(It occurred to me as I was putting away groceries that my relationship with Chapter Nine of the book is somewhat adversarial, and it made me think of the relationship between Kirk and Khan....)

ME: Nine, you bloodsucker! You're going to have to do your own dirty work now! Do you hear me? Do you?
CHAPTER NINE: Jeffrey! You're still alive, old friend?
ME: Still. Old. Friend. You've managed to kill just about every other thought I've had but like a poor marksman you keep missing the target.
NINE: Perhaps, I no longer need to try. I've done far worse than kill you: I've hurt you. And I wish to go on hurting you. I shall leave you as you left me, as you left your characters: marooned for all eternity  inside the center of a convoluted mess: buried alive... buried alive....
ME: NIIIIIIIIIIIINE!!!!!!!!

(Let's just say I'm not sure when I'm going to be able to move on to Chapter Ten....)