" Has he come to?" " No." "Want to see him?" "Will he live?" "All I can say is that he survived the operation." "You shouldn't have bothered." "I'd have called you." "Is he dead?" "No, but he's still unconscious." "It's been three days." "I wonder if it's still worth while to operate." "If he could be moved... you could start the experiment immediately." "We'll think about it." "Anyone can be kept alive like that." " Who knows?" " We do." "The experiment will kill him." "We need a healthy man." "There he is." "Do you want to talk to him now?" "I'd rather wait." " Has anyone come to see him?" " He doesn't want to see anybody." "Why not pick one of your own men for the experiment?" " You've got volunteers, right?" " Several, but we rejected them." "But why him?" "He has nothing to lose." "That's what we're looking for." "Why not pick a convict?" "Offer him a pardon." "That's not an option." "Does he have any chances of coming back?" "Impossible to predict." "It's the first time we do it with a human being." "I'd like to meet him." "I'll call you." "Wait a while." "You forgot your things in the room." "Thanks." "I won't need them." "Claude Ridder?" "That's me." "Could you spare a minute?" "Or rather, a day?" "We're not policemen." "I'm from Crespel Research Center." "Crespel?" "Never heard of it." "Nobody has." "If you have no other plans, I'd like to take you there." "Is it far?" "50 Km." "We have a car." " How's the weather?" " Sunny." "Then why not." " A taxi." " I've got it." " Want to go by your house?" " No, thanks." "Am I the man you're looking for?" "For sure." "This is no kidnapping, let's be clear about that." "You'd get no ransom, I have no family." "How's Crespel?" "It's a place that doesn't even exist yet." " Is it picturesque?" " Not really." "Are you tired?" "I've been asked that same question every hour for the last three weeks." "Are you getting better?" "Why so much interest in me?" "Can you smoke?" "Yes, I'm cured." "Cancer is my only worry." "Are you glad to have survived?" "I don't know if I survived." "We're approaching." " You don't seem to care." " I don't care either way." "What else could happen to me?" "And what about something extraordinary?" "Like in fairy tales?" "You were right, it's not picturesque." "But it's interesting." " Is this Crespel?" " Yes, this is it." "I thought Crespel was a town." "There is one three miles away, but it's not part of Crespel." "The boss will see you now." " Surprised?" " Frankly, yes." "The center has been here for 15 years." "In the region, they think we research agriculture, but we know nothing about that." "Actually, we study time." " Have you solved it?" " Partly." "And where do I come in?" "I have a question, Mr. Ridder, answer it if you like." "Please." "I suppose you had a motive for attempting suicide." "Have you changed your mind?" "Perhaps it's time to put the question again." " For who?" " For you." "No, that hasn't changed." "You'd do it again?" "I'm the perfect guinea pig, right?" "The volunteer who doesn't cling to life." "If I accept, what are my chances of surviving?" "100% if you were a mouse." "Let me show you something." "Time passing, no doubt." "I'll have to think about it." "I liked your idea of a city agency... to distribute time in the city." " I don't think it would work." " Time would break it down." "I always believed we should analyze a team of novelists... paid to lay farfetched ideas on paper." "Here are mice A and B." "Have a close look." "See any difference?" "Don't know." "Is one a female and the other a male?" "Both are males." "But B is a pioneer." ""A" has never been out of the jar." ""B" has traveled in time and lived for one minute in the past." "A hero." "When did it happen?" "Yesterday." "With no ill effects." "How can you be sure it traveled in time?" "That's the problem." "We're quite sure about it, but it's hard to talk to a mouse." "Technicians think of everything." "You should have taught it to talk first." "You'll go back exactly one year." "And it'll only last a minute, no more." "What if it kills me?" "If you accept our treatment, it won't happen." "Where were you a year ago?" "On vacation." "I had an exceptional three month vacation last year." "I was in France, at the Riviera." "Are you sure?" "My vacations define my memories." "You'll be in a sort of sphere." "At your return you'll wait four minutes for recovery" "Why four?" "I'll explain." "Somehow, we can compare it... to the compensation chamber used by divers." " Are you interested?" " Not much." "Why the past instead of the future?" "Wouldn't it be more interesting?" "I see your point." "This isn't too spectacular, but for the moment we can go no further." "That's why we start with short trips." "An experience that might not look so