They exchanged their clothes. The man seemed satisfied.
Then Chipi asked him: "This is not my area, where can I go to meet the Pwertans?"
"The Pwertans? They live in that direction, but you can find them everywhere."
"And the Mahyoh?"
"They are in the other direction, but them also... Mainly in the night." The man answered and, without saying any more, made a gesture to the others, disappeared amongst the concrete rocks and the bushes on back behind old woman.
Chipi took a middle direction between those pointed out by the man. While he was walking, he recognized one of the grasses that Serek taught him to be edible, so he collected some of them and filled his cup, thinking that later he would feel hungry. The sun was climbing in the sky and it was a hot day. Chipi continued to walk until he found a tree. He sat under it, his back leaning against its trunk. He had to survive a full week and to find a different entrance to the underground town of the Bakjis. He could recognize them by the two colours armbands he saw they all wore.
At a certain point he heard a chanting voice coming toward him -- at last he could meet a real Saint, he thought. He waited, until he saw a middle aged man, thin, who travelled toward him dancing. Chipi studied the way he danced.
The man, when near Chipi, looked at him then asked: "Are you by chance..." and became silent.
Chipi looked at him without uttering a word.
The man continued: "Are you perhaps... a Saint? I have never met you before."
"I have come from far away."
"From Brally? Or from Litty?"
"No, farther away. From Maratta."
"Maratta? Where is it?"
"Out of Niokko, Very far."
"I see... and there they also have the Saints?"
"Sure." Chipi lied.
The Saint sat near him. "And... tell me... here in our place there are two sects of Saints, the United Saints and the Separated Saints. What about your place?"
"We have just one sect."
"I see... and which one?"
"We don't have a special name, we call ourselves Saints, and that's all," Chipi invented.
"Yes, here too in the old times it was so. But do you live all together, or each one by himself?"
"Well, in my place, all together." Chipi said hesitantly, then hurriedly added: "But in very small groups, never more than eight people."
"I see... so then you are United as I am." The Saint said satisfied.
"Good. And how many are you, living in the same place?"
"We normally are in groups of ten or twenty, according the capacity of our shelter. But... do you live divided or mixed?"
Chipi felt he was now in a dangerous area, he didn't know anything of about this.
So he answered with a question: "I don't really understand your question... how do you live, mixed or divided?"
"Divided, of course!" the saint exclaimed, almost amazed by such a question.
"And why?"
"Because living mixed, it would be difficult to follow the chastity oath, wouldn't it? Even if the mixed say it is not so."
"Ah, you mean men and women?"
"Sure, what else?"
"Ah. Then we too live divided. All of us. I never saw a group of mixed Saints, in Maratta." Chipi said decidedly.
The man nodded: "You remained pure."
"Where does your group live? Far from here?"
"Not very far. Why?"
"Because my master sent me to meet other Saints to learn new things and so, as I see that you too are pure, I would like..."
"The master? Who is the master? We don't have any master. Nobody amongst us can say he is the others leader, or to be more important than the others."
"Of course not! What did you understand? We just call the oldest amongst us the master, as he can explain to the younger ones who want to become saints of what our life consists."
"I see... it is who we call the Old-man, then." The Saint said nodding, "Well, if you want... You don't have a shelter, do you?"
"No."
"If all the others agree... Come with me. Now we all are around for the sanctification, but in the evening we all will gather."
Chipi followed the Saint all the day long, singing and dancing with him, in his own way, but his companion seemed not to care about that. Even if very little, they got some food, and some Chipi picked up when he recognized an edible vegetable. The other looked at him picking it up, but he didn't.
"Why don't you pick up the herbs?" Chipi asked him.
"I don't know them. You usually pick them up?"
"Of course, all that we can eat."
"But... don't you have the law that you have to eat only what you receive in alms?"
"Sure! And this is the alms that nature gives us."
"An interesting point of view..." the Saint said thoughtfully.
That evening the Saint led him to a heap of ruins. He slipped under a concrete girder then guided him to a wall where there was a crack three hand spans wide and slipped inside. They were now in a room with a sloping roof and only two walls still standing up, the others were formed by irregular blocks that slopped down. At the centre, there was a dozen of men, sitting around a small fire.
"Saints, I have with me a travelling Saint coming from a far away conglomeration called Maratta. Can he stay with us for a few days?"
"Maratta? You have a strange name, Saint. And where are you coming from?" one of the Saints asked.
