She shook Zora by the shoulders, as if to force her to listen and said: "Killing me won't change anything, can't you understand that? We're the two faces of Rango's character. If you kill me, that side of him remains unmated and another woman will take my place. He's divided within himself, between destruction and construction. While he's divided there will be two women, always. I wished you would die, too, once, until I understood this. I once thought Rango could be saved if you died. And here you are, thinking that I would drive him into danger. He's driving himself into danger. He is ashamed of his futility. He can't bear the conflict of his split being enacted in us before his eyes. He is trying a third attempt at wholeness. For his peace of mind, if you and I could have been friends it would have been easier. He didn't consider us, whether or not we could sincerely like each other. We tried and failed. You were too selfish. You and I stand at opposite poles. I don't like you, and you don't like me either; even if Rango did not exist you and I could never like each other. Zora, if you harm me you'll be punished for it and sent to a place without Rango... And Rango will be angry with you. And if you died, it would be the same. He would not be mine either, because I can't fulfill his love of destruction..."

Words, words, words...all the words Djuna had turned in her mind at night when alone, she spoke them wildly, blindly, not hoping for Zora to understand, but they were said with such anxiety and vehemence that aside from their meaning Zora caught the pleading, the accents of truth, dissolving her hatred, her violence.

At the sight of each other their antagonism always dissolved. Zora, faced with the sadness of Djuna's face, her voice, her slender body, could never sustain her anger. And Djuna faced with Zora's haggard face, limp hair, uncontrolled lips, lost her rebellion.

Whatever scenes took place between them, there was a sincerity in each one's sadness which bound them too.

It was at this moment that Rango arrived, and stared at the two women with dismay.

"What happened? Djuna, you're bleeding!"

"Zora tried to kill me. The wounds aren't bad."

Djuna hoped once more that Rango would say, "Zora is mad," and that the nightmare would cease.

"You wanted us to be friends, because that would have made it easier for you. We tried. But it was impossible. I feel that Zora destroys all my efforts to create with you, and she thinks I sent you into a dangerous political life... We can never understand each other."

Rango found nothing to say. He stared at the blood showing through Djuna's clothes. She showed him that the stabs were not deep and had struck fleshy places without causing harm.

"I'll take Zora home. I'll come back."