The Defense by Vladimir Nabokov

Author:Vladimir Nabokov [Nabokov, Vladimir]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2014-03-21T16:00:00+00:00

he said plaintively, trying to distinguish the board between the narrow, black backs bent over it. They dwindled completely away and disappeared. On the board the pieces were mixed up now and stood about in disorderly groups. A phantom went by, stopped and began swiftly to stow the pieces away in a tiny coffin. 'It's allover,' said Luzhin and groaning from the effort, wrenched himself out of the chair. A few phantoms still stood about discussing something. It was cold and fairly dark. Phantoms were carrying off the boards and chairs. Tortuous and transparent chess images roamed about in the air, wherever you looked

— and Luzhin, realizing that he had got stuck, that he had lost his way in one of the combinations he had so recently pondered, made a desperate attempt to free himself, to break out somewhere — even if into nonexistence. 'Let's go, let's go,' cried someone and disappeared with a bang. He remained alone. His vision became darker and darker and in relation to every vague object in the hall he stood in check. He had to escape; he moved, the whole of his fat body shaking, and was completely unable to imagine what people did in order to get out of a room — and yet there should be a simple method — abruptly a black shade with a white breast began to hover about him, offering him his coat and hat. 'Why is this necessary?' he muttered, getting into the sleeves and revolving together with the obliging ghost. 'This way,' said the host briskly and Luzhin stepped forward and out of the terrible hall. Catching sight of the stairs he began to creep upward, but then changed his mind and went down, since it was easier to descend than to climb up. He found himself in a smoky establishment where noisy phantoms were sitting. An attack was developing in every corner — and pushing aside tables, a bucket with a gold-necked glass Pawn sticking out of it and a drum that was being beaten by an arched, thick-maned chess Knight, he made his way to a gently revolving glass radiance and stopped, not knowing where to go next. People surrounded him and wanted to do something with him. 'Go away, go away,' a gruff voice kept repeating. 'But where?' said Luzhin, weeping. 'Go home,'

whispered another voice insinuatingly and something pushed against Luzhin's shoulder. 'What did you say?' he asked again, suddenly ceasing to sob. 'Home, home,' repeated the voice, and the glass radiance, taking hold of Luzhin, threw him out into the cool dusk.

Luzhin smiled. 'Home,' he said softly. 'So that's the key to the combination.'

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