noon
This would bring the end on the thirty-first . He considered a moment ; was it better to die at noon or at night ? An odd thing for a man to decide , but such details as this might as well be fixed now as later . It took but a moment 's deliberation ; he elected to go out at high noon . There would be dark enough afterwards -- possibly an eternity of dark . He would face the sun with his last gaze ; he would have the mad riot of men and women at midday ringing last in his ears . As he drew in deep breaths it was as if he inhaled the whole world .