“They’re not actually moving, you know,” he said. “It’s all an illusion. What you’re looking at is a million photographs, that’s all, and they lie to you and tell you they’re moving. I know. I once worked for a studio.”

“You did not.”

“I did. And I found out their dirty secrets. You say you want to see Gregory Peck. Well, what if I told you that I happen to know that Gregory Peck is actually a woman in disguise?”

“Now, listen—”

“Scout’s honor. You have no idea the miracles those make-up men can achieve. They needed a leading man for a picture and one of the producers just happened to see this six-foot woman selling pencils outside the studio. Her name was Hortense. I had bought at least ten dozen Ticonderogas from her, and loved the old witch dearly, despite her odor. Then one day she wasn’t at her usual corner any more. ‘What has happened to dear old Hortense?’ I asked passers-by, but they only shrugged. Then, some months later, I saw a picture called Keys of the Kingdom and there, playing the part of the missionary—you remember?—was my old friend, the pencil seller. Except now they called her Gregory Peck.”

“Well, I don’t know,” Ella said, “I think we’d better go to the movie anyway.”

“Why? You’ve seen it eight times already.”

“I have not.”

“Well, I have. Look—why don’t we go somewhere for a coke, or something, and just talk? I’m kind of nervous; I couldn’t stand all that shooting.”

“There isn’t any shooting in the picture. It’s a comedy.”

“Well, then, the laughing would bother me. Really, Ella, I mean—can’t we go somewhere? You know the town, I don’t; so I couldn’t very well be spiriting you away.”

Ella was silent for a time: then she said, “We could go to Rusty’s for a while, maybe.”

“Rusty’s? What’s that?”

“It’s kind of a place, you know. Over the bridge. Some of the kids go there at night—”

“That sounds great. I’d like very much to meet some of the high school students.”

“Why?”

“For the work I’m doing.”

Ella opened the window a few inches, letting in the soft rush of night air.

“But I’ve done a lot of work already today. So I’ll promise not to ask any questions or anything like that tonight. You just introduce me around, okay? And we’ll sit in a corner and slurp sodas or dance or whatever the kids do around here. And I’ll get you home on time. Is it a deal?”

“Well . . .”

“Please?”

“Make a circle here and go back to Broad Street. Get on 25 W and go over the bridge. Then I’ll tell you from there.”