Гипноз

           Hedidnotalwaysglanceatthesameplaceinthesky—itseemedtobeadifferentplaceatdifferenttimes. Onspringeveningsitwouldbelowinthenortheast. Inthesummeritwouldbenearlyoverhead. Intheautumnitwouldbeinthenorthwest. Inwinteritwouldbeintheeast,butmostlyifinthesmallhoursofmorning. 

           Midwintereveningsseemedleastdreadfultohim. OnlyaftertwoyearsdidIconnectthisfearwithanythinginparticular; butthenIbegantoseethathemustbelookingataspecialspotonthecelestialvaultwhosepositionatdifferenttimescorrespondedtothedirectionofhisglance—aspotroughlymarkedbytheconstellationCoronaBorealis. 

           WenowhadastudioinLondon, neverseparating,butneverdiscussingthedayswhenwehadsoughttoplumbthemysteriesoftheunrealworld. Wewereagedandweakfromourdrugs,dissipations,andnervousoverstrain, andthethinninghairandbeardofmyfriendhadbecomesnow-white. Ourfreedomfromlongsleepwassurprising,forseldomdidwesuccumbmorethananhourortwoatatimetotheshadowwhichhadnowgrownsofrightfulamenace. 

           ThencameoneJanuaryoffogandrain,whenmoneyranlowanddrugswerehardtobuy. Mystatuesandivoryheadswereallsold,andIhadnomeanstopurchasenewmaterials,orenergytofashionthemevenhadIpossessedthem. Wesufferedterribly,andonacertainnightmyfriendsankintoadeep-breathingsleepfromwhichIcouldnotawakenhim. Icanrecallthescenenow—thedesolate,pitch-blackgarretstudioundertheeaveswiththerainbeatingdown; thetickingofourloneclock;thefanciedtickingofourwatchesastheyrestedonthedressing-table;thecreakingofsomeswayingshutterinaremotepartofthehouse;certaindistantcitynoisesmuffledbyfogandspace;