Words are cold, muddy toads trying to understand sprites dancing in a field. - Yann Martel

How true is that necessity is the mother of invention, how very true.

"So you want another story?"

Uhh... no. We would like to know what really happened."

Doesn't the telling of something always become a story?"

Uhh... perhaps in English. In Japanese a story would have an element of invention in it. We don't want any invention. We want the 'straight facts,' as you say in English."

Isn't telling about something — using words, English or Japanese — already something of an invention? Isn't just looking upon this world already something of an invention?"

We fight no matter the cost of battle, the losses we take, the improbability of success. We fight to the very end. It is not the question of courage. It is something constitutional, an ability to let go. It maybe nothing more than life-hungry stupidity.