Chapter Forty
Denis monitored the shadows in his room, thought back on wooden dolls in an attic, casting patterns of darkness on the floor. His mind felt sluggish. It was probably fatigue. It might be something else. He had read the third episode of Mangin’s story. What had started as a cheap feuilleton1 was now a story – the word ‘psycho-drama’ came to his mind – symbolizing the unfathomable functioning of the mind. He looked at the grey notebook before him and wondered where 232 had gleaned so much knowledge about the history of psychiatry.
Afterwards, he reread a part of Marie’s letter. The words “Let me tell you a story with some monstrosities in it, it will cheer you up” made him laugh, but they also poked resentment.
The last sentence of her letter made him aware of a presence. So
