Weekend Read Free Page A

sat like a sphinx. It was as if he had just heard that a file clerk had stubbed her toe. “You’re crazy,” he said evenly. “Cholera went out with the Middle Ages … or at least it doesn’t happen here. It’s not an American disease.”
    “That doesn’t mean it can’t be brought in,” Bronstein explained. “You know as well as I that a lot of summer transients hired for menial labor come from employment agencies in Chinatown that send up illegal aliens. Usually they’ve been smuggled in from the Far East on cargo ships where the living conditions are anything but sanitary. Any one of them can be a carrier. We really have no time to waste.”
    “What makes you so sure that’s what it is?”
    “I’m almost positive that what I saw under the dark field microscope were cholera vibrios. I’ve seen them before when I was stationed in the Philippines. He also has all the superficial symptoms, intense diarrhea, dehydration, vomiting, pain and thirst.”
    “Go on.”
    “What complicates the matter in Tony’s case is that sunken eyes, wrinkled skin and certain other facial characteristics symptomatic of the disease are also common among elderly Asiatics. It’s possible, but doubtful, he just might have severe food poisoning or bacillary dysentery. I can’t make a positive diagnosis without a specific antiserum.”
    “What’s that?”
    “A drop of serum from a rabbit that has been immunized specifically against cholera. If he were in better shape, I’d rush him to a New York hospital by ambulance, but as things stand now, I’m afraid to risk it. And it’ll be a couple of days at least before I can get the necessary diagnostic material delivered.”
    “I presume you didn’t discuss this with anyone at the hospital.”
    “No. I had him admitted with a preliminary diagnosis of intestinal infection. I didn’t see any point in creating a turmoil until something was actually confirmed.”
    “Which it may never be.”
    “Which I hope it will never be,” Sid said. “But it’s vital you understand the significance of what I’m saying. Cholera is dangerous. It kills. And because of this there are certain precautions that should be taken. If it’s what Tony really has, an epidemic could break out at any time and God only knows how many people could be affected.”
    Jonathan calmly took out his pipe and scooped some tobacco from his leather pouch. “You’re dealing in ‘ifs’ and ‘maybes.’ I’m trained to deal in facts, the bottom line. Why don’t we wait until we have a definite diagnosis?”
    “I’m not sure we can afford to be so casual. By rights, I should have already reported my suspicions to the health authorities, but because I’m the hotel physician I thought I’d give you the courtesy of—”
    Jonathan interrupted him angrily “Let me tell you how I see it, Bronstein. We’re booked solid, capacity, the first time this year. You know how many weeks we had less than two hundred people in that place. I don’t have to describe the ugly financial situation the Congress is in. You’re not an outsider.” His face reddened as he became more excited.
    “A rumor about something like cholera could not only destroy our season, but possibly our entire future. Can you imagine anyone wanting to come up to the Congress if they heard that someone on the staff came down with a deadly communicable disease … even if it wasn’t true?”
    “It might not be a rumor.”
    “And it might not be a fact.” He shook his head. “Listen,” he continued, “you admit it could be something else. There is that possibility.”
    “Yes,” Sid said, “I think it’s remote, but there is that possibility.”
    “Then let’s take it one step at a time. There’s no point in going to the authorities until you know for sure. There’re two things you’ve got to remember. First, if you told them you thought one of our janitors had cholera and you were wrong, you’d be the laughing stock of the profession up