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run； which； all things considered； hardly covered my expenses； and now that I was spending more and more time on the Hypnerotomachia； and getting by on five or six hours of sleep a night； an entirely new sort of debt was accruing。 Tantalus and his grapes had nothing on me： when I wanted Katie； all I got was Colonna； when I tried to focus on Colonna； all I could think of was sleep； and when； at last； I tried to sleep； the knock would e at our door； and it would be time for another jog with Katie。 The edy of being chronically late for my own life was lost on me。 I was due for something better。
For once； though； Gil and Charlie spoke with one voice： 〃Be patient；〃 they said。 〃She's worth it。〃
And； as usual； they were right。 One night in our fifth week together； Katie eclipsed us all。 Returning from a philosophy seminar； she stopped by Dod with an idea。
〃Listen to this；〃 she said； pulling a copy of Thomas More's Utopia from her bag and reading from it。
The inhabitants of Utopia have two games rather like chess。 The first is a sort of arithmetical contest； in which certain numbers 〃take〃 others。 The second is a pitched battle between virtues and vices； which illustrates most ingeniously how vices tend to conflict with one another； but to bine against virtues。 It shows what ultimately determines the victory of one side or the other。
She took my hand and placed the book in it； waiting for me to read it again。
I glanced at the back cover。 〃Written in 1516；〃 I said。 〃Less than twenty years after the Hypnerotomachia。〃 The timing wasn't far off。
〃A pitched battle between virtues and vices；〃 she repeated； 〃showing what determines the victory of one side or the other。〃
And it began to dawn on me that she might be right。
Lana McKnight used to have a rule； back in our dating days。 Never mix books and bed。 In the spectrum of excitement； sex and thought were on opposite ends； both to be enjoyed； but never at the same time。 It amazed me how such a smart girl could suddenly bee so ravenously stupid in the dark； flailing around in her leopard…print negligee like some cavewoman I'd thumped with a club； barking things that would've horrified even the pack of wolves that raised her。 I never dared to tell Lana that if she moaned less it might mean more； but from the very first night I sensed what a wonderful thing it might be if my mind and my body could be aroused at the same time。 I probably should've seen that possibility in Katie from the beginning； after all the mornings we spent exercising both muscles at once。 But it was only that night that it happened： as we worked out the implications of her discovery； the last residue of her old lacrosse player finally slipped off the page； erased； leaving us to start again。
What I remember most clearly about that night is that Paul had the grace to sleep at Ivy； and that the lights were on the whole time Katie stayed。 We kept them burning while we read Sir Thomas More； trying to understand what game he was referring to； in which great victories were possible when virtues were in harmony。 We kept them burning when we found that one of the games More mentioned； called the Philosophers' Game； or Rithmomachia； was precisely the kind Colonna would've favored； the most challenging of any played by medieval or Renaissance men。 We kept them burning when she kissed me for saying I thought she was right after all； because Rithmomachia； it turned out； could be won only by creating a harmony of numbers； the most perfect of which produced the rare oute called a great victory。 And we kept them burning when she kissed me again for admitting my other ideas must have been wrong； and that I should've listened to her from the beginning。 I realized； finally； the misunderstanding that had persisted since the morning of our first jog： while I'd been struggling to stay even with her； she'd been pushing to stay one step ahead。 She'd been trying to prove that she wasn't intimidated by seniors； that she deserved to be taken seriously…and it never occurred to her； until tonight； that she'd succeeded。
My mattress was craggy with books by the time we got around to lying down together； hardly even pretending to read anymore。 It's probably true that the room was too hot for the sweater she was wearing。 And it's probably true that the room would've been too hot for the sweater she was wearing even if the air…conditioning had been on and the snow had been falling the way it did Easter weekend。 She was wearing a T…shirt beneath it； and a black bra under that； but it was watching Katie take off that sweater； and seeing the way it left her hair mussed； strands floating in a halo of static electricity； that gave me the feeling Tantalus never quite got to； that a sensational future had finally pressed itself up against a heavy； hopeful present； throwing the switch that pletes the circuit of time。
When my turn came around to take clothes off； to share with Katie the wreckage of my left leg； scars and all； I never hesitated； and when she saw them； neither did she。 Had we spent those hours in the dark； I would never have made anything of it。 But we were never in the dark that night。 We rolled； one over another； across Saint Thomas More and the pages of his Utopia； into the new positions of our relationship； and the lights were always burning。
The first sign that I'd misunderstood the forces at work in my life came the following week。 Paul and I spent much of the next Monday and Tuesday debating the meaning of the newest riddle： How many arms from your feet to the horizon？
〃I think it has to do with geometry；〃 Paul said。
〃Euclid？〃
But he shook his head。 〃Earth measurement。 Eratosthenes approximated the earth's circumference by figuring out the different angles of the shadows cast in Syene and Alexandria at noon on the summer solstice。 Then he used the angles 。 。 。〃
I realized only midway through his explanation that he was using an etymological sense of the word geometry…literally； as he'd said； 〃earth measurement。〃
〃So that； knowing the distance between the two cities； he could triangulate back to the curvature of the earth。〃
〃What does that have to do with the riddle？〃 I said。
〃Francesco's asking for the distance between you and the horizon。 Calculate how far it is from any given point in the world to the line where the earth curves over； and you've got an answer。 Or just look it up in your physics textbook。 It's probably a constant。〃
He said it as if the answer were a foregone conclusion； but I suspected otherwise。
〃Why would Colonna ask for that distance in arms？〃 I asked。
Paul leaned over and crossed out arms on my copy； replacing it with something in Italian。 〃That should probably be braccia；〃 he said。 〃It's the same word； but braccia were Florentine units of measurement。 One braccio is about the length of an arm。〃
For the first time； I was sleeping less than he was； the sudden high in my life needling me to keep pressing my luck； to keep mixing my drinks； because this cocktail of Katie and Francesco Colonna seemed to be just what the doctor ordered。 I took it as a sign； the fact that my return to the Hypnerotomachia had brought a new structure to the worl