"Bach, Buxtehude, Stanley, Widor, Vierne, Dubois, Alain, Dupre--" Dr. Berger recited.
"Handel, Balbastre, Messiaen, Pachelbel, Scheidt--" Dr. von Rohr interrupted.
"And anything to do with Christmas, or Easter--any hymn," Dr. Huber added; she was glaring at her pager, as if daring it to go off.
"Music is a trigger? Or even the names of certain composers?" Jack asked.
"Music and the names of certain composers," Dr. Krauer-Poppe answered.
"And when he plays the piano, or the organ?" Jack asked.
"Ah, well . . ." Professor Ritter said.
"When the pain starts--" Dr. Krauer-Poppe began.
"When his fingers cramp--" Dr. Huber interjected.
"When he makes mistakes," Dr. von Rohr said, with what sounded like finality--at least in her mind. With almost everything she said, Dr. von Rohr spoke with the emphasis and certainty of a concluding remark--this in tandem with the way, as a tall person, she was always looking down at others. Dr. von Rohr seemed no less tall sitting down. (When he'd shaken her hand, Jack had observed that he came up to her shoulder.)
"Yes, mistakes are triggers," Professor Ritter worriedly agreed.
"William's meticulousness, once again," Dr. Berger pointed out.
"And, albeit only occasionally, when he sees your movies," Dr. von Rohr said, looking at Jack.
"Particular lines of dialogue, mainly," Professor Ritter said.
"But for the most part, the movies help him!" Dr. Krauer-Poppe insisted.
"But other times--" Dr. von Rohr started to say.
"Ah, well . . ." Professor Ritter said. "I think Jack should see his father, hear him play, talk to him--"
"In what order?" Dr. Berger asked, perhaps sarcastically; Jack couldn't tell.
Dr. Huber's pager beeped again; she got up from the table and went to the phone by the door. Dr. Krauer-Poppe covered her face with her hands.
"Maybe we should tell Jack a little bit about William's schedule?" Professor Ritter asked.
"Talk about meticulousness!" Dr. Horvath cried.
"Your father likes to know in advance what he's doing every day," Dr. von Rohr explained.
"Every hour!" Dr. Horvath shouted.
"Just tell him the schedule," Dr. Krauer-Poppe said. "Maybe it will help."
"Huber hier," Dr. Huber was saying into the phone by the door. "Ich komme sofort." ("I'm coming right away.") She came back to the table. "An emergency," she told Jack, shaking his hand. "Noch ein Notfall." ("Another emergency.") Jack had stood up to shake her hand; all the others s
tood up, too.
The team and Jack, minus Dr. Huber, prepared to leave the conference room. (Dr. Huber had left in a flash.)
"Wake up, hot wax, ice water, breakfast--" Dr. Horvath was saying as they marched down the stairs. Jack realized that the recitation of his dad's schedule had begun.
"Finger exercises in the exercise hall, immediately after breakfast," Dr. Berger explained.
"Finger exercises?" Jack asked.