Latest / The Scorpion by Anna Elisabet Weirauch. / 18 - The Scorpion.

Transcript

18 - The Scorpion. · The Scorpion by Anna Elisabet Weirauch.

0:00
Speaker 1: Gwen and Myra were sitting in a compartment of the
0:02
Speaker 1: moving train. Two elderly ladies, black, stiff, and erect, were
0:07
Speaker 1: sitting opposite, watching them sharply. From time to time, Fred
0:11
Speaker 1: would come through the aisle and make faces, with the
0:14
Speaker 1: desired result that Gwen nearly died laughing. But if she
0:18
Speaker 1: controlled herself with an effort, she did everything in her
0:21
Speaker 1: power to make Myra laugh. Such shamelessness, she said with
0:26
Speaker 1: pretended indignation. Just see how that fellow stares in here
0:30
Speaker 1: every time he passes. Next time I'm going to report
0:34
Speaker 1: him to the conductor. With an offended mien, she pushed
0:37
Speaker 1: her traveling cap on tighter in order to lean back
0:40
Speaker 1: and cross her legs. But Myra was not to be
0:43
Speaker 1: made to laugh by any such antic. Oh, don't imagine
0:47
Speaker 1: that he stares in here because he likes your appearance,
0:50
Speaker 1: she said quietly. He is either a criminal or a
0:54
Speaker 1: detective looking for a criminal. You can see that at
0:58
Speaker 1: a glance. Good heavens no. Gwen continued the game in
1:02
Speaker 1: the highest spirits. Don't frighten the wits out of me.
1:06
Speaker 1: I read such a horrible story the other day. About
1:09
Speaker 1: a hardened criminal who was traveling in women's clothes. Of
1:13
Speaker 1: course he was smooth shaven. But he had such a
1:16
Speaker 1: heavy growth of beard that he had to shave twice
1:18
Speaker 1: a day. She spoke in a low voice. Though just
1:22
Speaker 1: loud enough so that attentive ears could catch every word.
1:25
Speaker 1: With that her glance strayed with intentional carelessness over the
1:29
Speaker 1: rather downy face of the lady sitting opposite. Just imagine
1:33
Speaker 1: he was alone in the compartment with a young woman
1:35
Speaker 1: on a long journey and she saw of course at
1:38
Speaker 1: first she thought she must be mistaken. But she saw
1:41
Speaker 1: more and more distinctly that the face of the lady
1:43
Speaker 1: sitting opposite was gradually becoming covered with a growth of stubble.
1:48
Speaker 1: It must have been terrible. I think I'd have died
1:50
Speaker 1: of shock. As it was I made a resolution never
1:54
Speaker 1: to travel alone. That's why I begged you so hard
1:57
Speaker 1: to come with me today. I was glad to do it,
2:00
Speaker 1: Myra assumed a worried expression. If only Emma will take
2:04
Speaker 1: good care of the children. Bubby was coughing so hard
2:07
Speaker 1: again this morning. This was too much even for Gwen.
2:11
Speaker 1: For a moment she stared at Myra's immobile, serious face.
