Belavista was a gentle man, and Stern often told others, "He's like a father to me." Childless and divorced, Belavista lavished all his attentions on two six-year-old Brazilian nieces, listing them both as corporation directors and sending them expensive gifts. A company joke was that for a Christmas present he had once given each of them a division of IBM. Stern pictured a day in which Belavista would put his arm around him and say that his nieces were foolish, that he had always wanted a son, and would Stern consider accepting a third of the label business, leading eventually to complete control? And then Stern, all considerations of wealth aside, would have a father who leaped bravely for closing train doors. He went in to see Belavista now and yearned for the man to put his arms around him and take him back to his many-roomed house and keep him there, protecting him from the lake man and eventually calling for his wife and boy. "Something's come up," Stern said. "I've got to go away. They found something inside me and I have to get it taken care of." "I'm sorry to hear that," the Brazilian said. "What is it?" "An ulcer," Stern said. "It just showed up in there." "Does it nag at you around here?" Belavista asked, pointing between his ribs. "Yes," Stern said. "That's where it gets you." "Uh-huh," said Belavista. "I know. I've got it all right." He hollered out to his secretary, "Make an appointment for me with Dr. Torro." "I know," said Belavista. "Gets you around the back, too, a little." "A little," Stern said. "You feel as though a baby with giant inflated cheeks is in there." "I know, I know," said the boss. "I've got it. I'm sure I've got the same thing." He shouted to his secretary, "Make sure it's for today," and then said to Stern, "I've got it, all right. I've got the same thing." Stern felt a tiny bit of resentment now. It was as though he had finally come up with something that Belavista, with all his millions, could not have, and yet here was the man trying to horn in on Stern and get one too, a finer and richer one. Now Belavista rose and said, "All right, here's what I'm going to do for you," and Stern felt such a thrill of excitement that he had to hold on to his boss's desk. There were those who said that Belavista was a selfish and shrewd man, but Stern had always told them, "I don't see it. He comes through. He's always been very nice to me." Stern was certain Belavista had been waiting for a moment of crisis, a special time to make certain announcements about Stern's future. And now Stern, near tears, wanted to hug him in advance and say, "Thank you. Oh, thank you." "I'm continuing your salary," Belavista said. "That's wonderful," said Stern. "It will ease my mind." And then he waited for the list to continue. "For as long as it takes. I don't care if it's three weeks." "That's really nice," Stern said. He looked with humility at the floor, as though he expected nothing more.