CLAIRE: What do you mean? How _dare_ you? (_It is impossible to ignore her agitation; she is backed against the curved wall, as far as possible from them._ HARRY _looks at her in alarm, then in resentment at_ TOM, _who takes a step nearer_ CLAIRE.) HARRY: (_trying to be light_) Don't take it so hard, Claire. CLAIRE: (_to_ EMMONS) It must be very interesting--helping people go insane. ADELAIDE: Claire! How preposterous. EMMONS: (_easily_) I hope that's not precisely what we do. ADELAIDE: (_with the smile of one who is going to 'cover it'._) Trust Claire to put it in the unique and--amusing way. CLAIRE: Amusing? You are amused? But it doesn't matter, (_to the doctor_) I think it is very kind of you--helping people go insane. I suppose they have all sorts of reasons for having to do it--reasons why they can't stay sane any longer. But tell me, how do they do it? It's not so easy to--get out. How do so many manage it? EMMONS: I'd like immensely to have a talk with you about all this some day. ADELAIDE: Certainly this is not the time, Claire. CLAIRE: The time? When you--can't go any farther--isn't that that-- ADELAIDE: (_capably taking the whole thing into matter-of-factness_) What I think is, Claire has worked too long with plants. There's something--not quite sound about making one thing into another thing. What we need is unity. (_from_ CLAIRE _something like a moan_) Yes, dear, we do need it. (_to the doctor_) I can't say that I believe in making life over like this. I don't think the new species are worth it. At least I don't believe in it for Claire. If one is an intense, sensitive person-- CLAIRE: Isn't there any way to _stop_ her? Always--always smothering it with the word for it? EMMONS: (_soothingly_) But she can't smother it. Anything that's really there--she can't hurt with words. CLAIRE: (_looking at him with eyes too bright_) Then you don't see it either, (_angry_) Yes, she can hurt it! Piling it up--always piling it up--between us and--What there. Clogging the way--always, (_to_ EMMONS) I want to cease to know! That's all I ask. Darken it. Darken it. If you came to help me, strike me blind! EMMONS: You're really all tired out, aren't you? Oh, we've got to get you rested. CLAIRE: They--deny it saying they have it; and he (_half looks at_ TOM_--quickly looks away_)--others, deny it--afraid of losing it. We're in the way. Can't you see the dead stuff piled in the path? (_Pointing._) DICK: (_voice coming up_) Me too? CLAIRE: (_staring at the path, hearing his voice a moment after it has come_) Yes, Dick--you too. Why not--you too. (_after he has come up_) What is there any more than you are? DICK: (_embarrassed by the intensity, but laughing_) A question not at all displeasing to me. Who can answer it? CLAIRE: (_more and more excited_) Yes! Who can answer it? (_going to him, in terror_) Let me go with you--and be with you--and know nothing else! ADELAIDE: (_gasping_) Why--!