"Welcome!" "I'm the boy's father." "You saved his life yesterday." "You must have been sent by God." "My daughter said her brother was gone." "She said he was dead when you grabbed him from the river." "I can't thank you enough." "Everything occurs alike to all." "One event happens to the righteous and the wicked, to him who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice." "As is the good, so is the sinner and he who takes an oath as he who fears an oath." "This is an evil in all that is done under the sun: that one thing happens to all." "Truly the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil." "Madness is in their hearts while they live." "And after that they go to the dead." "But for him who is joined to all the living there is hope." "For a living dog is better than a dead lion." "For the living know that they will die." "But the dead know nothing and they have no more reward for the memory of them is forgotten." "A tea over here!" "Your name?" "My name?" "Yes, I have one..." "Battal." "Enjoy it!" "Since you're an unexpected guest, and you've revived a young life and as you're clearly a great dervish, welcome to you!" "This town is a town of brave men." "This town is wise." "This town is the gateway to God." "Even if evil springs up, it withers before taking root." "Snow kills the dirt, water washes it away." "Consider yourself an honoured guest as long as you like." "We haven't even asked." "Are you hungry?" "Yes, sir." "Yes, it's the 1 4th day of the maneuvers." "Yes, sir." "Progress reports on the maneuvers." "have been submitted, sir." "Yes, the air force has also received copies." "Yes, sir." "Absolutely, sir." "Yes?" "Sir, four village men are here." "Brothers." "They have a complaint." "So what?" "Send them to the police." "What's their problem?" "No idea." "They insist on seeing you." "Yes?" "Captain, we don't believe our father died at God's bidding." "We want his body to be examined." "Us two have the same mother." "His is different." "And he's from the third wife." "OK?" "See the young one?" "Our father went to live with him six months ago." "The man was fit as a fiddle." "So?" "He killed his father, did he?" "He made him sick." "He did the man in." "They're worried about something else." "They're after money, captain." "Before the man died, he had all the land put in his name." "Not my name." "His wife's name." "He and his wife must have..." "Cut it out!" "We fight to defend the land here, and you're concerned about your father!" "You think it's easy to have a grave opened?" "You need permits from the prosecutor, a whole pile of stuff. lt's a big job." "Come to an agreement, divide up the land and make peace." "We haven't buried him yet, captain." "Where is he then?" "Down in the car." "ln the car?" "You put a dead man in the car?" "Get out of here!" "Go on, out!" "I don't want to see you again!" "These guys are crazy!" "Come here!" "Get in the car!" "He's wild!" "He bites!" "He's mute!" "He throws stones at everyone!" "He bullies everyone, even animals!" "Stop!" "Who are you!" "What are you doing in a prohibited area?" "Put your hands in the air!" "Put your hands in the air!" "Hand over your id!" "Lie on the ground!" "Lie down!" "Don't you have an id card?" "No!" "What are you doing here?" "He hasn't turned up." "The guy's cleared off again." "He's here one moment, gone the next." "Hello!" "Gentlemen, as you know, a campaign is on to get the border open." "An open border means more choice, more work, more money for us all." "It means our children's future." "Don't be taken in by the campaign opponents." "People the other side of the border are human beings too." "Remember that." "We don't want to be friends with them." "is everyone who shops at your store a friend?" "No." "But they're not enemies either." "Look, why should they be enemies?" "We're not saying swap brides." "We're saying sell goods, do business." "What's with the fear?" "The evil flee when no man pursues!" "Don't you believe in God?" "We did not forget how those infidels made us suffer?" "is money everything, friend?" "Friends, I'm leaving the book here." "If you say let the border be opened, let hatred be forgotten let the town flourish, then sign the book." "OK." "Have a good evening." "Hey Yahya, where's that dervish of yours gone?" "Everywhere will open in the morning." "The train was very late coming in." "lf you like..." "No, it's OK. I'll wait." "But I'm hungry." "These are my leftovers." "I've warmed them up a bit." "If it doesn't disgust you..." "Thank you." "Well, the guy's a shady type." "He wouldn't hurt anyone." "If I hand him over to the police, you know what will happen, right?" "Know that what I'm doing isn't lawful." "Daddy!" "Son!" "We thought you were