I thought these things because I had failed to shake off after urinating. What a degenerate I was. What sadness, to come to such a point in life, this point at which the simplest acts, acts that promise pleasure, give access only to terrors and an overriding impression of loss.

I sniffled and wiped my nose on the blue pillow. I had the feeling that someone was near me, that I was being watched. Had a stealthy brother seen me pissing on Hazlitt? I glanced around and saw, a few feet away, standing in a puddle, Gunner. It was only the dog. Gunner held, in his mouth, between his sharp teeth, a shoe.

“Where did you get that?” I asked. The dog padded forward. He lowered his head and dropped the shoe in a puddle.

I knelt. The shoe was a white canvas slip-on. It was not new. It might’ve belonged to anyone. Gunner’s teeth had punctured it.

I placed my hands firmly on either side of Gunner’s head. I cradled, in my hands, the dog’s skull. I addressed this creature: “Listen to me. I do not want a smelly boating shoe. I want a mask. Do you remember what I told you about the Corn King? I understand that it may not make perfect sense for the Corn King to wear an African mask, but we don’t have any other masks in our collection. This isn’t the Natural History Museum, Gunner. I want you to go back and bring me a mask from the wall. They’re hanging all over the wall and you’ll be able to get one without much trouble. Do you think you can manage?”

Gunner licked his mouth and nose with his long pink tongue. He liked having his ears scratched. I took care not to become angry with the dog. I said, in an even, composed voice, “I have tremendous faith in you, Gunner. Much depends on the mask. Pick a good one. Use your judgment.”

I released the Doberman’s head. Right away Gunner picked up the deck shoe with his teeth. He turned and trotted away quickly through the darkness. He was gone and I was alone again. I did not like being alone in the stacks. I did not feel in the mood to read an old book. While waiting for Gunner’s return, I examined the medicine vials in my jacket pocket. I was very pleased to find that these contained morphine. There was enough morphine here to relieve a lot of suffering. Carefully, one by one, I returned the precious vials to my jacket.