Translated from the Czech by Benjamin Paloff

Darkness everywhere. The room is filled with my gargantuan body. Whoever lies down right now might not get back up. I hide myself in the lines like a child.

Come over, we’ll talk it over. This kind of opportunity hasn’t come along for a good while. The trolls have returned to the dark corners of our bookstore. A heavy bottle of wine has slipped out of my hand. One song for the whole world.

It gets dark at four, and we’re just a little further on…

Out came Christmas.