hefrowned.whenaguyhaseyebrowslikethathecanreallydoyouafrown.「iamamedicalman,sir,butnolongerinpractice.whatsortofcuredidyouhaveinmind?」

「theguy’sawino.hegoesoffhisrockerfromtimetotimeanddisappears.sometimeshecomeshomeunderhisownpower,sometimeshegetsbroughthome,andsometimeshetakesabitoffinding.」igotabusinesscardoutandhandedittohim.

hereaditwithnopleasure.

「whatgoeswithearl?」iaskedhim.「hethinkhe’svalentinoorsomething?」

hemadewiththeeyebrowsagain.theyfascinatedme.partsofthemcurledoffallbythemselvesasmuchasaninchandahalf.heshruggedhismeatyshoulders.

「earlisquiteharmless,mr.marlowe.heis—attimes—alittledreamy.livesinaplayworld,shallwesay?」

「yousayit,doc.fromwhereistandheplaysrough.」

「tut,tut,mr.marlowe.youexaggeratesurely.earllikestodresshimselfup.heischildlikeinthatrespect,」

「youmeanhe’sanut,」isaid.「thisplacesomekindofsanitarium,isn’tit?orwas?」

「certainlynot.whenitwasinoperationitwasanartists’colony.iprovidedmeals,lodging,facilitiesforexerciseandentertainment,andaboveallseclusion.andformoderatefees.artists,asyouprobablyknow,areseldomwealthypeople.inthetermartistsiofcourseincludewriters,musicians,andsoon.itwasarewardingoccupationforme—whileitlasted.」

helookedsadwhenhesaidthis.theeyebrowsdroopedattheoutercornerstomatchhismouth.givethemalittlemoregrowthandtheywouldbeinhismouth.

「iknowthat,」isaid.「it’sinthefile.alsothesuicideyouhadhereawhileback.adopecase,wasn’tit?」

hestoppeddroopingandbristled.「whatfile?」heaskedsharply.

「we’vegotafileonwhatwecallthebarred-windowboys,doctor.placeswhereyoucan’tjumpoutofwhenthefrenchfitstakeover.smallprivatesanitariumsorwhathaveyouthattreatalcoholicsanddopersandmildcasesofmania.」

「suchplacesmustbelicensedbylaw,」dr.verringersaidharshly.

「yeah.intheoryanyway.sometimestheykindofforgetaboutthat.」

hedrewhimselfupstiffly.theguyhadakindofdignity,atthat.「thesuggestionisinsulting,mr.marlowe.ihavenoknowledgeofwhymynameshouldbeonanysuchlistasyoumention.imustaskyoutoleave.」

「let’sgetbacktowade.couldhebehereunderanothername,maybe?」

「thereisnooneherebutearlandmyself.wearequitealone.nowifyouwillexcuseme—」

「i’dliketolookaround.」

sometimesyoucangetthemmadenoughtosaysomethingoffkey.butnotdr.verringer.heremaineddignified.hiseyebrowswentallthewaywithhim.ilookedtowardsthehouse.frominsidetherecameasoundofmusic,dancemusic.andveryfaintlythesnappingoffingers.

「ibethe’sintheredancing,」isaid.「that’satango.ibetyouhe’sdancingallbyhimselfinthere.somekid.」

「areyougoingtoleave,mr.marlowe?orshallihavetoaskearltoassistmeinputtingyouoffmyproperty?」

「okay,i’llleave.nohardfeelings,doctor.therewereonlythreenamesbeginningwithvandyouseemedthemostpromisingofthem.that’stheonlyrealcluewehad—dr.v.hescrawleditonapieceofpaperbeforeheleft:dr.v.」

「theremustbedozens,」dr.verringersaidevenly.

「ohsure.butnotdozensinourfileofthebarred-windowboys.thanksforthetime,doctor.earlbothersmealittle.」

iturnedandwentovertomycarandgotintoit.bythetimeihadthedoorshutdr.verringerwasbesideme.heleanedinwithapleasantexpression.

