Vykhuholev. That’s quite clear. It’s ordinary megalomania. It’s a person’s desire to have even an indirect relation to the great people. That’s a common case in psychiatry.
Ogranovich. Oh, I see, everything is always clear to you, shrink! It’s so boring with you.
Vykhuholev. The only thing isn’t clear yet. Why is this particular geometric figure so relevant? What do these two triangles placed on each other mean?
Ogranovich. How should I know? I'm a notary, not an alchemist.
Myshevsky. According to one theory, the hexagram defines the human social structure. The upward pointing triangle stands for the power distribution in the society. The upper part is the elite, the lower part is the crowd.
Vykhuholev. What about the triangle pointing down?
Myshevsky. It reflects the distribution of knowledge in society. The elite owns holistic volume of knowledge, and the crowd has scattered, fragmented one.
Ogranovich. It’s some kind of genocide! The worse might be distribution of knowledge according to the racial or gender aspects.
Vykhuholev. Anyway, you don’t have to worry about, Elena Pavlovna? I’ve always thought that notaries often dance on razor blades, so their sense of fear is atrophied.
Ogranovich. Each of us has something to fear, Mr. Vykhuholev. Including even you, psychiatrists, fearless explorers of human nature dark sides.
Myshevsky. By the way, according to some sources, the hexagram also means combination of male and female principles. The triangle pointing upward is the masculine principle. A triangle pointing down…
Golyshkin enters the office.
Myshevsky. I suggest to ask the professor, why he chose the hexagram. Please, shed some light, Stalver Udarpyatovich, otherwise we are wandering in the dark.
Golyshkin. With pleasure! Everything is quite simple. In alchemy, the hexagram symbolizes the philosopher's stone. It is made up of two opposite triangles, meaning the unity of opposites.
Rodion comes in.
Rodion. And also, the hexagram of Solomon protects you against Lilith. This is such a terrible Jewish demon that kidnaps children at night. Total rubbish! I remember once when I was a child my father told me this bullshit for the night. After that I used to pee in the bed for a long time because of fear. My dad always left my bedroom, thinking that I’d fallen asleep, and turned off the light. In his philosophical point of view, he was bringing up courage in me. And I was left alone with the monster. It stared at me with the fiery eyes from a dark corner…
