生命不能承受之轻-第24节

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Tereza　served　the　bald　man　his　vodka。　He　downed　it　at　one　gulp；　paid；　and　departed。
Thank　you；　said　Tereza　to　the　tall　man。
Don't　mention　it；　said　the　tall　man；　and　went　his　way；　too。
10
A　few　days　later；　he　turned　up　at　the　bar　again。　When　she　saw　him；　she　smiled　at　him　like　a　friend。　Thanks　again。　That　bald　fellow　comes　in　all　the　time。　He's　terribly　unpleasant。　
Forget　him。　
What　makes　him　want　to　hurt　me？　
He's　a　petty　little　drunk。　Forget　him。　
If　you　say　so。　
The　tall　man　looked　in　her　eyes。　Promise？　
I　promise。　
I　like　hearing　you　make　me　promises；　he　said；　still　looking　in　her　eyes。
The　flirtation　was　on：　the　behavior　leading　another　to　believe　that　sexual　intimacy　is　possible；　even　though　the　possibility　itself　remains　in　the　realm　of　theory；　in　suspense。
What's　a　beautiful　girl　like　you　doing　in　the　ugliest　part　of　Prague？　
And　you？　she　countered。　What　are　you　doing　in　the　ugliest　part　of　Prague？　
He　told　her　he　lived　nearby。　He　was　an　engineer　and　had　stopped　off　on　his　way　home　from　work　the　other　day　by　sheer　chance。
11
When　Tereza　looked　at　Tomas；　her　eyes　went　not　to　his　eyes　but　to　a　point　three　or　four　inches　higher；　to　his　hair；　which　gave　off　the　aroma　of　other　women's　groins。
I　can't　take　it　anymore；　Tomas。　I　know　I　shouldn't　complain。　Ever　since　you　came　back　to　Prague　for　me；　I've　forbidden　myself　to　be　jealous。　I　don't　want　to　be　jealous。　I　suppose　I'm　just　not　strong　enough　to　stand　up　to　it。　Help　me；　please！　
He　put　his　arm　in　hers　and　took　her　to　the　park　where　years　before　they　had　gone　on　frequent　walks。　The　park　had　red；　blue；　and　yellow　benches。　They　sat　down。
I　understand　you。　I　know　what　you　want；　said　Tomas。　I've　taken　care　of　everything。　All　you　have　to　do　is　climb　Petrin　Hill。　
Petrin　Hill？　She　felt　a　surge　of　anxiety。　Why　Petrin　Hill？　
You'll　see　when　you　get　up　there。　
She　was　terribly　upset　about　the　idea　of　going。　Her　body　was　so　weak　that　she　could　scarcely　lift　it　off　the　bench。　But　she　was　constitutionally　unable　to　disobey　Tomas。　She　forced　herself　to　stand。
She　looked　back。　He　was　still　sitting　on　the　bench；　smiling　at　her　almost　cheerfully。　With　a　wave　of　the　hand　he　signaled　her　to　move　on。
12
Coming　out　at　the　foot　of　Petrin　Hill；　that　great　green　mound　rising　up　in　the　middle　of　Prague；　she　was　surprised　to　find　it　devoid　of　people。　This　was　strange；　because　at　other　times　half　of　Prague　seemed　to　be　milling　about。　It　made　her　anxious。　But　the　hill　was　so　quiet　and　the　quiet　so　comforting　that　she　yielded　fully　to　its　embrace。　On　her　way　up；　she　paused　several　times　to　look　back：　below　her　she　saw　the　towers　and　bridges；　the　saints　were　shaking　their　fists　and　lifting　their　stone　eyes　to　the　clouds。　It　was　the　most　beautiful　city　in　the　world。
At　last　she　reached　the　top。　Beyond　the　ice…cream　and　souvenir　stands　（none　of　which　happened　to　be　open）　stretched　a　broad　lawn　spotted　here　and　there　with　trees。　She　noticed　several　men　on　the　lawn。　The　closer　she　came　to　them；　the　slower　she　walked。　There　were　six　in　all。　They　were　standing　or　strolling　along　at　a　leisurely　pace　like　golfers　looking　over　the　course　and　weighing　various　clubs　in　their　hands；　trying　to　get　into　the　proper　frame　of　mind　for　a　match。
