"Oh my, didn’t you get my letter? No? It was a sudden change indeed. Had to change quite a few schedules. When did you leave the U.S.?"

"Tuesday."

"Ah, yes. I believe it was mailed-they were mailed- letters to people whose schedules we changed…uh…" He mopped his glistening pink face with a handkerchief. "Mmm, uh, last Friday. Probably passed you going the other way. No inconvenience, I hope?"

"No, not at all. It’s rather exciting. It’s just a surprise."

"Well, I’m sorry if this has caught you off guard. Happens all the time in this business. Military exercise or an alert, and we just have to change our schedules. Fortunes of war. Here to serve. Well, my boy, good night-"

"Dr. Rufus, what happened to the last visiting fellow?"

The dank handkerchief dabbed once more. "Ah, yes. Dr. Dee. Well. Hmm. That was unfortunate. Yes. Didn’t I tell you about it? No?"

Gideon restrained himself. "No," he said.

"Mm. Well, he, uh, died in an automobile accident. Quite sad. Just drove off the side of a mountain. On the Autostrada del Sole in Italy. Near Cosenza, I think. Right off the side of the mountain. Apparently just a case of driving too fast. He’d almost been killed in another car accident a few weeks before. Somewhat odd behavior for a psychologist, really."

There was something wrong with the story, but Gideon was too tired to work it out. Dr. Rufus patted him on the shoulder. "Well, no need for you to worry yourself about it. Get yourself a good night’s sleep; you’re looking a little worn out, and no wonder…" He began to move off.

"Wait!" called Gideon. "I thought-wasn’t he an economist? And I thought he disappeared. Isn’t that right?"

"Oh my, no." Dr. Rufus wiped his face again. "You’re thinking of the fellow before last, Dr. Pitkin. Oh yes, that’s another story entirely."