Now I know what it is like to feel like a total idiot.

Why bother inflicting enormous pain on yourself when sooner or later Life would certainly get around to doing it for you?

The mind picks some very bad times to take a walk doesn't it?

In that tremendous flash of freedom, on my way to do The Thing for the first time, sanctioned by Almighty Harry, I receded, faded back into the scenery of my own dark self, whole the other me crouched and growled. I would do It at last, do what I had been created to do. And I did.

For the first time I could remember, I felt weak, woozy and stupid— like a human-being. Like a very small and helpless human-being.

After a long moment I closed the freezer door. I wanted to lie down and press my cheek against the cool linoleum. Instead I reached out with my little finger and flipped the Barbie's head. It went thack thack against the door. I flipped it again. Thack thack. Whee. I had a new hobby.

Or was he saying, "Hi! Wanna play?" And I did. Of course I did.