In "Signs and Symbols" there is a man lying "supine" with his "bare elbows raised". ("Across the narrow yard where the rain tinkled in the dark against some battered ash cans, windows were blandly alight and in one of them a blacktrousered man with his bare elbows raised could be seen lying supine on an untidy bed.") It would be a little odd if he were doing this lying face down. In fact, it is an interesting question even why he is doing it lying supine. Does he have his hands behind his head? Is he stretching? Praying?

Anthony Stadlen