PETER ESTERHAZY
425
Truth, or Flaubert's Monition, or "Animal triste post coitum"
Now is the time for me to tell you what the truth is; that's part of my
contract, after all. Besides, we need truth as we need bread - you and I both
- because (and this is growing more and more drastically clear) all bread is
one.
Let me first, as is my wont, turn
to
Flaubert.
Flaubert warned the Hungarians in vain. You will remember how at
the end of
L'Education sentimentale
Frederic and Deslauriers are going on
excitedly about an old brothel escapade of theirs, constantly complementing
each other's recoUections:
" It
was the best time we ever had, " said Frederic.
"Yes , I think you 're right," said Deslauriers. "It was the best
time we ever had. "
The Hungarians, however, got all dressed up one Sunday while the
faithful wel-e at vespers, put together two bouquets from Madame Moreau's
finest flowers, went out into the fields through the gate and, having circled the
vineyard, returned by way of the Pecherie and sneaked into La Turque's
establishment, stiU clutching their posies.
Flaubert's characters ran away before the escapade was consummated,
but not the Hungarians! They got just what they wanted, just what you'd
expect from such a place; it's no wonder that afterwards they sat sadly
(triste)
on the riverbank behind the bastion.
Behind the Bastion
So there we sit, freely, democratically, La Turque's perfume
(Krasnaya Moskva?) still in our nostrils. If we look at
close
range, we see a
humdrum existence, rising prices, bags under eyes, an immutable gray terror.
Ifwe look
into the distance,
we're euphoric: Europe has changed, hasn't it?
Even as I write, as I write these very words, Europe is changing! And who
can tell what is in store for us, what undreamt-of wonders are yet to come!
Yet if we look a
bitfurther,
we're horrified. We see our starving, impatient,
raggle-taggle Europe seducing Rich Europe into quick! giving us everything,
things even it can no longer afford, and forsaking its own self-imposed limita–
tions - we're perfectly happy with second-class goods, who cares if they give
off a little smoke, they're a hundred times better than what we've had till
now - in other words, you see the basest, most primitive and aggressive
brand of capitalism bearing down on us and itself at our own behest. Of
man's supposed threat to nature Central Europe is completely innocent; we
