Page 177 - The Grotesque Children's Book

Aurelio: I think it’s possible that Santi’s using the horse to symbolize me. Look at all the
times when that flying horse doesn’t speak to his fellow horses. Why do they think
Tozzo: he’s not speaking?
Aurelio:
Tozzo: Because...he’s eating?
Aurelio:
Tozzo: No! Because they think he’s deaf.
Aurelio:
Tozzo: I didn’t pick up on that. Besides, he can speak. You can’t.

Aurelio: I can speak, in writing.
Tozzo:
Not the same thing, is it?
Aurelio:
Tozzo: Are you trying to make me feel bad?

Aurelio: I’m not trying to make you feel anything. You’re the one who conjured me to toss
around Santi’s symbols with you. If you’re Bartolomeo the flying horse, who’s
Tozzo: Helios supposed to be?

Aurelio: Well, someone or something who’s leading me to my death, right?

Tozzo: I see. You mean, like disease? Helios is disease? Yes! Santi’s trying to warn you
Aurelio: about some upcoming plague or something, and he’s telling you to get out before
you get infected!
Tozzo:
No, I don’t think it’s a disease. But maybe something was scaring Santi.

Well, everything scares Santi, so that doesn’t help. In the story, the deaf horse is
afraid of the sunset.

Actually, the horse is afraid of being pitched off the edge of the world, but no, I’m
thinking it’s not the sun.

He says it...he calls it an immolation. That can’t be good. “A day which would end
in his fiery demise.”

No, I mean, Helios here isn’t an allegory for the Sun. It’s not the Sun which is
important in this story.

It’s not?

Santi’s not saying it’s the Sun which is going to kill us, Tozzo. He’s warning you
about the person who’s making you haul a chariot.

Who’s making me haul a chariot?

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