"THE DEVIL, PROBABLY" "YOUNG MAN COMMITS SUICIDE IN PERE LACHAISE" "PERE LACHAISE 'SUICIDE WAS MURDER'" "Six months earlier..." "Your weight's on the left." "Then on the right." "The result..." "You!" "Show me!" "You can't walk." "Neither can you." "Nor you." "You can." "I'm calling for destruction." "Destruction is for everyone." "It's easy." "We can sway hundreds of thousands with sloguns!" "Destroy what?" "How?" "You want to know everything, so you never do anything." " What will there be afterwards?" " It doesn't matter." "Anything would be an improvement." "We'd like to know the point of it all." "The Point?" "There is none!" "Shut up!" " Our only strength..." " Drop it!" "Half-wits, idiots." "Fools, the lot of them!" "THE SOCIETY FOR THE CONSERVATION OF MAN AND HIS ENVIRONMENT" "And all around thousands of dead trees." "X - ray of the legs of a bull in the area." "Destruction of birds and insects beneficial to agriculture." "Rivers and oceans contaminated by seepage." "Stabilizing of poisons in organisms including man." "The risk of death still wouldn't stop them." "It won't stop these either." "The tankers' effluent." "But don't they run any risk?" "It's not only the noise..." "But the release of oxides at thousands of feet, destroying the ozone layer." "There'll be no more blue skies." "An earth ever more populated and ever less habitable." "Destruction of entire species for profit." "280 species of birds and mammals in about the last hundred years." "400,000 elephants." "And 1,000 rhinoceros slaughtered in Kenya this year." "180,000 baby seals for two million dollars." " You know where you're going?" " Yes." " Where?" " His place." " He hasn't got one." " He's got a room." " It'll break you parents' hearts." " I can't help that." "Do you love him that much?" "You're the one I love, Michel." "With him it's something else, not love." "What then?" "I don't know." "He asked me to be here at five." "He might not come at all." "Here he is!" "Is it because Luther decided the host became sacred only when swallowed that unclean hands have passed it?" " Unclean?" " Hands unconsecrated by priesthood." "Montesquieu said Catholics would destroy Protestantism and then become Protestants." "You run after Protestants." "Is it because you can live and think as you please?" "We want to bring Christianity into modern life." " Who needs it?" " We've had enough of the old chiches." "But priests and the faithful constantly pursue that aim." "Give us a break from your pursuit!" "They meet daily to prepare the Church of tomorrow to build a more logical Chirstianity." "Logical!" "But all religions are illogical!" "That's why, like it or not, the Christianty of the future will be without religion." "You have to move with the times." "To hell with the times!" "You're so civilised, so cultured you and your priests." "It that why you music is dull, and your hymns trite..." "All those invented words and gustures so oppressively insignificant." "God doesn't reveal himself through mediocrity." "As you don't believe in the supernatural at least share the fate of the poor and oppressed with us." "There is great suffering." "A suburban vicar said to me: "I'm bored!"" "So are we!" "Let's go!" "It's disgraceful!" "What astounds me is how you treat Edwige." "Take her dough, but leave her alone." "Anyway, she loathes you." "What about you?" "I'm not in the habit of making my feelings public." "What makes you think I have feelings for her?" "Feelings?" " You're having her on!" " Edwige, is that true?" "Charles, please." "Don't interfere." "Leave us alone!" "Where was I?" "...accelerate the process already begun..." ""already begun, comma, through books, films and drugs"" "In spite of her airs, she's no idea about intimacy." "She'll guess you don't love her." "Who says I don't?" "Now go and hurry back." "I'll bring her to you." "We're leaving..." "You want to go?" "You can't leave me after what's happened." "You know I've only come for an hour." "What are we waiting for?" "Did you have to make me so happy?" "Don't make matters worse by being stupid." "Poor little Edwige, what have you done to yourself?" "What is it to you?" "You're not going to cry, too?" "You