2:15
Speaker 1: Then she burst out laughing, covering her mouth with her
2:18
Speaker 1: handkerchief and coughing in spasms. When at last they got
2:22
Speaker 1: off the train, they stood on the platform doubled up
2:24
Speaker 1: with laughter. Myra stared after the departing coaches. She had
2:29
Speaker 1: not been mistaken. A black-gloved hand rubbed the window clean,
2:34
Speaker 1: and a pointed nose was poked against it. An attentive
2:37
Speaker 1: glance followed her. Gwen raised her hand to wave farewell,
2:41
Speaker 1: but Myra held her arm. Don't, Gwen tried to tear
2:45
Speaker 1: her arm away. What do I care for the old witches? Goodbye,
2:50
Speaker 1: dear train, run along or run off the track. No,
2:53
Speaker 1: better not do that. There may be some nice people
2:56
Speaker 1: on you. Come, said Myra. Fred is standing here closing
3:00
Speaker 1: and buckling his traveling bag, just in order not to
3:03
Speaker 1: attract attention like a real detective. But we agreed that
3:07
Speaker 1: we should leave the station first. Cool me. He's looking
3:11
Speaker 1: quite desperately in our direction. They pass through the gates
3:15
Speaker 1: and the waiting room out onto the street. which lay
3:18
Speaker 1: in a glare of sunlight. Five minutes later, Fred approached
3:22
Speaker 1: and tipped his hat. If I may make a suggestion
3:25
Speaker 1: to you ladies, said Fred, we will get my traveling
3:28
Speaker 1: bag from the station now, and armed with that, you
3:31
Speaker 1: can seek accommodations at a hotel. Ladies without luggage, that
3:35
Speaker 1: would never do. And you can't tell every chambermaid and
3:39
Speaker 1: waiter the story about the lost last train. And you,
3:42
Speaker 1: asked Gwen, I'll borrow some kind of a suitcase from
3:46
Speaker 1: an acquaintance. We can provide ourselves with the most essential
3:50
Speaker 1: requisites for spending the night here on our way to
3:52
Speaker 1: the station. Then you can pack them in my bag
3:55
Speaker 1: and betake yourselves to the emperor. In the meantime, I'll
3:59
Speaker 1: look up my friend, Schmid, and borrow a suitcase with
4:02
Speaker 1: which to inspire confidence. In half an hour I'll come
4:06
Speaker 1: to the hotel, go to the dining room, and be
4:09
Speaker 1: insanely astonished to find you there. Agreed. Splendid. Gwen was
4:14
Speaker 1: again dancing for joy. Stop. Stop. Stop. No pirouettes and
4:20
Speaker 1: toe dancing, if you please. I beseech you, Miss Myra,
4:24
Speaker 1: watch out for the child, she's going to queer us
4:26
Speaker 1: in the hotel and all over town. I don't know
4:29
Speaker 1: whether I dare leave you alone with her for half
4:32
Speaker 1: an hour. It is only your presence that makes her
4:35
Speaker 1: so exuberant, Myra assured him. When she is alone with me,
4:39
Speaker 1: she is perfectly rational. Indeed. There was an odd twitch
4:44
Speaker 1: at the corners of Fred's lips. His short sharp glance
4:47
Speaker 1: flew from Myra's face to Gwen's. The early twilight had
4:51
Speaker 1: already fallen. Gwen drew the yellow curtains over the windows
4:55
Speaker 1: and turned on all the electric lights. The chandelier, the
4:58
Speaker 1: lamp on the night table, the bulb over the wash
5:01
Speaker 1: basin and the commode, so that the big hotel room
5:04
Speaker 1: was bathed in light. That's how I like it. She
5:07
Speaker 1: drew herself up like a purring kitten. I must have
5:11
Speaker 1: light and warmth. She tried the register under the window.
5:15
Speaker 1: A scorching heat poured out. It's beautiful. Like that. I
5:20
Speaker 1: detest a cold bedroom. At home the heat is always
5:23
Speaker 1: partially turned off because mama thinks it's unhealthy to sleep
5:26
Speaker 1: in a warm room. When I'm married, my bedroom will
5:29
Speaker 1: have to be as hot as a hothouse so that
5:32
Speaker 1: I can sleep without a nightgown or covers. She opened
5:36
Speaker 1: Fred's bag and took out their small purchases. When that
5:39
Speaker 1: was done she rummaged on. Just see all the things
5:42
Speaker 1: he has in here. Wonderful soap, smell it, Myra. We'll
5:46
Speaker 1: just keep it here. And a mouthwash too. Shaving cream,
5:50
Speaker 1: we don't need that. My god, how many brushes. Splendid
5:54
Speaker 1: buckskin slippers. Not having any slippers with me is the
5:58
Speaker 1: most unpleasant part. I hate running around bare hotel floors
6:02
Speaker 1: in my bare feet. I must see what kind of
6:05
Speaker 1: pajamas he has. Violet and white. Very pretty. Do you
6:09
Speaker 1: want to wear pajamas? I think they're very uncomfortable. but
6:13
Speaker 1: they're very nice to take breakfast in in the morning.
6:17
Speaker 1: Do you know, I think they're better looking on homely
6:19
Speaker 1: people than on pretty ones, because you don't see their
6:22
Speaker 1: necks and arms. But I'd like to wear them sometime
6:25
Speaker 1: just to see if they suit me, blue electric perhaps.
6:29
Speaker 1: And you must have strawberry ones, not frays but strawberry colored.
