idrovethetwenty-oddmilesbacktotownandatelunch.whileiateifeltmoreandmoresillyoverthewholedeal.youjustdon’tfindpeoplethewayiwasgoingaboutit.youmeetinterestingcharacterslikeearlanddr.verringer,butyoudon’tmeetthemanyouarelookingfor.youwastetires,gasoline,words,andnervousenergyinagamewithnopayoff.you’renotevenbettingtablelimitfourwaysonblack28.withthreenamesthatstartedwithv,ihadasmuchchanceofpagingmymanasihadofbreakingnickthegreekinacrapgame.

anywaythefirstoneisalwayswrong,adeadend,apromisingleadthatblowsupinyourfacewithnomusic.butheshouldn’thavesaidsladeinsteadofwade.hewasanintelligentman.hewouldn’tforgetthateasy,andifhedidhewouldjustforget.

maybe,andmaybenot.ithadnotbeenalongacquaintance.overmycoffeeithoughtaboutdrs.vukanichandvarley.yesorno?theywouldkillmostoftheafternoon.bythenicouldcallthewademansioninidlevalleyandbetoldtheheadofthehouseholdhadreturnedtohisdomicileandallwasgleamingbrightforthetimebeing.

dr.vukanichwaseasy.hewasonlyhalfadozenblocksdowntheline.butdr.varleywasawaytohellandgoneinthealtadenahills,along,hot,boringdrive.yesorno?

thefinalanswerwasyes.forthreegoodreasons.onewasthatyoucanneverknowtoomuchabouttheshadowlineandthepeoplewhowalkit.thesecondwasthatanythingicouldaddtothefilepetershadgotoutformewasjustthatmuchthanksandgoodwill.thethirdreasonwasthatididn’thaveanythingelsetodo.

ipaidmycheck,leftmycarwhereitwas,andwalkedthenorthsideofthestreettothestockwellbuilding.itwasanantiquewithacigarcounterintheentranceandamanuallyoperatedelevatorthatlurchedandhatedtoleveloff.thecorridorofthesixthfloorwasnarrowandthedoorshadfrostedglasspanels.itwasolderandmuchdirtierthanmyownbuilding.itwasloadedwithdoctors,dentists,christiansciencepractitionersnotdoingtoogood,thekindoflawyersyouhopetheotherfellowhas,thekindofdoctorsanddentistswhojustscrapealong.nottooskillful,nottooclean,nottoomuchontheball,threedollarsandpleasepaythenurse;tired,discouragedmenwhoknowjustexactlywheretheystand,whatkindofpatientstheycangetandhowmuchmoneytheycanbesqueezedintopaying.pleasedonotaskforcredit.doctorisin,doctorisout.that’saprettyshakymolaryouhavethere,mrs.kazinski.nowifyouwantthisnewacrylicfilling,everybitasgoodasagoldinlay,icandoitforyoufor$14.novocainwillbetwodollarsextra,ifyouwishit.doctorisin,doctorisout.thatwillbethreedollars.pleasepaythenurse.

inabuildinglikethattherewillalwaysbeafewguysmakingrealmoney,buttheydon’tlookit.theyfitintotheshabbybackground,whichisprotectivecoloringforthem.shysterlawyerswhoarepartnersinabail-bondracketontheside(onlyabouttwopercentofallforfeitedbailbondsareevercollected).abortionistsposingasanythingyoulikethatexplainstheirfurnishings.dopepushersposingasurologists,dermatologists,oranybranchofmedicineinwhichthetreatmentcanbefrequent,andtheregularuseoflocalanestheticsisnormal.

dr.lestervukanichhadasmallandill-furnishedwaitingroominwhichtherewereadozenpeople,alluncomfortable.theylookedlikeanybodyelse.theyhadnosignsonthem.anywayyoucan’ttelladoperwellundercontrolfromavegetarianbookkeeper.ihadtowaitthreequartersofanhour.thepatientswentinthroughtwodoors.anactiveear,nose,andthroatmancanhandlefoursufferersatonce,ifhehasenoughroom.

finallyigotin.igottositinabrownleatherchairbesideatablecoveredwithawhitetowelonwhichwasasetoftools.asterilizingcabinetbubbledagainstthewall.dr.vukanichcameinbrisklywithhiswhitesmockandhisroundmirrorstrappedtohisforehead.hesatdowninfrontofmeonastool.

“asinusheadache,isit?verysevere?”helookedatafolderthenursehadgivenhim.

isaiditwasawful.blinding.especiallywhenifirstgotupinthemorning.henoddedsagely.

“characteristic,”hesaid,andfittedaglasscapoverathingthatlookedlikeafountainpen.

hepusheditintomymouth.“closethelipsbutnottheteeth,please.”whilehesaidithereachedoutandswitchedoffthelight.therewasnowindow.aventilatingfanpurredsomewhere.

dr.vukanichwithdrewhisglasstubeandputthelightsbackup.helookedatmecarefully.

“nocongestionatall,mr.marlowe.ifyouhaveaheadache,itisnotfromasinuscondition.i’dhazardaguessthatyouneverhadsinustroubleinyourlife.youhadaseptumoperationsometimeinthepast,isee.”

“yes,doctor.gotakickplayingfootball.”

henodded.“thereisaslightshelfofbonewhichshouldhavebeencutaway.hardlyenoughtointerferewithbreathing,however.”

heleanedbackonthestoolandheldhisknee.“justwhatdidyouexpectmetodoforyou?”heasked.hewasathin-facedmanwithanuninterestingpallor.helookedlikeatubercularwhiterat.

“iwantedtotalktoyouaboutafriendofmine.he’sinbadshape.he’sawriter.plentyofdough,butbadnerves.needshelp.helivesonthesaucefordaysonend.heneedsthatlittleextrasomething.hisowndoctorwon’tco-operateanymore.”

“exactlywhatdoyoumeanbyco-operate?”dr.vukanichasked.

“alltheguyneedsisanoccasionalshottocalmhimdown.ithoughtmaybewecouldworksomethingout.themoneywouldbesolid.”

“sorry,mr.marlowe.itisnotmysortofproblem.”hestoodup.“ratheracrudeapproach,ifimaysayso.yourfriendmayconsultme,ifhechooses.buthe’dbetterhavesomethingwrongwithhimthatrequirestreatment.thatwillbetendollars,mr.marlowe.”

“comeoffit,doc.you’reonthelist.”

dr.vukanichleanedagainstthewallandlitacigarette.hewasgivingmetime.heblewsmokeandlookedatit.igavehimoneofmycardstolookatinstead.helookedatit.