"Tabu" she said... "What is it ?" asked Mike. "It reminds me of my youth when I would go to ball-rooms. All the girls had to spray this perfume to attract men as it used to be in the old Japanese tradition. "Tabu" bewildered them and made them submissive to the whims of the girls who manipulated them like toys. It was the rule and no man could escape from it. It was good old times and I was free. No family responsibility..." Mike answered : "And you miss this, don't you ?" "No, darling ! Paul and you are everything in my life and I love you so much. But I must tell you that I still use this perfume." "How that ? What do you mean ? I thought that that joke was over" said Mike. Then, Sophie dissolved into tears : "Forgive me, my darling ! But I have a lover." "A - a- lo- lo -ver-ver !!!" he stammered. "You have attracted this man because of this perfume ! How could you do such a thing to me ? Your husband ! Look at this kid, he uses the same stratagem to attract young ladies ! To think that he is only eight years old : it's pretty obvious that he really is your son." But Sophie replied : "Do you know that such a perfume also exists for men ?" "What ? But it isn't my problem if this blasted perfume exists for men or children or babies..." said Mike with an ironical smile. "Did you realize the seriousness of your behaviour ? Just imagine ! Sophie attracts men with a perfume because she doesn't think she is beautiful ! Sophie !" he said slowly. "You know that I am a famous man. Do you like to fritter my life away, my reputation ?" His face was contorted. After a few moments silence, Mike spoke again, cheerfully. "By the way, can you tell me where I can find this perfume ?" She clapped her eyelashes, lit up her cigarette and laughed. She asked with irony and satisfaction : "My delightful husband is eager to have new experiences ?" "Well, I don't... I simply want to watch this treasure with a scientific eye ..." He thought he had found a good justification. "Please, dear, can you close your eyes ? I have a surprise for you !" With rapture, Mike closed closed his eyes. Sophie took a small bottle in her wallet and opened it. She put it near Mike's nostrils. He smiled and said : "Tabu ! You are fantastic, my love !" "Can you guess where I found it ?" said Sophie, with a malicious smile. "You bought it..." "No dear. I stole this treasure in a shop. For you it's free !" "Spray, please." "No ! I want a lovely jewel. Yesterday I admired Liza's gold watch... Buy it for me my love !" Discontented about her request, Mike felt like a booby being trapped, because she had just done something unusual and later on asked his wife : "I find your attitude very strange... Usually, when you want something, you go straight to the goal. But you 're suddenly starting to pull my leg. However, I would just like to know if this perfume doesn't have evil effects ?" As if he had touched a very sensitive point, she looked at him and answered : "It's all in a good cause !" The shortness of the sentence intrigued him and he added : "What cause ? If you're talking about your love affair, forget about it. I don't want to talk about it and..." Without giving him the time to finish his sentence, she went on smiling : "I belong to a sect, Mike." Mike became completely confused : "Could you repeat that, darling ? I think I didn't get what you said correctly." He was simply hoping that his wife had made a bad joke. "You have perfectly heard what I said. I don't need to say it again..." "Damn. What happened ? You, so down-to-earth. You who never believed in God and things like these... How could you become so gullible and trust these quacks ?" Mike said nervously. "Be quiet, darling. You know that before I met them, I had the same ideas as you, but I have learnt to know them and in fact they're not as terrible as people think." Sophie said calmly. Her husband was all the more scandalized by this speech : "I've got the impression that you've forgotten what happened to your parents when they mixed with these folks." "What ?" cried Sophie, "What's that story ?" Realizing fully what he had just said, Mike became panic-stricken. "No... Nothing. Forget what I've just said." "Mike, can you repeat what you said ?" "Well, just forget about it. It doesn't matter. Let's talk about serious things like your sect. Why and how did you join them and who is that stupid man who thinks he is Jesus ?" "Why ? It's none of your business ! You should follow me one day to the "temple". Our leader ? Someone called Manwo who is not as stupid as you think. His friends - because of his unknown sex - gave this name to him. The fact is that he looks like a woman (breasts, voice, bottom) but also like a man (moustache, strength, legs). I met him one week ago at Bob and Tony's party. On that day, there was a strange smell. The smell of a perfume named "Tabu". At that moment, Manwo called me, but I didn't answer at first. I did not know what he wanted. The atmosphere was strange... or rather the music was. It was a very soft melody. I could hear voices I couldn't make out and the nearer he came to me, the louder the voices became. He eventually sat down near me and Bob started the conversation. We laughed a lot around some beers for them and a tomato juice for me. Some time later Bob stood up in order to go and get some more beers. Manwo looked at me and the same voices could be heard again. Everybody had left by then. It was very late. Manwo stared at me, more and more acutely, came nearer to me and..." Someone who was knocking at the door disturbed Sophie and Mike. Mike went and opened. "Who is it ?" asked Sophie. Some people entered, went into the living-room. It was the police. One of them said : "I recognize her. She was on that video." Another man came to Sophie : "I arrest you. You are allowed to remain silent and to have a lawyer." Mike shouted angrily : "What's this shit ? How can you come into my house... ?" "We have a warrant !" one of the policemen said. Sophie didn't understand what was happening to her. She already was handcuffed. "I have done nothing. Leave me alone." Mike went on : "But why ?" The officer in charge declared : "We saw her. That's all there is to know." Écrit par : Claudia DOSSOU, Fatia BOUITY-VIAUDO, Pierre-Antoine TSADY, Shékina DO NASSIMIENTO, Claire BERTHOU, Jean-Claude KPAKPO, Nicolas GASTON, Alexandra BOURGAIN et illustré par : Maxime GUENIN.