interesting." "No heart problems for me?" "Nothing, not even a little ulcer?" "Nothing." "You're quite healthy." "See what I mean?" "Suicide is good for your health." "I'm sure they must have mentioned that you'll have to stay here a few days." "On a diet?" "Sort of." "Just for four days." "Will I have to sign insurance release before the experiment?" "I imagine so." "If the experiment fails, you could say I died at the hospital." "No doubt." "That's clever." " Was it your first suicide?" " Yes." " With a gun?" " Yes." " I can't picture you with a firearm." " Neither can I." "That's why I missed." " You aren't afraid?" " No." "I've been afraid all my life, but not now." " Do you sleep well?" " Very well." " No headaches?" " No." "We'll see tomorrow." "We have to watch the effects of T. 5." "It doesn't seem to hurt you." " Now we just have to wait." " Three more days." "What if I stay for years in the past?" "It will last exactly 60 seconds." "We know because of the mice." "Will I wake up among pirates?" "Lie down." "We'll close the door." "You'll go back a year, but you'll be back one minute later." "Disappointed?" "A bit." "I was expecting a kind of..." "laboratory." "Something electric." "What if it fails?" "Impossible." "You'll be back on September 5, 1966 at 4 p. m." "Why 4 p. m.?" "It's our chosen hour." "We always send the mice at that time." " And they've always come back." " So now it's a habit" "I never imagined scientists would be superstitious." "Why did you pick me?" "Let's say our computer did." " Out of millions, of course." " Naturally." " Good day." " Good day." "There's nothing to worry about." "As we increase the dosage, T. 5. will make you sleepier." "I talk in my sleep." "That's also a T.S. effect." "And when you wake up?" "I feel all right." "Tomorrow, an hour before you enter the sphere... you'll get a larger dose." "You'll be drugged but perfectly lucid." "Don't worry." "The treatment has prepared you for this stage." "Can I move?" "The subject must be totally passive." "But he must be able to remember." "Awake in his sleep." " Coming?" " Later." "Two sea serpents and a few sharks." "That's about all." " Any good?" " Very good." "Did you see many fish?" "Two sea serpents and a few sharks." "That's about all." "I don't like those gadgets." "You always say that." " Any good?" " Very good." "Did you see many fish?" "Let's go out for dinner." "If you want." " Coming?" " Later." "It couldn't end otherwise." "About 4 months." "You could do other things." "How long will you be a shipping clerk?" "As long as there are things to be shipped." "I find it curious that you've developed a reputation as a good packer." "I think you could use that energy for something else." "Hold a responsible position." "I hate responsibility." "I felt the same at your age." "Let's go and have some coffee." " Do you come from a rich family?" " Rather." "At your age I had debts." " Any good?" " Very good." "Seen many fish?" "2 sea serpents and a few sharks." "We've lost him..." "It's the same every time." " What time did she come?" " At 9." "5,000 circulars by this evening, so we all have to work." "And she's done 90!" "In four hours?" "One envelope per 2 minutes." "Some performance." "It's a record." "Is she pretty?" "Who?" "The record-breaker." " In a way." " In a way?" "Send her in." "To the left." "Even your car is a problem." "Shall we stop for lunch later?" "If you like." "I don't know." "Something about Catrine bothers me." "Perhaps the fact that she doesn't care for you." " Are you moody too?" " When I have nothing to say, yes." " What did she do when you met her?" " Nothing." " And now?" " Nothing." "That's not much." "We'll stop here and get a bite." "Anyhow, he's under the effect of T. 5." " Seven minutes" " He's returned 5 times already." "I feared that transition period." "Why don't we get him out before the four minutes?" "Because he could go on like that for weeks." " We can wait." " If we wait, he'll starve to death." "It's odd to see all this from a heated train." " Was it cold?" " Very cold." "In a few minutes, we'll pass by a town I liberated." " Just you?" " Almost." "There were about 50 of us and a lot of Germans." "Guns don't agree with you." "Never got used to them." "A street might be named after you." "Back then, it didn't seem so much fun." " Why didn't you come on Wednesday?" " I forgot." "Come tonight, both of you." " Which two?" " You and Catrine." "That's a tough one." "We separated." " How long were you two together?" " Seven years." "Come alone then." "Aren't you afraid of that dirty wall behind you?" "The papers on the table scare me more." "We should decorate your office:" "paintings, tapestry." "With a big picture, for example of an unpaid bill dated February 17, 1951." "The