just seem ridiculous and silly." "I'll never stop laughing at you." "I'm going." "It's such a bourgeois idea, such an outdated prejudice!" "A prejudice in never outdated." "You bore me to tears." "I thought if he didn't come back I'd have to talk to you." "And did he come back?" "What makes you think he won't." "Of course he will." "I know you weren't compatible." "You've nothing in common." "That's not true, but I'm his worst enemy if I stop loving Edwige." "If I were sure he loved her, I could decide..." "I'd make the sacrifice." " He wouldn't have that." " I'm sure he didn't feel guilty." "There is a way:" "Stop loving him and love someone else." "No, that's not it." "If you left him first he'd come running." "Why are you always putting him down?" "Me?" "Look what I found among his things." "Cyanide!" "That's a dreadful poison." "There's this, too!" "It's probably to frighten himself or to frighten us." " Hide it or throw it away." " He's notice." "You must, but somewhere safe." "Where's Alberte?" "What's the matter?" " I'll tell you everything." " Don't tell me anything." " No." " Yes." " No!" " Just that." "Is it right?" "You should know that the product of that is prime, U over U." "Now clear off and stay out of my sight!" "He's there." "But he refuses to give lessons or be paid for them." "He won't do anything." "Why?" "Isn't there a limit to doing nothing?" "Yes, but beyond that you experince an extraordinary pleasure." "What does Alberte say?" " I haven't asked, she dislikes questions. - You treat her appallingly!" " Is this a sermon?" "Don't go!" "Stay!" "Tell me whom I love most, Edwige or Alberte?" " You tell me." " I don't know." "You decide." "Well, Edwige, obviously." "Wrong!" "It's Alberte." "I've told Edwige, she agrees entirely." "Suppose you didn't love either?" "He really told me off." " That's not true." " Please." "Not another word about me." "You'll make him tire of me." "I'll put him off me." "And don't give him a lift." "He insists." "He'll listen, but you won't convince him, only reinforce his ideas." "Are you coming?" " You've destroyed the bottle?" " Yes." " Did he notice?" " Of course." "Your new roads go through wood pulp?" "They must be felled." "They're seedlings." ""SAVE OUR PLANET"" "Do you know how civilisations end?" "When stupidity is accelerated." "The growth of what?" "Of happiness?" "Happiness on credit, the credit card?" "Or the happiness of walking in the country and diving in the river?" "All this is pretty well offical." "Red mud." "For years, 2,000 tons of chemicals dumped in the Mediterranean every day." "Dumping it on the sea-bed now is no better." "Mercury waste thrown into the sea passed on to people through fish." "This can't be seen too often." "Fifteen years to react." "1-2% of world tonnage spread along the coast and in the oceans." "And giant tankers are still launched." "It's up to science to save us!" "We'll only be able to wave our limbs about eat cakes and finally be completely mad." "Do you want to go back to living in caves?" "I ask nothing." "I lay claim to nothing." "No, you want to be exceptional in an exceptional world." "And you?" "What do you stand for?" "Well?" "Progress, and brotherly love, love..." "And you?" "Me?" "Unbridled pleasure." "Making love like a beast, a wild animal." "Where are you going?" "Do you know her?" "What's wrong with you?" "Open the door!" "Open the door!" "I was so frightened." "What happened?" "You can't lie with your head underwater... and then wait." "It's not possible." " Wait for what?" " I don't know." "This?" "Idiot." "Do you know what trouble you could get me in?" "Idiot." "Do you think I could kill myself?" " Not for a moment." " Why?" "Because if we were really done for as you say I'd still want to live against all reason..." "Without thinking, just for the sake of it?" "Live for the life force." "But I'm certain all will be well." "Certain?" "Not with my mind or intelligence..." " ... with something else." " You're right." "Look what I got." "Chocolates!" "Don't worry, I don't need anything." "I get what I need from home when there's no one there." "I've got the keys." "Isn't Charles here?" "He might be angry with me