yes, it was still there. shutting his eyes would not make it flee once he opened them again. it had no father, no mother, yet there it was, just as he had conceived it between unwritten sheets. he stroke it gently, then lifted it tenderly to the night table, where he placed it, without spilling a drop of its efficacy, plop in the middle of a folded kleenex. it was sweating, so he wiped it with his index finger, alas! the dot was gone. there was no mistaking it as he bent closer and saw the stump, the bare stump of the i without its had. it had lost itself in the grain of the wood. he sprang out of bed and switched on the overhead light. covering his nakedness from the newborn invalid with his left hand, he lifted everything off the table with his right and placed the objects, one by one, as they were on the tabletop, onto the bed. with his free hand he went over every inch of the tabletop. to no avail, he bent down and licked the table, licking it from left to right, right to left, up and down and back again, slowly, then frantically, feverishly, in and out faster and faster, coating the surface with saliva and sweat. he pulled his tongue back in suddenly. he rushed up to the mirror and thrust it out. he could see nothing unusual. but the painful throbbing spread. he looked at it again. no dot. now his teeth hurt, too. his lower jaw. left ear. he fled to the end of the hall, where the young woman lived, and entered without knocking.

“wake.up..wake...up....,” he implored.

her left eye opened, then the right. “what do you want at this ungodly hour?”

you........must.........come.........with.......

....me.........quickly,” he pleaded.

“pull yourself together, man. get under the cover and catch a little sleep.”

must.............come..............with...............me...............at.......

..........once..................”

“you can’t be that hard up.”

"you........

.............don't......................understand..............................

.it's........................my........................tongue...................

.....................my............................teeth........................

.................my..............................gums...........................

................my...............................left...........................

.................ear..................................and.......................

........................it's......................................spreading.....

....................................to..........................................

.....my...........................................throat........................

...............................help!............................................

me................................................do............................

.............................something..........................................

........pull....................................................it..............

......................................out.......................................

...................pull.......................................................it

.......................................................out......................

.......................................please...................................

..............................help..............................................

...............me...............................................................

."
"calm down a bit, for pity's sake. what is it you want me to pull out?"

"look.....................................................................at....

.............................................................it.................

................................................do..............................

.....................................you........................................

............................see.................................................

....................it..........................................................

...............?"

i se a tongue, that's all i see. now look, i don't even know who you are. either cool off and get in bed with me for a little while or go back where you came from. i just hit the pad and i intend to get some more sleep." she rolled over and pulled the pillow over her head.

"you're..........................................................

................a...............................................................

................murderer........................................................

................"