The Dark Other · Chapter
XXXI: “Not Humanly Possible” explained
Pat awakens on Nick's couch after fainting.
What happens
Pat awakens on Nick's couch after fainting. Dr. Horker tends to Nick, who has been shot in the base of the brain. An ambulance takes Nick to Briggs General, where Horker prepares to perform a trephination to remove the bullet. Pat struggles with despair and the possibility of Nick's death, while Horker admits the attack's paralyzing fascination is 'not humanly possible,' though he remains skeptical of Pat's demon theory.
Themes in this chapter
Horror and the Sublime
The attack's paralyzing fascination is described as 'not humanly possible,' evoking a sublime horror that defies rational explanation and overwhelms both Pat and Horker.
Science vs. Superstition
Horker insists on a rational, medical explanation for Nick's condition, while Pat argues for demonic possession and exorcism, highlighting the tension between scientific and supernatural worldviews.
Love and Sacrifice
Pat's deep concern for Nick's survival and her willingness to follow him in death demonstrate her sacrificial love, even as she contemplates suicide again.
Characters to notice
- Patricia Lane
Awakens on Nick's couch, distraught after shooting Nick. She is exhausted, physically hurt, and contemplates suicide again, but decides to wait for Nick's fate.
- Nicholas Devine
Lies unconscious with a bullet wound at the base of the brain. Horker bandages him and arranges for surgery; his survival is uncertain.
- Dr. Carl Horker
Tends to Nick's wound, arranges ambulance, and prepares to perform a trephination. He admits the attack's influence is inexplicable and 'not humanly possible,' but rejects Pat's demon theory in favor of a rational explanation.
- The Other
Referenced as the entity that attacked Pat and Nick; its paralyzing fascination is described as beyond human capability.
Key passages
“I tell you, it's not humanly possible—and yet I felt it!”
Horker admits the attack's influence defies natural explanation, though he experienced it firsthand.
Highlights the theme of horror and the sublime, as well as the conflict between science and superstition.
“Trephining is to open a little door in the skull. If your devil is in his head, we'll have it out along with the bullet.”
Horker explains the surgical procedure to Pat, sarcastically suggesting that if a demon exists, it will be removed with the bullet.
Emphasizes the science vs. superstition theme and Horker's skeptical stance.