perstoriesofwhichhadnotbeenfinished．SuchhighapartmeillheSouthatthetimeandshelovedtogouptotherooftopandpy．Oneday,pyingoopoftheunfinishedbuilding，shesaacebetweenthebalies,whichseemedfrletobenarrowenoughtojumpeasilyover．Sherantowardsit,intendingtodojustthat．Whealmosttotheedge，shefoundthatitwasactuallyafourtofivemeterwideopening!Shestoppedaghast,heartpounding,bodystillswayingfromtherunandimmediatelysquatteddowntokeepherselffromfalling．Ifshehadn’tstoppedintime,shewouldhavefallenfromtheheightoftenstoriestid．Thistraumaticexperieenrecurredinhermind,causingfearandtension,whichshefeltwasharmfultoherbothmentallyandphysically．So,whehathappened,shewouldvisualizeherselfasafeather,flitteringandfallingharmlesslytotheground．EvenifshehadfallenfromtheEmpireStateBuildinginNewYork,thendingwouldhavebeenassoftasastolenkiss．Thinkingso,thetensionlooseally.Hermusclesrexedtotheirfullestcapacityandherbodybecameaslimpasaballofcotton．Shereedparalyzedonthesofa．Thebrainwasiheoddestandmostamazinganofthebody．Man’sthoughtsareabstravisibleandintangible,buttheyundeniablyexistandworkjustastheansdo．Man’sthoughtsworkjustaslungsbreatheandstomachsdigest．Theimageofthesnakecamebackagain．Shedidn’tknowwhythatpathetinedbodyswingingonthebranthecoldwindwassohauntingtohermind．ApooltableappearedandJoshuaseemedtobepying,designingeachshotatanaogetthemostballsintothepocket...

    Suddenly,Novelseemedtofeeltheghostofhertehusbandwanderingalloverthehouse．Theluxuriousantiquemansionimposedonhersuchasenseofsuffogdepressionthatshefeltaoescape．Steppingontothedriveway,shesawhernannyMarshawhoaskedinsurprise,

    "Whereareyougoing,honey?"

    "I’mgettingboredwithnothingtodo．I’mgoingtovisitmycousinElina.”Jamazhadjustwashedandwaxedthecar．Heopehedoorforhersolicitouslyandthelycloseditafterherwhenshehadgotin．Asshedroveaway,shelookedattherearviewmirrorandsawthetwoofthemwhisperingsurreptitiouslytogether,butshedidnotpayatentiontothem．

    "Wemustactfast．Elinaisnotonlyaor,butashrewdwomanaswell．You’dbettermakeamovetonight.”

    5

    “Iwaodothatyesterday．Youtoldmetowait.”Thesetwospiratorswereliketwoair-filledballoons：Jamazwasfullofprimitivelust,whileMarshawasfilledwithgreedandrapacity．Theblueskiesseemedtotihobscuremusic,butwheeently,itwasgohereremainedonlythesoundofpingagainsttheshoreaanthubbubofthecity．Dr.Gelbart,herslenderfigureshownofftoitsbestadvantageincasual，tight-fittingbcksweaterandpants，waswanderingbytheseaside，hergoldenhairflowinginthebreeze．Oh,weshouldn’tbecallingherDr.Gelbartsincesheisnowdivorcedfromherhusband,Mr.Gelbart,orratherMissGelbartnow，tobemoreprecise．SoperhapsitwouldbebetterifwejustcalledherElina．Shewenttothehospitalearlyasusual,onlytofinditwasthefirstdayofhervacation．Shehadfottenalboutit．

