1<br >m m<br >m mmm<br >m m<br >m m<br >The deep yawns above the thunder.<br >Whoever hunts deer without a guide<br >Will lose his way in the depths of<br > the forest.<br >The superior man is aware of the<br > hidden danKers.<br >was dressed in silk， red and gold， and atop her head<br >a gold crown spiraling to apoint like a temple chedi.<br >stood alone in the spotlight， one foot gracefully<br >raised in the classic lakhon dancer s pose. Her left hand<br >gestured downward in a rejection of passion as it will be in<br >the final dance ~a the last night of the world， when the stars<br >fall from the sky and the mountains are engulfed in flame.<br >Her right hand was upturned， signaling the acceptance of her<br >lover and the primordial thrust of his desire. Her face was<br >exquisite， her dark eyes impassive.<br > Now the rhythm of the pi-nai and the drum grew more<br >insistent. She began to move her hips， swaying to and fro<br >as though summoning an invisible lover. Two slave girls<br >rushed from the wings and began to unwind her sarong. She<br >wriggled out of her clothes in waves， like a snake molting<br >its outer skin， until she stood completely naked. She bowed<br >in a gesture of submission， her slender body glistening with<br >sweat， her budlike breasts heaving， her buttocks moving in<br >an enticing motion old as time.<br > The stage was wreathed in smoke from the joss sticks，<br ><br >