beautiful friend

Chapter 16

Duroy couldn't help shouting: "Damn it, he's absolutely right!"

Duroy suddenly felt thirsty.At this moment, there was a sound of dripping water behind him; when he looked back, it turned out to be a shower.Duroy walked over, took a few sips of water from the nozzle, and then began to think wildly.The basement was eerie, like a tomb.The "boom" of vehicles passing by continued to be heard on the ground, like thunder in the distance.What time is it?The dark basement is like a prison, and there is no other time mark except for the arrival of the food delivery person who can give some reminders.Duroy waited for a long, long time.

Finally, with the sound of footsteps and voices, Jacques Rival appeared at the door, followed by Boislena.Upon seeing Duroy, Rival exclaimed:

"Everything has been arranged." Duroy thought that the other party had written an apology letter, and the matter was over; he was overjoyed and stammered, "Ah!...Thank you!"

Unexpectedly, Rival went on to say:

"Langremont was straightforward and agreed to all the conditions we put forward. The distance between the two sides was 25 steps. After hearing the password, they raised their guns and fired, each firing a bullet. The arms moved from bottom to top, so that the shots were accurate. Do. Boirene, see, that's what I told you just now?"

After speaking, Rival raised his gun and fired a few bullets in succession to show that it is easier to keep his arms balanced when moving from the bottom up.

Rival said:
"Now, let's go to lunch. It's past twelve."

They came to a restaurant next door.Duroy didn't say a word, just buried his head in his meal, so as not to reveal the fear in his heart.Then he returned to the newspaper office with Boislena.Although a little absent-minded, he still worked mechanically.Everyone thought he was very brave.

That afternoon, Jacques Rival came to the newspaper and informed him that at seven o'clock the next morning, two witnesses would pick him up in a carriage and take him to the place of the duel, the Vesnay Gardens.

The development of the matter was far beyond Du Luowa's expectations. Everything came so suddenly that no one asked him for his opinion beforehand, and no matter whether he agreed or not, the matter was settled without even asking him to say a word.He stood there blankly, bewildered, unable to understand what happened.

It was almost nine o'clock when Duroy got home from dinner at the Boisrenas'.Boirene remained faithful to his duty and did not leave him all afternoon.

Now finally Duroy was the only one left.He strode up and down the room for several minutes, flustered and unable to think at all. He could only think about one thing: the duel tomorrow; other than that, he was anxious, and he couldn't calm down.Although he used to be a soldier and killed people, but at that time the bullets were shot at the Arabs, just like hunting wild boars, and he was not in any danger.

In any case, a duel was inevitable, and he did what had to be done.When people talk about him in the future, they will express their approval and appreciation for him.Thinking of this, he seemed to be greatly stimulated, and said loudly: "This guy is really a beast!"

Duroy sat down and began to lose himself in thought.In the afternoon, Rival had given him the opponent's business card and asked him to remember the address on it.After returning home, Duroy threw the business card on a small table.Now, he picked up this business card that he had seen dozens of times during the day, and there were only two lines printed on it: "Louis Langremont, 170 rue Montmartre." nor.

Duroy carefully looked at the two lines of seemingly mysterious and disturbing words in front of him. Who is "Louis Langremont"?how old?how high?What does it look like?It's not infuriating that a stranger you've never met has messed up your life because of a whim about an old woman's quarrel with the butcher shop owner.

Duroy shouted loudly again: "Beast!"

He stared at the card without moving, and continued to think.A wave of anger and hatred couldn't help rising from his heart, mixed with an indescribable unease.What absurdity the whole thing is!Thinking about it, Duroy suddenly grabbed a pair of manicure scissors, and stabbed fiercely at the name on the business card, as if stabbing a dagger into the opponent's chest.

A duel is inevitable, and with pistols!Why didn't he choose fencing in the first place?If you use a sword, at best your arm or arm will be injured, but if you use a gun, the consequences will be unimaginable.

Duroy said to himself: "Be brave!"

