"Eva Szalanczky?" "Another Way" "Gently" " Did your husband find you?" " Yes" "I hear your husband's unwell." "He's unwilling to eat the prison food" "And then there's the prosecutor who keeps harping on a certain delicate matter" "Donci keeps silent, but it's difficult to keep it secret" "Oh, yes." "They got away with it" "Eva died, Donci's in prison and I'm staring at this rotten sunset" "I'd sooner they'd killed each other" "You're clever, a Party member for a century, Comrade Erdos" "What can you do now?" "Listen, Livia" "Get used to the idea that you won't be able to live as you used to" "Eva's dead." "You can't live with your husband any more" "You've changed, too" "In a couple of years Donci will be released and Eva will be a legend" "A heroine who committed suicide." "A martyr" "She hurled herself against the barbed wire, as she couldn't bear lies" "It's only me who's rotting alive" "My heart is broken" "That's what hearts are for, Livia" "I'm not old." "I wanted to have a child" "Who'll give me a child now?" "What are you doing?" "Where are you taking me?" "Pushing me aside like a sack?" "Leave me alone" "Leave me alone!" "I've gone mad." "I'm not normal" "My brain will burst if someone grabs me and shoves me aside once again" "Go out for a moment, will you?" "I'll be calmer in a minute" "But don't go away!" "Nurse, don't let him go away" "I've got to talk to Comrade Erdos." "It's important" "My drawer is full of her letters" "She threatened me." "She pleaded with me." "She gave me up" "In the end she tried to commit suicide" "It's strange, she wanted to kill me and she died" "I'm still alive" ""The honey-cake, the walnut..." ""...the aubergine"" "What's become of us?" "What's going to happen to us, Eva?" "Third floor?" "Same as me" "Excuse me" "Tell me something about yourself" "Fiala praises you to heaven, but our journal deals with earthly matters" "I'm a peasant girl who was told in 1945, "Study hard..." ""...and you can become a minister"" "Study, study, study" "And what's become of you?" "Nothing." "I'm a nonentity" " You're out of work?" " I'm refused work everywhere" "On what grounds?" "Have you read my stuff?" ""'The Joke'" ""An early afternoon train" ""Outside it's drizzling, the sun is playing hide-and-seek" ""1955" ""Seated opposite me..." ""...is a man with a big nose and mocking eyes." "He keeps dozing off" ""Suddenly he wakes with a start" ""Grabbing his things, he's about to jump from the moving train" ""'You'll break your neck,' I say." "'What's the next stop?" "' he says" ""'Balatonlelle'" ""'Would you like to hear a story till we get there?" "' he says" ""'Why not?" "' I say" ""'Well, a chap's been in solitary confinement for a year" ""'The cell door opens and in comes a lanky, bald man..." ""'... dressed all in black" ""'I'm the executioner,' he says" ""'Oh, so you're the hangman,' says the chap" ""'That's the common word for it,' says the man in black" ""'I'm going to hang you tomorrow." "What do you want for your last meal?" "'" ""Well, the chap orders the meal..." ""...and asks for pen and paper too, as is customary on such occasions" ""Two officers come in and watch silently as he eats his meal" ""The chap writes a farewell letter and a farewell poem" ""Then there's a clatter of boots on the iron stairs" ""Our chap's not a coward, but he stands up and grips the table" ""His teeth are chattering" ""The prison governor has arrived with the hangman..." ""...who says to the chap..." ""'..." "I have to inform you that we played a practical joke on you" ""'Consider the whole matter a joke." "There'll be no execution'" ""The chap flops on his bunk..." ""...and the hangman remarks as he turns to leave" ""'After all, a joke is better than the rope, isn't it?" "'" ""Our chap just says, 'You motherfucker!"'" "I don't remember ever having travelled in a train with you" "Even so, that is your story" "I told it only once, in a select company of friends" "True, one or two journalists were present" "I was one of them" "You really don't remember, or you just..." "You look haggard." "What's happened to you lately?" "I tried to stomach your story" "Maybe you don't remember, but I left the gathering locked myself in the bathroom and was sick and I cried" "Then I kept asking you how could you bear living with stories like