All language subtitles for Satantango (1994).CD3

IRIMIAS GIVES A SPEECH

I am in a state of deep emotion,

you can imagine, I am confused.

I am bewildered and shocked.

Yet I must pull myself together.

Though right now all I can say is that

I share in this broken-hearted
mother's misery

in a mother's never-ending
mourning and sorrow

is the grief of losing the one
who is dearest to our hearts.

This tragic event weighs
us all down with sadness.

I don't think there's anyone
who would disagree with me.

And now the hardest thing is

with our teeth clenched, to get
our minds over the heartbreak,

to defy our tears when our voices fail us.

For, and I would like to
call your attention to this:

Before the police start investigating,
nothing can be more important for us

than to reconstruct

the shocking events,

which led to the terrible
death of an innocent child.

You'd better expect the
inspectors from town

to come and make us responsible
for this terrible event.

Yes, my friends, they're going to ask us.

For, to be quite honest,

with a little caution, care and attention

we could have prevented it.

Just imagine this vulnerable creature

wandering all night long
in the pouring rain,

at the mercy of the first passer-by,
of the first tramp, of anybody.

She was whipped by the wind, she
fell an easy prey to the elements,

and she must have been around here.

She may have looked in
through this window and seen

that you were all drunk and dancing around.

Don't get me wrong, I don't mean
to accuse anyone personally,

I am not accusing the mother,
who is never going to forgive

herself for getting up too late
in the morning of that awful day

I am not accusing the victim's brother

nor other members of the family.

I am not accusing anyone.

But let me ask you the question:

Aren't we all guilty?

You will, of course,
answer we are innocent.

But then, what do we call this poor child?

The victim of the innocent? The martyr
to the pure? The prey of the blameless?

No, she's the only innocent one.

I spent the night turning in
my bed till I realized that

not only we do not know how the tragic
event happened, but we have no knowledge

whatsoever of what happened exactly.

I am quite convinced that
this tragedy was to happen.

Now you seem to suspect that.

It is not enough, however, to suspect
something... things are to be understood.

And said with no delay.

You didn't dare mention it to each other,
but deep down, you knew before coming here

that the farm was doomed.

From now on, you'll have to
let your fate slowly unfold.

You are slouching around in this decay,

far away from everything that means life.

Your plans come to nothing, your
dreams, still blind, are shattered.

You expect some miracle
which will never come.

But what kind of fate
are you the victims of?

Is it the crumbling plaster...

the roofs without tiles...
the crumbling walls,

the sour taste our friend
Futaki keeps talking about?

Isn't it the shattered prospects,

the broken dreams,

that bends our knees that wears us numb?

I'm speaking harshly but let us be honest.

If you felt the farm was ruled by misfortune
why didn't you try to do something about it?

You thought a bird in the hand
is worth two in the bush.

But this is a coward's way, it is disgraceful
and careless and it has serious consequences.

This is called impotence, sinful impotence.

This is weakness, sinful weakness.

This is cowardice, sinful cowardice.

Because, and keep that in your minds -

it's not just to others we can do
unforgivable things but also to ourselves.

And this, my friends, is even more serious.

Yes, if I think about it,
all kinds of sins are

sins against ourselves.

But, you know, my friends,

if I think back and see you lying
half dead on the chairs and tables,

on top of each other, dribbling, exhausted,

my heart sinks and I cannot judge you for
I will never be able to forget this.

From your panting, snoring and groaning

I heard your cry for help
which I have to answer.

We know each other well.

I have been keeping my eyes
wide open for decades,

I bitterly observe that under the
thick veil of trickery and deception,

nothing has changed. Misery
has remained misery.

The two extra spoonfuls of food we can have

only makes the air thinner
in front of our mouths.

But I realized what I have
done so far is nothing.

A much deeper solution is needed.

So, using the opportunity,

I decided to get some people together

and set up a model farm which
will ensure a stable living...

and bind this tiny group of
the dispossessed together.

I am creating an island

where no one is powerless, where everyone
will live in peace and will feel safe.

That is why I left for the estate in Almas.

The main building is in good condition,
the contract is a simple matter.

There's one problem...

no use to try and keep it a secret, money.

Without a penny the thing is dead.

Capital is needed for production
but this is a bit complicated,

there's no point in going into details.

And you'll understand that the
circumstances of our meeting

made me feel uncertain, whether
you would be able to do it.

Whether you would be able to part from

your little money, the
result of hard work and

much difficulty, to realize a sudden plan.

Think about it...

