The Courtesy of Death
“My watch kept ticking, and I cut a notch on the changing-room table for every period of twelve hours. From then on I had an accurate record of the passing of time.
One thing was certain: that nobody would return to the cave until positive that I was dead. They might or might not think of the saving carcass. I reckoned that it would never occur to them.
However that might be, I had to face my loneliness for at least a week and probably more. I think now that I should have spotted the sol...ution, although it would have been no earthly use to me since I had not the strength. The long, cool, workmanlike job would have become a mere hysterical tearing at brickwork followed by collapse.
But endurance I had. I put it down to being an engineer with experience of deep mines, for I have no exceptional force of character, only an obstinate desire to live. I refused to spend my time just sitting. I had to find myself things to do.MoreLess
One thing was certain: that nobody would return to the cave until positive that I was dead. They might or might not think of the saving carcass. I reckoned that it would never occur to them.
However that might be, I had to face my loneliness for at least a week and probably more. I think now that I should have spotted the sol...ution, although it would have been no earthly use to me since I had not the strength. The long, cool, workmanlike job would have become a mere hysterical tearing at brickwork followed by collapse.
But endurance I had. I put it down to being an engineer with experience of deep mines, for I have no exceptional force of character, only an obstinate desire to live. I refused to spend my time just sitting. I had to find myself things to do.MoreLess
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