inos.

"Feels strange to sit on a bar stool," Arthur said.

"You get used to it. As an ex-doc, let me toast your health."

"Thank you. And yours." There was a moment of silence--appreciation for
the Glenlivet and a chance to think back.

"I've seen notice of you in the papers now and then," Penn said.
"Distinguished career and all that."

"Same old stuff. I untangled a couple of mysteries about smells and
flavors."

"Chip off the old block. Your father was a biologist."

"Still is," Arthur said. "Marine. He got fish; I got plants."

"Could make for conversation at a seafood place," Penn said.

"If we ate out. If we talked."

"I remember that trip we took to Hawaii. He didn't say much. Nice guy,
though, over on the windward side in--what was the name?"

"Lanikai."

"Right, Lanikai."

"So, what about you? I guess you gave up medicine."

"Yeah. It was a cruise, learning, but when I got to doing it--I don't
know--all that misery. I ducked into management. That was worse.
Boring. I chucked it for the business game, the market." He paused.
"You know how they used to say: sometimes you get the bear; sometimes
the bear gets you." He flashed the old Penn smile.

"Where are you living these days?"

"One of my buddies has a boat on the lake. He's not using it right now."

"Getting cool, isn't it?"

"Just right," Penn said, "for another couple of months." Arthur didn't
want to ask: then what?"

"Then what?" Penn said. He finished his drink. "It's O.K. to ask. I
don't know." He leaned toward Arthur. "Do me a favor, Arthur--try
saying, out loud: I don't know." Arthur hesitated. "Come on now."

"I don't know," Arthur said and found himself smiling.

"You see," Penn said. "It's not a bad state." They had another round.

"I saw you once--driving by with one of my students."

"Pookie," Penn said. "I should have gotten in touch, but I thought
you'd disapprove."

"She wasn't the brightest," Arthur said. "Attractive, though."

"Pookie could drink! Loved to swim, good dancer. How's _your_ love
life? Any little Arthurs around?"

"No."

"Me neither. I did have some step-kids for a while." Penn's expression
lifted. "That was a good thing."

"When was that?"

"Let's see--about four years ago, now."

"Where are they?"

"Oakland. Sergio, Consuela, and Esperanza. What a crew."

"And their mother?"

"Gorgeous. Constanza. I met her on a bus in Guayaquil."

"Guayaquil?"

"I was just back from the Galapago