He
lay in the hospital all through the end of Lent and Holy Week. As he
began to recover, he remembered his dreams from when he was still
lying in feverish delirium. In his illness, he had dreamed that the
whole world was doomed to fall victim to some terrible, as yet
unknown and unseen pestilence spreading to Europe from the depths of
Asia. Everyone was to perish except for a certain, very few, chosen
ones. Some new trichinae had appeared, microscopic creatures that
lodged themselves in men's bodies. But these creatures were spirits,
endowed with reason and will. Those who received them into themselves
immediately became possessed and mad. But never, never had people
considered themselves so intelligent and unshakable in the truth as
did these infected ones. Never had they thought their judgements,
their scientific conclusions, their moral convictions and beliefs
more unshakable. Entire settlements, entire cities and nations would
be infected and go mad. Everyone became anxious, and no one
understood anyone else; each thought the truth was contained in
himself alone, and suffered looking at others, beat his breast, wept
and wrung his hands. They did not know whom or how to judge, and
could not agree on what to regard as evil, what as good. They did not
know whom to accuse, whom to vindicate. People killed each other in
some sort of meaningless spite. They gathered into whole armies
against each other but, already on the march, the armies would
suddenly begin destroying themselves, the ranks would break up, the
soldiers would fall upon one another, stabbing and cutting, biting
and eating one another. In the cities the bells rang all day long:
everyone was being summoned, but no one knew who was summoning them
or why, and everyone felt anxious. The most ordinary trades ceased,
because everyone offered his own ideas, his own corrections, and no
one could agree. Agriculture ceased. Here and there people would band
together, agree among themselves to do something, swear never to
part--but immediately begin something completely different from what
they themselves had just suggested, begin accusing one another,
fighting, stabbing. Fires broke out; famine broke out. Everyone and
everything was perishing. The pestilence grew and spread further and
further. Only a few people in the whole world could be saved; they
were the pure and chosen, destined to begin a new generation of
people and new life, to renew and purify the earth; but no one had
seen these people anywhere, no one had heard their words or voices.
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