This time, he rings off. He then gets up. He shaves. He has his coffee. Very depressing. Everyone’s in the same state. He tries to laugh it off, defiantly. And in doing so he becomes even more like everyone else. He puts his right foot into his right sock and his left foot into his left sock; he puts on his braces; he buttons up his flies; he takes out a clean handkerchief; he double-locks his door; he doesn’t say good morning to his concierge. Outside, he says: “Good God, what weather!” It is raining. He takes advantage of the fact to perform his little experiment. When the rain is very heavy, it forms a mirror and you can see yourself on all sides. It’s very pleasant for the back and the profile. When he raises his foot, three million feet rise with it. When he scratches his ear, three million hands scratch three million ears. They are my hands, my feet. Or rather my hand, my foot. Oh, look, I’ve put my jacket on inside out. Inside out? Yes, north, south, east and west, three million jackets inside out. Latirail stops. The jackets continue on their way. My God, what’s happening? The other one moves on. It’s me that’s moving. Hey, wait, I’m just coming!
He bumps into a gentleman.
“Oh, excuse me, I thought it was me…”
The gentleman looks very surprised.
Damn, it didn’t work, thinks Latirail. First time I took myself for someone else.
The gentleman has walked on. He is thinking exactly the same thing. He too was performing an experiment and he bumped into Latirail. He is very annoyed. He thought it was an original experiment. So he invents another one and bumps into Latirail again:
“This time, Monsieur, would you please put your jacket on right side out. It’s been annoying me a great deal.”
“But, Monsieur…”
It wasn’t Latirail any more. It was someone else. Latirail was standing off, observing the scene with some concern.
He bumps into a gentleman.
“Oh, excuse me, I thought it was me…”
The gentleman looks very surprised.
Damn, it didn’t work, thinks Latirail. First time I took myself for someone else.
The gentleman has walked on. He is thinking exactly the same thing. He too was performing an experiment and he bumped into Latirail. He is very annoyed. He thought it was an original experiment. So he invents another one and bumps into Latirail again:
“This time, Monsieur, would you please put your jacket on right side out. It’s been annoying me a great deal.”
“But, Monsieur…”
It wasn’t Latirail any more. It was someone else. Latirail was standing off, observing the scene with some concern.
Robert Pinget, Mahu, or the Material