6:33
Speaker 1: Judging by the French-German color designations, the French really are
6:37
Speaker 1: color blind. We call frays frays-ecrasy. and are surprised that
6:41
Speaker 1: we've never seen Frey's colored strawberries. Have you never had
6:45
Speaker 1: a shop girl tell you, we haven't got that in blue,
6:48
Speaker 1: only in blue? Oh, the world is too idiotic. I
6:52
Speaker 1: have such a craving for some good alcohol. What drink
6:55
Speaker 1: do you like best? Do you want the right hand
6:58
Speaker 1: bed or the left? I suppose I'll have to do
7:01
Speaker 1: up my hair again. Shall I wear the cap? It's
7:04
Speaker 1: probably the most Leda-like looking. Are you ready? Shall we
7:08
Speaker 1: go down? How is it that your hair is always faultless?
7:12
Speaker 1: It isn't so much shorter than mine. Do I look presentable?
7:16
Speaker 1: From the rear, from the front, from all sides. All right,
7:20
Speaker 1: then give me a kiss and come. Gwen turned again
7:23
Speaker 1: on the stairs. She brandished the key of their room
7:26
Speaker 1: at Myra before dropping it into her purse. The key.
7:30
Speaker 1: I took it out of the lock. They mustn't find
7:32
Speaker 1: a gentleman's bag with shaving materials and pajamas in our room.
7:36
Speaker 1: Fred must take it away as soon as he comes.
7:40
Speaker 1: Myra was a little frightened at the big bright dining room.
7:43
Speaker 1: She had completely forgotten how to look for a table,
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Speaker 1: how to treat waiters, how to run over a wine card.
7:49
Speaker 1: It was like an examination, and the worst of it
7:52
Speaker 1: was that she could not defer the answer to these
7:55
Speaker 1: questions with a we're expecting someone. As they entered, her
7:59
Speaker 1: first glance rested on a mirror, and in that mirror
8:02
Speaker 1: she saw Fred's face. He was glancing up over the paper,
8:07
Speaker 1: which he held in both hands. His eyes, which were
8:10
Speaker 1: big and candid and of a deep luminous blue, looked
8:14
Speaker 1: a greeting at her. From his glance, from his firm
8:17
Speaker 1: bright face issued a current of repose and security. How
8:21
Speaker 1: good that he was here! How good that he was here!
8:24
Speaker 1: Presently she saw his broad shoulders and fair head in
8:28
Speaker 1: front of the mirror. Gwen began to giggle and nudge Myra.
8:32
Speaker 1: She made a motion as if she intended to rush
8:34
Speaker 1: over and frighten him by a slap on the shoulder.
8:37
Speaker 1: But Myra held her arm tightly. He has seen us,
8:42
Speaker 1: she said softly. Just walk past as if you didn't
8:45
Speaker 1: notice him. Myra heard his chair scrape behind them in
8:48
Speaker 1: his quick, long stride. They greeted one another with complete astonishment.
8:54
Speaker 1: Fred looked for a larger table. He had purposely seated
8:58
Speaker 1: himself at a small one and ordered the waiter to
9:01
Speaker 1: bring over his things. Carefully he selected a small supper
9:05
Speaker 1: and a good wine. Afterwards we will have champagne. he
9:09
Speaker 1: said when the waiter was out of earshot. Of course,
9:13
Speaker 1: with a hunch of his shoulders, I will happen on
9:16
Speaker 1: the idea when he's here. Really, my dear ladies, we
9:19
Speaker 1: must celebrate this meeting with champagne. Doesn't that sound quite credible? Very,
9:25
Speaker 1: Myra agreed with a laugh. Good heavens, the bag! Gwen
9:29
Speaker 1: put her hand to her open mouth in terror, glancing
9:33
Speaker 1: from one to the other with her big frightened child's eyes. Fred!
9:37
Speaker 1: You must take your bag out of our room. What
9:40
Speaker 1: will the maid think of us? But don't get caught,
9:43
Speaker 1: or they'll have you arrested as a thief. That would
9:46
Speaker 1: be a wonderful joke. Watch, I'll give you the key
9:50
Speaker 1: without anyone's noticing. She rummaged in her purse, which she
9:54
Speaker 1: held under the table on her lap, drew out the key,
9:57
Speaker 1: squeezing it tight in her effort to hide it in
9:59
Speaker 1: her little hand, and thrust her clenched fist under the table.