Do not decide straightaway.

But if fate decides that from now
on we stay together, inseparable:

Do remember the price that has been paid.

Do not forget the child...

who may have had to perish

to make our star rise.

Who knows, my friends?

If it is so...

life is very hard upon us.

PERSPECTIVE FROM FRONT

I told you she shouldn't have
been taken from the institution.

I don't know why you brought her out.

Friends,

words fail me now that I
let you go your own way.

It's hard to describe the way I feel.

For what could I say

of your enthusiasm, your generosity,

for the sake of our common prosperity?

Of that precious treasure
I have been given,

your confidence.

What else could I say but

that all this gives me courage
and lays a responsability on me

which I would like to accept
to the best of my ability.

Your enthusiasm and confidence makes
me confident and enthusiastic.

I'm thinking of the future we'll share.

Goodbye, my friends.

See you tomorrow at 6 a.m.
At the estate in Almas.

Go ahead and think of the future.

From now on you are free.

And you were screwed, you mean shitbag!

Go fuck yourselves! Ungrateful pigs!
Fuck off!

Fuck off! Fuck off!

Fuck off!

You see? The stuck up person you were.

- Keep your mouth shut, okay?
- There you are.

Stop crowing and go to hell. Just go home.

- Up and down.
- Go home, will you?

I've been saying you
have to behave properly.

Now you're through. You can close down.

Go home, will you?

Leave me alone.

My husband was the same,
didn't know what's right.

Then where did he end up?
On a rope in the loft.

Stop bugging me. Bug yourself.

Go get your daughters or
they might go with them.

They'll never. They're locked up now.

- Come on, pay for your drinks and go.
- They won't leave me like Estike did.

- Go home now.
- When them from the farm leave, they'll go and dig the ground.

Go home. Go.

Go.

Now, come on, go.

- You've finished it?
- Won't leave it for the gypsies.

"The wind is blowing the clouds,
behind the sky is burning,

Give me your little hand, my darling,

God knows if I'll ever see you again

Whether I'll close my arms around you,

whether I'll kiss you, my darling?

God only knows the day the
battalion is leaving.

Whether I'll close my arms..."

"You're lovely, you're fair, Hungary..."

Folks. We forgot the doctor.

Never mind the doctor.

He would certainly have come but
I didn't mention it to him.

Come on, he couldn't even carry himself.

But he's going to starve now.

He can't even come to an
arrangement with the publican.

Then let him starve to death.

If you miss him so much, go back for him.

I haven't seen him for months.

There's no need to cry over him.

He's fine, gets pissed every
day, then goes off to snore.

I wouldn't mind feeling his
mother's share in my pocket.

Are we all here? No one's lagging behind?

We've done it!

We have done it, no matter what.

Now you're well prepared for this new life.

Come on, Lajos, there
will be lots more of it.

How could those poor fellows heat all this?

Didn't I tell you? We
should never lose heart,

we have to have trust until
we breathe our last.

Otherwise what would become of us?
Tell me, what?

I can imagine.

You've seen the out-buildings,
there's about five of them.

I bet the workshops are going to be there?

Workshops? What workshops?

Please be quiet. My husband's asleep.
He is used to silence.

All right, all right. We're just talking.

I think it'll be the other way round:

We'll get the outbuildings to live in

and the workshops will be here.

Won't you keep quiet? No
one can get any rest here.

Who was that?

Leave me alone. It wasn't me.

Nobody?

Look,

I'll agree to anything you
like, just keep quiet.

Listen,

if everyone works hard, I say one month.

We have great prospects for the future.

Tomorrow we'll find out what
Irimias is planning to do.

By tomorrow.

Halics was pursued by a
hunchback with a glass eye.

And after all sorts of
trials he ran into the river

but he started to lose heart,

every time he came up for air

the little man hit his
head with a long stick.

And each time he shouted
"Now you'll pay for it."

The headmaster persuaded a
man wearing an old suit

to go with him to a place he knew.

The man agreed, like
someone who can't say no.

He could hardly control himself and
when they turned into a deserted park,

he even pushed him to reach a
bench surrounded by bushes.

He made the man lie down and he jumped
on him, kissed him on the neck,

but in seconds some doctors appeared
on the walk dressed in white,

embarrassed, he waved that
he was going but he started

to blame the confused little man, by
then, he seemed to hate his guts.

The ground trembled under Schmidt's feet.

As if he was walking on the moors.

He climbed up into a tree,

but he felt that it had
started to sink too.

