' "Do you believe in ghosts?"
Naturally, I was confused, not expecting such a question on a winter's morning. It seemed to me to be the kind of question to be asked around midnight. But she did not wait for an answer; she already had a new question: "Can I come tomorrow?"
Again she didn't wait for an answer, as she descended the steps.
Only afterwards, I realised I should have told her that I do believe, not only in ghosts, but also vampires, werewolves, apparitions, fairies, witches, giants, magicians, astrologers, djinns, dwarfs, meleke and angels, azdaje and dragons, Satan, Lucifer, Iblis, Behemoth, Beelzebub, Astaroth, Gabriel, Azrael, Asmodai, Dzibril, the Holy Grail, sirens, satyrs, unicorns, centaurs, minotaurs, the whole of Borges's fantastic zoo, the Bogeyman, the Golem, Puss in Boots, Baba Yaga... I should have added that I believe in life after death, Džennet and Paradise, Džehennem and Hell, the Seven Aztec Heavens, Valhalla, Ragnarok, the Eternal Hunting Ground, Hades, Bosch's paintings... and that I have no doubt about the usefulness of Dervish rituals, exorcism, spiritualism, alchemy, the Hodža's notes, cabals, atonements, spell casting, reading tea leaves and coffee grains and animals' intestines, palmistry... That I believe in all magic tricks, levitation, sawing a woman in half, the materialism of a litter of rabbits from a hat, mass hypnotism, suggestion... And especially, with all my heart, my soul and the remainder of my reason, I believe in reincarnation! For if I didn't believe in reincarnation, in a second chance, I think that depression would suffocate me.'
Seven Terrors
(Page 18-19)
'All things are actually black in their own nature; they change only when you expose them to light. Because of this, Leonardo began every one of his paintings with a layer of black colour.'
- (Page 105)
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