And now, dear reader, prepare yourself to feel as astonished as did the townspeople of Itaguaí when it was announced that the lunatics in the Casa Verde would all be released.

“All of them?”

“All of them.”

“That’s impossible. Some of them, perhaps . . . but all?”

“All. That’s what he said in the memorandum he sent to the council this morning.”

The alienist had indeed sent an official memorandum to the council, setting out the following points, in numbered paragraphs:

1. Having consulted statistics relating to both the town and the Casa Verde, four-fifths of the population are currently residing in said establishment.

2. This displacement of population leads me to examine the fundamental basis of my theory of mental illness, pursuant to which all persons whose faculties are not in perfect equilibrium must be considered insane.

3. As a result of said examination and in the light of said statistics, I am now convinced that the true doctrine is the contrary, and that the disequilibrium of mental faculties should therefore be considered normal and exemplary, whereas those whose mental equilibrium is undisturbed should henceforth be treated as probably pathological.

4. In the light of this discovery, I hereby inform the council that I will set free the current inmates of the Casa Verde, and replace them with such persons as fulfill the conditions set out above.

5. I will spare no effort in the pursuit of scientific truth, and I expect the same dedication on the part of the council.

6. I will repay the council and individuals concerned the sum total of the stipend received for lodging the presumed lunatics, minus any amounts already spent on food, clothing, etc., which the council can verify upon inspection of the Casa Verde’s account ledgers and coffers.

You can imagine the astonishment of the people of Itaguaí, and the joy of the inmates’ friends and relations. Banquets, dances, colored lanterns, and music—no expense was spared in celebrating the happy event. I shall not describe the festivities since they are not relevant to our purposes, but they were magnificent, highly emotional, and prolonged.

As is always the way with human affairs, in the midst of the rejoicing provoked by Simão Bacamarte’s memorandum, no one paid any attention to the words at the end of the fourth paragraph, which were later to prove of such importance.

Chapter 12

THE END OF THE FOURTH PARAGRAPH