生命不能承受之轻-第24章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


；　they　attended　a　memorial　meeting　organized　by　a　Czech　group　in　Geneva。
The　room　was　nearly　empty。　The　speaker　had　artificially　waved　gray　hair。　He　read　out　a　long　speech　that　bored　even　the　few　enthusiasts　who　had　come　to　hear　it。　His　French　was　grammatically　correct　but　heavily　accented。　From　time　to　time；　to　stress　a　point；　he　would　raise　his　index　finger；　as　if　threatening　the　audience。
The　girl　with　the　glasses　could　barely　suppress　her　yawns；　while　Franz　smiled　blissfully　at　her　side。　The　longer　he　looked　at　the　pleasing　gray…haired　man　with　the　admirable　index　finger；　the　more　he　saw　him　as　a　secret　messenger；　an　angelic　intermediary　between　him　and　his　goddess。　He　closed　his　eyes　and　dreamed。　He　closed　his　eyes　as　he　had　closed　them　on　Sabina's　body　in　fifteen　European　hotels　and　one　in　America。

PART　FOUR
Soul　and　Body

1
When　Tereza　came　home；　it　was　almost　half　past　one　in　the　morning。　She　went　into　the　bathroom；　put　on　her　pajamas；　and　lay　down　next　to　Tomas。　He　was　asleep。　She　leaned　over　his　face　and；　kissing　it；　detected　a　curious　aroma　coming　from　his　hair。　She　took　another　whiff　and　yet　another。　She　sniffed　him　up　and　down　like　a　dog　before　realizing　what　it　was：　the　aroma　of　a　woman's　sex　organs。
At　six　the　alarm　went　off。　Karenin's　great　moment　had　arrived。　He　always　woke　up　much　earlier　than　they　did；　but　did　not　dare　to　disturb　them。　He　would　wait　impatiently　for　the　alarm；　because　it　gave　him　the　right　to　jump　up　on　their　bed；　trample　their　bodies；　and　butt　them　with　his　muzzle。　For　a　time　they　had　tried　to　curb　him　and　pushed　him　off　the　bed；　but　he　was　more　headstrong　than　they　were　and　ended　by　defending　his　rights。　Lately；　Tereza　realized；　she　positively　enjoyed　being　welcomed　into　the　day　by　Karenin。　Waking　up　was　sheer　delight　for　him：　he　always　showed　a　naive　and　simple　amazement　at　the　discovery　that　he　was　back　on　earth；　he　was　sincerely　pleased。　She；　on　the　other　hand；　awoke　with　great　reluctance　with　a　desire　to　stave　off　the　day　by　keeping　her　eyes　closed。
Now　he　was　standing　in　the　entrance　hall；　gazing　up　at　the　hat　stand；　where　his　leash　and　collar　hung　ready。　She　slipped　his　head　through　the　collar；　and　off　they　went　together　to　do　the　shopping。　She　needed　to　pick　up　some　milk；　butter；　and　bread　and；　as　usual；　his　morning　roll。　Later；　he　trotted　back　alongside　her；　roll　in　mouth；　looking　proudly　from　side　to　side；　gratified　by　the　attention　he　attracted　from　the　passersby。
Once　home；　he　would　stretch　out　with　his　roll　on　the　threshold　of　the　bedroom　and　wait　for　Tomas　to　take　notice　of　him；　creep　up　to　him；　snarl　at　him；　and　make　believe　he　was　trying　to　snatch　his　roll　away　from　him。　That　was　how　it　went　every　day。　Not　until　they　had　chased　each　other　through　the　flat　for　at　least　five　minutes　would　Karenin　scramble　under　a　table　and　gobble　up　the　roll。
This　time；　however；　he　waited　in　vain　for　his　morning　ritual。　Tomas　had　a　small　transistor　radio　on　the　table　in　front　of　him　and　was　listening　to　it　intently。
2
It　was　a　program　about　the　Czech　emigration；　a　montage　of　private　conversations　recorded　with　the　latest　bugging　devices　by　a　Czech　spy　who　had　infiltrated　the　emigre　community　and　then　returned　in　great　glory　to　Prague。　It　was　insignificant　prattle　dotted　with　some　harsh　words　about　the　occupation　regime；　but　here　and　there　one　emigre　would　call　another　an　imbecile　or　a　fraud。　These　trivial　remarks　were　the　point　of　the　broadcast。　They　were　meant　to　prove　not　merely　that　emigres　had　bad　things　to　say　about　the　Soviet　Union　（which　neither　surprised　nor　upset　anyone　in　the　country）；　but　that　they　call　one　another　names　and　make　free　use　of　dirty　words。　People　use　filthy　language　all　day　long；　but　when　they　turn　on　the　radio　and　hear　a　well…known　personality；　someone　they　respect；　saying　fuck　in　every　sentence；　they　feel　somehow　let　down。
It　all　started　with　Prochazka；　said　Tomas。