that?" "You said, "Bury them like old photos." "Maybe we'll dig them up one day"" "I preferred to write it down" "Still, it's my story and the day to dig it up again has not yet dawned" "So there's no job for me on your journal?" "I didn't say that" "Why didn't you rejoin the Party?" "Because if the Party's wrong again I don't want to be wrong with it" "After the bitter experiences what are your views on the state of affairs in this country?" "This country is my homeland, whether they like it or not" "Good health!" "Good health!" "Good morning" "Good morning" "They said I'd be in this room" "Are you Eva?" "That's your desk." "What a noise outside." "It drives you crazy" "Doesn't it bother you?" "No, the only important thing is that I can work" "Any desk will do for me as long as I can write on it" "I haven't worked in two years" "I was given this on my way here" "I didn't want to go back home to leave it" " The soil is quite dry" " I'll get some water" "Have you got a flat?" "A room" " And a husband?" " No" "I live alone" " And you?" " I'm married" " Is he handsome?" " Fairly" " Have you got a photo?" " No" "Time to eat" "We'll be along in a moment" " Aren't you coming?" " No, I've got two eggs at home" " I'll get you a lunch ticket" " How much is it?" "Never mind about that" "Pay me when you get paid" "Well, let's begin our weekly editorial meeting" "Comrade Vandor was assigned to appraise our latest edition" "Comrades, I have the privilege of assessing this week's edition" "Dialectical criticism should consider our faults as well as our virtues" "But I think we took a great step forward" "The fight on two fronts" "Why bring up "The fight on two fronts"?" "Just outside we were saying how our articles are prevaricating, mendacious" "Why not deal with that?" "Don't you realise how humiliating this is?" "We only talk sincerely out in the corridor." "Only there" "What do you mean?" "Here it's work that earns you the right to criticise" "When you've tried for over 30 years to speak the truth, as I have you'll learn to value those talks in the corridors" "You don't understand the situation" "What will become of us in 10 years?" "Nothing's certain" " Imre Nagy was sentenced to death" " Silence, please" "Let Eva give us her views" "I don't want to be offensive, but our task ought to be to record the truth" "In my opinion there are two basic reasons why we don't" "The first is that we journalists don't know life sufficiently well and we never will, because those who could help us mislead us at will" "I mean county Party secretaries, factory managers, cultural chiefs" "As for actual work, believe me, Comrade, I long to be able to work" "I've completed an article on village events in 1956" "A village Party secretary says that in four months 1,500 people were forced to join the co-operative" "And the result?" "People began to hate the Party" " That's why the revolution broke out" " Counter revolution" "The storm raises the dust but it helps to blow away the filth too" "You'll give next week's assessment" "Before that we two will discuss storms" "Why did you take my panties away?" "Not now" "It's very hard to make sense of it" "You see there are feelings" "And it's hard for me to..." " Hi" " Hi" "Excuse me for bothering you, Eva" "You?" "I'm sorry, but could I have a word with you?" "Come in" " When were you released?" " A month ago" " Was it awful?" " I was often cold" "A sadistic wardress kept us in our nighties, even in the depth of winter" "And now you need money?" "No." "I work in the textile mill." "They gave me a bunk in their hostel" "May I have a drop of rum?" "Help yourself" "Just imagine, they've allocated two detectives to recruit me as an informer." "They're constantly on my trail" " Now?" "Here?" " No" "Don't be frightened." "I gave them the slip today" " They promise me everything" " What, for instance?" "A flat, a job in my trade." "They're blackmailing me" "Not only for my political past but also because I love women" "I hope you didn't come for that reason" "I can't get rid of them" "What shall I do?" "Oh, never mind" "And you, how are you?" "Have you got someone?" "Why do you ask?" "It's just that I thought that you and I the two of us maybe we could again..." "Leave me alone" "I don't want you, Magda, do understand" "I don't love you" "Help