Why is there still nothing in the papers?
He knows they have found Fastré, they were in the cinema on Sunday. Lehmann said the police were there. He didn’t know why, of course. Lehmann, the idiot, but that doesn’t matter. If they were there, for whatever reason, then they must have found Fastré!
So why can’t he read about it? It ought to be in all the city’s papers. They all wrote about Franck, after all, so why not about Fastré?
When will they write about it? The world must learn what has happened and why. Must understand what this is about. So that it can finally end. He can’t take care of them all, not every single one.
They have to understand, otherwise it will keep happening. To those who are depriving film of its beauty, its purity. Who are depriving themselves of their own beauty, their own purity.
Only he can ensure both are returned.
But he can’t take care of them all; they must see that!
Or perhaps it is his fault? Does he need to be quicker? Not take so much time? Or wait so long?
He has only invited her to dinner, hasn’t prepared anything otherwise, hasn’t given Albert the night off. But does he really have to speak to her first to know what he must do? He has heard her, has seen how she has destroyed the magic of her own image. What they have sent to him in the lab is ghastly!
When she is on-screen she is the perfect woman, made purely of light – and then she destroys everything because she opens her mouth and the loudspeakers begin to crackle and croak. It was so awful he had to cover his ears. Why is she doing this to him? Why is she doing it to herself?
His decision is made. It will happen today! No time to lose, he must continue, otherwise there will be too many. She is perfect, perhaps the best he has ever invited.
He goes downstairs, the preparations are quickly made, the syringes filled and his tools placed at the ready. He must only prepare the wine for the anaesthetic. And of course load the film.
Upstairs the doorbell rings. He hears Albert making his way through the hall.
It can’t be her; he still has a couple of hours.