Mouse On The Roof

We were up on the roof of her building that night. I say it was her building, but – like me – Mouse didn���t own anything.

���Who do you think owns all this?��� Mouse said to me as we looked out over the roofs of the city. Smoke rose from the chimneys even though it was a warm summer night. There was light behind most of the windows. It was past dark, but not late enough for the city to sleep. That is, if a city ever really sleeps.

I shrugged. Mouse had a habit of asking me these strange questions on matters I���d never thought about before. ���I dunno��� the Emperor?���

From the way Mouse laughed, I thought that must be the wrong answer.

���The emperor rules us, but he doesn���t own much beyond the palace and his riches.���

The palace and his riches���? I thought that was plenty. ���The priests?���

Mouse did not laugh this time. I���d noticed she never laughed when people mentioned the priests, even though she had as much contempt for them as the rest of us who lived out on the streets. ���No, the priests they take a vow of poverty.���

���Do they?���

���Yes, why else do you think they are so wealthy?���

I nodded. No-one wears more expensive clothes than the priests, or eats off gold plates and drinks the finest wines from the clearest crystal glasses as the priests.

���Who then,��� I said. ���The merchants?���

���Ah, now.��� Mouse settled down on the rooftop and pulled off her shirt. The moonlight reflected off her pale skin as she opened her arms for me. ���The merchants own so much, true. But they are not the richest people in the city.���

���Who is the richest, then?��� I said, kissing her neck.

���We are,��� she said.

I stopped kissing and looked into her eyes. ���Do you mean we are the richest because we have each other?���

She laughed and kissed my lips. ���No.���

���What then? We have nothing.��� I gestured around the roof of the building. ���We don���t even have anywhere to live.���

���True,��� Mouse said as her hand unfastened my trousers.

I gasped at her grip as she pulled me towards her as she rolled on her back.

She sighed as I entered her.

���Are we the richest because we have this?��� I emphasised my point with a thrust that made her catch her breath.

���No,��� she said.

I gave up. ���What then?���

���We are the richest because we are the best thieves in the city.���

���And?���

���So, it all belongs to us already,��� she laughed. ���We just haven���t got around to collecting it all yet.��� She wrapped her arms and legs around me and pulled me as close as lovers can ever get.