bookkeeper took out a few commas." "He's an enemy of efficiency." "You have erasers and no pencils?" "I hate pencils." " What about erasers?" " No." "They're useless without pencils." " Hi." " Hi." "Complements to the author, complements to the author..." "Not very original..." "I don't know her, I don't know what to say." "A swimmer got drowned." " Is he dead?" " He's been dead a long time." "He was a good swimmer, must have swum for hours before drowning." " For hours, do you realize that?" " Claude." "Be quiet." "You don't need me!" "You just need me to be there!" "You could have me embalmed in a corner." "But I'm very much alive, I move, I come and go, I see people." "If I couldn't, I'd kill myself." "The more I give you, the worse you get!" "I don't think I understand you any longer." "I'm leaving." "I'm leaving tomorrow." "It's 3 p. m." "3 hours to go." "3 minutes ago it was 3 p. m..." "In 3 weeks it will still be 3 p. m." "In a century too." "Time passes for everybody, but I'm... locked up in this room, time stays static." "Look for your time." "It's 3 p. m. forever." "Hello?" "Hello..." "I'd like to point out that when you hear the third beep... it'll be exactly 3 o'clock, 0 minutes, 0 seconds." " What?" " All right." "Tomorrow at the same time, as agreed." "Love to the family." "For 100 million years algae and mollusks and reptiles ruled the earth until this firm was created..." "I'm approaching death at full speed." "The earth will spin without me..." "And I'm here expressing... our regrets to a customer... for the loss of his shipment... and to say we'll do our best..." "Are you ready?" "Yes." " What's a..." " What's a mouse doing here?" " Did you say something?" " No." "I just saw a mouse." "Had you ever seen a mouse strolling through the beach?" "Perhaps it's on vacation." "How did it go?" "In a sense, a success." "Let's just say that for the time being we haven't killed him." "The rest..." "A race against time:" "office time against outdoors time." " Who's winning?" " I don't know yet." "She's pretty." "She looks like your apartment:" "well dressed, modest..." " I despise those things." " I like the way you despise everything." "I love confusion, things that change." "Am I like that?" "Not really." "Not at all." "On the contrary, you're... surprising." "You're a swamp." "A dark night..." "I feel more like wringing your neck than smiling at you," "I feel like sinking slowly into you." "Until I reach the bottom." "I can't imagine Monique outside her showcase." "You smell like the low tide, as a drowned person, as an octopus." " Back there, that beach." " This beach is me." "I need you." "I think I needed you from the moment at the office when they told me... about a girl who hated envelopes... and the job." "Let's make love." "Right here, on the sand?" "I'd run away to a land without nights." "You know something?" "Your wife has a very nice behind." "Listen, I'll tell you what you're seeing right this moment." "You are by a window, right?" "Let me see..." "Everything is blue: the sky is blue, the sea, the sand, the city..." "Everything is blue under the sun." "Many pretty girls have already caught your eye." "I miss you, Claude..." "I must say that missing you is quite bothersome." "It never happened before." "I never cared." "I never cared whether people were present or absent." "Maybe there's a white sail somewhere in the distance." "I also see some seagulls spiraling down to the beach." "Are there any seagulls on the Riviera?" "They mean rain." "It never rains there." "We're wasting our time, Ridder." "We'll never have those circulars ready for tonight." "And you keep hitting that handle." " Everything is so beautiful." " It is." "Here, nature does not have that sickening green of the fields." " Are you coming?" " Later." " What if I was married?" " I don't know what I'd done." "I probably wouldn't have cared." "Meeting you was no shock." "Thing was..." "you were different." "You really looked out place in that office." "So I knew the rest was irrelevant." " I might not have liked you." " No, that's not possible." "I was so scared that night, when we left the restaurant." "Did you quit your job just to impress me?" "Yes, were you impressed?" "Not too much." "Was the salary any good?" "I made a living with it." "You have beautiful eyes, has anyone ever told you that?" " And I want you." " Me too." "See?" "We are no pioneers." "Shall we answer?" "No." "Catrine..." "I love you." "Do you hear me?" "I love you." "It was the only reason." "Long before you died." "And now I'm dead." "I'm cold." "I hear my own words." "It's that drug..." "What are my chances of survival?" "Ah, yes, 100% if I were a mouse." "So I must be a mouse because I'm alive." "They'll come now..." "Still four minutes