This was nonsense, he thought. The need of her was a physical thing, like the thirsty of a sailor becalmed for weeks on the sea. He'd felt the need before, often, often, in their years apart. But why now? She was safe; he knew where she was - was it only the exhaustion of the past weeks and days, or perhaps the weakness of creeping age that made his bones ache, as though she had in fact been torn from his body, as God had made Eve from Adam's rib?
The protagonist reflects on his deep emotional and physical longing for a woman who has been a significant part of his life. He likens this desire to a sailor's thirst after being stranded at sea for a long time, suggesting that his yearning has both been familiar and intensely felt throughout their separation. He grapples with the question of why this need resurfaces so strongly at this moment, considering her safety and their known whereabouts.
He contemplates the possible reasons for his feelings, attributing them to the exhaustion he has experienced recently and perhaps the slow creeping of age that leaves him physically weary. This ache, he ponders, feels akin to being incomplete, drawing a parallel to the Biblical story of Eve being created from Adam's rib, implying a profound, almost spiritual connection between them that cannot easily be severed.
