War & War

by Krasznahorkai, László

  V • TO VENICE

  1.

  It was about quarter past two at night and even from a distance you could tell that he was very drunk, since from the moment he came through the door and bellowed Maria’s name he kept blundering against the wall, and the sound of repeated thumps, scufflings and curses made that fact ever more unambiguously clear as he drew closer while she did her best to snuggle under the eiderdown showing neither feet nor hands, not even her head, but hid and shuddered, hardly daring to breathe, flattening herself against the wall so that there should be the greatest possible room left in the bed and so that she should occupy the smallest possible space—but just how drunk he really was could not be properly gauged from inside the room, only once, after a long struggle, he managed to find the door handle and turn it so the bedroom door was flung open, when it became obvious that he was on the point of losing consciousness, and then he did indeed collapse on the threshold, collapsed as soon as the door opened, and there was perfect silence, neither the interpreter nor the woman moving a muscle, she beneath the covers using every muscle to suppress her breathing so that her heart beat loud with fear, an effort she could not maintain forever with the result that, precisely because of the strain involved in trying to keep absolutely quiet, she finally gave a little groan under the sheets then spent minutes in petrified stillness, but still nothing happened, and there was no sound except the radio of the neighbor downstairs where the deep bass of Cold Love, by Three Jesus boomed faintly on without the petulant whine of the singer or the howl of the synthesizer, the bass alone penetrating to the upper floor, continuous yet fuzzy, and eventually she, thinking it possible at last that the interpreter would remain where he was now till the morning, tentatively put her head above the cover to take stock of the situation and maybe help a little, at which point, astonishingly and with extraordinary vigor, the interpreter leapt from the threshold as if the whole thing had been some kind of joke, sprang to his feet and swaying a little, stood in the doorway and with a possibly intentional evil half-smile on his face stared at the woman on the bed, until, just as unexpectedly, his expression suddenly became deadly serious, his eyes grew harder and as sharp as two razors, terrifying her to the extent that she dared not even cover herself with the sheet but simply trembled and hugged the wall as the interpreter once again bellowed MARIA, strangely extending the “i” as if mocking her or in hatred of her, then stepped over to the bed and with a single movement tore first the covers then her nightdress off her so she did not even dare to scream as the nightdress ripped across her body but crouched there naked, not screaming, prepared to be wholly obedient as the interpreter, in a voice that was more a croaking whisper, ordered her to turn on her front and raise herself on her knees on the bed, muttering, get that ass higher you filthy whore, as he pulled his dick out, though since he was speaking in Hungarian, she was left to guess what it was he wanted, as guess it she did, raising her buttocks while the interpreter entered her with brutal power, and she squeezed her eyes tight with the pain, still not daring to cry out, because he was squeezing her neck with equal power at the same time, so that by all rights she should have been screaming but instead it was tears that began to course down her face and she bore it all until the interpreter released his hold on her neck because it was her shoulders he needed to grasp, it being plain, even to him, that if he failed to do so the woman would simply collapse under the weight of his ever more violent thrusting, so he grabbed her again and with increasing frustration yanked her onto his lap though he was incapable of coming to a climax and eventually, having grown exhausted, simply tossed her aside, tossed her across the bed, then lay back, spread his legs and pointed to his softening member, gestured her over again, indicating that she should take the thing into her mouth, as she did, but the interpreter still failed to come so he hit her across the face with great fury, calling her a filthy Puerto Rican whore, and the force of the blow left her on the floor, where she remained because she had no strength left to get back on and try something else, though by this time the interpreter had lost consciousness again and lay flat out, starting to snore through his open mouth, leaving her with a faint vestige of hope that she might sneak away somehow, which she did, as far as possible, covering herself with a rug, and tried not to look at the bed, not to even glance at him lying there utterly senseless so that she might not see that open mouth with its trail of spittle, taking in air, the spittle slowly dribbling down his chin.

  2.