10:03
Speaker 1: Fred took the key from her, and slipping it into
10:06
Speaker 1: his trouser's pocket, leaned back laughing in his chair. Wonderful,
10:11
Speaker 1: he said, showing his firm white teeth. Now the whole
10:15
Speaker 1: room has seen you pass me the key without anyone's
10:17
Speaker 1: noticing you. Well, I don't mind. I don't feel that
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Speaker 1: I'm compromised any further. You look pretty enough. He said
10:26
Speaker 1: it rather disdainfully, with a mocking twitch at the corner
10:29
Speaker 1: of his mouth, but his lowered eyes ran over Gwen
10:32
Speaker 1: with a glance in which there was something intimately appraising,
10:36
Speaker 1: and at the same time burning and absorbing. What am
10:40
Speaker 1: I doing here? thought Myra with a sudden pang. Why
10:43
Speaker 1: must I be the witness of their affection? Simply because
10:47
Speaker 1: they want to guard their reputation? Ridiculous. They have certainly
10:51
Speaker 1: been alone together a hundred times before. They can't be
10:55
Speaker 1: afraid that something will happen that has never happened yet.
10:58
Speaker 1: These two people know one another completely and without reserves.
11:03
Speaker 1: I've been aware of it for months. How could I
11:05
Speaker 1: have forgotten it again? What am I doing here? Fred
11:09
Speaker 1: filled his glass. To good honest comradeship, he said. I'll
11:14
Speaker 1: drink to that. Myra raised her glass. Fred tried to
11:18
Speaker 1: meet her glance with serious, candid eyes. You're a born comrade,
11:23
Speaker 1: he said sincerely. Loyal, clever, reticent and daring. You know,
11:29
Speaker 1: we often visualize people in another age with different lives
11:32
Speaker 1: in other roles, so to speak. When I visualize you,
11:35
Speaker 1: it is always a thousand years ago, in the days
11:38
Speaker 1: of the knights and minzingers. Then I see you in
11:41
Speaker 1: an esquire's costume, following your chosen loved one. There are
11:46
Speaker 1: such figures in the old songs and sagas, and even
11:49
Speaker 1: in my boyhood they always stirred my emotion and admiration.
11:53
Speaker 1: A heroic maiden without personal ambition, but all for love,
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Speaker 1: enduring all hardships, sharing all dowdy deeds, chided and praised,
12:02
Speaker 1: but never receiving the wages of passion until some time
12:05
Speaker 1: in the tumult of battle she receives a blow or
12:07
Speaker 1: a thrust, and the knight himself carries his faithful esquire
12:11
Speaker 1: into the tent in his arms. Then as he peels
12:14
Speaker 1: off the boy's doublet a woman's body lies exposed. Don't
12:17
Speaker 1: you think he has talent? Teased Gwen. He should run
12:22
Speaker 1: more with poets. And what am I? Utter yourself, Mr. Weidinghoff.
12:27
Speaker 1: In what role do you prefer to visualize me? You
12:31
Speaker 1: are an unmistakable child of the twentieth century, said Fred scornfully.
12:36
Speaker 1: Silly and precocious, spoiled and childish, fond of dress and arrogant.
12:41
Speaker 1: Gwen stamped her feet on the floor and opened her
12:43
Speaker 1: mouth for an unmannerly outcry, but Fred hastened to pacify her.
12:48
Speaker 1: But sweet, he said hastily. Quite charming into the bargain, irresistible, enthralling, entrancing, enchanting.
12:56
Speaker 1: It seems so, laughed Gwen. How did I ever enchant
13:00
Speaker 1: you that you're so frightfully silly? Drink, children, I find
13:04
Speaker 1: the wine glorious and life a wonderfully beautiful affair. Myra
13:08
Speaker 1: drank to her. The wine made her nerves tingle warmly. Comrade,
13:13
Speaker 1: she thought. A beautiful, a dear word. Comrade. I would
13:17
Speaker 1: like to be that, and I can be. Comradeship. That
13:21
Speaker 1: is my strength. But nobody has ever required it of
13:25
Speaker 1: me yet. I can be a comrade to this little
13:27
Speaker 1: girl and a comrade to this man. Whether they have
13:31
Speaker 1: other relations with one another or not makes no difference
13:34
Speaker 1: to me, doesn't affect me. Strange, nobody has ever yet
13:38
Speaker 1: wanted me for a comrade. Not even Olga. And yet
13:41
Speaker 1: I feel as if a key to my inner nature
13:43
Speaker 1: has been given me in those words. I feel as
13:46
Speaker 1: if I could see into and recognize what is within me.
