Love and War on the Ghost of the Marne 1

8/17/2019 Love and War on the Ghost of the Marne 1

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1

The Beginning of War, and the End of Peace

August 1914 – 13 August 1914

The Opening

I2 Aug 1914,

th Baden !ounted "#ger $egi%ent,

"ust south of the A&ps

It 'as ha&f past four, in the %orning, and it 'as (uiet) The coc*s a&read+ gro'ing in the

distance, and peop&e 'hose o- 'as to -us+ the da+, 'ere going a-out their -usiness) Eggs 'ere -eing

%o.ed, and e.er+thing 'as ust getting started) It 'as ust inside the -order of /rance, and the deep$hine countr+ side) !ost of the peop&e 'ere ust scratching their heads, and -rea*ing for a ne' da+) A

da+ that 'as un&i*e an+ other da+, though the+ 'ou&dn0t *no' it) Because in the distance, there 'ore

gra+ unifor%s, that 'ere not a part of the countr+side, and did not -e&ong) The+ 'ere er%an, actua&&+

there 'ere se.era& of the%, different houses, different aspects, in e.er+ detai&, the+ 'ere not er%an so%uch as this and different nationa&ities 'ho 'e 'ou&d not recognie, -ecause in our ti%e the+ 'ere

er%an, -ut in our ti%e is not their ti%e)

Their ti%e, there 'as disarra+, and er%an+ 'asn0t rea&&+ a 'ord, -ut it 'as an idea that the+'ere for) It 'as gna'ing in the -oots, it 'as thought of the -rain, and it had so %uch to do that peop&e

did not *no' that it 'as there) anguage, e.en Eng&ish, 'as different) It 'as ornate, c&ean, and fresh)

We do not spea* the sa%e &anguage, e.en if 'e thin* 'e do, e.en if 'e 'ish) The other situation 'as that the er%ans, -ecause 'hi&e the o&der er%ans 'ere rea&&+ sort of

ha.e er%an, -ut the +ounger ones 'ere true er%ans, 'ere co&d and heart&ess, and engu&fed as set

against &i-ert5, 5ga&it5, fraternit56, the order of 1789 in /rance) The order that 'ou&d ru&e the 'or&d'ou&d -e a step, at &ease %ost peop&e thought it 'ou&d, in one f&ash, and roaring of feet) It 'ou&d -e

either /rench s+ste% of .a&ues, or the er%an s+ste% of .a&ues, and grip there the+ 'ou&d) But there 'as a difference, /rance had decided that it 'ou&d -e a part of the the s+ste%, 'here

as er%an+ 'ou&d ru&e the 'or&d, a&one, or 'ith an a&&+, Austria, 'ho 'as ha&f er%an and ha.e other

things) That 'ou&d -e the difference, -ecause Eng&and 'as -oth er%an and /rench, and it had

decided, -+ 'hate.er %eans it 'ou&d do so) It had decided for co&d inca&cu&a-&e reasons, that /rance

'ou&d -e the -etter partner, not er%an) $ea&ie, /rance 'as -oth cu&tura&&+ o&d, and po&itica&&+ o&d,'here as er%an+ 'as cu&tura&&+ o&d, -ut po&itica&&+ it rested on a fra%e'or* 'hich 'as 1 +ears o&d,

and had grouped itse&f around the ti%e of 1871, 'hen it fina&&+ c&eared itse&f er%an+6, as opposed to

the %+riad of states, 'hich 'ere referred to as er%an+ on&+ in the reacti.e tense that peop&e ad%ittedthe+ did not rea&&+ *no' 'hat the+ 'ere ta&*ing a-out) It is this point in ti%e, +ou cou&d refer er%an+

has gro:e ;eutch6, 'hich 'as &arge and .ague, or as petite ;eutch6 'hich 'as stronger and fera&,

-ut o-.ious&+ s%a&&er) It 'as not c&ear 'hich one 'ou&d 'hen, -ut 'as pettie 'hich had the upper handat the %o%ent) It gre' in stages, fro% Prussia, 'hich 'as the &argest -ac*, -ut on&+ the &argest pac*,

'ho under one %an, the indo%ita-&e Bis%arc* 'ou&d ta*e center stage, to a run state fina&&+ na%ed

er%an+)

At the sa%e ti%e, Ita&ian group fro% a &arge se&ection of states, to -e an e%pire, though not asgreat, a f&are 'hich said that the+ cou&d -e so%ething, -ut the+ 'ou&d rather ust -e happ+ instead, and

the thought of as great, on&+ the+ 'ere rea&&+ so) These pairs of e%pires 'ere -ridges, to the east, 'hich

'as different area entire&+) What is i%portant, 'as that er%an+ and Ita&+ said that the+ 'ere a&igned, -ut Ita&+ had ca&&ed feet, that 'ou&d -e corrected, -ut that is not part of this ta&e)


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What is part of this ta&e is ho' Wi&hei&% II sche%ed and p&otted to ru&e the 'or&d, and s'eep up

gathering %orse&s in her %outh) one of this 'as *no'n of, neither the terror, or thegrief , nor of the .ision of a &itt&e corpora& 'hich 'ou&d -eco%e the second 'or&d 'ar) E.er+one

thought that this 'ou&d -e &i*e the /ranco?Prussian 'ar, a &itt&e 'ar, design toIs ust &ast a da+ or a

seasoned, the+ had forgotten 'hat a rea& 'ar 'as &i*e) The+ did not see that this 'ou&d -e a >apo&eonic'ar, as the+ had not i%agined it to -e) E.er+one thought it 'ou&d -e s'ift, -ut the+ 'ou&dn0t i%agine

that the er%ans, for 'as er%ans 'ho said it in the %otion and he&d on, 'ith design it for the &ength

and -reath, and turn it into a c&ash that had not -een seen) The+ did not understand that it 'as on&+Bis%arc* 'hich had rendered the -ig 'ar into a s%a&&er one, and he 'as not around to te&& that the

c&atter and the c&a%or 'ou&d -e rene'ed) The 'ar 'as co%ing, though no one e.en notices) And 'hi&e

peace 'as eno+ed, and enraptured, strange things 'ere co%ing) !ost of a&& in the ti%ing offices of

state, it is rea&&+ their 'here it started, that drea% 'hich 'as se.era& generations o&d, and each ti%e ithad -een rene'ed, seeping and seiing group of peop&e, 'hich at this point the+ did not understand

'hat 'as going to happen)

$e%e%-er, the+ thought it 'ou&d -e o.er and done 'ith) That0s 'hat e.er+-od+ thought, afterafter the+ thought that their 'as going to -e a 'ar, at a&&) E@cept a fe' peop&e, 'ho 'ere p&anning on,

and the+ thought it 'ou&d -e a short &itt&e 'ar, 'e ha.e notes to pro.e it)

o rather than start 'ith the dea&, 'e sho'ed start 'ith ust a &itt&e -efore the -eginning, and p&ot 'ith 'ho *ne' fro% the -eginning, e.en those 'ho *no' that it 'as not going to -e a short &itt&e

'ar) er%ans and the /rench) The fe' ne' ear&+, so%eti%es as %uch as 2 +ears, the %an+ ne'

a&%ost as if) o if +ou 'ant to *no' 'hat happens to the fe', +ou ha.e to go -ac* 2 +ears, or %ore)

To the %an+, +ou ha.e to go -ac* for on&+ a fe' 'ee*s) To the horde, e.en after the out-rea* is notenough) But -rea*point is 'hen the action starts, 'hen the+ are is %otion) And not is not .er+ %uch

%ore different, -ut it is not to go on) On&+ "offre+ "offre on the /rench side ne' 'hat 'as going to

happen, and -otched it a&&) >ot (uite, -ut a&%ost) o 'e 'i&& -egin genera& "oseph "offre+, -efore herea&ied that he is reaching a 'ar of defense, 'hen he sti&& thin*s he is running for of offense)

It 'as ust prett+ picture,this %ountain top of the A&p, ust as c&ear&+ it 'as on the /rench side,

not er%an side, and certain&+ not the 'iss side, or the Ita&ian side) Indeed +ou te&& inside 'as note.en in +ou at the %o%ent, there 'ere to %an+ c&ients in the 'a+) >o, this 'as definite&+ the -ranch

side, as on&+ so%eone 'ho 'as er%an 'ou&d *no') And he 'as er%an, though +ou 'ou&d defend

to the &ast as is needed) It 'as odd, he *ne', he 'as er%an, -ut he a&so *ne' that er%an 'as not hisnationa&it+, Baden 'as)


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needed, ust firear%s as of the sort that infantr+ %en possessed)

77s, a terri-&e thing, 'ere in the hands of the /rench%an ? and he *ne' that the+ 'ere going to

-e on the fie&d, -ut not +et)


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nothing e&se, that it 'ou&d -e futi&e to go that 'a+) o he turned &eft instead, and hoped that he 'ou&d

-e one of hundred, e.en 1, going -ac* his -usiness, -ecause after a&&, it 'as going to -e a short 'ar

in a 'a+)

Or so the+ thought)o, first of a&& to get other c&othes, ci.i&ian c&othes, and dress hi% se&f up) Then he cou&d get

so%e c&othes fro% so%e'here e&se -ut around here, and so on unti& he &oo*ed (uite different) Than he

'ou&d -&end in for a fe' %onths) But the first fe' hours on 3rd 'ere the tightest ones, the+ 'ou&d %a*eor -rea* this p&an) But e.en that 'asn0t so -ad, -ecause ho' da%aging can -eC The 'as .er+ far fro%

the action, and he *ne' it) o tr+ +our -est, and if +ou do not succeed, then +ou do not, and he tried

nonethe&ess);a%n, his had fe&t &i*e the rush in his head 'as not -otto% out the 'a+ it shou&d, he 'as going

to chec* it out, -ut not for no') /or right no', he 'ou&d ha.e 'o*e a good &ong distance so as not to -e

*no'n a-out)


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The other thing that itched at his %ind 'as this= 'h+ 'ere there no peop&e, e.en a shado' of

peop&e)


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>ot to put too %uch of a point of things, the+ 'ere as thin as a rai&) Boning 'as correct 'ord for the%,

-ut for a&& of that, there 'as a genti&it+ a%ong, the 'ere 'asting a'a+, -ut s&o'&+) The aunt 'as 'ith

a'a+ the fastest, she 'ou&d not hear for .er+ &ong, a fe' +ears at %ost) E.en the chi&dren 'ere not .er+

'e&& off, -ut -etter than to -e e@pected) $ea&ie there 'as an a-undance of %ost food fro% top to -otto%, there 'ere ho'e.er patches of fa%ine 'hich &ingered o.er the &and) This fa%i&+, for e@a%p&e,

shou&d rea&&+ ha.e -een do'n the &adder, and if had -een &ess of a tenacious , e.er+ sing&e one of the%,

the 'ou&d ha.e -een -een) But the+ 'ere tenacious, and 'ere he can ha.e an e@istence, 'ithout afather, so that the chi&dren 'ou&d -e 'e&&)