to wait." "And the mouse?" "Where's the mouse?" " You're talking nonsense!" " So it may seem, no doubt." "Unfortunately, I'm not." "Claude, please stop." "You scare me." "That's not my intention." "I killed Catrine in Glasgow two months ago." "We both left without telling anybody and I returned alone." "I don't believe it." "You're right and wrong." "What does that mean?" "You're right, I can't kill anybody." "But you're wrong, because I did." "Impossible." "I thought so too." "What can you do?" "We won't be moving from here until streetcars are removed." "But nobody can say buses are any better." "Soon cars will be useless." "A tip for your own good, sir:" "I recommend you get off and take the tram or you'll miss the train." "Do you have time, sir?" "We'll have to sew the cat's eyes." " What?" " We have a cat, right?" " Are psychoses red?" " No, the future is red." "And what about psychoses?" "I get them mixed up." "You're awake too?" "You go to the office in my place." " I guess I need you." " I'm hard to live with." "I don't want to live with you." "I want to be with you." "Stay with me tonight." "No!" "Just don't ever leave me." " I'm afraid..." " Afraid?" "Yes, I am afraid of losing you." "To find myself alone tomorrow." "To be without you tonight." "If you want, we can spend the night at..." "Last time he stayed 1 minute and 29 seconds in the area." "He returned for 4.23 minutes." "And now he's been gone for 3.04 minutes." "He's trapped in that minute, endlessly reliving it." "That gives us the best chance for recovery." "I couldn't stay there." " You can stay here if you like." " No, I'm going home." "Aren't you sleepy?" "She'd be sad if you didn't go." "Sad?" "She's always sad." "If I'm here, if I'm not... when she's asleep, when she wakes up..." "Sometimes I think she's sadness itself." "You should be used to it, after five years." "Wrong, six." "I wonder if I should leave her." "I can't help her, nobody can." " She needs you." " That doesn't do any good." "Could you leave her?" "Probably not." "Sometimes I can't stand it." "I feel rusty." " I once left..." " And returned." "Yes, two days later." "She greeted me as if I'd been to the movies, and asked if I had eaten well." "Claude Ridder, you're really fed up." "At that time, she wanted to have a house by the sea, but she was never sadder that when we went to the Riviera." "Maybe she doesn't like the sun." "She loves the sun." "She just can't stop thinking that some day it will be gone." "You can't live with her or without her." "So?" "God created earth, then looked at His work and said: "I only hope it spins"." "You go to sleep." "I'm not sleepy, really." " You don't have the skills for the job." " Not particularly, I never write." "This job doesn't suit you." "No job does." "Offices make me sick." " They make you sick?" " Yes." " Do you know how much you've earned this morning?" " No." "Exactly 14 francs." "Enough to buy a pack of cigarettes." "Not much, especially because I won't be coming back after lunch." "Did you expect to get rich in a single morning?" "How long did you hope to live on this job?" "I don't know." "Tomorrow." "Well." "Here's what we'll do:" "I'll give you the 14 francs I owe you," "And you take me to lunch on that small fortune." " Why?" " Because I don't care." "You never buy anything." "Almost daily, I buy bread, milk, matches, vegetables, tomatoes, mustard..." " Nothing for yourself." " I don't need anything." " Buy a new sweater." " I already have two." "Not much, isn't it?" " No visits?" " No." "I don't want to see anyone." "Do you mind if we stay up all night?" "We usually go to bed very late." "Well, this changes everything." "Hello, how are you today?" " Is it good?" " Great." "Something is wrong." "I don't know what time it is." "They didn't give me a watch." "This is just too much!" "No watches for time-travel." "I could... count the seconds... and calm down." "Four minutes are... one... two... three... four... five..." " No." " Why not?" " No." " But, what kind of "no"?" "Just "no"." " Why not?" " Just because." "Because it's not "yes"?" " Yes." " Ah, but you said "yes"." " But, no." " She can sure say no." "Don't they realize?" "I'm here!" "You must know it!" "I'm back!" "I'm here!" "No way." "One travels just a few minutes and centuries have passed outside." "The researchers died long ago... and I'm stuck here... forgotten." " One minute." " We'll get him in three minutes." "Oh, there you are!" "How have you been?" "You're on the trip, too." "Are you all right?" "Did you go far?" "They can't get you back either." "We're both in a mess." "Oh, I know who you are." "You're the mouse I saw on the beach." "You drew my attention." "From time to time you tour my past." "What would you say if I toured yours?" "After