CHAPTER 1<br >After a moment he reMized it wasn t the alm-m clock.<br > Fb， iling in the genera~ direction of the bedslae table， Chafle，~:<br >Ltewellyn s arm hit， in turn， the lamp (which switched on as<br >it fell)， the ashtray (whici~ spilled ash all over the edge of the<br >bed， causing him to sneeze)， an empty glass (which dropped<br >to the floor and shattered)， the alanx" clock (which promptly<br >tx~.gau to ring)， and finally， the telephone.<br > He tried to turn the alaxm clock off while holding the tele-<br >p}~one receiver against his ear with his shoulder. The ~arra<br >clock would not stop ringing， so L~e shoved it under his pillow<br >where it continued to whir suiienly， in a graduaEy dimi~3ishing<br >way. Retrieving the phone from where it had siipped off hi:~<br >shoulder and under his ann， he found the cord was cutting off<br >his circ，，dation and [iad to unwind it.<br > All the whiie a tiny voice could be heard shouting， "Helio?<br >}~eilo? Hello?" witi: increasing iL-~patience， as if an irritable<br >wasp had been trapped in ~.he receiver.<br > "，ttomentito/" Charles shouted in the general direction of<br >his nave! as he um，eound bin:soil fiom the coils of the phone<br >cord. He brushed away a cigm~ette end that had become stuck<br >~ "x~ his arm. As he lay down again， he st"uck his era- on the now<br >silent alarm clock， which had worked its way out from under<br >the piDow during his stiai~，oles with the cord.<br > " Oz& ~ cs?" he sr~ar!ed， squinting at the aiarm c~ock， which<br >said ie siw，~)]d be sfiIl a~leep.<br > "Bg~.er， h~r~~， C}xaries. " it would be. "tiepe ! didn t intem~4~t<br >anything .~;oe，，:iul." Sn~a~ ass.<br > "Ve=，， special."<br > "Oh. A~@dty so~Ty.， ." Baker apologized warily.<br > CEmqes sivhed and relented. "It was iust a dream." It usually<br >