Dear Marion,

Thank you for your letter. Initially, I was somewhat at a loss as
to how and what to answer, but now, with the help of the Nantucket
plumbing inspector, I have stories with which to entertain you.

In this afternronon's mail, I found a notice from the Clerk of 
Suffolk Superior Court, requiring my presence at a Status Review
Hearing for C.A. SUCV2008-05664-E at 2:00 p.m. on February 3, 2011,
in Court Room 916, 3 Pemberton Square, Boston.

Upon receiving this notice, inasmuch as I had heard nothing
from my plumber Mr. C.M. Gordon, I telephoned the Nantucket
Building Department to inquire whether a plumbing permit had
in fact been issued. I was told it had not.

I then telephoned Mr. Gordon at his cellphone number.
He answered immediately. He told me that he had gone
to the Building Department to apply for a plumbing permit
"the next day", (January 6, 2011). Mr. Gordon recited over 
the telephone that he had told the Inspector (Mr. Ciamataro)
that he, Mr. Gordon had inspected the plumbing, that he had
found it in compliance with the Plumbing Code to a degree
that was greater than customary on Nantucket, that he had 
pressure tested the supply plumbing to 100 lbs./sq in. and
found it to be tight, and that he, Mr. Gordon believed that
the rough plumbing of the installation at 3 Red Barn Road
should be approved. In response Mr. Ciarmatoro upraided
Mr. Gordon, apparently to a degree that Mr. Gordon considered
his plumbing license to be in jeopardy, in as much as Mr.
Gordon confided to me: "I'm 67 years old. What difference
if they take my license." Mr. Ciarmataro refused to issue
a plumbing permit, refused to inspect the plumbing, and stated
that he would leave the inspection of the plumbing to the
State. Mr. Ciarmataro told Mr. Gordon that "he would get 
back to him", but as of 3:30 p.m. on January 11, had not
done so. Mr. Gordon asked for my e-mail address, so that
he could communicate with me by e-mail.

The story hasn't ended, but I have no idea what the end
will be. 

The fundamental issue in our correspondence which recently
surfaced is that my scepticism which you have charitably
tolerated for so many months, is fundamentally repugnant
to you. My father systematically upbraided me for "being
so negative". So did Margrit. And the three of you are in
very prestigious company. Goethe wrote:

"Und doch sang ich gläub'gerweise:
Dass mir die Geliebte treu,
Dass die Welt, wie sie auch kreise,
Liebevoll und dankbar sei."

Goethe rejected the tragic intuitions for example of Kleist
and Hoelderlin, in which many modern readers (myself included)
discern meaning more profound than anything that Goethe wrote.

The story of our correspondence hasn't ended either.
Perhaps we should content ourselves to write to each other
about Aeschylus or Sophocles, about Hamlet or Lear.  Please don't
be offended when I write that I'm not capable of a smiley face.

Jochen