IVIV (13) scene one question

[John Carvill]

Apropos of nothing much, I laughed out loud at this bit, in Malcolm
X's autobiography (which, yes, I only read because of Pynchon), having
described a former friend trying to shoot him, and nearly succeeding :

"We soon made up - on the surface. But things never are fully right
again with anyone you have seen trying to kill you."

Yeahp, that's understandable I suppose.