Chapter 6

           Ithasbeenmyexperiencetoputasideadecisionforfuturepondering.Thenoneday,fencingapieceoftimetofacetheproblem,Ihavefounditalreadycompleted,solved,andtheverdicttaken.Thismusthappentoeveryone,butIhavenowayofknowingthat.It’sasthough,inthedarkanddesolatecavesofthemind,afacelessjuryhadmetanddecided.ThissecretandsleeplessareainmeIhavealwaysthoughtofasblack,deep,wavelesswater,aspawningplacefromwhichonlyafewformseverrisetothesurface.Ormaybeit’sagreatlibrarywhereisrecordedeverythingthathaseverhappenedtolivingmatterbacktothefirstmomentwhenitbegantolive.

           Ithinksomepeoplehavecloseraccesstothisplacethanothers—poets,forexample.Once,whenIhadapaperrouteandnoalarmclock,Iworkedoutawaytosendasignalandtogetareply.Lyinginbedatnight,Iwouldseemyselfstandingontheedgeoftheblackwater.Ipicturedawhitestoneheldinmyhand,acircularstone.Iwouldwriteonitssurfaceinveryblackletters"4o’clock,"thendropthestoneandwatchitsink,turningoverandover,untilitdisappeared.Itworkedforme.OnthesecondoffourIawakened.LaterIcoulduseittoarousemeattenminutesoffourorquarterafter.Anditneverfailedme.

           Andthensometimesastrange,sometimeshideousthingthrustsuptothesurfaceasthoughaseaserpentorakrakenemergedfromthegreatdepths.