"No man can be master over his day of death." "All on Earth is but vanity." "Everyone has the same experiences." "God will judge the evil and the just as He devotes time to all things." "Man should be happy in his work, because that is his lot." "Ernest!" "She prayed for you every day, for your safety." "Poor mother." "Don't you pray for me any more?" "You are so far away." "If you knew..." "A WASTED SUNDAY" "YOU ARE THE SALT OF THE EARTH." "IF SALT GETS SPOILT," "HOW DOES IT BECOME SALTY AGAIN?" "Single bunk bed..." "three-door wardrobe... 1 MAN, NORM C" "Shit!" "I'll show you what for!" "That's done you in." "Don't put your socks into the pots." "I'm not cleaning up this pigsty!" "Oh, all right." "And that's it." "I'll return your money on the 15th and that'll be the end." "The ship lacks a rudder." "I've finished with this joint!" "I'm sick of your reminders!" "I'll make a budget, buy meal-tickets." "A detailed budget!" "That's important." "Just look at Grizzly." "He has nice manners..." "I keep investing in you." "Interesting, actually." "When it comes to it, you shut up." "The face you make..." "Finish!" "At ease!" "Sing!" "A thieves' den, I've had it." "What did I down last night?" "How could I - 200 crowns worth?" "What a bastard I am." "I've got to give up drink." "Once and for all." "Stay with us, oh Lord, evening is nigh." "Be present with Thy power" "Let us emerge from the dark night" "Open up your paradise" "And I shall praise Thee for ever!" "Open up Thy paradise" "I shall praise Thee for ever!" "God..." "Damn it all, Ivan, what a mess you left behind!" "Look at that!" ""Dearest Ivan," "I think of nothing but you."" "I bet." ""Your loving B."" ""Even before you start reading, Ivan," "I want to give you my love." "But I don't like your profession, what if something happened to you and I'd be alone... or with children..."" "What a bitch!" ""Or with children!"" ""I don't want to force you into an engagement but it would be best, at least I'd know I've got you."" "So he told her he was chasing spies instead of watching old geezers at the pub." "Mobilization!" "Get up!" "Let me introduce a master marksman!" "Get up, I've brought in two Polish girls!" "To get him, girls!" "Fuck off." "How d'you say guzzle in Polish?" "Get out!" "Out!" "Leave that mustard alone!" "Fuck off!" "Damned sluts." "I could..." "Hell." "Commander!" " At ease." " Nobody for you, sir." " Nine thirty." " The news." "A catastrophe took place at the new dam in the Italian province of Beluno." "The water changed into a destructive flood." "3000 people died, many villages were destroyed." "A strong earth-quake took place in Agadir, Morocco." "4000 dead are buried in the debris." "5000 were injured..." "Now then..." "I've decided, Comrades, that instead of political information" "we shall do some mathematics." "Get your pens ready." "Is it not clear, then?" " Me?" " SILENCE!" " You." " Everything's clear, Colonel." "Including the higher qualifications in maths." " FORGET WHAT..." " Report in my office on Monday." " YOU SEE AND HEAR" " Report in my office on Monday." "On Monday I'm at the Military Shooting Competition, sir." "That is a matter of honour." "You must shoot your way back to it." "Ten!" "Ten!" "Ten!" "Ten!" "21, 22, 23..." " Don't jerk back the trigger." " I know." "Your hands shake." "Those whores of yours." "Keep calm and steady nerves!" " Like an old dodderer." " But how come?" "How come?" "!" "You pick up a gun and start shaking!" "Keep thinking it's just a stick!" "It's not like lecturing on international situations." " Such a bang!" " What are you afraid of?" "Forget about everything except the target!" "See?" "It's no good, let's go to the pub." "You're scared shitless." "Pull!" "Dammit, pull!" "YOU ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD." "A HILL TOWN CANNOT BE HIDDEN." "Ingrid!" "Nonsense." "Dammit, what I need is some money." "Marie..." "Did you write and tell her?" "Marie!" " You're a coward." " What a scene?" "I know you're home!" "I saw you!" "Open up!" "The cow." "You old cow!" "Now you're after me." "But did you write to your girl?" "She's thrown you overboard." "Some prize you'd be." "The promises you make and break!" "You're just a coward." "I'm not that stupid!" "Do you hear me?" "Ernest, come back!" "Shit!" "Ernest?" "Shall I go and get you a beer again?" "You're a good girl, but not today." "Tomorrow." "Why tomorrow?" "Because I'm broke today." "Did you injure your hand, Ernest?" "So you've stopped lisping, great!" "Say rhododendron." "Rhododendron..." "Great, really!" "You deserve a choc biscuit." "Tomorrow you'll fetch my beer and I'll give you 1.50 extra for a