If he was an actor, he was a master. He thumped on interminably about America, John Cave and the necessity of spreading his word throughout the world. I listened patiently as the sun went abruptly behind the hills and all the stars appeared in the moonless waste of sky. Fires appeared in the hovels on the far shore of the Nile, yellow points of light like fireflies hovering by that other river which I shall never see again. “Must be nearly suppertime.” “Not quite,” I said, relieved that Butler’s face was now invisible. I was not used to great red faces after my years in Luxor among the lean, the delicate and the dark. Now only his voice was a dissonance in the evening. “Hope the food’s edible.” “It isn’t bad, though it may take some getting used to.” “Well, I’ve a strong stomach. Guess that’s why they chose me for this job.” This job? could it mean...? but I refused to let myself be panicked. I have lived too long with terror to be much moved now; especially since my life of its own generation has brought me to dissolution’s edge. “Are there many of you?” I asked politely. The day was ending and I was growing weary, all senses blunted and some confused. “Many Communicators?” “Quite a few,” said Butler. “They’ve been training us for the last year in Canada for the big job of opening up Pan-Arabia. Of course we’ve known for years that it was just a matter of time before the government got us in here.” “Then you’ve been thoroughly grounded in the Arab culture? and disposition?” “Oh, sure. May have to come to you every now and then, though, if you don’t mind.” He chuckled to show that his patronage would be genial. “I should be honored to assist.” “We anticipate trouble at first. We have to go slow. Pretend we’re just available for instruction while we get to know the local big shots. Then, when the time comes....” He left the ominous sentence unfinished. I could imagine the rest, however. Fortunately, nature by then, with or without Mr. Butler’s assistance, would have removed me as a witness. Inside the hotel the noise of plates being moved provided a familiar reference. I was conscious of being hungry: as the body’s mechanism jolts to a halt, it wants more fuel than it ever did at its optimum. I wanted to go in but before I could gracefully extricate myself Butler asked me a question. “You the only American in these parts?” I said that I was. “Funny nothing was said about there being _any_ American up here. I guess they didn’t know you were here.” “Perhaps they were counting me among the American colony at Cairo,” I said smoothly. “I suppose, officially, I am a resident of that city. I was on the Advisory Board of the Museum.” This was not remotely true but since, to my knowledge, there is no Advisory Board it would be difficult for anyone to establish my absence from it.