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Quotation of the Day for March 7, 2011'But this world,' Serdyuk began ingratiatingly, 'is like bubbles on the water. The security guard laughed and shook his head. 'Sure, sure,' he said. 'We know what kind of place it is we work in. But you've got to understand where I'm coming from. Just imagine that along with those bubbles there's a set of instructions drifting along on the water. And just as long as it's reflected in one of those bubbles, we lock up at eleven and open the door at eight. And that's it.' Serdyuk sensed a note of uncertainty in the security guard's voice and he tried pressing his point home a little harder. 'Mr Kawabata will be very surprised at your behaviour,' he answered. 'You're supposed be responsible for security in a serious firm, and you need such simple things explained to you. It must be obvious that if the world is only a mirage...' 'A mirage, a mirage,' said the security guard in a thoughtful voice, and he focused his eyes on a point that was obviously a long way beyond the wall. 'We know all about that. We haven't just started here, you know. And we have training sessions every week. But I'm not trying to tell you that door's real. Shall I tell you what I think?' 'Go on then.' 'The way I reckon, there isn't any substantial door at all, there's nothing but a provisional totality of essentially empty elements of perception.' 'Precisely!' said Serdyuk, delighted, and he took another little step in the direction of his shoes. 'But there's no way I'm opening up that totality before eight o'clock,' said the security guard, slapping himself on the palm with his rubber truncheon. - Victor Pelevin, from his novel Buddha's Little Finger (translated by Andrew Bromfield). (The novel is called The Clay Machine-Gun in some markets.) Submitted by: Terry Labach Feb. 16, 2011  |
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