Piranesi

by Susanna Clarke

This experience led me to form a hypothesis: perhaps the wisdom of birds resides, not in the individual, but in the flock, the congregation.

He gave me a friendly smile. ‘How’re the shoes?’ he asked. ‘Excellent!’ I said. ‘Brilliant! Thank you! But what I value even more than the shoes themselves is the proof they give of our friendship! I consider the possession of such a friend as you to be one of the greatest happinesses of my Life!’

someone so wedded to Destruction and Madness, should wear a perfume so lovely, so redolent of Sunshine and Happiness.