"I'VE LOVED YOU SO LONG" "Not wearing my gift?" "Was it too big?" "No, I'm fine as I am." "We could go shopping and buy other things." "If you like." "How was your journey?" "I'm not keen on flying." "How long have you been here?" "It's been ten years." "I came to finish my doctorate..." "I met Luc, we got married and I got my job." "Such is life!" "Here's our palace!" "There's the kitchen, over there's the living room." "Luc's desk is in the corner." "Don't mind the mess." "That's just how he is." "You'll get to know him." "And my desk is in the living room." "Upstairs are the bedrooms." "Shall I show you yours?" "Will it be OK?" "You have your own bathroom." "I have to pick up the girls." "I won't be long." "Can I leave you on your own?" "Be right back." "I'm glad you're here." "Have a look around the house if you like." "Sorry." "I didn't know..." "I'm Juliette." "Sorry." "P'tit Lys, open the gate for me." "You can see I'm carrying Emelia." "Will Aunt Juliette stay here?" "Just for a while." "Be nice to her, darling." "She's tired, so don't annoy her." "Hello, Auntie." "Here are my princesses." "This is Clelis." "We call her P'tit Lys." "And this is Miss Emelia." "Give Juliette a smile." " Come and see my room." " Don't start." "Go in the kitchen." "Take your sister with you." " Had a look around?" " Yes." "There was an old man in the study." "I forgot to tell you." "He's Luc's dad." "Grandpa's lost his mind and his tongue!" "P'tit Lys!" "He had a bad stroke three years ago and can't speak any more." "So, he reads all the time, but he's adorable." "Have you been to Lorraine before?" "No, never." "People think it's freezing." "It does freeze." " Not all the time." " Eat up." "Were you born here?" "Yes, but Dad came from Poland after the war." "Luc's mother is Russian." "He married a Franco-Brit, we have two Viets." "A real Benetton family!" "Auntie has more of an accent than you." "She spent longer in England." "Where's the water jug?" "Katrina broke it." "I'll get another." "She's the cleaning lady." "Hide your belongings." "She breaks everything." "We called her Katrina after that hurricane." "Léa said you do research work." "Tell her all about it." "Dad's a lexicolographer." ""Lexicographer," darling." "We work on an interactive dictionary." "You're not very active!" "After seven years you're up to letter C!" "Stop it or you'll go to bed now!" "Don't exaggerate." "Why didn't we meet you before?" "Because I was away... on a very long trip." "Some more?" " No, thanks." " Don't like it?" "I do, but..." " Where did you go?" " Enough!" "Shut up and eat!" "How long will she stay?" "I don't know." "As long as it takes." "A few weeks, a few months..." "Do you mind?" "To be honest, I do." " She may be your sister, but..." " But what?" "You heard P'tit Lys." "So?" "That trip story won't do for long." "Well, we'll see." "We'll see, we'll see!" "Don't make me laugh." "What'll you tell them?" "The truth?" "I have no idea." "No idea at all." "Leave me alone." "It's our first evening together again." "Do you realize what that means to me?" " We're together." " You hardly know her." "Just because you went to see her recently..." "You were still a teenager when..." "Shut up!" "I'll shut up." "But spare a thought for us." "Eat up." " Hurry up or we'll be late." " As usual." "Excuse me." "What have you done?" "I'll have to change your clothes now, Emelia." "Hurry up, P'tit Lys, or we'll be late." "Bye, Grandpa." "Don't you eat breakfast?" " It depends." " I'm never hungry." "Ever since I was little." "It makes Mum angry." "Did you know me then?" " Of course." " When they got me in Vietnam?" "Yes." "I don't believe you." "Your nose is growing!" "Daddy!" "Morning." "Sleep well?" "Very well, thanks." "Not coming?" "Bye, Auntie." "You have tickets for the canteen." "I know." "Your gym stuff is in your bag." "Try not to lose anything today." " Mum?" " What?" "Isn't Auntie a bit strange?" "Why do you say that?" "Well, she hardly says a word." "You have to give her time to settle in." "Bye, darling." "Off you go." "Ask if they've found your pink beret." "OK." "Bye, Mum." "You OK?" " Sure?" " Yes." "The police station is very near the university." "We can meet up afterwards." "There's a nice café opposite." "OK." "What do the police want?" "I have to report there once every two weeks." "Did anyone come to see you over there?" "I mean..." "Didn't anyone visit?" "Some people, at the start." "Are you angry at me?" "What for?" "For not coming." " I wrote to you at the start." " Really?" "I never received anything." "Then, one evening, Dad saw me." "He and Mum shouted at me." "They told me to stop." "They said... you no longer existed." "I was still a kid, you know." " I wanted to tell you..." " What?" "The Social Services wanted to contact you, not me." "I've never asked anyone for anything." "Well, it was a good idea." "A good idea." "You have a nice name." "I hate mine." ""Fontaine" sounds beautiful." "I love... water, fountains, rivers..." "The Orinoco!" "Do you know the Orinoco?" "No." "They get rid of fountains nowadays." "Even in the villages." "Have you noticed?" "No." "Sorry." "They're transformed..." "They put soil in them." "They plant flowers." "Crappy geraniums!" "Don't people like water?" "Right." "Look, I won't keep you long." "The law says you have to sign