reatment available。 Scores of satisfied patients… and the reverence and affection with which the whole town regarded him…testified to his success in meeting his second responsibility。 As for the first； he stood five eleven and weighed two hundred and seventy pounds。
When an overweight patient； in the middle of one of the doctor's lectures； had the temerity to mention Troutman's own excess poundage； he was always countered with the same joke。 〃Obese？ Me？〃 Troutman would ask； clearly astonished。 〃This isn't fat I'm carrying。 It's stored energy； ready to be tapped if there's ever a catastrophe up at the mill。〃 Then he would continue his lecture。
In truth； of course； he was an almost pulsive eater and had been all of his life。 By the time he was thirty； he had given
up dieting and psychotherapy as truly lost causes。 The same year； having been guaranteed a handsome stipend by the Big Union Supply pany； he had e to Black River where the people were so pleased to have a doctor of their own that they didn't care if he was fat； thin； white； black； or green。 For twenty years now； he had been acmodating his pulsion； stuffing himself with cakes and cookies and pies and five square meals a day； and in sum he felt that his life held more enjoyment than that of any other man he knew。
As he was about to enjoy it even more； as he was picking up the second roast beef sandwich； the telephone rang。 He considered not answering it。 But he was the kind of doctor who went out on house calls at any hour of the day or night。 Even lunch had to be put aside if a patient needed help。 He picked up the receiver。 〃Hello？〃
〃Dr。 Troutman？〃
〃Yes。〃
The voice on the other end of the line was cold and sharp。 〃I am the key； Dr。 Troutman。〃
〃I am the lock；〃 Troutman said without hesitation。
〃Are you alone in the house？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃Where is your nurse； Miss MacDonald？〃
〃I don't know。 At home； I suppose。〃
〃When will she be ing to work？〃
〃Half an hour before the office opens。〃
〃And the office opens at one thirty？〃
〃That's correct；〃 Troutman said。
〃Are you expecting anyone else before one o'clock？〃
〃No。 No one。〃
The stranger was silent for a moment。
Troutman listened to his desk clock ticking。 He glanced at the food laid out on a linen napkin in front of him； picked a Sliver of roast beef from the sandwich； and ate it quickly like a fish taking a fly。
When the man on the other end of the line had decided on his approach； he said； 〃I'm going to ask you a number of important questions； doctor。 You will give me plete answers to the best of your ability。〃
〃Yes； of course。〃
〃Have you recently had an epidemic of any sort in Black River？〃
〃Yes； we have。〃
〃Of what？〃
〃Night chills。〃
〃Explain what you mean by that term； doctor。〃
〃Severe chills； cold sweats； nausea but without vomiting…and the resultant insomnia。〃
〃When were the first cases reported to you？〃
〃Wednesday； the tenth of this month。 Nine days ago。〃
〃Did any of your patients mention nightmares？〃
〃Every one of them said he'd been awakened by a terrible dream。〃
〃Could any of them remember what it was？〃
〃No。 None of them。〃
〃What treatment did you provide？〃
〃I gave placebos to the first few。 But when I suffered the chills myself on Wednesday night； and when there were scores of new cases on Thursday； I began to prescribe a low…grade antibiotic。〃
〃That had no effect； of course。〃
〃None whatsoever。〃
〃Did you refer any patients to another physician？〃
〃No。 The nearest other doctor is sixty miles away…and he's in his late seventies。 However； I did request an investigation by the State Health Authority。〃
The stranger was silent for a moment。 Then： 〃You did that merely because there was an epidemic of rather mild influenza？〃
〃It was mild；〃 Troutman said； 〃but decidedly unusual。 No fever。 No swelling of the glands。 And yet； for as mild as it was； it spread throughout the town and the mill within twenty…four hours。 Everyone had it。 Of course I wondered if it might not be influenza at all but some sort of poisoning。〃
〃Poisoning？〃
