Page 74 (1/2)

Leonard Mark quietly finished his coffee While he drank he kept his eyes on thethere on the dead sea bottom

"All right," said Leonard Mark

Saul sat up, rubbing his face

After athe bank and I took off my clothes," he said breathlessly, his smile incredulous "And Idived in and swam around!"

"I'm pleased," said Leonard Mark

"Here!" Saul reached into his pocket and drew forth his last bar of chocolate "This is foryou"

"What's this?" Leonard Mark looked at the gift "Chocolate? Nonsense, I' it because itback in your pocket before I turn it into a rattlesnake and it bites you"

"Thank you, thank you!" Saul put it away "You don't kno good that water was" He fetched the coffeepot "More?"

Pouring the coffee, Saul shut his eyes a moment

I've got Socrates here, he thought; Socrates and Plato, and Nietzsche and Schopenhauer This enius By his talent, he's incredible! Think of the long, easy days and the cool nights of talk we'll have It won't be a bad year at all

Not half

He spilled the coffee

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing" Saul himself was confused, startled

We'll be in Greece, he thought In Athens We'll be in Rome, if ant, e study the Roman writers We'll stand in the Parthenon and the Acropolis It won't be just talk, but it'll be a place to be, besides This man can do it He has the power to do it When we talk the plays of Racine, he can make