The tentacles suddenly let me go； I threw myself toward the place she was speaking from； but at that very moment everything was brought down in confusion. Shouts from behind： "They are coming here！ Coming here！" The lights twinkled and went out—someone had cut the cable—and everything was like a lava of cries， groaning， heads， fingers....
I do not know how long we were rolled about that way in the underground tube. I only remember that underneath my feet steps were felt， dusk appeared， becoming brighter and brighter， and again we were in the street， dispersing fan wise in different directions.
Again I was alone. Wind. Gray， low twilight crawling over my head. In the damp glass of the sidewalk， somewhere very deep， there were light， topsy-turvy walls and figures moving along， feet upward. And that terribly heavy package in my hands pulled me down into that depth， to the bottom.
At the desk again. U- was not yet there； her room was dark and empty. I went up to my room and turned on the light. My temples， tightly bound by the iron ring， were pulsating. I paced and paced， always in the same circle： my table， the white package on the table， the bed， my table， the white package on the table... In the room to my left the curtains were lowered. To my right， the knotty bald head bent over a book， the enormous， parabolic forehead. Wrinkles on the forehead like a series of yellow， illegible lines. At times our eyes met， and then I felt that those lines were about me.
...It happened at twenty-one o"clock exactly. U- came in on her own initiative. I remember that my breathing was so loud that I could hear it， and that I wanted to breathe less noisily but was unable to.
She sat down and arranged the fold of her unif on her knees. The pinkish-brown gills were waving.
"Oh， dear， is it true that you are wounded？ I just learned about it， and at once I ran..."
The piston was before me on the table. I jumped up， breathing even louder. She heard， and stopped halfway through a word and rose. Already I had located the place on her head； something disgustingly sweet was in my mouth...My handkerchief！ I could not find it. I spat on the floor.
The fellow with the yellow， fixed wrinkles which think of me！ He must not see. It would be even more disgusting if he could...I pressed the button （I had no right to， but who cared about fights at that moment？）. The curtains fell.
Evidently she felt and understood what was coming， for she rushed to the door. But I was quicker than she， and I locked the door with the key， breathing loudly and not for a second taking my eyes from that place on her head
"You...you are mad！ How dare you..." She moved backward toward the bed， put her trembling hands between her knees...Like a tense spring， holding her firmly with my gaze，"I slowly stretched out my arm toward the table （only one arm could move）， and I snatched the piston.
"I implore you！ One day—only one day！ Tomorrow I shall go and attend to the formalities..."
What was she talking about？ I swung my arm...And I consider I killed her. Yes， you my unknown readers， you have the right to call me murderer. I know that I should have dealt the blow on her head had she not screamed：
"For... for the sake...I agree....I ...one moment..." With trembling hands she tore off her unif—a large， yellow， drooping body， she fell upon the bed....
Then I understood； she thought that I pulled the curtains...in order to...that I wanted...
This was so unexpected and so stupid that I burst out laughing. Immediately the tense spring within me broke， and my hand weakened， and the piston fell to the floor.
Here I learned from personal experience that laughter is the most terrible of weapons； you can kill anything with laughter， even murder. I sat at my table and laughed desperately； I saw no way out of that absurd situation. I don"t know what would have been the end if things had run their natural course， but suddenly a new factor in the arithmetical chain： the telephone rang.
I hurried， grasped the receiver. Perhaps she... I heard an unfamiliar voice：
"Wait a minute."
Annoying， infinite buzzing. Heavy steps from afar， nearer and louder like cast iron， and...
"D-5037 The Well-Doer speaking. Come at once to me."
Ding！ He hung up the receiver. Ding！ like a key in a keyhole.
U- was still in bed， eyes closed， gills apart in the form of a smile. I picked up her clothes， threw them on her， and said through clenched teeth：
"Well. Quick！ Quick！"
She raised her body on her elbow， her breasts hanging down to one side， eyes round. She became a figure of wax.
"What？"
"Get dressed， that is what！"
Face distorted， she firmly snatched her clothes and said in a fiat voice， "Turn away... "
I turned away， pressed my forehead against the glass. Light， figures， sparks were trembling in the black， wet mirror....No， all this was I， myself—within me..... What did HE call me for？ Is it possible that HE knows already about her， about me， about everything？
U-， already dressed， was at the door. I made a step toward her and pressed her hand as hard as though I hoped to squeeze out of it， drop by drop， what I needed.
"Listen... Her name， you know whom I am talking of， did you report her name？ No？ Tell the truth， I must ... I don"t care what happens， but tell the truth！"
"No."
"No？ But why not， since you..."
Her lower lip turned out like the lip of that boy and her face...tears were running down her cheeks.
"Because I... I was afraid that if I did you might...you would stop lov— Oh， I cannot， I could not！"
I understood， It was the truth， Absurd， ridiculous， human truth. I opened the door.