13:49
Speaker 1: I will always be grateful to Fred for giving me
13:52
Speaker 1: that clue. They all remained in a good mood. Sometimes
13:56
Speaker 1: Gwen laughed so wantonly that Fred or Myra had to
13:59
Speaker 1: quiet her. Sometimes there was a humorous allusion which Myra
14:03
Speaker 1: did not understand. But she was no longer hurt by it.
14:07
Speaker 1: A good comrade must be trusting and patient in all matters,
14:11
Speaker 1: must be able to overhear what he does not understand,
14:15
Speaker 1: and must be forever alert, must listen with ears peeled
14:19
Speaker 1: for a cry of need addressed to him. At the
14:21
Speaker 1: entrance to their room Fred said good night. He lingered
14:25
Speaker 1: over both their hands as he kissed them, though not
14:28
Speaker 1: a fraction of a second longer over one than over
14:31
Speaker 1: the other, but he carried Gwen's fingers to his lips
14:34
Speaker 1: and gazed piercingly into her eyes. He bowed his head
14:38
Speaker 1: low over Myra's hand. I am so restless, she complained.
14:43
Speaker 1: Can't you understand? Ah, Myra, you always act as if
14:47
Speaker 1: you were made of ice and snow. Really don't you
14:50
Speaker 1: feel the wine going through your veins and thudding up
14:52
Speaker 1: against your heart? Again and again. She struck her breast
14:57
Speaker 1: regularly with her clenched fist. And can't you feel that
15:00
Speaker 1: it's spring outside? Have you no longer any roots in
15:04
Speaker 1: the earth so that you can't feel how the sap
15:06
Speaker 1: is fermenting in you? In you, as in every tree
15:09
Speaker 1: and bush. She stopped beside the bureau and laid her
15:12
Speaker 1: arms and her forehead against the smooth wood. Sometimes I
15:16
Speaker 1: think that a poor mistreated, sawed-up, polished piece of a
15:19
Speaker 1: tree like this still has a spark of life in it.
15:22
Speaker 1: And in spring, when the great orgy is preparing, it
15:25
Speaker 1: begins to feel a pulse and twitching in its poor
15:28
Speaker 1: polished wood. Feel it. There's a throb like the soft
15:32
Speaker 1: beating of a heart in it. Then I think that
15:34
Speaker 1: the furniture is pleased with me. It feels my life
15:37
Speaker 1: frothing over, and that fulfills its desire and gives it rest, Myra.
15:42
Speaker 1: With a bound she was on the edge of the bed,
15:45
Speaker 1: and was shaking Myra by the shoulders. Are you more
15:48
Speaker 1: lifeless than that dead wood? It isn't true and I
15:51
Speaker 1: don't believe you are like that. She threw her arms
15:55
Speaker 1: around Myra, burrowing with her head among the pillows. Why
15:59
Speaker 1: don't you like me, Myra? She whispered in her ear.
16:03
Speaker 1: Tell me, is it because you are in love with Fred?
16:06
Speaker 1: It isn't true that you've never been in love with
16:08
Speaker 1: a woman. And it isn't true that you could not
16:11
Speaker 1: love me. Love, said Myra in a toneless voice. What
16:16
Speaker 1: do you call love? Perhaps a board had creaked in
16:19
Speaker 1: the floor very softly. Myra slipped into her clothes. A
16:23
Speaker 1: put-up job, she thought. A put-up job. Her hands did
16:28
Speaker 1: not shake in spite of her frantic haste. Not until
16:31
Speaker 1: she was dressed did she cast a quick glance at Fred.
16:35
Speaker 1: The mark of her hand on his pale face burned
16:37
Speaker 1: like a fiery brand. The wide lids were quivering over
16:41
Speaker 1: his eyes. A strange feeling took possession of Myra. A
16:45
Speaker 1: furious joy. I caught him a good one. And then
16:49
Speaker 1: a dawning realization. This is the first time that I
16:52
Speaker 1: have ever touched that handsome face. That handsome face. She
16:56
Speaker 1: had never formulated it before in thought. It was as
17:00
Speaker 1: if her hands had always longed to stroke that face.