in." "So, sign in." "Got a job?" "Not yet." "I'll look for one." " A place?" " I'm at my sister's." "That's important." "Family's important." "You're lucky." "Solitude isn't good." "Man isn't made to be alone." "I won't tell you my life story." " See you soon." " Don't I have to sign something?" "Yes!" "There." "Thank you." "Not him again!" "One of your many lovers?" "Yeah, right!" "It's Bamakalé." "Prosper Napoleon Bamakalé." "Son of a crown prince." "Doing his first year for the third time." "He's starting to annoy me." "He won't take no for an answer." " I know." "I had him all last year." " Really?" " Going?" " Yes, I've finished." " Can I walk with you?" " OK." " Finished marking your exam papers?" " Nearly." "Lucky you." "I haven't even started." "The pile on my desk is soul-destroying." "You'd better hurry up." "The marks are due on the 18th." "Well, to hell with that!" "Made up your mind about that symposium?" "I don't know yet." "I'll see." "What are you doing there?" "We were meeting at the café." "It didn't take long." "Michel" " Juliette, my sister." "Juliette" " Michel, a colleague." "You kept your very pretty sister from me!" "Don't listen to him." "He's a specialist on love letters." "It rubs off on him a little!" "What are you doing on the 26th?" " Why?" " Dinner with Samir and Kaisha." " Should be OK." "I'll let you know." " All right." "Get on with your marking." "Let's go shopping." "Is it nice?" "Remember Bouchard's in Rouen?" "No." "This place looks similar." "I used to take you after your dance lessons." "Old Mother Stabush..." "Yes, fat old Stabush!" "She couldn't even stand on tiptoes." "I remember her moustache." "We were all scared of her, weren't we?" "After school... we girls would eat cake at Bouchard's." "You always had a cream puff." "I don't remember..." "You were eight." "There were old ladies all around us." "I don't know why I can't remember." "Why can't I remember?" "Please, stop it." "You were only little." "Yes, but it's absurd not to remember." "No, this is my room!" "Show her yours if you like." "Baby sisters aren't always easy!" "Did Mum annoy you, too?" "No, she was OK." "You're lucky!" "Is Mum your real sister?" "Of course." "You're Grandma Lizbeth's daughter?" "Yes." "This is the dolls' cemetery." "I don't like dolls... so when I get given one, I bury it." "This is my computer." "I watch DVDs and do homework on it." "I made that for Mother's Day." "Katrina said she didn't break it, but she's a liar." "This is my secret diary." "It's not very secret, because I leave it lying around." "Can I read one of my poems?" " No." " Please, Auntie!" "No!" "I said no!" "You're lucky." "You have your sister, the family, a home." "Most people... have nothing when they get out." "They're pariahs, with nowhere to go." "The partner almost always files for divorce." "It was already done." "I saw that in your file." "You did well to take courses in prison." "People always need secretaries." "Are you up to date in computing?" "Yes, I think so." "It should be OK, then." "I got you a first appointment with this firm." "Ask for Mr. Dupuis." "He knows about it." "We'll meet regularly." "If you have any questions, don't hesitate to call." " All right." " OK?" "I'll be going." "You're not on your own and I'm a busy woman." "Nice place your sister has." "Goodbye." " Was that the welfare officer?" " Yes." " Is she nice?" " Yes." "Those snoopers always seem nice." "That's true." "Luc and I had that with the adoption." "Endless visits from social workers and psychologists." "One doctor even made Luc walk in his underpants... his arms outstretched." "Luc nearly attacked him!" "He found all those questions and inquisitions hard going." " Want some tea?" " Yes." "It took about two years for P'tit Lys, a bit less for Emelia." "We stayed in Vietnam for three months the first time." "We fell in love with the place." "We wanted to stay." "We were lucky to have P'tit Lys in the hotel." "Then, the formalities dragged on a bit." " Madam?" " Yes, Marie-Paule?" "Shall I do the ironing?" "No." "Do the cupboard doors." "Thanks." "How old was P'tit Lys?" "Two, but she looked half that age." "Did you meet her mother?" "No, but I have her details if she wants to see her." "That's important to us." "We want her to have the choice in the future." "But... for Emelia, it wasn't possible." "She'll never know." "Not always a bad thing." "Who couldn't have children?" "Neither of us." "We can both have children." "I didn't want to give birth." "That's because of me." "Because of what I did." "I didn't try to understand." "I'm off to smoke outside." "That's not my problem." "We pay you to deliver - you deliver!" "Yeah, goodbye!" "OK, now us." "I won't beat around the bush." "I'm not a charity." "I need good workers." "The rest isn't my problem." "What's her name again?" "Mrs. Balboukian, right?" "She said you're perfectly at ease with Excel, DTP, et cetera." "Yes, I have a decent level." "And you're half-English?" "Yes." "And I speak Spanish." "I'm not interested in that but we do a lot of business with the UK." " Raymond's waiting, sir." " Later!" " How long were you in prison?" " 15." "15 years." "15 years?" "That's not what..." "You must've done something pretty bad." "What did you do?" "Did you kill someone?" "Who did you kill?" "Your husband?" "A