me" "You can stay for the night, if you like" "Pull yourself together and try to calm down, do you hear?" "My train goes soon" " Isn't there another train for tonight?" " No" "The trouble is, I have to change trains" "Our village is on a branch line" " Can't you go tomorrow morning?" " Impossible" "Tomorrow is Christmas Eve and my mother is expecting me" "Pity" "Do you know the bloke?" "He's been here with the blonde but I haven't seen the little one before" " Another journalist?" " Of course" "I expect the three of them write romances together" "Cheer up, girls." "Christmas comes but once a year and it doesn't last long" "G. B. Shaw." "The sage" "I like Christmas" "Of course you do." "You've no wife no mother-in-law, no children" "You live like a wandering knight" "Or like a solitary star, always solitary and uninhabited" " I won't be long." "Will you wait?" " Yes, but hurry" " You said you were broke" " No, you shouldn't" "Repay me later." "You might need it tonight." "Bye-bye" "Two more cognacs" "Has Fiala gone?" "I don't know" "Livia, I love you so much." "You know, don't you?" "I've smudged your make-up." "A little more..." "Do you love me a bit?" "Kiss me" " Look at that!" " Poor wretches" " This is awful" " Awfully bad?" "No" "No, awfully good" "Police" "Your identity cards, please" "You're married, why get mixed up in such a thing?" "That's my business" "If we catch you at it again, we'll inform your husband, understand?" "And your boss, too." "Go home now" "You're coming with us" "Have you the right to treat me like this?" "We're not in America." "Get moving" "Hello" "You're in here?" "Livia's changed places with me" " Why?" " No idea" "Haven't you got anything to do?" "Indeed I have." "Thanks for reminding me." "I've plenty to do" "Sorry, this isn't the best moment" "I'm alone." "Come in and let's talk" "A little later." "All right?" " Mara, come in for a moment, please" " I'm on my way" "If anyone wants me, tell them I'm with the old man" "You know that nothing will happen if you don't want it to happen" "Leave me alone." "I'm afraid of you." "I don't want to ruin my life" "What are you afraid of?" "You start being afraid now?" "Let's talk it over." "We can't leave it at this" "Leave me in peace, please!" "It's too late." "You should have thought about it before." "You started it" "That's not true." "You wanted it" "I'm certain it was you who wanted it" "I've never done such a thing before" "You sit in a corner like a spider waiting for the fly to get caught" "You know this from experience." "I don't want any of it" "Captain Horvath, please." "This is his wife speaking" "I'll wait" "Donci could you come for me now?" "All right" "We'll meet at home" "Hello, darling." "I'm sorry, they didn't let me go" "No problem" "Anything wrong at the office?" "Nothing important" "What about your manoeuvres which were so important?" "Horrible." "That lot aren't soldiers." "They're pop-singers step-dancers, student actors a bunch of pansies." "There's no getting them together for an alert" "You, Napoleon" "Where would you like to go for supper?" "Anywhere, as long as I needn't wear a suit because my officer is in uniform" "I'm not going in uniform" "Then I can wear my slit skirt, can't I?" "I often think I leave you on your own too much when I'm on duty" "I don't know what's the matter with me." "I've been so drowsy lately" "Let's get ready" "There" "That's too strong for me" " Please take it" " Thank you" "Wait for me until closing time" "You ought to take more care of yourself" "Feeling better now?" "I'd be better if things were better" "And?" "Bring a drop for me, too" "Come on, kids" "Sit down here, Livia" "Tomorrow, you three go to Szolnok County" "Take a little look around" " I can't go" " Why not?" "I've got an appointment for a medical check" " Nothing serious, I hope" " I don't think so" " I hope not" " What's the trouble?" "Nothing." "I'm getting breathless." "Nothing to worry about..." "Idiot" " What's the matter?" " I can't sleep, I just can't" "Stay here, then" " You two, go to the country" " We'll publish a report?" "We'll try" "Hello" "They're coming" " How come you chose the co-op?" " The co-op chose me" "You joined voluntarily and eagerly, right?" "You know that the wheels of history roll on caterpillar tracks" "It's best to