In the Penal Colony | Page 7

went over to him and said,
with his face turned towards the Traveler, "The machine is very
complicated. Now and then something has to tear or break. One
shouldn't let that detract from one's overall opinion. Anyway, we have
an immediate replacement for the strap. I'll use a chain -- even though
that will affect the sensitivity of the movements for the right arm." And
while he put the chain in place, he kept talking, "Our resources for
maintaining the machine are very limited at the moment. Under the
previous Commandant, I had free access to a cash box specially set
aside for this purpose. There was a store room here in which all
possible replacement parts were kept. I admit I made almost
extravagant use of it. I mean earlier, not now, as the New Commandant
claims. For him everything serves only as a pretext to fight against the
old arrangements. Now he keeps the cash box for machinery under his
own control, and if I ask him for a new strap, he demands the torn one
as a piece of evidence, the new one doesn't arrive for ten days, and it's
an inferior brand, of not much use to me. But how I am supposed to get
the machine to work in the meantime without a strap -- no one's
concerned about that."

The Traveler was thinking: it's always questionable to intervene
decisively in strange circumstances. He was neither a citizen of the
penal colony nor a citizen of the state to which it belonged. If he
wanted to condemn the execution or even hinder it, people could say to
him: You're a foreigner -- keep quiet. He would have nothing in
response to that, but could only add that he did not understand what he
was doing on this occasion, for the purpose of his traveling was merely
to observe and not to alter other people's judicial systems in any way.
True, at this point the way things were turning out it was very tempting.
The injustice of the process and the inhumanity of the execution were
beyond doubt. No one could assume that the Traveler was acting out of
any sense of his own self-interest, for the Condemned Man was a
stranger to him, not a countryman and not someone who invited
sympathy in any way. The Traveler himself had letters of reference
from high officials and had been welcomed here with great courtesy.
The fact that he had been invited to this execution even seemed to
indicate that people were asking for his judgment of this trial. This was
all the more likely since the Commandant, as he had now heard only
too clearly, was no supporter of this process and maintained an almost
hostile relationship with the Officer.
Then the Traveler heard a cry of rage from the Officer. He had just
shoved the stub of felt in the Condemned Man's mouth, not without
difficulty, when the Condemned Man, overcome by an irresistible
nausea, shut his eyes and threw up. The Officer quickly yanked him up
off the stump and wanted to turn his head aside toward the pit. But it
was too late. The vomit was already flowing down onto the machine.
"This is all the Commandant's fault!" cried the officer and mindlessly
rattled the brass rods at the front. "My machine's as filthy as a pigsty."
With trembling hands he showed the Traveler what had happened.
"Haven't I spent hours trying to make the Commandant understand that
a day before the execution there should be no more food served. But
the new lenient administration has a different opinion. Before the man
is led away, the Commandant's women cram sugary things down his
throat. His whole life he's fed himself on stinking fish, and now he has
to eat sweets! But that would be all right -- I'd have no objections -- but
why don't they get a new felt, the way I've been asking him for three

months now? How can anyone take this felt into his mouth without
feeling disgusted -- something that a hundred man have sucked and
bitten on it as they were dying?"
The Condemned Man had laid his head down and appeared peaceful.
The Soldier was busy cleaning up the machine with the Condemned
Man's shirt. The Officer went up to the Traveler, who, feeling some
premonition, took a step backwards. But the Officer grasped him by the
hand and pulled him aside. "I want to speak a few words to you in
confidence," he said. "May I do that?" "Of course," said the Traveler
and listened with his eyes lowered."This process and execution, which
you now have an opportunity to admire, have no more open supporters
in our colony. I am its only defender, just as I am