biscuit." " You'll have the money tomorrow?" " I'll be as rich as a President." " Does a president have lots of cash?" " Piles of money." "Why aren't you the President?" "How shall I put it - because I can't speak English." " Mummy can speak German!" " So she's half a President." " Is speaking English difficult?" " It is." "Ever so hard, or everyone'd be a President." " And there can only be one." " Why not two?" "That's forbidden, they'd keep quarrelling!" " Bye!" " Bye!" "Dammit!" "The bitch." "The old woman can fuck off." "THE EYE IS YOUR BOD Y'S CANDLE." "IF YOUR OWN LIGHT IS DARK," "WHAT IS DARKNESS LIKE?" "My hand shakes." "Always, when I see a big animal." "I've got to give up drinking." "Once and for all." "Those Polish girls drink like mad." " Who could have known?" " I'll throw a grenade some day." "I've just about had enough." "Will you see the day, you saint." "But the women are after you." "I don't gab." " There's no getting the mustard off." " Don't waffle, get on with it!" " She bit me in the neck!" " Some fun at least." "That's the limit." "Why should I clean up after you?" "!" "I'm going to report this!" "I keep cleaning up the mess you gents make!" "For my measly pay!" "I'm going to complain!" "Is she going to report it?" "No." "Buy her a bar of chocolate." " What with, chum?" " So you're broke too?" "I wanted to borrow a hundred." "You chose the wrong man." "How about Maria?" "Beer brings in a mint!" "Those sluts suck you dry." "I'd throw that golden-haired bird overboard." " Don't." " No two ways about it." " Change the subject!" " Once and for all." "Shut up, will you?" "!" "It's over." " So why don't you ever go out?" " Where?" "Where something's happening." "D'you know of where anything's happening nowadays?" "Something's happening everywhere else!" "On the first day perhaps." "But then it's all the same again." "The same old cows, the same whores and gipsies." "I'd rather go to our pub." "There you know what to expect." "TAKE CARE OF YOUR UNIFORM" "Thus my youth is pegging out!" " Luckily I'll be out soon." " Is it sure, then?" "I'm only waiting for the orders." "You optimist." "Ernest!" "It's you?" "Well?" "We're taking a walk this afternoon." " Not bad." " To the woods!" " Better still." " With Mummy and Daddy." "That's really great." "Fresh air, blue skies - wonderful!" "Ernest, what is a rhododendron?" "So that's why you came!" "It's a flower, see?" "Such a..." "On a bush." " Does it smell nice?" " Sure, fantastic!" " It doesn't just smell." " What then?" "It rhodo-dendrons." "See?" " Does it grow in the woods?" " I don't know that." "I don't even know what colours it can have." "Grassy shades?" "There is no grassy colour." "That's green, you silly." "Never mind, your way is better." "You're a bright girl." "You're lucky Ernest." "What do you mean?" "You're a gent." "Mummy says so." "Whose business is it that I love Marie and I shall buy her a pretty pair of slippers." "Slippers made of silk, boots made of goatskin when she fetches my wine not to slip and fall." "Slippers made of silk, boots made of goatskin." "And again!" "We're both lucky, see?" "'Cause we don't know what's a rhododendron!" "I pity the people who know." "Then say so what, we've seen plenty of rhododendrons!" "But we haven't, see?" "And that's great, we can go and look for it!" "But not a word to anyone!" "People are mean, they could pluck it." "Now say rhododendron quietly, so nobody hears us." "Rhododendron..." "Even more quietly." "Rhododendron..." "And now only..." "Rhododendron..." "Colonel, I beg to report that I'd like to borrow 100 crowns!" "That's all sir." "Would he be surprised!" "Even his ears would be." "100 would come in useful." "Everything's pegging out here, only the mice are living it up." "A check-up on Sunday..." " Commander..." " At ease." "No report." "Has anyone been wanting me?" "No, sir, nobody." "I've been sitting here." "Nothing suspicious about at all." " Hot, isn't it?" " Isn't it, sir." " Is your garden doing well?" " You know, how it is, sir." "Now then, about the terrible mass destruction weapons..." "FORGET WHAT YOU SEE AND HEAR" "But looking at you I can see" "I shan't achieve a thing." "And why not?" "Could anyone tell me?" "Each one of you could tell me," "but you won't because you know it wouldn't be any good, anyway." "Why would it be no good anyway?" "Because it wouldn't change a thing." "You don't care what nuclear disintegration means." "What the critical amount is." "You just don't care." "What is critical for you?" "For this to be over, so you can go to the pub." "But you should remember the permissible dose of skin contamination." "Isn't that