all, you see, everything has an explanation." "Everything is reasonable." "You don't have a watch either." "And you don't know how long we've been here, either." "Well, let's move!" "This isn't over yet." "I gotta get out of here." "I must concentrate." "It's 10:30, you know..." " I feel awful." " Are you sick?" "If Catrine were dead, we'd know it." "It is not impossible, it's quite simple." "Do you know anything about Catrine?" "You've been talking about her for years." "But do you know her?" "Have you ever seen her?" "No, never." "The few people I knew never met her, either." "Haven't seen them for years, they don't even know if I live with her or not." " It looks like you always hid her." " People bored her." "Did she have any relatives?" "No, no cousins, friends, or affections." "No boss, no work." "She didn't even pay taxes..." "Moreover, she couldn't even go abroad 'cause she didn't have any papers." "So, no one will notice her disappearance." "No, nobody." "People think we've separated, just like you did." "And you left her there?" "Why bring her back?" "Why are you telling me all this?" "Because nobody knows." "See what you do, you let me caress you." "You would readily make love with me." "However, you say you love that man." "I am, you are, he is, we love, you love, they go to bed." "I caress... your knees." "Then your thighs..." "Because I feel lonely tonight." "I am lonely." "I'd be delighted if Catrine left me." "I once met a man..." "You're not listening to me." "I'm listening to your fingers." "Your face has changed since last week." "Because last week I was sure... that I'd never write again." "Last year you said exactly the same thing." "I'll show you something you'll like." " Is it big?" " No, it's tiny." "You'll love it precisely because it's so small." "Animal, vegetable, sidereal, mineral?" "A blend of all four." "I want to stay with you tonight." " What's wrong?" " I'm terrified." "Don't say "terrified", say "afraid"." "Not at all." "What's the difference between 'fear' and 'terror'?" "Fear is when you're hot;" "Terror is when you're cold." "You just slept a couple of hours." "You need to sleep." "One of my eyes wants to read and the other one wants to sleep." "You are absolutely..." "I don't know what." "But you are really something." " Now I'm afraid too." " Afraid of what?" "Death?" "Not exactly." " I'm afraid of not dying." " Well, I never heard that before." "Are you there?" "Will you come back late?" "Yes, he lives quite far from here." "It's too hot in here." "Come with me." "I called a cab." "Glasgow is too gloomy." "Buy me some oranges." " You okay?" " Yes." "Can't you sleep?" "I wanted the light on." "Come." "Come closer." "I think simple things are harder to understand." "But you finished your studies." "Yes, but I never paid attention at school." "But you read?" "Books don't teach everything." "One day Claude made me believe... that trams keep balance on the rails... because the power cables prevent them from capsizing." "I'd never thought of it." "I thought they ran on gasoline." "Okay, this is called "The Martian point of view. "" " Missed him by two minutes." " Two minutes, two months, same thing." "T.5. has worn off now." "Three circulars, at least." "We have claims about that." "We have to write a new text for the reminder." "You'll have it next week." "Launch day is the 17th." "Let's say 5 days, today is the 22nd... it should be out by the 25th so we can face the payments." "We haven't yet addressed the subject of how many pages." "Forty more pages won't cost the same." "We need to cut them down." "Who's going to do it?" "We can't send them before the 17th, anyway." "The B mouse traveled one minute in the past." "A hero!" "When did this happen?" "Yesterday." "And he looks okay." "How do you know it really happened?" "Well, that's the problem." "If, during the war, someone would have told me I'd be speaking about this..." "Where are you going?" "I'll go get some cigarettes." "What are you doing here?" "What?" "What are you doing here?" "I couldn't sleep." "I was afraid I'd die." "So I came here." "So in the morning, when you left, you'd find me dead in the stairway, or just asleep." "Come with me." "Come." "I found myself in the bathroom with a girl I didn't know." "She was very attractive." "Every man's dream." "Nothing happened." "I just washed her the way she asked me to." " Did you ever see her again?" " Several times." "In my dreams." ""Dear Sir, we acknowledge receipt of your letter dated the 24th..." ""and we are pleased to blah blah." ""We are sad to know that blah blah." "We believe that pa pa," ""We assure you that blah blah and we offer our whatyoumacallit." ""We will send it soon." ""We hope it arrives in perfect conditions..." ""Accept our