那是什么样的虚构声音？我问自己，假设哥伦布听到了一个想象中的声音告诉他向西航行。因此，他发现了新世界并改变了人类的历史……我们很难捍卫“虚构”一词的使用，因为它的声音，因为它的讲话后果影响了我们所有人。哪个本来可以构成更大的现实，一个“虚构的”声音告诉他向西航行，还是“真实的”声音告诉他这个想法是绝望的？
(What sort of an imaginary voice is that? I asked myself, suppose Columbus had heard an imaginary voice telling him to sail west. And because of it he had discovered the New World and changed human history... We would be hard put to defend the use of the term 'imaginary' then, for that voice, since the consequences of its speaking came to affect us all. Which would have constituted greater reality, an 'imaginary' voice telling him to sail west, or a 'real' voice telling him the idea was hopeless?)