Hearing his own voice, he couldn't help being startled; he quickly looked around, feeling extremely nervous.He drank a glass of water and went to bed.

After going to bed, Duroy turned off the light and closed his eyes.

Even though the room was cold, he still felt hot all over under a thin quilt, and couldn't sleep no matter what.He tossed and turned on the bed, and after lying flat for four or five minutes, he turned to the left for a while, and then turned to the right for a while.

Duroy felt very thirsty, so he got up to drink water.A feeling of uneasiness seized him:

"Am I scared?"

Why did any sound in the room make him feel terrified?Even the creak of the wall clock before it struck the time made him shudder.He felt that his chest was stuffy, and he had to open his mouth to take a big breath. Duroy thought to himself: "Am I afraid?" He looked like a philosopher who likes to get to the bottom of it.

of course not.Now that he had decided to settle the matter through a duel, he should no longer hesitate, nor should he be afraid.But at this moment, his heart was so excited that he couldn't help thinking: "Do people feel scared involuntarily?" Thinking of this, he became more and more nervous, feeling very uneasy and scared.What would happen if there really was a force stronger than will, uncontrollable and irresistible that subdued him?Yeah, what's going to happen?

In any case, he was going to the duel.But what about stage fright?Lost consciousness?If so, he will lose everything: status, reputation and future.

Duroy had a sudden urge to get up and look in the mirror, so he lit a candle.The clean mirror reflected a face full of fear: eyes wide open, pale complexion, Duroy couldn't believe that the person in the mirror was himself.

Suddenly, a terrible thought flashed across: "Maybe by this time tomorrow, I will not be alive.

"Dulova's heart began to beat wildly again.

He turned around and looked at his bed, as if he saw himself lying there upright: his body was covered with the quilt that had just been lifted, his cheeks were sunken, almost dead, and his pale hands did not move.

At this moment, this bed made him feel extremely scared.In order not to see it, Duroy opened the window and looked out.

The biting cold wind hit his face, making him take a few steps back, panting continuously.

So Duroy decided to light a fire.The fire was slowly igniting, but he still didn't dare to turn to look at the bed.Due to nervousness, his hands trembled constantly every time he touched something; his mind was blurred, he was indecisive, and he only felt painful, as if he was drunk and dizzy.

Duroy kept asking himself: "What should I do? Will I die?"

He started walking up and down the room, repeating the same sentence mechanically: "I should be strong, be strong"

Then, he said to himself: "I want to write a letter to my parents. In case of any accident, it can be regarded as an explanation."

Duroy sat down again, took out a stack of letter paper, and wrote with a pen:

"Dear father, mother..."

But after a while, he felt that in the current situation, it seemed inappropriate to use this title.So he tore up the first page and wrote again:

"Dear father and mother: at dawn, I will fight someone else, maybe..."

Duroy didn't dare to write any more, and stood up unsteadily.

Now the thought of death frightened him.He was going to a duel, nothing could be avoided.But what happened to my heart?Didn't he want a duel himself?Didn't he wish and decide to solve the problem in this way?Even so, Duroy was still worried that he would not have the courage to go to the duel.

His teeth collided from time to time, making a small but crisp sound.He wondered: "Has my opponent ever dueled before? Has he practiced shooting a lot? Is he a famous archer?" Duroy had never heard his name, but if not a great archer, he was Would not hesitate to agree to a duel in such a dangerous way with a pistol.

Duroy began to imagine the scene when the two met, imagining what kind of attitude he should have when facing each other and the other's performance.In this way, he thought through every detail of the duel.Suddenly, he seemed to see the black muzzle of the gun facing him, and the bullet was about to be shot from the muzzle.

Duroy felt extremely desperate, trembling all over, and twitched from time to time.He clenched his teeth to prevent himself from screaming, wishing he could roll on the ground and bite things.At this time, he saw a glass on the fireplace, and remembered that there was still a bottle full of brandy in the cabinet.Until now, he still retains the habit of drinking soju on an empty stomach every morning developed in the military camp.

