Another voice, slow, heavy:

“Ah, the impossible! Which means to run after your stupid fancies; those fancies would whirl from under your very noses like a tail. No, we shall catch that tail, and then.⁠ ⁠…”

“And then⁠—swallow it and fall snoring; a new tail will become necessary. They say the ancients had a certain animal which they called ‘Ass.’ In order to make it go forward they would attach a carrot to a bow held in front of its nose, so that it could not reach it.⁠ ⁠… If it had caught and swallowed it.⁠ ⁠…”

The tentacles suddenly let me go; I threw myself towards the place she was speaking from; but at that very moment everything was brought to confusion. Shouts from behind: “They are coming here! Coming here!” The lights twinkled and went out⁠—someone cut the cable⁠—and everything was like a lava of cries, groaning, heads, fingers.⁠ ⁠…