VIII + 

The Dredge + 

The dredge M.E.28 stood motionless in the evening twilight above Stechovice. The Paternoster shovel had long since ceased heaving up the cold sand from the bed of the Vltava River. The evening was mild and calm, fragrant with new-mown hay and the breath of the woodlands. A tender orange glow still lingered in the northwest. Here and there a wave glittered with unearthly splendour amid the reflections of the skyвБ†вАФgleamed, murmured and blent itself with the shining surface of the stream. A skiff was coming towards the dredge from Stechovice. It made slow progress against the rapid current, and stood out upon the glowing river like a black water-beetle. + 

вАЬSomeone is coming over to see us,вАЭ Kuzenda, the skipper, said quietly, from his seat in the rear of the dredge. + 

вАЬTwo of вАЩem,вАЭ said Brych, the stoker, after a pause. + 

вАЬYes, and I know who it is, too,вАЭ said Kuzenda. + 

вАЬThe sweethearts from Stechovice,вАЭ said Brych. + 

вАЬIвАЩd better make them some coffee,вАЭ Kuzenda decided, and went below. + 

вАЬNow then, youngsters,вАЭ Brych shouted to the boat. вАЬTo the left! Left! Give us your hand, lass. There we are. Up she comes!вАЭ + 

вАЬMe and Joe,вАЭ the girl announced on reaching the deck, вАЬweвБ†вАФweвАЩd like toвБ†вАФвАЭ + 

вАЬGood evening,вАЭ said the young workman who climbed up after her. вАЬWhere is Mr.¬†Kuzenda?вАЭ + 

вАЬMr.¬†Kuzenda is making coffee,вАЭ said the stoker. вАЬTake a seat. Look, thereвАЩs someone else coming across. Is that you, baker?вАЭ + 

вАЬThatвАЩs me,вАЭ a voice rang back. вАЬGood evening, Mr.¬†Brych. IвАЩve got the postman and the gamekeeper with me.вАЭ + 

вАЬCome up then, brothers,вАЭ said Mr.¬†Brych. вАЬWe can begin while Mr.¬†Kuzenda is getting the coffee ready. Who else is coming?вАЭ + 

вАЬI am,вАЭ came a voice from the side of the dredge. вАЬMy nameвАЩs Hudec, and IвАЩd very much like to hear you.вАЭ + 

вАЬYou are very welcome, Mr.¬†Hudec,вАЭ the stoker shouted down. вАЬCome up, will you?вБ†вАФthereвАЩs a ladder here. Half a minute and IвАЩll give you a hand, Mr.¬†Hudec, seeing youвАЩve never been here before.вАЭ + 

вАЬMr.¬†Brych,вАЭ three people shouted from the bank. вАЬSend the boat across for us, will you? WeвАЩd like to come over.вАЭ + 

вАЬGo and fetch them over, you below,вАЭ said Mr.¬†Brych, вАЬthat all may hear the word of God. Brothers and sister, please sit down. ItвАЩs not dirty here now that we do our heating with a Karburator. Brother Kuzenda will bring you some coffee, and then we can start. Welcome, young people. Come right up.вАЭ With this Mr.¬†Brych took his place by the opening down which ran the ladder to the interior of the dredge. вАЬHalloa there, Kuzenda, ten on deck.вАЭ + 

вАЬRight!вАЭ cried a beard-muffled voice from the depths. вАЬIвАЩm just bringing it.вАЭ + 

вАЬCome, friends, sit down,вАЭ said Brych, briskly indicating suitable seats. вАЬMr.¬†Hudec, we have nothing but coffee here; I donвАЩt expect youвАЩll mind.вАЭ + 

вАЬWhy should I?вАЭ returned Mr.¬†Hudec. вАЬI just wanted to see yourвБ†вАФto be present at yourвБ†вАФs√©ance.вАЭ + 

вАЬOur service,вАЭ Brych mildly corrected him. вАЬWe are all brothers, here, you know. Let me tell you, Mr.¬†Hudec, that I was a drunkard and Kuzenda was in politics, and the grace of God came upon us, and our brethren and sisters here,вАЭ he said, pointing round him, вАЬcome to us in the evenings to pray for the same gift of the spirit. The baker here had asthma, and Kuzenda cured him. Come now, baker, tell us yourself how it happened.вАЭ + 

вАЬKuzenda laid his hands on me,вАЭ said the baker softly and rapturously, вАЬand all at once such a feeling of warmth began to pour through my chest. You know, something just snapped in me, and I began to breathe as if I was flying about in the sky.вАЭ + 

вАЬWait a bit, baker,вАЭ Brych corrected him. вАЬKuzenda didnвАЩt lay his hands on you. He hadnвАЩt any notion he was going to work a miracle. He simply went like this with his hand, and then you said that you could breathe easily. ThatвАЩs the way it was.вАЭ + 