Duroy picked up the wine bottle, pointed at the mouth of the bottle, and drank gulps until he was out of breath.In a blink of an eye, he had already drank one-third of the wine in the bottle.

Duroy felt that his stomach was burning hot, and a rush of heat quickly spread to his whole body, and his mood gradually calmed down.

"At last I have found a way to cope with this difficult moment," he said to himself, and he opened the window, feeling feverish.

At this time, the sky was twilight, the cold air was overwhelming, and there was silence all around.In the distant sky, the stars are gradually receding.The red, green, and white signal lights beside the railway are also getting dimmer.

The first batch of train locomotives pulled out of the garage, accompanied by bursts of sirens, and headed for the first few trains.Several other locomotives staying in the distance, like a rooster that has just woken up in the field, kept making sharp crows.

Duroy thought to himself: "Maybe I won't be able to see everything in front of me again." Realizing that he had become vulnerable again, he quickly thought: "Before the duel, you can stop thinking about it. Only in this way can you be fearless. "

Duroy began to wash.But when he was shaving, he was a little shaken; he thought, maybe this is the last time he sees himself in the mirror.

Duroy took a long gulp of the brandy and put on his clothes.

The rest of the time was more difficult.Duroy started pacing up and down the room, trying to keep himself calm.But when he heard someone knock at the door, he was still so frightened that he almost fell on his back; the sound was too shocking to his spirit.Two witnesses appeared at the door: what should come has come.

Both witnesses were wrapped in leather garments.Rival shook Duroy's hand and said:
"The weather is cold today." Then he asked:

"how do you feel?"

"very good."

"Are you calm?"

"Very calm."

"Very good. Did you have something to eat?"

"unnecessary."

Today, Boilene deliberately wore a yellow and green foreign medal on his chest, which Duroy had never seen before.

The three went downstairs together.Another gentleman was waiting for them in the carriage.Rival introduced: "This is Dr. Le Brumment." Duroy shook his hand and murmured, "Thank you." He wanted to sit on the stool in the front row of the carriage, but unexpectedly met A hard thing.He quickly retracted like a spring.It turned out that there was a box with a pistol in it.

Rival said repeatedly: "No! The duelists and the doctor sit in the back! Go in the back!" Duroy was stunned for a long time, and finally understood what he meant; he sat down next to the doctor, his limbs limp.

After the two witnesses got into the carriage, the coachman immediately raised his whip and drove the carriage forward.Obviously, he already knew the destination.

The pistol case made everyone feel uncomfortable, especially Duroy.The person sitting in front put it behind him, but it felt like it was sticking to his waist; when he put it upright between Rival and Boisrennes, it always fell down.Finally had to throw it to the feet.

Although the doctor told a few jokes, the atmosphere in the carriage was still dull, and only Rival answered.Duroy wanted to show off his intelligence, but he was afraid that his thoughts would be confused and reveal his inner anxiety when he spoke.What he was most worried about at the moment was that he would tremble involuntarily because of fear.

Soon, the carriage came to the outskirts.It was about nine o'clock in the morning.It was a bitter winter's morning, and the wilderness around me shone like a crystal hard as hell.The branches were covered with a thick layer of frost, like snow oozing from the branches.The wheels rolled over the road and made a crisp sound.Any slight sound can be carried far away by the dry air.The sky is blue, like a clean mirror; the dazzling sun seems to be covered with a layer of frost, bringing no warmth to the earth.

Rival said to Duroy:
"I bought the pistol at Gastina-Lenette's. The owner loaded it himself, and the box has been sealed. I will put it together with the pistol brought by the other party later, and draw lots to decide which one you will use. "

Duroy said mechanically: "Thank you."

Afterwards, Rival began to describe the various details of the duel in detail, and he did not want Duroy to make any mistakes.Every time he talked about a detail, he would emphasize it several times: "When someone asks, are you ready, sir?" You should answer loudly: "Okay!" When someone gives an order: "Let go!" You immediately raise your gun, Shoot before counting to three"

Like a child in class, Duroy kept repeating: "When someone gives the order to 'let go', I raise the gun; when someone gives the order to 'let go', I raise the gun; gun." He hoped he could keep that sentence firmly in his mind.