lover?" "Another woman?" "Who?" "I said, who did you kill?" "My son." "My six-year-old son." "Get out!" "Do you hear me?" "Get out!" "That's pretty." "Suits you." "Can I see you tonight?" " No, I'm tired." " Come on..." "No, I'm too tired." "You sure?" "Excuse me." "Go ahead." "Do you want my photo?" "Have we met before?" "I don't think so." "What do you want?" "I wasn't looking at you." "Yeah, right!" "You were eyeing me up!" "Looking for a guy?" "So?" "Was it good?" "No, not at all." "But it doesn't matter." "Darling, do you want a cake?" "Sit down." "Give her dragon a drink." "You OK, Juliette?" "Auntie, look." "Sometimes the monkeys spit at people." "They shouldn't be locked up for no reason." "Prisons are for bad people, not animals." "Let's go." " What did I do?" " Run along, it's time to go." "Don't be ridiculous." "Do you think I was asleep all this time... until the good fairy Léa woke me up?" "You'd rather look straight ahead." "Auxerre beat Sochaux 3-2, Lens and Lille drew 2-2," "Monaco won 2-1 at Bordeaux," "St Etienne beat Marseille 3-0 and PSG lost at home to Nancy, 3-1." "Up your arse, PSG!" "Up your arse, PSG!" "What are you doing?" "Can't you see?" "Peeling potatoes!" "Very funny." "Michel must be gutted!" "3-1!" "Are the girls asleep?" "Yes, they were exhausted from running around all day." "And your sister?" "What about her?" "Is she asleep?" "No, but..." "Do you..." "Do you talk?" "Yes, we talk." " Did you ask her?" " What?" "Why..." "Why she did it." "Are you out of your mind?" "What do you talk about, then?" "We have sisterly conversations." "None of your business." " Are you messing with me?" " No." " What do you say?" " What am I supposed to say?" "What am I supposed to say?" "It takes time, it isn't easy." "My parents killed my sister in my mind." "Do you understand?" "She walks back into my life." "Suddenly, all that went before..." "I don't want to talk about it!" "Your father fully agrees with me." "Don't you, Paul?" "No way." "He's AS Nancy-Lorraine's biggest fan." "Tell them these are the last." "Mind the plate." "I glued it." " Katrina?" " Yes." "Off to bed!" "He's so dishonest!" "Last ones." "Michel, it's scandalous." "You've lived in Lorraine for years and you support a team that's 3/4 Brazilian!" " 3/4?" " 3/4!" "There are only two Brazilians at PSG!" "Keep your glass." "Juliette's bored." "No, I love football." "I even played between 15 and 18." " Really?" " Don't you remember?" "The perfect woman!" "Pretty, intelligent... and into football!" "But I'm not into the fans." "Wham!" "Take that!" "Oh, please, Samir." "You're an Iraqi surgeon paid by al-Qaeda to massacre patients in French hospitals!" "The Iraqi says..." "That's enough." " Are you playing on Sunday?" " I can't." "No, Sir said he has papers to mark." "You haven't come for three weeks." "I've had 200 papers waiting on my desk for three weeks." "Come on, it's ready." "You always play together?" "We try to." "Sometimes there's ten of us, sometimes 40." "Imagine that!" " Come and watch us." " Why not?" " Do you like Nancy?" " Yes." "Léa said you lived down south for years." "Yes, I did." " Whereabouts?" " Carcassonne." "Pretty, isn't it?" "The Black Mountain, Toulouse nearby..." "Are you from Paris?" "Yes, but I got sick of Parisians." "I try to avoid the place." "I like it here." "There are Neanderthals like them... but it's OK all the same." "The guys at work made this T-shirt." "Not bad." "It's nice, but it makes me itch." " It does." " Don't be silly." "It's too small, it makes me itch." "I feel obliged to wear it." "Can I come in for a bit?" "In prison, I'd put books by my pillow." "Their presence reassured me." "A sort of rampart... against the world." "A world without me." "It got on fine without me." "Sylvie!" "I read that so often." "In the week, I open tins." "Things like sausage in lentils or beef stew." "I don't care about cooking." "I eat in front of the TV." "At weekends I eat fresh vegetables." "My doctor told me to." "Do you agree?" "He's right, you can't eat tinned food every day." "If you say so." " Am I allowed eggs?" " Yes." "But not every day." "Good, because I only eat eggs on Sundays." "It reminds me of childhood." "Fried or boiled, in front of the TV." "Sugar?" "Yes." "One, please." "Do you watch TV?" "No." "It doesn't interest me." "I thought all inmates watched it." "Don't believe all you hear." "Can I have a spoon?" "I force myself." "It's become a sort of punishment." "Punishment?" "Everything they show is so ugly." "A pile of rubbish... that they serve up every night." "Every night, the pile gets a bit bigger." "Take that!" "How have you been?" "Look, Mr. Bamakalé, we'll check it out." "Computers don't make mistakes." "It happened twice last year." "Both times to me." "The server's down now, so be patient." "Stop writing to me every other day!" "I'm keeping this lady waiting." "You saved me!" "Weren't you going straight home?" "I wanted to talk to you." "OK, let's go." "The tests showed he was riddled with cancer." "He died two months later." "When exactly?" "March 4th, 1999." "When we found out, I wanted to let you know... but Mum and I had a huge fight." "She told him and... he made me swear I wouldn't tell you." "He was crying." "He had tubes everywhere." "He only weighed six and a half stone." "And I promised." "I'm sorry." " Did