320 The Diary of a Drug Fiend
‘“‘ That reminds me,” she said, ‘‘ I must get you your
charts.”
She went to a cabinet and produced two forms. We
languidly marked our little crosses in the proper section.
“‘ Excuse the interruption,” she said, “but the
Magical Record is always the first consideration in the
Abbey.”
The heroin woke me completely.
“‘ T see the point, I think. All your rules are intended
to reduce the part of life that has to be run by rules,
as much as possible.”
‘“‘ That’s it,” she nodded emphatically. |
“ But I say,” said Lou, “ it’s all very well; but I
don’t know whatever I’m to do with myself. The
time must hang frightfully heavy on your hands.”
“God forgive you,” cried Athena. ‘‘ One never has
a minute one can call one’s own!”
We laughed outright.
“It’s easy to see you’re a pupil of King Lamus.
You have acquired his talent for paradox in a very
complete manner.”
**I know what you mean,” she said, smiling. “ If
you're a lazy person, this is the worst place in the
world for getting bored, and the lazier you determine
to be the more bored you get. We had two people
last year, absolutely hopeless rotters. They called
themselves writers, and imagined they were working
if they retired solemnly after breakfast and produced
half a page of piffle by lunch. But they didn’t know
the meaning of work ; and the place nearly drove them
insane. They were bored with the Abbey, and bored
with each other, and were very insulted because every-
body laughed at them. But they couldn’t see the way
out, and wouldn’t take it when it was shown them.
It made them physically ill, and they went away at
last to every one’s relief to an environment where they
could potter about indefinitely and pose as great
genijses. The Big Lion does more in a day than they
will ever do in their lives if they live into the next