The searing light of the projection was oppressive in the muggy stagnant room. The reek of ancient furniture that seemed elegant in the other parts of the mansion, became hot rotting cloth. The patterns of the film became swirling blotches that sometimes provided a second of relief when a patch of dark fell on his face, only to be snatched away again. His eyelids provided little relief, like shielding skin from desert sun with a thin washcloth.