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don’t we break for lunch?” Wilson interrupted before John could reply.
                  John was amused at Wilson’s interruption. They had obviously agreed not to antagonize him as long as he was cooperating. Kowalski forgot and Wilson reminded him.
                  Kowalski and Wilson started a desultory conversation about sports. John realized he didn’t have the slightest interest in sports, and participated only when directly addressed. They went from the Rave ns to the Redskins to the National s and were now on the Capitols when John interrupted.
                  “After we finish eating, let me show you the writing.”
                  “You write the language!” Kowalski was mildly interested in sports, but this got him excited.
                  They spent the afternoon on Vigintees .  At the prodding of Kowalski, John gave an extensive vocabulary and recorded the translation of hundreds of words and phrases. The linguist asked John if he knew any words in Vigintees that he didn’t know in English. John said, “ Lacrasices .”
                  “What does it mean?”
                  “It’s a chemical. A drug.”
                  “What is it used for?”
                  “Schizophrenia.”
                  “Any other words you don’t know in English?”
                  “I can’t think of any.” After John said it, other words came to mind. Schizophrenia didn’t have a single name in Vigintees ; it had four names. He was pretty certain that it wasn’t ignorance of English that made him not know the translations. He decided not to correct his original statement.
                  At one point, someone came in with a list of phrases for John to translate, and he was amused at the change of direction. Kowalski wanted to know the language, but someone clearly wanted to know how to speak in a hostile situation. “Drop yo ur weapons” and “Hands up” weren’ t part of normal conversation.
                  John was concerned that Linda and Tom would worry about his continued absence, his emotional ties overcoming his total loss of any memory. When he took out his cell phone to call Linda, Wilson put his hand over John’s phone. When John looked at Wilson, he shook his head. 
                  John pushed the phone aside, wanting to call, feeling he should obey Wilson. When Wilson said, “No calls,” John relaxed, content to obey, knowing he had the strength to resist. Wilson spoke with authority in a melodic baritone, but the voice spoiled it. John realized he was used to obeying gestures, which puzzled him.
                  “Linda and Tom will worry,” John said, knowing Wilson knew this, and wanted to test his goodwill.
                  “I’ll have them called,” Wilson said. While John put away the phone, he was tempted to comment that a call from a stranger would hardly be reassuring. He felt he learned something important about himself when he obeyed gestures more naturally than words, but he had no idea what it meant.
                  The linguist left and John was left alone with Wilson. “Where do these Vigintees live?”
                  “I don’t know.”
                  “How do you know the language?”
                  “I don’t know,” John repeated.
                  “Can you tell us anything about the technology they used to pull a passenger off a flight in mid-air?”
                  “No.”
                  “Where did you learn Vigintees ?”
                  “I don’t remember. I have amnesia.”
                  “Yeah. Sure,” Wilson said with palpable disbelief. The questions continued.
                  A second man came in and both men started yelling at