X + 

Saint Ellen + 

A few days after these occurrences G. H. Bondy was wandering through the streets of Prague, a cigar between his teeth, thinking things over. Anyone who met him would have thought that he was looking at the pavement; but Mr.¬†Bondy was really looking into the future. вАЬMarek was right,вАЭ he was saying to himself, вАЬBishop Linda even more so. It was simply impossible to bring God to earth without a confounded lot coming of it. People could do what they liked, but it was going to shake the banks and do goodness knows what with industry. A religious strike broke out at the Industrial Bank today. We installed a Karburator there, and within two days the officials declared the bankвАЩs property to be a sacred trust for the poor. That couldnвАЩt have happened when Preis was manager. No, it certainly would never have happened.вАЭ + 

Bondy sucked at his cigar in great depression. вАЬWell, what about it?вАЭ he said to himself. вАЬAre we to throw the whole thing up? Orders worth twenty-three millions came in today. It canвАЩt be stopped now. It means the end of the world, or something. In two yearsвАЩ time everything will have come down crash. There are several thousand Karburators at work in the world already, every one of them pouring forth the Absolute day and night. And this Absolute is fiendishly clever, too. It has an insane desire to exert itself, no matter how. There you are, it hasnвАЩt anything to do, for thousands of years itвАЩs had nothing to do, and now weвАЩve let it off the chain. Just look at what itвАЩs doing at the Industrial Bank, for instance. It keeps the bankвАЩs books all on its own, does the accounts, carries on the correspondence. It gives orders to the Board of Directors in writing. It sends its clients fervent epistles about showing love by works. WhatвАЩs the result? The Industrial Bank shares are mere waste paper: it would take a kilo of them to buy a bit of cheese. ThatвАЩs what happens when God starts meddling with banking. + 

вАЬThe Oberlander firm, a textile factory in Upice, is bombarding us with despairing telegrams. A month ago they put in a Karburator in place of a boiler. Splendid, the machines are going strong: allвАЩs well. But suddenly the spinning-jennies and looms begin to work all by themselves. When a thread breaks, it simply splices itself again, and on they go. The workmen just look on with their hands in their pockets. TheyвАЩre supposed to knock off at six oвАЩclock. The spinners and weavers go home. But the looms go running on by themselves. They go on running all night and all day, for three whole weeks, weaving, weaving, weaving without a pause. The firm wires us: вАШIn the devilвАЩs name, take the finished goods off us, send us raw material, stop the machines!вАЩ And now it has got hold of the factory of Buxbaum Brothers, Morawetz and Co., by sheer long-range infection. There are no raw materials in the place. They lose their heads and fling rags, straw, earth, whatever comes handy, into the machines; well, even that stuff, if you please, gets woven into kilometres of towels, calico, cretonne, and everything imaginable. ThereвАЩs a terrific upheaval; the prices of textiles are coming down with a crash; England is raising her protective tariff; and our neighbouring states are threatening us with a boycott. And the factories are wailing, вАШFor the love of Heaven, take the finished goods away at least. Cart them away; send us men, lorries, motor trains; stop the machines!вАЩ In the meantime, theyвАЩre suing us for damages. A damnable life! And we hear the same thing from all sides, from everywhere where a Karburator has been installed. + 

вАЬThe Absolute wants work. It clings furiously to life. Once it created the earth; now it has flung itself into manufacture. It has captured Liberec and the Brno cotton works, Trutnov, twenty sugar factories, sawmills, the City Brewery in Pilsen; it is threatening the Skoda arsenal; it is busy at Jablonec and in the Jachymov mines. In many places people are dismissing their workmen; in others theyвАЩve taken fright, closed the factories, and are just letting the machines go ahead inside. ItвАЩs insane overproduction. Factories that havenвАЩt got the Absolute are stopping production altogether. ItвАЩs ruin. + 

вАЬAnd I,вАЭ said Mr.¬†Bondy to himself, вАЬam a patriot. I will not let our country be brought to ruin. Besides, there are our own establishments here. Very well, from today onward we will cancel all orders from Czechoslovakia. What has been done is done; but from this moment not a single Karburator shall be set up in the land of the Czechs. WeвАЩll flood the Germans and the French with them; then weвАЩll bombard England with the Absolute. England is conservative, and wonвАЩt have anything to do with our Karburators. Well, weвАЩll drop them on her from airships like big bombs. WeвАЩll infect the whole industrial and financial world with God, and preserve only our own country as an island of civilization and honest labour free from God. It is a patriotic duty, so to speak, and besides, we have our own factories to consider.вАЭ + 

The prospect gladdened G. H. BondyвАЩs heart. + 

вАЬAt any rate weвАЩll gain time to invent some sort of protective mask against the Absolute. Damn it, IвАЩll set aside three millions myself for purposes of research into protective measures against God. Better say two millions to start with. All the Czechs will go about wearing their masks, while all the restвБ†вАФha! ha!вБ†вАФwill be getting drowned in the Absolute. At any rate their industries will go under.вАЭ + 