〃Yes。 Of a mon food or water supply。〃
〃When did you contact the Health Authority？〃
〃Friday the twelfth； late in the afternoon。〃
〃And they sent a man？〃
〃Not until Monday。〃
〃Was there still an epidemic at that time？〃
〃No；〃 Troutman said。 〃Everyone in town had the chills； the cold sweats； and the nausea again Saturday night。 But no one was ill Sunday night。 Whatever it was； it disappeared even more suddenly than it came。〃
〃Did the State Health Authority still run an investigation？〃 Intently studying the food on the napkin； Troutman shifted in his chair and said； 〃Oh； yes。 Dr。 Evans； one of their junior field men； spent all of Monday and most of Tuesday interviewing people and taking tests。〃
〃Tests？ You mean of food and water？〃
〃Yes。 Blood and urine samples too。〃
〃Did he take water samples from the reservoir？〃
〃Yes。 He filled at least twenty vials and bottles。〃
〃Has he filed his report yet？〃
Troutman licked his lips and said； 〃Yes。 He called me last evening to give me the results of the tests。〃
〃I suppose he found nothing？〃
〃That's correct。 All the tests were negative。〃
〃Does he have any theories？〃 the stranger asked； a vague trace of anxiety in his voice。
That bothered Troutman。 The key should not be anxious。 The key had all the answers。 〃He believes that we've experienced a rare case of mass psychological illness。〃
〃An epidemic of formulated hysteria？〃
〃Yes。 Exactly。〃
〃Then he's making no remendations？〃
〃None that I know of。〃
〃He has terminated the investigation？〃
〃That's what he told me。〃
The stranger sighed softly。 〃Doctor； earlier you told me that
everyone in town and at the mill had experienced the night chills。 Were you speaking figuratively or literally？〃
〃Figuratively；〃 Troutman said。 〃There were exceptions。 Perhaps twenty children； all under eight years of age。 And two adults。 Sam Edison and his daughter； Jenny。〃
〃The people who run the general store？〃 〃That's correct。〃
〃They didn't suffer from the chills at all？〃 〃Not at all。〃
〃Are they connected to the town's water supply？〃
〃Everyone in town is。〃
〃All right。 What about the lumbermen who work in the planned forests beyond the mill？ Some of them virtually live out there。 Were they all affected？〃
〃Yes。 That was something Dr。 Evans wanted to know too；〃 Troutman said。 〃He interviewed all of them。〃
The stranger said； 〃I've no more questions； Dr。 Troutman； but I do have some orders for you。 When you hang up your receiver； you will instantly wipe all memory of our conversation from your mind。 Do you understand？〃
〃Yes。 Perfectly。〃
〃You'll forget every word we've exchanged。 You'll erase this memory from both your conscious and subconscious； so that it can never be recalled no matter how much you might wish to recall it。 Understood？〃
Troutman nodded somberly。 〃Yes。〃
〃When you hang up your receiver； you will remember only that the phone rang…and that it was a wrong number。 Is that clear？〃
〃A wrong number。 Yes； that's clear。〃
〃Very well。 Hang up； doctor。〃
Carelessness； Troutman thought； a bit irritably； as he put down the receiver。 If people paid attention to what they were doing； they wouldn't dial so many wrong numbers or make one tenth of the other mistakes that peppered their lives。 How many patients； badly cut or burned； had he treated who had been injured only because they were inattentive； careless？
Scores。 Hundreds。 Thousands！ Sometimes； when he opened the door of his waiting room and peered inside； he had the feeling that he had just pulled a pan from the oven and was staring not at people but at a row of wall…eyed trout with gaping mouths。 And now； tying up a doctor's line with a wrong number； even for half a minute or so…well； that could be damned serious。
He shook his head； dismayed by the ineptitude and inefficiency of his fellow citizens。
Then he grabbed the roast beef sandwich and took an enormous bite from it。
At 11：45 Paul Annendale stepped into Sam Edison's study on the second floor of the house； just above the general store。 〃Squire Edison； I wish to arrange to take your daughter to lunch。〃
Sam