43.

   “She is my dear friend. I love her very much.”, whispered Raymond as he searched the sky. “In a balloon of banker skins, she sails the clouds.”
    “Banker skins?”, exclaimed Pat. “I like her already.”
    “I never thought of using the bodies.”, Nanette wondered in admiration. “Think of all the possibilities: coats, purses, hats.”
    “Shoes.”, Pat continued. “And belts.”
    “You’re wandering into dangerous territory.”, warned Raymond.
    “Human skins!”, reassured Nanette. “We’re talking about human skins.”
    “Human skins?”, I asked incredulously.
    “I’m sorry to have to tell you this, Oliver but bankers are human.”, sighed Pat, patting my arm.”
    “In that case, why not lamp shades?”, I suggested angrily.
    “Then again there could be an argument made that bankers aren’t human or not entirely so.”, Pat responded cautiously looking at me with ear and eyebrow raised.
    Nanette changed the subject. “So, you blow this big horn and she comes running?” 

    “If we’re lucky.” , answered Raymond. “We’ve been through a lot together. We’ve overthrown tyrants. We’ve consoled the dying and buried the dead. She’s one of us.”