Irrational Man Page #2

paraphrasing what they've read,

but I found your thinking

fresh and well-presented.

Oh, thank you.

I'm flattered.

I have to say, I was very influenced by

your ideas on randomness and chance.

Well, the truth is,

what I found most exciting

was when you took issue with my ideas.

When you disagreed with me,

your arguments were

well-reasoned and original.

Am I blushing right now?

That's a really big compliment.

Thank you.

Um, I did actually find

some parts of your book

a little hard to follow though,

and I would love if you

could explain some things to me.

Sure, can we get out of here,

though, before I die of suffocation?

I found your view of existence

too bleak for me.

It was like there were

no redeeming joys or pleasures.

Okay.

Why are you taking philosophy?

What do you want out of it?

Because if your goal is

to try and figure out

what all this bullshit's about, forget it.

You write books, you write papers.

You've done so much.

Well, let me tell you, when I look back

at all that verbal posturing,

my group thought we were

going to be so special.

I marched in every bullshit

political demonstration.

I spent six months in Darfur

getting food to starving families,

I wind up with meningitis.

- Mmm.

- I was in Bangladesh.

Yeah, you know, you want to see

a difference, to save the world.

But when you see

what you're up against...

Do you like vintage single malt?

You drink?

You mean here?

- Yeah.

- Right now?

No, no, I couldn't.

There was no way I could have

realized from that first conversation

that a lot was very wrong with Abe.

He was so damn fascinating and vulnerable,

and I must say, I found him attractive.

I guess it helped that

he felt comfortable with me.

I drove a cab.

I was a handyman in a building.

I ran an elevator.

But I always read.

Always, always loved the Russian writers.

Especially Dostoyevsky.

Dostoyevsky got it.

I've read all of it.

- Really?

- Mmm.

Oh, I had a great conversation

with Abe Lucas the other day.

Uh-huh.

He said my paper was

well-organized and original.

- All right.

- Right?

Yeah, I can see where this is goin'.

Oh, stop it, please.

He's just fascinating because he's

brilliant, but he's a sufferer.

Perfect. Great, you always

became attracted to the sufferers.

Right? That's how we first met.

He's a real sufferer, Roy.

You had shingles.

He was traumatized

when his best friend was killed in Iraq.

- He was a journalist, just horrifying.

- Didn't he get his head cut off?

His head cut off?

No, no, it was an explosion.

Oh.

God, it's amazing how people

embellish these stories.

You know, Abe actually says

that people just manufacture drama

so they can get through their lives

because they're so empty.

Can we just change the subject

of Abe Lucas, please?

You've been, like, singing

his praises for half an hour.

All right, well, then,

how about I sing yours?

- Okay. Yeah, yeah. Good.

- How's that?

I love you in that sweater.

Of course, you love me in this sweater.

You bought it for me.

Well, you look great in that shade of blue.

You really do.

You know Abe's mother committed suicide?

Abe again?

I mean, can you imagine?

He was 12.

She drank bleach!

It's so sad.

You know, Simone de Beauvoir pointed out,

and quite correctly,

that in a society shaped by men,

women are seen as relative beings

existing only in relationship to men.

- Hmm.

- You agree with that?

- I agree with that completely.

- Mmm-hmm.

I'm sure you've heard the rumors about you.

That you've had a lot of

experience with women.

You mean slept with.

You find that fulfilling?

Many women and one-night stands?

I did at the time.

It had a certain frantic quality.

One day, it stopped being exciting.

I couldn't find distraction anymore

in that usually reliable painkiller,

the orgasm.

Why not?

I couldn't remember the reason for living.

And when I did,

it wasn't convincing.

That sounds scary.

It's very scary when

you run out of distractions.

Well, what if it wasn't a distraction?

What if you just decided

to commit yourself to one person?

If I met someone now,

I'm too far gone to appreciate her.

I have to go to my piano lesson.

What are you doing on Friday night?

Oh, I don't know.

Why?

I think you should come to a party.

- Uh...

- I do.

Roy and I will take you.

We can go and it'll...

There'll be music and it'll be fun.

There's a lot of students that like you.

There really are.

And I think it's better than

just wallowing in your room.

I don't think that's healthy.

You should think about it.

You want to come out?

- Yes?

- Hi.

I'm sorry for dropping in so suddenly but,

I was shopping today at

the liquor store, and,

I came across these two very fine bottles

of single malt scotch,

and I got one for Paul and myself.

And I know how much

you love single malt scotch.

Oh, that was very thoughtful of you.

How much do I owe you?

Oh, God, no, I bought it for you.

Oh, thank you.

You could have waited to give it to me.

You didn't have to come in the rain.

I couldn't wait.

I was excited over it.

Will you have one with me?

I thought you'd never ask.

Um... Hmm.

What have you been doing?

I'm trying to finish this book

I started a long time ago.

- What's it about?

- About Heidegger and fascism.

Just what the world needs.

Another book about Heidegger and fascism.

How's it coming?

I'm blocked.

I can't write.

Why?

Oh, I...

I can't write 'cause I can't breathe.

What would get you breathing again?

I, you know...

The will to breathe.

- Hmm.

- Inspiration, you know?

You need a muse.

I have never needed a muse before.

I hope you're not gonna send me

back out into the rain

without sleeping with me.

I'm trying to write.

You're blocked.

I'm going to unblock you.

Or are you becoming infatuated with

that student you spend so much time with?

When the hurricane hit in New Orleans,

Abe went down there

and stayed for six weeks.

He said the problems

were completely overwhelming.

And the political red tape

and corruption was just a scandal.

He couldn't believe the amount

of stupidity and greed.

It was a scandal for George Bush.

Well, Abe was right there

in the thick of it,

trying to get something accomplished.

And meanwhile, his wife was

falling in love with his best friend.

- Uh-huh.

- Can you believe that?

Abe really, really loved his wife.

They met on a trip to Machu Picchu

to see the ruins.

They both experimented with mescaline.

He's actually tried every drug.

He hates them.

He's very conservative

in a kind of liberal way.

- It seems like he really opened up to you.

- Mmm-hmm.

Everyone says

he's not easy to get to know.

Well, I definitely have not found that.

Hey, can we just get off

the topic of Abe Lucas?

I mean, I must say,

I'm not thrilled

that you invited him out

with us tomorrow night

without asking me first.

Well, he needs some human contact, Roy.

Otherwise, he just sits

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