those who
needed it the most. Stopping the worst
of society from inflicting their cruel wills on those who needed the protection
the most was something they had only wished they could do.
Deciding it was
a stupid idea, Starsky stepped off the curb and headed back to his corner.
END