something?" "The permissible dose of skin contamination." "Why bother rolling one?" "Thank you, Commander." "But you needn't have bothered." "No thanks, I smoke too much." "How about your hearth, is it better?" "Sure, it's better." " Take a seat." " Thank you." "Yeah, life's hard." "You know Vítek, the decorator." "Day before yesterday he was loading up and his old woman called out to drive his new motorbike carefully." "And he said sure, he stepped on it - and fell back - dead." "D'you know how old he was?" "Only thirty!" "Isn't this damned hard life?" "!" "Lmagine what happened to me." "I saw a rat in the cellar." "A big one!" "It attacked me!" "So I bashed its head in." "There's hoards of rats down there." "I saw rats leaving a deserted pigsty." "That was in the border region." "Must have been 500 there." "The place was grey with rats!" "Do you know this trick?" "Shut a few into a barrel - tight." "They eat each other up - then let the last one out." "That one, you see, then eats nothing but rats!" "It's trained that way and becomes useful!" " Rats are stupid." " Yes, Commander." " What's that over there?" " Where?" "Where are your field glasses?" "Here." "Listen..." "Who's loafing about on military territory?" "Surely, Commander, who'd..." "Yes indeed." "Somebody's lying on military territory." " Bring 'em in!" " Yes, sir, I understand." ""If only we could be ever young." "Glyndon took his eyes away from the fresh young face and saw the old man's dead eyes, his wrinkled yellow skin and tottering gait." "The rake come up to him with an evil smile on his face." "But I too used to be young!" "Give me some biaccho for..."" "Yes, it says biaccho!" " What on Earth's that?" " Never mind." ""There the young are dancing!" "Wrap up in your rags and go, you picture of old age!"" "There's an old man smooching around." "Where does he think he's going?" "!" "In the name of the law..." "come with me!" "We're wild to come." "What's this about, Pop?" "Mind your eyes don't pop out!" "You could get a hearth attack!" "Think of your old lady!" " In the name of the law!" " Which law?" "The Czechoslovak law!" "Move!" "Time's standing still." "What were you doing on the military ground?" "We weren't on military ground!" "'Course not!" "Let's go." "Stop quipping, ladies, and answer my questions." "And anything you say may be used against you." "Why d'you like it just there, where you shouldn't like it at all?" "An interesting coincidence!" "Excuse me." "Come right in!" "PROTOCOL" "Take a seat." " EXPLOSIVES" " No thanks." " We'd rather stand." " Your identity cards." " We haven't got them!" "We have, but at home!" " All right, we'll check." " Ours will be the pleasure." "You tell me." "What were your intentions in coming here?" "To the spot where you were arrested." " Arrested?" "!" " Yes." "That's plain stupid." "So it's "no answer"." "Halt!" "Don't move!" "So - what now?" "Do you admit to watching a military building?" "What?" "If you were observing this building?" "What is there to observe about this stupid old barn?" "I wouldn't laugh, in your place." "There's nothing to observe." "Have you anything more to say?" ""Nothing to say", then." " Finished, read, signed." " "Finished, read, signed."" "You, have you anything more to say?" " No fear." " So let's sign it." "Dammit!" " Could you please lend me a pen?" " Hey, he hasn't got a pen!" "Without a pen, he doesn't need us." "No pen and he writes up some idiotic stuff!" "Official findings must be signed personally, with your own pen!" " Where's your pen?" "!" " Why are you here?" "!" "Guys've tried this on before." " So I see, looking at you." " Oh, give up." "Fill in "personal signature"" "and that's that!" "I'll do that, then." "Personal signature!" "Yes, but what's your name?" "!" " You can release them!" " Yes sir." " Release them." " Watch what you say." "You'll hear more from competent places." "OK?" " Did you want to say anything?" " Yes, you're an evil person." "Evil and stupid." "A stuck-up nobody." "You're..." "DO UNTO OTHERS AS YOU WOULD" "THEY DO UNTO YOU!" "The insects she has to collect!" "Budgies don't eat insects." "That's general knowledge." "They dissect their stomachs." "Oh no, you're wrong..." "In case you don't know, that's called scientific methods." "The odd jobs people have these days." "What do you mean?" "I know people do all sorts of things, but this..." "Have you had lunch?" "Any good today?" "Instead of throwing 'em in jail I write up some stupid nonsense." " That's true." " I'll be going." " Should anyone be looking for me..." " Sure I understand!" "Have a good afternoon and a fine evening, Commander!" " Oh dear..." " What's