"'I don't believe I recall …' he began.
"I rose and extended my hand.
"'Meyerhoff,' I said, since I sometimes like to put people on. 'Carl Meyerhoff. We met before the war. Was it Vienna or Zurich? You were doing work with that long sleep business. Fascinating stuff. You had your little problems, I recall. I trust everything is going satisfactorily for you these days?'
"Quickly, he looked over both shoulders as I seated myself again. How long could I keep this going? I wondered. Several minutes would be great. So long as he didn't switch to another language….
"He drew out the chair across from me and seated himself quickly.
"'Meyerhoff …' he said then. 'I am trying to remember…. You are a medical man?'
"'Surgeon,' I replied, figuring that was far enough away from psychiatry that he wouldn't trip me up with some comment involving his specialty. 'I got out when things got bad,' I added cryptically.
"He nodded.
"'I was fortunate in that respect, also,' he said. 'So, you are practicing here in the southwest?'
"'California,' I said. 'I'm returning from a medical conference now. Just stopped here to do a little sightseeing. Yourself?'
"'I am practicing in New York,' he said. 'This is a holiday for me, also. Striking landscapes here for painting, and the light is so pure. We met at a conference — or some hospital perhaps?'
"I nodded.
"'I heard you speak once on this dauerschlaf therapy. I believe there was a small party that evening. We spoke for a time of some of the troubles….' I let it trail off, open to interpretation as to troubles with the therapy, with friends, associates, family, European politics. His reactions had me curious now, and I wanted to see what he'd say. And if he got very evasive that would be interesting, too.
"He sighed.
"'They looked at things differently in those days,' he said, 'where I came from. And the early work, of course, had to be experimental.'
"'Of course,' I said.
"'When did you leave?'
"'1944,' I replied. 'Spent some time in Argentina. Came here later under the Project Paper Clip dispensation.'
"He raised his drink and took a swallow.
"'Yes, I've heard of it,' he said. 'Governments can be gracious — when they want something.'
"He laughed. I joined him.
"'Fortunately, there was no need for me to employ such a route,' he went on. 'Some of the past died with the bombings and the records they destroyed, as I understand it.'
"He took another drink.
"'You are staying here at the hotel?' he asked.
"'Yes.'
"'We should have dinner together. Would you care to meet in the lobby — say, seven o'clock?'
"'That would be pleasant,' I replied.
"He began to rise, just as the waitress arrived with four desserts and my check. I picked up the check and glanced at it.
"'May I sign for this?' I asked her.
"'Sure' she answered. 'Be sure to put down your room number.'
"'That would be 208,' I said, accepting the pen she offered me.
"Rudo froze, looking back, studying my face.
"'Croyd …?' he said.
"I smiled.
"His face went through an amazing variety of changes, finally settling into a scowl. Then he seated himself and leaned forward.
"'That — was — not — funny,' he told me. 'I — do — not — aprrreciate — such — monkeyshining.'
"'When you get a chance like this every time you wake up, you might as well play it for a few laughs,' I said.
"'I am not amused.'
"'Sorry,' I said, as I attacked the flan. 'Just wanted to brighten our day.'
"He succeeded in convincing me that he had no sense of humor. But after a few minutes he was mollified, watching me eat desserts.
"'I have located the office where we must obtain visitors passes,' he finally said, 'for our trip to Los Alamos. It is nearby. Our names should be on the list of expected visitors. Photographs will be required. We should stop by this afternoon and take care of that.'
"'Yes,' I said. 'How'd they get on the list?'
"'Our man in Los Alamos sent down word that we were coming to visit him.'
"'Handy,' I said. 'How long have we been in town?'
"'Here? This is our fifth day. I included instructions when I induced the dauerschlaf that you sleep for as short a time as possible. You were out for several days in my apartment and several more in transit.'
"I nodded as I gestured at the stack of newspapers.
" I'd noticed the date,' I said. 'How far is it to Los Alamos?'
"'It is about thirty-five or forty miles north of here,' he replied, 'in the mountains. I've obtained a car.'
"We strolled outside after lunch, and he steered me to the left. The area that had struck me as parklike proved to be the Plaza. We passed around it in a clockwise fashion, stopping to study the work displayed on blankets by Indian craftsmen under the portal of the Palace of the Governors. Lots of silver and turquoise and some pretty pots. I bought a bola Rudo didn't like and wore it.
"He led me then to a one-story building nearby, where we entered through a small doorway. We came into a little suite of rooms where a woman sat at a desk.
"'Hello,' he said. 'I am Ivan Karamazov and this is Croyd Crenson. We were told to come here to pick up our visitors' passes for Los Alamos.'
"'Let me check the list,' she said, and she opened a drawer and withdrew a clipboard holding a stack of papers. She hummed as she checked through these. Then, 'Yes,' she said, 'I have you here.'
"She passed us some forms to fill out and told us we'd need to have our pictures taken after that. She told us the passes would be ready later in the day, or we could pick them up in the morning, since we'd said we'd be driving up the next day. We thanked her and departed.
"We walked around for a couple of hours after that, then went for a drive. Rugged, bright country. Lots of little pine trees. Big mountains. Small town. Quiet. I kind of liked the place. Wouldn't have minded spending a few weeks there.
"When it got dark we returned to the hotel and ate a big, leisurely meal, with several bottles of wine. In the dining room this time. We went back to the room afterwards and talked a while longer. Then Rudo stifled a few yawns, said something about the altitude, and decided to go to bed. I went out and spent the night walking, about the town and into the country. There's something about walking at night, when things are slow and quiet, that I've always enjoyed.
"And this place was very quiet, and very dark, once I got out from town. Sitting on a hillside later and listening to the insects and looking at the stars, I realized that I was really happy. I didn't have to do drugs anymore, I wasn't afraid of sleeping and waking up in God knows what shape, and pretty soon I'd be able to pass for normal. I felt like I wanted to sing or something, but I didn't. I just sat there and watched the night and listened to it and felt good.
"In the morning I walked back and paced the streets again and watched the town wake up. The first place I saw that opened I went in and had breakfast. Then I went back to the hotel and waited for Rudo to wake up. When he had, and had gotten himself into shape, we went downstairs and ate. We took our time over coffee, and I had a few more snacks, while we waited for the office to open for our visitors' passes.
"After we picked up the papers we headed for the car. Rudo drove, taking us over to the Taos Highway and following it northward, in the direction of the Espanola Valley. Somewhere along the way we passed a big rock off to the left shaped like a camel. The sun was very bright, and there were mountains to the left of us and mountains to the right. After a long while, Rudo found us a road which went off to the left, switching its way back and forth upward among orange cliffs. We went higher and higher, and there was no guard rail. The views became spectacular, the drop frightening. There were more pine trees, and big boulders, and orange buttes. At least, Rudo seemed a careful driver.