“What are you remembering, Billy?”

“The cop put the handcuffs on very tight. And then he shoved a hot container of coffee into my hands and slammed the van door. When he started up, I spilled hot coffee all over my new suit. That’s the last thing I —Where’s my suit?”

“It’s in your closet, Billy. We can send it out for dry cleaning. The spots should come out.”

“I feel very strange,” he said.

“Would you try to describe it for me?”

“Like something is missing in my head.”

“A memory?”

“No. It’s like before the trial I was more together with all the others, you know? But now it’s like there’s more pieces missing up here.” He tapped his head.

“Well, Billy, maybe in the next few days and weeks we can try to find those pieces and put them back together. ”

“Where am I?’

“This is the Athens Mental Health Center in Athens, Ohio.” He settled back. “That’s what Judge Metcalf said. I remember he said I had to be sent here.”

Sensing that he was dealing now with a partially fused core Billy, the host personality, Caul spoke to him softly, careful to ask neutral questions. It struck him how the change of personality caused a definite facial alteration. Arthurs tight-jawed, pressed-lipped, heavy-lidded gaze that made him appear arrogant had given way to Billy’s wide-eyed, hesitant expression. He seemed weak and vulnerable. In place of Danny’s fear and apprehension, Billy showed bewilderment. Although he answered the questions eagerly, trying to please his doctor, it was clear he didn’t know, or didn’t remember, much of the asked-for information.

“I’m sorry, Dr. Caul. Sometimes when you ask me a question I think I’m going to know the answer, but when I reach for it, it’s not there. My Arthur or my Ragen would know. They’re smarter than I am, and they’ve got good memories. But I don’t know where they’ve gone.”

“That’s all right, Billy- Your memory will get better, and you’ll discover you know much more than you expect.”

“Dr. Harding said that. He said it would happen when I fused, and it did. But then, after the trial, I came apart. Why?” “I don’t have the answer, Billy. Why do you think it happened?”

Billy shook his head. “All I know is Arthur and Ragen aren’t with me right now, and when they’re not with me, I don’t remember things too good. I missed out a lot on my life because they kept me asleep for a long time. Arthur told me.” “Does Arthur talk to you a lot?”

Billy nodded. “Ever since Dr. George introduced me to him at Harding Hospital. Now Arthur tells me what to do.”

“I think you should listen to Arthur. People with multiple personalities usually have someone inside them who knows all the others and tries to be helpful. We call that an ‘inner self helper’—or ISH for short.”

“Arthur? He’s an ISH?”

“I think so, Billy. He fits the role: intelligent, aware of the others, highly moral—”