Scene 5

Maille was awakened by the sound of Friday prayers – drifting trough all the hotel and into his room from the loudspeakers at a nearby mosque. It was already 12 noon, he had slept for over 10 hours. His lips were covered with a film of dried mucous and even the rest of his body was as dry as a mummy's. The water jug that stood on a little table a few metres away from his bed appeared to his eyes as enticing as an oasis, and as distant. He had no recollection of how he had made his way from the bathtub to the bed – but the bottle of Merlot was empty.

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