climb aboard in good time" " Were you the only candidate?" " In the village, yes" "The whole district holds you in high esteem, Comrade Chairman" "Come to the cowshed, there's a problem" "Why did you join the co-op?" "My brother's the chairman" " What did you say about the Astoria?" " Nothing" " Cigarette?" " That's too mild for me" "No need for evening dress." "We'll meet in five minutes" "I'm glad you've come" "So am I now" "Wait" "Don't you regret it?" "It's so strange" "Tonight I'll..." "You're beautiful" "What are you doing?" "I hope you'll write nice things about us" "Let's drink to the chairman's health" " I hope he won't get too conceited" " No risk of that" "The truth is, I was born to be a chairman" "And what was your brother born to be?" "A mug!" "We're witnessing great times, Eva" "Comrade Instructor, could you tell me the Hotel Astoria story?" "What Astoria?" "When the men were taken to Budapest" "Oh, in Budapest" "Well, the comrades organised an information session to win over private farmers of some importance to the co-operative" "And the chairman was there, too?" "Of course he was" " His brother, too?" " Yes" "I don't think he'll be chairman after the end of the financial year" "Why not?" "He got people to join." "Now he can go" "About 20 of us who are respected were taken there" "The comrade there told us, "Well, folks..." ""...you can't leave the hotel, but eat and drink as much as you like"" "And the political seminar?" "It didn't take long." "They said, "Folks..." ""...you won't leave until you've made up your minds"" "A guard was posted outside the door" "After a week, we signed" "First my brother, then Beci Bikai then Bandi Pozsar, then in the end I signed, too" "Stop it, damn you!" "Bloody hell!" "Comrade Chairman" "Were you born to be a chairman at the Astoria?" "Comrade..." "let me tell you something" "Once I was a heroic Hungarian soldier at the Battle of the Don" "Then I was just a bloody soldier in the POW camp" "Then I was a new landholder" "Then I became a kulak hireling" "In 1956 I carried the national flag too" "Well, I served my time for that" "Now I've become a chairman, because it's my due" "What's up?" "I'm nervous, I can't sleep" "Another cognac" ""I was born to be a chairman." That's good." "That's perfect" "The right man, the right story, the right headline." "Congratulations" " It can go to press?" " No" " Then I'll go." "Goodbye" " No" "Look, Eva" "Your article is excellent and it's very important to us" "But without the Hotel Astoria bit" "That little episode suggests we're still in the early 50s" "We aren't and we're getting farther and farther from those times" "What guarantee is there of that?" "We ourselves, who don't want those times to return" "Do you think the people then wanted such times?" "Stop this nonsense." "Eva, you're a clever woman" "You and I can carry on this journal and do what we have to do only if we accept X clever compromises" "The final value of X is all that we can argue about sensibly" " The Astoria story is excessive?" " Yes" "Why?" "How much longer are we going to bury everything that's unpleasant?" "As long as we must, as long as the situation requires it" " What situation?" " You really don't sense it?" "You don't sense that there's a limit to the truth that can be uttered?" "Let me ask you something" "You don't sense that there's a limit to the lies that can be uttered?" "Don't lecture me on truthfulness" "I've suffered from it more than you have" "Not only have I learned when to open my mouth" "I've learned when to keep it shut and when is the moment to disembowel someone" "Correct your piece." "You've got half an hour" "Bloody hell!" "Thank you but I can't write lies" "Goodbye" "Wait" "I'll cut your article myself and have it set immediately" "I'd like you to read it in tomorrow's edition" "If you agree, the car is waiting to take you on your next assignment" "You're quite someone, aren't you?" "Goodbye" "Where are you going?" "For a stroll on Margaret Island" "Or to the Three Hussars, or home to mummy" "Or to Moscow, New York, the Moon" "None of your business!" " A drink?" " No, thanks" "Is your heart still giving trouble?" "Why did you summon me?" "Did you see this piece?" "Yes, I edited it and had it set" "How could it have got published?" ""I was born to be a