She got up and unlocked the door. Generations had been born and died in between the times she had gotten laid. It was instantly burst open, when the horrible stench that issued from it convinced them that it must be a receptacle for the murdered victims of the thief-taker. In stature, he was short and stumpy; in person, corpulent; and in countenance, sleek, snub-nosed, and demure. “It is not an easy matter,” he said, “for me to offer you an altogether adequate explanation.