“You have met parts of the Teacher, Dr. Caul. Let me put it this way. The main question is, How did all of us learn the things we know? From the Teacher. He taught Tommy electronics and escape. He taught Arthur biology and physics and chemistry. He taught me about weapons and how to control adrenaline for maximum power. He taught us all to draw and paint. The Teacher knows all.”

“Ragen, who is the Teacher?”

“The Teacher is Billy all in one piece. But Billy does not know. ”

“Why are you on the spot now telling me this, Ragen?” “Because Arthur is angry. He made mistake of relaxing control, letting Kevin and Philip reveal undesirables. Arthur is intelligent, but he is only human. Now is rebellion inside.” Caul motioned to Malawista to pull his chair closer. “Do you mind if Dave Malawista joins us?”

“Billy vas nervous in front of both of you, but I have no fear.” Ragen glanced around at the coiled wires and the electronic equipment and shook his head. “This looks like Tommy’s playroom.”

“Could you tell me more about the Teacher?” Malawista asked.

“Let me put it this way. Billy was child prodigy when he was little. He was all of us in one. He does not know that now.” “Then why did he need you?” Malawista asked.

"I was created for physical protection.”

“But you know, don’t you, that you are really just a figment of Billy s imagination.”

Ragen leaned back and smiled. “I have been told. I have accepted that I am figment of Billy’s imagination, but Billy has not accepted that. Billy has failed at many things. That is why there are undesirables.”

“Do you think Billy should know he’s the Teacher?” Malawista asked.

“It would upset him to know. But ven you talk to Teacher, you will be talking to Billy all in one person.” Ragen examined the watch again. “Is not fair to spend Billy’s money without him knowing it. But this will let him know how much time he loses.”

Caul said, “Ragen, don’t you think it’s time all of you faced reality and worked on your problems?”

“I don’t have problem, I am part of problem.”

“How do you think Billy would react if he learned he was the Teacher?”

“It would destroy him if he finds out.”

At the next therapy session, Ragen told Dr. Caul that he and Arthur, after a long and heated discussion, had agreed that Billy should be told he was the Teacher. Arthur had felt, at first, that the shock would be too much for Billy to bear and that it would drive him insane if he found out. Now both of them agreed that if Billy was to get well, it was necessary for him to know the truth.

Caul was pleased with the decision. Ragen’s report of the conflict between himself and Arthur and of the rebellion of the undesirables suggested that things were reaching a crisis point. The time had come, he felt, for Billy to see the others and to learn that he was the one who had amassed all the knowledge, learned all the skills and passed them on. It would strengthen him to learn that he was the Teacher.