wrong?" "So that's it..." " Dammit." " What is it?" "I left my money up in my room." "It's too hot to bother, I often forget this or that." "What with one's head full..." " lf I may..." " Don't even think of it." "Commander, come on, please..." "Don't be angry, I didn't mean..." "I didn't mean to offend you, sir!" " Did I say you did?" "!" " Jesus Christ." "Would you like a tomato, Commander?" "Forwards, march!" "Left!" "Left!" "Right about turn!" "Left!" "Left!" "Right about turn!" "Right about turn!" "Left!" "Left!" "Down!" "Up!" "Properly!" "Down!" "Up!" "And again - down!" "Crawl forwards!" "Grand master, officer master, gimme!" " What do you want?" " Grand master, give me a crown!" "Give me a crown!" "Here." "Did I see things or didn't I?" "The heat must be getting on my brain." "Or this damn place is." "What a fool I am!" "Grizzly and such a lot of money!" "I'm a no-good idiot." "Such an old geezer!" "And so much money!" "WOOD FOR A CROSS" "SAVE THY SOUL" "Is this a rhododendron?" " Hi." "Get six." " Right." "I'm sick of everything." "Wait for me, I've finished." "I'll change and come back." "A double rum!" "And fast." "Ready boys?" "Let's start." "Soprano bugle, tenor bugle." "Now then boys, some - juice and off we go!" "Hello, Ernest!" "Here I am!" "For 18 months I've been telling you kindly not to call me Ernest." "I've had just about enough." "God, I'm tired tonight, my poor hands and feet." "So give him notice." "That's simple!" "Will you marry me?" "Why the inspection?" " Have some rum?" " Heavens, no." "Cherry brandy if you can afford it." "I'm broke." "Bring it, and a beer for me!" "The poor girl." "What a complicated world this is?" " Have you eaten?" " Drink and shut up." "I'll cook something, ham-and-eggs or sausages." " Shall I do it here?" " No thanks, don't bother me." "Hi Ernest!" "Ah, for an officer's life." " Beer and women, sure thing." " Shut up and drink." "I can't stand pushy people." " And you are pushy!" " I'm not!" "Such goings-on in Karlov - the gipsies had a fight." " Really?" " Two are in hospital." "I've never seen anything like it." " Three rums and a beer!" " Cherry brandy for me." "You're going to drink what we do." "Sure thing." "So - what happened." "Krèmárik had been having trouble with the gipsies, sure thing." "He took his brother to the pub and the gipsies came too, sure thing." "And they knifed a guy on the toilet." "You should have seen the rodeo!" "The gipsies just disappeared." "The brothers rushed over to their street and chopped up their furniture." " Do gipsies have furniture?" " You'd be surprised." "Nobody was willing to go get them, sure thing, to have their gobs mangled 'cause of a damned gipsy." "Sure thing." " Don't keep saying sure thing." " What?" "Yeah, sure thing." "Damn you, don't keep saying it!" "Sure thing?" "!" "It gets on my nerves." " I'll have some coffee." " Why, I'll make some at home." "I said I'd have some coffee!" "They've closed the cash." "Come on." "I want my coffee." "I still have things to see to." "At two o'clock, okay?" "But make it punctual!" "Day after tomorrow at two." "A decent march, see?" "One thirty, day after tomorrow!" "And the money..." "don't you worry." "All arranged." " Your coffee." " Wait." "A little after two." "Sure thing!" "Day after tomorrow." " Dead cert!" " All right, yes." " Now I'll light up." " You're terrible." "American." "You make a lot on beer." "Pull!" "Did we settle the bill?" "Now you thought of it?" "!" "Finish smoking outside!" "No, you old cow." " Swearing at me again." " So why the surprise?" "Did I offend you, Ernest dear?" "You haven't eaten all day, but we'll set that right." "I don't want anything from you, come to my place!" "I've got some sardines, you can lie on the couch in the big room-like a human being!" "Are you listening?" "Come on, don't play offended." "I'll put on the alarm for the morning." " I need one crown fifty." " For six or seven o'clock?" " I need one crown fifty!" " Now?" "What for?" " Will you give it to me?" " Of course I will." " That's two crowns." " 50 hellers more, so what?" "!" " I need one crown fifty!" " Come on!" "I've got no change." "Damn you!" "Don't stare at me!" "Get some change!" "Here you are." " Let go." " Come." "I'll make strong coffee." " You're pushy again!" " No, no." "Wait!" "You'll go crazy one of these days!" "You're alone, huh?" "!" "It's getting on your brain." "The same furniture staring at you, the same mirror!" " You're scared!" " That's not true!" "I'm not the guy to get you out of that!" "Ernest!" " It's you who's all alone!" " Don't scream at me!" "It's not true!" "1 MAN, NORM C" "FORGET WHAT YOU SEE AND HEAR"