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Authors: Colleen McCullough
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sciences from Chubb
and went on to do a doctorate in philosophy, subject psychology, also from
Chubb. He runs a private clinic in Holloman, Connecticut, and specializes in the
treatment of what he calls millennial neurosis. His cure record is really
phenomenal, and he has what for want of a better word I must call a cult
following. This may be because his therapy encourages his patients to find
solace in God, though not necessarily in any formal religion. His personality is
disturbingly intense, and he speaks very well indeed to any size of audience.
But my main reason for picking this man as a definite first — I venture to say,
only — choice is his astonishing charisma. You said you wanted it. Well, he's
got it.'
This speech was greeted with stunned
silence. Dr Moshe Chasen had produced the wrong name.
Dr Carriol sat looking at Dr Chasen so
intently that he put his chin up and refused to switch his gaze away from her
eyes.
'Ishall voice my own objection
first,' she said at 57
last, in a level, unemotional tone. 'I
have never heard of the term "millennial neurosis." And I have never heard of Dr
Joshua Christian.' Outside of her position as head of Section Four in the
Department of the Environment, Dr Judith Carriol was one of the country's
leading psychologists.
'Valid, ma'am. Dr Christian has never
published or given a single paper after his doctoral thesis, which — I've read
it, of course, and had it read by experts in his field — almost completely
consisted of a mass of experimental data presented as graphs, tables and the
like, with the shortest, baldest written text I have ever seen. But the work —
on the feedback in anxiety neurosis — was so brilliant and original it has
become the standard reference and the jumping-off spot for all investigation in
this field.'
'All right, outside my expertise area,
but I ought to have heard of him, and I haven't,' said Dr Carriol.
'That doesn't surprise me. He seems to
have no ambition to be famous, he just seems to want to conduct his little
clinic in Holloman. Among his peers he is either an object of contempt or an
object of amusement, and yet the man does very good work.'
'Why doesn't he write?' asked Dr
Hemingway.
'Apparently he suffers from writer's
block.'
'To the degree that he can't even produce
a paper? In this day and age, with all the modern tools available to a
nonwriter?' Dr Hemingway sounded incredulous.
'Yes.'
'Then he's very seriously flawed,' said
Dr Abraham.
'Where does it say in the parameters
Millie so succinctly itemized that a man has to be perfect outside of his
marriage and his children? Are you inferring brain damage, Sam'
'Well, it's a possibility,' said Dr
Abraham defensively.
'Oh, come on! Don't be so goddam
precious!'
'Gentlemen, gentlemen!' said Dr Carriol
sharply. She plucked the photograph out of the
file she had opened but not even glanced into, so attentively had she listened
while Dr Chasen described his bombshell first choice. And she studied the
picture now as if it could offer her some clue as to why Moshe Chasen had
preferred this man to the man he should have preferred. Yes, it was an
attractive face. Half starved looking, though. Not a bit handsome, with that
scimitar of a nose — the Armenian showing, maybe? Dark, very brilliant and
arresting eyes. And the face had an ascetic austerity every face so far had
lacked. Yes, an intriguing face. But… She shrugged.
'And who is your second choice, Dr
Chasen?' she asked.
Dr Chasen grinned wickedly. 'I can hear
you all asking yourselves, Which made the booboo, my computer or me? Relax!
There's nothing wrong with my computer. It put him in my sample. Senator David
Sims Hillier VII. What more can I say? Need I say more?'
The moment Dr Chasen uttered the name,
there was a huge collective sigh. The golden boy! There he was in an
eight-by-ten colour print under Dr Carriol's eyes; the most liked, the most
admired, the most
and went on to do a doctorate in philosophy, subject psychology, also from
Chubb. He runs a private clinic in Holloman, Connecticut, and specializes in the
treatment of what he calls millennial neurosis. His cure record is really
phenomenal, and he has what for want of a better word I must call a cult
following. This may be because his therapy encourages his patients to find
solace in God, though not necessarily in any formal religion. His personality is
disturbingly intense, and he speaks very well indeed to any size of audience.
But my main reason for picking this man as a definite first — I venture to say,
only — choice is his astonishing charisma. You said you wanted it. Well, he's
got it.'
This speech was greeted with stunned
silence. Dr Moshe Chasen had produced the wrong name.
Dr Carriol sat looking at Dr Chasen so
intently that he put his chin up and refused to switch his gaze away from her
eyes.
'Ishall voice my own objection
first,' she said at 57
last, in a level, unemotional tone. 'I
have never heard of the term "millennial neurosis." And I have never heard of Dr
Joshua Christian.' Outside of her position as head of Section Four in the
Department of the Environment, Dr Judith Carriol was one of the country's
leading psychologists.
'Valid, ma'am. Dr Christian has never
published or given a single paper after his doctoral thesis, which — I've read
it, of course, and had it read by experts in his field — almost completely
consisted of a mass of experimental data presented as graphs, tables and the
like, with the shortest, baldest written text I have ever seen. But the work —
on the feedback in anxiety neurosis — was so brilliant and original it has
become the standard reference and the jumping-off spot for all investigation in
this field.'
'All right, outside my expertise area,
but I ought to have heard of him, and I haven't,' said Dr Carriol.
'That doesn't surprise me. He seems to
have no ambition to be famous, he just seems to want to conduct his little
clinic in Holloman. Among his peers he is either an object of contempt or an
object of amusement, and yet the man does very good work.'
'Why doesn't he write?' asked Dr
Hemingway.
'Apparently he suffers from writer's
block.'
'To the degree that he can't even produce
a paper? In this day and age, with all the modern tools available to a
nonwriter?' Dr Hemingway sounded incredulous.
'Yes.'
'Then he's very seriously flawed,' said
Dr Abraham.
'Where does it say in the parameters
Millie so succinctly itemized that a man has to be perfect outside of his
marriage and his children? Are you inferring brain damage, Sam'
'Well, it's a possibility,' said Dr
Abraham defensively.
'Oh, come on! Don't be so goddam
precious!'
'Gentlemen, gentlemen!' said Dr Carriol
sharply. She plucked the photograph out of the
file she had opened but not even glanced into, so attentively had she listened
while Dr Chasen described his bombshell first choice. And she studied the
picture now as if it could offer her some clue as to why Moshe Chasen had
preferred this man to the man he should have preferred. Yes, it was an
attractive face. Half starved looking, though. Not a bit handsome, with that
scimitar of a nose — the Armenian showing, maybe? Dark, very brilliant and
arresting eyes. And the face had an ascetic austerity every face so far had
lacked. Yes, an intriguing face. But… She shrugged.
'And who is your second choice, Dr
Chasen?' she asked.
Dr Chasen grinned wickedly. 'I can hear
you all asking yourselves, Which made the booboo, my computer or me? Relax!
There's nothing wrong with my computer. It put him in my sample. Senator David
Sims Hillier VII. What more can I say? Need I say more?'
The moment Dr Chasen uttered the name,
there was a huge collective sigh. The golden boy! There he was in an
eight-by-ten colour print under Dr Carriol's eyes; the most liked, the most
admired, the most
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