"No, I'm coming from Maratta. My name is Chipi." The boy corrected him.
"Ah, Chipi. And where is Maratta?"
"Very far from Niokko." Chipi said, preparing himself to explain, but the Saint who took him there explained to the others how he got to know Chipi during the day.
"But... did you do the chastity oath?" one of the Saints asked him.
"Of course I did!" Chipi said pretending to be amazed for the question.
"And the freedom oath?"
"Sure thing!"
"And of poverty?"
"I would not be a saint if I didn't!" Chipi answered and many nodded in assent.
"Sit here with us. Some of you have questions to ask him?" the man said. Chipi sat and his guide sat near him.
Another Saint asked him: "According to your group, Saint Loran was a man or a superior being?"
Chipi smiled but asked himself how to answer. "Ah, a very old debate, isn't it? I believe that any true man is a superior being. Therefore..."
"It seems that from where he comes they use different terms than us..." his guide intervened.
"I see, Gotem. Well, I will explain myself more clearly, then. Was he a man who had a right thought, or was he the messenger of some... god?"
By the way the question had been asked, suggested to Chipi its answer.
"Do you perhaps believe in some gods?"
"Of course I don't!"
"Saint Loran didn't either." Chipi concluded.
At his words everybody nodded seriously. Chipi drew a silent sigh of relief. He didn't think he was risking very much, but he wanted to be accepted -- he could sleep in a shelter, safe, and let the week pass...
"I propose to accept him." One of the Saints said.
"Me too." His guide Gotem added at once.
"Me too..." one after the others said.
So Chipi was admitted in the group. Gotem handed to one of the men his cup with the food he didn't eat, so also Chipi followed suit. All the food was gathered, then shared, and everybody ate.
Then they sang a hymn to Saint Loran and Chipi tried to learn it -- luckily it was an easy tune to sing. Then they started again to ask Chipi questions and the boy doing a little inventing and a little telling some parts of his life with the Raptors, answered without problem all the questions. The fire was languishing. Little by little some of the Saints, without saying a word, laid down to sleep. So also Chipi, at a certain point, just laid down. Nobody had any objection. And at last he too could sleep.
On the following day, Gotem asked him if he preferred to go to sanctify the world alone or with him. "I don't know this place. With you would be better, if this doesn't bother you."
"Not at all. And so I can also learn your dances and songs. An also to recognize nature's alms."
"Sure. Is this area very dangerous?"
"Dangerous? No! At most, we can be killed. We already have some martyrs. But usually it is enough not to go near the sons of violence."
"And how can you recognize the sons of violence?"
"From their weapons you can single them out. Is it not also the same in your parts?"
"Where I came from there was just one group of warriors, who were called the Raptors. But they never killed any Saints." Chipi answered.
While they were roaming, Chipi saw far away some Bakji warriors walking in a group, he recognized them from their bicolour armbands.
"They carry weapons... are they dangerous?" Chipi asked.
"Those ones? No, not those ones. They are warriors, not just a gang. They don't give us alms, but neither do they harm us. The most dangerous are the Waspi, the Pewertan, the Klukka, the Mayoh... and others. You can single them out by the embroidery they have on the front and on the back of their jackets. The Waspis have a white circle, the Mayohs a yellow sun, the Pewertans a green snake and the Klukkas a red cross."
Chipi took mental note. Then he asked to Gotem: "And those warriors we saw before, where do they live?"
"Underground."
"Ah, but where?"
"Everywhere, they have several entrances."
"Nearby also?"
"Sure. One is there, another in that direction, and down there another one..."
"Far from here?"
"Well, in a day or two you could see all three of them and some more."
"And how can you recognize an entrance."
"There are always sentries at the entrances. But why are you so much interested in those warriors?"
"Interested in them? Not at all. I am just interested in all I don't know. And I know nothing of this place."
"I see..."
They wandered all day, ate something, gathered some food. They were menaced a couple of times and they had to change their way three times as Gotem recognized members of gangs, but at evening they were back at the shelter sound and safe.
On the third day, they were dancing in front of a group of people, when they started to run away screaming.
Gotem turned to look: "Pwertans... let's get away." He said with a quiet voice and going in the opposite direction of the gang at a fast pace.
Chipi followed him. From time to time he turned to look back -- the group, with black jackets and the green snake embroidered on them, was rapidly approaching, aiming toward them.
