Yes. It solves problems and is perfectly capable of telling us the answers. But million year old habits die hard. It could easily say: Kekulé, it’s a fucking ring. But it feels more comfortable cobbling up a hoop snake and rolling it around inside Kekulé’s skull while he’s dozing in front of the fire. It’s why your dreams are filled with drama and metaphor.

I dont know what the hoop snake refers to.

It refers to the configuration of the benzene molecule. It’s not important.

Troubling words. But I think you’ve suggested that the advent of language, aside from the enormous value of it, was disruptive.

Very disruptive. Of a piece with its value. Creative destruction. All sorts of talents and skills must have been lost. Mostly communicative. But also things like navigation and probably even the richness of dreams. In the end this strange new code must have replaced at least part of the world with what can be said about it. Reality with opinion. Narrative with commentary.

And sanity with madness, dont forget.

Yes. I wont.

And the arrival of universal war.

And the arrival.

How did we get on this subject?

It’s all right. We can drop it.

What else?

What else what?

How long has synesthesia been around? Is there something linguistic about that?

Not that I’m aware. It seems pretty primeval. Color, taste, smell. Although I’m not sure that conflating the senses is all that good an idea. Survivalwise.

Autism? More specifically of the idiot savant variety.

Linguistic to the bone.

To the bone.

Synesthesia might be ours as well. Now that I think about it. A synesthetic who sees the number five as red in arabic might very well see it red in roman as well. Which suggests that what they see as red is a concept and not the physical number. Whatcha think?

And this was something that you kept from the other kids.

Among other things. Quite a few other things, in fact. It helps you to remember.

What helps you to remember?

Synesthesia. It’s easier to remember two things than one. It’s why it’s easier to remember the words of a song than the words of a poem. For instance. The music is an armature upon which you assemble the words.

What else?

Lots else.

The other kids thought you were weird.

It wasnt a supposition.

You agreed with them.

I could see it from where they stood.

Were any of them good at math?

No.

Not even a little bit?

Not even.

Was Bobby?

I think you asked me that. He was good at math. Just not good enough. He changed his major to physics. I didnt tell him that I thought he should. He just did it. He was good at doing numbers in his head. Better than me. Some people think that’s math. Can I ask you something?

Of course.

Do I smell?

Why? Have you been neglecting yourself?

That bad, huh?

You cant shower with someone watching?