VII
Developments
вАЬHow do we stand in London?вАЭ
вАЬM.E.C. shares were quoted at 1,470 yesterday. The day before yesterday they were 750.вАЭ
вАЬGood!вАЭ
вАЬMr.¬†Marek has been made an honorary member of ten learned societies, and is certain to be awarded the Nobel Prize.вАЭ
вАЬGood!вАЭ
вАЬThereвАЩs a rush of orders from Germany. Over five thousand Karburators wanted.вАЭ
вАЬAha!вАЭ
вАЬNine hundred orders from Japan, too.вАЭ
вАЬLook at that, now!вАЭ
вАЬCzechoslovakia doesnвАЩt show much interest. Three fresh inquiries.вАЭ
вАЬHm. ThatвАЩs all one might expect. A wretched state of affairs here, you know.вАЭ
вАЬThe Russian Government wants two hundred immediately.вАЭ
вАЬGood! WhatвАЩs the total?вАЭ
вАЬThirteen thousand orders.вАЭ
вАЬGood! How far have we got with the buildings?вАЭ
вАЬThe division for atomic motorcars has got the roof on. The section for atomic flying-machines will begin work during the week. We are laying the foundations for the atomic locomotive works. One wing of the department for shipsвАЩ engines is already in operation.вАЭ
вАЬWait a minute. You should start calling them atomobiles, atomotors and atomotives, you know. How is Krolmus getting along with the atomic cannon?вАЭ
вАЬHeвАЩs already constructing a model at Pilsen. Our atomic cyclecar is doing its thirty thousandth kilometre on the Brussels racing-track. It has done two hundred and seventy kilometres an hour. We have had seventeen thousand orders for our half-kilo atomotors in the last two days.вАЭ
вАЬA minute ago you told me that the total was thirteen thousand.вАЭ
вАЬThirteen thousand stationary atomic boilers. Eight thousand of the central heating apparatus. Nearly ten thousand atomobiles. Sixty hundred and twenty atoplanes. Our A.7 has flown from Prague to Melbourne, Australia, without a stop; all on board safe and sound. Here is the telegram.вАЭ
Bondy drew himself up. вАЬWhy, my young friend, thatвАЩs splendid!вАЭ
вАЬThe agricultural machinery department has five thousand orders in. In the section for small power-engines, twenty-two thousand. One hundred and fifty atomic pumps. Three atomic presses. Twelve atomic blast furnaces. Seventy-five atomic wireless stations. One hundred and ten atomic locomotives, all for Russia. We have established general agencies in forty-eight different capitals. The American Steel Trust, the Berlin General Electric Company, the Italian Fiat, Mannesmann, Creusot, and the Swedish steelworks are all making us offers of amalgamation. KruppвАЩs are paying any price for our shares.вАЭ
вАЬWhat about the new issue?вАЭ
вАЬThirty-five times oversubscribed. The financial papers predict a super-dividend of two hundred percent. The other papers are talking of nothing but this business; politics, sport, technology, science, everythingвАЩs Karburator. WeвАЩve had seven tons of newspaper cuttings from our agent in Germany, four hundredweight from France, and a truckload from England. The scientific and technical literature dealing with atomotors, to be published this year, is estimated at sixty tons. The Anglo-Japanese war has been broken off owing to the lack of public interest. In England alone there are nine hundred thousand coal-miners out of work. There has been a rising in the Belgian coalfields; about four thousand killed. More than half the mines in the world have ceased working. The surplus petroleum in Pennsylvania has set the oilfields ablaze. The fireвАЩs still raging.вАЭ
вАЬThe fireвАЩs still raging,вАЭ repeated Bondy, as though in a dream. вАЬThe fireвАЩs still raging. My God, then, we have won!вАЭ
вАЬThe Chairman of the Mining and Smelting Company has shot himself. The Stock Exchange has simply gone mad. We stand at 8,000 today in Berlin. The Cabinet is in permanent sitting, and wants to proclaim a state of siege. This isnвАЩt an invention, Chief, itвАЩs a revolution!вАЭ
The Chairman and the General Manager of the M.E.C. looked at each other in silence. Neither of them was a poet, but in that moment their very souls were singing.
