'Who is he?' asked Johannes.
'Oh, a very good friend of mine. I will introduce you to him some day. Then Hein says to them, "Are you looking for me?" To which most of them reply, "Oh no. I do not want you!" But then Hein says again, "But there is nothing to be found but me." So they have to be satisfied with Hein.'
Johannes understood that he meant death.
'And is it always, always so?'
'To be sure, always. And yet, day after day, a new crowd come on, who begin forthwith to seek they know not what, and they seek and seek till at last they find Hein. This has been going on for a good while already, and so it will continue for some time yet.'
'And shall I never find anything, Pluizer—nothing but—?'
'Ay, you will find Hein some day, sure enough! but that does not matter; seek all the same—for ever be seeking.'
'But the Book, Pluizer, you were to make me find the Book.'
'Well who knows? I have not taken back my word. We must seek it diligently. At any rate we know where to look for it; Wistik taught us that. And there are folks who spend all their lives in the search without even knowing so much as that. Those are the men of science, Johannes. But then Hein comes and it is all over with their search.'
'That is horrible, Pluizer!'