«[…]why are you deceiving us with these engineers—who needs all this? But, dear Savl Petrovich, even if we suddenly became engineers, no, it’s not necessary, I disagree. I would tell the committee that I do not wish to be an engineer. I will go sell flowers and postcards on the street, or perhaps push sticks with a perch, or learn to cobble boots using a handsaw on plywood—but I will not agree to be an engineer until we establish the most important, biggest committee that can figure things out. Right, Savl Petrovich? We have a problem with time. And is there even any point in doing serious work, like drafting blueprints with black ink, when time is not very good—that is, when it doesn’t matter at all? It’s very strange and foolish. You know it yourself, and so do the other teachers.»