Suddenly Gotem stopped still: "The Klukkas!" he exclaimed pointing in front of him and rapidly he turned to the right.
Chipi followed him and looked at the two gangs. The Pwertans were nearest, but now also the Klukkas were moving towards them. Gotem knew very well the place, so he moved fast and nimble. Chipi had some difficulty following him.
Then Chipi slipped and fell down. He saw Gotem moving away fast. When he stood up again, his companion had disappeared amongst the ruins and the bushes. The Pwertans were nearer than before. The Klukkas stopped, seeing the Pwertans. Chipi slipped his cup inside his torn shirt and started again to run, but suddenly a Pwertan came out and blocked his way.
"Hey, Saint, where are you running? Don't you want to save me too?" he asked with a sneer. Chipi stopped, looked at him, then started to dance and sing. The others burst in laughter: "Good, dance for me!"
While dancing Chipi turned around and saw that he was now completely surrounded. The Pwertan who stopped him, seized him by his arm and blocked him. He was a young man about twenty-five years old, strong, with a penetrating glance. The Pwertan looked at him from head to toe. The others were approaching all around with an amused expression.
One of them said: "Hey, Miku, did you catch a Saint?"
Another asked laughing: "What will you do of him, Miku? Do you want to try to see if your fighting scythe is sharp enough?"
The one called Miku smiled: "No, I want to just have some fun. Hand me your rope, Kose."
His companion gave it to him. Miku tied Chipi's wrists, then his neck and, without saying a word, trailed Chipi after him, All the others followed them laughing and kicking up a row. Chipi saw that the Klukkas had stopped somewhat far and were looking at them, still. The Pwertans were walking at a fast, self-assured pace. Chipi barely managed to keep the pace without falling down.
Finally they reached a point watched by other Pwertans, who greeted the small group. They were at the gang's camp.
"Well, my friends, we have to leave you, now." Miku said.
"Hey, what's up, Miku? Where are you taking him?"
"To my place. I want to talk to him in private."
"Do you want to be saved by him? To be converted?" one of his mates asked laughing.
"No. It will be me who converts him!"
"Ah really? And how?"
"Don't you know that this poor boy made a oath of chastity?"
"No! Are you serious?" that one jokingly answered and all the others laughed aloud.
Miku dragged him inside a small square opening, through a kind of narrow corridor where there were several doors closed just by a curtain. He slipped inside one of them, pulling with him Chipi. It was a small room, with a pallet in a corner. Miku blocked the door from inside with a panel that he drove with force into the passageway, then went again near Chipi and untied the rope.
"Pull off everything." He ordered sharply.
"I..." Chipi started, but the other unhooked his weapon hanging at his side and brandished it.
"Would you rather have me to cut you into slices?"
"No..."
"Well, good. Therefore undress, stark naked."
"What do you want to do to me?"
"Can't you guess? Just making you break your oath of chastity, as well as, breaking your cherry. Naked, hurry up! I feel really horny, today!"
Chipi thought that, after all, he didn't dislike Miku -- he was a handsome male, and it had been a long time since Chipi had any sex, and he really wanted it. He pulled off all his rags, being careful to leave in them his cup, and deposed them in a heap near the pallet.
"Mmmh, you are not bad at all, Saint. I feel I'll have a lot of fun with you." Miku said passing his hand over Chipi's chest, groping his ass, squeezing his member. "Yeah, I like you. Go on, lie down on my bed." He added starting to undress.
Chipi complied and looked at the body that was revealed to his eyes -- it was firm, muscled, and with a beautiful member already turgidly erect. Miku went near his bed and his member and testicles bounced lightly in a sensual way.
The young man lowered all his weight on him. "Don't make a fuss, don't make me angry and you'll see that I'll make you like it." He said with a voice hoarse with lust, brushing his hard pole against Chipi's groin, his belly on the boy's, his chest against Chipi's chest.
Chipi was getting really aroused.
"So, Saint, do you like it?"
"I don't know..." Chipi murmured just to act his part, having to make an effort not to start to caress the young man or to kiss him.
"I think you like it. Tell me you like it!" Miku said in a coaxing tone, continuing to brush against the boy and looking at him with laughing eyes.
"I should not..." Chipi said, but hoping the young man didn't stop.
"Sure you should, you are my prisoner. And then, you have to accept all the alms that people give you, don't you? Well, I'm making you the alms of this good cock that I will slip in the cup of your mouth, then in that of your ass, until I make you sing and dance with the pleasure, I swear it! Do you know you have a really wonderful ass?"