sincere apologies." "Yours truly, Claude Ridder. "" "I killed Catherine in Glasgow 2 months ago." "He's delayed." "We needed it yesterday." "He can work all night." " How can he work without a pencil?" " He never has a pencil." "Does he know we need that text for tomorrow at the most?" "He makes mistakes." "He can't even spell "tomorrow"." " It's late." " Isn't he tired?" " And that spot..." " Has he seen that spot?" "You're right about green and the countryside." "What if a man is allergic to green?" "Maybe green corrupts the cells." "That would be strange, huh?" "Thousands of scientists invent can openers, detergents... but not this, that could change everything." "I think that's the secret." "It's so simple nobody thought of it." "We won't eat any salad for a month, to prove it." "If you buy a boat, I'll learn to steer..." "If I wasn't sad about this, I'd find another reason by nightfall." "I'm a burden for you." "If I swam in money..." "If you were rich, I'm not sure I would have liked you." "I'd have pretended to be poor and disinherited." "I'd have visited your boss every other month... to see that he gave you some money." "¡A tree!" "It's not a tree, it's a bush." "Yes, but trees are less and less frequent." "I pointed out a syringe and you said it didn't count." "A syringe, are you sure?" " Are you sure?" " Yes." "Ok, leave the other and take that one." " Yes, that's better." " I'll tell them." "But the other..." "I'm sure I'm not wrong." "It was you who gave me the false papers during the war." "No, I wasn't." "Don't you recognize me?" "I'm Claude Ridder." "In 1943, my name was Claude Rabois." "You can't possibly know me." "I also had false papers during the war." "You have a calcite." " Is it serious?" " No really." "But you've killed her all the same." "That's 90 francs." "Shall I come back?" " Are you tired?" " Yes, I'm exhausted." " What did you do?" " Nothing." "I heard people talk." " And you?" " I didn't say a word." "What did they talk about?" "Nothing." "I wasn't listening." " What are you looking for?" " Something to eat." "I bought some spinach." "Plants..." "I'd like a huge herring." "I can't do anything." "Sometimes I wonder who you are, exactly." "Something blurred..." "More and more blurred..." "I shrink in water." "You never talk about your writing." "I don't write much." "We can have lunch together if you want." "The scariest thing is that if you killed her, it was the perfect crime." "They're going to close it." "OK, I'll dress." "I like it when you wear all mauve." "Imagine for a moment that God created cats to His image." " Cats?" " Yes, cats." "Thousands of years later, or two hours, I don't know, He created men..." " Men?" " Yes." "With the only purpose of serving cats." "As their slaves." " As their slaves?" " Yes." "Cats were given lucidity... and men neurosis and the passion for building and possessing things." " I see." " No, you don't." "Men were created just for the benefit of cats." " Do you get it?" " Yes, I do." "There you go." "All civilization serves no purpose... but to feed and give comfort to cats." " To cats." " Exactly." "That's why men created so many things... that secure cats' well being:" "fishermen, cushions, carpets, radiators..." "Maybe even the radio, because cats love music." "I'm glad you've figured out who we are and why we're here." "That had always bothered me." "Me too." "You see, all you have to do is think." "Claude!" "Look." "What is it?" "A beetle." "You've been like that for two hours now." "Are you all right?" "I'm fine." "Where's the cat?" "Did you sleep with her?" " Does it bother you?" " Does it amuse you?" "You can be very superficial." "I've always dreamed of having a particularly inept employee." "To fire her... and then run away together." "When I collect on my three months notice, we could go away together." "Anywhere." "And then?" "Then we would come back." "We would come back." " Another coffee?" " Yes, thanks." "I would like to know why you picked me for this." "Let's say a computer did." " Among millions, I suppose." " Of course." " Good afternoon." " Good afternoon." "Our oldest employee." "Maybe he's the computer who chose me." "This will make him feel good." "He needs to cool down." "Can you picture yourself buried in this cold mud all alone?" "You could make a cemetery guide." "It would be a best seller:" ""Luceram Cemetery." "One shinbone." "Modest, but well located. "" "Another one:" ""Three shinbones." "Worth a detour. "" ""No shinbone." "Avoid"." "I'd rather live here than get buried here." "This kind of situation only happens in books." " And when they happen, you don't take advantage of them." " We'll see." "I don't mean to scare you." "I killed Catrine two months ago in Glasgow." "I went away with her without