“Fly from America to Spain to America to Newark to Florida to Baltimore. Rent countless cars, drive endless miles. So many faces. So many faces. So many faces. Planning, preparing. Go for the full blast, the final glory, the decisive strike, the magic of martyrdom. It’s real, it’s real, it happens, it happens.But it’s boring. Wait in airports, move along roads. Atta learns that the world’s ugliest sight is the motel room interior. He flies and flies and flies but never rests. Only more hard work after hard work. Sometimes the work hurts, sometimes the boredom is so terrible that he stares at the walls and digs his fingernails into his palms, draws blood from the skin, happy for the moment’s painful release.”

“Fly from America to Spain to America to Newark to Florida to Baltimore. Rent countless cars, drive endless miles. So many faces. So many faces. So many faces. Planning, preparing. Go for the full blast, the final glory, the decisive strike, the magic of martyrdom. It’s real, it’s real, it happens, it happens.
But it’s boring. Wait in airports, move along roads. Atta learns that the world’s ugliest sight is the motel room interior. He flies and flies and flies but never rests. Only more hard work after hard work. Sometimes the work hurts, sometimes the boredom is so terrible that he stares at the walls and digs his fingernails into his palms, draws blood from the skin, happy for the moment’s painful release.”