Chipi felt he was going crazy with desire, he badly wanted sex with that young man!
The other felt the boy's desire: "You like it, don't you? Are you beginning to see what you renounced? Is this not a shame? But you'll make Miku enjoy, and Miku will make you too enjoy. And you will forget the Saints, and you will adore this snake I have between my legs. Rather, why don't you start kissing it?" the young man said slipping onto his side and sitting up, his legs widespread. "Sit here between them, in front of me, go on!" he said looking at Chipi with a lustful smile and pushing the boy's head towards his groin. "Touch it, caress it." Miku said and Chipi obeyed with pleasure, pretending a shyness he was far from feeling. "Good... now kiss it... lick it... yes, that way, good, lick... it's tasty, isn't it? Tame my snake. You know don't you that snakes like slipping in hot wet holes? Let him slip into your mouth..."
Chipi took it between his lips and, while Miku pushed down his head, felt it slowly slip inside. It was big, hot, hard, and shuddering. Chipi caressed Miku's swollen and firm ball-sac.
"Good, yeah, suck, suck. Don't let me feel your teeth. This way, good. To think I had to catch a Saint before I felt such pleasure! Oooh, yeah, so... in your throat..." Miku panted satisfied as Chipi was letting himself free to suck it with increasing gusto. "Very good, this way! But, tell me, is not by chance that you also do it amongst Saints?"
"No, never!" Chipi answered and started at once to suck it again.
"Then, you really are a natural!"
Miku stood up on his knees, took in his hands Chipi's head and started to fuck his mouth with sheer pleasure, but not rudely. Chipi looked at the beautiful hollow belly darting in front of his eyes, and started again to caress the young man's testicles, and his muscled and strong thighs. Then, on instinct, he started to caress Miku's small and firm butt. Miku increased his rhythm moaning in a low voice. Chipi went to caress the furrow between the young man's butts and with his finger teased the hot hole.
Miku shuddered. "No, not there. What are you doing?" he said without stopping to fuck his mouth. Chipi pretended not to have heard and continued.
"No, I said! Stop it!" Miku repeated, but Chipi insisted.
Miku suddenly slipped out from his mouth: "I told you no!" he said looking at the boy harshly.
"I'm sorry... I... This is my first time and I thought you would like that." Chipi said in a low and intentionally humble tone.
Miku looked at him then, with a quiet voice said: "Do not do that, ever again. Understood? A Pwertan never takes it in there. Never. Now turn your back towards me. I'll fuck your ass."
"Will it hurt?" Chipi asked pretending to be just a naive boy.
"Sure it will, my tool is big. Hurry up, I want you." The young man said, fully excited.
Chipi turned offering himself to the young man. Miku could not see the smile on his lips, waiting for Miku to finally penetrate him. He strongly squeezed shut his hole so as not to let him understand he was used to being fucked. When Miku started to push with energy, he complained: "Ouch, you're hurting me!"
"Well, what did you expect?" the young man said excited, pushing stronger.
Chipi understood that the fact to "deflower" him excited the Pwertan, therefore he continued in his make-believe, squeezing his hole and moaning in pain, until he suddenly relaxed throwing a loud scream as if he felt a sharp pain.
Miku, fully aroused, started to fuck him vigorously: "Aaaah, I like you, you are tight!"
"Stop it, no, please..." Chipi moaned while covering his own enjoyed virility. Not only did it not give him any pain , but rather was giving him a strong feeling of pleasure.
Miku, continued to ride the boy with gusto, groping his body, moaning aloud. Chipi, pretending he was trying to escape that ride, was tossing and rocking, skilfully increasing the young male's pleasure and his own, continuing to moan: "Stop it, please... I can't stand it..."
Finally Miku, with a triumphant yell, pushed vigorously the deepest he could and came. Chipi let go of himself on the pallet, moaning and panting -- he too had reached his orgasm.
"So then, Saint, what do you say? Wasn't it great?" Miku whispered in his ear, while lying on top of him.
"You hurt me."
"Well, just the first time..."
"But it was..." Chipi started and became silent.
"It was?" Miku pressed him.
"It was weird, but also..."
"Also?" the young man encouraged him.
"Agreeable."
Miku, triumphant, slipped onto his side and made him turn to look at his face: "So, you liked it."
"No, not really. But you are so strong, and so impetuous. You are a real male."
