Things around the building were slow on Saturday. He put the Rambler by the curb where the Corvair had parked. Tim pulled in behind him. Jerry got out and walked back to the Corvair. “You’re a lifesaver. All kinds of ways,” he said, from the bottom of his heart.

“Aaah, no big deal. Listen, I’m going home. I’ve been gone so long, Cheryl’ll think the Dodgers signed me and sent me to Double-A.” Tim started for his own set of wheels.

“She may be crazy—I mean, she puts up with you—but no way she’s dumb enough to believe that,” Jerry said.

Tim flipped him off. They both laughed. His friend drove south, toward Rosecrans. Jerry watched him go for a few seconds, then turned and walked into the apartment building.

Monday morning, Jerry went up to UCLA to finish the paperwork for pulling out of his TAship. As Professor Krikorian gave him the forms to sign, the oceanographer said, “I wish you the best of luck with what you’re doing. It would be a shame to lose you, though. You’re one of the best students I ever had.”

“Uh, thanks,” Jerry mumbled. Why the hell didn’t you ever say anything like that till I was bailing out? he wondered. Maybe his advisor had almost as much trouble making like an ordinary human being as he did himself.

He delivered the papers to Murphy Hall. The academic affairs secretary there took them without the slightest sign she cared whether he stayed or went, lived or died. Sometimes UCLA was a wonderful place. Sometimes it was a frozen desert. Jerry kept an eye peeled for police as he drove home. Otherwise, he was glad to be leaving.

He was washing the dishes after dinner when the phone rang. “I got it,” Anna said, and went back into the bedroom. She came out again a moment later, a slightly sandbagged expression on her face. “It’s for you. It’s Anatoly Dobrynin.”

“Jesus!” Jerry turned off the water and dried his hands on a dish towel. Then he ran for the bedroom. He almost sat on the King of Siam, who lay near the edge of the bed. Grabbing the phone, he said, “Hello? Mister Ambassador?”

“Good evening, Mister Stieglitz.” Yes, that was Dobrynin, not some practical joker. “I hope you are well? I am afraid I startled your wife.”

“It’s okay, sir. Yes, I’m fine, thanks. What can I do for you?”

“You told Major Bronstein you would be willing to be part of the Soviet research team going to the Hughes Glomar Explorer to help investigate the so-called Midlothian object. This is still true?”

“It sure is,” Jerry said.