He was lying on the bed and tried
to get the nightgown off his wife.

But she started to yell, he jumped
after her, the nightgown was torn.

She laughed, and the nipples on her enormous
breasts were like two beautiful roses.

Mrs Halics was washing Mrs Schmidt's back,

the rosary on the rim of the tub
slipped into the water like a snake.

Mrs Schmidt said she had enough, her
skin was burning from the scrubbing

but Mrs Halics pushed her back into the
bath and went on scrubbing her back,

she said she was afraid that Mrs
Schmidt wouldn't be satisfied.

Mrs Kraner heard a noise from outside
but she didn't know what it could be.

She put on a fur coat and
left for the engine-shed.

She had almost reached the road
when she had a bad feeling.

She turned and saw that
their house was on fire.

"The chopped wood. Christ, I left the chopped
wood out," - she screamed and ran back.

Kraner was sitting at the table, as
if nothing happened, quietly eating.

"Joska, are you crazy?
The house is on fire!"

But Kraner didn't move.

Mrs Schmidt was a bird, flying
over the clouds, happily.

She saw that someone down
there was waving at her.

She came down a bit and
heard Schmidt shouting

"Why didn't you cook anything, you bitch!
Come down here."

But she flew over him and
twittered: Tomorrow.

You won't starve till then.

She felt the warmth of the sun on her back,

she came down a bit.

She wanted to snatch a bug.

Futaki's shoulders were
beaten with an iron bar.

He couldn't move, he was tied to a tree.

He stretched out and felt the rope loosen.

He looked at his shoulders
and saw a long wound.

He turned his head, he
couldn't stand seeing it.

He was sitting on an excavator, the
grab was scooping out some earth.

A man came up to him and said

"Hurry up, I won't give you any
more petrol whatever you say.

But it was no use scooping for the earth kept
falling back. He tried again but failed.

Then he cried...

He was sitting at the window of
the engine-shed and didn't know

whether it was daybreak or
evening, it just had no end.

He was sitting, not
knowing the time of day,

nothing had changed outside, morning
didn't come, night didn't fall,

day was beginning to break or
night was beginning to fall.

GO TO HEAVEN? HAVE NIGHTMARES?

Friends. Words fail me,

now that I let you go your own way.

It's hard to describe the way I feel.
For what can I say

of your enthusiasm, your generosity

for the sake of our common prosperity.

That precious treasure you
gave me, your confidence.

What else could I say but that all this gives
me courage, lays great responsibility on me,

which I would like to accept
and do the best I can.

And that your enthusiasm and confidence
makes me confident and enthusiastic.

I'm thinking of the future we'll share.

Goodbye, friends.

See you tomorrow at 6 a.m.
At the estate in Almas.

Go now and think of the future we'll share.

From now on you are free.

And yet you were screwed,
you mean bold shitbag!

Fuck off! You ungrateful pigs!
Go fuck yourselves! Fuck off!

I'm shit scared, master,

how do we get out of this?

I'd be surprised if you weren't shitting
in your pants. Do you want some paper?

This is no fucking joke,
it's bloody serious.

I wouldn't say I'm bursting with laughter.

Stop it, will you?

Would you be surprised if
I said our time has come?

What the hell are you getting at?

Listen to old Petrina this time.

Look, let's take the first
train and get away from here.

We're going to get in big trouble
if they realize what's going on.

Shut up.

Don't you see that we're partisans in
this hopeless fight for human dignity?

Petrina, our time has come.

Our time has come... You keep
saying this, our time has come.

Our time will never come!

I had faith and confidence...

And here we are.

The web - don't you understand?

Irimias's nationwide cobweb.

Is it getting clear?

Where something stirs...

Let's go on.

You've never seen fog before or what?

The horses got away from
the slaughterhouse again.

Who do you support?

Myself.

What about you, then?

Fine.

You haven't changed a bit.

What about you?

- Still the same.
- I thought...

Two rum and brandy and a glass of wine.

Here you are.

Listen, drink this up then you go see
Payer and tell him I'm waiting here.

Steigerwald.

What is it now?

We're staying here for tonight
but I'd need the car tomorrow.

But then I want the money before you go.

All right.

- And three bean soups.
- Okay.

With ham.

I'm going to dictate.

Dear Captain,

Eternity

lasts forever

because it doesn't compare
to the ephemeral,

the changeable,

the temporary.

The intensity of light penetrating darkness

seems to weaken.

...seems to weaken...

There is lack of continuity,

interruptions,

holes...

then finally the black nothingness.

