生命不能承受之轻-第41部分

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fect　judo　flip。
Now　he　was　satisfied　with　himself。　Sabina's　eyes　were　still　on　him。　She　would　never　see　him　humiliate　himself　again！　She　would　never　see　him　retreat！　Franz　was　through　with　being　soft　and　sentimental！
He　felt　what　was　almost　a　cheerful　hatred　for　these　men。　They　had　thought　to　have　a　good　laugh　at　him　and　his　naivete！　He　stood　there　with　his　shoulders　slightly　hunched　and　his　eyes　darting　back　and　forth　between　the　two　remaining　men。　Suddenly；　he　felt　a　heavy　blow　on　his　head；　and　he　crumpled　immediately。　He　vaguely　sensed　being　carried　somewhere。　Then　he　was　thrown　into　emptiness　and　felt　himself　falling。　A　violent　crack；　and　he　lost　consciousness。
He　woke　up　in　a　hospital　in　Geneva。　Marie…Claude　was　leaning　over　his　bed。　He　wanted　to　tell　her　she　had　no　right　to　be　there。　He　wanted　them　to　send　immediately　for　the　girl　with　the　glasses。　All　his　thoughts　were　with　her。　He　wanted　to　shout　that　he　couldn't　stand　having　anyone　but　her　at　his　side。　But　he　realized　with　horror　that　he　could　not　speak。　He　looked　up　at　Marie…Claude　with　infinite　hatred　and　tried　to　turn　away　from　her。　But　he　could　not　move　his　body。　His　head；　perhaps？　No；　he　could　not　even　move　his　head。　He　closed　his　eyes　so　as　not　to　see　her。
27
In　death；　Franz　at　last　belonged　to　his　wife。　He　belonged　to　her　as　he　had　never　belonged　to　her　before。　Marie…Claude　took　care　of　everything：　she　saw　to　the　funeral；　sent　out　the　announcements；　bought　the　wreaths；　and　had　a　black　dress　made—a　wedding　dress；　in　reality。　Yes；　a　husband's　funeral　is　a　wife's　true　wedding！　The　climax　of　her　life's　work！　The　reward　for　her　sufferings！
The　pastor　understood　this　very　well。　His　funeral　oration　was　about　a　true　conjugal　love　that　had　withstood　many　tests　to　remain　a　haven　of　peace　for　the　deceased；　a　haven　to　which　he　had　returned　at　the　end　of　his　days。　The　colleague　of　Franz's　whom　Marie…Claude　asked　to　speak　at　the　graveside　services　also　paid　homage　primarily　to　the　deceased's　brave　wife。
Somewhere　in　the　back；　supported　by　a　friend；　stood　the　girl　with　the　big　glasses。　The　combination　of　many　pills　and　suppressed　sobs　gave　her　an　attack　of　cramps　before　the　ceremony　came　to　an　end。　She　lurched　forward；　clutching　her　stomach；　and　her　friend　had　to　take　her　away　from　the　cemetery。
28
The　moment　he　received　the　telegram　from　the　chairman　of　the　collective　farm；　he　jumped　on　his　motorcycle。　He　arrived　in　time　to　arrange　for　the　funeral。　The　inscription　he　chose　to　go　under　his　father's　name　on　the　gravestone　read：　
HE　WANTED　THE　KINGDOM　OF　GOD　ON　EARTH。
He　was　well　aware　that　his　father　would　not　have　said　it　in　those　words；　but　he　was　certain　they　expressed　what　his　father　actually　thought。　The　kingdom　of　God　means　justice。　Tomas　had　longed　for　a　world　in　which　justice　would　reign。　Hadn't　Simon　the　right　to　express　his　father's　life　in　his　own　vocabulary？　Of　course　he　had：　haven't　all　heirs　had　that　right　from　time　immemorial？
A　RETURN　AFTER　LONG　WANDERINGS　was　the　inscription　adorning　the　stone　above　Franz's　grave。　It　can　be　interpreted　in　religious　terms：　the　wanderings　being　our　earthly　existence；　the　return　our　return　to　God's　embrace。　But　the　insiders　knew　that　it　had　a　perfectly　secular　meaning　as　well。　Indeed；　Marie…Claude　talked　about　it　every　day：