done." "OK. I'm coming." "Just look at the state of us." "Not to be born into this life is so much better." "But very few people are that lucky!" "OK." "He can stay." "I'll find you a room anyway." "Until then, stay here." "You can help out during the day." "Open and close the place." "Are they yours, these rabid things?" "They're scared of you." "Why would they be scared?" "Take control of your animals!" "What kind of human being are you!" "They're strays." "And their predicament is the fault of man, ma'am." "For in the place of judgment, wickedness is there and in the place of righteousness, iniquity is there." "In fact, what happens to the sons of men also happens to beasts." "One thing befalls them." "As one dies, so dies the other." "Surely, they all have one breath." "Man has no advantage over beasts, ma'am for all is vanity." "All go to one place." "All are from the dust, and all return to dust." "Are you some kind of clockwork answer machine?" "No, ma'am!" "I don't know a thing." "Just look at the place a teacher of 20 years ends up!" "The cold, dogs, crazy people." "They banish a teacher of 20 years to a place like this." "But you're so lucky, ma'am." "This place is full of good people." "I've only just arrived myself." "I'm a guest here." "If you'll allow me, I'll try to cure your headache." "It won't go away." "My headaches never go away." "Your lungs are sick." "It's asthma." "You can't do without curtains." "Curtains are also a sign of virtue." "Curiosity sometimes gets the better of people." "You mean I should always close the curtains here." "No." "Our people are upright." "I don't mean out of ill will." "But you can never be sure." "Thieves and villains have no place here." "Dad." "A cheese maker was robbed yesterday." "It's just incredible!" "Here, look." "Look." "Look in all of them." "He didn't leave a single lump!" "What's he done with all that sugar?" "Then he walked off leaving the door wide open." "What kind of guy is he?" "Anyone wanting the border open now will want us opening our homes next!" "They'll claim this place is theirs, that they're entitled to this land!" "They'll trash our families, our faith, our language!" "They'll violate them!" "Don't be stooges for this scam!" "You can't do business with enemies!" "Urge the campaigners to stop and let our martyrs rest in peace!" "Beauty of beauties!" "My heart's about to melt away through my fingers!" "Look!" "My insides are so aflutter I'll have wind blowing out of me!" "Do..." "Do you..." "Do you have a name?" "I'll be..." "Neptun." "You be Neptun." "And I'll be Kosmos." "Let your left hand rest under my head and your right hand embrace me!" "Some people are born with a crown on their heads and others with a sack of rocks on their backs." "A tea!" "I've fixed up a room in the old town hall." "There's a bed. I've given you a stove." "You can set it up." "I'll bring some coal." "And we'll see to the rest later." "Look, my friend." "I don't know your intentions, and that's not my business." "But since you're staying with us, you can't just get by on charity." "You need to do a job that will feed you properly." "You have no papers, no id." "You just keep running away." "For Yahya's sake I'll give you one last chance." "Come and work here until you find another job." "You can open up in the morning." "You can serve tea during the day." "And you'll get three square meals." "Here we go then." "Take these down to the trash." "Where the hell is he?" "The guy's sneaked off again." "You're good for nothing!" "He's a lazy shit!" "God has no love for people who don't work." "I turned my heart and despaired of all the labour." "I did that to stop my heart expecting any reward for my labour." "For what has man for all his labour and for the striving of his heart?" "I could not find the answer." "For all his days are sorrowful, and his work grievous." "Even in the night his heart takes no rest." "So you're saying you won't work." "That's all from me, friends." "I don't want this man here any longer." "There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and that his soul should enjoy good in his labour." "This also is from the hand of God." "For God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy to a man who is good in His sight but to the sinner He gives the work of gathering and collecting that he may give to him who is good before God." "He is not greedy in eating or drinking either!" "Give him a tea. lt's on me." "l don't want any tea." "What do you want then?" "l want love!" "Hey, he wants women!" "For I am lovesick!" "I'm always chasing love, chasing flesh and desire." "You're chasing women!" "Dad, we have to get kerosene." "There, you see?" "A paradise of pomegranates!" "The fountain of