вАЬWe were there when it happened,вАЭ said the young girl from Stechovice. вАЬAnd the baker had a ring of light around his head, and then Mr.¬†Kuzenda charmed away my consumption, didnвАЩt he, Joe?вАЭ + 

The young fellow from Stechovice said, вАЬThatвАЩs the honest truth, Mr.¬†Hudec. But what happened to me is queerer still. I wasnвАЩt straight, Mr.¬†Hudec; IвАЩd already been in jail for theft, and for another job besides. Mr.¬†Brych here could tell you.вАЭ + 

вАЬOh, it wasnвАЩt so bad as all that.вАЭ Mr.¬†Brych dismissed it with a wave of his hand. вАЬAll that you needed was grace. But thereвАЩs some very queer things happen here, Mr.¬†Hudec, on this spot. But perhaps you will find it out for yourself. Brother Kuzenda can give it you properly because he used to go to meetings before. Look, here he comes.вАЭ + 

Everyone turned towards the opening leading from the deck to the engine-room. From the opening there emerged a bearded face, wearing the forced, embarrassed smile of one who is being shoved from behind and is trying to pretend that nothing is happening. Mr.¬†Kuzenda was visible now from the waist up, carrying in both hands a large tin tray on which stood cups and tins of preserves; he smiled uncertainly as he rose higher and higher. His feet could soon be seen on a level with the deck, and still Mr.¬†Kuzenda and his cups went on rising in the air. About eighteen inches above the opening he stopped and began groping with his feet. There he hung unsupported in the air, apparently doing his utmost to get his feet to the ground. + 

Mr.¬†Hudec was like a man in a dream. вАЬWhat is the matter, Mr.¬†Kuzenda?вАЭ he exclaimed, almost in terror. + 

вАЬNothing, nothing,вАЭ Kuzenda replied evasively, still trying to draw himself down from the air with his feet; and Mr.¬†Hudec was reminded of a picture of the Ascension that in his childhood had hung above his little cot, and how Our Lord and the Apostles in precisely the same manner were hanging in the air and paddling with their feet, but showing less amazement on their faces. + 

Suddenly Mr.¬†Kuzenda moved forward and floated, floated over the deck through the evening air as though a gentle breeze might carry him away; now and again he raised his feet as if he wanted to step out firmly or something, and he was visibly concerned for his cups. + 

вАЬI say, come and take this coffee,вАЭ he said hastily. Brych, the stoker, held both hands up to him and took charge of the tray and the cups. Then Kuzenda let his feet hang down, crossed his arms on his breast, and hung there motionless, with his head a little on one side, and said, вАЬWelcome, brothers. DonвАЩt be afraid because IвАЩm flying. It is only a sign. Will you take the cup with the flowers on, young lady.вАЭ + 

The stoker passed the cups and tins round. No one dared to speak. Those who had never been there before gazed in wonder on the levitation of Kuzenda. The guests of longer standing sipped their coffee slowly, and seemed, between the sips, to be praying. + 

вАЬHave you finished?вАЭ asked Kuzenda after a while, opening wide his colourless, rapt eyes. вАЬThen IвАЩll begin.вАЭ So saying, he cleared his throat, meditated for a while, and began: вАЬIn the name of the Father! Brethren and sisters, on this dredge, where signs of grace are shown to us, we are gathered together for worship. We need not send away the unbelievers and mockers as the spiritualists do. Mr.¬†Hudec came as an unbeliever, and the gamekeeper has been looking forward to a little bit of fun. You are both welcome; but listen so that you may see that it is by grace I know you. You, gamekeeper, drink far too much; you drive the poor from the forest, and curse and swear even when there is no need. Do it no more. And you, Mr.¬†Hudec, are a better-class thief. You know very well what I mean. And youвАЩre shockingly bad-tempered. Faith will reform and redeem you.вАЭ + 

Utter stillness reigned on the deck. Mr.¬†Hudec gazed steadfastly at the floor. The gamekeeper sobbed and sniffed, and fumbled with trembling hands for his pocket. + 

вАЬI know what it is, gamekeeper,вАЭ said Kuzenda gently from above. вАЬYouвАЩd like to smoke. DonвАЩt be afraid to light up. Make yourself quite at home.вАЭ + 

вАЬLook at the little fish,вАЭ whispered the young girl, pointing down to the smooth surface of the Vltava. вАЬLook, Joe, the carp have come to listen, too.вАЭ + 

вАЬTheyвАЩre not carp,вАЭ came from the exalted Kuzenda. вАЬTheyвАЩre perch or dace. And, Mr.¬†Hudec, you mustnвАЩt worry about your sins. Look at me: I once cared for nothing but politics. And I tell you, that, too, is a sin. ThereвАЩs no need to weep, gamekeeper; I didnвАЩt mean to be hard on you. He who once experiences grace can see right into menвАЩs hearts. You can see into peopleвАЩs souls too, canвАЩt you, Brych?вАЭ + 

