Page 8 (1/2)

"Medusa," he says "Crone Witch Crooked, rotten teeth"

She stiffens a bit "You think I’ the word "No, not you! Ugly green paisley ugly"

Roberta laughs, relieved, and glances down at her blouse "Well, I guess there’s no accounting for taste, is there?"

Accounting! Accountant! My father was an accountant! No--a policeman No--a factory worker No--lawyer, construction worker, pharhts are all true, and all false His own mind is a riddle that he can’t hope to solve He feels the fear that Roberta told hile once h; soain

"I already told you," Roberta says "Don’t you remember?"

"No! Who?" he asks "Who?"

Roberta raises her eyebrows in understanding "Oh Who are you?"

He waits anxiously for an answer

"Well, that’s the million-dollar question, isn’t it? Who are you?" She taps her fingertips on her chin, considering it "The coree on a name Of course, everyone has an opinion, the po about it, perhaps you can choose one for yourself"

"Choose?" But why must he choose a name? Shouldn’t he already have one? He runs a series of nah his mind: Matthew, Johnny, Eric, José, Chris, Alex, Spencer--and although some of them seem more likely than others, none of them hold the sense of identity that a true na--anything--about hi his head only makes it hurt

"Aspirin," he says "Tylenol-aspirin, then count the sheep"

"Yes, I iine you must still be tired We’ll up your pain et some rest We’ll talk more tomorrow"

She pats his hand, then strides out of the rooht fragments that won’t as much as shake hands with one another in the dark

- - -

The next day--or at least he thinks it’s the next day--he’s not quite so tired, and his head doesn’t hurt as much, but he’s still just as confused He now suspects that the white rooh hints in the architecture to suggest he was in some private residence that had been retrofitted for the convalescence of a single patient There is a sound beyond thethat he can hear even when theis closed A constant rhyth it does he realize what it is Crashing waves Wherever he is, it’s on a seashore, and he longs to see the view He asks and Roberta obliges Today is the day he gets out of bed

Two strong uniforuards come in with Roberta They undo his bonds and help hi him beneath his armpits

"Don’t be afraid," Roberta says "I know you can do this"

The first o He looks to his bare feet, seeing only toes sticking out froown he wears Those toes seeins to walk, one labored step at a ti with hi," he says

"Herous or exhilarating?"

"Yes," he answers In histhe them in their proper place There are so inning to slide into coherent formation

"It’s all in there," Roberta has told hi it"

The two guards continue to hold hi A knee buckles, and their grip grows tighter

"Careful, sir"

The guards always call hih he can’t iine why He envies their ability to si to work at it

Roberta leads them down a hallway that, like the distance to his feet, seems like miles, but is only a dozen yards or so Up above, in the corner of the ceiling, there’s a machine with a lens that zeroes in on him There’s ahim in silence Electric eye Cyclops lens He knows the naue "Say cheese!" he says "It puts on ten pounds Rollingandaction! A Kodakfor starts with a c, and that’s all the help I’ll give you," Roberta says

"Cuh--cuh--Cadaver Cabana Cavalry Canada"

Roberta purses her lips "You can do better"

He sighs and gives up before frustration can overwhel,at the sah a door to a place that is both inside and out

"Balcony!" he says

"Yes," Roberta tells him "That one came easy"

Beyond the balcony is an endless sea, shi in the warm sun, and before him are two chairs and a se in a crystal pitcher He should know the nae

"Co the journey"