Jonas feared that his talent for telling stories would prevent him from gaining access to truth. Through this story we can see how access to the sources, to the truth, is not possible without a detour via language, fiction, art, and above all the encounter with the other. All these elements, as imperfect as they are rich, will tinge the lost object with their own colours while throwing light on it. The article looks at the thirdness of language and narration, which are at one and the same time places of encounter and creativity, permitting the emergence of objects, or their disguise. The analyst’s particular form of presence/absence plays an essential role in the success of this process. Finally, the article questions the possibility of such a process outside a common real place, in the context of remote sessions.