Clay was no longer in view of the mirror so he could not watch Rene work. At first Clay tries to see what Rene is doing but is quickly admonished by Rene “Do no move so much you’re wrinkling the material” besides every move causes the spike inside him to shift uncomfortably. Clay looks forward, straightens his back and raises his hands to the sides, a relaxing position in his preternatural body. He closes his eyes and concentrates on the changes to his body as Rene works.
This time Rene starts from bottom. Clay feels Rene work on one leg then other. The feelings evoked in Clay this time are completely different from his previous modeling. It is difficult to describe but Clay feels as if he had been tightly bound, and every time Rene scrapes away at him a bind is released, every kneading motion untwisting him and setting him free. He can feel as his bones are thinner and longer and his legs lighter.
The strange duality of his body fascinates Clay, on one level he knows his body to be made entirely of the strange bronze material in the bucket, on a different level it is still a living body made of bone and flesh and skin. When Rene models he is not merely hammering away as a sculptor would on a block of marble. He works on all levels not only molding the bronze material, but also shaping bone, flesh and skin.
Rene finishes with the legs and moves upwards. Clay feels again the peculiar feelings of bone restructuring as Rene compresses and expands his pelvis.
Rene moves up to Clay’s abdomen, here he lingers and repairs the damage done when taking a slice out of Clay. The relief of being truly whole again is tremendous for Clay as Rene continues to his torso, arms and hands. Clay, still with his eyes closed is now certain he is much lighter than before, but how much of it is actual mass loss and how much can be attributed to the feeling of freedom this new body, this new form, evokes, Clay cannot be certain.
It is finally time to remodel his face, Clay allows Rene to manipulate him opening and closing his eyes, moving his mouth, changing his jaw and skull.
“Let me get you down of here and we’ll finish, OK?” says Rene and grabs Clay lifting him from the pole and into his original placement.