she begins to speak, then stops, considers, finally, she begins again, very slowly.

…it’s interesting, you know, how things’ll work out. well, not “out,” i guess, not so much that as maybe just “through.” right? things get worked through…or work themselves through, we probably don’t have all that much to do with it. we like to think we do, though, right? god, like we’re in on all the big planetary decisions and shit, you know? but, uh-uh…you wanna know what i feel, i think we’re just spinning around out here, completely out ’a whack and no way of ever getting it right again, i mean, back on track or whatever.., just can’t do it. see, we been doing things wrong for so long now that it all starts to feel okay after a while, you know, like this is how it oughta be. (BEAT) there’s a greek word for that…i learned it in school, he taught it to me…well, i guess i more like “heard” it from him, if i’d ’a learned it i could tell you what it is, right? yeah. i know it’s greek, though, i caught that much, but i don’t remember what it was…

she thinks quietly for a moment.

no…’s too long ago now. had something to do with the world, the whole thing, coming off its axis or something, going off in the wrong direction from how it’s all supposed to be. and its the fault of people, or “mortals,” that’s what my teacher said, “mortals are to blame.” see, he said it was simply the fact that—and i never could understand this, maybe i just didn’t listen good enough, that was the usual problemmbut he said it all stemmed from just our being mortal, right? (BEAT) so, then every problem we got is from being mortals…or humans, that’s what “mortals” means…and just because we are what we are, these “mortals,” it’s, like, our fault, explain me that…

she stops for a moment and lights a cigarette.