Chapter 11 Chapter Eleven

The afternoon when Schelling 501 returned to Salo was the rainy season, and it was raining non-stop.When the chubby psychologist stepped out of the plane, it rained so hard that the airport became almost an ocean.The downpour was accompanied by a strong wind. The sky is gloomy, the earth is gloomy...everything is gloomy... Although the sky is dark, the sun is still in the sky after all.Behind the milky clouds to the west could be Onas.There are indications that Tano and Sisar are luminous in the east.The sky was unpleasantly dark because of the thick clouds, but for Schelling it was unpleasant.Although in Joller he had confided his feelings to his master, the shadow left by his fifteen-minute tunnel journey still lingered and tormented him secretly.

He would rather fast for ten days than admit it to Kylaritan, Chubero, and the others.But the fact is that his life was in danger at that time. For the next three or four days, Schelling experienced a shock, a claustrophobic shock.In Joller, many people have been committed to mental institutions because of it.During his reports in the hotel room, he would often feel the sudden darkness overtake him, and he would have to get up, go to the terrace, or even leave the room altogether to take a long walk in the garden.Is this necessary?Oh, maybe not, but he'd love to.Of course he would, and every time he did, he felt better.

Or feel surrounded by darkness every time you fall asleep.Naturally, when he sleeps, the light in the room is always on... every time he sleeps, he knows no one who has been in a tunnel otherwise... since the tunnel trip, he also has emergency lights, In case the battery dies.But the battery display clearly stated that it can still be used for six months.Still, Schelling's sleepy brain was convinced that his room had been plunged into deep darkness, utter darkness, utter darkness.He often awoke from his sleep, trembling and sweating, convinced that he had fallen into a dark abyss.But the lamps on either side of the bed still had a friendly glow, telling him that everything was all right.

Now, stepping off the plane into this dusky land... oh, home at last, but he would have preferred a sunnier arrival.He had to get rid of those mild afflictions...maybe not so mild.When he walked into the airy arched glass passage leading to the terminal building, he wished it hadn't been built, or better yet hadn't sealed him off.Even if it is wet by the rain, it is better than being sealed.It would be better, he thought, to go out into the open air and feel the comforting sunlight directly (no matter how weak it is, no matter how deep the sun hides behind the clouds.). But he finally passed through this disgusting passage.While claiming his luggage, the happy reality of being home finally overcomes his lingering shadow of darkness.

Lilias 221's car was waiting for him outside the baggage claim, which made him feel much better.Lilias was a slim, pleasant-looking young woman in her mid-thirties who worked in the psychology department.She performed complex animal experiments and had no connection to his work.They have known each other for more than ten years.If marriage had been desired, Schelling would have proposed to her long ago.But he didn't attach much importance to marriage; and she showed him the same.The current relationship is quite suitable for both of them. "Enough is enough, these days, I've been wanting to go home..." he said, quickly got into the car, sat next to her, and leaned over to give her a quick and friendly kiss.

"It's been raining like this for three days now, and the weather forecast says it'll last three more days until the next Onas Day. I think we'll all be drowned by then. Sherin, you look like I lost a lot of weight!" "Really? Oh, you know, northern food...isn't my taste at all..." He hadn't expected the thinness to be so noticeable, and it wouldn't have been noticeable to a man of his waistline who was ten or fifteen pounds less, but it still didn't escape Lilias's keen eyes.Maybe he had lost more than ten or fifteen pounds.Since walking through the tunnel, he has practically forced himself to eat.It turns out that a person who can eat and drink suddenly reduces his diet, which is really hard for him to believe!

"You look good, healthy and full of life," she said. "yes?" "I don't want you to be skinny, and I don't want you to be, but it doesn't matter much to be thin. So you're doing well in Joller?" "This……" "Did you go to the Centennial Exposition?" "Yes, it's wonderful." The answer was insincere, "My God, this rain, Lilias." "Isn't it raining in Joel?" "Sunny and dry, the same as when I left Salo." "Oh, the seasons change, Schelling. You can't expect one climate to last half the year, you know. The sun rises differently every day, and we can't expect the weather to stay the same."

"I don't know whether you're a meteorologist or an astrologer," Schelling said. "Neither, but a psychologist... Aren't you going to tell me something about the trip, Sherin?" He hesitated for a moment and said, "The expo is great. It's a pity you didn't get to see it. But most of the time I worked hard. In the north of the city, they made a little mess that needed to be dealt with. It was the mysterious tunnel." "Is it true that someone died in the tunnel?" "A few people. They were mostly traumatized, disoriented and claustrophobic. I spoke to some patients. They took months to recover, some lost their minds for life. Still, the tunnel was open few weeks."