  I am a video artist and poet, the interpreter told Korin over lunch next day at the kitchen table, and he would be most grateful if Korin remembered once and for all that it was art alone that interested him, art was his raison d’être, it was what his whole life had been about, and what he would soon be engaged in again after an unavoidable break of a couple of years, and what he would then produce would be a truly major piece of video art of universal, fundamental significance, a statement about time and space, about words and silence, and, naturally, above all, about sensibility, instincts and ultimate passions, about humankind’s essential being, the relationship between men and women, nature and the cosmos, a work of indisputable authority, and he hoped that Korin would understand that what he had in mind was of so immense a scope that even an insignificant speck in the human consciousness such as Korin will have been proud to have been acquainted with its creator, and will be able to tell people how he sat in the man’s kitchen and lived with him for some weeks, that he took me in, helped me, supported me, gave me a roof above my head, or so he hoped, that was what he so he fervently hoped Korin would say, because nothing could stop it now, the success of the venture was guaranteed and it was impossible that it should not be, for the project was all systems go, the whole thing was about to get under way and would be accomplished in a few days, since he would have a camera, an editing room and everything else, and what was more, the interpreter emphasized with particular care, it would be his own camera, his own editing room and everything else, and here he poured more beer into their glasses and clinked his against Korin’s a little wildlly, then drained his down to the dregs, simply poured it down his throat, his eyes red, his face puffy, his hand badly trembling so that when he went to light his cigarette it took several goes with the lighter before he found the end, and if Korin wanted evidence—he sprawled across the table—here it was, he said, then pulled a stern face and, rising from the chair, staggered into his room returning with a package and slapping it down in front of Korin, there, he leaned into his face, there is a clue from which you might be able to deduce the contents, he encouraged Korin, pointing to a dossier bound with a rubber band, there, open it and take a look, so, as slowly and delicately as if he were handling a fragile decorated Easter egg, terrified that one abrupt movement of his might destroy the thing, Korin removed the rubber band and obediently began to read the first page when the interpreter impatiently slapped his fist on the sheet and told him to go on, relax, read it through, he might at last begin to understand who it was that was sitting opposite him, who this man József Sárváry really was, and all about time and space, he said, then slumped back down in his chair, propping his head on both elbows, the cigarette still burning in one hand, its smoke slowly winding its way into the air, while Korin, feeling deeply intimidated, thought he’d better say something and muttered, yes, he understood very well, and was most impressed, since he himself was regularly engaged on a work of art himself, much like Mr. Sárváry in fact, for the manuscript that preoccupied him was a work of art of the highest caliber, so he was very much in a position to understand the problems of the creative imagination, only from a great distance of course, since he himself had no practical experience of it except as an admirer whose task it was to devote himself to its service, his whole life in fact, for life was worth nothing otherwise, in fact it wasn’t worth a stinking dime, the interpreter muttered as if to raise the stakes, turning his head away, still supporting it on his elbow, a statement with which Korin enthusiastically agreed, saying
that for him too art was the only meaningful part of life, take for example the beginning of the third chapter which was utterly breathtaking, for Mr. Sárváry should just imagine, he had got to the stage of typing—and he begged to be excused for still referring to it as typing—the third chapter, the one about Bassano, in which it described Bassano and how the four of them continued toward Venice, the loveliest thing there, imagine, being the way it described them waiting for a passing stagecoach to pick them up while they walked slowly along the streets of Bassano, and how they were full of endless conversation debating what they considered to be the most marvelous creations of mankind, or perhaps when they talked about a realm of exalted feelings that might lead to the discovery of exalted worlds, or perhaps, still better, Kasser’s monologue on love and Falke’s response to that, and all the superstructure and supporting structures of their arguments, for that was roughly the manner in which their talk proceeded, meaning that Kasser developed the superstructure and Falke provided the support, but that Toót would chip in at times and Bengazza too, and oh Mr. Sárváry, the most wonderful thing about it all was that there remained a vital element of the story that was not even mentioned for some time, an element whose likely importance, once touched upon, became immediately apparent, and that was that one of them was injured, a fact about which the manuscript had said nothing so far, and only mentioned once, eventually, when it described them in the courtyard of the mansion at Bassano, at dawn, on the day when Mastemann, who had just arrived from Trento, was changing horses, and the innkeeper, bowing and scraping, led the horses in and told Mastemann that there were four apparently monastic travelers on their way to Venice and that one of them was injured but he didn’t know where or to whom he should report the matter, since there was something not quite right about the whole company, he whispered, for no one knew where they came from or what they wanted, beyond the fact that Venice was their destination, and that their behavior was very strange, the innkeeper continued in whispers, for they spent the whole blessed day just sitting about or going for walks, and he was pretty certain they weren’t real monks, partly because they spent most of their time talking about women, and partly because they talked in such an incomprehensible and godless manner that no mortal could understand a word of it, that is unless they themselves were of such heretical bent, and come to that, their very garments were probably a form of disguise, in other words he didn’t like the cut of their jib, said the innkeeper, then, at a gesture from Mastemann, backed away from the carriage and an hour later was totally confused when in departing, the gentleman, apparently a nobleman from Trento, said he would like to relieve the tedium of the journey by taking the four so-called monks with him if they wanted a lift, and what with the fresh horses having been harnessed, the broken strapping replaced, the trunks adjusted and secured on top of the carriage, the innkeeper rushed off as ordered, bearing this good news for the quartet without properly understanding—without understanding at all—why he was doing so, though much relieved by the thought that the four of them would be off his hands at last, so that by the time the carriage eventually rolled through the gates and set off in the direction of Padua he was no longer troubled by the effort of understanding but crossed himself and watched the carriage disappear down the road and stood for a long time in front of the house until the dust of the carriage vanished with them.

