Paresi put his hand on Hoskins' shoulder. Hoskins' head came up slowly. He did not turn it. His gaze was straight ahead into the darkness. But at least it was off the board. "Hoskins," said Paresi, "why are you playing chess?" "Chess is chess," said Hoskins quietly. "Chess may symbolize any conflict, but it is chess and it will remain chess." "Who are you playing with?" No answer. "Hoskins--we need you. Help us." Hoskins let his gaze travel slowly downward again until it was on the board. "The word is not the thing," he said. "The number is not the thing. The picture, the ideograph, the symbol--these are not the thing. Conversely ..." "Yes, Hoskins." Paresi waited. Hoskins did not move or speak. Paresi put his hand on the man's shoulder again, but now there was no response. He cursed suddenly, bent and brought up his hand with a violent smash and sent board and pieces flying. When the clatter had died down Hoskins said pleasantly, "The pieces are not the game. The symbols are not the thing." He sat still, his eyes fixed on the empty chair where the board had been. He put out a hand and moved a piece where there was no piece to a square which was no longer there. Then he sat and waited. Paresi, breathing heavily, backed off, whirled, and went back to the Captain. Anderson looked up at him, and there was the glimmer of humor in his eyes. "Better sit down and talk about something different, Doctor." Paresi made an animal sound, soft and deep, far back in his throat, plumped down next to the Captain, and kneaded his hands together for a moment. Then he smiled. "Quite right, skipper. I'd better." They sat quietly for a moment. Then the Captain prompted, "About the different breaking point...." "Yes, Captain?" "Perhaps you can put your finger on the thing that makes different men break in different ways, for different reasons. I mean, Johnny's case seemed pretty clear cut, and what you haven't explained about Hoskins, Hoskins has demonstrated pretty clearly. About Ives, now--we can skip that for the time he'll be unconscious. But if you can figure out where you and I might break, why--we'd know what to look for." "You think that would help?" "We'd be prepared." Paresi looked at him sharply. "Let's hypothesize a child who is afraid of the dark. Ask him and he might say that there's a _something_ in dark places that will jump out at him. Then assure him, with great authority, that not only is he right but that it's about to jump any minute, and what have you done?" "Damage," nodded the Captain. "But you wouldn't say that to the child. You'd tell him there was nothing there. You'd _prove_ there wasn't."