about the day before yesterday." "He hasn't been back since." " Did you fight?" " No, but I let him know I was sad." "He spoke to me gently but his voice was so dry that I froze." "Usually it's me that comforts him." "Have you heard the news?" "He's going to stay with Edwige while her Dad's away." "I know he wants to." "Don't get indignant." "He'll be better off with her." "But I daren't encourage him or he'll insist on staying." "I don't want him to be bored here out of duty." "That would kill all his love for me." "Fancy, he brought me these..." "Do you want one?" "Are you mad?" "What's got into you?" " I knew you needed me." " Yes, I need you, Michel but not today, I'd rather be alone today." "It's awful seeing you here." "Let's go out." "If my book's here, it's a bad sign." "It's not have the effect I intended." "He thinks it's great." " How do you know?" " He told me." "He's trying to please you." "He knows we're friends." "He keeps it hidden." "I prefer that." "He's two faced." "Come the revolution..." " There won't be any revolution." " Why?" " It's too late." " If you say so!" " You said so yourself, the other day!" " I did?" " It's tempting." " What?" "Nothing." "Can I borrow it?" "I'll sell it to you." "Put it down." "Has Charles got your gun?" " He was staring at the bullet." " The bullet?" "He probably wants a good look before he bungs it into his head." "Charles!" "He was here." "Charles!" "Aren't you worried?" "May I?" " You're shivering." " No." "Yes you are." "Let's warm you up." "Here!" "Drink this!" "I'm splitting." "Split!" "All right." "Am I late?" "I pray that you'll come back to life so that I can hold you again and kiss you like before?" "I was dead?" "Then I wake... and find you close." "It's so good." "You know I'll never leave you." "Yes, I'm getting married!" " To Edwige?" " To Alberte." " It's the only solution." " You really think so?" " There is no other." " Here it comes." " I'll come with you." " No, don't." "Hasn't the limit for humans been rather hastily assessed?" "I don't think so." "It's 0.17 rem." "A rem is the effect produced on the organism by 1 rad of radiation." "A rad is equivalent to 100 ergs per gram." "Do nuclear power stations apart from permanently destroying rivers preclude any threat of radioactivity to the population?" "If the precaution are insufficient we'll adopt more." "The gases given off are mainly krypton and tritium." "They require processing plants and waste has to be stored." "Isn't there a risk in transporting that waste?" "Trains carrying uranium were derailed in the US and Germany." "The containers remained intact." "That's a piece of luck." "Plutonium is more dangerous than uranium." "It lasts indefinitely." "Isn't the danger increased by road transportation?" "The engineers are handling that problem." "Once stored, doesn't the waste threaten drinking water?" "The earth's drinking water is but a drop on an orange." "And have earthquakes been considered?" "And dumping the waste in the sea as us customary doesn't that mean the total destruction of marine life?" "Ah well, it's the future generations who'll pay." "The States are planning to build 1,000 nuclear power stations." "It's thought the USSR will double that." "And you're not terrified by this growth?" "No, not at all." "Why the atom and not solar energy or tidal power?" "Whose choice is it?" "It's mainly dictated by the work on armaments." "And they announce a masterpiece, a missle that will kill 20 million people." "To reassure people, you simply have to deny the facts." "What facts?" "This is the supernatural." "You're unbelieveable!" "Goverments are short-sighted." "Don't accuse governments." "No goverenment in the world can boast that it's governing." "It's the masses who determine events." "Obscure forces whose laws are unfathomable." "Yes, something drives us against our will." "You have to go along with it." "And we do!" "So's not to be spoilsports." "So who is it that makes a mockery of humanity?" "Whose leading us by the nose?" "The devil, probably." ""NO BATHING"" "Do you find her selfish?" "She lets me go, then she's sad." "It's worse than if she wouldn't let me go." " Do you love him very