4 (french) Werber, Bernard

Francis Razorbak.
118 - STEFANIA
The thanatophobie lasted nearly six months. Six months of
idleness forced discussion and questions to hackneyed
Thai restaurant of Mr. Lambert, wanderings of the Father-
Lachaise, dust accumulated in our thanatodrome. In the
penthouse, plants invaded the piano. We almost could not
see Lucinda. Even Vercingetorix, the dog, was gloomy.
Amanda began to cook and tried to comfort us as we
prepare spicy dishes. We played cards. No bridge,
because no wanted to do … death.
The glimmer of hope that arises from watching Raoul where
we the least expected. Not the United States where we
knew that NASA was engaged in top secret research, or
Britain where Bill Graham had yet left behind emulated
willing to follow his traces. Our salvation came from Italy.
We were aware of the existence, in Padua, a thanatodrome
very powerful but we thought that, like ours, it was now
dormant. Now, if the Italians put their program on hold, they
do had not abandoned completely their takeoffs. On April
27, they announced that they too were managed to send
someone beyond the first wall comatose and that they had
regained its envelope Thanatonautes carnal bringing a
much more reassuring testimony that of Jean Bresson.