“Why were you against letting the truth come out?” Judy asked.

“Who will believe me?” he said, clenching his fist. “They will all say we are crazy. It is do no good.”

“It might keep you out of prison,” Gary said.

“How is possible?” Ragen snapped. “I am not a fool, Mr. Schweickart. Police have evidence I commit robberies. I admit three robberies near university. Only three. But other things they say I do is lie. I am not rapist. I will go into court and confess robberies. But if we go to jail, I kill children. Is euthanasia. Jail is no place for little ones.”

“But if you kill … the little ones … won’t that also mean your own death?” asked Judy.

“Not necessary,” Ragen said. “We are all different people.”

Gary ran his fingers impatiently through his hair. “Look, when Billy—or whoever—smashed his head into the wall of his cell last week, didn’t it damage the skull you’re wearing?”

Ragen touched his forehead. “Is true. But was not for me pain.”

“Who felt the pain?” Judy asked.

“David is keeper of pain. Is one who accepts all suffering. David is empath.”

Gary started out of his chair to pace, but when he saw Ragen tense, he thought better of it and sat back. “Is David the one who tried to bash his brains out?”

Ragen shook his head. “Was Billy.”

“Ah,” said Gary, “I thought Billy has been asleep all this time.”

“Is true. But it was his birthday. Little Christene makes for him birthday card, and she wants give it to him. Arthur allows Billy to wake up for birthday and to take spot. I was against it. I am protector. Is my responsibility. Maybe is true Arthur is more intelligent than I am, but he is human. Arthur makes mistakes.”

“What happened when Billy woke up?” Gary asked.

“He looks around. He sees he is in prison cell. He thinks he is do something bad. So he smashes head into vail.”

Judy winced.

“You see, Billy knows nothing about us,” Ragen said. “He has—vat you call it?—amnesia. Let me put it this way. Ehen he is in school, losing so much time, he goes up to roof. He starts to jump. I remove him from spot to stop him. He is asleep ever since that day. Arthur and I keep him asleep to protect him.” “When was that?” Judy asked.

“Right after sixteenth birthday. I remember he was depressed because his father makes him work on his birthday.” “My God,” Gary whispered. “Asleep for seven years?”

“Is still asleep. He was only for few minutes awake. It was mistake to let him on spot.”

“Who’s been doing things?” Gary asked. “Working? Talking to people ever since? No one we’ve spoken to has reported a British or Russian accent.”

“Not Russian, Mr. Schweickart. Yugoslavian.”

“Sorry.”

“Is all right. Just to keep record straight. To answer question: Allen and Tommy are mostly on spot when dealing with other people.”