Trigo didn’t growl, bark, or wag his nub at her presence, but rolled over as if to find a napping position. Gloria lay on top of me. Her body was soft and yet it was not. I tried to squirm from under her.

“Don’t you want sex?” she asked.

“Not really,” I said. “Why would you think I wanted sex?”

She looked at me, her eyes momentarily vacant. “I thought that you were flirting with me on the submarine and I gathered from that that you would want to engage in sexual intercourse with me.” She cocked her head slightly. I wondered if that was a sign of embarrassment.

“I wouldn’t even know how to flirt with someone,” I said.

“You do not find me attractive?” The question was so matter-of-fact. I thought that if I confirmed this statement it wouldn’t have mattered to her at all.

“I didn’t say that,” I said. “Have you seen Eigen?”

“She is in her room.”

I looked at Gloria’s face. She looked so familiar. “Were you in the diner this morning?”

“No,” she said. She stood. “I’ll be going now. We have a lot to plan. As I said, Professor Vector is in her room. Lunch will be served at one. Mr. Sill loves lunch.” With that she walked to the door and left.

I gave her a minute or two to clear the area, then stepped across the hall to Eigen’s room. I knocked. There was no response. I moved to knock again and the door swung open. Eigen was there in a skimpy bright yellow bikini, again looking like a mathematician in a bright yellow bikini.

“Eigen, are you all right?” I asked, following her into the room. Her body was changing, it seemed. I had never looked long and hard at Eigen, but now she seemed slightly longer, perhaps more fit.

“Of course, silly,” she said. “I’m perfectly fine. There is a wonderful indoor pool in the hotel. You should try it. Swimming is wonderful exercise.”

“I’m sure it is.”

“John told me you’d gone back to Providence.”

“I was there, but I drove down here last night. I came here because I was worried about you.”

“Whatever is there to worry about?”

“Don’t you want to come back and finish out the semester? What about your students?”

“Fuck them,” she said, sounding nothing like my friend.

“Is that really how you feel? I’ve never heard you talk like that before.” I looked at the nightstand and the surface of the dresser for pill bottles or syringes. “Eigen, has Sill given you any medicines or vitamins and candies?”

“No,” she said. “Why would he give me candy? That would be funny, don’t you think? I’m not a child, Wala.”

“I know you’re not.”

“John is so alive,” she said, all starry-eyed. “Don’t you think he’s wonderful?” She looked suddenly sleepy. She swayed where she stood, as if in a breeze. I thought she might fall over.

“Are you okay?”

“Just a little tired. I was swimming. Do you like swimming, Wala? The pool here is very nice. It’s like a tub, it’s so warm. Swimming is a lovely exercise. It’s full of geometry. Did you know that?”