She　finally　came　near　them。　Of　the　six　men；　three　were　there　to　play　the　same　role　as　she：　they　were　unsettled；　they　seemed　eager　to　ask　all　sorts　of　questions；　but　feared　making　nuisances　of　themselves　and　so　held　their　tongues　and　merely　looked　about　inquisitively。
The　other　three　radiated　condescending　benevolence。　One　of　them　had　a　rifle　in　his　hand。　Spotting　Tereza；　he　waved　at　her　and　said　with　a　smile；　Yes；　this　is　the　place。　
She　gave　a　nod　in　reply；　but　still　felt　extremely　anxious。
The　man　added：　To　avoid　an　error；　this　was　your　choice；　wasn　t　it？
It　would　have　been　easy　to　say；　No；　no！　It　wasn't　my　choice　at　all！　but　she　could　not　imagine　disappointing　Tomas。　What　excuse；　what　apology　could　she　find　for　going　back　home？　And　so　she　said；　Yes；　of　course。　It　was　my　choice。　
The　man　with　the　rifle　continued：　Let　me　explain　why　I　wish　to　know。　The　only　time　we　do　this　is　when　we　are　certain　that　the　people　who　come　to　us　have　chosen　to　die　of　their　own　accord。　We　consider　it　a　service。　
He　gave　her　so　quizzical　a　glance　that　she　had　to　assure　him　once　more：　No；　no；　don't　worry。　It　was　my　choice。　
Would　you　like　to　go　first？　he　asked。
Because　she　wanted　to　put　off　the　execution　as　long　as　she　could；　she　said；　No；　please；　no。　If　it's　at　all　possible；　I'd　like　to　be　last。　
As　you　please；　he　said；　and　went　off　to　the　others。　Neither　of　his　assistants　was　armed；　their　sole　function　was　to　attend　to　the　people　who　were　to　die。　They　took　them　by　the　arms　and　walked　them　across　the　lawn。　The　grassy　surface　proved　quite　an　expanse；　it　ran　as　far　as　the　eye　could　see。　The　people　to　be　executed　were　allowed　to　choose　their　own　trees。　They　paused　at　each　one　and　looked　it　over　carefully；　unable　to　make　up　their　minds。　Two　of　them　eventually　chose　plane　trees；　but　the　third　wandered　on　and　on；　no　tree　apparently　striking　him　as　worthy　of　his　death。　The　assistant　who　held　him　by　the　arm　guided　him　along　gently　and　patiently　until　at　last　the　man　lost　the　courage　to　go　on　and　stopped　at　a　luxuriant　maple。
Then　the　assistants　blindfolded　all　three　men。
And　so　three　men；　their　eyes　blindfolded；　their　heads　turned　to　the　sky；　stood　with　their　backs　against　three　trees　on　the　endless　lawn。
The　man　with　the　rifle　took　aim　and　fired。　There　was　nothing　to　be　heard　but　the　singing　of　birds：　the　rifle　was　equipped　with　a　silencing　device。　There　was　nothing　to　be　seen　but　the　collapse　of　the　man　who　had　been　leaning　against　the　maple。
Without　taking　a　step；　the　man　with　the　rifle　turned　in　a　different　direction；　and　one　of　the　other　men　silently　crumpled。　And　seconds　later　（again　the　man　with　the　rifle　merely　turned　in　place）；　the　third　man　sank　to　the　lawn。
13
One　of　the　assistants　went　up　to　Tereza；　he　was　holding　a　dark…blue　ribbon。
She　realized　he　had　come　to　blindfold　her。　No；　she　said；　shaking　her　head；　I　want　to　watch。　
