(1976)

The Watcher:

I can’t see who’s hiding. I can’t see the him at all. I can’t even be sure that the person is still there. I saw him go inside (or am I pretending to have seen him go inside?) If he went in at all he is still there-unless I have been asleep or in some way failed to see him leave. I could go to his shelter and remove it board by board and leave him exposed. then he won’t be hidden anymore. But if he isn’t there? What if he isn’t there?

The Hider:

I am hiding. Lying full length on my belly, my head resting on my arms. I think I am being watched. I was being watched when I entered. (Or am I pretending that I thought I was watched?) I havn’t heard him going away so he must still be there. But maybe I’ve been asleep-or maybe he went away very quietly. Maybe he is coming towards me now and will remove my shelter board by board and leave me exposed to view. If he does that I will continue to lie but I will keep my eyes closed.

The Observer of the Watcher and the Hider:

It is clear that the Watcher and the Hider are the same person. The Watcher is watching himself hiding and the Hider is hiding from himself as Watcher. Both are pretending to be uncertain about the presence of the other. Neither is prepared to make a move to end the uncertainty. If the Watcher were to remove the shelter and expose the Hider, he would be exposing himself. If the Hider should come out of hiding he would be challenging the Watcher (himself). Neither will ever make a move.

The Watcher has invented a Hider but exposes himself to view by seating himself on the tower and he hopes that the Hider will come out and see him or dreams that he is able to strip the Hider of his protection and see him. The Hider has invented a Watcher (himself) to watch him and dreams of being exposed.

I am the Watcher, the Hider and the Observer.