MS-HRC-SB-5-10

[2301.2] communicating, communicating, connected by pipes under
the floor, I can see it from here, always showing the same level,
no, that wouldn't work, too hopeless, ^{they'd arrange for me to}
have little ^attacks of hope from time to
time, yes, with pipes and taps, I can see it from here, so that
I ^{might fool myself} from time to time, if I had that to do,
instead of this, some little job with fluids, filling and empty-
ing, always the same vessel, I'd ^{[⁁] be good at that,} it would be a better

[2301.2] life than this, [2301.3] no, I ^mustn't complain, I'd have a body, I would-
n't have to ^speak, I'd hear my steps, almost without
ceasing, and the noise of the water, and the crying of the air
trapped in the pipes, I don't understand, I'd have ^bouts of
^zeal, I'd say to m^yself, The quicker I do it the quicker it
will be done, the things one has to listen to, that's where
hope would come in, it wouldn't be dark, impossible to do such
work in the dark, that depends, yes, I must say I see no window,

[2301.3] from here, whereas here that ^has no importance, that I see
no window, here I ^needn't come and go, fortunately, I couldn't
, nor be dexterous, for naturally the water would have great
value and the least drop ^spilt on the way, or in the act of draw-
ing, or in the act of pouring, would cost me dear, and howcould
you know, in the dark, if a drop, [2301.4] what's this story, it's a story,

[2301.4] now I've told another little story, about me, about the life
^that might have been mine for all the difference it would have
made, which was perhaps mine, perhaps I went through that before
being deemed worthy ^{of going} through this, who know^{s for} what
high destiny I am ^heading, unless I am coming from it.

[2302] But
once again the fable must be of another, I see him so well, com-
ing and going among his casks, trying to stop his hand from
trembling, dropping his thimble, listening to it bouncing and
rolling on the floor, scraping around for it with his foot,

[2302] going ^down on his knees, going ^down on his belly, crawling, it stops
there, that must have been ^I, but I never saw myself, so it can't
be ^I, I don't know, how can I recognize myself who never made
my acquaintance, it stops there, that's all I know, I don't see
him any more, I'll never see him again, yes I will, now he's