/or a&& -ut the +oungest, there 'as so%ething a-out the% that said the+ 'ere going to %a*e it,

no %atter 'hat the cost 'as) On adu&ts it 'ou&d -e true grit, -ut on chi&dren it is different, *ind of fair+ta&e &ife e@pression, that cou&d on&+ -e descri-ed in other ter%s) Ogres and other things surrounded

the%) The+ cou&d not te&& the adu&ts, the+ cou&d on&+ te&& three or four friends 'hich the+ shared the

sa%e 'or&d.ie', *ind of p&a+ seriousness that can on&+ descri-ed -+ so%eone 'ho has shared thee@perience) It 'as a ne' *ind of p&a+, e.er+ one 'ho 'i&& not understand) It 'as not p&easant, -ut an

eerie dar* e@perience) Peop&e 'ho 'ere changed, in so%e 'a+, 'ou&d not ta&* a-out it, and peop&e 'ho

did not recognie it 'ou&d thin* that it is popp+coc*) The+ 'ou&dn0t a&&o' it to ta*e ho&d of the%, and

thin* are different, and re%e%-er nothing in the past) In other 'ords, the+ do not recognie the change, -ecause it happened -efore their ti%e) And the+ do not 'ant to (uestion difference) And %oreo.er, the+

do not recognie the change has occurred different&+, %ost decided&+ not in other peop&e) The+ 'ant to

ru- out the differences, e.en though the+ c&ear&+ e@ist) /or a -o+ and gir&, not on&+ 'ere the changese@isting for the%, the+ rea&ied that changes 'ere not there for a&& of the rest of adu&ts, 'ith possi-&e

e@ception of the grandfather, 'hose presence the+ did not *no' of)

The+ on&+ ta&*ed a-out it 'ith their friends, and not often 'ith %an+ of those) The on&+ ta&*eda-out it in a-stract, and in cues that on&+ peop&e 'ho had -een through 'ou&d *no') Thus 'hi&e the

'ar 'as the top %ost attention for other peop&e, for the% it 'as different) The+ *ne' a-out 'hat 'ou&d

happen as -eing an a-stract, 'hich 'as different, though a ne' enough of 'hat the+ spo*e) Their

parents sa' nothing a%iss, and 'rote it off to things that 'ere inner %ind, rather than things -eingouter the %ind) That he is the difference -et'een outer and inner &i.ing peop&e)

Inner &i.ing peop&e do not 'ant to share, though so%e outer &i.ing peop&e grasp, in their o'n

'a+, 'hat is going on) But the+ thin* that inner &i.ing peop&e &i.e on&+ in the present, 'hich is not true,the+ *no' that this %agic, if %atch is the correct 'ord, &i.es in -et'een these %o%ents, and does not

touch the 'or&d, the outer &i.ing 'or&d) o the+ ha.e a secret, 'hich the outer &i.ing peop&e thin* 'i&&

-e destro+ed) It 'on0t -e, -ecause it0s different in *ind, and shape) And the+ 'ere not te&&ing an+one,and the fe' 'ho *ne' cou&dn0t con.ince %an+ that there 'as a difference, 'hich is 'a+ the fe' 'ho

*ne' 'anted) In other 'ords the inner &i.ing peop&e ust had to %a*e it so outer &i.ing peop&e 'ho

*ne' so%ething 'as gang up on) ince %ost peop&e did not *no' there 'as an+thing 'rong, ust thatthe+ 'ere different, is 'ou&d ta*e the% a&ong the%se&.es *no'n 'hat e@act&+ 'as the difference)

Thin* of it as the 'a+ ho%ose@ua&s thin* a-out the%se&.es, the+ *ne' the+ 'ere different, -ut

it is on&+ after great distance, and on&+ then in a tangentia& 'a+, that the+ *no' so%ething that other

peop&e cannot see, and indeed so%ething that the+ do not 'ant to *no') s there are a fe' peop&e 'hof&aunt it, -ut %ost not, and %ost peop&e on&+ *no' the surface) $ea&&+, it0s hidden, e.en to the%se&.es)

But it is to those peop&e 'ho are outer &i.ing, and a'are of it, 'hich is, a .er+ tin+ fraction of those

peop&e 'ho are outer &i.ing and not a'are of it, it -ues, and anno+s the%, e.en if the+ do not *no''h+) But I do, and +ou shou&d, though +ou 'on0t, in a&& pro-a-i&it+

But peop&e do not *no' this, the characters in the no.e&) This, re%e%-er isn0t 1914, it in %+

ti%e is 214, and the characters 'on0t *no' an+thing of pre%ise da+, though in one case that I 'i&& getto, the+ ha.e *no'&edge of a *no'&edge present da+, a rather he 'i&& ha.e *no'&edge, 'hich is

different fro% our o'n) We are the present da+, and getting c&oser to careening, e.en %ore so as 'e

spea* of it, ahead of the%) And getting %ore so 'ith e.er+ second) E.er+ second %ore ti%e passes


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-et'een Wor&d War I, and this are present ti%e -ecause, +our ti%e of reading this, is not %+ ti%e of

'riting this) And it0s i%portant, -ecause the characters and I are not in the sa%e ti%efra%e either) But

that0s another ta&e 'hich 'e ha.e spo*en of a&& read+, and I 'on0t spea* of it in this &itt&e chapter)

et us ca&& the -o+ /, and the gir& ", for those are not are not the adu&t na%es that peop&e ca&&the% -+, the chi&d&ess na%es the+ ca&& each other) The+ found the% in a -oo* that the+ had read) It

'asn0t a .er+ good na%e, to truth -e to&d, -ut the+ had 'ar%ed up to it, in e.er+ part 'as different after

the+ had touched it) nti& in their hands, it 'as r+e and intense, searches on&+ t'o peop&e 'ho ha.e&i.ed a -oo* can %a*e it so) o different 'as it, that adu&ts p&otted to -e their o'n handi'or*, -ut the+

*ne' -etter) What is %ore i%portant, to s%a&& puppet presided o.er the three of the%, and to&d the%

'hat to sa+, as if he 'ere a rea& character, and %a+-e he 'as) What 'as his na%eC a&& hi% Peternotes,and +ou 'on0t -e far 'rong, is not e@act&+ right, -ut nothing is)

I 'ant +ou to te&& %e a stor+, if +ou 'ou&d) And %a*e it one a-out the Prince and Princess) But

it has to -e a ne' stor+, nothing o&d, and I 'i&& -e to if it is, e.en ust a &itt&e -it)6 he 'as .er+ gra.e asthe said this, and +ou .er+ %uch %ended) " stood and app&auded, she a&so 'anted here a stor+, and .er+

desperate&+ 'anted to -e a-out Prince and Princess) Because she *ne' that the Prince and Princess

'ere ha&f attached to this 'or&d, and ha.e 'a+ attached to another 'or&d) o she *ne' that this 'ou&d

-egin a stor+ that 'ou&d spin out in into dar*ness)We&&6 said Peternotes, that 'i&& that 'i&& ha.e t'o %ain it0s fresh and ne', or its a s%a&& dea&

fro% the past)6

Oh, it 'i&& ha.e to -e ne', -ecause 'hen parents an 'ee*end that there is nothing going on'ith this 'or&d, though 'e a&& *no' that not to -e true, and 'e 'i&& ha.e t'o pretend that nothing is

'rong) We 'ou&d ha.e to pretend that nothing is a%iss, e.en though it is a a%iss)6 " said this %atter?of?

fact&+, 'ith %ost 'retched&+ dr+ sense of hu%or, that peop&e cou&d not understand un&ess the+ 'eres%a&&)

!ore than fresh, it has to -e ne') Because this is a ne' %o%ent, 'ith +ou ideas, is it possi-&e

to &a+out the ne' fra%e'or*, and ne' ideasC After a&&, dead i%p&ies a &ot of things, so does undead) We

ha.e to ha.e so%ething e@traordinar+, 'hich is neither undead, nor the dead) It has to -e scar+, -utscar+ in a different 'a+) If +ou *no' 'hat I %ean)6

A&& I *no' 'hat +ou %ean) We ha.e t'o e%-ar* on so%ething co%p&ete&+ different, in e.er+

respect, fro% the 'a+ g&istens, to e.er+ &itt&e detai& of its &ife fro% -efore, to 'hat is going on rightno', the 'a+ it grips its f&esh, not death, nor in fact &ife, -ut so%ething in -et'een 'hich 'i&& -e

descri-ed as it goes)6 With this not he spo*e, are puppet 'ith no strings attached) The 'as haunted in

his o'n 'a+, thorough&+ rea& to his o'n to characters, -ut nothing %ore than a puppet to an+one e&se) And the+ -e&ie.ed in hi%, a-so&ute&+, 'ith out a shred of dou-t in their %inds) The+ i%agined

'hat the+ 'ere %issing, and 'ere going to find a 'a+ to %a*e it so)

o the+ sat 'aiting for the ta&e, and the puppet &aid out a nu%-er of things, a&%ost as if the+'ere ground ru&es, though he did not sa+ an+thing) It 'as contact, not .er-a& that he spo*e 'ith, -ut it

'as .er+ rea& none the &ess) Than he dre' cards, and arrange the% ust so, as if to sa+ that these cards

'ere not i%portant, on&+ in the a-stract) The+ 'ere the gate'a+ to &ands un*no'n and on reacha-&e to

the rea& 'or&d)o Peternotes -egan, after c&earing his throat, In the -eginning, and there 'as a -eginning)))6

o he -egan at the -eginning, or rather 'hat the+ *ne' of the -eginning, 'ith strands -oth for'ards

and -ac*'ards 'hich 'ere, as +et, unreso&.ed)


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'as good enough for -oth of the%) $ight no' at 'as 'inding his 'a+ up and do'n the third stair,

'hich 'as s&ight&+ -ro*en, and that is 'hat at &i*ed, a&& of the other stairs 'ere for, at &east to fir% for

its &i*ing) And Peternotes ust pet it, not ta&*ing to an+one, -ut %ur%uring to hi%se&f a-out ho' odd it

'ou&d -e if the t'o of the% 'ere caught) It didn0t %atter to the at, o-.ious&+, -ut it did %atter toPeternotes) Actua&&+, it %attered &i*e a &ot, -ut there 'as no one to e@p&ain it to 'ho 'ou&d &isten)

Because o-.ious&+, he 'as not going to introduce hi%se&f to %a%a, or the aunt – 'ho 'ou&d not

-e&ie.e in hi% an+'a+) The+ 'ere proper peop&e and 'ou&d not ad%it, &et a&one -e&ie.e the%se&.es, inso%ething as co%ica& as Peternotes)

3

In Burgund+,

>orth of a %a&& Gi&&age3 Aug 1914

It 'as co&d, though not rain+, and he sa' no one a-out) This 'as odd, he did not e@pect so fast

and e@it) ;o'n s(uare, 'hich he 'as in, 'as deso&ate and for&orn) In +et not sign of peop&e 'as in p&ace) The tried the do'n s(uare, he tried the &one&+ &itt&e to'n -ui&ding, 'hich he&d a&& of the %eans

for conducting go.ern%ent) Then he chec*ed the pu-s, 'hich 'ere on&+ three decades o&d, -ui&t -+

fo&&o'ers of Paster) o ani%a&s,not a cat or dog, &et a&one a co', or horse) >o goat, or an+thing e&se that 'as hoof, then he &oo*ed to the

s*ies, and their 'as no 'ind -eat either) That again 'as %ore than perp&e@ing, he did not *no' 'hat it

'as, crossed the to'n repeated&+, and sa' no sign, not one, of fish or fo'&, in addition to hoo.es or inthe &itt&e thing, such as a %ouse) There is 'ise %ore than perp&e@ing, %ore than an ano%a&+)