But　that　was　not　the　real　reason　why　she　refused　to　be　blindfolded。　She　was　not　one　of　those　heroic　types　who　are　determined　to　stare　down　the　firing　squad。　She　simply　wanted　to　postpone　death。　Once　her　eyes　were　covered；　she　would　be　in　death's　antechamber；　from　which　there　was　no　return。
The　man　did　not　force　her；　he　merely　took　her　arm。　But　as　they　walked　across　the　open　lawn；　Tereza　was　unable　to　choose　a　tree。　No　one　forced　her　to　hurry；　but　she　knew　that　in　the　end　she　would　not　escape。　Seeing　a　flowering　chestnut　ahead　of　her；　she　walked　up　and　stopped　in　front　of　it。　She　leaned　her　back　against　its　trunk　and　looked　up。　She　saw　the　leaves　resplendent　in　the　sun；　she　heard　the　sounds　of　the　city；　faint　and　sweet；　like　thousands　of　distant　violins。
The　man　raised　his　rifle。
Tereza　felt　her　courage　slipping　away。　Her　weakness　drove　her　to　despair；　but　she　could　do　nothing　to　counteract　it。　But　it　wasn't　my　choice；　she　said。
He　immediately　lowered　the　barrel　of　his　rifle　and　said　in　a　gentle　voice；　If　it　wasn't　your　choice；　we　can't　do　it。　We　haven't　the　right。　
He　said　it　kindly；　as　if　apologizing　to　Tereza　for　not　being　able　to　shoot　her　if　it　was　not　her　choice。　His　kindness　tore　at　her　heartstrings；　and　she　turned　her　face　to　the　bark　of　the　tree　and　burst　into　tears。
Her　whole　body　racked　with　sobs；　she　embraced　the　tree　as　if　it　were　not　a　tree；　as　if　it　were　her　long…lost　father；　a　grandfather　she　had　never　known；　a　great…grandfather；　a　great…great…grandfather；　a　hoary　old　man　come　to　her　from　the　depths　of　time　to　offer　her　his　face　in　the　form　of　rough　tree　bark。
Then　she　turned　her　head。　The　three　men　were　far　off　in　the　distance　by　then；　wandering　across　the　greensward　like　golfers。　The　one　with　the　rifle　even　held　it　like　a　golf　club。
Walking　down　the　paths　of　Petrin　Hill；　she　could　not　wean　her　thoughts　from　the　man　who　was　supposed　to　shoot　her　but　did　not。　Oh；　how　she　longed　for　him！　Someone　had　to　help　her；　after　all！　Tomas　wouldn't。　Tomas　was　sending　her　to　her　death。　Someone　else　would　have　to　help　her！
The　closer　she　got　to　the　city；　the　more　she　longed　for　the　man　with　the　rifle　and　the　more　she　feared　Tomas。　He　would　never　forgive　her　for　failing　to　keep　her　word。　He　would　never　forgive　her　her　cowardice；　her　betrayal。　She　had　come　to　the　street　where　they　lived；　and　knew　she　would　see　him　in　a　minute　or　two。　She　was　so　afraid　of　seeing　him　that　her　stomach　was　in　knots　and　she　thought　she　was　going　to　be　sick。

15
The　engineer　started　trying　to　lure　her　up　to　his　flat。　She　refused　the　first　two　invitations；　but　accepted　the　third。
After　her　usual　stand…up　lunch　in　the　kitchen；　she　set　off。　It　was　just　before　two。
As　she　approached　his　house；　she　could　feel　her　legs　slowing　down　of　their　own　accord。
But　then　it　occurred　to　her　that　she　was　actually　being　sent　to　him　by　Tomas。　Hadn't　he　told　her　time　and　again　that　love　and　sexuality　had　nothing　in　common？　Well；　she　was　merely　testing　his　words；　confirming　them。　She　could　almost　hear　him　say；　I　understand　you。　I　know　what　you　want。　I've　taken　care　of　everything。　You'll　see　when　you　get　up　there。　
Yes；　all　she　was　doing　was　following　Tomas's　commands。
Sh