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dryly.
    “Please leave it to me to decide what is and what isn’t pertinent to my investigation,” Gorton said, savoring every word. “If you continue on this course of non-cooperation, I can guarantee you some serious trouble down the road. That is my expert opinion.”
    Dr. Moore paused again for a long moment.
    “What do you want to know?” he asked finally. “And I want to be clear about this: I couldn’t care less for your threats.”
    “Why did Borovsky come to see you and what is Arbidium XT ?”
    “David Borovsky indeed has been participating in a clinical trial,” said Mr. Moore, ignoring both questions. “He is a part of the control group for Arbidium XT , which, as you correctly pointed out, has not been registered anywhere yet. Arbidium —just like its name suggests—has been developed to strengthen Arbitratus Dominatus . Borovsky is perfectly sane and has no mental health issues. He came to discuss with me a deep dissatisfaction with the life he lived. And as I have already mentioned, he ended up in my office only because under his new insurance he didn’t have to pay a dime for that pretty expensive visit. When people discover that they can talk to someone like me for free they come to me for things far less important than life dissatisfaction. Is there anything else you’d like to know?”
    “Would you care to explain to me in plain English what Arbitratus Dominatus is?” Gorton asked. “My Latin is limited to habeas corpus .”
    “Willpower,” Dr. Moore elaborated.
    “This not the best time for jokes,” Gorton said.
    Suddenly he felt strongly irritated.
    “I’m not joking,” Dr. Moore said coolly.
    “You cannot affect willpower with pills.”
    “Let’s both stick to our areas of expertise, shall we? With pills you can affect anything. For you these are all abstract concepts. For us—chemical balance of the brain. Willpower is not that different from anxiety.”
    “Fine,” Gorton said, trying to digest this information. “The brain balance, chemistry, I get it. But why did you put him on that drug in the first place? You said he didn’t have any issues. And how does this Arbidium actually work? I mean what happens once someone starts taking it?”
    “ Arbidium ’s effect is very simple: the drug closes the gap between a decision and the corresponding action. It replaces the familiar cycle: decision—resolution—postponement—a change of mind—forgetting—another decision . . . with a single straight line: decision—action.”
    “And what does this have to do with Borovsky?”
    “Everything. When a healthy man in his mid-forties comes to see me, complaining about life dissatisfaction despite having a job, a home, a family and a hobby, I advise him to explore his desires, understand what is missing and act accordingly. And when I hear about multiple failed attempts to change his life, I explain to him that a decision—no matter now well-intended and bold—is nothing without an action.”
    “So did he mention a hidden desire to rob a bank when he talked about what was missing?” Gorton asked sternly.
    “No, he didn’t. And even if he did I wouldn’t tell you. But we didn’t talk about his desires. We only discussed his mindset. Although I have no doubt that at some point he had begun identifying his wants and acting to address them. But that is beyond my jurisdiction. Is there anything else I can help you with?”
    “Yes , there is,” Gorton said. “How long does this Arbidium work?”
    “First, it takes about a month for the drug to start working. Once it has kicked in, the effect of each pill lasts five days.”
    “And for how long has he been taking it?”
    “Give me a moment,” the receiver produced a series of rustling sounds. “About four months. Six more months to go.”
    “Ten months for a clinical trial?”
    “We don’t like to rush in pharmacology,” Dr. Moore said didactically.
    “Will he go cold turkey? I can guarantee you that he won’t