come, at once!” He came; and he whispers, his italic tongue dancing, truthfully: Yes, yes. Indeed, if life is meaningless, why do you not— —just die? I do not know. Half curious. Half—scared. You can, simply, jump off the balcony —and it would not make any difference. I pause— Verily. Verily. No, no No, it’s not the pain — what is pain but sensations? Right — what —comes to mind? Yes, it struck it struck—