He seemed satisfied with that. She opened the map and spread it on the sofa. "Our offices are in the main administration building, here, where you will work. It's just next door, only a few minutes' walk away. For now, you must consider these other buildings off limits (he saw they were marked 'E' and 'F'). Read through the pamphlet, then if you have any questions later I'll answer them. Take the next hour or two to unpack and settle into your new home and I'll check back at five. OK?"

"Uh, yea, ok," he said.

She headed for the door. "Good. soon then."

I'll see you

Chris was alone in his new home. First he poked around the rooms, checking the layout, while his bags remained heaped by the front door where he had dropped them. The place had a definite feminine air about it. In the bedroom and adjoining bath there was a profusion of white and pink lace in the curtains and bedspread and, of all things, a dressing table. The living room furniture was done in delicate floral prints of pastel yellows and greens and the white curtains were all ruffles. To his surprise, the small Kitchenette was equipped with hot plate, small ice box, and sink. It was obviously not designed to serve as a full-blown kitchen but it was already fully stocked with light breakfast and snack fixings. Finally, he hauled his meager possessions into the bedroom and stowed them in the heavy carved bureau and his toiletries in the bathroom. The few clothes he hung in the huge walk-in closet looked very lonely.

When he was unpacked it was still well before five o'clock so he decided to take a short walk before Mary returned. While he was careful to avoid the proscribed buildings, he also found himself enjoying the pure natural beauty of his

surroundings. There were great expanses of manicured lawn along with magnificent gardens, all of which caressed the senses and soothed the soul. The powerful visual and aromatic beauty of the island enchanted Chris, comforting him, slowly erasing some of the pain and misery of the past months. He loved it.

When Mary arrived she found him waiting for her on the front steps. They went into the residence hall and followed several other diners, all women, down a long hallway and through opaque stained glass doors into the dining room which occupied the entire west wing of the ground level. The low drum of voices quiet noticeably as they entered then picked up gradually, but Chris thought nothing of it at the time. Mary led him toward a cafeteria-style serving area similar to other hospitals Chris had seen, with a couple of major differences; the food looked and tasted excellent, and there was no cash register. A girl at the end of the aisle simply noted each 'customer' and made entries at a computer-type terminal. And the only reason she asked Chris for his name was because she had never seen him before. Mary just received a simple nod and the girl punched a couple of buttons on her device. There was no exchange of money. Chris determined correctly that it was some sort of accounting device that simply debited their payroll accounts. He never noticed the strangest aspect of the meal until they had chosen a table and sat down. Then he looked around curiously. He was the only male in that large noisy room! Was that the reason for the sudden silence when he had walked in? Obviously, but why? He had already noticed several strange, almost fearful looks in his direction, usually a wide-eyed stare, and whenever he made direct eye contact with any of the women they would immediately break the contact and