The Tour Guide
The Tour Guide

Summary/Abstract: Never again. I’m a journalist, damn it, not a nursemaid. But I try to be a good guy, and I can’t say no. And I liked the Lavers when I first met them, so when they called I said I’d arrange the car and show them around. I’ve been in this country for about two years, supposedly reporting on recent events. I fax a story fairly often, giving them what they want, even though, honestly, there is not much happening. Mostly, I’ve managed to tour the countryside, rationalizing that I’m doing my job. I spend a lot of time in out-of-the-way spots, away from the foreigners— the diplomatic crowd, the military, the corporate scouts, the few tourists that make it here. If I say so myself, I go for honest experiences. So I sniff out down-to-earth places off the main roads. At first I thought it was an invitation, not a request. — We’d like to see those old churches you talked about, and that lake in the west. We’d really like you to join us.

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