“Yes. But one grows used to it. Your hotel is safe enough, physically. But the press are onto us now and they can get inside. And so can the police.”
Boyle looked troubled but not panicky. “Legal complications? You assured me that all that sort of thing had been taken care of.”
“I did. It has. The donor was married, as I told you, and by great luck husband and wife had given pre-consent. We had a good many thousands of that blood type quietly signed up—and paid retainers—but we couldn’t predict that one would be accidentally killed in time; the statistical projection did not favor it. But one of them was indeed killed and there were no complications—no insuperable ones,” Salomon corrected, thinking of a bag of well-worn Federal Reserve notes, “and a court permitted it as ‘useful and necessary research.’ Nevertheless the press will stir up a storm and some other court may decide to look into it. Doctor, I can put you in Canada in an hour, anywhere on this planet in a day—even on the Moon without much delay. If you so choose.”
“Hmm. Wouldn’t mind going to the Moon, I’ve never been there. You say my clothes are in your guest room?”
“Yes. And you are most welcome.”
“Is there a tub of hot water nearby?”
“Oh, certainly.”
“Then I’ll ask for another beer and that hot tub and about ten hours’ sleep. I’ve been arrested before. Doesn’t worry me.”
5
Johann Sebastian Bach Smith was somewhere else. Where, he did not know, nor care, nor wonder…did not know that he was himself, was not aware of himself nor of anything, was not aware that he was not aware.
Then slowly, over eons, he came up from the nothingness of total anesthesia, surfaced into dreaming. The dreams went on for unmeasured time, endlessly. Mrs, Schmidt, can Yonny come out and play. . . Wuxtra! Horrible atrocities in Belgium, read all about it! Johann, don’t ever walk in like that without knocking, you bad, bad boy. . . under a cabbage leaf . . . more margin before the market opens tomorrow. . . like hell a cabbage leaf; it comes out of her belly button Yoho you don’t know nothing. . . Johnny you know it’s not nice to do that and what if my father came downstairs.. . a pretty girl is like a melody. . . hey get a load of that not a damn thing on her boobs. . . sergeant I volunteered once and that’s enough for a lifetime.. . Our Father ‘Which art in Heaven hallowed be thy Name of the game is look out for yourself Smith old Buddy you co-signed the note and I have other fish to Friday at the latest and that’s a promise Johann darling I don’t know how you could even bring yourself to think such a thing of your own wife is a man’s responsibility Mr. Smith and I’m sure the court will agree that four thousand per monthlies is a very modest girl would never do such a thing Schmidt and if I ever catch you hanging around my daughter again I’ll shoot the whole works they’re not worth the paper they’re printed on Johann I don’t know what your father will say when he gets home on the range where the deer and antelope play square with me and you’ll get a fair shake it, girlie, shake it, shake it twice is regulation shake it thrice pudding with creamed in her coffin my head off and her old man beard us and that queered it not queer Johann just curious you understand me old body boy I ain’t got no body and no body works very long for some body else if he expects to get ahead in the world of business girl has got just as much right to be treated like a lady as any body seen my girl’s best friend is her cherish as long as you both shall live right and work hard and pay your bills of lading son goes down and the stars come out of my room at once my husband would kill me and the neighbors are always snooping where did you leave your bicycle would pay for itself in no time Pop if I get this paper rout and in full retreat as we go to press me closer Johnny you’re so huge national debt will never be paid off and all our companies’ policies must be in inflation so borrow now and pay later than you think I’m that sort of a girl simply because I let you go on to college to be a teacher son but now I see by the dawn’s early warning system is useless gentlemen without second-strike capabilities of sustained growth when treated last time so it’s your treat this time you treat me nice and I treat you nice you-thee Eunice Eunice! where did that girl go I’ve lost Rome and I’ve lost Gaul but worst of all I’ve lost Eunice somebody find Eunice coming where have you been right here all along Boss— His dreams went on endlessly in full stereo—sound, sight, odor, touch—and always surrealistic, which he never noticed. They flowed through him, or he through them, with perfect logic. To him.