you think of us over there?" " "Over there"?" "You have to stop saying that." "It's called prison!" "Know what a prison is?" "Me, your sister, I was in prison." "Is she still in Beaufans?" "Mum?" "No." "I had to put her in a home." "I brought her here, in fact." "Four years after Dad died... she started to lose her memory." "Just little things." "But now she doesn't recognize anybody." "When I visit, she thinks I'm a nurse... or a neighbor sometimes." "Do you ever mention me?" "What did they tell people?" "Old friends... knew not to mention you." "And new friends... thought I was an only child." "They thought or were told?" "They were told." "Parents!" "And you?" "They completely brainwashed me." "I slept with a guy last week." "What?" "I slept with a guy last week." "Who?" "Where?" "Some guy I met in a bar." "We went to a hotel." " Just like that?" " Yes, just like that!" "It's hard, Auntie." "Yes, but you have to learn." "Learning is hard." "Come on." "Yes, good." " I'll never get it." " Yes, you will." "I often played with your mum." " My mum?" " Yes." "My mum played the piano?" "No way." "She was very good." "We really liked that song." " Because of the fountain?" " Yes." "I've never seen her play." "She wants me to play the flute, not the piano." "She'll tell us off..." "No, don't worry." "She's in the garden." "Let's start again." "Very good." "Play on your own now." "I'm sure you'd make a good secretary." "But in a case like this, it's not up to me." "The hospital director will decide." "See yourself in the job?" "That's a funny question." "If he agrees, nobody must ever know you were a doctor... and certainly not that you..." "You understand." "Don't thank me, I'm not doing this for you." "What did you want to do?" "I'd never have studied medicine like you." "I know they dreaded the idea... but there was no chance." "I was more tempted by literature and languages." "They were so relieved when I chose that field." "You wanted to be a dancer-veterinarian." "It was difficult explaining it wouldn't be easy." "Hello, Mrs. Léa." " How are you, Mr. Lucien?" " Fine." "Who's this?" "My sister, Juliette - Mr. Lucien, a regular." " Ah, your sister?" " Yes." "Hello." "Don't touch!" "No, I won't." "I promise." "He hits on all the women here, young or old." " Does it work?" " You'd be surprised." "You're the rascal!" "When will Mum be back?" "She just went to pick up your sister." "And Auntie?" ""Imperious refereeing!" What a Parisian rag!" "Are they together?" "Eat up." "Doesn't Auntie have a job?" " Why do you ask?" " I dunno..." "She must have one, because she's not that young." "So, what's her job?" "You're annoying me!" "Can't you see I'm working?" "Working?" "Yeah, right!" "Give me a kiss." "No kiss!" "I said, no kiss!" "Well, I think that's it." "I'll see you next week, OK?" "And I'll call the hospital back." "That job would be ideal for you." "I'll keep you posted." "I read your file." "The records, the minutes of the trial..." "You said nothing during the investigation." "Or in court." "Not even in front of the expert witnesses." "The reports just say..." ""Virtually silent..." ""fragile psyche due to divorce, son's murder... "" "Do you think I'm going to open up to you now?" "Leave me alone!" "You haven't come to pick me up from the club in ages." " Do you miss it?" " Yes, I like it." "I put Michel through hell!" "He was exhausted." "Let's go to the cinema, then eat out." "OK." " Want to see anything special?" " Yes, you!" "Stop it!" "There's a Kurosawa on at the Caméo." "No, those Japanese movies put me to sleep!" "Shop Around The Corner is still on." "We haven't seen that in years." "Won't it be a bit late, especially if we eat out?" "No, it's OK." "Katrina was happy to stay so late?" "Katrina?" "Who's looking after the girls?" "I asked Juliette." "Her?" "You asked her to look after our girls?" "She killed her kid, and you asked her!" "You've gone completely mad!" "It's called Pain." "You scared me!" "Hello." "Impressive, huh?" "It's a different universe." " Who painted it?" " Émile Friant." "Well-known in his lifetime, now forgotten." "He died in the '30s." "I'll show you another by him, my favorite." "The first time, I nearly fell over." "It looks like a girl I loved when I was 20." "It was unrequited." "Now I get my revenge." "Revenge?" "She's imprisoned in her frame." "I can see her whenever I like." "She can't do anything." "Léa's brilliant." "She's one of the best in France... but she's not a killer." "If you don't walk on people, you don't get ahead." "Are you a killer?" "Do I look like one?" "I don't know." "I don't know you very well." "No, it's not my thing anymore." "Was it?" "What changed?" "Nothing." "Everything." "Life." "Life changes us, don't you think?" "Life..." " So, you're looking for a job?" " Yes." "I applied to be a medical secretary." " You always done that?" " Yes." "Well, no." "It's a bit complicated." "Oh, if it's a bit complicated..." "I'll be quiet, I won't ask any more questions." "How about a drink?" "We could drink to your health." " Or to the girl in the museum?" " Not her." "Darling, you've finished... so, go up to bed and don't wake your sister." "When will Mum be back?" "After her meeting." " Late?" " I think so." "If you're good, I'll come and give you a kiss." "Come with me, Grandpa." "Have they given you