218
PARTISAN REVIEW
way I shared your lion. But of course the world interferes, so they
attack us and
think
they can banish us. But we can protect each
other
in
the world of the spirit, if we can be friends. You were sending
me
this
mC$age and I received it."
Gretchen took another cigarette. "How do you-how do you
decide on those particular meanings, Sheila," she asked cautiously,
hiding her face in the lighting of match and cigarette. Her former
friend did not reply, so she repeated her question and amplified it:
"Do you use a dream dictionary, or free associations, or how do you
do it? And how can you be sure what it means? How do you
know?"
"Oh, no," Sheila said a little wildly. "Not a dream dictionary.
That's too mechanical-that a bird means death or anything like
that. It doesn't give the real
message.-You
know how I remove my–
self and get in touch. And then the meaning comes to me. I suppose
there are associations, like pearl because your name
is
Margaret--"
"I don't mean that," Gretchen broke in. "I mean, what you
think of when you think of architects or pearls or roses, not what
they signify but what comes to your mind. To complete the dream."
"But Gretchen!" Sheila was amazed. "The dream
is
alreatly
complete. It's like a message in a foreign language, you have to know
the language in order to interpret it.-Of course, I admit, that
is
often difficult for people who don't have the gift for getting in touch."
Her tone described the difference between awareness and lack of it.
"Oh, no," Gretchen answered coldly. "I don't think that's right.
Dreams aren't prophetic, dreams aren't like that. Now, if you dreamed
you were going to die when you have your baby, that wouldn't be
a prophecy. It wouldn't really
happen-"
"But of course they're prophecies-or messages, or directions, or
predictions of some kind-I know this
is
true."
"Oh, no," Gretchen repeated, as before. "No, they're psycho–
logical, they're fears or things you're afraid will happen, or some
kind of wish changed into another form-" but she could not seem
to continue with that. Instead she asked accusingly, "How do you
know you're right?"
"Well, you simply
know.
You simply see it. Some people can't,
I know. And-besides, the other things confirm it, the voices, for
instance."
"What voices?"
