XXX + 

The End of Everything + 

Many years went by. Brych the stoker, now the proprietor of a locksmithвАЩs business, was sitting in the Damohorsky tavern, reading a copy of the PeopleвАЩs Journal. + 

вАЬThe liver sausages will be ready in a minute,вАЭ announced the landlord, emerging from the kitchen. And bless me if it wasnвАЩt old Jan Binder, who used to own the merry-go-round. He had grown fat and no longer wore his striped jersey; nevertheless it was he! + 

вАЬThereвАЩs no hurry,вАЭ Mr.¬†Brych answered slowly. вАЬFather Jost hasnвАЩt turned up yet. Nor Rejzek either.вАЭ + 

вАЬAndвБ†вАФhow is Mr.¬†Kuzenda getting along?вАЭ Jan Binder inquired. + 

вАЬOh, well, you know. HeвАЩs not very grand. HeвАЩs one of the best men breathing, Mr.¬†Binder.вАЭ + 

вАЬHe is, indeed,вАЭ assented the innkeeper. вАЬI donвАЩt knowвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ Mr.¬†BrychвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ what about taking him a few of the liver sausages with my compliments? TheyвАЩre first class, Mr.¬†Brych, and if youвАЩd be so kindвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶вАЭ + 

вАЬWhy, with pleasure, Mr.¬†Binder. HeвАЩll be delighted to think you remember him. Of course I will. With pleasure!вАЭ + 

вАЬPraised be the Lord!вАЭ came a voice from the doorway, and Canon Jost stepped into the room, his cheeks ruddy with the cold, and hung up his hat and fur coat. + 

вАЬGood evening, your Reverence,вАЭ responded Mr.¬†Brych. вАЬWeвАЩve waited for youвБ†вАФweвАЩve waited.вАЭ + 

Father Jost pursed his lips contentedly and rubbed his stiffened hands. вАЬWell, sir, whatвАЩs in the papers, what have they got to say today?вАЭ + 

вАЬI was just reading this: вАШThe President of the Republic has appointed that youthful savant, Dr.¬†Blahous, Lecturer at the University, to be Assistant Professor.вАЩ You remember, Canon, itвАЩs that Blahous who once wrote an article about Mr.¬†Kuzenda.вАЭ + 

вАЬAha, aha,вАЭ said Father Jost, wiping his little spectacles. вАЬI know, I know, the atheist. They are a lot of infidels at the University. And youвАЩre another, Mr.¬†Brych.вАЭ + 

вАЬCome, his Reverence will pray for us, I know,вАЭ said Mr.¬†Binder. вАЬHeвАЩll want us in heaven to make up the card-party. Well, your Reverence, two and one?вАЭ + 

вАЬYes, of course, two and one.вАЭ + 

Mr.¬†Binder opened the kitchen door and shouted: + 

вАЬTwo liver sausages and one blood-sausage.вАЭ + 

вАЬвАКвАЩEvening!вАЭ growled Rejzek, the journalist, entering the room. вАЬItвАЩs cold, friends.вАЭ + 

вАЬItвАЩs a very pleasant evening,вАЭ chirped Mr.¬†Binder. вАЬWe donвАЩt get company like this every day.вАЭ + 

вАЬWell, whatвАЩs the news?вАЭ inquired Father Jost gaily. вАЬWhatвАЩs going on in the editorial sanctum? Ah, yes, I used to write for the papers myself in my young days.вАЭ + 

вАЬBy the way, that fellow Blahous mentioned me in the paper too that time,вАЭ said Mr.¬†Brych. вАЬIвАЩve still got the cutting somewhere. вАШThe Apostle of KuzendaвАЩs Sect,вАЩ or something like that, he called me. Yes, yes, those were the days!вАЭ + 

вАЬLetвАЩs have supper,вАЭ ordered Mr.¬†Rejzek. Mr.¬†Binder and his daughter were already setting the sausages on the table. They were still sizzling, covered with frothing bubbles of fat, and they reclined upon crisp sauerkraut like Turkish odalisques on cushions. Father Jost clicked his tongue resoundingly and cut into the first beauty before him. + 

вАЬSplendid,вАЭ said Mr.¬†Brych after a while. + 

вАЬMhm,вАЭ came from Mr.¬†Rejzek after a lengthier interval. + 

вАЬBinder, these do you credit,вАЭ said the Canon approvingly. + 

A silence ensued, full of appreciation and pious meditations. + 

вАЬAllspice,вАЭ contributed Mr.¬†Brych. вАЬI love the smell of it.вАЭ + 

вАЬBut it mustnвАЩt be too much in evidence.вАЭ + 

вАЬNo, this is just as it should be.вАЭ + 

вАЬAnd the skin must be just crisp enough.вАЭ + 

вАЬMhm.вАЭ And again conversation ceased for a space. + 

вАЬAnd the sauerkraut must be nice and white.вАЭ + 

вАЬIn Moravia,вАЭ said Mr.¬†Brych, вАЬthey make the sauerkraut like a sort of porridge. I was there as an apprentice. ItвАЩs quite runny.вАЭ + 