вАЬI can,вАЭ said Mr.¬†Brych. вАЬThe postman here is thinking this minute how fine it would be if you could help his little daughter. SheвАЩs got scrofula, hasnвАЩt she, postman? Mr.¬†Kuzenda will help her right enough if you bring her here.вАЭ + 

вАЬItвАЩs easy to mock and talk about superstition,вАЭ said Kuzenda. вАЬBrothers, if anyone had told me about miracles and God before this, I should have laughed at him. ThatвАЩs the kind of man I was. When we got this new machine that runs without fuel for the dredge, all our dirty heavy work ceased. Yes, Mr.¬†Hudec, that was the first miracle that happened hereвБ†вАФthis Karburator, that does everything by itself, as though it had a mind. Even the dredge floats by itself wherever it ought to go. And look how steady it is. Do you notice, Mr.¬†Hudec, that the anchors arenвАЩt down? It stands still without being anchored, and floats off again when itвАЩs needed to clear the riverbed; it starts itself and stops itself. We, thatвАЩs Brych and me, donвАЩt have to touch a single thing. Will anyone dare tell me that isnвАЩt a miracle? And when we saw all this, we began to think it over, didnвАЩt we, Brych, until it all became clear to us. This is a sacred dredge, it is an iron church, and we are only here as its priests. If in old times God could appear in a well or in an oak-tree, and sometimes even like a woman, as with the ancient Greeks, why should He not appear on a dredge? Why should He shun machinery? A machine is often cleaner than a nun, and Brych keeps everything here as bright and shining as if it was on a sideboard. However, thatвАЩs by the way. And let me tell you, God is not so infinite as the Catholics assert. He is about six hundred metres in diameter, and even then is weak towards the edges. He is at His strongest on the dredge. Here He performs miracles, but on the bank He only does inspirations and conversions, and in Stechovice, with a favourable wind, you only notice a kind of holy fragrance. Not long ago some oarsmen from the Czech Rowing Club were paddling by in the Lightning, close to us, and grace descended on all of them. Such is His power. And what this God wishes us to do, one can only feel here within,вАЭ Kuzenda declared, with an emphatic gesture towards his heart. вАЬI know that He cannot bear politics and money, intellect, pride, and self-conceit. I know He dearly loves both men and beasts, that He is very glad when you come here, and that good deeds are pleasing to Him. He is a thorough democrat, brethren. We, Brych and me, that is, feel that every penny burns us until weвАЩve bought coffee for everybody. One Sunday recently, there were several hundred people here, even sitting on both banks of the river, and behold, our coffee multiplied itself so that there was enough for everybodyвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ and what splendid coffee it was! But such things, brethren, are only outward appearances. The greatest miracle is the influence He has on our feelings. It is so intensely beautiful that it fairly makes one shiver. Sometimes you feel as if you could die of love and happiness, as if you were one with the water below, with all the animals, with the very earth and stones, or as if gigantic arms were holding you embraced; oh, words cannot utter what you feel. Everything around you is sounding and singing, you understand the speech of voiceless things, the water and the wind, you see deep into everything, how one thing is linked with another and with you; at one stroke you grasp everything better than if you had read it in print. Sometimes it comes upon one like a fit, so that one foams at the mouth; but often it acts quite slowly and penetrates to oneвАЩs tiniest little vein. And now, brothers and sisters, do not be afraid; two police officers are just coming across in a boat to вАШdisperseвАЩ us because we are holding an unauthorized assembly. Just keep calm and have faith in the God of the dredge.вАЭ + 

It was already dark; but the entire deck of the dredge and the faces of those present were glowing with a tender light. The splash of oars was heard below the dredge, then the boat stopped alongside. вАЬHi, there!вАЭ cried a manвАЩs voice. вАЬIs Mr.¬†Kuzenda there?вАЭ + 

вАЬYes, he is here,вАЭ answered Kuzenda in the voice of an angel. вАЬCome right up, brethren of the police. I know that the innkeeper of Stechovice has laid information against me.вАЭ + 

Two policemen mounted to the deck. вАЬWhich of you is Kuzenda?вАЭ asked the sergeant. + 

вАЬI am, sir,вАЭ said Kuzenda, rising higher in the air. вАЬKindly come up here to me, sergeant.вАЭ And forthwith both police officers rose into the air and floated upwards towards Kuzenda. Their feet groped desperately for some support, their hands clutched wildly at the yielding air, and one could hear their quick and frightened breathing. + 

вАЬDonвАЩt be afraid, officers,вАЭ said Kuzenda beatifically, вАЬand say after me this prayer: O God, our Father, who art incarnate in this vesselвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶вАЭ + 

вАЬO God, our Father, who art incarnate in this vessel,вАЭ repeated the sergeant in a choking voice. + 

вАЬO God, our Father, who art incarnate in this vessel,вАЭ Mr.¬†Hudec began in a loud voice, and he fell on his knees, and on the deck a chorus of voices mingled with his own. + 