As the messenger enters the room, the narrator laments the presence of the snake. He asks the messenger if he has found the "transient youth grass" , and the messenger replies that the ancient Greek book says that the transient youth grass is "quick to wither" . The messenger explains that life is fickle, and that we need to "live in the moment" because "life is fickle." The messenger asks if the messenger has found a cure for the "temporarily youth grass," but the messenger points out that the cure is not for the temporary youth grass, but for all the "moments" when the master cares about his wife. The narrator asks the master if he means to thank him for accepting him, but the master replies that he must ask if the master has thought it through. He says that he admires the master's spirit of controlling his own destiny, not yielding to God, and he wants to follow the master not because he wants the master to be his "24/7 bodyguard." The narrator says that if he were the master, he would be able to follow him even if he was a "lone