"Goblets went to mouths for a time in which the storm alone had voice." (p. 137)
Here again, the wind underlines a pause in the dialogue. The text says "storm" which, in this case, we have been told, means both dashing rain and howling wind. Maybe this storm even contributes to the dialogue since its sound is described as a "voice."
Ivan's grudge against Nada is that he thinks that it was she that caused the oldest son who should have been his heir to go into a monastery but he adds:
"'I could be wrong. Who knows the wellsprings of the heart, save God?'" (ibid.)
An important question. It would be glib just to say, "I don't believe in God." That is not quite the point. The main point is that no human being can fully know the motivations of another. I have had motives attributed to me wrongly. We can imagine what it would be like if there were an omniscient being who knew everyone's innermost thoughts and even their unconscious motivations. Many among us believe that such a being exists. It is an enlightening exercise to imagine conversing with such a being. Dishonesty would be impossible. In Zen meditation, we "sit with" whatever thoughts or memories come up. We practice neither denying nor suppressing them. There is some overlap with prayer. God, if He exists, knows us even if we do not know Him.
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