telling anyone... and I came back alone." "I don't believe you." "You're right and wrong." "What's that supposed to mean?" "You're right, I'm not capable of killing." "You're wrong... because I did it nevertheless." "Impossible." "I thought that as well." "That day in Glasgow was very cold." "Catrine had never traveled so far." "Neither had I." "She didn't like the city, she found it gloomy." "I think I had never seen Catrine so depressed before." "She was completely..." "We haven't slept all night." "Tomorrow, I'll be exhausted." "Let's try to catch some sleep." "It's strange to wake up just when I was thinking about sleeping." "She was asleep." "And the strangest thing was that she smiled... in her sleep." "I had never seen her doing that." "It was the first time." "She seemed relaxed... happy." "That's how it happened." "I looked at Catrine... 29 minutes." "What shall we do?" "And the risk?" "We have to try something, because the T.5. no longer works." "Is it you, Claude Ridder?" "Yes, it's me." "Wiana went out." "She went to the post office." "OK, I'll wait." "Come in, if you want." "We're two girls in the bathroom." "Which one will you prefer?" "The left one or the right one?" "The right one." "Or..." "No, the right one." "Bad decision." "I'm Nicole, I arrived yesterday." "Do you mind if I take a shower?" "You can soap my back while we talk." "What do you do at the office?" "Sometimes I think." "I choose an object and I think about it." "Here's a pencil." "I focus and I notice it's a red pencil." "It's red on the outside, but it writes black." "That proves that appearances can be deceptive." "It's a regular pencil." "Average size, the kind we can find anywhere." "It has a point... as a pencil." "When you push it, it rolls... as a pencil, obviously." "If held vertically, it looks like the trunk of a tree, straight and smooth." "In the same sense, it looks like a pencil." "That seems to prove that it's indeed a pencil." "However, I never use pencils." "Why do I have one now?" "No doubt because tables are made to hold pencils." "I like your story." "Keep drawing." "There are other things besides pencils;" "we can think about erasers, almanacs, papers..." "She received over 150 complaints... and she just sat on them." "We were 300 letters behind schedule." "And now?" " Are we up to date?" " Even ahead." "Claude told me this morning he responded to a letter... we haven't received yet." "I'm exhausted." "I just slept 3 hours last night." "On top of that, I dreamed I had 100 pages left." "It's going to be a nice day." "At sea one knows these things." "If people are already up..." "Everything's ready." " Is it much?" " Quite a lot." "5 whole years." "It will be just a few days." "Even though I make love to other women, I'm still attracted to you." "It hurts that you make love to other women." "I don't know what to tell you." "Do you understand me?" "Yes, Claude, I do." "That's what makes me sad." "If Prometheus hadn't had his vulture..." "Speaking of vultures, I bought chicken for tonight." "I don't know what to do." "I can't concentrate on the job." "Walk, I don't know, do something." "What did I do this morning?" "I stared at the telephone." "What's so special about her?" "Nothing, but I want her." "I would do anything." "Even send Catrine to hell." "Well, call her." "I don't have her number." "All I can do is wait." "A kiss?" " Let's stay here." " Fine by me." " He's all right." " He's all tied up." "Let's stay some more." "That minute runs away, but I chase it." "I concentrate." "I'm in the water." "The sun has come down..." "Catrine is there, on the beach." "The water is warm..." "I swim." "I see the bottom." "I want to take a bath." "Thanks." "I'm sorry I can't speak French." "But I assume you understand English." "Sure." "So, where's Catrine?" "Catrine!" " After all..." " Yes, after all." "Nothing." "Do you have to go?" "I should." "Stay with me." "I can't come up with an excuse every day." "I'll write you an encyclopedia of excuses so you can use them." "You're already late." "Punctually late:" "never more than an hour." "And rarely less." "You see many fish?" "Two sea serpents, some sharks..." "Nothing's happening." "Nothing changes." "It's strange." "I'm going to die." "Catrine... do you see?" "You were right." "Catrine..." "I'd like to see the mouse." "He's coming back more frequently." "30 seconds since last time." "It's not much." "A storm at 7 a. m. is unusual." "It takes everybody out of their beds." "Who?" "God... the workers..." "You don't understand..." "Not today." "You're all blind, luckily for you." "People are afraid, because their lives are hard and discouraging." "At those moments, they need to be told the opposite." "I don't believe it." "It won't last." "It all ends rather