the drums of jeopardy-第32节

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A　madman；　with　two　obsessions。　　A　pitiable　Samson　with　his　arms　round
the　pillars　of　society　to　drag　it　down　upon　his　head　because　society
had　defiled　his　sister！　　Ah；　how　many　thousands　in　Russia　like　him！
A　great　yearning　filled　Gregor's　heart；　because　he　understood；　but　he
suppressed　expression　of　it　because　the　sick　idea　was　stronger。

〃Yes；　yes！　　I　loved　those　green　stones　because　it　was　born　in　me　to
love　beautiful　things。　　Have　you　forgotten；　Boris；　the　old　days　in
Moscow；　when　we　were　students　and　I　made　you　weep　with　my　fiddle？
There　was　hope　for　you　then。　　You　had　not　become　a　pothouse　orator
on　the　rights　of　the　proletariat　…　the　red…combed　rooster　on　the
smouldering　dungheap！　　Beauty；　no　matter　in　what　form；　I　loved　it。
Yes；　I　was　mad　about　those　emeralds。　　I　was　always　stealing　in　to
see　them；　to　hold　them　to　the　light；　simply　because　they　were
beautiful。〃　　Gregor's　hands　flew　to　his　throat；　which　he　bared。　　〃I
lured　her　there！　　Twas　I；　Boris！　。。。　Those　beautiful　hands　of　yours；
fit　for　the　butcher's　block！　　Kill　me！　　Kill　me！〃

But　Karlov　shrank　back；　covering　his　eyes。　　〃No！　　I　see　now！　　You
wish　to　die！　　You　shall　live！〃　　He　rushed　toward　the　far　wall；　a
huge　grotesque　shadow　rising　to　meet　him　…　his　own；　thrown　upon　the
wall　by　the　wavering　candlelight。　　He　turned　shaking；　for　the
temptation　had　been　great。

At　once　Gregor　realized　his　failure。　　The　tenseness　went　out　of　him。
He　spoke　calmly。　　〃Yes；　I　wanted　to　die。　　I　no　longer　possess
anything。　　I　lied；　Boris；　but　it　is　useless　to　tell　you　that。　　I　knew
nothing　of　Anna　until　it　was　too　late。　　I　wanted　to　die。〃

Karlov　began　to　pace　furiously；　the　candle　flame　springing　after　him
each　time　he　passed　it。

There　was　a　question　in　Gregor's　mind。　　It　rushed　to　his　lips　a　dozen
times　but　he　dared　not　voice　it。　　Olga。　　Since　Karlov　could　not　be
tempted　to　murder；　it　would　be　futile　to　ask　for　an　additional　burden
of　mental　torture。　　Perhaps　it　had　not　happened　…　the　terrible　picture
he　drew　in　his　mind　…　since　Karlov　had　not　boasted　of　it。

〃Come；　Boris。　　There　is　blood　on　your　hands。　　What　is　one　more　daub
of　it？〃

Karlov　stopped；　scowled；　and　ran　his　fingers　through　his　hair。
Perhaps　some　ugly　memory　stirred　the　roots　of　it。　　〃You　wish　to　die！〃

Gregor　bent　his　head　to　his　hands　and　Karlov　resumed　his　pacing。
After　a　while　Gregor　looked　up。

〃Private　vengeance。　　You　begin　your　rule　with　private　vengeance。〃

〃The　vengeance　of　a　people。　　All　the　breed。　　Did　France　stop　at
Louis？　　Do　we　tear　up　the　roots　of　the　poisonous　toadstool　that
killed　someone　we　loved　and　leave　the　other　toadstools　thriving？〃

〃To　cure　the　world　of　all　its　ills　by　tearing　up　the　toadstools　and
the　flowers　together　…　do　you　call　that　justice？　　The　proletariat
shall　have　everything；　and　he　begins　by　killing　off　noble　and
bourgeoisie　and　dividing　up　the　loot！　　Even　with　his　oppression　the
noble　had　a　right　to　live。　　The　bourgeoisie　must　die　because　of　his
benefactions　to　a　people。　　The　world　for　the　proletariat；　and
damnation　for　the　rest！〃

