"No," said Alison, seeing the face under the hat clearly for the first time. "Please, no." She began to cry again, looking up at his face, looking down at his chest, ARE YOU LONESOME TONIGHT?
"You lied to me," she said dully.
"I never lied," he answered. "Think back. You just translated wrong. Because you"re that kind of woman. We don"t have women like you here now. And anyway, what does it matter whose side you play on? All that matters is that no one wins. Aren"t I right? Aren"t I?" He tipped his hat to her.
ALSO BY KAREN JOY FOWLER.
We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves.
What I Didn"t See and Other Stories.
Wit"s End.
The Jane Austen Book Club.
Sister Noon.
The Sweetheart Season.
Sarah Canary.
Artificial Things.