MS-HRC-SB-5-10

[1976] lamps, lit and trained on the within, to make him think
they are still there, notwithstanding the silence, or to make him
think the grey is ^natural, or to make him go on suffering, for he
does not suffer from the noise ^{[⁁] alone}, he suffers from the grey too,
the light, he must, it's preferable, or to enable them to come

[1976] back, if the master commands them to, without his knowing they have
gone, as if he could know, or for no other reason than their ignor-
ance of what to do, whether to fill up the holes or let them fill
up ^of themselves, it's like shit, there we ^{have it} at last, there it is
at last, the right word, one has only to search, search in vain,
to be sure of finding in the end, it's a question of elimination.

[1977] Enough now about holes.[1978] The grey means nothing, the grey silence is
not necessarily a mere lull, to be got through somehow, it may be
final, or it may not.[1979] But the lamps unattended will not burn ^on for
ever, on the contrary, they will go out, little by little, without
attendants to charge them anew, and go silent, in the end.[1980] Then
it will be ^black.[1981] But it is with the ^black as with the grey, the ^black
proves nothing either, as to the value of the silence which ^{so to speak} it
^inspissates.

[1982] For they may come back, long after the lights
are spent, having pleaded ^{in vain} for years before the master ^{and failed to convince} him there is nothing to be done, with Worm,
for Worm.[1983] Then all will start over again, obvio^usly.

[1984] So it will
never be known, Worm will never know, let the silence be black, or
let it be grey, ^{it can never be known}, as long as it
lasts, whether it is final, or whether it is a mere lull, ^and what
a lull, when he must listen, strain his ears for the mu^rmurs of
olden silences, hold himself ready for the next instal-
ment, under pain of supplementary thunderbolts.[1985] But Worm
must not be confused with another.

[1986] Though this has no importance, as
it happens.[1987] For he who has once had to listen will listen always,
whether he knows he will never hear anything again, or whether he
does not.[1988] In other words, they like other words, no doubt about
that, silence once broken will never again be whole.[1989] Is there then
no hope?[1990] Good gracious, no, heavens, what an idea!Just a faint

[1991] Just a faint