The one thing that dro.e ho%e on his %e%or+, there 'ere no hoofs prints on f&oor of an+ of the

p&aces 'here there 'ou&d ha.e -een had this -een once &i.e&+ to'n, not one) This %eant so%ething 'asgoing on, and he 'ou&d ha.e no 'hat 'as) Then he rea&ied there 'ere no er%an ar%ies %o.ing

through, 'hich 'ou&d had happened -+ no') The c&oc* struc* 12, 'ith its ornate goings?on on the -e&&

to'er) O-.ious&+ so%eone had designed it fro% West of the in the &and of 'hat 'as once /rance,

though it 'as er%an+, no') Though %an+ sections of /rance 'ou&d ha.e it -ac* if the+ had their'a+)


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against a&& the others, the in da%se& 'as ho&ding on to, for dear &ife in fact, a c&oc* 'hich 'as not going

around, -ut e.er+ 'hich 'a+) $unning up the side this, the hero 'as on foot and tr+ing to catch the

da%se& in distress on&+ the 'as ho&ding a 'ithered -ou(uet, %ade into a *notted up into a p&ant of so%e

*ind) Then he too* the potted p&ant and s'ung it in to the ground, and 'ith this %o.e%ent dang&ed up)Then he stood and %ade a &arge decision, 'ou&d -e, on the one hand, continue to search for

signs of peop&e, or 'ou&d -orough in to /rance, and get a'a+ fro% the -ust&ing, crunching, nois+

%onster of Ar%+ 'hich 'as co%ing do'n on hi%) /or the ne' that it 'as, it 'as o-.ious to hi% thata&& that 'as to -e &oc*ed up, and 'hat he *ne' a-out destruction ? the /rench ar%+ 'ou&d not e@ist in a

short period of ti%e)

When he put it that 'a+, it 'as o-.ious, to hi%, that getting out of the 'a+ of er%an Ar%+,'as ? if not crucia& to a&& of friends ? then at &east it 'as crucia& to hi%) Or as it see%ed) o he dropped

do'n to the f&oor of this &itt&e copse had gone up, and 'ent do'n on f&oor, 'inding his 'a+ -ac* to the

resident f&ora and if not e@act&+ fauna, through re%ains of such) ordic'o%en 'hich 'ere pa&e as pa&e 'as) Or so he thought, unti& he co%pared this 'ith an+thing)


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%outh at first, ust a -reath&ess 'ind) he %o.ed &ast &itt&e distance and shushed, %e thought she 'as

going to *iss hi%, -ut no %otion ca%e to that) he nu&ed and produced a -ird 'hich disappeared

fro% her grasp) he then spo*e to hi%)

This 'or&d is not the one thin* it is, and +ou ha.e to %a*e a choice, as to 'here +ou 'ant togo) Wi&& +ou &isten to 'hat I ha.e to sa+, or 'i&& +ou go a&ong +our %err+ 'a+, and stu%-&e in to one of

the fe' 'ho 'i&& protect +ouC There are a&so %an+ dangers, 'hich reside in this &and, 'hich do not

occur in the other &ands) It is +our choice of course, -ut if I 'ere +ou, I 'ou&d at &ease &isten, -eforeta&*ing)6 she 'as petite, and s&ender, and she had 'i&d roses in her hair)


11/56

I &o.e +ou as a -ig -rother 'ou&d)6

he -&ushed, and %ade her 'ords si%p&e, so he 'ou&d recognie the%)

Than* +ou, -ig -rother, +ou ha.e %ade %+ da+) B+ the 'a+, I a% !aerie?&audette, -ut +ou

can ca&& !aerie)6A&-urt !a+er, at +our ser.ice) Fou ha.e nice .oice) Fou can ta&*, and I can &isten, and I can

understand e.en if I can not actua&&+ the &anguage as 'e&& as +ou can, it0s 'e&& enough)6

This ti%e it 'as her turn to nod, and said nothing)Fou 'ant %e to sa+ so%ething do not +ou)6

We&& +es, no' that +ou %ention it) I 'ant here +our .oice) I ha.en0t heard an+ .oice at a&& +et

and +ours is the first one that I 'i&& recognie) And soon I 'i&& not hear an+ .oices at a&&, at &east Isuspect that I 'on0t) I do not actua&&+ *no', of course, -+ suspect that it 'i&& -&issfu&&+ una'are for

%e)6

Fou ha.e to te&& %e 'atching *no' a-out &ife, death, and things in -et'een) apo&eonic 'ars %a*ea dar* prediction, 'hich +ou can see on faces of &i.ing, -ecause e.en if the+ do not &esson to the dead,

the+ do in fact &isten to the%, e.en if its on&+ drea%s that the+ ta&* to the%)6

Fou &isten to our 'ar &eaders and the face te&&s the% its going to -e a -&ood+ %assacre, 'hi&ethere 'ords under so%ething in co%p&ete&+ different) It depends than on 'hat +ou &isten to, the 'ords

'hich are -o&d and stirring, or the faces, 'hich te&& a different stor+ entire&+)6

We see the faces %uch %ore carefu&&+, so that is 'hat 'e go -+, faces are to decei.e %ore thenthe+ en&ighten us) $e%e%-er %ost peop&e, out here, sa' the face that 'as going to decei.e the%) And

'e re%e%-er that, a&%ost 'ith cr+sta& c&earness)6


12/56

Which 'asC6

I 'i&& te&& +ou, -ecause are ourne+ is the sa%e for a &itt&e 'hi&e)6

But +ou 'i&& te&& %e, +esC6

I 'i&& te&& +ou, -ut pro%ised %e not &augh)6I and er%an, and do not &augh)6 he spo*e in a great 'a+, 'ou&d 'ith %erri%ent 'hich said

that he did in fact &augh) But he 'as going to &augh at 'here she 'ou&d and up)

I thin* +ou 'i&&, that0s good, -ecause pro%ises &i*e that one shou&d -e *ept, do not +ou thin*C6Fes, I do thin* so)6

The+ s*ipped a'a+, a&%ost hand in hand, the+ had decided, 'ithout %a*ing and actua& position, that

Paris 'ou&d -e there ne@t stop)But in the -ac* of his head he heard a distant gro'&, and he i%agined that it sounded .ague&+

&i*e a 'o&f) But turning around sa' nothing, and 'ent on his %err+ 'a+) After a&&, if it 'as going to

%a*e an appearance, then it 'ou&d present itse&f, and it cou&d -e dea&t 'ith at that ti%e) Or of course he'ou&d die, fro% terror if nothing e&se, or it 'ou&d dispatching re&ati.e&+ (uic*&+)


13/56

-ut that 'as not good enough, there 'as a catch, 'hich e&uded his -rain po'er, -ut he *ne' that it 'as

out there)

;o not p&a+ 'ith, 'hat is his 'hat is that +ou 'antC Then I 'i&& sa+ no if +ou 'ant +es, and

+es if +ou 'ant no, and do not tr+ and tang&e e.er+thing up, -ecause I 'i&& sniff it out, and then 'i&& -e -ac* to +es no ga%e again)6

>o' 'hat I 'ant to do thatC When a&& of the per%utations 'i&& sidetrac* itC6 E.en though the

'ere four, and a ha&f, the+ 'ere .er+ c&e.er, c&e.er -+ thrice again 'hat the a.erage for their ages'ou&d te&& +ou) The+ used &arge 'ords, though not entire&+ precise&+)


14/56

the% again, e.en if as I said it 'ou&d -e a &ong ti%e) That 'i&& -e part of the stor+ 'hich co%es after, I

pro%ise +ou, -ut part of the second pass to co%e first, and then the third part, 'ith Peternote, 'i&& co%e

after'ards, I pro%ise, I deep&+ pro%ise, it 'i&&)

But there are other things to do) And those need to co%e first) uch as the at)

II

A, not the, Meppe&in

1

Aug 1914 >ear %idnight

There had -een a -rea* in the o.ercast, 'hich re.ea&ed stars) On -oard the eppe&in 'ere si@%en 'ho 'ere going to -o%- a&ong the route, and ending up in Be&giu%, at i%oges)


15/56


16/56

But the dar*ness 'as no friend of theirs, it 'ou&d -e crue& the% unti& the+ got do'n to the surface)

The -ui&d up 'as &ong, and torturous, and then there 'as a short duration of dar*ness, and then

a&ong and 'ear+ road -ac* after ha.ing done the da%age) oise, and %ore to hi%se&f, so no one e&se cou&d here it)

There 'as ringing in his ears, a&%ost, -ut not (uite, -e+ond 'ords) It 'as a high of sound, 'hich on&+

he cou&d hear, -ut inside his head it 'as inter%ina-&+ a&&o'ed, so &oud in fact he cou&d -are&+ hearhi%se&f other'ise)


17/56

(uite +et, -ecause he had so %uch to do, so %uch to do, and so &itt&e ti%e to do it)

But instead of fee&ing .er+ degraded, the fe&t as &ight as a feather, and as gidd+ as so%eone 'ho

'as fi.e or si@, 'ith a&& things that that entai&s ? the &ight headedness, 'hich see%ed to go on for e.er)


18/56

attention, each one -reath&ess in its nature)

It 'as a&%ost as if the consciousness 'as re-ounded, and no thought cou&d finish -efore the

ne@t thought ga.e 'a+, ga.e 'a+ to that other p&ace that he 'as no' staring into, -ut did not *no')

Then he caught a group on things, he 'anted to *no' if there 'ere an+ others of his group, and'here the+ 'ere) This started as a gna'ing in is -rain, if he had a -rain to spea* of, and -eca%e a

consu%ing o-session)


19/56

s'ir&ing %otion 'as through his &eg, -ut -it of it 'ent &ong his &eg, as it 'as supposed to) "ust, %ind

+ou, -ut he cou&d fee& this, or he thought he cou&d) o tried to see if this 'as a reaction, or if it 'as

so%ething out of a drea%)


20/56

g&o' that 'as shi%%ering ust -e+ond the -oundaries of hi%se&f) Then he decided to 'a&* in to it) o' and /ore.er and After'ards

19 Aug 1914

Outside of Paris

There had -een no reason to e@pect an+ other peop&e, and for a 'hi&e that 'as true) But as the+

got in range of Paris, so%ething 'onderfu& happened, -ut tru&+ distur-ing in its o'n 'a+) It happened

the night -efore, pro-a-&+, 'hen the+ sa' and preparation, 'hich the+ *ne' this the%se&.es cast in

t'o &ight) The+ *ne' that the+ &oo*ed to a apparition, as he &oo*ed to the%) Then the apparition 'as pa&e and ghost&+, and the+ rea&ied that the+ 'ere pa&e and ghost&+ to its e+es, 'hi&e to itse&f it see%ed

so&id) In other 'ords, a co%p&ete re.ersa&) The+ 'ere on the street, and sudden&+ it 'as there, though

the+ cou&d on&+ ust see it) >ot on&+ 'as it ghost&+, -ut it see%ed as if co&d and 'et, as if so%ething'as 'rong 'ith either their e+es, or its)