a bank account?" "Yes, but not a check book." "They won't until I get a job." "Any news from the hospital?" "Nothing." "Don't worry, Luc." "I won't bother you long." "I'll find a solution." "No, but I didn't mean..." "Well, I..." "I want a story." "Coming, darling!" "She wants you to read it." ""The old man in front of him smiled." "At times," ""Bajii thought that his host's face..." ""was becoming that of a boy his age or of a girl..." ""or an infant." ""The silvery studded stars were dancing..." ""and the moon was rising, as full as a woman's womb. "" "Hello." "Mind meeting here?" "I'm sick of the office." "Not at all." "I like cafés." "It's what I missed most in prison." "The atmosphere, the noise, the smoke..." "The conversations." "Is it raining?" "No, I was at the pool." "You like swimming?" "Me too, but not in pools." "Have I already mentioned the Orinoco?" "Yes." "The first time." "It's enormous." "1,500 miles long." "It's never-ending." "It's so powerful." "Lots of rapids and waterfalls." "Sometimes it spreads out in the plains." "Have you been?" "Not yet." "I'm planning to." "We'll see." "What's stopping you?" "It's not easy." "I have a daughter." "She lives with her mother." "They're both a long way away." "The river's a mystery, you know?" "Expeditions have tried to find its source." "Well, nobody's ever really found it." "Well, they found trickles... but never the real source." " Am I boring you?" " No, not at all." "We think we know everything nowadays... but we don't know the source of a river." "A lot still escapes us." "I put "highly recommended" on your report." "You know, the hospital job." "They asked for my opinion." " Thank you." " Don't mention it." "What'll you have?" "Coffee, please." "So, one coffee..." "and another for me." " Can we go now?" " Patience, your highness!" "Brought warm clothes?" "It gets cold there." "Be right back." "Miller, you're sleeping" "Your mill is spinning too fast..." "Miller, you're sleeping Your mill is spinning too fast..." "Will you be OK?" "Got all you need?" "Back tomorrow." "Everyone on the ball!" "Nice!" "It's lovely over there." "We're gonna win!" "Shit!" "Idiots!" "Can't you keep an eye on them?" "Think we have enough?" "A few more?" "Nathalie, can I have a sharp knife?" "Want me to cut the cucumber?" "Kids, bedtime!" "You spurn home-grown filmmakers... and prefer some jokers from afar." "Who do you think you are?" "You want to impose your taste on others?" "The herd needs enlightened spirits." "I recognize a genius when I see one." "And Rohmer is a genius." "I don't like Rohmer." "That's my right, isn't it?" "How can you teach literature and not understand Rohmer?" "That's not what Léa said." "She said she didn't like his films." "I've never heard such nonsense!" "How can you teach Racine?" "What has Racine to do with it?" "Rohmer is the new Racine." "You're just too stupid to see it." "That'll relax you." "You'll tell us Stallone is Shakespeare!" "Yeah, all you like is football!" "Well, Juliette?" "What do you think?" "Juliette says nothing." "Juliette observes us, judges us." "Just who is Juliette?" "Mysterious Juliette..." "Ethereal Juliette..." "Enough, you're being a pain." "Get some fresh air." "Silence, please!" "May I have your attention?" "I propose a game." "OK, the winner will receive my utter respect." "Who cares?" "And a kiss from Juliette." "You can be such a pain!" "Let's find out why Léa hid her ravishing sister from us so long." "Where was Juliette?" "What was Juliette up to?" "Cut the crap, will you?" "Was she far away?" "Angry at Léa?" " That'll do, Gérard." " In a Swiss convent?" "You're a boor!" "A bear handler in a circus?" "A Mossad secret agent?" "Amnesiac?" "Tell us, Juliette." "Shut it, Gérard!" "Let her speak." "For once I have a real literary heroine." "I want to hear her." "You go too far." "I want the truth." "Juliette disappears... reappears!" " Go to bed!" " Not till I know where she was." "Beautiful Juliette!" "I was in prison for 15 years... for murder." "There you go, Gérard, that's the killer line!" "Bravo, Juliette!" "Serves him right for taunting you." "He's speechless!" "Yeah, she's too good." "I give up." "Excuse him." "When he's sober, he's a nice guy." "They all think you were joking." "As for me..." "I'm sure you weren't." "I spent ten years teaching in prison." "I never discuss it." "I went there three times a week." "And I got out three times a week." "Nothing was the same after." "I saw everything differently." "Other people... the sky... the passage of time..." "I realized that people in prison were like me." "They could have been in my shoes, or I could have been in theirs." "It's such a fine line sometimes." " Will you be OK?" " Yes." "Thanks for the lift." "Please don't." "I'm not there yet." "That's only true of Raskolnikov." "You can't extend the notion of redemptive guilt to mankind and say that every murder contains its own redemption." "But... the novelist always seeks to reconstruct the world." "Dostoevsky was no different." "This novel's narration is impersonal and incomplete... as he refused to give one world view." "He knows it's multiple, that intentions are multiple, as are truths." "It was in the first person..." "So?" "Maybe his initial aim was to present a soul... to give an intimate yet universal portrait of the