VI + 

The Board-Meeting + 

вАЬGentlemenвАЭвБ†вАФit was G. H. Bondy addressing the meeting of the Board of Directors of the M.E.C. (the Metallo-Electrical Company) held on February 20thвБ†вАФвАЬI have to inform you that one building of our new group of factories at VysoƒНany has been completed and began production yesterday. In a very few days the standardized production of Karburators will be in full swing, beginning with eighteen finished machines per day. In April we expect to turn out sixty-five per day; by the end of July two hundred per day. We have laid down fifteen kilometres of private line, chiefly for our coal supply. Twelve boiler furnaces are now being erected. We have begun the building of new quarters for our workmen.вАЭ + 

вАЬTwelve boiler furnaces?вАЭ Dr.¬†Hubka, the leader of the opposition, asked at a venture. + 

вАЬYes, twelve for the time being,вАЭ confirmed Bondy. + 

вАЬThatвАЩs strange,вАЭ Dr.¬†Hubka declared. + 

вАЬI ask you, gentlemen,вАЭ said Bondy, вАЬwhat is there strange about having twelve boilers? For a huge group of factories like thisвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶вАЭ + 

вАЬOf course, of course,вАЭ came from several quarters. + 

Dr.¬†Hubka smiled ironically. + 

вАЬAnd why the fifteen kilometres of railway line?вАЭ + 

вАЬFor the transport of coal and raw materials. We are reckoning on a daily consumption of eight truckloads of coal until we have things properly under way. I donвАЩt know what Dr.¬†HubkaвАЩs objection to our getting coal in can be.вАЭ + 

вАЬIвАЩll give you my objection,вАЭ cried Dr.¬†Hubka, leaping up. вАЬItвАЩs that the whole business looks highly suspicious. Yes, gentlemen, extremely suspicious. Mr.¬†Bondy has forced us to erect a factory for Karburators. The Karburator, he assured us, is the only power-supply of the future. The Karburator, as he expressly stated, can develop a thousand horsepower from a single bucket of coal. And now he is talking about twelve boiler furnaces and whole truckloads of coal for them. Gentlemen, I ask you, why then shouldnвАЩt a single bucket of coal give sufficient power for our whole factory? Why are we erecting boiler furnaces when weвАЩve got atomic motors? Gentlemen, if the Karburator is not an utter swindle, I donвАЩt see why our Chairman did not arrange for our own new factory to be equipped to be run by Karburator power. I donвАЩt see it, and no one else will see it. Why hasnвАЩt our Chairman sufficient confidence in these Karburators of his to install them in our own establishment? Gentlemen, itвАЩs a shockingly bad advertisement for our Karburators if their manufacturer himself will not or cannot use them. I beg you, gentlemen, to ask Mr.¬†Bondy to give us his reasons. For my part, I have formed my own opinion. That is all I have to say, gentlemen.вАЭ + 

Thereupon Dr.¬†Hubka sat down resolutely, and victoriously blew his nose. + 

The members of the Board of Directors remained silent and dejected. Dr.¬†HubkaвАЩs indictment was all too clear. Bondy did not raise his eyes from his papers; not a muscle of his face moved. + 

вАЬMвБ†вАФm no,вАЭ growled old Rosenthal, anxious for peace. вАЬOur Chairman will explain. Yes, yes, it can all be explained, gentlemen, I think, mвБ†вАФmвБ†вАФer, yesвБ†вАФvery satisfactorily. Dr.¬†Hubka is surely mmвБ†вАФhmвБ†вАФhmвБ†вАФyes, yesвБ†вАФwith regard to what he has told us.вАЭ + 

The Chairman at last raised his eyes. вАЬGentlemen,вАЭ he said quietly, вАЬI have read you the expert report of our engineers on the Karburator. The facts are precisely as there-stated. The Karburator is no swindle. We have already built ten of them for testing purposes. They all work perfectly. Here are the proofs. Karburator No.¬†1 drives the suction pump on the Sazava River, and has been running without attention for fourteen days. No.¬†2, the dredge on the Upper Vltava, is working splendidly. No.¬†3 is in the testing laboratory of the Brno Technical Institute. No.¬†4 was damaged in transport. No.¬†5 is supplying the city of Hradec Kr√°lov√© with light. That is the ten-kilo pattern. The five-kilo pattern, No.¬†6, is running a mill at Slan√љ. No.¬†7 has been installed to provide central heating for a block of buildings in the New Town. Mr.¬†Machat, the proprietor of that block, is with us today. Would you mind, Mr.¬†Machat?вАЭ + 

The elderly gentleman of that name awoke as from a dream. вАЬI beg your pardon?вАЭ + 

вАЬWe were asking how your new central heating system is working.вАЭ + 

вАЬWhat? What heating do you mean?вАЭ + 

вАЬIn your new block of buildings,вАЭ said Bondy gently. + 

вАЬWhat block of buildings?вАЭ + 

вАЬIn your new houses.вАЭ + 

вАЬIn my houses? I havenвАЩt any houses.вАЭ + 

вАЬCome, come, come!вАЭ Mr.¬†Rosenthal exclaimed. вАЬYou put them up only last year.вАЭ + 

вАЬI did?вАЭ said Machat in tones of surprise. вАЬOh, yes, youвАЩre right, so I did. But, you see, I have given those houses away now. I gave them all away.вАЭ + 

Bondy looked at him very attentively. вАЬAnd to whom did you give them, Mr.¬†Machat?вАЭ + 

