Спрут: Каліфорнійська історія

           ButGodgivethitabodyasithathpleasedhim,andtoeveryseedhisownbody....Itissownanaturalbody;itisraisedaspiritualbody.’Itisbecauseyouareanaturalbodythatyoucannotunderstandher,norwishforherasaspiritualbody,butwhenyouarebothspiritual,thenyoushallknoweachotherasyouare—knowasyouneverknewbefore.Yourgrainofwheatisyoursymbolofimmortality.Youburyitintheearth.Itdies,andrisesagainathousandtimesmorebeautiful.Vanamee,yourdeargirlwasonlyagrainofhumanitythatwehaveburiedhere,andtheendisnotyet.Butallthisissoold,soold.Theworldlearneditathousandyearsago,andyeteachmanthathaseverstoodbytheopengraveofanyonehelovedmustlearnitalloveragainfromthebeginning.”

           Vanameewassilentforamoment,lookingoffwithunseeingeyesbetweenthetrunksofthepeartrees,overthelittlevalley.

           “Thatmayallbeasyousay,”heansweredafterawhile.“Ihavenotlearnedityet,inanycase.Now,IonlyknowthatIloveher—oh,asifitallwereyesterday—andthatIamsuffering,suffering,always.”

           Heleanedforward,hisheadsupportedonhisclenchedfists,theinfinitesadnessofhisfacedeepeninglikeashadow,thetearsbrimminginhisdeep-seteyes.Aquestionthathemustask,whichinvolvedthethingthatwasscarcelytobethoughtof,occurredtohimatthismoment.Afterhesitatingforalongmoment,hesaid:

           “Ihavebeenawayalongtime,andIhavehadnonewsofthisplacesinceIleft.