"To see everything from the perspective of eternity. Wasn't that where we started?"
"It'll have to be where we end, too. I must get going."
Alberto got up and fetched a large fruit dish from the book shelves. He set it on the coffee table.
"Won't you at least have a piece of fruit before you go?"
Sophie helped herself to a banana. Alberto took a green apple.
She broke off the top of the banana and began to peel it.
"There's something written here," she said suddenly.
"Where?"
"Here--inside the banana peel. It looks as if it was written with an ink brush."
Sophie leaned over and showed Alberto the banana. He read aloud:
Here I am again, Hilde. I'm everywhere. Happy birthday!
"Very funny," said Sophie.
"He gets more crafty all the time."
"But it's impossible ... isn't it? Do you know if they grow bananas in Lebanon?"
Alberto shook his head.
"I'm certainly not going to eat that."
"Leave it then. Someone who writes birthday greetings to his daughter on the inside of an unpeeled banana must be mentally disturbed. But he must also be quite ingenious."
"Yes, both."
"So shall we establish here and now that Hilde has an ingenious father? In other words, he's not so stupid."
"That's what I've been telling you. And it could just as well be him that made you call me Hilde last time I came here. Maybe he's the one putting all the words in our mouths."
"Nothing can be ruled out. But we should doubt everything."
"For all we know, our entire life could be a dream."
"But let's not jump to conclusions. There could be a simpler explanation."
"Well whatever, I have to hurry home. My mom is waiting for me."
Alberto saw her to the door. As she left, he said:
"We'll meet again, dear Hilde."
Then the door closed behind her.
LOCKE
as hare and empty as a blackboard before the teacher arrives
Sophie arrived home at eight-thirty. That was one and a half hours after the agreement--which was not really an agreement. She had simply skipped dinner and left a message for her mother that she would be back not later than seven.
"This has got to stop, Sophie. I had to call information and ask if they had any record of anyone named Alberto in the Old Town. They laughed at me."
"I couldn't get away. I think we're just about to make a breakthrough in a huge mystery."
"Nonsense!"
"It's true!"
"Did you invite him to your party?"
"Oh no, I forgot."
"Well, now I insist on meeting him. Tomorrow at the latest. It's not natural for a young girl to be meeting an older man like this."
"You've got no reason to be scared of Alberto. It may be worse with Hilde's father."
"Who's Hilde?"
"The daughter of the man in Lebanon. He's really bad. He may be controlling the whole world."
"If you don't immediately introduce me to your Alberto, I won't allow you to see him again. I won't feel easy about him until I at least know what he looks like."
Sophie had a brilliant idea and dashed up to her room.
"What's the matter with you now?" her mother called after her.
In a flash Sophie was back again.
"In a minute you'll see what he looks like. And then I hope you'll let me be."
She waved the video cassette and went over to the VCR.
"Did he give you a video?"
"From Athens..."
Pictures of the Acropolis soon appeared on the screen. Her mother sat dumbfounded as Alberto came forward and began to speak directly to Sophie.
Sophie now noticed something she had forgotten about. The Acropolis was crowded with tourists milling about in their respective groups. A small placard was being held up from the middle of one group. On it was written HILDE ... Alberto continued his wandering on the Acropolis. After a while he went down through the entrance and climbed to the Areopagos hill where Paul had addressed the Athenians. Then he went on to talk to Sophie from the square.
Her mother sat commenting on the video in short utterances:
"Incredible... is that Alberto?