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black, Asian, lesbian or gay – that they have a
right
to be rich!’
    Hector Lo was nodding in the calm, appreciative way he always nodded. Jim knew from experience that he wasn’t even listening.
    He was making his way toward a chair in the opposite corner when a voice called out: ‘Jim! Hey, Jim! You finally made it!’ He turned around and it was Vinnie Boschetto, from the history department. Vinnie looked more like an extra from
Miami Vice
than a teacher of nineteenth-century politics. He had black, fashionably gelled-up hair, a deeply tanned face with a bulbous nose, and he was wearing one of his trademark Hawaiian shirts, all orchids and humming-birds and pineapples.
    He threw his arms around Jim and clapped him on the back. He smelled strongly of Armani aftershave. ‘When you didn’t show up last week, we thought you’d chickened out. Wouldn’t have blamed you, not one bit! This place hasn’t changed. It’s still the blind leading the dumb, closely followed by the very stupid.’
    â€˜Good to see you, Vinnie. How’s Mitzi?’
    Vinnie gave a theatrical cough into his fist. ‘Ah-hem! Mitzi was three partners ago, I’m ashamed to admit. Or was it four? Lovely girl, Mitzi.
Great
girl. Unparalleled legs. Well, they
were
parallel, but there were no legs like them. But you know how it is. We didn’t see eye to eye on matters pertaining to the U.S. Constitution. Such as my constitutional freedom to play poker with the boys every Friday night.’
    â€˜So who is it now?’
    â€˜Alana. She’s gorgeous. We’ll have to go out together, you and me and Alana. I’ve found this really terrific Namibian restaurant on Pico. You don’t have any qualms about eating ants, do you?’
    â€˜Ants? What do you think I am – an aardvark?’
    â€˜Oh, come on. I’m not talking about those teensy-weensy little guys you find swarming out of the cracks in the sidewalk. I’m talking about big fat ones, specially fed on sugar. They’re terrific with a chili dip. They just go
pop
in your mouth. Delicious!’
    â€˜I think I’ll stick to burritos, if it’s all the same to you.’ Jim sat down, opened up his cellphone and took out a crumpled piece of paper. ‘Right now I’m trying to find myself an apartment. All my books are in storage and my cat has probably forgotten who I am.’
    â€˜You want someplace to live? Search no further! My uncle passed away last month and his apartment is standing empty. I’ve been planning on letting it out, but I haven’t had the time to get it organized. Alana, you know … she’s kind of demanding. What am I saying,
kind of
demanding? Ha! She won’t give me a moment’s peace! You’ll love this apartment! It’s fully furnished; all it needs is cleaning and airing and maybe a lick of paint.’
    â€˜Where is it?’ asked Jim dubiously.
    â€˜Venice, only a couple of blocks from where you used to live before. The Benandanti Building. It’s great. You’ll love it. Four bedrooms, a hu-u-uge living room, a dining room, a kitchen and a bathroom like Emperor Nero’s.’
    â€˜Sorry, Vinnie. A place like that has to be way out of my price range. I can only afford eight hundred dollars a month, at most.’
    â€˜Don’t be stupid! You can have it for seven fifty! So long as you pay me in cash, no paperwork, no questions asked, and you keep the joint in good repair. At least I’ll have a tenant that I can trust.’
    â€˜Seven fifty?’ Jim closed his cellphone. ‘Do you think I could take a look at it?’
    â€˜Sure thing. How about tomorrow at twelve?’
    â€˜Absolutely.’
    Jim was about to ask him about all the changes that had taken place at West Grove College in the past three years. But then the door of the faculty room opened and Mrs Frogg, the principal’s secretary, peered in. She caught