It 'anted off, -ut the+ *ne' it 'as on&+ the first apparition that the+ 'ou&d see) !a+or 'as the

first of a &arge horde of peop&e, in the &ast 'ar, in 1871, peop&e pi&ed on to -att&efie&ds) >o' there 'as afront &ine, 'hich stretched end&ess&+ coi&ed on for steps of the %ountain, upon e.er+ hi&& and da&e) The+

had used the rai&'a+ to find a tra%%e&, rea&&+ ust a -oard 'ith four 'hee&s running on the rai&'a+) he

sat a&ong the front 'a&& he app&ied is %usc&e to the 'hee&s, and cou&d get it going, e.en though it 'as

going s&o'&+, it 'as faster than 'a&*ing)This is nice, p&easant effect) What %ade +ou thin* of it, 'asn0t so%ething that +ou did in

Baden, or so%ep&ace &i*e thatC6

o%ething &i*e that) !+ great grand unc&e sho'ed %e ho' it 'or*ed, and then one da+ I and afriend used to -orro' one, though of course 'e 'ou&d put it -ac*) We ust 'ent to the end, and then

-ac* again)

he &oo*ed surprised, she cou&dn0t he&p the reaction)o +ou did so %an+ ti%es, thousandsC6

!an+ ti%es, -ut not thousands, of fe' ti%es at -est)6

But e.en a fe' ti%es 'as %ore than she cou&d c&ai%, and for the first ti%e, she 'as enraptured -+ his ta&*ing) There 'as a %e&odic note to it, that har%ed in the air for a -rief %o%ent, -rief %o%ent

that she cou&d capture) And that %o%ent %ade in thin* that he cou&d &i*e, %ore than &i*e, the attention

that she ga.e hi%)

But %a*ing this sho' 'as -e+ond hi%, so he ust s%i&ed instead and continued to pu%p) And pu%p and pu%p and pu%p, unti& he got his -ac* into it and there 'as no %otion) "ust a sea%&ess

transfer, s%ooth %otion fro% is hands and &egs, into the %achiner+ that rep&aced his o'n natura&

functions) Then he rea&ied his great grand unc&e 'as ne' to this thing as 'e&&, -ecause origina&&+ -eca%e fro% the sea, on drifting 'aters and ti%es, 'ith %an+ %en under his 'atch)


21/56

'ho *ne' 'hat the+ 'ere ta&*ing a-out)

uch as, not to put too fine a point on it, hi%se&f)

Thus he read the papers instant&+, pouring o.er the% &i*e the+ 'ere the Bi-&e) !ost of the ti%e

the+ 'ere -&and) But un&i*e %ost papers, the+ 'ere not entire&+ so, and in these crac*s and cre.ices ofthe stor+ too* p&ace that 'as an+thing -ut ordinar+, far fro% it) Of course to +ou and I it 'ou&d -e

hu%dru%, to +ounger %an %aneu.ering is 'a+ too seduced a far o&der and 'iser 'o%an) There 'ere

hints of an affair, though nothing of the *ind 'as spe&&ed out) But in this ti%e, and in this p&ace, that'ou&d -e enough) And then he -id adieu, in the 'as that) An order gi.en, an order recei.ed, and that

'as that, his grant unc&e 'as on his 'a+, going in to the countr+ 'here no one *ne' hi%, and no one

cared) It 'as as if there 'ere so%ething see%ing&+, in this piece of paper fro% /ranco?Prussian War,

-ut 'hat %ade it i%portant 'as he 'as going to oin 'hat 'ou&d -eco%e er%an+, though er%an+

did not (uite +et e@ist)


22/56

a+ the first thing that co%es into +our %ind)6

/irst, -efore an+thing e&se, she -&ushed, and -+ that there 'as understanding -et'een the%, she

'anted hi% for the first ti%e, that %o%ent) Or rather, she to&d hi% so, though she had rea&&+ 'anted to

hi%, -efore an+thing e&se) There 'as a %agnetic %o%ent, 'hich he had %issed, -ut 'hich had gro'ninto fruition of its o'n accord) Though secret, it had consu%ed +our, though as +et une@pressed in its

range and .i.acit+) he &oo*ed up to hi%, and their 'as a -&ushing at the tips of her chee*s, and fina&&+

he grassed the steps of her affection) But sti&&, nothing 'as spo*en) >or 'as it going to -e if she cou&dhe&p it, nor 'as it going to -e if he cou&d he&p it, it 'as as if it 'as a secret on&+ &eft in 'ords) In e.er+

other respect, it %ight as 'e&& -een i&&u%inated)

This &eft a tension -et'een the to, 'hich had to -e -ro*en, or it 'ou&d -eco%e a %ias%a, that'ou&d ha.e -ro*en in ha&f)


23/56

those things 'ere going to -e ta*en off, and used) Thus the+ 'ere not .isi-&e to the%) It 'as on&+ 'hat

'as not going to -e used that 'ou&d -e .isi-&e) Thus the %o%ent it 'as not going to -e used 'as the

%o%ent that it cou&d -e seen in this contra 'or&d) Then it 'ou&d -eco%e .isi-&e, and that %eant that

so%ething ne' that it0s 'as going to -e unconsu%ed, and 'ou&d in ti%e -e rotten) o%ething *ne', or'as it one of the properties that things hadC Either 'a+, it 'as strange, .er+ strange in fact)

But 'hate.er the case, things that 'ere on the -otto% or on top had the -est chance of -eing

ne' -ut 'ere turning rotten, turning as it 'ere under the state of grace) That %eant that the+ &oo*edunder and -e&o' for the -est %ateria&, +ou 'ou&d thin* that peop&e 'ou&d protect their things so that

nothing cou&d go -ad, he actua&&+ thought it 'ou&d, -ut she *ne' -etter, so%eti%es things ust 'ent -ad

and there 'as nothing +ou cou&d do a-out it) Thus she sho'ed hi% high a-o.e, and do'n -e&o', things'hich 'ere good, -ut no one 'as going to ta*e the%) And it see%ed the+ 'ere a&& fresh, as if

so%ething *ne' that no' 'as the ti%e of freshness, and 'hen it 'as done and the+ 'ere going to

spoi&, poof ? the+ 'ou&d disappear again, perhaps to another 'or&d, or -ac* to this one 'here the+ 'erethro'n out as spoi&ed) Who 'as going to sa+C

Thus the+ had gotten so%e peaches, fro% our a'a+ in A%erica, one 'ou&d thin* that there

'ou&d -e gone, -ut no there 'ere so%e &eft) Pro-a-&+ the+ 'ere going to go in to peach co--&er, or

so%esuch) >o that cou&dn0t -e right -ecause then the+ 'ou&d ha.e -e consu%ed, the+ pic*ed at the%and rea&ied these 'ere going to trust -e discarded) o the+ 'ere there ust to -e eaten, it %ade hi%

rea&ie that, if she 'as right a-out such things, there 'ou&d not -e enough, and so the+ shou&d sta+

a'a+ fro% the front &ines, and go in &a -e&&e a /rance, and 'ee*&+) apo&eonic era 'as going to -e the

te%p&ate for his o'n age) On&+ the top peop&e suspected, and the+ 'or* te&&ing an+-od+ -ut in'hispers) !an+ %i&es a'a+ in Ber&in, the Naiser suspected this 'as not going to go as p&anned, -ut no

one &istened to hi%, -ecause c&oser to %an+ peop&e the this 'as going to -e the great .ictor+, a great

.ictor+ that %an+ had drea%ed of) In /rance the+ drea%ed of .ictor+, -ut the the rude shoc* 'as c&oser at hand for the%) It 'ou&d on&+ ta*e "offre+0s &oo* around, and see that a&& of his p&ans for .ictor+ 'ere

for nothing, nothing and a da+, as it 'ere)


24/56

point +et, he &i*e his ene%ies, sa' a g&orious triu%phant -att&e cr+ing, -&aring on horns, and featuring

his na%e in &ights) "offre+, "offre+, "offre+, a na%e the 'ou&d -eing forgotten, forgotten and -uried)

Than out of corner of her -+, she sa' figure, 'hich 'as, &i*e the%, a&ert and peop&e) o I do not *no' that, 'hat touched +our -rain and said this to +ouC Was it fro% the inside, orso%ething fro% the outside that +ou cou&d e@p&ain to %eC6


25/56

Paris

o%eho', it 'as Paris, c&ip?c&op, %ess+, in a phrase ? the on&+ cit+ fro% here, a&& a&ong the

coast, fro% ondon in the north, to Brusse&s in the East, no'here in the West and outh) In fact +oucou&d to find Paris, as the one true cit+, in a&& the &and of /rance) Because an+thing that +ou cou&d thin*

of that 'as in the &and, had its -est 'as representation there and on&+ there) It 'as, again, %orning, -ut

shorter, -ut not enough so +ou 'ou&d *no') The sun 'as not up (uite +et, nor 'ere the chi&dren a'a*e)In fact there 'ere on&+ t'o peop&e a'a*e at a&&, the o&d %an 'ho is do'nstairs sharpening e.er+thing

that he had to sharpen, an upstairs, %ade during a&& things that she *ne' had to -e done, -ut 'ere

disagreea-&e to e.er+one, so the+ 'ere to -e done sight unseen) If on&+ the+ cou&d -e done as -efore, in the 8s, the 9s, 'hat ti%e that 'ou&d -e, the er%an

hordes had retreated, a&& the riffraff 'hich gathered around !ar@ had -&o'n o.er, a&& 'as ga+, and that

did not %ean ho%ose@ua&, -ut p&easant and gent&e and a&& the things that %eant the o&der definition ofthe 'ord) But that 'as not to -e, there 'as up ahead in the distance, a decision to -e %ade, shou&d I

sta+, or shou&d 'e go) Though peop&e ta&*ed in the o&d dia&ect 'ith its 'ord+ .er-ose nature, peop&e

'ho that it0s a 'as d+ing, as if going to s&eep, and ne.er 'a*e up again) In this house, it 'as not

'anted, -ut it 'as co%ing an+'a+)In other p&aces in the district, the ne' .oice 'as a shattering .oice) But here it 'as 'hispered

edge 'hich ca%e to %ost peop&e, chi&dren, the %other, and e.er+ one e&se, ta&*ed to the% the%se&.es)

The% there 'as Peternotes, 'ho on&+ ta&*ed peop&e 'hen the+ ta&*ed the%) $ight no', he 'as a c&oset,and no one ta&*ed to hi% for t'o da+s, -ecause he did not 'ant to ta&* the%)


26/56

and, %a+-e, to the at if it cou&d understand hi%)

On the other side, the -o+ understood %ore than an+one cou&d i%agine)


27/56

not a&igned in cit+ streets) It 'as a .er+ different era, and peop&e did not rea&ie ust 'hat a change

centur+ 'ou&d %a*e) A&so rea&ie that in the %idd&e of this centur+, there 'as a gap, 'here peop&e on

the e@tre%e ends 'ere .er+ %uch &i*e each other, -ut in the %idd&e da+ 'ere co%p&ete&+ different) This

'as, again, not going to -e seeing fro% this end, and 'asn0t the a&&o'ed to -e seen fro% the other) That -eing the difference= rich peop&e at the end of this centur+ ne' that the 'ea&th and po'er cou&d -e

changed) And that 'as different, peop&e in the ear&+ part of this centur+ did not *no' that, 'here has

had the end of the centur+, the+ had fought for it to -e the sa%e as it 'as -efore) And the+ fought tohide this fact fro% .irtua&&+ e.er+one e&se) hurchi&& *ne' that this cou&d happen, $oose.e&t did not

