As demoralizing as this setback is, my treatment of Jordan has suffered no material impediment. Only my direct access to her is blocked. I would say that, without putting too fine a point on it, I have risen to the occasion by developing a new method of analysis, such that I am becoming able to produce legitimate responses from the patient by deriving certain values from her past remarks, and applying these in a kind of rhetorical algorithm or enthymeme to my new queries. This means that, even though direct contact between us has been cut off, I have still been able to converse meaningfully with Jordan, because I have been able to fashion a Jordan-function in language. The assertions produced by the Jordan-function can always be rigorously verified by referring to the transcripts of our prior conversations, which form the base exchange matrix. So far, this method has produced the best results when the topic has been mathematical, and in particular the base seight programming of water machine, but I would hesitate to dismiss any of the more personal remarks I have caused to be produced, either. There is no doubt that, with continued application, I will be able to apply this therapy to Jordan’s language functions in such a way as to bring them into conformity with established interpersonal standards of communication and expression.

My friend just called. Jordan died last night, right in the middle of one of our most promising conversations. She said nothing but “every bang of my heart calls for water machine” (my emphasis) for more than two hours, but then, near the beginning of the third hour of algorithmic therapy, she said – and I can’t get confirmation with respect to time, no one will tell me anything—”every bang of my heart gives me water machine”—you see, “gives me.” She said this once and once only, and then her subsequent remarks were inchoate fragments of previous conversations.