HEMINGWAY IN ITALY
seen you with a companion, and we want you to have a companion.
Can't we want you to have a companion?"
She fixed glowing eyes on the man and the woman.
"Can't we want this for a man who is dear to us? A man is happy
when he has a companion. Shouldn't a man be happy?"
"Thank you," Enne 2 said. "Thank you, Selva. But... . "
"To hell with 'but,'" old Selva said. "Can't we want a man to be
happy? We work in order that men may be happy. What good would
it do to work if it didn't serve to make men happy? That's why we
work. Isn't that why we work?"
"That's why," Enne 2 said.
"Then it is why!" Selva said.
And she kept on fixing her eyes on the man and the woman.
"God!" she said. "Men must be happy. What sense would our
work make if men couldn't be happy? You tell me, young woman.
Would our work make any sense?"
"I don't know," Berta replied.
And it was as if she hadn't replied, she was very serious; and she
lifted her face a moment, but it was as if she hadn't lifted it.
"Would any of our work make sense?"
"No, Selva, I don't think it would."
"Would it make sense? No, it wouldn't make any sense at all."
"It
wouldn't make sense. Nothing on earth would make sense."
"Nothing on earth would make sense. Isn't it so, young woman?"
"I don't know," Berta replied again.
"Or would something make sense then?"
"No," Enne 2 replied, "I do not think so."
"Would our clandestine newspapers make sense? Would our plots
make sense?"
"I don't think so."
"And our men who get shot? Would they make sense? No, they
would not make any sense."
"No, they wouldn't make sense."
"Would anything in the world make sense? Would our bombs make
sense?"
"I don't think anything would make sense."
"Nothing would make sense. Or would the enemies we kill make
sense?"
"Not even they. I don't think they would."
"No, no. Men must be happy. Everything makes sense only if men
can
be
happy.... "
Later on, Selva is alone with Berta:
Selva got up and went behind the table. She looked to see if the
water was boiling.
"I hoped you were his companion,'' she said.
She broke off, but still she did not let Berta speak. She went on:
"A man has
to
have his companion. Even more so
if
he's one of ours.
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