I didn’t even have to look at the number there on the little cell-phone screen, I just said, “Mom.” Next to me, my not-really-girlfriend, Gloria, heaved over and jammed a pillow on her head and said nasty stuff about people calling in the middle of the night. I ignored this and added, “Anything wrong?” My mother said, “No, of course not. Why do you always ask that when I call you?” “Because that’s what people do when they get a call at one A.M. You forgot about the time zones again.” “I didn’t forget. I thought soldiers always rose at dawn.” “When they’re on duty,” I said, “which I’m not. I’m at Gloria’s place. What’s up?” “I’m at Heathrow on a plane for Zurich. I’ll be gone for a couple of weeks. Could you tell your father?” “Why don’t you tell him yourself? I think they still have phone service in the District of Columbia.” “Please, Theo. If I call him we’ll get into a big argument, and I don’t need that just now.” “Because you’re going to Zurich for a few weeks?