Then there are myriads of stars so
distant, impossible to reach...

with a tiny spark in the middle... the Ego.

...A tiny spark...

Our deeds can be rewarded or punished
in eternity, and only there,

...punished...

because everything has a place,
a place far away from reality,

where it has its place,

where it has always been,

...where it has been...

where it is going to be,

where it is now.

The only authentic place.

I hope I didn't wake you.

You didn't disturb my dream
and I hope you never will.

- My collaborators.
- My name's Petrina.

- Horgos.

Very nice young man.

He can have a nice career.

Would you get me something now that...

You got me out of bed?

What would you like?

Don't ask me what I'd
like, they don't have it.

Get me a glass of plum brandy.

Sanyi.

Mr. Gundealer...

Sports guns...

I don't love this job, you know that.
We'd better call me Payer.

Mr. Payer... I asked you to
come here so late because soon

I will need rather a lot of explosive.

I'm going to think about it.

And decide as I see best.

And I hope you will do
your best to succeed.

It's not entirely up to me.

But I need to know

whether you can give more emphasis to this
excellent plan with a so called good start?

Certainly.

You are a gentleman...

Mr. Irimias.

Let me ask you something.

This something new which is waiting for
us after realizing your excellent plan...

- Well...
- Don't take me for a savior.

Regard me as a researcher who investigates
why everything is as terrible as it is.

Would you like to have dinner with us?

No, thank you.

Well then, we'll discuss
the details another time?

I'll see you at the weekend.

Well, gentlemen...

Sleep well...

Look... 25 years ago I could sleep
five and a half hours in a row.

Since then I've been turning
in my bed, half-asleep.

Thank you all the same.

Our Father

who art in heaven,

Hollowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come,

Thy will be done.

On earth

As it is in heaven,

...Give us peace and bread too...

...Power...

Amen...

PERSPECTIVE FROM REAR

I don't understand Irimias.

He was one of us. And
now, he's like a lord.

You simply can't make out what he wants...

All the nonsense he said...

Bent knees and cries for help!

Then threatening with the child...

The way he spoke yesterday, I
was beginning to believe it.

Why the hell did he stir the shit up?

If I'd known he wanted the same as
us, I'd have saved him the trouble.

It's crazy to say that it was my fault.

I had nothing to do with that little idiot.

Even her name drove me up the wall.

Estike, what's that? Is that a name?

She's eaten a lot of rat
poison and that's it.

Perhaps it was better for the poor thing.

But what's the whole thing to do with me?

He lured us here, to this rundown dump.

And we acted like sheep.
Meanwhile he slipped away!

God knows where he's drinking on our money!

A whole year's pay!

And I'm flat broke again!

Still, if he's back in a minute,
are you going to shout at him?

- You're the one to say that?
- Stop it for a minute!

Whose fault is it that I was robbed?
Who said that it would be all right?!

Who said that "Irimias and Petrina..."?

You fucker!

Give it back to me or I'll beat you up!

Give me my money back!
Give me back, you prick!

Let's give him two minutes and see
what he's got to say for himself!

- Are the two minutes up now?
- Listen people.

What's this all about? That's
not the way... Use your heads!

Shut up!

Here he is. Your savior's here!

Do you really think it's my fault?

Give me my money back. You hear me?
Give it back!

I can't believe my eyes! What
do you think you're doing?

Get lost!

It's none of your business! Don't
you stick your nose in it!

Get away from here! I won't say it again!

What's going on here?

I want to know what's going on!

We thought you wouldn't come.

You said you'd be here by 6 in the morning.

I do my best to help you.

I've had no sleep for three days,

I walked hours in the pouring rain,

I run from office to office
to overcome the obstacles...

and you behave like piglets
when their dinner is late...

What happened to you?

- My nose is bleeding.
- I can see that. But why?

I never expected that from you.

From you neither.

And we've just started.

What's it going to be like later on?

Are you gonna stab each other?

Sad.

Very sad.

I'm willing to forget it one more time
provided such a thing won't ever happen again.

OK, let's get down to it.

There is something important
I have to tell you.

We must postpone our plans
related to the farm for a while.

Because some people would not appreciate

the creation of an enterprise
on such shady bases.

Their primary objection is

the fact that the farm, being almost
totally isolated and a long way from town,

could hardly be kept under control.

Therefore

in the present situation, the only
way to succeed in our plan is

to scatter around the county for a while.

Until...

these gentlemen get so confused

that we can come back here
and start working on it.

From now on you are special people.

