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ike and room 1408； that wasn't all bad； there were pensations。
Olin was crossing the room with one pudgy hand held out as Mike left the revolving door。 The Dolphin was on Sixty…first Street； around the corner from Fifth Avenue； small but smart。 A man and a woman dressed in evening clothes passed Mike as he reached for Olin's hand； switching his small overnight case to his left hand in order to do it。 The woman was blond； dressed in black； of course； and the light； flowery smell of her perfume seemed to summarize New York。 On the mezzanine level； someone was playing 'Night and Day' in the bar； as if to underline the summary。
'Mr。 Enslin。 Good evening。'
'Mr。 Olin。 Is there a problem？'
Olin looked pained。 For a moment he glanced around the small； smart lobby； as if for help。 At the concierge's stand； a man was discussing theater tickets with his wife while the concierge himself watched them with a small； patient smile。 At the front desk； a man with the rumpled look one only got after long hours in Business Class was discussing his reservation with a woman in a smart black suit that could itself have doubled for evening wear。 It was business as usual at the Hotel Dolphin。 There was help for everyone except poor Mr。 Olin； who had fallen into the writer's clutches。
'Mr。 Olin？' Mike repeated。
'Mr。 Enslin 。 。 。 could I speak to you for a moment in my office？' Well； and why not？ It would help the section on room 1408； add to the ominous tone the readers of his books seemed to crave； and that wasn't all。 Mike Enslin hadn't been sure until now； in spite of all the backing and filling； now he was。 Olin was really afraid of room 1408； and of what might happen to Mike there tonight。
'Of course； Mr。 Olin。'
Olin； the good host； reached for Mike's bag。 'Allow me。'
'I'm fine with it；' Mike said。 'Nothing but a change of clothes and a toothbrush。'
'Are you sure？'
'Yes；' Mike said。 'I'm already wearing my lucky Hawaiian shirt。' He smiled。 'It's the one with the ghost repellent。'
Olin didn't smile back。 He sighed instead； a little round man in a dark cutaway coat and a neatly knotted tie。 'Very good； Mr。 Enslin。 Follow me。'
The hotel manager had seemed tentative in the lobby； almost beaten。 In his oak…paneled office； with the pictures of the hotel on the walls （the Dolphin had opened in 1910…Mike might publish without the benefit of reviews in the journals or the big…city papers； but he did his research）； Olin seemed to gain assurance again。 There was a Persian carpet on the floor。 Two standing lamps cast a mild yellow light。 A desk…lamp with a green lozenge…shaped shade stood on the desk； next to a humidor。 And next to the humidor were Mike Enslin's last three books。 Paperback editions； of course； there had been no hardbacks。 Mine host has been doing a little research of his own； Mike thought。
Mike sat down in front of the desk。 He expected Olin to sit behind the desk； but Olin surprised him。 He took the chair beside Mike's； crossed his legs； then leaned forward over his tidy little belly to touch the humidor。
'Cigar； Mr。 Enslin？'
'No； thank you。 I don't smoke。'
Olin's eyes shifted to the cigarette behind Mike's right ear…parked on a jaunty jut the way an old…time wisecracking reporter might have parked his next smoke just below the PRESS tag stuck in the band of his fedora。 The cigarette had bee so much a part of him that for a moment Mike honestly didn't know what Olin was looking at。 Then he laughed； took it down； looked at it himself； and looked back at Olin。
'Haven't had a one in nine years；' he said。 'Had an older brother who died of lung cancer。 I quit after he died。 The cigarette behind the ear 。 。 。' He shrugged。 'Part affectation； part superstition； I guess。 Like the Hawaiian shirt。 Or the cigarettes you sometimes see on people's desks or walls； mounted in a little box with a sign saying BREAK GLASS IN CASE OF EMERGENCY。 Is 1408 a smoking room； Mr。 Olin？ Just in case nuclear war breaks out？'
'As a matter of fact； it is。'
'Well；' Mike said heartily； 'that's one less worry in the watches of the night。'
Mr。 Olin sighed again； but this sigh didn't have the disconsolate quality of his lobby…sigh。 Yes； it was the office； Mike reckoned。 Olin's office； his special place。 Even this afternoon； when Mike had e acpanied by Robertson； the lawyer； Olin had seemed less flustered once they were in here。 And why not？ Where else could you feel in charge； if not in your special place？ Olin's office was a room with good pictures on the walls； a good rug on the floor； and good cigars in the humidor。 A lot of managers had no doubt conducted a lot of business in here since 1910； in its own way it was as New York as the blond in her black off…the…shoulder dress； her smell of perfume； and her unarticulated promise of sleek New York sex in the small hours of the morning。
'You still don't think I can talk you out of this idea of yours； do you？' Olin asked。
'I know you can't；' Mike said； replacing the cigarette behind his ear。 He didn't slick his hair back with Vitalis or Wildroot Cream Oil； as those colorful fedora…wearing scribblers of yore had； but he still changed the cigarette every day； just as he changed his underwear。 You sweat back there behind your ears； if he examined the cigarette at the end of the day before throwing its unsmoked deadly length into the toilet； Mike could see the faint yellow…orange residue of that sweat on the thin white paper。 It did not increase the temptation to light up。 How he had smoked for almost twenty years…thirty butts a day； sometimes forty…was now beyond him。 Why he had done it was an even better question。
Olin picked up the little stack of paperbacks from the blotter。 'I sincerely hope you're wrong。'
Mike ran open the zipper on the side pocket of his overnight bag。 He brought out a Sony minicorder。 'Would you mind if I taped our conversation； Mr。 Olin？'
Olin waved a hand。 Mike pushed RECORD and the little red light came on。 The reels began to turn。
Olin； meanwhile； was shuffling slowly through the stack of books； reading the titles。 As always when he saw his books in someone else's hands； Mike Enslin felt the oddest mix of emotions： pride； unease； amusement； defiance； and shame。 He had no business feeling ashamed of them； they had kept him nicely over these last five years； and he didn't have to share any of the profits with a packager （'book…whores' was what his agent called them； perhaps partly in envy）； because he had e up with the concept himself。 Although after the first book had sold so well； only a moron could have missed the concept。 What was there to do after Frankenstein but Bride of Frankenstein？
Still； he had gone to Iowa。 He had studied with Jane Smiley。 He had once been on a panel with Stanley Elkin。 He had once aspired （absolutely no one in his current circle of friends and acquaintances had any least inkling of this） to be published as a Yale Younger Poet。 And； when the hotel manager began speaking the titles aloud； Mike found himself wishing he hadn't challenged Olin with the recorder。 Later he would listen to Olin's measured tones and imagine he heard contempt in t