murderer." "Nonsense!" "Nonsense!" "What do you know anyway?" "What do you know about murderers?" "What did Dostoevsky know?" "What did Dostoevsky know about murder?" "Nothing!" "Nothing at all!" "Masterpieces are just hypotheses!" "Simplistic constructions." "Nothing compared to real life!" "Stop treating books as bibles." "It'll stop you spouting such crap!" "Sorry, I don't know what came over me." "Excuse me." " I wanted to see you..." " Not today!" "Mrs. Cuvelle." "Mrs. Gonzalo." "Mrs. Fontaine is replacing Mrs. Seriani." "See you later." "That's your desk." "You'll transcribe medical reports." "Sometimes you'll relieve your colleagues." "Three weeks' trial." "Then the director will see." "I'll be off." "You'll get a badge later." "Not too fast." "Go on." "So long I've been..." "Mum!" "Come and play!" "Come on!" "Auntie says you were really good." "Come on!" "I'll do the right hand, like before." " Let's go." " Wait a minute." "At the clear fountain" "While I was strolling by" "I found the water so nice" "That I went in to bathe" "So long I've been loving you" "I will never forget you" "Rubbish!" "Bravo, Mum!" "Bravo, Auntie!" "I used to play it lower." "Not bad, eh?" "It's not easy to meet someone." "And I don't like to go out." "A cop scares women away." "I might as well be at the social security." "I work in an office!" "This is where I met my wife." "The setting has changed slightly, but not much." "Where did you meet your husband?" "At university." "A doctor too?" "Well, after two years' studies, he gave it up." "What did he do after that?" "Do we have to talk about him?" "The last time you saw him was at the trial?" "Yes." "He testified against me." "He didn't look at me once." "With my wife too, it was at the divorce." "Never since." "She sends the kid by train or by plane." "With a label around her neck, like a parcel." "How's work?" "It feels weird." "To be in a hospital?" "No, it's not that." "It's..." "I was in a lab, amongst test tubes and microscopes." "No, it's... starting again, something starting again..." "I don't know, I find it hard to explain." "No, you explain it very well." "Don't the others annoy you?" "No, they're OK." "I wanted to tell you..." "I think I'm gonna do it." "Remember my project, the Orinoco?" "After all this time, it's beginning to take shape in my mind." "In fact, nothing is holding me back." "Nothing." "That's great." "I'm happy for you." "Yeah..." " There." " That's it." "Why that there?" "That's an X. There, very good." "Why that?" "Find that." "It's a T. Where will we find it?" "There?" "No." "There?" " You idiot!" " Please stop it." "I told you not to." "You're hopeless!" "It hurts." "Dad, what's going on?" " Where does it hurt?" " My shoulder." "It's a dislocated shoulder." "I'll put it back in place." "It'll hurt a lot... but not long." "That's it." "It's over." "All right?" "Yeah, I'm all right." "But... that's incredible!" "Where did you learn that, Auntie?" " At scouts." " Scouts?" "What are they?" "I want to be a scout, too!" "With the two girls, my research has dwindled." "I go to fewer symposiums, I write less." "But I love the atmosphere at college." "I get on well with my colleagues." "Michel, for example, he's someone you can count on." "Has he never been married?" "Yes, but she died in a car accident, I think." "About ten years ago." "We didn't know each other then." "He's never mentioned it to me." "I found out by chance, from a secretary." "He's rather secretive, in fact." "Look who Mr. Lucien is with." "Amazing!" "When you're a guy, there's always hope!" "You'd forgotten about me." "What's that?" "I said you'd forgotten about me all those years." "Go on, take one at random." "Open it at any page." "The first thing I did every morning... was to write your name and how many days you'd been away." "You might say it only took a few seconds... that it was just letters and numbers." "But I thought so much of you in those moments... every day." "Like being reunited." "Morning, sir." "No, I'll come right away." "It's a department, you see, a team." "Even though you each have your own work... we expect some form of unity to build up... harmony." "We're not machines." "Several colleagues complained about... your coldness, your standoffishness, your silence." "It's awkward, very awkward." "So, am I fired?" "No." "I never said that." "But... don't forget... you're on trial." "Make an effort." "That's it, make an effort." "Don't be so withdrawn." "Open up a little." "Of course, I understand that..." "it mustn't be..." "Well..." "I understand, but..." "You understand what?" " Time to go to sleep now." " No!" " Come on." " Leave it on, please." "Not for long." "I'll turn it off later." " Mum, I have a question." " What, darling?" "When you were little, were you with Auntie all the time?" "Yes, a lot, of course." "But Auntie is bigger than you." "So she protected you?" "Yes, from everything." "Why did she stop one day?" "Because I wasn't a kid any more." "Go to sleep now." "But we all need to be protected, even grown-ups, don't we?" "That's what your silly dad... is there for!" "Come on, you go to sleep." "You know, I really like Auntie." "Me too, sweetheart." "It's a shame she didn't have kids." "Why do you say that?" "Because then I'd have cousins." "Right." "Go to sleep." "Do you want to go home?" " It's