"Well, if it's a Divine Being, it should not be easy to confuse," said Mr. Billimoria. "Or why should it have invented so many beetles?"
"Are there many beetles in the world?"
"The great biologist J B S Haldane said that if there was a Creator then he had a distinct fondness for beetles. There are more than 3,00,000 types of beetles."
Taehyung had the uncomfortable feeling that Mr. Haldane and Mr. Billimoria did not believe in the Divine Being. He cast about for another subject, something else to talk about. But he discovered that once you tell yourself 'let's not talk about elephants', only elephants come tramping down, from your mind on to your tongue.
"And what happens to the people who say: 'I haven't had enough of this world'? "asked Taehyung.
"Oh, they become ghosts," said Mr. Billimoria.
The Hyundai lurched to a halt. They were at Billimoria House. The sun was bright on their backs. The city played and screamed and crashed and banged and honked and shouted around them. Taehyung felt cold. At the door, a side door, he asked: "Yesterday, when I called you, who picked up the phone?"
"My mother?" said Mr. Billimoria.
"Your mother" asked Taehyung. "I thought.."?
"She died ten years ago. It was very sudden," said Mr. Billimoria.
And they were in the house. The door closed behind them and the city was cut away, as if by a knife. Silence fell like a silk robe slipping off its hanger in a dark cupboard. Suddenly, Taehyung felt as if he might be floating. He turned to Mr. Billimoria. The old man began to coo and gurgle.
"Billi, Billi," he called in the high pitched voice men use for pets they love. Then he chuckled.
"Mori Billi," he said. "Billimoria ni billi!"
Taehyung did not know much of the foreign language. Just enough to know that Mr. Billimoria was calling his cat.
Nothing happened. No breath stirred. No cobwebs sighed. The house, it seemed was wearing a muffler. He found himself saying this.
"It seems as if the house is wearing a muffler over its eyes and ears."
"Do you really think so?" asked Mr. Billimoria. His voice was reassuringly normal. "You're right, though. It feels like that."
The muffler flapped for a moment.
"Billi, Billi," called Mr. Billimoria.
"Is that her name?" asked Taehyung. He felt in himself an urge to keep on talking.
"It is like calling a spade a spade," he said.
"Here she is. Come Billi, good girl."
Again Taehyung felt the stillness shift and tremble.
"Mr. Billimoria," he said, and he was proud that his voice did not tremble. "I cannot see anything but..."
"But what, Mr. Kim?"
"I feel something," said Mr. Taehyung.
"It's only Billi," said Mr. Billimoria.
"I would like to see her," said Taehyung.