Machat flushed slightly. вАЬWell, to poor people. IвАЩve let poor families occupy them. You see, IвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ I came to the conclusion thatвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ well, in short, poor people have got them now, I mean.вАЭ + 

Mr.¬†Bondy kept his eyes on Machat like an examining magistrate. вАЬWhy, Mr.¬†Machat?вАЭ + 

вАЬIвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ I couldnвАЩt help it,вАЭ Machat stammered. вАЬIt took me like that. Our lives should be holy, I mean.вАЭ + 

The Chairman drummed nervously on the table. вАЬAnd what about your family?вАЭ + 

Machat began to smile beatifically. вАЬOh, weвАЩre all of the same mind in that matter. Those poor people are such saints. Some of them are ill. My daughter is looking after them, you know. WeвАЩve all changed so tremendously.вАЭ + 

G. H. Bondy dropped his eyes. MachatвАЩs daughter Ellen, the fair-haired Ellen, with her seventy millions, tending the sick! Ellen, who was ready to be, who ought to be, who had half consented to be, Mrs.¬†Bondy! Bondy bit his lip; things had turned out nicely! + 

вАЬMr.¬†Machat,вАЭ he began, in subdued tones, вАЬI only wanted to know how the new Karburator was doing the heating on your premises.вАЭ + 

вАЬOh, splendidly! ItвАЩs so beautifully warm in every one of the houses! Just as though they were being warmed with eternal love! Do you know,вАЭ said Machat rapturously, wiping his eyes, вАЬwhoever enters there becomes at one stroke a changed man. It is like Paradise there. We are all living as if we were in Heaven. Oh, come and join us!вАЭ + 

вАЬYou see, gentlemen,вАЭ said Bondy, controlling himself with an effort, вАЬthat the Karburators work exactly as I promised you they would. I ask you to waive any further questions.вАЭ + 

вАЬWe only want to know,вАЭ cried Dr.¬†Hubka pugnaciously, вАЬwhy, in that case, you donвАЩt arrange for our new works to be run by Karburator power? Why should we use expensive coal for heating when weвАЩre supplying atomic energy to other people? Is Mr.¬†Bondy disposed to let us have his reasons?вАЭ + 

вАЬBy no means,вАЭ Bondy declared. вАЬOur heating will be done with coal. For reasons known to myself, the Karburator system will not suit our purposes. Let that suffice, gentlemen. I regard the whole affair as a question of confidence in me.вАЭ + 

Machat made himself heard. вАЬIf you only knew how wonderful it feels to be in a state of holiness! Gentlemen, take my sincere advice. Give away all that you possess! Become poor and holy! Deliver yourselves from Mammon, and glorify the one God!вАЭ + 

вАЬCome, come,вАЭ Mr.¬†Rosenthal tried to calm him down. вАЬWe know you for a kind and upright man, Mr.¬†MachatвБ†вАФyes, yes, extremely so. And I have every confidence in you, Mr.¬†Bondy, you know. I tell you what, send me one of those Karburators for my own heating apparatus! IвАЩll give it a trial, gentleman. WhatвАЩs the use of all this talking? What about it, Mr.¬†Bondy?вАЭ + 

вАЬWe are all brothers in GodвАЩs sight!вАЭ continued the radiant Machat. вАЬGentlemen, let us give the factory to the poor! I move that we change the M.E.C. into a religious community of вАШThe Humble of Heart.вАЩ Let us be the seed from which the tree of God shall spring. The Kingdom of God on earth!вАЭ + 

вАЬI demand a hearing,вАЭ shouted Dr.¬†Hubka. + 

вАЬCome, now, Mr.¬†Bondy,вАЭ pleaded old Rosenthal in mollifying tones. вАЬYou see I am on your side! Lend me one of those Karburators, Mr.¬†Bondy!вАЭ + 

вАЬFor God Himself is descending upon the earth,вАЭ Machat continued in great excitement. вАЬHearken to His message: Be ye holy and simple; open your hearts to the infinite; let your love be unbounded. Let me tell you, gentlemenвБ†вАФвАЭ + 

вАЬI demand the floor,вАЭ yelled Dr.¬†Hubka hoarsely. + 

вАЬSilence!вАЭ shouted Bondy, pale and with gleaming eyes, as he rose with the whole authority of his massive frame. вАЬGentlemen, if the factory for Karburators does not suit your fancy, I will take it over under my own personal charge. I will compensate you to the last penny for all the expenditure so far incurred. I resign my position, gentlemen. I beg to take my leave.вАЭ + 

Dr.¬†Hubka darted forward. вАЬBut, gentlemen, I protest! We all protest! We will not part with the manufacture of Karburators! A splendid line like that, gentlemen! No, thank you, we are not to be hoodwinked into handing over a valuable business. With your permission, gentlemenвБ†вАФвАЭ + 

Bondy rang the bell. вАЬFriends,вАЭ he said gloomily, вАЬwe will leave this for the time being. It seems to me that our friend Machat isвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ erвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ slightly indisposed. As far as the Karburator is concerned, gentlemen, I guarantee you a dividend of one hundred and fifty percent. I move that the discussion be now closed.вАЭ + 

Dr.¬†Hubka took the floor. вАЬI move, gentlemen, that every member of the Board of Directors shall receive one Karburator for testing purposes, so to speak.вАЭ + 

Bondy looked at all present. His features twitched. He tried to say something, but he only shrugged his shoulders and hissed between his teeth, вАЬAs you please.вАЭ + 