  3.

  Pietro Alvise Mastemann, said the man giving a curt bow while remaining in his seat, then leaned back, his face expressionless as he offered them places in a manner that made it immediately obvious that the undoubtedly grand gesture of the invitation owed nothing to friendliness, readiness to help, desire for company, or curiosity of any kind, but was, at best, the momentary whim of a haughty disposition; and since this was the case the actual seating arrangements presented a problem for they weren’t sure where to sit, Mastemann having spread himself across one of the seats and the other being nowhere near wide enough to accommodate all four of them however they tried, for however three of them huddled together, the fourth, Falke to be precise, would not fit on, until eventually, after a series of attempts at finding some cramped position and with an endless shower of apologies, he finally lowered himself onto Mastemann’s seat, insofar as he was able to do that, meaning that he shifted the various blankets, books and baskets of food slightly to his right and having done so squeezed himself against the walls of the carriage while Mastemann did not move a muscle to help but casually crossed his legs, leaned back at leisure and gazed at something through the window, all of which led them to conclude that he was impatient for them to settle down at last so that he might give the driver the go-ahead—in other words this was the state of affairs in those first few minutes nor did it change much afterwards, so Mastemann gave the signal to the driver and the coach set off, but the carriage itself remained silent though the four of them felt that now was the time, if any, for introducing themselves, though the devil only knew how to go about that for Mastemann was clearly uninterested in conversation and the embarrassment of not having gone through that formality weighed ever more oppressively on them, for surely that should have been the proper thing to do, they thought, clearing their throats, to tell him who they were, where they had come from and where they were going, that’s what should have happened, but how to do this now, they wondered, glancing at each other, and for a long time saying nothing at all, and when they did finally break the silence it was to talk very quietly among themselves so as not to disturb Mastemann, remarking that Bassano was beautiful since they were able to see the picturesque massif of Mount Grappa, the Franciscan church with its ancient tower below, to walk the streets listening to the Brenta as it babbled by them and remark on how nice everyone was, how friendly and open, in other words, thank heaven for Bassano, they said, and thank heaven particularly that they had succeeded in moving on too, though the thanks in this case were due not so much to heaven, they glanced across at Mastemann, more to, in fact entirely to their benefactor, the gentleman who had offered them a ride and who, though they tried to catch his eye, continued to stare at the dust rising from the road to Padua, as a result of which they realized, and none too early, that Mastemann not only did not wish to speak, but preferred them not to speak either, that he wanted nothing at all from them—though they were mistaken in this—and was content with their sheer presence, pleased that they were there and that that was what he wished to convey with his silence, their presence being quite sufficient, and having reasoned so far they naturally concluded that it mattered little to Mastemann what it was they talked about, if indeed they did talk, and that made the whole journey more pleasant for them because having realized that they could continue the conversation they had been having in Bassano from precisely the point at which they left off, and were free therefore, Korin added, to develop the subject of love, the way love created the world, as Kasser put it, they continued to develop it while the carriage swept on and Bassano disappeared from sight altogether.

