His absence must have moved her to it — now he found the jacket of his corpus set apart from the former one-piece. She had neatly brought both parts to a distance, demonstratively to be inferred from this: no animal would put its deed on show like that — urged him to rule out an oversight at once. His attention became, with silent appeasement, rigid upon what had happened. Only the circumspection of being able to trust no person too far held back worse in that moment.

They had not been friends long, but should that have been a cause? Doubts came to him, holding the relationship entered into, after the course of the last weeks, to be binding. Now he became alone with his view, for that, violence exercised against him served. She had to be in the flat as well, and he settled himself for the coming encounter; here at least firm in his self-determination. What was to be reproached in her was obvious, but what moved her, with what did she justify unveiling to him what he had found as a memorial?

He had to swallow convulsively, she had dared to press her outline into the next door. There was the feeling of aversion, which always suddenly and perhaps aimlessly scatters, and instantly grows more immoderate.

Seconds later he found himself in the opposite room, belly-down on the bed. His face turned from the door, to the corner, knowing she would follow, she would press after, would seek to confirm her deed through his reaction. Sadism breathes confirmation, so much was laid in the cradle. So he made ready to do her one last favour. What kind of craving was that? Love, at first sighting, was no more realistic than its counterpart, pursued him as he noticed the softly approaching steps of his agitation.

“Can you hate me properly for once?” she gave out.

He was not of this emotional kind, rather coolly calculating in his loving, which through consequently absent foresight had so far led him into no error. What became apparent was the twoness of a human relationship which, when it is raw, can take no regard of worldly things. He could not follow her hatred.

And he granted: Ye are they which justify yourselves before the gods, but I know your pains; for that which is highly esteemed among the gods is an abomination in my sight.^16:15