“What I'm sure of is that you can't be happy without money. That's all. I don't like superficiality and I don't like romanticism. I like to be conscious. And what I've noticed is that there's a kind of spiritual snobbism in certain 'superior beings' who think that money isn't necessary for happiness. Which is stupid, which is false, and to a certain degree cowardly.... For a man who is well born, being happy is never complicated. It's enough to take up the general fate, only not with the will for renunciation like so many fake great men, but with the will for happiness. Only it takes time to be happy. A lot of time. Happiness, too, is a long patience. And in almost every case, we use up our lives making money, when we should be using our money to gain time. That's the only problem that's ever interested me.... To have money is to have time. That's my main point. Time can be bought.
- Albert Camus
In the early hours of day 11, before falling asleep on his ferry from Barcelona to Civitavecchia, Karura recalled a conversation that happened a long time ago in the dark ages. Wrapping up some Pecksniffian advice on parenthood and relationships, Karura's interlocutor had posed the question:
'Why do you want to be married anyway?'
Karura's initial response was cut dead in mid sentence.
'Well, I have made a huge invest . . .'
'Aha', the judge's decree fired back triumphantly, 'so it is all about money!'
That was the moment when Karura realised everything he had heard was correct. He would never speak to his interlocutor again. There is nothing to be gained from one so methodically ignorant of love.
Karura would consider the question of love many times, but now he turned his mind to money. He hoped to find an ATM in Rome tomorrow, to facilitate a meal out with friends, fuel for his bike, entrance to the Colosseum, and a roof over his head. That would be OK. He had time.
Enough on money. Growing bored with his wandering thoughts, Karura drifted off to sleep.
