“Whatever you want, baby,” he said softly. _New York City--6:15_ P.M. _(E.D.S.T.)_ “Well, I’m sorry,” Kutler said. “I guess it was a bum hunch.” “I don’t know. You weren’t too far off--I don’t think. But damn if I knew how to get through. You’re sure there’s no way _you_--?” The doctor shook his head. “I wish I could. I’ve tried a couple of times. I’ll keep on trying. But--” He shrugged, and finished his drink. Pete Christensen cleared his throat. “What do you say to some dinner? This place serve any food?” _Damn it, the guy actually gives a damn!_ You didn’t find many like that any more.... _Any more_...? Damn fool thought. Never was more than one in a million who did--outside his own yard or his own pocketbook. “Well, they serve it,” Kutler said. “Nobody in his right mind would eat it. Tell you what--there’s a place down the street here--You like Swedish cooking?” “Grew up on it.” The doctor nodded, pleased. “Okay, let’s get out of here.” He caught a waiter, paid the check, and they walked down Lexington toward the Swedish place, talking trivia about the city and how it changed. It must have been seven-eight years, Chris thought, since he’d seen this part of town; yet some blocks, you could go back twenty years after, and nothing changed at all. “I used to love this damn town,” he said, surprised, because it had been so long since he had even thought about New York, let alone _looked_ at it. Kutler was good for him; the man _cared_. It was a little painful even to visualize all the things he seemed to care about. Like a wheel hub, with another spoke reaching out every part-turn. “I guess,” he said slowly, “I’ve put it all into one.” And then thought, _That was dumb._ Then: _But he knows what I meant._ “Rockets only go one way at a time, don’t they?” the doctor said. Chris cleared his throat. “Here we are,” Phil said. As soon as they’d ordered, Chris plunged in. “Here’s what I wanted to see you about, Phil. You know, we’ve had a personnel problem up there all along that’s a little unusual. I suppose you know the background--I’m sure you do, because we fed you this stuff when you worked with Wendt. Our psychogenic troubles?” “Yeah. Fascinating stuff, too. I figured if you wanted me, it would be something to do with that. But you want a good psychosomaticist, Chris, there are a hell of a lot of ’em better than me. I’ve always been interested, but it’s not really my field.”