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is about five thousand miles and two thousand years away. Today is Saturday, April twenty-fifth, nineteen eighty one.’
    He frowned.
    â€˜That’s using the Gregorian calendar,’ I explained. ‘Year One was about seven years after your presumed date of birth. I don’t know what year this is according to the Jewish calendar but I could find outif you’re interested. Anyway, for what it’s worth, welcome to the twentieth century.’
    The Man took the news with an impassive nod. ‘I think I’m in trouble.’
    That was where I made my second big mistake. What I should have said was – ‘That’s tough, look, I’m busy’ or ‘I only see people by appointment. Call my secretary’. Or told him to take it down the street. I didn’t. But even now, I still can’t quite accept the idea that that option was not open to me. I was filled with a sense of foreboding but suddenly I wasn’t frightened any more. I felt this great longing to
know
well up inside me. To find out what had really happened way back when this thing had started and what he was doing here. There had to be an angle, and there was only one thing to say. ‘You want to come in and talk about it?’
    The first thing I did after I got him settled was to excuse myself and call Miriam from the phone in the kitchen. ‘He’s back …’
    â€˜Who’s back?’ she said.
    â€˜Who do you think for crissakes? Uhh, I mean –’ I lowered my voice and made a mental note to reprogramme my vocabulary. After all, The Man was in the next room. ‘The DOA we lost on Saturday night.’
    There was a stunned silence at the other end of the line. ‘Leo, are you putting me on?’
    â€˜I wish I was, Miriam,’ I said. ‘I really and truly wish I was.’ I meant it too, despite the curiosity that now consumed me. For either of us to have anything to do with this guy could only lead to trouble. In our circle of friends and business associates there were two surefire ways of committing social suicide. Going broke and getting religion. And the last was the worst.
    â€˜But, Leo,’ said Miriam. ‘This is absolutely fantastic.’
    â€˜Yes,’ I said cautiously. ‘I guess it is.’
    â€˜How did it happen?’
    â€˜Well, he didn’t come by Checker Cab,’ I said. ‘How do I know? He just appeared. What can I tell you?’
    â€˜Okay, okay. What kind of shape is he in?’
    â€˜He’s fine,’ I replied. ‘He looks great. He’s sitting on the sofa in the living-room.’
    â€˜What doing?’
    â€˜Drinking. He was thirsty. I gave him a drink.’
    Her voice turned sharp. ‘What of? Water, coffee, Coke?’
    Doctors … He was her patient already. ‘No,’ I replied. ‘A glass of red wine.’
    â€˜Wine …?’
    â€˜That’s what he asked for,’ I said. Irritated by her tone of voice. ‘Look, how soon can you get here?’
    â€˜Oh, wow … that’s a problem. I just can’t walk out of here. Look, umm – ’ She sounded confused. ‘I’ll come as soon as I can.’
    â€˜Okay. How soon is that?’ I said, pleased to have regained the upper hand.
    â€˜Maybe not till tomorrow morning. It’s tough to find someone to cover for you on a Saturday. I’ll come out there as soon as I come off duty. My parents were expecting me over but – ’
    â€˜Never mind about them,’ I said. ‘They’ll still be there next week. Are you sure you can’t make it any sooner? Tell ’em your grandmother’s been taken sick. Or that she’s dying or something.’
    â€˜Leo,’ she said. ‘This is not like cutting classes in Junior High School. Saturday night’s the busiest we have in Emergency. They come in by the bus-load. I don’t have an excuse to pull out and if I told them the