“AND SO, THE LESSER AND HARDER-TO-FIND TEXTS TELL US, HE, FATHER OF FATHER OF FATHERS, RAISED THE SHADE BETWEEN THE OPPOSING REGIONS, ALLOWING THE BLESSED
AND THE CONDEMNED TO SEE ONE ANOTHER. AND AS WAS
HIS HOPE, THE BLESSED REJOICED IN THE PAIN OF THE CONDEMNED, AND THEIR JOY BECAME THAT MUCH GREATER IN
THE FACE OF SORROW. AND THE CONDEMNED SAW THE BLESSED, SAW THEIR LOBSTER TAILS AND PROSCIUTTO, SAW
WHAT THEY PUT IN THE TUCHESES OF MENSTRUATING SHIK-
SAS, AND FELT THAT MUCH WORSE FOR THEMSELVES. AND
GOD SAW THAT IT WAS GOODER. AND BUT THE APPEAL OF
THE WINDOW BECAME TOO STRONG. AND RATHER THAN
ENJOY THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, THE BLESSED WERE FASCINATED BY THE CRUELTIES OF HELL. AND RATHER THAN SUFFER THOSE CRUELTIES, THE CONDEMNED ENJOYED THE VI-CARIOUS PLEASURES OF HEAVEN. AND OVER TIME, THE TWO
REACHED AN EQUILIBRIUM, STARING AT THE OTHER, STARING AT THEMSELVES. AND THE WINDOW BECAME A MIRROR,
FROM WHICH NEITHER THE BLESSED NOR THE CONDEMNED
COULD, OR WOULD, LEAVE.”
-Jonathan Safran Foer Everything Is Illuminated
MERKL 