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The light was on in the office, but the door leading into the Fowlers’ living quarters was closed Bert was asleep He sat behind the counter in a wooden chair, his head angled to one side The snores flapping through his lips sounded like a whoopee cushion, flat and wet His suitcoat was neatly arranged on a wire hanger on the wall He’d pulled on a cardigan, with cuffs of paper toweling secured by rubber bands to protect his sleeves From what, I wasn’t sure He didn’t see the desk for late-night arrivals

"Bert," I said No response "Bert?"

He roused hi his face a dry scrub with one hand He looked at me blearily and then blinked hiot didn’t coh the switchboard," I said I watched while the electrical circuits in his brain reconnected

"Excuse me?"

"I just received two calls I need to knohere they came from"

"Switchboard’s closed," he said "We don’t put calls through after ten o’clock" His voice was hoarse froh to clear his throat

"News to ht at two AM How’d he e that?"

"I connected him He insisted on that or I wouldn’t have done I hope you understand about itive from-"

"I knohat he is, Bert Could we talk about the calls that just ca about that"

"Could soh the switchboard?"

He scratched at his chin "Isn’t any way I know of You can phone out, but you can’t phone in Ask me, the whole business is a pain in the neck Over at the Tides, they don’t even have phones in the rooms System costs more than it’s worth anyhow We had this one installed a few years back, and then half the time it’s down What’s the point?"

"Can I see the board?"

"You’re welcoht now no calls cah I been on duty since nine o’clock and there hasn’t been a one I’ve been doing accounts payable Phone hasn’t made a peep"