quickly." "When you feel good, that is frightening." "You know you'll lose everything someday; it's barely bearable." "No matter what, it's unbearable." "Time drags on when you're hungry." "It takes 3 months or 60 years to die..." "Strange, isn't it?" "One adapts even to cancer." "Choose something." "Carrots are good for the skin." "Spinach for influenza..." "And fruits are good for your health." "I think I can't help you." "I wish I hadn't met you." "What happened, happened." " Something to drink?" " I can't, it makes me sleepy." "Have you been here long?" "Good morning, how are you?" "There you go, now we can work." "We haven't brought all the papers." "Good morning, kitty." "Glad to see you today." "Did she feed you today?" ""I must say I don't think she gives me enough food"." "Yes, she's a little stingy." "Stingy." "But outside you would eat even less." ""That doesn't mean I should starve in an apartment"." "You exaggerate." ""If I don't do it, you won't hear me"." ""I don't like her records." ""They're just noise and they all sound alike." ""I had more fun on the streets." "I had friends there"." "We're your friends." "You can talk to us." ""But you're not so clever"." "Sophie thinks we are." "What are you reading?" "Where did you find this?" " What does that mean, exactly?" " I don't know." "It's boring to explain." "I don't give a damn." "Why do you say that?" "I don't understand it." "It has nothing to do with me." " And with you?" " Nothing." "It's a little silly or a little sad, it depends on how you look at it." "I'm confused." "I love you very much." "I love you more than very much." "You don't say "more than very much"." " You can't say it that way." " But you can think it, can't you?" "I used to wake up at night." "I hated it." "I stayed awake so as not to wake up." "Now it doesn't happen anymore." "I sleep well until morning." "I sleep well, don't I?" "Have you ever thought about killing Catrine?" "Many times." " I believe you." " You do?" "I thought of what you said." "I think you said the truth." "You may have killed Catrine without anybody knowing." "And why did I kill her?" "To end it all." "To end her suffering." "As you told me, she had a terminal illness, right?" "Periods vary." "There's nothing we can do." "Then he's lost." "We had gone there to meet an author." "We got a room in a little hotel." "It was cold." "We turned on the gas heater." "She took sleeping pills." "When I looked at her, she was asleep." "And the strangest thing was that she smiled... in her sleep." "I had never seen her doing that." "It was the first time." "She seemed relaxed... happy." "She was no longer afraid." "That's how it happened." "On going out, I noticed the room was very cold." "It was very cold." "I smelled gas..." "The heater was off, but the gas was on." "That was all." "I looked at her, smiling in her sleep, and I went out." "When I came back half an hour later, she was dead." "The cops were already there." "Claude, I don't know why you're lying to me." "How is it that you weren't arrested?" "They thought it had been an accident." "That simple?" "It was an accident." "I lied to see if you'd believe me." "The flame must have died out while I was out." "I came back... late... at night..." "Much later." "Did she really die there?" "Yes." "For a moment I was glad..." "It was awful, but I was glad." "It all happened in her sleep, she didn't suffer." "Then I realized she was gone for good, that I would never see her again." "And I couldn't stand it." "It got worse and worse." " What's wrong?" " Nothing." "George is dead." "George who?" "Slovain." "He's dead." "I know." "He died eight months ago." "You knew?" "For eight months." "His wife wrote me shortly after he died." "And you didn't say anything?" "You were depressed, so I didn't tell you." "Imagine a man... who hid all the bad news... to spare his wife." "He would hire actors to replace... people who died." "He would buy all the newspapers so she couldn't find any." "He would have to cover the world." "It would cost a lot." "It's ghastly." "What's ghastly?" "Everything." "Everything is ghastly." "Even when you're with me." "Page 8, first line:" "put "Evaristo Carriego" in italics." "Same page, ninth line:" "you forgot the word "conjugated" after the word "words", plural." "Page 9 is all right." "Page 10, twelfth line:" ""Tlön" is missing the dieresis." "Same page, fourteenth line:" ""solipsism" is misspelled." "There's no "c" in it." "It looks funny but I'm sure." "Page 11 is all right." "Page 12, eighth... no, ninth line:" ""visual and tactile. "" "It's been more than an hour." "We'll never get him back." "His pulse is slow." "He's lost a lot of blood." "Can we move him?" "Call the hospital." "Hurry." "We'll have to check all our figures."