She loved to read, and after her father’s death she had thought about giving up the sciences and starting over as an English major. She decided against it for a couple of reasons. Her taste in reading was way too catholic—she read Faulkner and Stephen King with approximately equal relish. And she was afraid of destroying the pleasure she took in these books. Susan was not analytical about fiction; she had been twelve years old before she understood that books had writers, that they had to be manufactured, somehow, like shoes. Better not to inquire too closely into cherished illusions… They were fragile.

Tonight the Joyce Carol Oates seemed a little too architectural; she slipped into the welcoming embrace of Travis McGee. Old Travis had mellowed a lot in his later books. He had more second thoughts these days. She liked that.

With the drapes open she curled up in bed, propped up with pillows behind her and a view of the city lights running north to the horizon. She was three chapters into the book and inclining toward sleep when the phone rang.

She picked it up expecting Dr. Kyriakides, but it was late for him to be calling; she couldn’t place the voice at first.

“John Shaw,” he said.

Well—obviously. But he sounded younger on the phone. You couldn’t see his eyes; his eyes were ancient.

Susan struggled to assemble her thoughts. “I’m glad you called—”

“I think you’re right,” he said. “I think we should talk.”

“I agree. Uh, maybe we can get together tomorrow?”

“You’re at the Carlton ?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll meet you in the lobby. Is noon all right?”

“Of course—sure—”

“See you there.”

And then the line went dead, and she was left sleepy and amazed, staring at the receiver in her hand.

* * *

She rode the elevator down at five minutes to noon the next morning and found him waiting.