Toda Raba by Nikos Kazantzakis

Author:Nikos Kazantzakis
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9786185029692
Amazon: B0007DRN9G
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Published: 1964-02-15T00:00:00+00:00

Geranos avoided leaving in company with Azad. Already he felt remote from this ardent, superficial man. He wanted to be alone. He had just received a letter from his son, and it troubled him. The boy had made some cutting observations.

“What do you really think, father? You withdraw from everybody, and you passionately defend ideas that you despise. You trifle, and at the same time you are bloody. A ferocious tiger is in your heart. Are you just a tightrope dancer? I don’t like that trade, father!”

When he arrived home, Geranos got a shock. It was as if someone had grazed his shoulder. He felt the shadow of a hand there. A bitter, ironic voice rose out of his heart: a voice from deep inside, which Geranos recognized.

“It’s a long time since I’ve heard from you, O leader of the flock of gods and animals and men!” said Geranos.

The voice answered:

“When you are alone, you can see the shadow of an old monk, basin in hand, at your side. I am there, going before you, and when you are cowardly, I tell you so. Geranos, you are a coward!”

Geranos trembled. The voice went on shrilly:

“Geranos, you are letting yourself down; you are beginning to get involved in the conflict of the shadows. Your mind is troubled. Your heart is shrinking. Are you no longer able to look with equal pity upon good and evil?”

Geranos said nothing. Again the voice began to whistle through the air like a whip:

“You have been going all the way down, taking the steps one by one. You saw the red line. Then you abased yourself to the step of feeling pity toward everything that lives and moves on earth. Now you’re getting ready to descend to the lowest step of all: you’re getting involved, you’re taking sides, you’re saying, ‘I love this shadow and hate that one. I love this army of shadows on the right. I’m a Red!’”

Geranos was stung and exasperated. “You forget that I’m not your slave. Yes, we’re both looking unflinchingly at the point where the journey ends: at the abyss. You’re not afraid and I’m not afraid. But during this funeral procession that we call life, you renounce everything, you empty your entrails, and cry, ‘No! No!’ while I—I see, I hear, I listen, I feel and I touch everything avidly. I say ‘Yes’ to life and to death.”

A tone of deep sorrow suddenly came into the voice as it said: “O fellow wayfarer!”

Geranos felt a pang in his heart; he pitied the faltering voice. “Why did you come?” he asked. “I thought you didn’t want to enter the U.S.S.R.?”

“O fellow wayfarer, a cry impels me toward the North.”

“Toward Moscow?”

“Yes,” said the voice in a very low whisper.

“Are you getting involved? Are you getting involved?”

Geranos waited in agony, as if his whole life hung upon the answer. He asked again: “Are you getting involved?”

But the voice had vanished.

Geranos had a hard time restraining his tears. He threw himself on his

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.