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William shook his head incredulously ’Why didn’t he tell me?’
’You~ve known each other since you were at school together My guess is he’s far too proud to burden anyone else with his problems He’d rather die in his oay than let anyone realise what he’s going through I have begged him for the last six months to tell his father, and I have certainly brokenyou know, but I can’t let you go on bla over which he has absolutely no control’
’Thank you, Andrew,’ said William ’How can I have been so blind and so stupid?’
’Don’t blame yourself,’ said Doctor MacKenzie ’There’s no way you could have known!
’Is there really no hope?’ asked William ’Are there no clinics, no specialists? Money would be no proble, William, and I have consulted the three best men in Areenosis, and kin’s disease’
’How long has he got to live?’ asked Kate in a whisper
’Six months at the outside, ht I had problehtly on to Kate’s hand as if it were a lifeline ’Weus’
’Help him in any way you can,’ said the doctor, ’but for God’s sake, be understanding Let him do what he wants to do It’s Matthew’s last few months, not yours And don’t ever let him know I told you’
William drove Kate home in silence As soon as they reached the Red House, Williairl Matthew had lef t the party with
’Would it be possible to ipeak to Matthew Lester?’
’He’s not here,’ said a rather irritable voice ’He dragged me off to the In and Out Club, but he was already drunk by the tio in that place with hi up
The In and Out Club Willia from an iron bar but he couldn’t remember exactly where the place was He looked it up in the phone book, drove over to the north side of town and eventually, after questioning a passer - by, he found the club William knocked on the door A hatch slid back
’Are you a member?’
’No,’ said Williarill
The hatch slid closed, and the door opened Williahtly incongruous in his three - piece banker’s suit The dancers, twined around each other, swayed incuriously away from him William’s eyes searched the smoke - filled rooht he recognised one of Matthew’s irlfriends, who out of his friend’s flat early one ed in a corner with a sailor William went over to her
’Excuse me, nise William