*no' -ut he 'ou&d after he had -een aff&icted) But no such peop&e 'ere a&i.e in the 'aning parts of

this centur+)That is the difference -et'een e&der rich, 'ho did not *no', and +ounger rich, 'ho sa' that it

cou&d .er+ 'e&& happen) And 'ou&d stop it had a&& cost) And 'hen this 'riter 'as 'riting, the+ had

done on e@ce&&ent o-, Pairing one reactionar+ part+ and one conser.ati.e part+, and %a*ing it so there'as an e.en interchange) And crushing out, the radica& part+) This had ta*en a&ong ti%e, and again it

'asn0t eas+ to do)

But here in the o+s of the sun, peop&e thought that it 'ou&d go on fore.er &i*e this) Though

there 'as fore-oding, at the center, and 'ith guns 'hich appeared g&oo%+ fro% the edges) But a&so atthe edges 'ere ga+, as +oung %en 'ere strutting their stuff in unifor%) o(uettish&+, +oung 'o%en

&oo*ed up and do'n, siing up 'ho 'ou&d -e -ac* again) This 'as not o-.ious, too proud and 'ou&d

-e shot to pieces, this is for those 'o%en 'ho 'anted one and on&+ one chi&d, and then &i.ed there&i.es, too craft+, and he 'ou&d get se.era& pregnant, and choose the -est one, 'ith e.er+ of too chance,

*no'ing at &east a 'ou&d ha.e so%ething to offer for the ne@t generation) A&& of the scenarios p&a+ed

out, again and again, 'ith s%a&& .ariations)Out o.er the p&ains north of Paris, 'here fie&ds drain north in to the Eng&ish hanne&, and fie&ds

are &ined 'ith hedgero's, that crisscross -ased on the dashes and the dots in the church -oo* &edger,

not -ased on an+ for% or c&ue on the &and) The+ had for%ed since the -eginning, -ac* in the 7s 'hen

har&e%agne throughout the %ap) Then the+ di.ided, and re?di.ided, as each son ca%e to each sone(ua&&+) And so it changed fro% generation to generation, so%eti%es gaining, -ut %ost ti%es &osing)

The+ 'ou&d not *no' that this pattern 'as going to -e -ro*en, or at &east -ent, has %an+ -ranches 'ere

e@tinguished) But that is 'hat has happened, -ecause a&one of a&& the &ands in /rance, this is one coursethat has fe'er nu%-ers than it did in 13s) This one 'as the -read -as*et, and then it 'ou&d soon -e

gone) And sti&& peop&e 'i&& die hungr+)

Their ho%es 'ere s&ight and gradua& in their c&i%-, the+ did not *no' that o.er four short +earsthe+ 'ou&d -e deci%ated, and destro+ed) This 'as the def&o'ering of one of the richest &ands in a&& the

'or&d) The+ 'ou&d not see another crop, another -ushe&, another har.est) The+ 'ere dead and the .ines

'ou&d not co%e again, the+ 'ou&d ha.e to the reasse%-&ed, fro% -erries and -ranches, co%ing a&& the'a+ fro% A%erica, ferti&e fie&ds of /rance 'ere in actua&it+ fro% ne' for%s o.er the sea) The peop&e

here *ne' that and 'ere scra%-&ing, and c&a'ing, the+ ne' that it 'as the% that the er%an throat

'anted to spi&& on the ground) Who&e to'ns 'ere denuded of peop&e, setting off to other p&aces) This

part of /rance 'as no %ore, and the+, at &east, *ne' it) Thus 'hi&e /rance had a de&usion that it 'ou&dstand, this part of /rance ne' that it 'ou&d not sur.i.e the 'ar) The er%an ar%ies 'ou&d %a*e sure

do'n to the hateau de ouc+ 'hich 'as fa%ous in its ti%e) It 'ou&d *no' on&+ a s%attering of

greatness, -ecause 'hen the er%an guns ca%e through, the+ 'ou&d &e.e&, -ric* -+ -ric*, p&ace that'as) E.en the Eng&ish *ings 'ou&d not dare -rea* the p&ace) uch 'as the hateau de ouc+) It 'as

such a fa%ous p&ace, that a 'riter fro% A%erica 'rote the -oo*, and to&d the 'or&d ust 'hat a p&ace it

'as)he descri-ed a&& of %an+ facets, and to&d an+ 'ho 'ou&d &isten, a-out the e@p&oits that she

found) /irst she to&d of its recent past, in The uns of August6, and then she to&d the agent histor+ in

her -oo* on Engerrand GII d0ouc+, A ;istant !irror6) It 'as the sa%e stor+ stretched out o.er t'o


28/56

-oo*s, the &ast part of the stor+ first, and of course the first co.ered &ast) he %ust ha.e &o.ed this p&ace

for her to spend &ifeti%e &i.ing it) I 'as one of the generation that ate up the tai&, and %ourned that

there 'ou&d -e no third -oo*, and then rea&ied there 'as no need for) ot the

outer door, -ut the inner door, to her -edroo%) Then she 'as co%p&ete&+ a'a*e, and start&ed) There areone of t'o reactions, either one sits up and ta*es notice, or +ou are &i*e de ;esparde, and -oroughs

further in t'o ones sheets, %ind +ou these 'ere good sheets and three &a+ers of -&an*ets) But that 'as

not of course 'h+ she did it) he 'as under the sheets 'hen she fe&t so%ething on her shou&der) he turned her around

-ecause the touch 'as soft -ut a&& the 'a+ through the co.ers) This 'as strange, and %ade her -e&ie.e

that she 'as sti&& as&eep) But then she 'as touched again, this ti%e on her -ac*)

he c&osed her e+es) On&+ fina&&+ to open one of the%) What she sa' frightened her, it 'as a

sing&e e+e staring at her) At this point, she 'as a'a*e, and e@pected to see so%eone outside of the -ed)But nothing 'as there) Instead she had a deep dar* fee&ing, and it pushed her in to action,

gathering things, and %o.ing things, and in genera& one and get out of this house) If +ou 'ou&d stop

her, and ca&% her do'n, +ou %ight ust -e a-&e to %a*e so%e sense 'ith her that nothing 'as 'rong

and she cou&d go -ac* to -ed) The sa%e thing 'as happening around the .i&&age) What 'as going onCThe peop&e running around did not *no', -ut +ou %a+-e a-&e to guess) "ust -efore the e+e 'as seen,

so%ething happened to a %an ust -e+ond the gra.e, he did not ha.e too %uch energ+ to e@pend, ust

enough to %a*e hi%se&f *no'n)


29/56

The house fro% a fe' houses 'ho had &ost so%eone, it -eca%e a panic that struc* e.er+one in

a fe' da+s) On 11 August /ort d0E.egnee fe&&, and the 'a+ 'as opened up) The ne@t %orning Eine%

sa' reinforce%ents, in the for% of %onstrous6 siege guns) /ro% the &itt&e )3 %% each co%es to the

great Big Bertha, these 'ere grade on 12 August) The 'a+ 'as c&ear a&& the 'a+ into /rance, 'hich is'h+ the recent&+ dead 'ere a'o*en, and though their po'ers 'ere not great, there 'ere none of the%

to raise a rac*et)


30/56

The others a&& thin* of their o'n has their countr+, not er%an+ per se)6

It %ost the a strange fee&ing indeed)6

;ecided&+ so)6

!a+-e the+0&& decide that short trends are not enough)6There are on&+ short ti%es insideC

Fes) Though there has -een ta&* of &engthening trains, -ut it has -een decided +et if it is to -e

done) That0s 'h+ the train station c&ogs up the &anes) Thus 'e see the resu&t of their fo&&+)6Is sti&& %agnificent fo&&+)6

Fou rea&&+ thin* soC6

Fes, I rea&&+ thin* that there is truth in)6Fou %a+ ha.e -een drafted a er%an, -ut in +our heart there is so%ething /rench)6

Fou %a+ of course *no', that spending ti%e a&one, not e.en &ong ti%e, can pro%ote &o.e

-et'een t'o peop&e) In these 'ere to peop&e a&& a&one in this 'or&d, 'ith traps and %+ers of course)Each 'as &onging for a sense of acceptance, and the on&+ source of that acceptance 'as the other

person) Thus the si%i&arit+ of ages 'or*ed on, as it has 'or*ed on so %an+ other peop&e) Thus in the

hidden corners of the %ind, the+ conspired, -eing un*no'n to the conscious se&f) What the+ did rea&ie

'as that the+ found things in co%%on)It is &ate in the da+, 'h+ do not 'e go into the inside, &oc* our se&.es in a roo%, and get so%e

s&eep) $e%e%-er, their 'i&& -e %ore &i*e the other %an, and 'ou&dn0t 'ant to press our ad.antage)6

;o +ou thin* it 'i&& -e a &ong 'arC6


31/56

her se&f ha&f'a+ a'a+, and that 'as noticed) With a side that crept up insider, she *ne' that she had

done so%ething 'rong, so%ething 'rong 'ith 'hat she said)

I0% sorr+ I did so%ething 'rong)6 and in sa+ing that she *ne' that she 'ou&d not sa+ I6 third

ti%e) It 'as not accepta-&e for so%eone of her station, 'hich 'as attenuated, -ut rea& none the &ess, she'as a &ad+) And she shou&d act &i*e it, and courteous&+ -o'ed ust a &itt&e -it, and gushed= p&ease

forgi.e %e if %+ %atters 'ere not so crude as to cause +ou e%-arrass%ent)6

It0s a&& right, %an+ of the o&d peop&e in %+ societ+ ta*e great significance in ho' %uch shou&d -e p&aced on 'here +ou are in the socia& order) But that is not appropriate for %e)6


32/56

udden&+ there 'as that 'hich 'ou&d &east -e e@pected= a -right 'hite shaft of i&&u%ination)

Pouring fro% out of the ground and pointed direct&+ at the ship) Then e.en %ore a%aing, shaft of

&ight, fro% near-+ the &ight 'ere pointed direct&+ at the ship) In response the ship raised up, ha.ing not

dropped an+thing) What it %eant for -oth of the% is that the+ 'ere not a&one)What ust happenedC6 It 'as a (uestion fro% the 'o%an 'hich 'as toned as a (uestion)

O-.ious&+, an airship arri.ed at this point 'ith intent on -o%-ing) But instead of seeing

nothing, so%e of the guns 'ere pointed -+ dead %en) It is interesting ho' the+ fire their 'eapons) It%ust %ean that a&& of &i.ing 'or&d, 'e are in a 'or&d, that is not the sa%e, or not e@act&+ the sa%e)6

Fes, it0s o-.ious 'hen +ou thin* a-out it) But on the face of it, %+ head is going to e@p&ode

'ith a&& of this infor%ation on 'hat it is &i*e) It has -een +ears since 'e ha.e -att&ed o.er Europe -efore)6

tranger then 'e %ight *no', -ecause death, 'as rando%, and doesn0t &ea.e peop&e) I do not

see an+thing to suggest that accidents are app&+ing to this) Perhaps great disasters affect peop&e thesa%e 'a+, 'ar, a pro&onged 'ar, 'i&& set up disastrous i%p&ications, ones that 'e do not understand,

and 'i&& not -e understood -+ peop&e in &i.ing -reathing 'or&d)6

We need to figure out ho' this 'or&d fits in 'ith the &i.ing 'or&d) Then can decide 'hat to do)