For you are helping in a
matter in which loyalty,

devotion and prudence are
absolutely necessary.

Our goals are significant
beyond themselves.

Scattering is just a tactic,

you may not be in touch with each other for
the moment but I will keep in touch with you.

In the meantime, do not believe that we are
going to remain passively in the background

and wait for things to get
better by themselves.

What you have to do is

to listen to people around you.

Views, stories, events which are

connected to the matter.

Every one of you will need
to acquire the ability

to distinguish between the
good and the bad signs.

In other words, between right and wrong.

And how are we going to
live in the meantime?

Don't worry. Don't worry.

Everything is prepared,
everything is organized.

You will all have work to do.

And at the beginning you'll get enough money
for the basics from our common capital.

But let us not waste our time
asking unnecessary questions.

We are late anyway.

We have to start right now, my friends.

Go pack your things. Hurry up!

Take your things and go.
Take the big things first.

Come on, move!

Kraner, what's the matter with you?

Wait, let's stop all this!
Give us our money back!

You hear me?! Give the money back!

The money?

Is that what you want?

Here, here's your money. Do what
you want to do with it. Good luck.

A year's hard work.

Joska, give the money back.

No. Just split it between you.

Perhaps it's better.

I can see right now that you
have no honor or perseverance.

Good to know from the start
whom I can count on.

Your husband may be right, Mrs Kraner.

I cannot realize my plans with you.

I need people who are at least able
to look after their own interests.

I've got to go now.

Wait!

And...

the farm will be working?

I don't know. Anyway I don't think
you're interested in the any longer.

Give him the money.

I didn't mean that.

Now, take the money.

This rain, you know, and the long journey...
And the cold at night... Don't be mad at us.

I don't care but

the fact is that you gave up
the first time problems arose.

Yet the whole thing is based
on trust and perseverance.

Take the money now!

We trust you. Take it.

I don't feel like wasting
time with your dramas!

I'am very disappointed in you...

however I'll get over it...

I'm going to try and forget
this disgraceful event.

Mind how you sit there it takes two
hours even in this racing car.

Button your coats.

Put on your hoods and hats.

And just turn your backs...

to the bright future, or this bloody
rain will get all over your faces.

The Schmidts, Halicses, Kraners, come on!

Futaki, Mr. Headmaster,
please wait a minute.

What's the matter, you're not coming?

Is there a pub here?

- We could have a drink.
- No.

Schmidt and family, you're going to Elek.

I've written everything down,
who to contact and where.

There you'll get work and a place to live.

And what work is there?

It's a butcher's.

Plenty to do!

You can serve the customers.

Now the Kraners.

You ask for Istvan Kalmar in Keresztur.
Listen carefully, it's not written down.

There's a street before the church.
On the right.

You go down that street until you see the
Ladies fashion sign. That's Kalmar's house.

Tell him

D鰊ci has sent you, he may
have forgotten my real name.

He has a room for laundry at
the back where you'll stay.

- Is that clear?
- Yes. D鰊ci.

A street after the church
and there's a sign...

Right. You, Halics...

You go to the presbytery of Postelek.

- Ask for Gyivicsan, the parish priest.
- Gyivicsan...

There's plenty of church wine there.

And you can clean the church

and do the cooking for the three of you.

Here's a thousand forints per head

if anything comes up.

But don't waste a penny.

And don't forget what
you're supposed to do.

I think all's clear. We'd like to thank
you for what you've done for us.

You don't have to say thank you.

I'm only the servant of a great cause.

So remember what you have to do.

And take good care, you
know we worry for you...

Take care of yourselves.

Listen,

you sit up there...

and we'll take you to the Streber.

We'll pick you up in an hour and
we'll talk everything over.

Okay.

Futaki.

Don't worry about me. I
know where I'm going.

I could find a job as a watchman.

You'd be better off doing something else.

What? No way to come to
terms with you today?

Come to Steigerwald's by eight
and we'll talk it over there.

All right, I'll do it your way. Here...

A thousand forints.

Buy yourself some lunch at least.

Futaki is the biggest sucker I've ever met.

What did he think? That he'd
reached the promised land?

What did the poor devil expect?

JUST TROUBLE AND WORK

Leave out the part about eternity.

"Though I don't believe it's right
to put such things down in writing,

hovever, as a token of my willingness,

I am following your instructions.

It has never escaped my attention that you
encouraged me to be open in all circumstances.

No doubts can be had on my peoples' skills.

I hope I could convince
you of this yesterday.