〃Let　each　become　one　of　us；〃　cried　Karlov；　hoarsely。　　〃We　give
them　that　right。〃

〃You　lie！　　You　have　done　nothing　but　assassinate　them　when　they
surrendered。　　But　tell　me；　have　not　you；　Lenine；　and　Trotzky
overlooked　something？〃

〃What？〃　　Karlov　was　vaguely　grateful　for　this　diversion。　　The　lust
to　kill　was　still　upon　him　and　he　was　fighting　it。　　He　must　remember
that　Gregor　wished　to　die。　　〃What　have　we　overlooked？〃

〃Human　nature。　　Can　you　tear　it　apart　and　reconstruct　it；　as　you
would　a　clock？　　What　of　creative　genius　in　this　proletariat
millennium　of　yours？〃

〃The　state　will　carefully　mother　that。〃

Gregor　laughed　sardonically。　　〃Will　there　be　creative　genius　under
your　rule？　　Will　you　not　suffocate　it　by　taking　away　the　air　that
energizes　it　…　ambition？　　You　will　have　all　the　present　marvels　of
invention　to　start　with；　but　will　you　ever　go　beyond？　　Have　you　read
history　and　observed　the　inexorable？　　I　doubt　it。　　What　is　progress？
A　series　of　almost　imperceptible　steps。〃

〃Which　capitalism　has　always　obstructed；〃　flung　back　Karlov。

〃Which　capitalism　has　always　made　possible。　　Curb　it；　yes；　but
abolish　it；　as　you　have　done　in　unhappy　Russia！　　Why　do　you　starve
there？　　Poor　fool；　because　you　have　assassinated　those　forces　which
created　food　…　that　is　to　say；　put　it　where　you　could　get　it。　　Three
quarters　of　Russia　are　against　you。　　You　read　nothing　in　that？　　The
efficient　and　the　inefficient；　they　shall　lie　down　together　as　the
lion　and　the　ass；　to　paraphrase。　　They　shall　become　equal　because
you　say　so。　　What　is；　fundamentally；　this　Bolshevism？　　The　revolt
of　the　inefficient。　　The　mantle　of　horror　that　was　Germany's　you
have　torn　from　her　shoulders　and　thrown　upon　yours。　　Fools！〃

The　anarch's　huge　fists　became　knotted；　wrinkles　corrugated　his
forehead；　but　he　did　not　stir。　　Gregor　wanted　to　die。

Gregor　pointed　with　trembling　hand　toward　the　brown　litter　on　the
table。　　〃To　destroy。　　You　shattered　a　soul　there。　　You　tore　mine
apart　when　you　did　it。　　For　what？　　To　better　humanity？　　No；　to　rend
something；　to　obliterate　something　that　was　beautiful。　　Demolition。
Go　on。　　You　will　tear　and　rend　until　exhaustion　comes；　then　some
citizen　king；　some　headstrong　Napoleon；　will　step　in。　　The　French
Revolution　taught　you　nothing。　　You　play　'The　Marseillaise'　in　the
Neva　Prospekt　and　miss　the　significance　of　that　song。　　Liberty？
You　choose　license。　　Equality？　　You　deny　it　in　your　acts。
Fraternity？　　You　slaughter　your　brothers。〃

〃Be　silent！〃　roared　Karlov；　wavering。

But　Gregor　continued　with　a　new…found　hope。　　He　saw　that　his　jeers
were　wearing　down　the　other's　control。　　Perhaps　the　weak　side　was
the　political。　　Karlov　was　a　fanatic。　　There　might　yet　be　death
in　those　straining　fingers。