chairman"" "Plain facts - we have to face them" " Could I see the manuscript?" " Only upon disciplinary action" "That's a long way off." "Fortunately, I have a copy" ""Now only village co-op members can elect their leaders" ""How revolutionary it would be to extend this practice..." ""...to every community" ""To factories, offices..." ""...towns, districts, counties, the country..." ""...so that leaders could be elected from below, by secret ballot"" "The rotten Lesbian bitch!" "And you support her?" "I didn't engage her for her work in bed, but at a desk" "Besides, I cut out the words you quoted, as you can see" "Luckily for you, but that's only one part of the matter" "Another part is your editorial meetings" "Your people speak of "October events" and the "1956 revolution" which I won't tolerate" "I don't want to see Eva Szalanczky there any more." "You'll kick her out" "The Szalanczky girl, that Lesbian bitch, as you say needn't be kicked out by anybody." "She's left" "Thank God" "But in a couple of years you'll regret this" "Yes, you'll sadly regret it" "Because you'll be surrounded by arselickers and spineless scribblers who'll write what you want - and you'll be swept away like litter" "By whom?" "By me, I dare hope" "Now we really must have a drink" " Have you heard something?" " Things can't go on like this" "What?" "I had an old friend who was known for biting his nails" "He couldn't kick the habit" "Friends took him to a psychiatrist who cured him by hypnosis" "He hypnotised my friend and kept repeating..." ""Nail biting is a repulsive habit, a disgusting habit" ""I'll never bite my nails again"" "And wonder of wonders, he stopped biting his nails" "A month passed, two months passed and my friend began to twitch." "What you do is just the same" "What do you mean, "What you do?" Who is "you"?" "Let's say what I or we do, or can do if we feel like it" "True, at present we can give commands to the patient - a whole nation" "We say you won't do this or that" "But what will happen in five years, ten years, twenty years?" "When illness returns, who will take the responsibility?" "Why don't you want to understand?" "Dear friend, beware of a misconception" "We didn't suffer the miseries of 1956 to let comrades like you ruin the country again" "God help the party which relies on you or the likes of you" "A month ago I couldn't cope any more." "I broke my silence and wrote to you" "The paper burned under my pen" "Such a letter was enough to bring to life the stone lion outside the Opera" "But you could not bear replying" "I began to hate you." "I waited two weeks for your reply" "I rang the office" "They told me you were on holiday" "I sat in front of your house waiting for you so that I could strangle you." "I sat on that bench for four days, waiting" "I realised that I hated the pigeons, the postman and I wished the pair of you would die" "I wanted you to die" "Christ!" "What frenzy there is in me that I could even kill" "I dreamt I was a child again and had to dance on burning straw as a sort of punishment" "I was crying and laughing my face was tear stained and I complained to you." "It was very hot" "Then I saw myself sick and feverish and I called you" "I got burnt up" "Tell me, what now?" "What will become of us now?" "Good day!" "Hello" "Good day" "My colleague from Budapest" "Welcome" "Doughnuts will be ready soon" "I feel so small near you" "You are small, little one" "I weighed very little when I was born" "There was hardly any life in me" "On Sundays I was shoved out into the yard so as not to disturb Sunday dinner if I should die" "But I didn't die" "One can't simply not love me" "You hooked me for yourself" "That's not true, you hooked me" "Do you know what you are?" "Honey cake walnut, aubergine" "I'd like to walk with you naked" "I won't let you go from here" "Love me" "I'll be waiting for you." "I'll wait all night" "The night was dark, no father was there" "The grass was wet with dew" "The mire was deep and the child did weep" "And away the fog flew" "Yes, it's beautiful, really" "But the translation isn't quite accurate" "This, for instance, "vapour"" "Vapour isn't fog." "Mist or haze is closer to it" "In Hungarian it simply means that the haze dispersed" " How can I help?" " Your blouse is unbuttoned" " Does it bother