Unafraid with the massive German shepherd at her side, and hardly aware of the ogling and shifty pairs of eyes, the suggestive whistles, or under-the-breath propositions directed at her from passing and loitering characters, the appealing young blonde girl made her way toward the open park, which was the last remaining thing of beauty to her in the Westland area. At least once a day she had tried to walk Sultan there, but unfortunately she didn't dare let him off the leash to romp a little; it just wasn't safe around there for a girl without obvious protection. Anyway, when she could, she allowed the dog a couple of hours of freedom in the walled backyard of the apartment building where he could get some measure of exercise.

For a while, Carol strolled along the cinder paths, waiting while Sultan sniffed and examined certain poles, bushes, and trees, until finally they found an empty bench in the shade and she sat down. Sultan saw them first, the other harnessed German shepherd immediately drawing his attention. The dark glasses and type of leash made Carol aware of the young man's blindness. They moved along the cinder path toward where she sat with Sultan on the ground beside her, the skilled seeing- eye dog carefully guiding its master.

He was a handsome man, Carol thought as they drew closer – tall, with broad shoulders and proud bearings. His hair was dark and waved, carefully groomed, and his neat, casual dress stylishly simple. She guessed him to be somewhere in his early thirties and found herself wondering how he had lost his sight … or had he been born that way?

Sultan whimpered as the other German shepherd drew closer, while totally ignoring his existence. Carol saw then that the dedicated animal was female and demanded Sultan behave himself …