Franz；　dear；　sweet　Franz！　The　mid…life　crisis　was　just　too　much　for　him。　And　that　pitiful　little　girl　who　caught　him　in　her　net！　Why；　she　wasn't　even　pretty！　（Did　you　see　those　enormous　glasses　she　tried　to　hide　behind？）　But　when　they　start　pushing　fifty　（don't　we　know　it！）；　they'll　sell　their　souls　for　a　fresh　piece　of　flesh。　Only　his　wife　knows　how　it　made　him　suffer！　It　was　pure　moral　torture！　Because；　deep　down；　Franz　was　a　kind　and　decent　man。　How　else　can　you　explain　that　crazy；　desperate　trip　to　wherever　it　was　in　Asia？　He　went　there　to　find　death。　Yes；　Marie…Claude　knew　it　for　an　absolute　fact：
Franz　had　consciously　sought　out　death。　In　his　last　days；　when　he　was　dying　and　had　no　need　to　lie；　she　was　the　only　person　he　asked　for。　He　couldn't　talk；　but　how　he'd　thanked　her　with　his　eyes！　He'd　fixed　his　eyes　on　her　and　begged　to　be　forgiven。　And　she　forgave　him。
29
What　remains　of　the　dying　population　of　Cambodia？
One　large　photograph　of　an　American　actress　holding　an　Asian　child　in　her　arms。
What　remains　of　Tomas？
An　inscription　reading　HE　WANTED　THE　KINGDOM　OF　GOD　ON　EARTH。
What　remains　of　Beethoven？
A　frown；　an　improbable　mane；　and　a　somber　voice　intoning　Es　muss　sein！　
What　remains　of　Franz？
An　inscription　reading　A　RETURN　AFTER　LONG　WANDERINGS。
And　so　on　and　so　forth。　Before　we　are　forgotten；　we　will　be　turned　into　kitsch。　Kitsch　is　the　stopover　between　being　and　oblivion。
PART　SEVEN
Karenin's　Smile

1
The　window　looked　out　on　a　slope　overgrown　with　the　crooked　bodies　of　apple　trees。　The　woods　cut　off　the　view　above　the　slope；　and　a　crooked　line　of　hills　stretched　into　the　distance。　When；　towards　evening；　a　white　moon　made　its　way　into　the　pale　sky；　Tereza　would　go　and　stand　on　the　threshold。　The　sphere　hanging　in　the　not　yet　darkened　sky　seemed　like　a　lamp　they　had　forgotten　to　turn　off　in　the　morning；　a　lamp　that　had　burned　all　day　in　the　room　of　the　dead。
None　of　the　crooked　apple　trees　growing　along　the　slope　could　ever　leave　the　spot　where　it　had　put　down　its　roots；　just　as　neither　Tereza　nor　Tomas　could　ever　leave　their　village。　They　had　sold　their　car；　their　television　set；　and　their　radio　to　buy　a　tiny　cottage　and　garden　from　a　farmer　who　was　moving　to　town。
Life　in　the　country　was　the　only　escape　open　to　them；　because　only　in　the　country　was　there　a　constant　deficit　of　people　and　a　surplus　of　living　accommodations。　No　one　bothered　to　look　into　the　political　past　of　people　willing　to　go　off　and　work　in　the　fields　or　woods；　no　one　envied　them。
Tereza　was　happy　to　abandon　the　city；　the　drunken　barflies　molesting　her；　and　the　anonymous　women　leaving　the　smell　of　their　groins　in　Tomas's　hair。　The　police　stopped　pestering　them；　and　the　incident　with　the　engineer　so　merged　with　the　scene　on　Petrin　Hill　that　she　was　hard　put　to　tell　which　was　a　dream　and　which　the　truth。　（Was　the　engineer　in　fact　employed　by　the　secret　police？　Perhaps　he　was；　perhaps　not。　Men　who　use　borrowed　flats　for　rendezvous　and　never　make　love　to　the　same　woman　twice　are　not　so　rare。）
In　any　case；　Tereza　was　happy　and　felt　that　she　had　at　last　reached　her　goal：　she　and　Tomas　were　together　and　alone。　Alone？　Let　me　be　more　precise：　living　alone　meant　breaking　with　all　their　former　friends　and　acquaintances；　cutting　their　life　in　two　like　a　ribbon；　however；　they　felt　perfectly　at　home　in　the　company　of　the　country　people　they　worked　with；　and　they　sometimes　exchanged　visits　with　them。
