Joachim sought for a reply. “Good Lord,” he said, “they are so free⁠— I mean, they are so young, and time is nothing to them, and then they may die⁠—perhaps⁠—why should they make a long face? Sometimes I think being ill and dying aren’t serious at all, just a sort of loafing about and wasting time; life is only serious down below. You will get to understand that after a while, but not until you have spent some time up here.”