Aleph. Paulo Coelho

of her backpack and a brightly coloured bag – and prepares to climb into the carriage with us. The editor is smiling as if she were pleased with the way the argument had ended, but I know that she will seize the first opportunity to take her revenge. There’s no point explaining that all we achieve by exacting revenge is to make ourselves the equals of our enemies, whereas by forgiving we show wisdom and intelligence. Apart from monks in the Himalayas and saints in the deserts, I think we all have these vengeful feelings, because they’re an essential part of the human condition. We shouldn’t judge ourselves too harshly.

      Our carriage comprises four compartments, bathrooms, a small lounge area, where I assume we will spend most of the time, and a kitchen.

      I go to my compartment, which consists of a double bed, wardrobe, a table and chair facing the window, and a door that opens onto one of the bathrooms. At the end is another door. I go over and open it and see that it leads into an empty room. It would seem that the two compartments share the same bathroom.