code: protected String readUnicodeString(int length) throws IOException {
          StringBuffer buf = new StringBuffer();
          length /= 2;
          for (int k = 0; k < length; ++k) {
              buf.append(rf.readChar());
          }
          return buf.toString();
      }
docs: Reads a Unicode <CODE>String</CODE> from the font file. Each character is
  represented by two bytes.
  @param length the length of bytes to read. The <CODE>String</CODE> will have <CODE>length</CODE>/2
  characters
  @return the <CODE>String</CODE> read
  @throws IOException the font file could not be read