The manager drew his chair closer and said in a low voice, вАЬChief, Rosenthal has gone crazy.вАЭ
вАЬRosenthal!вАЭ exclaimed G. H. Bondy.
The manager nodded mournfully. вАЬHe has become an orthodox Jew, and heвАЩs gone in for Talmudic mysticism and Cabalism. He has given ten millions to the cause of Zionism. Not long ago he had a terrible quarrel with Dr.¬†Hubka. YouвАЩve surely heard that Hubka has joined the Bohemian Brethren.вАЭ
вАЬWhat, has Hubka got it too?вАЭ
вАЬYes, I think the Board of Directors must have caught it from Machat. You were not present at the last meeting, Chief. It was terrible; they talked religion until morning. Hubka moved that we hand over our establishments to the workers. Luckily, they forgot to take a vote on it. They were like men possessed.вАЭ
Bondy gnawed at his fingers. вАЬWhat on earth am I to do with them?вАЭ
вАЬHm, nothing whatever. ItвАЩs a nervous disease of the age. Something of the sort crops up now and again in the papers, too, but theyвАЩre so full of the Karburators that they havenвАЩt space for anything else. ThereвАЩs an appalling number of cases of religious mania. ItвАЩs a psychical epidemic or something. The other day I saw Dr.¬†Hubka preaching to a crowd of people in front of the Industrial Bank about seeking the inward light and making straight the path for God. Fearfully incoherent stuff. He wound up by performing miracles. Forst is at it too. Rosenthal is nothing short of insane. Miller, Homola and Kolator came out with a proposal for voluntary poverty. We canвАЩt possibly have another board-meeting. ItвАЩs a regular madhouse, Chief. YouвАЩll have to take the whole idiotic business in hand.вАЭ
вАЬBut, man, this is simply awful,вАЭ groaned G. H. Bondy.
вАЬIt is indeed. Did you hear about the Sugar Bank? All the officials there were seized with it at one fell swoop. They opened the safes and gave away the money to anyone who came. They finished by burning bundles of banknotes on a bonfire in the main hall. Religious Bolshevism, I should call it.вАЭ
вАЬIn the Sugar Bank?вБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ HasnвАЩt the Sugar Bank one of our Karburators?вАЭ
вАЬYes. For central heating. The Sugar Bank was the first to install one. Now the police have closed the Bank. Even the confidential clerks and the directors were affected.вАЭ
вАЬSend word round that the sale of Karburators to banks is forbidden.вАЭ
вАЬBut why?вАЭ
вАЬI forbid it, and thatвАЩs enough! Let them do their heating with coal!вАЭ
вАЬItвАЩs a bit too late. All the banks are already putting in our heating system. ItвАЩs being installed in the Houses of Parliament and in all the Government departments. The central Karburator at Stvanice, which is to light the whole of Prague, is finished. It is a fifty-kilo monster, a magnificent machine. It is to be ceremoniously set in motion at six oвАЩclock the day after tomorrow, in the presence of the President, the Burgomaster, the City Council, and the representatives of the M.E.C. You must be present. You of all people!вАЭ
вАЬGod forbid!вАЭ Mr.¬†Bondy shouted, horror-stricken. вАЬNo, no, Heaven defend me from that! I will not go!вАЭ
вАЬBut, Chief, you must. We canвАЩt send Rosenthal or Hubka there. Why, theyвАЩre raving mad. They would make dreadful speeches. ItвАЩs the honour of the firm thatвАЩs at stake. The Burgomaster of Prague has prepared a speech in our honour. The representatives of foreign Governments and the foreign Press will be there. ItвАЩs to be a great occasion. As soon as the street lamps light up, military bands are going to play salutes and fanfares in the streets, the Male Voice Choirs and the other Choral Societies will sing, thereвАЩll be fireworks and a salute of a hundred and one guns, the Castle will be illuminated, and I donвАЩt know what. Chief, you simply must be there.вАЭ
G. H. Bondy arose in great torment of spirit. вАЬGod! oh God!вАЭ he whispered, вАЬif it be possible, remove this cupвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶вАЭ
вАЬWill you be there?вАЭ repeated the manager inexorably.
вАЬGod! oh God! why hast Thou forsaken me?вАЭ