still warm." "Let's walk." " If you like." "For two years, I paced a small courtyard." "A tiny triangular courtyard... with high walls." "I used to count my steps, every one of them." "And later, I counted more steps at the main prison." "The guards called me the Walker and the girls the Absent One." "They said I never seemed to be there." " Hey, wait!" " Not so fast!" "One of Giono's novels has a beautiful character... shut away in silence, called the Absent One." "The main character is in love with her." "You always see the world through books, don't you?" "They've helped me a lot." "Sometimes they help more than people." "Morning." "That's mine!" "Yes, but I'm very late." "I've got a meeting tonight." "What?" "I won't be around either." "End-of-year deliberations." "I told you." "What about us?" "Katrina will look after you." "Tough luck!" "She's at her mother-in-law's." "Grandpa will do it!" "Maybe..." "Maybe what?" "Maybe..." "I don't know, maybe Juliette could." "Unless she has other plans." "No plans." "I'd be glad to do it." "Great, Auntie!" "Thank you." "Bye, everyone." "Taskon, Laurent: 11." "Taskon, Frederic: 6." "Tramelle, Cecile: 18..." "Unbelievable!" "Did she bribe you?" "It's my new grading scheme." "Female: + 3." "Bare belly: + 2." "G- string: + 5." "No bra: + 4." "Navel piercing: +1..." "Yeah, yeah." "Juliette was starting to think highly of you." "I'll warn her." " Does she talk about me?" " Sort of." "Seriously, has she said anything?" "I love it!" "It's like you're 15 all over again." " Trousseau, Frederic: 8." " Tell me!" " Trussi, Ludivine: 5." " What do you talk about?" "Work!" "I'll tell you later." "Trousseau, Frederic: 8." "Trussi, Ludivine: 5." "May I?" "Are they sleeping?" " Like logs." " I will be soon, too." "And Luc?" "He's not back yet." "Are you still on for tomorrow?" "Hi, Mum." "I said I didn't need anything." "It's me, Mum." "Who?" "I don't know you." "Go away or I'll call for help." "Mum, it's Léa, your daughter." "It's me." "Yes, I recognize you now." "But I don't need anything." "Look, I brought you flowers." "You won't win me over with flowers!" "A colleague of yours?" " Mum, it's..." " Stop calling me Mum!" "It's getting on my nerves." "Go fetch a vase." "Go on." "OK?" "I get everything stolen here." "What a strange job you do." "Why do you come and pester us in here?" "Why are you clinging to me?" "You've got some nerve!" "Clear off, both of you!" "Get out!" "Out!" "Michel?" "Hello, it's Juliette." "Hello, Juliette." "How are you?" "Fine." "I'm in town." "I thought we might meet up." "Sorry, I have a meeting in half an hour..." "Never mind." "After your meeting, perhaps." "I can go for a walk." "It could be long." "And later, I've arranged to see a colleague." "Some other time?" "Yeah, OK." " Excuse me." " Bye, Juliette." "Evening!" "Anyone here?" "Happy birthday!" " Go on, give her the presents." " Happy birthday!" "Open it." "Thank you." "The most difficult time was the end." "The last few weeks, after they'd told me I was getting out." "I kept having the same nightmare." "With my suitcase, I walked out and I was in the middle of nowhere." "There was nobody." "Just emptiness." "One day, they came and told me... that there was a visit for me." "I thought it was a mistake because... it was the first time I'd had a visit." "There was a young woman... sitting there." "She smiled at me." "I recognized her." "Léa." "I listened to her." "I didn't say a word." "She said she'd come back." "I decided not to see her." "The life she belonged to was dead to me." "But that evening, before I fell asleep, I remembered her as a child." "Little Lala... with her missing teeth, her smile... her hand in mine." "It's for that little girl... that I decided to come back." "Luc wants to go to the mountains for a boost... to get fit for his stupid football!" "I so wanted to look like you when I was little." "And now?" "Last night, I was thinking of the Green House in Hossegor." "When was the last time we went?" "Was it the year I broke my wrist?" "I've been back since." "I thought it had been demolished." "15 years ago it was still standing." "I went back with Pierre." "You look beautiful, Auntie!" "Do you think so?" "With or without?" "With!" "After dinner, where are you going dancing?" "That's a secret, Little Miss Nosey!" "Ready?" " Can you dance, Auntie?" " Like a queen!" "I'd love to go with you." "Really?" "You'll have to wait a few more years, pet." "First, I'm not your pet." "Second, I'm eight!" "Eight whole years!" "Be good for your father, he already looks exhausted." "Don't make too much noise." "Emelia's asleep." "And don't come home too late." "Yeah, sure!" "In your dreams!" " Goodbye." " Bye, Mum." "Bye, Auntie." "Bye." "Leave me alone." "You can tell me everything if you want." "You can talk to me." "I'm not other people." "Fontaine, Juliette?" "Let's go." "I'm Lieutenant Segral." "You report to me from now on." "I'm replacing Captain Fauré." "Sign there, at the bottom." "So, he's gone to the Orinoco?" "If that's what you call shooting yourself through the mouth..." "Ten days ago exactly." "Come with us." "Kaisha has just given birth." "No, I'd rather stay here." " Are you not well?" " I'm fine." "The director wants to see you." "Not like that." "I said two spoonfuls." "Darling, what have you done?" "You've got it