you?" " Yes" " Anything else?" " A coffee, please" "The child was wet with dew, not the grass" "Excuse me" "Hail to the vice squad." "Be firm" "When you go to see a woman, don't forget to take your whip" "As for me, all I can do is to take my umbrella and my spectacles" " Livia?" " Yes" "Well, dear boy, in this case one can't be clever enough" "Livia likes to play" "True, but I can play, too" "And this would be a pretty hard game" "And what would be my part in it?" "Help us." "You know us both" "And how could that little louse be switched off?" "That "little louse" isn't a radio." "You can't even tune her down" "So what can we do?" "That's just what I'm asking you." "What?" "All we can do is pray" "Tell me about this person" " Such as what?" " What type of person?" " Do you think that will help us?" " Has he got anyone else?" "A wife, children, a parrot, I don't know" "That's absolutely unimportant" "I'll find out." "Where does he live?" "Far away" "And you want to go so far away now?" "Leave me alone" "I'm coming with you." "I'll talk to him" "Wait till morning, at least." "This is so sudden, I can't take it in" "If you leave me now I can't answer for myself" "I'm not going to stay alone in this flat." "I couldn't bear it" "Then go somewhere else, amongst people" "Stop making plans for me" "You won't leave me." "You won't shake me off" "I love you." "I haven't got anyone apart from you and I will never have" "I thought it over long ago." "It's how I am and that's that" "I've cooled down." "These things aren't so complicated" "They are simply facts" "You won't go away" "You won't run away from me." "Everything will be fine, you'll see" "We want to live together, understand?" "What if I raped you?" "Would he..." "Would he want you even then?" "What would you gain by raping me?" "It's you who would suffer" "I'd see to it, don't you believe that?" "Yes" "I believe that." "I just don't believe that you love him" "You're mistaken." "I need that person" "More than I need you." "I don't need you" "And has the woman champion of truth anything to do with all this?" "Let's stop play acting" "I'm fed up with you pretending we're not talking about Eva and I'm fed up pretending that I don't know that you know" "I'm fed up with you!" "Tell me, do I disgust you?" "I asked if I really disgust you so much" "No, you just don't interest me" "All I can think of now is that she's waiting for me, I promised her" "Let her rot where she is" "It's very good with her." "You don't count any more." "I don't love you" "I can't love you any more, try to understand." "Leave me alone!" "Take your hands off me!" "Go to hell, you bloody swine!" "Drop dead!" "Hi" "Why have you come?" "Shall I go away?" "I don't care" "Livia tell me what I should do" "You?" "Yes, tell me what to do now" "Go on living your life, write your little pieces" "Nothing's happened to you, after all" "Shall I close the window?" "Close your eyes and stop staring at me" "I can't close my eyes" "Neither can I. I can't get a wink of sleep despite all the sedatives they give me" "I love you so much" "And I was thinking..." "What?" "What can you still think of?" "When you get out of hospital you can move in and live with me" "I'll do everything for you" "I couldn't live without you" "Leave me alone!" "I love you" "Go away!" "Major Blindics speaking, criminal police." "Call back later, I'm busy now" "Thank you" "What relations did you have with Mrs Horvath?" "I love Livia." "It was a love affair" " Mutual?" " Yes" "How is that?" "When you look at me for example, doesn't it even occur to you to look at me as a man?" "Of course it does." "You are a man, aren't you, Major?" "Lf, for example, you fall for a woman, what do you do?" "Do you court her?" "Do you buy her flowers?" "Excuse me, must I answer these questions?" "No, not at all, you're not obliged to talk about it" "I was only asking" "I can't understand..." "What can't you understand?" " Well, how you do it" " How we do what?" "How do you do it?" "For heaven's sake, what do you want to know?" "How do you do the thing to each other?" "With our fingers." "We stick them up there" " Yes?" " Yes" "One finger, two fingers, three fingers - you mother-fucker!" "Stop, or I'll shoot!" "Fire a warning shot" "Stop, damn you!" "She's over there" " Eva Szalanczky?" " Yes"