「weneednotquarrel,mr.marlowe.irealizethatinyouroccupationyouoftenhavetoberatherintrusive.justwhatbothersyouaboutearl?」

「he’ssoobviouslyaphony.whereyoufindonethingphonyyou’reapttoexpectothers.theguy’samanic-depressive,isn’the?rightnowhe’sontheupswing.」

hestaredatmeinsilence.helookedgraveandpolite.「manyinterestingandtalentedpeoplehavestayedwithme,mr.marlowe.notallofthemwereaslevel-headedasyoumaybe.talentedpeopleareoftenneurotic.butihavenofacilitiesforthecareoflunaticsoralcoholics,evenifihadthetasteforthatsortofwork.ihavenostaffexceptearl,andheishardlythetypetocareforthesick.」

「justwhatwouldyousayheisthetypefor,doctor?apartfrombubble-dancingandstuff?」

heleanedonthedoor.hisvoicegotlowandconfidential.「earl’sparentsweredearfriendsofmine,mr.marlowe.someonehastolookafterearlandtheyarenolongerwithus.earlhastoliveaquietlife,awayfromthenoiseandtemptationsofthecity.heisunstablebutfundamentallyharmless.icontrolhimwithabsoluteease,asyousaw.」

「you’vegotalotofcourage,」isaid.

hesighed.hiseyebrowswavedgently,liketheantennaeofsomesuspiciousinsect.「ithasbeenasacrifice,」hesaid.「aratherheavyone.ithoughtearlcouldhelpmewithmyworkhere.heplaysbeautifultennis,swimsandpeslikeachampion,andcandanceallnight.almostalwaysheisamiabilityitself.butfromtimetotimetherewere—incidents.」hewavedabroadhandasifpushingpainfulmemoriesintothebackground.「intheenditwaseithergiveupearlorgiveupmyplacehere.」

heheldbothhandspalmsup,spreadthemapart,turnedthemoverandletthemfalltohissides.hiseyeslookedmoistwithunshedtears.

「isoldout,」hesaid.「thispeacefullittlevalleywillbecomearealestatedevelopment.therewillbesidewalksandlamp-postsandchildrenwithscootersandblastingradios.therewilleven」—heheavedaforlornsigh—「betelevision.」hewavedhishandinasweepinggesture.「ihopetheywillsparethetrees,」hesaid,「buti’mafraidtheywon’t.alongtheridgestherewillbetelevisionaerialsinstead.butearlandiwillbefaraway,itrust.」

「goodbye,doctor.myheartbleedsforyou.」

heputouthishand.itwasmoistbutveryfirm.「iappreciateyoursympathyandunderstanding,mr.marlowe.andiregretiamunabletohelpyouinyourquestformr.slade.」

「wade,」isaid.

「pardonme,wade,ofcourse.goodbyeandgoodluck,sir.」

istartedupanddrovebackalongthegraveledroadbythewayihadcome.ifeltsad,butnotquiteassadasdr.verringerwouldhavelikedmetofeel.

icameoutthroughthegatesanddrovefarenougharoundthecurveofthehighwaytoparkoutofsightoftheentrance.igotoutandwalkedbackalongtheedgeofthepavingtowhereicouldjustseethegatesfromthebarbed-wireboundaryfence.istoodthereunderaeucalyptusandwaited.

fiveminutesorsopassed.thenacarcamedowntheprivateroadchurninggravel.itstoppedoutofsightfromwhereiwas.ipulledbackstillfartherintothebrush.iheardacreakingnoise,thentheclickofaheavycatchandtherattleofachain.thecarmotorrevvedupandthecarwentbackuptheroad.

whenthesoundofithaddiediwentbacktomyoldsanddidauturntofacebacktowardstown.asidrovepasttheentrancetodr.verringer’sprivateroadisawthatthegatewasfastenedwithapadlockedchain.nomorevisitorstoday,thankyou.