вАЬOh, come,вАЭ exclaimed Father Jost. вАЬSauerkraut has to be strained. DonвАЩt talk such nonsense. Why, the stuff wouldnвАЩt be fit to eat.вАЭ + 

вАЬWell, there you areвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ they do eat it that way down there. With spoons.вАЭ + 

вАЬHorrible!вАЭ cried the Canon, marvelling. вАЬWhat extraordinary people they must be, friends! Why, sauerkraut should only just be greased, shouldnвАЩt it, Mr.¬†Binder? I donвАЩt understand how anyone could have it any other way.вАЭ + 

вАЬWell, you know,вАЭ said Mr.¬†Brych meditatively, вАЬitвАЩs just the same with sauerkraut as it is with religion. One man canвАЩt understand how another can believe anything different.вАЭ + 

вАЬOh, enough of that!вАЭ protested Father Jost. вАЬWhy, IвАЩd sooner believe in Muhammad than eat sauerkraut made any other way. After all, reason teaches one that sauerkraut ought only to be greased.вАЭ + 

вАЬAnd doesnвАЩt reason teach one oneвАЩs religion.вАЭ + 

вАЬOur religion, certainly,вАЭ said the Canon decisively. вАЬBut the others are not based on reason.вАЭ + 

вАЬNow weвАЩve got back again to just where we were before the war,вАЭ sighed Mr.¬†Brych. + 

вАЬPeople are always getting back just where they used to be,вАЭ observed Mr.¬†Binder. вАЬThatвАЩs what Mr.¬†Kuzenda is always saying. вАШBinder,вАЩ he often says, вАШthe truth can never be defeated. You know, Binder,вАЩ he says, вАШthat God of ours on the dredge in those days wasnвАЩt so bad, nor was yours on the merry-go-round, and yet, you see, theyвАЩve both of them vanished. Everyone believes in his own superior God, but he doesnвАЩt believe in another man, or credit him with believing in something good. People should first of all believe in other people, and the rest would soon follow.вАЩ ThatвАЩs what Mr.¬†Kuzenda always says.вАЭ + 

вАЬYes, yes,вАЭ assented Mr.¬†Brych. вАЬA man may certainly think that another religion is a bad one, but he oughtnвАЩt to think that the man who follows it is a low, vile, and treacherous fellow. And the same applies to politics and everything.вАЭ + 

вАЬAnd thatвАЩs what so many people have hated and killed each other for,вАЭ Father Jost declared. вАЬYou know, the greater the things are in which a man believes, the more fiercely he despises those who do not believe in them. And yet the greatest of all beliefs would be belief in oneвАЩs fellow-men.вАЭ + 

вАЬEveryone has the best of feelings towards mankind in general, but not towards the individual man. WeвАЩll kill men, but we want to save mankind. And that isnвАЩt right, your Reverence. The world will be an evil place as long as people donвАЩt believe in other people.вАЭ + 

вАЬMr.¬†Binder,вАЭ said Father Jost thoughtfully, вАЬI wonder if you would make me some of that Moravian sauerkraut tomorrow. IвАЩd like to try it.вАЭ + 

вАЬIt has to be partly stewed and then steamed, and done like that with a fried sausage itвАЩs very good. Every religion and every truth has something good in it; if itвАЩs only the fact that it suits somebody else.вАЭ + 

The door was opened from outside, and a policeman stepped in. He was chilled to the bone and wanted a glass of rum. + 

вАЬAh, itвАЩs you, is it, Sergeant Hruska,вАЭ said Brych. вАЬWell now, where have you come from?вАЭ + 

вАЬOh, weвАЩve been up in Zizkov,вАЭ answered the policeman, pulling off his enormous gloves. вАЬThere was a raid on.вАЭ + 

вАЬWhat did you catch?вАЭ + 

вАЬOh, a couple of roughs, and a few undesirables. And then at number 1006вБ†вАФin the cellar of the house, I meanвБ†вАФthere was a den.вАЭ + 

вАЬWhat sort of den?вАЭ inquired Mr.¬†Rejzek. + 

вАЬA Karburator den, sir. They had set up a tiny Karburator down there out of an old prewar motor. A very low crowd has been going down there and holding orgies.вАЭ + 

вАЬWhat kind of orgies do you mean?вАЭ + 

вАЬOh, disorderly behaviour. They pray and sing and have visions and prophesy and perform miracles, and all that sort of business.вАЭ + 

вАЬAnd isnвАЩt that allowed?вАЭ + 

вАЬNo, itвАЩs forbidden by the police. You see, itвАЩs something like those dens where they smoke opium. We found one of them in the Old Town. WeвАЩve routed out seven of these Karburator caverns already. An awful gang used to collect there: vagrants, loose women, and other doubtful characters. ThatвАЩs why itвАЩs forbidden. ItвАЩs a breach of the peace.вАЭ + 

вАЬAnd are there many haunts of this kind?вАЭ + 

вАЬNot now. I think this one was the last of the Karburators.вАЭ + 