Chapter Six
Bartoff was not in the lunchroom; Bartoff was in his room, cradling Sam and weeping. All manner of metaphysical questions, none of which was destined to be recorded here, were put by him to Sam, but none met with an intelligible response. In Sam, Bartoff saw the innocence and natural joy in being alive which he, Bartoff, felt to have lost since he’d been a wee, unbearded lad. When the blizzard finished, he, Bartoff, would go back to his old life, his work, his family—and for what? True, Sam would without question accompany him—if that Tautphoeus woman tried to stop him, Bartoff would not hesitate to tear her arms from their sockets—but he (Bartoff) feared he (Sam) would not recognise him (Bartoff) against his (Bartoff’s) domestic backdrop, so muted and humbled and gelded would he (Bartoff) be. No. No!
He would not let Sam see him like that.