Jan　Prochazka；　a　forty…year…old　Czech　novelist　with　the　strength　and　vitality　of　an　ox；　began　criticizing　public　affairs　vociferously　even　before　1968。　He　then　became　one　of　the　best…loved　figures　of　the　Prague　Spring；　that　dizzying　liberalization　of　Communism　which　ended　with　the　Russian　invasion。　Shortly　after　the　invasion　the　press　initiated　a　smear　campaign　against　him；　but　the　more　they　smeared；　the　more　people　liked　him。　Then　（in　1970；　to　be　exact）　the　Czech　radio　broadcast　a　series　of　private　talks　between　Prochazka　and　a　professor　friend　of　his　which　had　taken　place　two　years　before　（that　is；　in　the　spring　of　1968）。　For　a　long　time；　neither　of　them　had　any　idea　that　the　professor's　flat　was　bugged　and　their　every　step　dogged。　Prochazka　loved　to　regale　his　friends　with　hyperbole　and　excess。　Now　his　excesses　had　become　a　weekly　radio　series。　The　secret　police；　who　produced　and　directed　the　show；　took　pains　to　emphasize　the　sequences　in　which　Prochazka　made　fun　of　his　friends—Dubcek；　for　instance。　People　slander　their　friends　at　the　drop　of　a　hat；　but　they　were　more　shocked　by　the　much…loved　Prochazka　than　by　the　much…hated　secret　police。
Tomas　turned　off　the　radio　and　said；　Every　country　has　its　secret　police。　But　a　secret　police　that　broadcasts　its　tapes　over　the　radio—there's　something　that　could　happen　only　in　Prague；　something　absolutely　without　precedent！　
I　know　a　precedent；　said　Tereza。　When　I　was　fourteen　I　kept　a　secret　diary。　I　was　terrified　that　someone　might　read　it　so　I　kept　it　hidden　in　the　attic。　Mother　sniffed　it　out。　One　day　at　dinner；　while　we　were　all　hunched　over　our　soup；　she　took　it　out　of　her　pocket　and　said；　'Listen　carefully　now；　everybody！'　And　after　every　sentence；　she　burst　out　laughing。　They　all　laughed　so　hard　they　couldn't　eat。　
3
He　always　tried　to　get　her　to　stay　in　bed　and　let　him　have　breakfast　alone。　She　never　gave　in。　Tomas　was　at　work　from　seven　to　four；　Tereza　from　four　to　midnight。　If　she　were　to　miss　breakfast　with　him；　the　only　time　they　could　actually　talk　together　was　on　Sundays。　That　was　why　she　got　up　when　he　did　and　then　went　back　to　bed。
This　morning；　however；　she　was　afraid　of　going　back　to　sleep；　because　at　ten　she　was　due　at　the　sauna　on　Zofin　Island。　The　sauna；　though　coveted　by　the　many；　could　accommodate　only　the　few；　and　the　only　way　to　get　in　was　by　pull。　Luckily；　the　cashier　was　the　wife　of　a　professor　removed　from　the　university　after　1968　and　the　professor　a　friend　of　a　former　patient　of　Tomas's。　Tomas　told　the　patient；　the　patient　told　the　professor；　the　professor　told　his　wife；　and　Tereza　had　a　ticket　waiting　for　her　once　a　week。
She　walked　there。　She　detested　the　trams　constantly　packed　with　people　pushing　into　one　another's　hate…filled　embraces；　stepping　on　one　another's　feet；　tearing　off　one　another's　coat　buttons；　and　shouting　insults。
It　was　drizzling。　As　people　rushed　along；　they　began　opening　umbrellas　over　their　heads；　and　all　at　once　the　streets　were　crowded；　too。　Arched　umbrella　roofs　collided　with　one　another。　The　men　were　courteous；　and　when　passing　Tereza　they　held　their　umbrellas　high　over　their　heads　and　gave　her　room　to　go　by。　But　the　women　would　not　yield；　each　looked　straight　ahead；　waiting　for　the　other　woman　to　acknowledge　her　inferiority　and　step　aside。　The　meeting　of　the　umbrellas　was　a　test　of　strength。　At　first　Tereza　gave　way；　but　when　she　realized　her　courtesy　was　not　being　reciprocated；　she　started　clutching　her　umbrella　like　the　other　women　and　ramming　it　forcefully　against　the　oncoming　umbrellas。　No　one　ever　said　Sorry。　For　the　most　part　no　one　said　anything；　though　once　or　twice　she　did　hear　a　Fat　cow！　or　Fuck　you！　
The　women　thus　armed　with　umbrellas　were　both　young　and　old；　but　the　younger　among　them　proved　the　more　steeled　warriors。　Tereza　recalled　the　days　of　the　invasion　and　the　girls　in　miniskirts　carrying　flags　on　long　staffs。　Theirs　was　a　sexual　vengeance：　the　Russian　soldiers　had　been　kept　in　enforced　celibacy　for　several　long　years　and　must　have　felt　they　had　landed　on　a　planet　invented　by　a　science　fiction　writer；　a　planet　of　stunning　women　who　paraded　their　scorn　on　beautiful　long　legs　the　likes　of　which　had　not　been　seen　in　Russia　for　the　past　five　or　six　centuries。
She　had　taken　many　pictures　of　those　young　women　against　a　backdrop　of　tanks。　How　she　had　admired　them！　And　now　th