Hair.'
`But, Luke,' interrupted Dr. Mann. `You must have realized the incred -'
'Steady, Dr. Mann,' said Inspector Putt. `I'll handle this.'
He came and stood directly in front of Dr. Rhinehart, his tall, slender body leaning forward, his sharp gray eyes falling
coldly on his suspect. `After you decided to help Cannon and others to leave the hospital, what did you do?'
`I forged Dr. Mann's signature on letters to me and to several others and proceeded to effect the temporary release of
the patients.'
`You admit this?'
`Of course I admit this. The patients wanted to see Hair.'
`But,' but said Dr. Mann.
`Steady, sir,' interrupted the inspector. `If I understand your position now correctly, Dr. Rhinehart, you are now
confessing that you did, in fact, forge Dr. Mann's signature, and on your own initiative obtain the release to go to
Manhattan of thirty seven mental patients.'
`Thirty-eight. Absolutely. To see Hair.'
`Why did you lie to us before?'
'The Die told me to.'
'The…'
The inspector stopped and stared at Dr. Rhinehart. 'The die . . . .yes. Please describe your motivation in taking the
patients to Hair.'
'The Die told me to.'
`And why did you cover up your trail by forging Dr. Mann's signature and pretending to try to see Dr. Mann?'
'The Die told me to.'
`Your subsequent lying was 'The Die told me to.'
`And now you say-'
'The Die told me to.'
There was a very long silence, during which the inspector stared neutrally at the wall above Dr. Rhinehart's head.
`Dr. Mann, sir, perhaps you could explain to me precisely what Dr. Rhinehart means: `He means,' said Dr. Mann in a
small, tired voice, `that the dice told him to.'
`A cast of the dice?'
'The dice.'
`Told him to?'
`Told him to.'
`And thus,' said Dr. Rhinehart, `I had no intention of permitting any patients to escape. I plead guilty to forging Dr.
Mann's signature on trivial letters which, as I understand it, is of misdemeanor, and to showing poor judgment in the handling of mental patients, which, since it is universally practiced by everyone else associated with mental hospitals, is nowhere considered a crime of any sort.'
Inspector Putt looked down on Dr. Rhinehart with a cold smile.
`How do we know that you did not agree to help Cannon and Jones and their followers escape?'
'I will give my statements and, when you get close enough to talk to him again, you will have Mr. Cannon's statements,
which, however, will be inadmissible as evidence no matter what he says.'
`Thanks a lot,' the inspector said ironically.
`Does it not occur to you, Inspector, that in telling you that I forged Dr. Mann's signature, I may be lying because the
Die has told me to?'
'What-'
`That in fact my original statements of innocence may be the true ones?'
`What? What are you suggesting?'
`Simply that yesterday when I heard that you wished to question me again, I created three options for the Die to
choose from: that I tell you I had nothing to do with the order to go to Hair; that I tell you that I initiated the excursion
and forged the orders; and thirdly, that I tell you I conspired with Eric Cannon to help him escape. The Die chose the
second. But which is the truth seems to me to be still an open question.'
`But, but.'