He lay beside her, an insomniac with visions of vastness. He thought of desert stretches so huge no Chosen People could cross them. He counted grains of sand like sheep and knew his job would last forever. He thought of aeroplane views of wheatlands so high he couldn't see which way the wind was bending the stalks. Arctic territories and sled-track distances.Miles he would never cover because he could never abandon this bed.

Summary

This quote depicts a character, possibly an insomniac, lying beside someone else and experiencing a vivid imagination. The person contemplates boundless deserts impossible to traverse, mentally counting grains of sand like counting sheep, realizing that his task of counting will never end. He envisions vast wheatlands from a high-flying airplane, unable to discern the direction of the wind moving the stalks. The character also dreams of far-flung Arctic territories and exhaustive sled-track distances, realizing he will never embark on such journeys as he cannot bring himself to leave the comfort of his bed.

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