Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

. Grotesque creatures from the lowest star systems, drunk on spiced liquorand their own fetid vapors. Gamorreans, twisted humans, jawas—all reveling inbase pleasures, or raucously comparing mean feats. And at the front of the room,reclining on a dais that overlooked the debauchery, was Jabba the Hutt. His head was three times human size, perhaps four. His eyes were yellow,reptilian—his skin was like a snake's, as well, except covered with a fine layer ofgrease. He had no neck, but only a series of chins that expanded finally into a greatbloated body, engorged to bursting with stolen morsels. Stunted, almost uselessarms sprouted from his upper torso, the sticky fingers of his left hand languidlywrapped around the smoking-end of his water-pipe. He had no hair—it had fallenout from a combination of diseases. He had no legs—his trunk simply taperedgradually to a long, plump snake-tail that stretched along the length of the platformlike a tube of yeasty dough. His lipless mouth was wide, almost ear to ear, and hedrooled continuously. He was quite thoroughly disgusting.