Mr.¬†Bondy began to look upon the world less darkly. вАЬThereвАЩs a young woman going by. Nice springy walk. I wonder what she looks like from the front.вАЭ Mr.¬†Bondy quickened his step, passed her, suddenly stepped respectfully to one side, then seemed to change his mind again, and turned on his heel so abruptly that he almost ran right into her. + 

вАЬYou, Ellen,вАЭ he said hastily. вАЬI had no idea, thatвБ†вАФthatвБ†вАФвАЭ + 

вАЬI knew that you were following me,вАЭ said the girl, standing still with downcast eyes. + 

вАЬYou knew it?вАЭ said Bondy, greatly pleased. вАЬI was just thinking about you.вАЭ + 

вАЬI could feel your bestial desires,вАЭ said Ellen quietly. + 

вАЬMy what?вАЭ + 

вАЬYour bestial desires. You did not recognize me. You only appraised me with your eyes as if I were for sale.вАЭ + 

G. H. Bondy frowned. вАЬEllen, why do you wish to hurt my feelings?вАЭ + 

Ellen shook her head. вАЬThey all do it. TheyвАЩre all alike, every one of them. One rarely meets a look that is pure.вАЭ + 

Mr.¬†Bondy pursed his lips for a whistle. Aha, so thatвАЩs what it is! Old MachatвАЩs religious community! + 

вАЬYes,вАЭ Ellen replied to his thoughts. вАЬYou ought to come and join us.вАЭ + 

вАЬOh, of course,вАЭ cried Mr.¬†Bondy; and in his mind he said, вАЬA nice girl like this! ItвАЩs a shame.вАЭ + 

вАЬWhy is it a shame?вАЭ asked Ellen gently. + 

вАЬOh, come, Ellen,вАЭ protested Bondy. вАЬYou are a thought-reader. That isnвАЩt fair. If people were to read each otherвАЩs thoughts they could never decently associate with one another. ItвАЩs very indiscreet of you to know what I am thinking.вАЭ + 

вАЬWhat am I to do?вАЭ said Ellen. вАЬEveryone who knows God has this same gift. Every one of your thoughts is born in my mind as soon as in yours. I donвАЩt read it, I have it myself. If you only knew how purifying it is when one can judge of every hidden baseness!вАЭ + 

вАЬHm,вАЭ muttered Mr.¬†Bondy, trembling lest anything should cross his mind. + 

вАЬIt is indeed,вАЭ Ellen assured him. вАЬIt has cured me, with the help of God, of the love of riches. I should be ever so glad if the scales were to fall from your eyes, too.вАЭ + 

вАЬGod forbid,вАЭ exclaimed G. H. Bondy, horrified. вАЬBut tell me, do you understand everything that youвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ erвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ see in people like this?вАЭ + 

вАЬYes, perfectly.вАЭ + 

вАЬThen listen to me, Ellen,вАЭ said Bondy. вАЬI can tell you everything, for youвАЩd read it in me in any case. I could never marry a woman who would be able to read my thoughts. She could be religious to her heartвАЩs content, boundlessly charitable to the poor; IвАЩm able to afford it, and besides, itвАЩs good publicity. IвАЩd put up even with virtue, Ellen, for love of you. IвАЩd put up with anything. I have loved you after my fashion, Ellen. I can tell you so because you can read it for yourself. But, Ellen, neither business nor society is possible without thoughts that are not disclosed. And marriage, above all things, is impossible without thoughts that are not disclosed. It is unthinkable, Ellen. And even if you find the holiest of men, donвАЩt marry him as long as you can read his thoughts. A little illusion is the only bond between mortals that never breaks. Saint Ellen, you must not marry.вАЭ + 

вАЬWhy not?вАЭ said Saint Ellen in soft tones. вАЬOur God is not opposed to nature; He only sanctifies it. He does not ask us to mortify ourselves. He bids us live and be fruitful. He wants us toвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶вАЭ + 

вАЬStop,вАЭ Mr.¬†Bondy interrupted her. вАЬYour God doesnвАЩt understand. If He takes away our illusions He is doing something confoundly opposed to nature. HeвАЩs simply impossible, Ellen, utterly impossible. If He were a reasonable being, He would realize it. HeвАЩs either wholly inexperienced or else completely and criminally destructive. ItвАЩs a great pity, Ellen. I havenвАЩt anything against religion, but this God doesnвАЩt know what He ought to want. Depart into the wilderness, Saint Ellen, with your second sight. You are out of place among us mortals. Farewell, Ellen; or ratherвБ†вАФgoodbye forever.вАЭ + 