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They sit facing each other with the food between theuards at the ready, should he need their help, or should he try to hurl hied rocks below There are soldiers with dark, heavy weapons positioned strategically on those rocks--there for his protection, Roberta tells hiuards on the rocks would also call him "sir"

Roberta pours the white liquid frolasses that catch the light, refracting it and splintering it in random projections on the stonework of the balcony

He takes a bite of cookie Chocolate chip Suddenly the intensity of the flavor drags more memories out of hibernation He thinks of hishis lip on a freshly baked Toll House I like them best chewy and hot I like theic to chocolate Chocolate is s are true How could they all be true? If he’s allergic, how could he have so many wonderful chocolate ," he says

Roberta smiles "That was al to drink"

She holds the glass of cold white liquid to hiht to your name?" Roberta asks, just as he takes a sip--and all at once, as the flavorful fluid dislodges a piece of soft cookie frohts fly in The coh a sieve, leaving behind diamonds

The electric eye machine He knohat it’s called! And the white stuff, it’s from a cow, isn’t it? Cow juice Starts with an M Electric eye "Caely

"Caain

Her eyes sparkle, and she says, "Camus?"

"Cam Moo"

"Camus! What a splendid name You’ve outdone yourself"

"Ca anymore He has sent her to a more exotic place

"Camus, the existential philosopher! ‘Live to the point of tears’ Kudos to you, my friend! Kudos!"

He has no idea what she’s talking about, but if it ood to know that he’s impressed her

"Your narin on her face as wide as the shi sea "Won’t the committee just die!"

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Froins and ends with therapy Painful stretching followed by guided exercises and weight lifting that seereatest aents can only do so much," says his physical therapist--a deep-voiced bodybuilder with the unlikely name of Kenny "The rest has to come from you"

He is convinced this therapist enjoys watching him suffer

Thanks to Roberta, those who don’t just call him "sir" now call him Camus, but when he thinks of the na black-and-white whale

"That’s Shamu," Roberta tells him over lunch "You’re Camus; it rhymes, but has a silent S"

"Ca to sound like a sea mammal "Make it Ca it "We can do that We can most certainly do that I’ll let everyone know So how are your thoughts today, Cas "I have clouds in hs "Maybe so, but I can see your progress, even if you can’t Your thoughts are becoer strands ofI say to you, don’t you?"

Cam nods

"Comprehension is the first step toward clear communication, Cam" Roberta hesitates for a second, then says, "Comprends-tu maintenant?"

"Oui, parfaite was different about it until the words came out of his mouth He realizes that yet another door of mystery has opened inside his head

"Well," says Roberta, a o one language at a time, shall we?"

New activities are added into his day His afternoon naps are pushed back toat a table-size coes: a red vehicle, a building, a black-and-white portrait--dozens of pictures

"Drag to you the inize," says Roberta on the first day of this ritual, "and say the first word that each is to mind"

Cam feels overwhelmed "Scantron?"

"No," Roberta tells him, "it’s not a test, it’s just a mental exercise to find out what you remember and what you still need to learn"