"Tell me you liked it!"
"At this point... I can no longer go back with the Saints, after what I did with you."
"You cant, can you?"
"And possibly... if I tried again... possibly it will not hurt so much, and instead..."
"You liked it?"
"Yes..." Chipi whispered.
Miku smiled satisfied. "Ah, I could feel it. You are not born to be a Saint. You were born to have sex, listen to me. As soon as I saw you, I felt it. You are too well shaped, too handsome to be wasted with that crazy oath. No, you'll never again go back with the Saints."
"Am I your prisoner?" Chipi asked, pretending shyness.
"Sure, why not. And I'll fuck you. You will do what I tell you. I thought to later call my friends to offer them some fun with you... but on the contrary, I'll keep you, all for myself. What's your name?"
"Chipi."
"Yes, a nice name, just fitting a boy to fuck. Chipi of the nice little ass, Chipi the cock-sucker, Chipi the fuck-boy... You enjoyed giving me head, didn't you?"
"Yes."
"You can do it, don't worry. I like you, I'll let you suck it, before fucking your nice ass."
"Thank you." Chipi whispered, pretending some embarrassment.
Miku dressed again. "No, don't wear any more those rags, you deserve something better, as you have become my fuck-boy. Wait here." He said and left the small room.
Chipi heard him telling somebody, before going away, that Chipi belonged to him. Then Miku came back: "Here, now you can dress. They should fit you."
"Can't I have a jacket with the snake?" Chipi asked while dressing.
Miku laughed: "If you become a Pwertan, you can."
"And what has one to do, to become a Pwertan?"
"You have to pass a bravery test. You really want to be one of us?"
"Well, as I can no longer be a Saint... but also because I can then remain with you."
"Right." Miku said, then added: "But now I feel hungry. Wait here, I will go to fetch some food for both of us. Then we will hit the bed, outside it is already dark."
"And will you have sex with me again?"
Miku laughed: "Why not!"
Chipi remained in Miku's room for three days and Miku took advantage of that to fuck him at least twice every day. Then Chipi, who meanwhile conquered Miku's liking, told him: "I would like trying the bravery test."
"Really? And what bravery test do you fancy? It has to be convincing, and you have to pass it."
"Who are your worst enemies?"
"Our worst enemies? Well, there are a lot, but possibly the worst are the Bakjis."
"If I faced the Bakjis and brought you back one of their armbands, would that be proof of bravery ?"
"Yes, fucking hell! If you come out alive and with an armband, you would be accepted at once. Do you really think to face them? And how?"
"If you took me to one of their places, possibly with me wearing one of your jackets..."
"You would not have any possibility to remain alive, especially if alone."
"I think I could. But not at the Chita's entrance, as there they know me as a Saint, they know I am not really a Pwertan."
"Well, then at the Bronko entrance. Do they know you there?"
"No."
So, on the seventh day Miku got for him a black jacket with the green snake embroidered on it. Chipi, not seen, put under it his bowl. Miku and others took him to a certain point.
"Here. Walk straight in front of you, you'll see them soon. If you come out alive, come back to this point, we will wait here for you until sunset. If you don't come back, it will mean that you were unlucky. But if you come back without an armband, you will have to face another test, is that clear?"
"Yes, I understand."
"Go now, Chipi. I hope to really see you back with the armband. Sincerely. Even if I don't think you can. God luck, anyway."
Chipi nodded and went straight ahead. While he was walking, as soon as he was out of sight of the Pwertans, he extracted his bowl and, helping himself with a stone splinter, he hit the edges until he parted the two bowls. He extracted the safe-conduct that he held in his hand. Slipped out the jacket folding it inside out and hanging it at his shoulder so that the Pwertans' symbol was no longer visible, then resumed his way. Finally he saw the sentries at the entrance of the Bakjis' underground city.
He went up to them at a fast pace. When he was at a few steps from the sentries, they ordered him to stop: "Where are you presuming to go, boy?" one of the warriors yelled to him.
"To see Inspector Volle. I have here his safe-conduct." Chipi yelled back.
"Come nearer, let me see." The sentry said and Chipi approached him showing his paper.
The warrior examined it: "It seems regular. Come with me." He said and took him inside.
Here he entrusted the boy to another warrior: "Take him to Volle, he has his safe-conduct."
They went down a flight of stairs, lit with torches. They walked in a long corridor then went down to a square. Here he was entrusted to other warriors who guided him in a tunnel and at the following square Chipi recognized the white and violet colours.
