“I am thinking about you, I say to her. Can you hear me?”

“Say it,Gregori," she bit out between clenched teeth. "I need to hear you say it."I am saying it, lifemate. Can you not hear me?”

“Yes, I know," "And I love to hear you say it, Louis. I need to hear you say it. I don't think anyone will ever say it quite like you do. Come on, say it again. I'm a perfect devil. Tell me how bad I am. It makes me feel so good!”

“If you think about it hard enough, if you trace potentialreverberations long enough, every step can be a false step, any move can lead to anunintended consequence.Who am I ignoring that I shouldn’t be ignoring? What am I not saying that I should besaying? What won’t I notice that she would absolutely notice? While I’m out in thepublic hallways, what private languages am I not hearing?”

“Can you see me? Can you hear me? Does anything I say mean anything to you?”

“Because You have called me here not to wear a label by which I can recognize myself and place myself in some kind of a category. You do not want me to be thinking about what I am, but about what You are. Or rather, You do not even want me to be thinking about anything much: for You would raise me above the level of thought. And if I am always trying to figure out what I am and where I am and why I am, how will that work be done?”