Alastair Macleod 
Body Balance 
with other stories

’Inga had never been to the Wednesday class until today. It was the school holidays and her husband was watching the kids. Although Lin Chan was probably about twenty-eight, she was small, and moved with a natural grace. She was dark and very slim. She had the body of a child, thought Inga. Lin wore a loose blue wrap over jacket and loose trousers, while on her feet were small blue embroidered slippers. When Lin spoke, her not quite perfect English made them listen attentively.
Her routine appeared at first like one long warm up – slow studied movements carefully choreographed, using arms and legs. Inga soon found that it was as demanding the other sessions. It required strength; it left you energised as the other exercise did, but somehow without sweating or getting out of breath’