Well, no use being offended by the idiocy of someone I was counting on to be something of an idiot. Not every composer is a Bach or a von Bingen, not every swordsman a Musashi. I relied upon a measure of mediocrity to get to where I am. But now there’s someone else, someone who is frankly much closer to my level. He has a soft voice. I think, if I could see him, I would know his name, but I can tell where he’s standing by the sound of his leather soles. Even though I’m unconscious, he’s still not entering the space where I might catch a glimpse of him. An excess of caution, you might think.