The Caller Page #2

I called it. She has the same last name.

Do you want me to keep working for you?

Yes, but I need a lot more.

Can you make contact with him?

You know, say you're someone else

and gain his confidence.

Do you think that's possible?

Well, I said I was only an eye

At these prices, I think I can ask

for you to expand your job description

a little don't you think, Frank?

Yes Sir, Mr. Doe.

I'll talk to you later

Excuse me. Hello?

This is my usual bench.

Do you mind if I sit here?

No.

That's -

-What are the chances?

-Odd, isn't it?

-Enjoying it?

-I'm fascinated by it

I think it'll be very helpful to me.

-In what way?

-Well, because I like to study birds...

Hello?

Frank, I hope you really have

something of value for me this time

He invited me to dinner.

And he called me "old friend."

-What did he talk about?

-A lot of things.

I made him think I was a birdwatcher,

so he starts talking about birdwatchers.

He says the best ones use their

ears as much as their eyes.

And you should do the same thing

when you try to practice-

the art of memory. He said he

remembered being here on 9/11

not by what got repeated

ad nauseam on the TV-

but by the smell of the smoke.

You seem to have listened carefully

No, no, I'm forgetting a lot.

I told you, I'm an eye, not an ear

-Did he talk about his work?

-No

Then that's everything you've got for me?

Are you kidding?!

Didn't you hear what I said?

The guy invited me to dinner!

That's got to be the jackpot.

Okay, Frank, but don't take it

easy and get sloppy on me

Watch out

We have... very little time.

Good bye, Frank

Hi sweetheart. I'm at work.

Me too.

What kind of trouble? It's the propeller.

Yes. It's not serious,

just have Mark take a look at it.

It looks like another week.

Yeah, it's screwy, with the amount of money

this guy's paying me something's

not Kosher but I don't know

what it is yet. The client is going

to call me in five minutes.

The subject just came home.

I gotta to run. I'll call you later.

-Yeah.

-Anything new for me?

What would you say if I told you I'm looking at him right

now

through a window.

You're looking at who...?

At the Pope! Who do you think I'm looking at

-You mean to say you're-

-That's right

I've got my camera planted in a

window across from his living room

-As we speak?

-As we speak, Mr. Doe

Is there anything interesting going on, Frank?

The subject is on his couch

talking to someone on the telephone

You'd think he was looking right at me

I'm not paying you to find out

he's talking on the telephone,

that's hardly a newsflash! Can you

tell me who it is he's talking to?

Give me time. I'll find-

Basically, you don't have

anything new?! That's it?

You know Mr. Doe,

you are starting to bother me!

-I am?

-Yeah, that's right. Mr. Doe.

This is what you get for your dough, Mr. Doe,

that is, until it leads somewhere

and because you won't tell me more

I've no idea where it's leading...

so you'd better get used to it

or find yourself someone else,

are we clear?

What strikes me is watching this

guy is so dull it's interesting.

It's like I've taken acid and

I'm watching bacteria grow

on linoleum for days.

You're wrong, Frank.

You'd better try harder

I happen to know right now,

while you're looking at him,

He's arranging a murder

I met a traveler from an antique land who said:

Two vast and trunkless legs of stone...

Here it is

That's fine. Thank you.

And you can take that, too

Certainly

-It's good to see you.

-Yes

We're going to have a little fun

tonight, Frank.

You don't have anything against

having a little fun, do you?

-Not at all, in fact-

-I'm going to go have a cigarette

-Will you join me?

-I quit years ago

Good for you. Keep me company, would you?

I'm sorry, sir, I 'm afraid I can't

let you smoke that out here in front

Of course....

Would you believe it? They have

customers who are worried about

being poisoned by my cigarettes outdoors!

Fear sells.

It's so damn depressing...

And the thing that's particularly

hard on me is that I get paid

to be an optimist, but recently

I've been letting my melancholia

to show...

You know you've got a very

strange way of looking at me.

What do you mean you've been

allowing your melancholia to show?

Well first tell me what it is you

were thinking when you were observing

me like that.

Alright, I was just wondering

why someone would light a cigarette,

put it out and start all over.

-I don't know.

-You don't know? That's rich

Let's go back inside

-ls it all birds that interest you?

-Yes

But I tend to concentrate on a

particular kind of bird

for a period of time, and then on another.

What are you interested in now?

-Now?

-Yes

-Peregrine falcons.

-Why?

I don't know. Maybe because they're predators.

Predators are the fastest birds,

the most majestic.

Do you think that's true among humans,

that predators are the most majestic?

No, not from what I've seen.

Peregrine falcons are also survivors.

In New York City they were

practically extinct by the 1950s

because they digested so much DDT.

The shell of their eggs became

so fragile they'd break when the

mother tried to keep the eggs warm.

Now the Peregrine falcons are coming back.

Survivors..

Care to taste the wine now, sir?

You can leave it here.

I think we'll just let this breathe for a while.

So how does optimism pay?

My impression is that optimism pays quite well.

My job has consisted of predicting

future energy needs

for what are euphemistically known as

"developing countries."

And based on those predictions,

international financial institutions

then fund construction projects

to meet the anticipated demand.

The greaterthe anticipated

demand the largerthe amount

of construction. A wall is supposed

to exist between our research

and the companies that would

profit from distorting our estimates.

but in practice that wall does not exist.

Beautiful legs...

As a result, the countries are never

able to pay back the loans

and instead they become even more at

the mercy of international capital.

Try the wine.

-What do you think?

-About what?

-The wine.

-Oh, It's very good

They wanted me to make it all up...

but they didn't want to know

that I was making it up.

They didn't want to know what they knew.

And I didn't want to know

what I know.

What changed? Was it your memories

What hasn't changed is fear,

but I think I've found a solution

to that fear.

Even though it's a personal one.

And your bout of melancholia?

It disturbed their sleep.... perhaps that's all it did

Then why bother?

I have to make a phone call.

This may take a few minutes.

I won't be too long.

Just enjoy your wine until I get back.

The gentleman left a note foryou, sir

Sorry, I don't have time to explain.

I have to leave immediately.

Meet me tomorrow evening at the bench.

-I'm sorry about last night.

-What was that about?

It was just instinct. I felt I was in danger

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