Like a mural on the wall of thought, he saw himself… lost on a crowded street, people screaming at him in a language he didn’t understand, angrily surging towards him.

Do it.

Do it.

You will witness God.

He was sorry to disappoint the old man, but renouncing the world was not one of those decisions you could just… fall into, something that if you thought about it long enough it would end up happening automatically. It required a definite decision and for Max the decision was no.

But what about the novel?

No.

What about doing it just for the experience?

No.

For the thrill of it?

No.

What about… to witness God?

That would have to wait.

Mate… just put your faith in God.

And see what happens.

No.

Only love matters.

Only love.

You will witness God.

No.

No.

No.

Come on mate… it’s easy!

All you have to do is step into the night with no money.

Oh, is that all!

Just wander off and starve to death!

Just do it and see!

No. This was God he was dealing with here – not just an idea. And it would be sheer stupidity to do it just because an old man and some young sadhu wanted him to.

No, it was clear now. He needed time to think about it – do some research… prepare properly. He needed real time, not this artificial, floating, endless time on the slab where the unstated encouragement around him seemed so pointed and his renunciation so inevitable and so imminent.

Do it.

Do it.