  We report 5-43 GHz radio observations of the CRL 2136 region at 0.6-6 arcsec
resolution. We detect weak (mJy intensity) radio emission from the deeply
embedded high-mass protostar IRS 1, which has an optically thick spectrum up to
frequencies of 22 GHz, flattening at higher frequencies, which might be
explained by emission from a jet. Water maser mapping shows that the strong
emission observed redshifted relative to the systemic velocity is spatially
coincident with the optically thick continuum emission. The H2O maser emission
from this object (and others we know of) seems to have a different origin than
most of these masers, which are frequently tracing bipolar high-velocity
outflows. Instead, the CRL 2136 H2O emission arises in the close circumstellar
environment of the protostar (within 1000 AU). We speculate that most of it is
excited in the hot, dense infalling gas after the accretion shock, although
this cannot explain all the H2O emission. An accretion shock nature for the
continuum emission seems unlikely.