  4.

  Korin sat in his room and it was obvious that he didn’t know what to do, what to believe or what he should conclude on the basis of all he had heard in the apartment since that morning, obvious because he kept leaping out of his chair, walking up and down nervously then sitting down again, before leaping up and repeating the procedure for an hour or so, not that there was any need for an explanation as such for he had been scared ever since the interpreter threw his door open, at about a quarter past nine and ushered him into the kitchen which looked as though a war had taken place in it, telling him that they owed it to their friendship to down, there and then, a quantity of ale that was good for you, and followed this with a monologue that seemed to consist chiefly of veiled threats as well as a lot of other unrelated things to the effect that something had come to an end yesterday and that this ending firmly closed a chapter, at which point Korin took over the conversation because he really did not want to know what it was that had brought the chapter to a close, and could see that t
he interpreter’s mood might any minute swing to outright hostility and so he began talking in as uninterrupted a stream as he could manage, that is to say until the interpreter slumped across the table and fell asleep, after which he scampered back into his room but could find no rest there at all, and that’s where the process of squatting on the bed then stalking the room began, or rather the struggle not to listen out for the interpreter or be too concerned as to whether he was still out there or had returned to his room, a concern that continued to preoccupy him until eventually he heard the sound of clattering dishes and bellowing, and decided it was enough, that it was time to work, work, he said, time to sit down at the computer and pick up the thread where he had left it, and so he continued working, managing to immerse himself in the work, and, he said the next day, he immersed himself in it so successfully that by the time he had finished for the day and laid down on the bed with his hands over his ears, the only thing he could see was Kasser and Falke and Bengazza and Toót, and when, despite the periodic clattering and bellowing, he finally fell asleep it was Kasser and his companions alone who occupied his head, and it was thanks to them that when he ventured out into the kitchen at the usual time the next morning he found a magical transformation, for it was as if nothing had happened there, for that which had been broken had been swept away and that which had been spilled wiped up, and, what was more, there was food in the pans again, the clock was still ticking on the cupboard, and the interpreter’s partner was in her accustomed place, standing immobile with her back to him, all of which meant that the interpreter must be out as usual at this time of day, so, overcoming his astonishment, he took his place at the table in the normal way and immediately launched into his account, continuing where he had left off, saying he had spent the whole evening with Kasser, that Kasser’s was the only face he saw that evening, or rather the faces of Kasser and Falke and Bengazza and Toót, and that was how he fell asleep, with nothing in his mind, but them, and what was more, he was pleased to tell the young lady, they were not only in his head but in his heart too, because this morning when he woke and thought things through he had come to the conclusion that for him they were the only people that existed, that he lived with them, filled his days with them, that he might even say that they were his only contact with the world, no one else, only them, he said, that these were the people who, if for no other reason than that theirs were the histories he had most recently read, were closest to his heart, whom he could see in clear detail, he added, even at this very moment how the carriage was conveying them to Venice, and how should he describe it to the young lady, he visibly pondered, perhaps by simply going through each detail as it arose, he said, and he would attempt to do so now starting with Kasser’s face, those bushy eyebrows, the brilliant dark eyes, the sharp chin and the high brow; going on to Falke’s narrow, almond-colored eyes, his great hooked nose, the locks of his hair that fell in waves down to his shoulders; then there was Bengazza of course, said Korin, with those beautiful blue-green eyes of his, the delicate, slightly effeminate nose and the deep furrows of his brow, and finally Toót with his small round eyes, snub nose and those strong lines running crosswise round his nose and chin that looked as though they had been carved with a knife—that was what he saw day after day, every minute of the day, as clearly as if he could reach out and touch them, and having got so far he should perhaps confess that waking this morning, or rather reawakening, he should say, the sight of them made him suddenly fearful, for after heaven knows how many readings he had gradually formed some kind of apprehension as to what it was they were escaping from, in other words where this strange manuscript was leading them, why it was doing so, why they seemed to have neither past nor future, and what it was that caused them perpetually to be surrounded by a kind of mist, and he simply watched them, he said to the woman in the kitchen, simply watched the four of them with their remarkably sympathetic faces, and for the first time, with a shock of fear, he seemed to know, to suspect, what the apprehension was.