“Nekhbet shrieked in alarm. I turned to see what was going on. Immediately, I wished I could burn my eyes out of my head. Liz made a gagging sound. "Lord, no! That's wrong!" "Agh!" Emma shouted, in perfect baboon-speak. "Make him stop!"Bes had indeed put on his ugly outfit.He climbed onto the roof of the limo and stood there, legs planted, arms akimbo, like Superman- except with only the underwear. For those faint of heart I wont go into detail, but Bes, all of a meter tall, was showing off his disgusting physique- his potbelly, hairy limbs, awful feet, gross flabby bits- and wearing only a blue Speedo. Imagine the worst looking person you've ever seen on a public beach- the person for whom swimwear should be illegal. Bes looked worse than that.I wasn't sure what to say except: "Put some clothes on!"Bes laughed= the sort of guffaw that says Ha-ha! I'm amazing!"Not until they leave," he said. "Or I'll be forced to scare them back to the Duat.""This is not your affair, dwarf god!" Nekhbet snarled, averting her eyes from his horribleness. "Go away!""These children are under my protection," Bes insisted"I don't know you," I said. "I never met you before today.""Nonsense. You expressly asked for my protection.""I didn't ask for the Speedo Patrol!"Bes leaped off the limo and landed in front of my circle placing himself between Babi and me. The dwarf was even more horrible from behind. His back was so hairy it looked like a mink coat. And on the back of his Speedo was printed DWARF PRIDE.”

“Bes had indeed put on his ugly outfit. He climbed onto the roof of the limbo and stood there, legs planted, arms akimbo, like superman-exept with only the underwear.I wasn't sure what to say except: "Put some clothes on!""These children are under my protection," Bes insisted."I don't know you," I said, "I never met you before today.""Nonsense. You expressly asked for my attention.""I didn't ask for the Speedo Patrol!”

“You're Bes, I guess?" I said."Yes," he said."Your car's a mess," Liz muttered."If one more person rhymes," Emma grumbled, "I'll throw up.”

“You remind me of myself ” Bes continued “back when I was a young dwarf. You got a stubborn streak. When it comes to girl problems you’re clueless.”

“Liz cleared her throat. "Isn't there a more polite term we're supposed to use nowadays? Like....little person, or vertically challenged,or-""I'm not going to call myself the god of vertically challenged people," Bes grumbled. "I'm a dwarf!”

“It's okay, Harley. I'm just down the hall." He didn't say anything but I could tell he was afraid. I closed the door gently behind me and tiptoed down the hall. I stood in the kitchen, my heart pounding. I was listening for his cry, but there was not sound at all. I went back into the hall. Harley had got out of bed and put his hands under the door. His fingers were coming out from underneath. They were blue and luminous, like starfish. When I opened the door - I was careful not to scrape the skin off the back of his hands - he looked up from where he lay on the floor with saucer eyes and implored me, "I want to sleep with you." I put out my arms and he climbed into them. I carried him down the hall, in his singlet and his Kermit underpants. I put Harley down in the middle of our mattress. He curled like a kitten into the hollow.”