We ha.e a purpose, though 'e do not *no' 'hat it is)6This %ight -e the 'or* of the de.i&, did +ou thin* a-outC6

he dre' herse&f up to her fu&& height, and enunciated 'hat she 'as a-out to sa+ 'ith care)

Than -eing %ust do our -est)6 That confident and c&ear .oice 'as once his o'n, and he rea&ied that it 'ou&d ha.e to -e his

There In an andagain) That c&arit+ of thought had once -een his)

We ha.e to %o.e no')6


33/56

12 August 1914

It 'as on the great f&ood p&anes of northern er%an+, that in the other 'or&d had -eco%e a hu-

for co%ings and goings for a dirigi-&e, so%e 'ou&d sa+ a eppe&in, 'hich had a %ission in this counterrea&it+) Fou 'ou&d a&so recognie the co%%ander of this, %an in &ife co%%anded, and in death, as 'e&&)


34/56

structure to support it in this counter rea&it+) Wh+ he *ne' this, it 'as -ecause in his -rain he cou&d see

that the death of the counter rea&it+ 'as the *e+ to destro+ing the Eiffe& To'er in the rea& 'or&d)

Because that 'hich is rea& first occurs first in this counter rea&it+ and then occurs in 'hat peop&e thin*

of as the rea& 'or&d) But it is not, ust as 'e thin* things happen in rea& ti%e -ut the+ are not) In the -&in* of an e+e the+ happen here first, ust as things happen in rea&it+ 'ith a de&a+ that is not noticea-&e,

-ut is a fraction of a second &ater then it shou&d -e) This fraction of a second is the rea& 'or&d cop+ing

fro% the counter rea&it+, and he, are rather 'e, ta*e that counter rea&it+ and change it to 'hat 'e 'ou&d&i*e +ou to -e, and no force fro% the rea& 'or&d 'i&& change it) This is 'h+ there are discrepancies in

the counter 'or&d 'hich happen first, and then, and on&+ then do the+ propagate out in to the rea&

'or&d, and that ha.e second is in fact a distant rea&it+ that is ta*ing shape, fro% counter rea&it+ torea&it+) !ost of the ti%e the+ the dead cannot inf&uence rea&it+ direct&+, -ut indirect&+ the+ can do .er+

%uch)

And his o- 'as c&ear, his o- 'as to destro+ the Eiffe& To'er at the e@act %o%ent 'henso%eone 'ou&d tr+ to do the sa%e thing in 'hat the+ thin* of as the natura& state of affairs)


35/56

2

It 'as the -ruta& hours of the %orning, and a&& 'as sti&&) In the rea& 'or&d there had -een ana&ert, -ecause it 'as heard that -o%-she&&s 'ou&d -e fa&&ing) It 'as a fa&se a&ar%, in a 'a+, -ecause in

that t'i&ight, 'here the shado's fa&& and the dead rise, a dirigi-&e had f&o'n through and ripped apart

.er+ near to are d0Orsa+, as has -een to&d in the &ast t'o chapters) On the ground the+ had sur%isedthat there 'ere other peop&e, and hosti&e at that) In the air, the+ a&read+ *ne' that the+ 'ere dead, and

sti&& the+ 'ere not (uite dead) And the+ 'ere going to use this fact, to do so%ething, so%ething for the

side 'hich the+ didn0t *no' the na%e of) But sti&&, there 'as a *ind of c&arit+ e%erging, -ecause the+*ne' that po'ers that -e contro&&ed than) Which 'as %ore than the+ *ne' -efore, and that at &east 'as

c&arit+)

The -att&e hordes sti&& &ie to the East, and %ore specifica&&+, in Be&giu%) The+ 'ere scrapingand c&a'ing, 'ith their -asis ha&f -&o'n off, or gouges ratt&ing ha.e 'a+ do'n there spine, or so%e

other distorted %ange& of f&esh) These 'ere contro&&ed -+ peop&e 'ho &oo*ed hu%an, and had neat,

precise, perforations that 'ere on&+ .isi-&e if +ou &oo*ed .er+ c&ose&+) These 'ere the %en 'ho ordered

peop&e, or rather the sa%p&ing ha&f peop&e in to the ditches) In other 'ords the+ 'ere intact, and the+%ade use of those 'ho 'ere not intact) And s&o'&+ the+ 'ere co%ing do'n to Paris, 'ith angr+ force

of a %ae&stro%)


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It see%s so)6 rep&ied the -o+, What are 'e going to do a-out itC6

ee%s &i*e the+ ta*en a&& of their -e&ongings)6

;oes indeed, does not)6 rep&ied the d'arf, if such he cou&d -e ca&&ed)

hou&d 'e sta+, or shou&d he go, that0s the first (uestion that has to -e ans'ered, I thin*)6 that'as 'as the gir&, thin*ing has usua&, on her feet)

The son started to thin*, and then rep&ied= Wh+ don0t 'e &oo* out, and see 'hat can -e seen)6

the ne' that there 'ere no chi&dren that the+ -oth *ne', since there %other had hidden the% fro% the&oca& po&ice, she didn0t ha.e the %one+)

o a&& three of the% &oo*ed out the 'indo', 'hi&e so%e peop&e 'ere sta+ing indoors, a&%ost as

%an+ peop&e 'ere trund&ing here 'e to the nearest train station, to -oard 'hat e.er training the+ cou&d%anage, since %an+ of the% had re&ati.es)

o%e peop&e are sta+ing, and so%e peop&e are going)6

But,6 as*s Peternotes, 'hich are 'e going to -e, a p&an here 'ou&d -e %ost high&+encouragedC It is a (uandar+ 'hich 'e shou&d decide no')6

The+ &oo* out side again, and decided one %ore da+ 'ou&dn0t -e too %uch to as*) But on&+ ust,

-ecause e.er+ da+ the er%ans 'ere co%ing c&oser, and it %ight -e that the+ 'ou&d enter Paris has

the+ did in the faded da+s in 1871)This %ight -e one of the &ast ti%es Paris )))6 Began the %arionette)

;o not thin* of it)6 The -o+ intoned)

;o +ou thin* that it %ight -e trueC6There is no 'a+ to *no', it %ight -e true, -ut not -e true, it0s the deciding point of the e.er+

'ar) That0s definite&+ either the -eginning or the end, and 'e don0t *no' 'hich)6

Then there is so%e 'a+ to %a*e a difference)6Fes, I suppose there is, -ecause +ou don0t %ind %e sa+ing, +our adu&ts don0t ha.e a c&ue, not

e.en the things that the+ can see, &eft a&one things the+ cannot see)6

The -o+ nodded at this, 'ith the gir& &oo*ing at her shoes, sa+ing nothing, e@cept perhaps

%u%-&ing in agree%ent) There 'as genera& agree%ent that so%ething needed to -e done, -ut 'hat 'asitC Three peop&e stared in to the distance, each one of 'as hoping that so%eone e&se 'ou&d co%e up

'ith a -ri&&iant f&ash of &ight) Which 'as a&so e(uipped to hoping that it 'ou&d not co%e to the%)

The gir&, fo&&o'ed -+ the -o+, &oo*ed out o.er Paris, so%e'hat du%-&+ 'atching as a fe' peop&e 'ere &ea.ing their ho%es and gradua&&+ s*+ gra+ier as this is started to strea% up'ards to the

s*+) It 'as +et a pi&gri%age, -ut it 'as c&ose, so .er+ c&ose) And the+ cou&d fee& that innu%era-&e other

peop&e 'ere, as the+ 'ere, trapped in a decision, to &ea.e or sta+) Each one had points in its fa.or, aftera&&, there 'as sti&& a great dea& of co%%on a%ong the co%%on %an, the poi&us, infantr+ %an of fa%e)

ure&+ there 'ou&d -e at &east one push &eft in this -east, 'hich 'ou&d snar& e.en the %ost -ruta&

er%an depots) But against this 'ere a s%a&& tric*&e of peop&e 'ho did not -e&ie.e it, 'ho perhapscou&d not -e&ie.e) And the+ 'ere the for there &i.es, &oo*ing o.er here shou&ders, e.en though nothing

cou&d -e the scene in the 'a+ of er%an arti&&er+) A&so, it 'as sti&& a tric*&e, not a %ass e@odus, perhaps

these fe' 'ere si%p&+ scared out of there 'its) To the gir& if certain&+ &oo* as if that 'as the case, a

horde of the 'orse *ind peop&e 'ho had nothing &eft to &i.e for) That she rea&ied, no' that 'ith thea-sence of their father, this %ight descri-e the%) And it descri-ed the ser.ants, and their %other 'as

dead) he turned a'a+ fro% the side, and 'ept that her &ife, as short as it 'as, 'as entire&+ different

than 'hat she e@pected it to -e) Tears gre' to a torrent on her chee*s, and her face 'as -uried in her -rothers stiff nec*ed nec*tie)

This, in turn stiffen his resu&ts to -e a %an, e.en though he rea&&+ 'as not a %an +et) There 'as

so%ething a-out his sister cr+ing that did so%ething to his sou&, though he did not *no' 'hat +ou 'as)Then sudden&+ there 'as a g&i%%er in its spine, 'hich gre' stronger 'ith e.er+ passing %o%ent)

Peternotes, +ou are not hu%an, 'hat do +ou *no' a-out a&& of the ones such as +ourse&fC Fou

to&d us that the+ co%e out at night) Is this rea&&+ the case, or are +ou ust %a*ing it upC6 he had so%e


37/56

dou-ts, -ecause a nu%-er of stories did &i*e reading out as true) And he had to -e sure, in this one

instant)

One %a+ sa+ that he didn0t regard his co%panion as genera&&+ the %ost truthfu&, e.en though he

'on %aor points for sho'ing hi%se&f to chi&dren, 'here as the adu&ts didn0t notice hi% at a&&) Fou hadto -e honest a-out 'hat defects person had)

Especia&&+ 'hen it 'as not rea&&+ a person at a&&)

This, in turn, caught the %arionette, -ecause he *ne', oh so 'e&&, that occasiona&&+ he had to&da fe' fi-s in his &ife, and he 'as sure that he 'as caught) E.en 'ithout sa+ing so)

apo&eon the first, or >apo&eon the third) And 'hat e.er -eca%e of >apo&eon thesecond an+'a+C6

It %ight ha.e -een >apo&eon the third, no' that +ou %ention) There 'ere the o&der ones 'ho

said that this 'as the -eginning of a&& o.er again)6

o, it 'as pro-a-&+ in.o&.ing third, se.era& things that +ou ha.e %entioned point that)))6 he'as f&ustered, -ecause he 'anted a 'ord -ut cou&d not e@act&+ pic* out 'hich one)

Peternotes thought on this a 'hi&e, and then nodded is head) that see%s to -e right)6 if +ou

ha.en0t noticed, he 'as a great dea& &ess high and %ight+ then -efore) ietsche +ou 'ou&d -e in a

thic*et, -ut reading the e&der >ietsche, the &ine 'as tota&&+ different) It 'as spare, and c&ean, and tid+,

and a&& things that the +ounger >ietsche 'as not) Or /reud) Or an+ one of the cro'd that ca%e of age


38/56

'riting dense&+, and then c&eaned up their 'or* so as to co%%unicate 'ith a different sort of person)

Boo*s 'ere, different, -ecause the+ reached for %ore nu%-ers of peop&e) And 'hi&e the+ did not ha.e

so %an+, it 'as -etter then to ha.e ust a Bi-&e, and nothing %ore)

