A Carnival of Killing (23 page)

“Then what?”

Martha read, “‘The lovers sit facing each other in the lotus position, looking deeply into each other’s eyes.’”

We both assumed that position, although I had some difficulty persuading my knees to bend far enough to make it official. The disturbance woke Sherlock Holmes, who’d been sleeping at the bottom corner on Martha’s side of the bed. He looked at us, decided we weren’t going to settle down any time soon, jumped off the bed and walked out to the living room to claim his favorite corner of the sofa.

After about forty seconds in the lotus position, I could feel my right calf beginning to tighten. “How long do we do this?” I asked.

“It says that ‘when the lovers feel compelled, they slowly slide toward each other, remaining in the lotus position, using their hands to propel themselves forward until they meet in the middle of the platform,’” Martha said.

“How slowly?”

“Too slowly.” She flung the book away. “I feel compelled.”

The End