The　day　they　met　the　chairman　of　the　local　collective　farm　at　the　spa　that　had　Russian　street　names；　Tereza　discovered　in　herself　a　picture　of　country　life　originating　in　memories　of　books　she　had　read　or　in　her　ancestors。　It　was　a　harmonious　world；　everyone　came　together　in　one　big　happy　family　with　common　interests　and　routines：　church　services　on　Sundays；　a　tavern　where　the　men　could　get　away　from　their　womenfolk；　and　a　hall　in　the　tavern　where　a　band　played　on　Saturdays　and　the　villagers　danced。
Under　Communism；　however；　village　life　no　longer　fit　the　age…old　pattern。　The　church　was　in　the　neighboring　village；　and　no　one　went　there；　the　tavern　had　been　turned　into　offices；　so　the　men　had　nowhere　to　meet　and　drink　beer；　the　young　people　nowhere　to　dance。　Celebrating　church　holidays　was　forbidden；　and　no　one　cared　about　their　secular　replacements。　The　nearest　cinema　was　in　a　town　fifteen　miles　away。　So；　at　the　end　of　a　day's　work　filled　with　boisterous　shouting　and　relaxed　chatter；　they　would　all　shut　themselves　up　within　their　four　walls　and；　surrounded　by　contemporary　furniture　emanating　bad　taste　like　a　cold　draft；　stare　at　the　refulgent　television　screen。　They　never　paid　one　another　visits　besides　dropping　in　on　a　neighbor　for　a　word　or　two　before　supper。　They　all　dreamed　of　moving　into　town。　The　country　offered　them　nothing　in　the　way　of　even　a　minimally　interesting　life。
Perhaps　it　was　the　fact　that　no　one　wished　to　settle　there　that　caused　the　state　to　lose　its　power　over　the　countryside。　A　farmer　who　no　longer　owns　his　own　land　and　is　merely　a　laborer　tilling　the　soil　forms　no　allegiance　to　either　region　or　work；　he　has　nothing　to　lose；　nothing　to　fear　for。　As　a　result　of　such　apathy；　the　countryside　had　maintained　more　than　a　modicum　of　autonomy　and　freedom。　The　chairman　of　the　collective　farm　was　not　brought　in　from　outside　（as　were　all　high…level　managers　in　the　city）；　he　was　elected　by　the　villagers　from　among　themselves。
Because　everyone　wanted　to　leave；　Tereza　and　Tomas　were　in　an　exceptional　position：　they　had　come　voluntarily。　If　the　other　villagers　took　advantage　of　every　opportunity　to　make　day　trips　to　the　surrounding　towns；　Tereza　and　Tomas　were　content　to　remain　where　they　were；　which　meant　that　before　long　they　knew　the　villagers　better　than　the　villagers　knew　one　another。
The　collective　farm　chairman　became　a　truly　close　friend。　He　had　a　wife；　four　children；　and　a　pig　he　raised　like　a　dog。　The　pig's　name　was　Mefisto；　and　he　was　the　pride　and　main　attraction　of　the　village。　He　would　answer　his　master's　call　and　was　always　clean　and　pink；　he　paraded　about　on　his　hoofs　like　a　heavy…thighed　woman　in　high　heels。
When　Karenin　first　saw　Mefisto；　he　was　very　upset　and　circled　him；　sniffing；　for　a　long　time。　But　he　soon　made　friends　with　him；　even　to　the　point　of　preferring　him　to　the　village　dogs。　Indeed；　he　had　nothing　but　scorn　for　the　dogs；　because　they　were　all　chained　to　their　doghouses　and　never　stopped　their　silly；　unmotivated　barking。　Karenin　correctly　assessed　the　value　of　being　one　of　a　kind；　and　I　can　state　without　compunction　that　he　greatly　appreciated　his　friendship　with　the　pig。
The　chairman　was　glad　to　be　able　to　help　his　former　surgeon；　though　at　the　same　time　sad　that　he　could　do　nothing　more。　Tomas　became　the　driver　of　the　pickup　truck　that　took　the　farm　workers　out　to　the　fields　and　hauled　equipment。
The　collective　farm　had　four　large　cow　sheds　as　well　as　a　small　stable　of　forty　heifers。　Tereza　was　charged　with　looking　after　them　and　taking　them　out　to　pasture　twice　a　day。　Because　the　c