living waters!" "I'd be in seventh heaven with her!" "She who looks forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun!" "And I know who this girl is." "Who the hell are you?" "Battal is my name." "You'll freeze to death!" "Get that stove set up." "Are you hungry?" "What are you crying about, huh?" "I'm crying for dad." "Having regrets now, are you?" "His wife tempted him." "He shouldn't have let her!" "Enjoy your food, gentlemen!" "I know you've all heard about this." "But if anyone hasn't signed up to open the border, the book's here." "We want this for the future of the town, our children, everyone." "You people?" "A tea!" "Look!" "This is your last free tea." "From now on you pay." "Wait." "What's the hurry, friend?" "How's your hand?" "is it better?" "Hey, wait a second." "Wait." "Wait!" "Wait!" "Let's see." "l'll be damned!" "It's completely gone." "Good God!" "That's so weird." "It was a horrible nightmare." "I'm going to some faraway country." "I'm going there to be frozen." "We join the line." "Forms are filled in." "We're asked which year we want to be alive again after the freezing." "The thawing year in other words." "A new life begins after thawing." ""Well, we die any case," l say." ""We'll die in that life too."" ""No," they say. "As you're about to die, you're frozen again."" ""Until it's time to thaw again."" ""So as you age, as you freeze and thaw you become immortal."" ""l've changed my mind," l say." ""l'm not interested."" "But they say it's too late." "Far too late." "I was trying to escape when I woke up." "But it made me so happy that I'll die one day." "You're so warm." "You're on fire." "Gentlemen, law and order is already degenerating!" "This is the second robbery in ten days." "We are claiming that if the borders open and foreigners come in things will get totally out of hand." "Why has there been no theft, no crime in the town all these years?" "Because everyone knows everyone." "We're all family, relatives." "Foreigners will ruin the harmony!" "They'll ruin values and traditions!" "Some of you believe these people because you're honest and trusting." "They only want this to make a handful of businessmen rich." "So what will the underdogs get out of it?" "I'll tell you." "They'll get to pay the price morally and materially." "I've signed." "But I regret it now." "What can I do?" "Go and say you've changed your mind, that you're cancelling your signature." "If they won't let you, tell us." "There are plenty of people like you." "A tea!" "It's not free any more." "A tea." "Don't you have change?" "l thought you had no money." "Here, I do." "Hello." "I hear you're a stranger here." "Welcome." "What's the reason for your visit?" "Travelling?" "I'm an unexpected guest." "You saved a boy of ours from drowning." "Thanks." "We like strangers." "But the world has degenerated." "We're suspicious of everyone." "You do not know what evil will be on the earth." "If the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth." "And if a tree falls to the south or the north, in the place where the tree falls there it shall lie." "What's the use?" "What have I seen?" "What have I learned?" "Truly, this only I have found." "God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes." "Welcome." "Who are you hiding from?" "My older brothers." "Have you done anything wrong?" "I saw them so many times." "I saw how they looked at each other." "Every night she'd massage his back." "She'd massage his legs." "I kept seeing them." "I kept wishing for death to come." "Who to?" "Your wife?" "My father." "They'll put me in jail!" "Who is it?" "It's me, ma'am." "What do you want?" "l came to hug you!" "Get out!" "Why aren't you looking at me?" "Shut up!" "That's the worst punishment you can give a person." "Shameless man!" "You seduced a woman of this age!" "I'm so ashamed!" "Isn't your body's desire also your soul's desire?" "No, it isn't!" "That's what animals do!" "Human beings are supposed to be different." "But they aren't different." "Shut up!" "Wanton savage!" "I came to love you with body and soul, ma'am." "Get out!" "Two are better than one." "For if they fall, one will lift up his companion." "And a twofold cord is not quickly broken." "When my soul isn't listening to me, I step out and tell my skeleton..." "Do not be rash with your mouth, and let not your heart utter anything hastily." "For God is in heaven, and you on earth." "Therefore let your words be few." "That's what I say." "They've caught the thief." "Really?" "They caught him on the train." "He's from the village." "The man killed his father as well!" "Don't!" "That's just not possible here." "Which village is he from?" "The village up top." "Now a pharmacy's been robbed." "The man was there on