Chapter 4
The Emptyscope
Poup was a little over fifty, but looked much older than his age. A heavyset man with a childish smile, he almost instantly produced an impression of slight insanity on strangers. It was on the account of his manners and gestures, as if he was trying to catch some invisible creature in the air. And that’s exactly what Jacob was doing, for, in his opinion, all more or less worthwhile thoughts were such creatures. These thoughts were rushing about – intertwining, untwisting, tumbling and playing unimaginable antics. Even after inventing the emptyscope, Poup didn’t get rid of that absurd habit – to grab them like a child grabs bright, colorful toys.
The story of his discovery was dazzling and sad at once. It began in his student years, when the incredibly gifted an
