The Last Gentleman

settling the stems onto his healthy temples.
    â€œIt would help if we had some indication from the patient or at least from the immediate family. Otherwise I don’t want to intrude. In fact, I would say it is a ‘must.’”
    â€œYes sir.” Unhinged as he was, the engineer was still sentient. He perceived that the priest had a certain style of talking which he no doubt shared with other priests. It was a good bet that quite a few priests liked to say such things as “It is a ‘must’” or perhaps “Now that is the sixty-four-dollar question.”
    â€œSir, could we go in and speak to the patient’s brother?”
    â€œWell, let’s see what we shall see.”
    The resident had left. Sutter was leaning against the window in Jamie’s room, his foot propped on the radiator.
    â€œDr. Vaught,” said the engineer, handing the priest along ahead of him—the goods to be delivered at last. “This is Father—”
    â€œBoomer,” said the priest.
    â€œFather Boomer,” said Sutter, shaking hands but not taking his foot from the radiator.
    After a glance at Jamie—the youth’s head had fallen to the side and his eyes were closed—the engineer told Sutter: “Val asked me to call Father Boomer.”
    â€œYou spoke to Val just now?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œWhat did she say?”
    â€œShe’s flying out.”
    â€œYou called because I asked you?”
    â€œJamie also asked me.”
    Sutter put both feet on the floor and gave him an odd look. “You say Jimmy asked you?”
    â€œHe asked me to call Val about a book she promised him. That was earlier.”
    Sutter sank into thought. There was time for another look at Jamie. The bed had been freshly made, the seersucker counterpane drawn tightly across the youth’s bony chest. It seemed to the engineer that Jamie’s nose had grown sharper and that his skin clove closer to his cheekbones.
    â€œHe’s developed a spruelike diarrhea and lost some fluid,” said Sutter from the radiator. Was this an explanation? Sutter turned to the priest. “I refused to allow intravenous fluid, Father,” he said in what struck the engineer as a challenging tone. “Even though it might prolong his life a few days. What do you think of that?”
    â€œNo objection,” said the priest, scratching his fist absently. “Unless he is unconscious and you want him conscious for some reason.”
    Sutter’s eye gleamed and he lifted an eyebrow toward the engineer. How about this fellow? Sutter asked him. But the engineer frowned and turned away. He wanted no humbug with Sutter.
    â€œOf course, whether he is unconscious or not, I’ll be glad to baptize him conditionally,” said the priest, settling the glasses with the bracket of his hand.
    â€œConditionally, Father,” said Sutter with a lively expression.
    The priest shrugged. “I have no way of knowing whether he’s been baptized before.”
    â€œIs that what the canon prescribes, Father?” Sutter’s eyes roamed the ceiling.
    â€œI think, Father—” began the engineer sternly. He would have no part of Sutter’s horsing around. At the same moment he glanced at Sutter’s coat pocket: it still held the pistol.
    â€œThis young man asked me to come in here,” said the priest
    â€œThat’s right,” said the engineer sternly.
    â€˜Therefore I should like to ask you, sir,” said the priest straight to Sutter, “whether you concur in your sister’s desire that I administer the sacrament of baptism to the patient. If you do not, then I shall be going about my business.”
    â€œYes,” said the engineer, nodding vigorously. He thought the priest expressed it very well in his umpire’s way, taking no guff from Sutter.
    â€œBy all means stay, Father,” said Sutter somewhat elaborately.
    â€œWell?” The priest waited.
    â€œWhy don’t you ask him yourself, Father.” Sutter nodded to the bed behind the other two.
    They turned. Jamie was getting out of bed! One hand had folded back the covers quite cogently, and the left knee had started across right leg, his eyes open and bulging slightly with seriousness of intent.
    Later Sutter told the engineer that, contrary to popular notions, dying men often carry out complex actions in the last moments of life. One patient he recalled who was dying