17:03
Speaker 1: An unutterable sorrow filled her heart, as if she had
17:07
Speaker 1: possessed something beautiful and precious and was first aware of
17:10
Speaker 1: it when it lay ruthlessly shattered and broken at her feet.
17:14
Speaker 1: She walked quietly to and fro in the room, collecting
17:17
Speaker 1: her things. When she had to pass Fred she walked
17:20
Speaker 1: around him. He did not look at her, but he
17:23
Speaker 1: felt it and shuddered. Gwen had crept out of her bed.
17:27
Speaker 1: She sat pink and naked on the big feather comforter.
17:30
Speaker 1: She had hunched up her shoulders and was playing rather
17:33
Speaker 1: embarrassingly with her toes. The door to the adjoining room
17:37
Speaker 1: stood open. It was the door through which Fred had entered.
17:41
Speaker 1: A put-up job, thought Myra. A put-up job. She went
17:45
Speaker 1: with her hat and coat on to that door. With
17:48
Speaker 1: her hand on the latch, she stopped. I am going
17:51
Speaker 1: into the next room, she said quietly. I have no
17:55
Speaker 1: desire to leave the hotel in the middle of the night.
17:58
Speaker 1: I will go at seven and leave the door into
18:00
Speaker 1: the hall open. Fred turned. Miss Rudloff, he said hoarsely.
18:07
Speaker 1: Miss Rudloff. His two dark eyes and his pale face
18:11
Speaker 1: were like two open wounds. Myra closed the door behind
18:14
Speaker 1: her and threw the bolt with a creak. She did
18:17
Speaker 1: not turn on the light. She knew, she sensed, there
18:20
Speaker 1: were things everywhere, strange things, his things. After quite a
18:24
Speaker 1: long while she heard voices from the adjoining room. high
18:28
Speaker 1: and low, muffled and suppressed, but audible. Dear God, what
18:32
Speaker 1: won't I have to hear? She thought. Dear God, give
18:36
Speaker 1: me strength, give me strength. Let me die if you can,
18:40
Speaker 1: but don't let me go insane so that I will
18:42
Speaker 1: do something, something perfectly terrible. But the worst thing was
18:46
Speaker 1: the odor in the room, the smell of cigarettes, the
18:49
Speaker 1: delicate scent of Russian leather, of soap, of vinegar. Myra
18:54
Speaker 1: threw the window wide open and moved a chair up
18:56
Speaker 1: to it. The night was cold. Myra trembled no matter
19:00
Speaker 1: how snugly she wrapped herself in her coat. She thought
19:04
Speaker 1: of the city which she would leave. Where would she
19:06
Speaker 1: go now, whither? Should she let herself be driven on, homeless, restless,
19:12
Speaker 1: the quarry of passionate desire? Or die? Yes, if she
19:17
Speaker 1: could but have believed in sleep. But stronger at this
19:20
Speaker 1: moment than ever before she felt undeniably, inviolably, that there
19:25
Speaker 1: was in her something indestructible. She was quite humble before
19:29
Speaker 1: that which she felt within her, with the humility of
19:32
Speaker 1: a mother who feels a strange life stir in her womb.
19:35
Speaker 1: My poor soul, she said softly, what have I done
19:39
Speaker 1: to you? Why have I never thought of taking care
19:42
Speaker 1: of and helping you? Why did I always want to
19:44
Speaker 1: set you wandering in the cold space between the stars?
19:48
Speaker 1: Poor soul, why do I have you? if you merely
19:51
Speaker 1: suffer on my account and I on yours? Sometime I
19:54
Speaker 1: shall know, sometime I shall learn all. I would not
19:57
Speaker 1: like to die, no, I would not like to die
19:59
Speaker 1: before I know why I have lived. The memory of
20:02
Speaker 1: Icarus crossed her mind. No one ought to die before
20:06
Speaker 1: he has learned to love death. No, I do not
20:09
Speaker 1: love death. I do not fear him, but I do
20:12
Speaker 1: not love him. I will learn to love him. I
20:15
Speaker 1: will live in order to learn to love death. Perhaps
20:18
Speaker 1: that is why we have to live. And perhaps that
20:21
Speaker 1: is why we have to suffer. The voices in the
20:24
Speaker 1: next room hushed. The strange familiar odor had disappeared from
20:28
Speaker 1: the room. In the sky the stars were paling before
20:32
Speaker 1: the first feeble light of a dawning March morning. The end.