It is important to repeat because other
conclusions could be drawn from this plan.

I will be the only one to
keep in touch with my people.

Anything else would lead to
complete failure" etc, etc...

- I think it's alright.
- Then we leave it at that.

Mrs Schmidt...

Type it in.

Instead of a stupid female with big tits
you write... mentally immature person, who

mostly emphasizes her female character.

And what about "bloody whore"?

Could be a "lady of easy virtue"
or a "woman of low morals".

We'd better write a "woman selling
her body without any qualms".

Okay.

- Finished?
- Yeah.

"She went to bed with anyone and everyone, and
if she didn't that was only by accident."

She's a paragon of conjugal infidelity.

Finished?

Instead of "a stench created by the mixing
of cheap Cologne with some putrid smell"...

"She attempts to relieve her unpleasant
body odour in an unusual way."

"Mrs Kraner..." Write it.

"A loud-mouthed gossip"
should be replaced with...

"indiscreet transmittor of rumours".

- And instead of "a fat sow"?
- Leave that in.

- We shouldn't.
- Then put "big".

- "Overweight".
- Okay.

- Can we leave Mrs Halics?
- Sure.

And what about "wrinkled
worm, filled with alcohol"?

"Elderly alcoholic, short of stature".

"Clumsy clown. Dull inertia,
blind stumbling around..."

- We could leave that out.
- Okay.

Let's go on.

Schmidt.

What's the meaning of "a cross of crude
insensitiveness and insignificant emptiness,

in an abyss of uncontrollable darkness."?

"Hopeless stupidity, inarticulate
moaning, desperate existence,

crippled paralysing worry..."

OK, write this:

"His dwarfed understanding and

his submissive attitude to...

authority...

make him specially suited...

to accomplish the activity in question...

to a high level."

The headmaster.

He must have been out of his mind here.
Listen to this:

"If someone who's about
to drown himself were

to hesitate at the last moment whether
to jump or not from the bridge,

I advise him to remember the headmaster,

and he will realize
there's only one option:

- To jump."
- Go on.

"He's like a withered cucumber. In
mental ability he remains below Schmidt,

a definite achievement."

Let's put "appearance:
Worn down, no abilities".

- How did the two come together?
- That's what he wrote.

"His cowardice he compensates
with narcissism and conceit.

He tends to be rather sentimental and maudlin
as often is the case with onanic guys."

Then... "weak and sentimental, perverse
personality, sexually immature."

Okay, write that.

As for Kraner, he's a "sloppy
brute reminding of a buffalo..."

Strongly-built, worked as a smith."

"A strongly built smith?"

"A stupid ass with dull eyes." Go on.

"The only dangereous one is
Futaki, but not too much.

A rebel but more of a coward.

He could go far. But he can't
get rid of his obsessions.

He amuses me. He's the one
I can surely count on.

- So?
- Leave it.

No. Write.

"Dangerous but can be of use.

Cleverer than the others. Lame."

- Is that all?
- Yeah.

Then sign his name. Irimias.

Okay.

- Is it still raining?
- Yes.

They shook hands outside the gate

- How are you leaving?
- Bus.

Okay. Bye then, said the head clerk.

Nice day we had, eh? The other added.

Yeah, bloody good.

They shook hands again and parted.

At home, as they came in, both
were asked the same question:

"Difficult day, dear?"

To which, shuddering and exhausted,

they could only say, Nothing
much, the usual, my dear.

THE CIRCLE CLOSES

During the thirteen days...

I spent in hospital...

Mrs Kraner...

didn't misbehave...

again...

Everything is exactly as...

I left it.

Neither of them dares...

leave the house.

They must be...

lying on their beds, snoring...

or staring at the ceiling.

They haven't a clue...

that it is this idle...

passivity...

that leaves them...

at the mercy of...

what they fear most.

A cosmic revolution.

My hearing...

is getting worse.

The Turks are coming! The Turks are coming!

The Turks are coming! The Turks are coming!

I must be crazy!

I thought the bells rumbling in the sky

were tolling the knell.

One morning... at the end of October...

not long before...

the first drops...

of the insufferably long...

autumn rains...

fell...

on the parched...

cracked ground...

on the western side of the farm...

so that...

the stinking bog...

makes the tracks...

impassable...

until the first frosts...

and it cuts off the town too...

Futaki was woken...

by the sound of bells.

The closest church was...

eight kilometers to the South-West...

on the old Hochmeiss field...

a solitary chapel...

But not only was no bell there...

the church tower had collapsed...

during the war...