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.