〃To　seize　by　confiscation；　without　justice；　indiscriminately　all
that　the　group　efficient　laboriously　constructed。　　I　enter　your
house；　kill　your　family　and　steal　your　silver。　　Are　your　acts
fundamentally　different　from　mine？　　Remember；　I　am　speaking　from
the　point　of　view　as　three　quarters　of　Russia　see　it；　and　all　the
other　civilized　nations。　　There　may　be　something　magnificent　in
that　soviet　constitution　of　yours；　but　you　have　deluged　it　in
blood　and　folly。　　Ostensibly　you　are　dividing　up　the　great　estates；
but　actually　you　are　parcelling　them　out　and　charging　rent。　　You
will　not　own　anything。　　The　state　shall　own　all　the　property。　　What
will　be　the　patriotism　of　the　man　who　has　nothing？　　Why　defend
something　that　is　only　his　government's；　not　his　own？　　You　are
legalizing　women　as　cows。　　The　sense　of　motherhood　will　vanish　when
a　woman　may　not　select　her　mate。　　What　is　the　greatest　thing　in　the
world？　　The　human　need　of　possession。　　To　own　something；　however
little。　　The　spur　of　creative　genius。　　Human　beings　will　never　be
equal　except　in　lawful　privileges。　　The　skillful　will　outpace　the
unskillful；　the　thrifty　will　take　from　the　improvident；　genius　will
overtop　mediocrity。　　And　you　will　change　all　this　with　a　scrape　of
your　bloody　pen！〃

Karlov's　body　began　to　rock　and　sway　like　an　angry　bear's；　but
still　he　held　his　ground。　　Gregor　wanted　to　die；　to　cheat　him。

〃What　of　power？〃　went　on　his　baiter。　　〃Capitalism　of　might。　　Lenine
and　Trotzky；　are　they　…　have　they　been　…　honest？　　Has　Russia
actually　voted　them　into　office？　　They　sit　in　the　seats　of　the　mighty
by　the　capitalism　of　force。　　For　the　capitalism　of　money；　which　is
progress　physical　and　moral；　you　substitute　the　capitalism　of　force；
which　is　terror。　　You　speak　of　yourselves　as　internationalists。
Bats；　that　is　the　judgment　day　of　God　…　internationalism！　　For
only　on　the　judgment　day　will　nations　become　a　single　people。〃

A　short　silence。　　Gregor　was　beginning　to　grow　weak。　　Presently　he
picked　up　the　thread　of　his　diatribe。

〃I　have　lived　in　England；　France；　Italy；　and　here。　　I　am　competent
to　draw　comparisons。　　Where　you　went　to　distill　poison　I　went　to
absorb　facts。　　And　I　found　that　here　in　this　great　democracy　is　the
true　idea。　　But　you　will　not　read　the　lesson。〃

Sweat　began　to　drop　from　Karlov's　beetling　eyebrows。

〃You　will　fail　miserably　here。　　Why？　　Because　the　Americans　are　the
greatest　of　individual　property　owners。　　The　sense　of　possession　is
satisfied。　　And　woe　to　the　fool　who　suggests　they　surrender　this。
Little　wooden　houses；　thousands　and　thousands　of　them；　with　a　small
plot　of　ground　in　the　rear　where　a　man　in　the　springtime　may　dig　his
hands　into　the　soil　and　say　gratefully　to　God；　'Mine；　mine！'　　I；　too；
am　a　Russ。　　I　thought　in　the　beginning　that　you　would　take　this
country　as　an　example；　a　government　of　the　people；　by　the　people；
for　the　people。　　Wrongs？　　Yes。　　But　day　by　day　these　wrongs　are
being　righted。　　No　lesson　in　this　for　Trotzky；　a　beer…hall　orator
like　yourself。　　Ten　million　men　drafted　to　carry　arms。　　Did　they
revolt？　　Shoulder　to　shoulder　the　selected　millions　marched　to　the
great　ships；　shoulder　to　shoulder　they　pressed　toward　the　Rhine。
No　lesson　in　that！

〃Capitalism；　seeking　to　save　its　loans；　you　rant！　　Capitalism　of
blood　and　money　that　asked　only　for　simple　justice　to　mankind。　　The
ideal　of　a　great　people　…　a　mixtur