everywhere!" " Like this, Auntie?" " Very good." "Now add butter." "No, like this." "Will there be enough?" "Yes." "If not, we can add redcurrants." "There you are." "What are we celebrating?" "All right?" "Will you tell him?" "What?" "I've got a permanent contract." "Now I understand!" "That calls for a drink." "At last, a researcher understands something!" " Hi, all." " Hi, all alone." "I'm not alone." "I brought the whole of Iraq!" " Why use the back door?" " Why not?" "Oh, little Zaina!" "I've got my little love with me." "See, darling?" "Come and see the baby." " Hang on..." "It's you." " Yep!" "You, as a girl." "With a beard like yours!" " She's gorgeous!" " She's asleep." " She's like me." " Not really." "Eats and sleeps!" "There." "Careful, it's very hot." " Will you be OK?" " Yep." "They've eaten a lot." "What?" "Thank you." "Juliette!" "It's 8:30 already." "If you want a lift, I'm going." "Yes, coming." "Mum..." "You look a lot better, Fatty!" "I should've taken you to the nursery." "What's that?" "Where did you get this?" "Where?" "Marie-Paule, please look after Emelia!" "Yes, madam." ""A garden in the rain is so sweet..." ""and sad, like me without you, Mum." ""I don't want you to die, ever." ""We'll always be together, my love." ""Your little Pierre. "" "MEDICAL ANALYSIS LABORATORY" "At the clear fountain" "While I was strolling by" "I found the water so nice..." "I'll leave you to it!" "No, Auntie, stay here!" " You don't look too good." " I'm OK." " Are you sure?" " Yes." "What's this photocopy?" "Where do these results come from?" " Is it for Emelia?" " No." " P'tit Lys?" " Not at all." " Promise?" " It's not the girls." "You don't know him." "It's someone who died a long time ago." " What's going on?" " Nothing." " Are you sure?" " Yes." "Why so mysterious, then?" "And that isn't your writing." "Don't ask questions." "I can't explain... but it's important." "Very important to me." "Please!" "I need to ask colleagues who are more specialized... but it doesn't look good to me." "Not good at all." "I'll call you as soon as I know, OK?" "OK." "They're always in here, you know." "War is weak, after all." "It can't destroy everything." "Come on." "Will you be all right?" "I'll call you." " Sorry." " That's OK." "The agent gave me the keys." "Well?" "Yes..." "Don't you like it?" "What do you think?" "It's not bad." "You don't sound too convinced." "Yes, it's bright." " I liked having you at home." " Yes, but "home" is your home." "It's time I had my own home." " Mrs. Fontaine?" " Yes." "Let me show you something." ""The prince went slowly through the forest." ""His beautiful horse was silent." ""Its hooves didn't make a sound on the moss." ""The branches magically spread before him. "" "Mum, phone!" "Go ahead, Samir." ""The sky was taking on the color of roses." ""'Will I be in time?" "' the prince wondered." ""He remembered what the magician had told him." ""The night is your only enemy." "Once it has cast..." ""its cloak of darkness over the world" ""and you can't tell the shadow of a dog" ""from that of a wolf" ""you will know it is too late" ""and that your beautiful lady is lost forever." ""Hurry if you love her." ""The prince's heart was pounding." "He knew... "" "OK." ""He was thinking of his beloved, of the darkness... "" "OK." "Mum, let's go, we'll be late." "Mum, what's going on?" "Nothing." "Don't worry." "Let's go." "Let's go." "We were there." "Didn't we matter?" "Do you think others matter at times like that?" "That you care what other people might think or do?" "You were all alive and well!" "You belonged to the kind one comes to hate... for the mere fact that they are there." "Why didn't you tell us?" "Why?" "I was there." "We were there." "We could have helped you!" "Helped me in what way?" "What could you have done?" "When he screamed out in pain, when his limbs started writhing and..." "When he was choking... when he was choking to death... what could you have done?" "What would you have done?" "I'm here." "I love you, do you understand?" "I love you." "Tell me." "Tell me!" "Go on." "Tell me." "Say it." "Say it!" "From the beginning, I knew." "From the first symptoms." "I did the tests myself, at the lab." "And one night..." "Pierre took the paper to write a poem." "He was so proud when he gave it back." "Little chap..." "He looked so handsome... so happy." "And I saw the little corpse he would become." "I felt inside me... a pain, like a big hand ripping out my stomach and heart, which kept rummaging inside me." "So, I took him with me." "They said I kidnapped him, it's true." "I kidnapped him." "I kidnapped my own kid." "One night, we had a big party... at the Green House." "By then, he could barely move." "We sang and we laughed." "I read him all his favorite stories." "Then I lay him down." "I told him I loved him and that I was going to give him an injection." "I stayed right up against him till morning." "Nothing mattered any more." "I wanted to go to prison." "Either way, I was guilty." "I'd given birth to him and condemned him to die." "And I had nothing to say." "Explain..." "Explain what?" "To whom?" "Explaining is looking for excuses." "Death has no excuses." "The worst prison is the death of a child." "You never get out of it." "Look, it's so beautiful." "It's Michel." "Anyone home?" "I'm here." "I'm here."