"After the problem?" "No one cares, at least the exposition executives don't care, they're only interested in selling tickets. The people who go to the fair are curious about the dark. Curious about the dark, can you imagine, Lilias? They line up, willing to take Take risks with your own heads! Of course, they are all sure that bad luck will not come to them. Most of them did not bring bad luck, but not all... I also performed tunneling myself." "You went through the tunnel?" she said, sounding surprised. "How did it feel?" "It's disgusting. I'll pay you as much as you want as long as you don't wear it."

"But apparently you're all right." "Obviously," he said cautiously, "I'd eat half a dozen live fish and I might be all right. But I don't want to repeat that kind of thing. I told them to shut down the damn tunnel I never Opinion from a professional point of view. I think they will obey it. We are not made for darkness, Lilias. One minute, two minutes, maybe we can handle it...then it is difficult to sustain. This is born Here, I am sure of this, it has evolved through tens of thousands of years. Darkness is the cruelest thing in the world, and there are still people who can think of it and sell it to people as entertainment..." His voice was trembling , "However, the matter of Joel is over, and I have returned to school. How is the situation in the university these days?"

"Nothing special." Lilias replied, "as usual, quarreling over trivial matters, holding meetings, making high-level statements, brutally interfering in hot issues of one kind or another...you know all of this." After a moment of silence, holding the steering wheel tightly with both hands, he drove through a section of highway that was flooded. "By the way, there's a lot going on at the observatory. Your friend Beanie 25 came here to see you, and he didn't tell me much about it, but it seems like they're about to re-evaluate an important theory. People boo There was a lot of noise. Veteran Arthur himself led this study. You can imagine. I think his brain was frozen a century ago... Beanie got involved with a reporter who wrote a popular column. Like his The name is Theremon, Theremon 762. I don't like him very much," he's famous and he's got a lot of drive.Although I am not sure exactly what they will condemn, I think it must be something of some magnitude.Otherwise, the two of them wouldn't spend as much time together. " Xie Lin secretly made a note in his mind that when he got home, he must call the young astronomer.Beanie lived with his sister's daughter Resta 717 for almost a year, with whom Schelling developed a close friendship.The age difference between the two is more than 20 years old, but they are friends who have forgotten their age.Schelling's hobby was astronomy, which became the bond between the two men. Arthur is back on the theoretical research post!As you can imagine, what this means!Which megalomaniac published a paper attacking the law of gravity?No, Schelling thought... no one would dare. "How are you?" asked Schelling. "What have you been up to while I've been gone, and you haven't said a word to me yet." "What do you think I did, Schelling? Go paragliding in the mountains? Attend a Pyromeeting meeting? Take a new course in politics? None of it. Not the old stuff: reading, teaching, doing experiments, wait for you Come back. I also planned a meal for you when you come back... Are you sure you're not on a diet right now?" "Of course not." He gently put his hand in hers for a while, "Lilias, I've always missed you." "I believe so." "I wish I could have supper soon." "That sounds at least like rhetoric." The rain was getting heavier, pouring down on the windshield.Lilias did his best to keep the car under control on the road.Now they were passing the Pantheon, a magnificent cathedral whose brick facade looked less imposing from the rain.When it rained heavily, the sky became much darker.Schelling didn't dare to look outside the car, so he could only curl up inside the car, looking at the illuminated dashboard, to make himself feel a little better. He didn't want to stay in the closed car anymore, he wanted to go outside the car, regardless of whether it rained or not.But that's what a madman does, and he'll be drenched in no time, and maybe submerged, the water on the road is too deep. He told himself to think of pleasant things, the warm and bright light, the sun, the golden light of Ornas, the warm light of Patru and Trey, and even the cold light of Sisar and Tano and the faint light of Dovim red light.He also thought of supper: Lilias cooked you a good dinner, and greeted you.What a cook she is, Lilias. He realized he wasn't hungry at all.Such a dark and unbearable weather, I really can't whet my appetite... It's too dark... It's too dark... But Lilias is very sensitive about her cooking skills, especially when cooking for him.Therefore, he made up his mind to finish the meal in front of him, even if he forced himself to finish it.How funny the idea, he thought: he, Schelling, a glutton, would force himself to eat! He couldn't help laughing, and Lilias turned to look at him. "What's so funny?" "I think... um... Arthur should go back to do scientific research," he said hastily, "the top position in astronomy has been sitting for so many years, and he has also done administrative work for many years, so he should be satisfied. I must Call Benny and find out what's going on at the observatory."