much?" " Yes." " If it's like that..." " What?" " You want him to be happy" " Yes, of course." "If it seems he'd be happier with you..." "Perhaps I'm not the person to say this..." "It's decided as you well know." "What's decided?" "Leave us alone and don't get cross." "You stay!" " Did he tell you we were getting married?" " Yes." "He told me too, but it's just hot air." " It calms him down." " That's what I thought." "He's caught a live fish." "Quick, let's hide." "I've been told everything." "And I thought I should come to see you in view of my interest in you." "I hope you'll let me come back." "You must not doubt my sincerity." "What will you do?" "Make it up with your parents?" "Go home?" "Go back to the problems that made you leave?" "Or hang on to your freedom?" "I can get you a good position with a colleague or with me at the bookshop." "You'll never find a truer friend." "Let me prove it to you." "Get out!" "Take your money and get lost!" "Your wrong." "I'm offering you protection." " What happened?" " Nothing at all." "Why have you come?" "All I've got left... an old sweater..." "and the Coke bottles to take back." " Love's over." " You didn't love him." "Or you only loved him so you could be generous and forgiving." "He wasn't faithful." "He didn't know he didn't love me anymore." "You were only jealous when he was away." "Leave me alone!" "Go away!" "You're going to make me leave." "Go back home." "I don't want to." "Go away, please!" "Are you there?" "It's Valentin, he's back on drugs." "Quick." "Are you hungry?" " All right?" " Yes." "He says he's somewhere to go." "He's lying." "He's safe here in the meantime." "Lock him in if necessary." "I'll be back." " Don't go right away." " I'm no hurry." "No leave that." "Now you should go to bed." "Go to bed, yes." "I'm going to bed." "Straight to bed." "Here." "They say you're mad here, too." "Victor Hugo says, on the subject of cathedrals: "Such places are really holy. "" "But somewhere else he says:" ""A church is divine... "" ""... but if a priest appears God is no longer present. "" " He goes to far, don't you think?" " Oh, me and God, you know..." "You're still going, we're going together." " On one condition." " All right." "So you deny any part in breaking open the boxes..." " ... or any part in the theft?" " That's right." " And yet you weren't alone." " True." "A second sleeping-bag bears that out." " Who is it?" " I don't know his name." "He fled when you opened the doors." "He's far away." "And the leaflets?" "I found them on the chairs when I arrived." "I suppose you deny you meant to distribute them like you did in St. Bernard's?" "You're very clever but if I'd meant to do that I wouldn't have screwed them up in my pockets and put them in the state in which you found them on me." "Then what were you doing in St. Remy's Church with that record player?" "You refuse to answer?" "No, but you wouldn't believe me if I did." "Answer!" "I don't won't any of your attention." "I must be left alone." "That stupid business has shaken him up." "He doesn't even think of getting up." "Only a great analyst like Dr. Mime could help him." " Yes, but will he agree?" " I have some addresses." "Yes, I've forgiven him." "But will you ever forgive me, Michel?" "I've been awful to you." "What's going on in that heart?" "Kiss me!" "He's escaped from his bed." " When?" " I don't know." " Where is he?" " How should I know?" "Quickly, let's go!" "How did this clash with society arise?" "It's my normal state." "I kept it quiet for a long time." "Don't you get pleasure form non-action?" "Yes, but the pleasure of despair, obviously." " Do you feel guilty?" " Guilty?" "Towards yourself?" "Guilty without being so." "I know I'm more intelligent than the others." "I'm perfectly aware of my superiority." "But if I did anything, then I'd be useful in a world that disgust me." "I'll betray my ideas." "It would only entrench me further." "I prefer to know that there's no way out." "Begging in the streets..." " ... isn't that degrading?" " Chairity degrades the doner as much as the recipient" "Isn't that a good excuse for laziness?" "Perhaps, but so what?" "If my aim was profit everyone would