What was the most important decision you've ever made, and why?
"Oh, Miguelito, you are so wise," Antoinette said. In this instance, the dark-haired gentlewoman was alluding to Dr. Loveless' pronouncement that he had decided to learn to decipher ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics as part of a new plan that he was still only just formulating in his mind. "I'm sure that I will never understand how you make the decisions that you do. It must be extremely important for you to go through all of this effort!" Antoinette spoke without a trace of irony or insincerity. There was nothing fawning or overly emotional in her tone of voice, and yet it was clear that she had implicit faith in any decision that Loveless might make.
Loveless smiled at her affectionately and replied, "My dear, this is a very minor decision. I merely intend to learn hieroglyphics so that I can decipher a copy of The Book of the Dead that I've just acquired. If my assumptions are correct, I should be able to use this text to resurrect an army of undead warriors. It is a trifle.
"No! By far the most important decision that I ever made was the day that I decided that I would no longer silently tolerate the cruel taunts and mocking comments and looks from the Big people. Oh, Antoinette, my dear, you cannot ever comprehend how cruelly I was treated when I was a child. I vowed then that I would get my revenge on all of them, Antoinette! All of them! I might only have been ten years old, but I knew even then that I was going to have to do terrible things in order to restore the world to a state of gentleness and innocence!"
Antoinette petted his hand soothingly and offered him a chocolate. She hated to see him get flustered. "Yes, Miguelito," she said. "Shall we sing now?"
Loveless' stormy mood immediately brightened and he laughed. "Perhaps introducing myself to you truly was the most important decision that I ever made!"
Loveless smiled at her affectionately and replied, "My dear, this is a very minor decision. I merely intend to learn hieroglyphics so that I can decipher a copy of The Book of the Dead that I've just acquired. If my assumptions are correct, I should be able to use this text to resurrect an army of undead warriors. It is a trifle.
"No! By far the most important decision that I ever made was the day that I decided that I would no longer silently tolerate the cruel taunts and mocking comments and looks from the Big people. Oh, Antoinette, my dear, you cannot ever comprehend how cruelly I was treated when I was a child. I vowed then that I would get my revenge on all of them, Antoinette! All of them! I might only have been ten years old, but I knew even then that I was going to have to do terrible things in order to restore the world to a state of gentleness and innocence!"
Antoinette petted his hand soothingly and offered him a chocolate. She hated to see him get flustered. "Yes, Miguelito," she said. "Shall we sing now?"
Loveless' stormy mood immediately brightened and he laughed. "Perhaps introducing myself to you truly was the most important decision that I ever made!"