I thin* that is the case, I 'as %ade ust -efore >apo&eon the third, and heard a-out the /irst,though I don0t *no' if the+ had actua&&+ *no'n it) I thin* not, -ecause the+ didn0t reference hi%, -ut

the+ did reference Bis%arc*, 'ho 'as terri-&e in his apparition, a-so&ute&+ terri-&e)6

Again -oth chi&dren ha.en0t, if +ou ha.e not guessed, -oth of the chi&dren 'ere e@act&+ thesa%e age, t'ins, though of course fraterna&, and not identica&) o the+ -oth nodded at the sa%e ti%e,

and did other things, -ut there 'as not the uni(ue pattern that identica& t'ins 'ou&d ha.e)

The gir& had -een thin*ing, &ong the -o+, and Peternotes, in the %ain, 'ere ta&*ing) But she hadan idea, and -&urted it out)

et us see 'hat is &eft -ehind, and then 'hen night cra'&s up, 'e can see if there are an+

things such as Peternotes that 'ere &eft -ehind)6 But the+ did not rea&ie that the at 'as pointing atso%ething) This 'as not the first ti%e that there attention 'as dra'n e&se'here)

And so that is 'hat the+ did, fro% pic*&es, to a&& sorts of things, the+ rea&ied that the adu&ts had

not done a .er+ good o-) o for the three of the%, there 'ere at &east a 'ee* 'orth of food, perhaps

&onger, though there 'as no %i&*, ust uice) But the+ had po'dered %i&*, 'hich 'ou&d &ast &ong ti%e)The+ didn0t *no' it, -ut the+ 'ere -et'een the ghost&+ side of Paris, and the hu%an side of Paris) One

of the things that %attered to this, 'as that there 'as food, in a-undance, here)

Though the &itt&e gir& and &itt&e -o+ 'ou&d not *no' it, there do&& 'ou&d -e on a another%ission, -ecause that 'as his o-= to see* out and find peop&e 'ho 'ere in distress, and &ead the% -ac*

to the positi.e side of the &edger) Of course that %eant he had a dup&icate, 'hich ai%ed for (uite the

other direction)

3

It 'as t'i&ight in the air, and in each indi.idua& throat the+ are 'as a c&earing, ha&f a noise&essuttering, and ha&f a tangi-&e fear that no one e&se cou&d (uite understand, in this 'as true for e.er+

person, the+ 'ere a&& ho&ding their -reath) Peop&e ca%e ho%e fro% 'or*, other peop&e 'ent off to a

%idnight sp&urge of acti.it+, sti&& others 'ou&d not %a*e up unti& &ater on, so that there 'as no %otion -ecause e.er+ one 'as either ho&ding the course, or 'as gone to the utter .i&&ages to ta*e refuge) But

each da+, there 'ere %ore and %ore 'ho decided that the+ 'ere not going to -e here) It 'as sti&& a

tric*&e, -ut no' it 'as a &arge tric*&e) And e.er+one *ne' it) O.er in the other 'or&d, %ore peop&e 'ere there, %ain&+ so&diers and the &i*e, or peop&e 'ho

didn0t understand 'hat had happened to the%, -ut 'ere getting out of the cit+, (uic*&+) The so&diers,

pri%ari&+, 'ere green, there is no use to sa+ other'ise, -ecause at the front 'as sti&& a&ong 'a+ fro%Paris) But it 'as getting c&oser)

When one reads of ti%es &i*e these, it goes -+ (uic*&+, -ut that is an i&&usion, -ecause each

%inute on the c&oc*, so%eone is d+ing, and so%eone0s &ife is -eing -orn) Peop&e eat %ea&s, and the+ do

those things 'hich po&ite societ+ does not %ention, -ut the+ happen in a &arge cit+, to a great degree)Fou 'ou&d not 'ant to thin* a-out ho' %uch shit occupies a %inute of ti%e) And 'ith e.er+ %inute

thousands of f&ies s'ar% o.er it, ne.er *no'ing that an+thing is 'rong) After a&&, to their e+e, it is a&&

ust e@cre%ent, and there is no 'ar or peace a-out it) !ean'hi&e those fresh&+ e%-a&%ed stirred the%se&.es and tried to figure out 'hat had

happened, it 'as -e'i&dering, One %o%ent the+ 'ere a&i.e, the ne@t %inute the+ 'ere a&i.e -ut in a

different rea&%, and not a&& of the -odies 'ere e@act&+ fresh) In fact, at the %o%ent 'hen so%eone 'ho'as ha&e arri.ed, there 'as a screa%ing effect 'hen he, for a&%ost a&'a+s 'as he, screen out in terror

'hen it one 'as far &ess i%%une to the circu%stance) $e%e%-er that at the -&ast center, the %an 'ho

'as hit, too* of the 'orst of the da%age, and so got hit the hardest, 'hi&e on&+ if +ou inches a'a+, his


39/56

friend got a'a+ 'ith, co%parati.e&+ &itt&e da%age) But -oth 'ere dead, -ut the %an 'ho had -een hit

the 'orst, 'as nothing -ut a pi&e of ru--&e) This had an effect, -ecause nothing 'or*ed on hi% in the

after&ife, and he 'as screa%ing tang&e of ruin) Which, if his -etter a-&e co%panion, *ne' it, 'ou&d -e

&ast thing he e.er did) But it 'as so eas+ for so%e) These incidents 'ere, ho'e.er, re&e.ant -rief innature at first, -ut the+ 'ere -eco%ing %ore fre(uent, and has the+ to into Paris, the+ 'ere -eco%ing

%ore fre(uent)

A&-recht had s'eat+ pa&%s, though he didn0t *no' 'h+ that 'as, he c&eaned the% o.er ando.er again, -ut the+ re%ained)


40/56

I 'ou&d -e .er+ %uch afraid, -ut +our fathers, I *no' the% 'e&&, and the+ are nothing to -e afraid of)

Four peop&e, 'hen the+ are in charge, are different stor+)6

o +ou thin* %+ generation is )))6

We shou&d %a*e peace, 'ith +our *ind)6o' he 'as under the co%%and, though he did not *no' if that 'asthe end of it, -ut he 'as assured that the reins 'ere tight&+ contro&&ed -+ so%eone, and he did not care

-+ 'ho) It 'as ust enough to *no' that he reported to so%eone, and the rest 'as none of his -usiness)

;ut+ 'as in his &ife, order and dut+, dut+ and order) That 'as a&& +ou needed to *no', and a&&+ou had to *no', if +ou 'ere ieut) In a .ast cog of a %achine that +ou did not e.en *no' 'ho it 'as

ans'ered to, and did not care) o' there

'as a ne' order in the 'or&d) A ne' order 'hich 'ou&d one da+ ru&e the 'or&d, so he and the others

thought) It 'as crisp, and c&ean) And get stood apart fro% the o&d order, the o&d 'a+s, and the o&d

fee&ings, 'hich had ru&ed the 19th centur+) This 'as a ne' order, for a different age, one that 'ou&dcrush the &ife out of the o&d)

On the te&egraph, itse&f a ne' thing, he heard the -eginning of %essage, 'hich he ne' 'ou&d -e

ta*en do'n, 'ith punctua&it+, -+ his third %ate) E.en so it 'as good to *no' that there 'as a person'ho, 'as &i*e +ou, on one side, and 'as co%forta-&e 'ith a&& that entai&s) E.en if that side 'as dar*,

and o%inous) On&+ a .ie' second after the te&egraph hit, there 'as a trans&ation fro% the unior officer,

and it read=Fou are to &in* up 'ith another dirigi-&e) Then the t'o of +ou 'i&& hunt do'n the guns that are

ai%ed at our troops) It is i%perati.e that +ou ta*e out the guns) Fou 'i&& ha.e to do this in 24 hours)6

O-.ious&+, the i%%ediate threat to the upper eche&on, 'here the guns 'hich 'ere popping up


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and do'n the Be&gian -order, and not the guns 'hich 'ere in Paris)


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-u%ped up against his second?in?co%%and, and 'as reassured, that this 'as a&& ust an i&&usion, and

their cou&d not -e an+thing to it) Than he stopped, and 'ondered if that 'as so%ething that he read, or

'as it a phantas%, that 'ou&d -e put do'n, and he 'as drea%ing a-out putting it do'n so that

so%eone e&se cou&d 'rite)


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ta*e)6 It see%ed rather noncha&ant, this 'a+ that his co%%ander 'as spea*ing) And in an+ e.ent, once

the %ain course arri.es, it 'i&& not -e &ong) This is a short conf&ict)6

Are +ou sure a-out that)6

If it -eco%es certain that this 'i&& go on, then 'e0&& -e dead, again)6Who are the higher ups, in an+ caseC ;o +ou *no'C6

>o I don0t, and I don0t in(uire) That is not %+ proper p&ace to *no') If a co%%ander of a-o.e

%e 'a&*s into the roo%, I 'i&& sa&ute, and to %+ dut+) Where on&+ here for a short 'hi&e, an+'a+) Then'e 'i&& -e gone, and the ne@t 'i&& rep&ace us) Where dead, 'hat does it %atter 'hat happens ne@tC In a

da+, in a 'ee*, in t'o 'ee*s, in 1, it0s a&& the sa%e to %e) And it shou&d -e to +ou)

This is e@act&+ 'hat he 'as te&&ing hi%se&f, -ut it 'as daunting to hear it fro% so%eone e&se, at&east he thought this 'as so%eone e&se)

nderstood, ir)6 and he turned hi%se&f, and %ade no %ention of 'hat had -een said) It 'as if

he had a con.ersation 'ith hi%se&f, and gotten the response that he had a&'a+s suspected);is%issed)6 though the co%%ander did not &oo* up, e.en the sa&ute 'as done into the air,

rather than at his face) Which 'as a .er+ rude thing to do) ot The Beautifu& $ose

GI

1

13 Aug

There 'as a c&earing, 'hich 'as fair&+ ne', to car.ed out a ne' Bou&e.ard in a%issed a

c&uttered ashes) Once upon a ti%e, this 'ou&d -e a sha%-&e, 'ith nothing %ore than rue a%issed atang&e of s%a&&er side streets) >o' it 'as open and fresh, and, 'hat is %ore i%portant, a Bou&e.ard

'hich is at &east t'o side streets, and it ran straight) It change the nature of 'hat 'as once a tang&e, to

one that 'as a door'a+ into the future) Behind the% sat the Eiffe& To'er, %a*ing a -road state%ent, the ta&&est structure in the 'or&d,

-+ %ost %easure%ents) It 'ou&d not -e surpassed unti& 193, and then on&+ for a +ear -+ the hr+s&er

-ui&ding, 'hich 'as p&aced for 31 +ears -+ the E%pire tate Bui&ding) It 'as the cusp of a d+ing age,

'hen Europe he&d the capita& of the ta&&est -ui&ding in the 'or&d) /ro% 1311 unti& 193, on&+ theWashington %onu%ent he&d the tit&e for fi.e +ears, a&& the rest 'ere churches and %onu%ents 'ithin

Europe) This i%pressed A&-ert, -ecause he had on&+ seen the -ui&ding that 'as ha.e as high, though

once it had -een the proudest structure in Europe) And for the &ast 41 +ears 'as er%an, and a niteder%an+ at that)