    "What’sthematterwithme?"shethoughtirritatedly．"I’msoabsent-mindedandoutofitallthatIdon’tknowwhat’sgoingonanymore．Takestnight,forexample．DidIordidn’tImakelovetoDimitri?IthinkIdid，butI’tbesureevenofthat．Isn’tthatthelimit?"HerthoughtsturoDimitri．Whatastrangemanhewas．Shecouldtakeaspectroscopeandlookint

perstoriesofwhichhadnotbeenfinished．SuchhighapartmeillheSouthatthetimeandshelovedtogouptotherooftopandpy．Oneday,pyingoopoftheunfinishedbuilding，shesaacebetweenthebalies,whichseemedfrletobenarrowenoughtojumpeasilyover．Sherantowardsit,intendingtodojustthat．Whealmosttotheedge，shefoundthatitwasactuallyafourtofivemeterwideopening!Shestoppedaghast,heartpounding,bodystillswayingfromtherunandimmediatelysquatteddowntokeepherselffromfalling．Ifshehadn’tstoppedintime,shewouldhavefallenfromtheheightoftenstoriestid．Thistraumaticexperieenrecurredinhermind,causingfearandtension,whichshefeltwasharmfultoherbothmentallyandphysically．So,whehathappened,shewouldvisualizeherselfasafeather,flitteringandfallingharmlesslytotheground．EvenifshehadfallenfromtheEmpireStateBuildinginNewYork,thendingwouldhavebeenassoftasastolenkiss．Thinkingso,thetensionlooseally.Hermusclesrexedtotheirfullestcapacityandherbodybecameaslimpasaballofcotton．Shereedparalyzedonthesofa．Thebrainwasiheoddestandmostamazinganofthebody．Man’sthoughtsareabstravisibleandintangible,buttheyundeniablyexistandworkjustastheansdo．Man’sthoughtsworkjustaslungsbreatheandstomachsdigest．Theimageofthesnakecamebackagain．Shedidn’tknowwhythatpathetinedbodyswingingonthebranthecoldwindwassohauntingtohermind．ApooltableappearedandJoshuaseemedtobepying,designingeachshotatanaogetthemostballsintothepocket...

    Suddenly,Novelseemedtofeeltheghostofhertehusbandwanderingalloverthehouse．Theluxuriousantiquemansionimposedonhersuchasenseofsuffogdepressionthatshefeltaoescape．Steppingontothedriveway,shesawhernannyMarshawhoaskedinsurprise,

    "Whereareyougoing,honey?"

    "I’mgettingboredwithnothingtodo．I’mgoingtovisitmycousinElina.”Jamazhadjustwashedandwaxedthecar．Heopehedoorforhersolicitouslyandthelycloseditafterherwhenshehadgotin．Asshedroveaway,shelookedattherearviewmirrorandsawthetwoofthemwhisperingsurreptitiouslytogether,butshedidnotpayatentiontothem．

    "Wemustactfast．Elinaisnotonlyaor,butashrewdwomanaswell．You’dbettermakeamovetonight.”

    5

    “Iwaodothatyesterday．Youtoldmetowait.”Thesetwospiratorswereliketwoair-filledballoons：Jamazwasfullofprimitivelust,whileMarshawasfilledwithgreedandrapacity．Theblueskiesseemedtotihobscuremusic,butwheeently,itwasgohereremainedonlythesoundofpingagainsttheshoreaanthubbubofthecity．Dr.Gelbart,herslenderfigureshownofftoitsbestadvantageincasual，tight-fittingbcksweaterandpants，waswanderingbytheseaside，hergoldenhairflowinginthebreeze．Oh,weshouldn’tbecallingherDr.Gelbartsincesheisnowdivorcedfromherhusband,Mr.Gelbart,orratherMissGelbartnow，tobemoreprecise．SoperhapsitwouldbebetterifwejustcalledherElina．Shewenttothehospitalearlyasusual,onlytofinditwasthefirstdayofhervacation．Shehadfottenalboutit．

    "What’sthematterwithme?"shethoughtirritatedly．"I’msoabsent-mindedandoutofitallthatIdon’tknowwhat’sgoingonanymore．Takestnight,forexample．DidIordidn’tImakelovetoDimitri?IthinkIdid，butI’tbesureevenofthat．Isn’tthatthelimit?"HerthoughtsturoDimitri．Whatastrangemanhewas．Shecouldtakeaspectroscopeandlookint