The carriage entered a forest, turned right onto an avenue, and then turned right again.Rival suddenly opened the car door and shouted to the coachman: "Go this way, follow that path." The carriage drove onto a road with obvious ruts, and there were low bushes on both sides, with frosty dead leaves in the cold. Shaking gently in the wind.

Duroy kept muttering: "As soon as someone gives the order to 'let go', I will raise my gun." He thought that if the carriage had an accident, the problem would be solved.How wonderful it would be if the car overturned and a leg was broken!
But at this moment he saw a carriage parked at the end of the glade; four gentlemen were stomping beside it to keep warm.Duroy felt short of breath, so he had to open his mouth.

The two witnesses got out first, followed by the doctor and Duroy.Rival picked up the pistol case and, together with Boislena, walked towards the two strangers who were walking towards them.Duroy saw them salute each other, and then walked towards the clearing together.They looked now at the ground and now at the trees, as if looking for something that might fall or fly.They counted their steps and thrust their two walking sticks into the extremely hard frozen soil.Finally, they came together and tossed a coin like children playing a game.

Dr. Le Brumand asked Duroy:

"How are you feeling? Do you need anything?"

"I don't need anything, thank you!"

Duroy was in a trance, as if sleeping, as if sleepwalking; something sudden and supernatural surrounded him.

Is he scared?Maybe?Even he himself couldn't tell.All he knew was that everything around him had changed.

Jacques Rival came up and whispered contentedly:

"Everything is in place. We were lucky enough to pick a good gun."

But at this moment, Duroy is not interested in knowing this at all.

Someone came to help him take off his coat and felt the pockets of his jacket to make sure he wasn't carrying anything that could serve as protection, such as a piece of paper or a wallet.

Like praying, Duroy kept saying:
"As soon as someone ordered 'let it go', I raised my gun."

He was then led to a cane and handed a pistol.He saw a short, potbellied, bald man with glasses standing not far in front of him: this was his opponent.

Duroy saw this man clearly, but he only had one thought in his mind: "I will raise my gun as soon as he gives the order to 'let go'." At this time, a voice came from a silent distance: "Ready! huh, sir?"

Duroy shouted: "Get ready!"

It was the voice of that person just now: "Let go!"

In an instant, Duroy's mind went blank.He heard nothing, saw nothing but felt himself raise the gun and squeeze the pistol.

He didn't hear the gunshot at all.

However, he saw a puff of smoke coming from the muzzle of the gun.The person standing opposite stood motionless, still maintaining the original posture, and a wisp of smoke rose from above his head.

They all fired and the duel was over.

The two witnesses and the doctor ran over to touch Duroy, patted him, helped him unbutton his clothes, and asked anxiously, "Are you not injured?" Duroy replied casually, "I Think not."

Langremont, like him, was unscathed.Rival said slightly dissatisfied: "Duel with the goddamn pistol, always like this; either miss, or kill with one shot. What a piece of shit!"

Duroy stood still, in a state of astonishment and joy at the aftermath. "It's over!" He still gripped the pistol so tightly that they had to take it from him.He felt as if he had just had a duel with the whole world.How good it was over!At this moment, he felt more courageous and could challenge anyone.

The four witnesses conferred for a few minutes and agreed to meet again that day to draft a scene note.Then, everyone got into the car one after another.The coachman sitting in front smiled, raised his whip, and drove the car back.

The four of Duroy walked into a restaurant on the side of the road for lunch, and began to talk about the duel just now.Duroy said:

"It's nothing to me. You've all seen it, haven't you?"

Rival replied: "Yeah, you did a good job."

When the Field Note was written, it was given to Duroy for publication in the Political News Column.Duroy was surprised to find that the report stated that he and Louis Langremont had shot twice; he felt something was wrong and asked Rival:
"Didn't we just fire one shot?"

"Yeah, one shot...one shot per person...isn't it two shots?"

(End of this chapter)