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I 'ou&d not ha.e the it 'ou&d -e so high, it is a%aing, ust tru&+ a%aing) I can see 'h+ +ou

/rench 'anted true to'er that 'ou&d %a*e e.er+one e&se en.+)6

he %ere&+ &oo* at hi%, and he&d hi% tight) he 'on hi% to -e her o'n, e.en if he 'as on the

opposite side of the -order, she had &oo*ed at hi%, and though it 'as apparent that the+ 'ou&d get outa&i.e, she sti&& had hoped) An+thing 'as possi-&e, to her %ind) What 'as death an+'a+C It cou&d -e

nothing %ore than, 'e&& she didn0t 'ant to thin* a-out) Instead, she surrounded her thoughts 'ith hi%,

and nothing e&se -ut hi%) But he *ne' that the ti%e 'as co%ing, and 'hat 'as on the other sidehaunted hi%) It 'as an enraptured enig%a, 'ound up in strangeness upon strangeness, and tie 'ith a

present 'hich 'as so a-surd as to -e 'aiting in the dar*ness, to 'ait hi%, 'hen he desired to *no')

And he did desire to *no', -ut not +et, there 'as so%ething a-out the 'aiting that 'as precious, andde%ure) As if it 'as &ast thing on his Parisian to do &ist, a fri&& 'hich cou&d not -e de&a+ed, on&+ sa.ed

for the &ast) Which 'as a&%ost there, -ut not (uite)

Which 'a+ shou&d 'e goC6


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a', deter%ined 'ou&d -e the correct 'a+ to descri-e it, he 'ondered if that to 'as a tric* of the &ight,

or 'as that ho' he &oo*ed at things) After a&&, there is no reason that he has a ghost 'ou&d &oo* outside

his -od+ and see things different&+) The ru&es %ight -e .er+ different for ghosts, and he 'as ust

&earning the%)Then he as*ed= Te&& %e, do +ou ha.e %o%ents 'here +our point of sight is so%ep&ace e&se than

fro% +our e+esC /or e@a%p&e +ou &oo* do'n and +ou see +our -od+ doing 'hate.er it does, rather

unconscious&+) Because I ha.e that fee&ing ust no', and it does not frighten %e, -ut so%ething c&ose toit)6

uite unconscious&+, she ro&&ed her e+es o.er the top of her head) Then as de.i& %a+ care she

rep&ied= I ha.en0t thought of it unti& ust no') What do +ou %ean e@act&+ – do +ou %ean that &itera&&++ou see things fro% out of +our -od+C6

I -e&ie.e I ust said that, +es)6 /or a&& the 'or&d, though she 'as the on&+ person in it ? he

thought – that 'as e@act&+ 'hat he said)


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I suppose it %ust -e) Because I 'ou&d ne.er ha.e thought it possi-&e for %e to sa+ this to

an+one e&se) On&+ +ou, and on&+ in this 'a+)6

This 'as an sou& searching confession, -ecause in the 19 th centur+, and a&& of the -oo*s, &o.e

'as so%ething ad%itted on&+ after tria&s and tri-u&ations, after deep&+ &ong for the one is -e&o.ed) It'as so%ething 'hich 'ou&d -e ad%itted on&+ after e.er+thing e&se had -een tried) But in the ne'

centur+ ust da'ned, it 'as different than this) o.e 'as not so%ething that 'as hidden ? or o-&i(ue –

-ut so%ething 'hich 'as on the &ips fro% the start of a re&ationship, 'hich -urro'ed do'n to the coreof the -eing of 'hat co%-ined the t'o -eings into one) In other 'ords, it 'as not so%ething 'hich 'as

hidden, -ut so%ething 'hich &oo*ed for a chance to -e ad%itted, e.en casua&&+ so) And that %ade the

ear&+ 2th centur+ so%ething that 'e are sti&& 'or*ing out the detai&s) Because &o.e is not se@, e.enthough there is a corre&ation) And se@ is not the sa%e in e.er+ particu&ar case, though 'e in our %o.ies

'ant it to -e the sa%e 'a+) But the rea&it+ is different, %ore co%p&e@, and not the sa%e 'a+ each ti%e)

>either &o.e nor se@ is the -asis of that ini%ica& -ond that descri-es a re&ationship) E&se 'h+ 'ou&d 'esta+ together 'hen the o-ect of se@ is not presentC There are %an+ -onds -et'een peop&e, such as

-et'een %other and chi&d, -et'een %en, -et'een 'o%en, and that is on&+ -et'een t'o peop&e, &et

a&one %ore than t'o) We %a+ thin* that 'e ha.e disco.ered the true nature of -eing, -ut 'e ha.e not)

The ree*s used se.era& 'ords to descri-e the &o.e that too peop&e cou&d share) One da+ ca&&ed philiaor -rother&+ &o.e, as in the na%e Phi&ade&phia) Another the+ ca&&ed eros or erotic &o.e, 'hich 'anes as

one gets o&der) Another *ind the+ descri-ed as the &o.e that a %other has for a chi&d) A&& of these 'ere

different, descri-ing different fee&ings that 'e on&+ descri-e as 0&o.e0) But there are %ore *inds of &o.ethen 'e e.en drea% of)

We&co%e to a 'or&d 'hich 'e are in the %idd&e of, -ut this %an and this 'o%an 'ere at the

-eginnings) o e.en in the gro'ing &ight that 'as the -eginning of the da+, there 'as a&so a g&oa%ingof a ne' age) And in that ne' age, the 'ere ne' *inds of peop&e, 'ho 'ou&d not hide, or at &east not

for &ong, the ru%inations of their heart, and the presupposition of their sou&)

Because e.en though the+ 'ere passed a'a+, their hearts 'ere in the ne' centur+, -eating to a

different dru%, and the o&der %en 'hich pushed the% to and fro did not understand the &i%its that the+'ere testing) Their 'ere to 'ars 'hich &asted a &ong ti%e in the 19th centur+, the A%ericans War, and

the ri%ean War) Both of the% 'ere o.er, and dec&ared a-errations) The 'ar that there grandparents or

parents thought of 'as short decisi.e and (uic*) It 'ou&d -e o.er in si@ %onths, so a&& of the %i&itar+%inds thought) And the+ 'ou&d thin* of this 'ar as fitting that pattern, and then the+ thought that one

%ore -rea*through 'ou&d do the tric*, unti& four &ong +ears had run) And then the+ thought, ot rea&iing that the reasons 'ere o-.ious, if the+ had figured the% out) Butno one did)

E.en though the %achiner+ 'as carr+ing up for a &ong, -itter conf&ict ? a&& of the genera&s, and

ad%ira&s, and the appointed %inisters, had in %ind the .er+ sa%e thing= 187?71) A 'ar that 'asnothing &i*e the sun) These t'o things, one in the heart of +oung peop&e, and one in the %echanis% of

'ar, 'ou&d -e the undoing of a&& that 'as p&anned) /ro% s'eeping the channe& 'ith the right side of

their ar%, to the tops+?tur.+ 'or&d that +oung peop&e &i.ed in, 'hich 'as nothing &i*e 'hat the+0re

parents sa' as dut+) ;ut+ 'as the &ast thing that +oung &o.ers thought of) The+ drea%ed of &o.e, 'hichis not the sa%e thing as 'hat our age drea%s of= se@)

It is not the sa%e thing, and one can pinpoint the difference) In 19s -egan it, -ut it 'as the

19Js 'here it f&o'ered, and the pi&& 'as a &arge part of the change)But -ac* to the stor+ – she &oo*ed at hi% 'ith a soft &a%-er, a *ind of &oo* that touched his

fingertips 'ith arousa&, and %ade hi% desire to protect, and nurture) Because, though he rea&&+ did &o.e

her, there 'as differences in the 'a+ each descri-ed &o.e) In his case, it %eant a *ind of protection, thatonce he fe&t it, he 'ou&d ne.er &et her go)

Fou *no' I ne.er heard %+ papa, or %+ %a%a, sound &i*e that to each other) On&+ g&ances at

each other 'ou&d -etra+ their true affections) And these ca%e 'hen the+ 'ere o&d, and had gra+ around


47/56

the edges of their hair)6

!+ father and %+ %other -oth &o.ed each other, -ut cou&d not sa+ it out &oud, I i%agine that

+our parents 'ere the sa%e 'a+)6

he noded) !ais oui, -ien sur)6 But yes, of course. It 'as the o-.ious trans&ation)This ti%e, he nodded, though %ore a-rupt&+ than she did) But as the+ &earned each other0s

rh+th%s, it 'as s&o'&+ gathering the effect that each 'as finishing the others sentences)

But that sti&& &ea.es us 'ith the (uestion, 'hat to 'e do no'C6It see%s to %e that there are t'o &oose ends, first 'e %ust find out 'ho e&se is in this Paris,

and second that 'e charge the% 'ith gathering food, and &ea.e)6

But I ha.e not -een here for &ong)6If +ou are right, and this is destined to -e a short &itt&e 'ar – 'hich I dou-t, -+ the 'a+, -ut I

'i&& defer to +our greater e@perience ? then Paris 'i&& -e o.errun) And fair&+ soon it 'i&& not -e /rench

that is the &anguage of the street, -ut er%an, and the er%an of Ber&in)6 Again, he nodded sharp&+) But it 'as not as sharp as the first ti%e, fee&ing a %ore de&icate

fashion at her urging) This, s&o' -ut stead+ %o.e%ent to'ards each other ta*ing s%a&& steps in the

other direction 'as not noticea-&e to either the%se&.es, or others, -ut in the cu%u&ati.e effect 'as .er+

great) It 'ou&d -e a &ong ti%e -efore the+ had gotten a&& of the %o.e%ents do'n, -ut the+ 'ere&earning) The+ too* hand in hand, and %ose+ed there 'a+ up the Bou&e.ard, &oo*ing at the -ui&dings,

especia&&+ the ones 'hich 'ere grand as on&+ the streets of Paris cou&d %a*e the%) And if +ou &oo*ed

fro% a distance, it 'ou&d see% that the+ 'ere a coup&e a&read+) B&issfu&&+ &oo*ing at the sa%e things,and (uiet&+ pointing out so%e of the sa%e things) The+ 'ere tru&+ in &o.e, and that 'as a .er+ great

distance fro% 'hat their parents 'ou&d -e)

But as +et, the+ found no inha-itants on this ghost&+ apparition of Paris) It didn0t (uite rea&ie'h+= a&%ost a&& of the inha-itants 'ere gathering in the corners, 'aiting for the dar*est fore-oding 'ith

e.enings t'i&ight)

And then apparitions that 'ere once hu%an sta&*ed the night, dea&ing death to 'hate.er and

e.idence the+ reached, -ecause /rench and er%an 'ere not noticea-&e to the%) The+ had other p&ans,'or*ing in death incarnate, and contro&&ed -+ forces dar*er then one cou&d i%agine) Fes, the er%ans

'ere the greater e.i& force, -ut that is on&+ a detai&, %en fro% -oth sides engaged in carnage -e+ond

%easure)T'ir&ing it around in her -rain, it then rea&ied that it 'as %an 'ho did a&& of these things, -ut

she 'as una-&e to .oice this, -ecause of the fear that he 'ou&d %isunderstand her) And she 'as right

for the %o%ent, he 'ou&d ha.e %isunders

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Love and War on the Ghost of the Marne 1

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