respect me." "Isn't being right compensation for being alive?" "In losing my life, here's what I'd lose!" "Family planning." "Package holidays cultural, sporting, linguistic." "The cultivated man's library." "All sports." "How to adopt a child." "Parent-Teacher Association." "Education: 0 to 7 years,7 to 14 years, 14 to 17 years." "Preparation for marriage." "Military duties." "Europe." "Decorations The single woman." "Sickness:" "Paid." "Sickness:" "Unpaid." "The successful man." "Tax benefits for the elderly." "Local rates." "Hire purchase." "Radio and television rentals." "Credit cards." "Home repairs." "Index-linking." "VAT and consumer." "Do you believe in God?" "I believe, so far as possible in eternal life." "But if I commit suicide, I can't think I'm be condemned for not comprehending the incomprehensible." "How long have you been thinking about death?" "He's there, it's all right." " Is it all right?" " Yes." "Often in my sleep I see myself murdered." "Dead." "But I go on being hit." "I'm being trampled." "It's awful." "All that for a holy cause." "When it's over, do you see yourself as a martyr?" "Only an amateur." "When I wanted to drown myself, or pull the trigger I realised it wasn't at all easy." "Is your father in your dreams?" "It's not very clear." "What does he do?" "Contractor in the provinces." "I'm not really sure." "He's rich." "He pulls down trees with machines." "A new up-surge of libido in our Western world might bring with it a destructive counter-force." "What about your mother?" "The richer he gets, he more she love him?" "Do you make love?" "Often." "It gives me feelings to cling to." "In your sexual relations, are you aware of your girlfriends needs?" "We don't have relations any more." "She was good in bed." "I thought that was love." "I've lost a marvellous girl." "When did you stop studying?" "After higher maths." "I organized a sixth form cell at school." "And now you belong to left-wing groups?" "Yes, or rather, no." "No more politics in your life?" "The rejection of all politics." " Do you have any problems with eating?" " Sometimes." " I mean do you have an aversion to food?" " Not at all." "Loss of appetite often accompanies severe depression." "I'm not depressed." "I just want the right to be myself." "Not to be forced to give up wanting more to replace true desires with false ones based on statistics, on surveys, formulae American-Russian scientific, ultra-stupid classifications." "I don't want to be a slave or a specialist." "Were you beaten as a child?" "Try to remember." "I was spanked!" "Do you know that the feeling of being crushed by society might well be the result of that spanking as a child which associated with a painful dream of being murdered for a great cause would impede your psychological development and explain the root of your disgust and your wish to die." "But I don't want to die!" "Of course you do!" "I hate life." "But I hate death, too." "I find it appalling." "Look, leave it to me..." "Come back in two days." "Thursday, same time." "But Doctor, I'm not ill." "My illness is seeing too clearly." "Of course..." "It's 200 francs a session." "Doctor." " I don't think I ever could..." " Pay?" "Make the gesture." "At that instant to stop thinking, seeing, hearing." "That's why the ancient Roman entrusted a servant or friend with the task." " He's saved" " You think so?" "Edwige?" " I know he's selling one." " And if he refuses?" "He won't." "Give him this." "What do you need it for?" "You'll see." "Just don't tell him it's for me." " But look..." " Go on!" "I'll wait for you here." "And the bullets..." "It's loaded." "Goodbye." " Will you do me a favor?" " No." "Worthy of the ancient Romans." "What ancient Romans?" "Look!" "That's all for you if you do as I ask." "Do what?" "I'll tell you later." "Come on." "I'll wait downstairs." "Hurry!" "Are you all right?" "Let's get some air." "Come on!" "We're stopping here." "Follow me." "A tot of something, anything, brandy." " What about you?" " Nothing." "Let's go." "Can't you wait?" "Where are we going?" "Wherever you like." "Here, or there?" "I thought at a time like this I'd have sublime thoughts." "Shall I tell you what..."