his own." "He closed to go to Friday prayers and that's when the bastard broke in!" "Shame on him!" "That kind of thing just isn't possible round here." "These break-ins are getting out of control." "If they'd given me that thief, I wouldn't kill him right away." "I'd tie him to a pole, and punish him by cutting a piece of his flesh every day." "What are you doing?" "Get off him!" "Wait." "He's OK." "OK, gentlemen!" "He's fine." "Move away now." "Move away." "Let him breathe." "Oh my!" "What's going on here?" "lt's as if my lungs are better." "Possibly you're cured, Tahir." "Captain!" "Captain!" "Captain!" "Captain, I need to talk!" "I need to talk, captain!" "Get off!" "I did it, captain!" "It was me." "I did it, captain. lt wasn't him." "He didn't do it, captain." "It was me." "I did it, captain!" "Everything has a place of its own." "When everything finds its place, it's all in peace and harmony." "Our bodies find that place of their own with their own gravity." "But it's not the kind of gravity that pulls down." "Fire rises, stones fall." "The real gravity of our bodies comes from the love we have." "Son, we need your cures." "My orphan boy has stopped speaking." "Doctors and hospitals are no good." "His mother died giving birth." "His father went away to find work." "He hasn't spoken for a year." "And it's made him all crabby." "There, that's what he's like." "Turn to the right!" "Quick time!" "Left, right!" "Left, right...!" "Do they know they're going to die?" "Of course they do." "They're even glad they're going to die." "This place means release for them." "The sign!" "And I thought, "Oh no!" "A plane's crashing!"" "A star!" "It's a star, dad!" "Stars don't fall!" "But there are shooting stars!" "It was like an earthquake." "The earth roared." "It's a rocket." "Definitely a rocket." "And obviously fired across the border." "Attention!" "The road is closed!" "Going near the object is forbidden!" "The area is declared a forbidden zone until further notice." "What has fallen?" "Must be a satellite again." "We're being rained on with rubbish!" "They've sealed off the whole place." "I got sick." "You'll get better, son." "Praise be to God!" "You can talk now, can't you!" "May God grant your every wish!" "Here, this money is yours." "That wasn't my money." "No." "Take it. lt's yours." "I don't need it." "You keep it." "No, don't take it!" "I stole that money from him." "Don't take it!" "I stole it from him." "My punishment's over, isn't it?" "That was over long ago." "It's time for rewards now." "He threw the kitten off the bridge." "He didn't think it would drown." "In his dream that night he was in a cat court." "And the head cat said..." ""As your punishment you mustn't speak until we give you a sign."" "So he didn't speak." "Right, he didn't speak." "He served his punishment." "He served his punishment." "But now he's really sick." "Those pills aren't for your illness." "It's numb." "It's completely numb." "You were sent to us by God." "I've heard you cure the poor." "God bless you!" "Now could you take a look at my son's mind here?" "I've had so many hodjas pray for him." "None of them has done any good." "Could you just take a look?" "For the love of God." "I don't know what my body knows." "My body doesn't know what I know." "My body and I fear God." "For in the multitude of dreams and many words there is also vanity." "But you should fear God." "Son, please take a look at him." "We're poor." "We don't have money for a doctor." "What have you done to my back?" "The illness is in the column of your back." "His condition is serious." "He should be taken to hospital immediately." "We can go in my car." "It's you who made my boy ill, isn't it?" "What happened to the pills?" "What did you do with them all?" "I threw them away." "Go and get them." "Go and get them." "Go and get them then!" "I can't do without them!" "Dirty thief!" "I gave you money!" "I gave you money, dirty thief!" "I can't bear it." "Why does your heart eat away at you like this?" "Why do your eyes flash lightning but you turn your soul against God and spit out words like this?" "What is man that he might be pure?" "Don't lessen the stride of your strength." "Your bones are full of your youthfulness." "And you say..." "what does God know?" "." "Thick clouds are a curtain to Him." "You say He doesn't see you or your troubles." "I've been all the way to the pole star and back!" "I've climbed up and down the seven layers of heaven!" "Lift your face to God." "I've seen your illness!" "I've got you now, asshole!" "Wait!" "Don't run away!" "Where is he?" "Who?" "Didn't you see him?" "You said you hadn't seen him, huh?" "Are you taking the piss?" "He jumped over there!" "Open the door!" "Go on, open it"