"Here we are." He just said.
One of the warriors looked at him with curiosity: "Aren't you by chance the intruder about whom for a while everybody was talking?"
"I could be, I don't know." Chipi said smiling to himself.
He was then committed to the warriors of that station, who made him climb the wide stairs of the square, and took him to the door of inspector Volle. The sentry entered to announce that the boy had arrived. Then ushered Chipi in front of Volle.
The man received him with a slightly astounded glance: "So then, you are still alive! You did it! Tell me how, I am curious."
Chipi told him all, just omitting the detail of the sex he had had with Miku, and showed him the Pwertans' jacket.
Volle laughed all the time long and seemed he could no stop -- his eyes were glossy with tears because of the severity of his laughter.
"You are incredible! You really deserve to have me go to ask Klare to receive you. I don't know if he will say yes, but I assure you that, for what part depends on me, I'll recommend him to receive you. I just hope that what you have to tell him is really important, or all you did to talk with him will come back on you." He called a warrior and entrusted to him Chipi: "He is a guest, my guest, he has to be treated well. But woe to you if he leaves the room where you'll put him, until I am back. It wouldn't surprise me if he did some misdeed. Be really careful, he is astute in person, shrewdness made flesh!" he said severely, but Chipi could see laughter still shining in a corner of the inspector eyes.
The warrior took Chipi into a small room with a bed, a table and a chair, without windows. "If you want to sleep, you have just to pass your hand on this black square, and the light will switch off. I'll bring you food three times per day. If you need something, open this small window on the door and call the sentry. Do you have any questions?"
"No, it's all right. That is, no... what if I need to go to the toilet?"
"Tell the sentry."
"Ah, all right." Chipi said sitting at the table.
The warrior went out and Chipi heard the key turning and shutting him inside.
Time was passing slowly. Chipi, having nothing to do, was starting to feel bored. Who knows how long he had to wait? He lay on the bed. Near his head he saw the black square and passed his hand on it. The light went off and the room plunged into complete darkness. But Chipi was not able to fall asleep. He played a while with the black square turning the light on and off. Then, again in the darkness, started to think. Volle thought he was shrewd, he feared some trick from him. Couldn't he really think up a good trick?
Excited, he switched on again the light and started to minutely study the room. There was a hole for aeration, but it was way too narrow to pass through. The table, the chair didn't offer nothing interesting. Superposing them he could reach the aeration hole, or even the luminescent rod, but he didn't know how it worked and anyway he couldn't think of any trick to do using it. The bed was of plain hard material that made him think of metal but warmer than metal. He didn't have any idea with what to do. The mattress was soft, like a firm sponge. Bed sheet in white cloth, a light but warm blanket, a pillow of the same material as the mattress...
He lay down again, thinking. He could call pretending he felt ill, but then? The sentries were always in twos, one would possibly enter, but... on going out, even if he could manage do to it, would just make him face unknown risks, as Volle had taken back his safe-conduct. He didn't yet know that place well enough. He was intensely thinking but he couldn't figure out any good trick. He would have really liked being able to do something... He dozed off.
He woke up almost suddenly. He got the idea! Yes, it was now clear in his mind and that would for sure work! Excited and amused he carefully thought out all the steps he had to do, the times he needed for each. He didn't know if he would really have enough time for that, but he could anyway give it a try. He waited in an excited drowsiness until they fetched him a meal. He ate and, when it was over, through the small window he gave back the empty bowls.
Then he took one of the bowls he still had in his jacket and, folding it several times with all his strength, succeeded in breaking it in two pieces. With one piece he cut the stitched the bottom of the mattress sac and slipped it off. Then, lying on it, he started to cut it following his body's shape, using as a knife the metal piece of the bowl. He had almost finished cutting into the mattress his silhouette, when he heard noises from outside. He hurriedly covered all with sheet and blanket, hid the improvised blade, and sat on the bed just in time. A warrior opened the door and came in with a tray with another meal. Several hours had elapsed without Chipi being aware of that. He ate, gave back the tray with the bowls, and as he was again alone, resumed his work. He pulled out from the mattress the piece he had cut away, broke it in several pieces small enough to made them pass into the aeration hole, put the chair on the table and climbed up reaching the hole and threw inside all the pieces. He made again his bed -- it was barely noticeable a slight hollow in its centre, where the mattress was empty. And he waited.