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And how are you today? Oh—steady now, you’ve been dreaming, have you?

I am dreaming now.

No, you are awake now. You are talking to me, Doctor Y.

This is no different. A dream, like that.

Oh yes it is different. This is reality. The other is a dream.

How do you know?

You’ll have to take my word for it, I’m afraid.

If I did have to, I’d be afraid. I can’t take words for anything. Words come out of your mouth and fall on the floor. Words in exchange for? Is that it? Your dreams or your life. But it is not or, that is the point. It is an and. Everything is. Your dreams and your life. You can talk there, talk. I dream whatever I do, lying or waking.

Well, well, Professor. I’ll see you tomorrow. Perhaps we may have to try a new treatment.

This patient is no better than when I left last week. I do not see what alternate we have to E.C.T.

DOCTOR X.

I suggest confronting him with his wife, or if we can locate some, friends.

DOCTOR Y.

If no change in the next two or three days, we must transfer him to Higgin-hill. Would remind you this is for Intake.

DOCTOR X.

It is not unusual to extend the routine six weeks, for another three weeks. I suggest we do so.

DOCTOR Y.

Only if we can agree on E.C.T. Which would be a reason for extension.

DOCTOR X.

I am not against E.C.T. But as an interim proposal: withdraw all drugs, including sleepers, and see what happens.

DOCTOR Y.

Very well.

DOCTOR X.

How are you today Professor?

As you see.

You are looking very much brighter.

I haven’t been given any drugs for twenty-four hours.

We thought it might help you to remember.

Nurse told me I have been drugged ever since I came in.

I told you, we sedated you in various ways. Then we tried a treatment which you reacted to in a very personal way—you slept almost continually, so we stopped the treatment before we normally would have done with that particular drug.

I am thinking more clearly. Doctor Y?

Professor!

I have to ask you a serious question.

Please do.

Your attitude to me is this. I’ve got to make him remember what I know to be true about him.

Yes it is. Of course.

But that means that you don’t take me seriously. You haven’t once taken me seriously.

In reply to that I can only say that you have had more of my personal time and care than any patient I’ve had in months.

No, I don’t mean that. I say to you, I’m not what you say I am. I know that. I’m not Professor Charles What’s-his-name. Or if I am nominally that, it isn’t the point. But you just go on and on and on, sticking to that one point.

Go on, explain. I am listening.

I might be anything else. I could be.…

What? God perhaps?

Who said that?

You did.

I might have died in the war.

Oh, you were in the war then.

So was everyone.

Some more than others.

We were all there.

What were you doing in the war?

If you know what it is I profess, don’t you know who it was I fought?

No, your wife didn’t mention it. I must ask her.

I have a wife?

Yes. Her name is Felicity … is that funny?

Ha, ha, ha, I have absented myself from Felicity. Ha, ha, ha.

I’m a married man, myself.

Felicity.

And you have two boys.

If I am a professor I can have a wife, but my knowledge is, I am just as well a sailor with a wife in the West Indies. Her name is Nancy.

Ah, so you are a sailor again, are you? Were you a sailor in the war?

No, I was an onlooker and then the Crystal came. They fought. They ate each other.

Ah. Now I want you to help me with this. If you aren’t Charles Watkins, who are you?

I think I am my friends. And they are—in the name of the Crystal. Yes. A unit. Unity.

Your name is Crystal?

That’s crystal clear. Ha, ha, ha, ha.

You’re very jolly this morning.

Words are so funny. Felicitously funny.

I see. Well, I’ll drop in for a chat tomorrow. We aren’t going to give you any more sedatives or drugs. Not for a time anyway. You’ll probably find it harder to sleep. But try and stick it out. And perhaps you could try and see if you