Two men. One tall with blond hair. The other shorter and wider, with dark hair cut tight to his head. Early twenties.

“It is law.”

“And we must check your money,” says the tall man.

“There is much counterfeiting going on in our country,” says the shorter man. “This is being done by foreign tourists.”

I get myself to a sitting position. I’m feeling better. Not good, but better.

“And you’re the police?” says Mimi.

“Yes, of course,” says the tall man. “Undercover.”

“And you want me to pay a fine and you want me to give you our money so you can check it?”

“It is police business.” The shorter man takes a badge out of his pocket and flashes it. “Or we must take you to the jail.”

I lean back against the bench and breathe slowly.

“Take us to jail? Because my husband is sick?”

“Yes,” says the taller man. “Unless you pay the fine immediately.”

“And let us check your money for counterfeits.”

“Because you’re the police?”

“Of course.”

“Czech police with ridiculous accents?”

I straighten my glasses. Now that I can see clearly, both men look younger than I would have expected. And worried. The tall one looks at the shorter one, who tries to impress Mimi with a scowl.

I could tell him that that’s not going to work. But I don’t.

“If you persist, we will have to take you to jail and charge you with many things.”

Mimi puts her hands on her hips. “You know what I think,” she says, her voice sharp enough to cut bone. “I think this is a scam. I don’t believe you’re the police at all.”

“We are the—”

“And I’m going to start screaming as loud as I can, and we’ll see what happens when the real police arrive.”

“Look,” says the tall man, his Czech accent all but gone. “Just give us the money.”

I’m feeling better, and now I’m also angry. I push myself to my feet and try to flex the muscles in my chest. Hercules and the Nemean lion. Samson in the temple. Atlas hoisting the world over his head.

“Fire!” yells Mimi.

Both men jump.

“Fire!”

“Okay, okay,” says the shorter man, and he pushes his hands down in an attempt to get Mimi to lower the volume. “Give it a rest, yeah?”

“Fire!”

Flexing for battle isn’t a good idea. I can feel my stomach lurch forward. I put my hands on my knees and wait for the nausea to find me again.

“Now you’ve upset Bird.”

I’m in the middle of a dry retch and don’t see what happens next, but I hear one of the men scream.

“My eyes!”

“It’s just perfume,” says Mimi.

“I’m blind!”

“Here. Wash your eyes with this.”