Wertenberg put forward a hand. I reached out and clasped
it tentatively. The temperature of the room had done
nothing to reduce the chill I felt in the proffered grip.
The fire cast a pale-yellow glow upon objects in its
immediate vicinity and provided the only light in the room.
I took a seat in the chair indicated and Dr. Wertenberg
seemed to collapse, as if from great weariness, into an
identical chair opposite. The tips of his fingers met, like
the ribs of a ruined ship upturned at the bottom of the sea,
and came to rest at his chin. He did not utter a word.
“I came as soon as I received your letter” I
continued. “In what way may I be of assistance to you?”
Unblinking eyes peered at me above the skeletal
arch of his fingers. So thin and pale were his lips that it
was hard to distinguish where they ended and the rest of
his face began. I thought I detected the trace of a smile but
not a muscle moved except for the mild trembling of his
cambered hands. We sat in silence as he studied my face
and contemplated his expectations of me. That, at least,
was my assumption concerning the lack of conversation
and the state of his mind. His eyes were set deep in dark,
cavernous sockets. They were open but, in the continued
silence, I couldn't be sure that he was awake. At last, I
spoke.
'Is there something that you need urgently. Your
message didn't indicate but the check was generous.
Perhaps too generous. That suggests either that the
situation is pressing in the extreme or the risks are great.
My area of practice is commercial law. I hope you’re aware
of that. I am young and have few clients but I am
confident that the practice will thrive once I have
established myself. In any event, I'm here.”
6