listens to them. She is regarding them.
âYou have to explain to Gringo,â says Abahn. âTell him that David wanted the dogs of the Jew.â
Slowly she turns back to the darkened park, stands there, gazing out. She says:
âGringo wonât listen. He wonât read.â
It seems they do not understand.
âYou have to tell him that Davidâs desire was stronger than life, stronger than death,â says the Jew.
âIt was a desire Gringo could not see,â says Abahn, âbut you saw it, Sabana. That David is a hunter. That he had the desire. That he should let David take the dogs.â
âBecause that name: David,â says the Jew, âis the name of a hunter.â
She says:
âThese dogs are forbidden in Staadt. I found out.â
They do not answer. They seem not to have heard. They seem to have forgotten Sabana. They talk among themselves.
âDogs by the million,â says the Jew.
Something breaks in the Jewâs voice. What suddenly entered his voice?
âJew dogs,â says Abahn.
âUseless,â says the Jew.
âBlameless,â says Abahn.
âHappy,â says the Jew.
Silence.
The sound of crying. They turn.
Sabana is crying.
Silence.
She says:
âI want the gas chamber. I want to die.â
She cries out.
âGet me out of here. I want to leave.â
They do not answer her.
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âW hich forest?â asks Abahn.
Tears fall from Sabinaâs eyes. She thinks on it.
âThe forest.â
âYou donât know whatâs beyond here,â says Abahn. âWhere is the forest?â
She searches her thoughts.
âWhere, I donât know. We have to talk about it.â
âThe wild forest,â says the Jew.
âYes,â she says, pausing. âWhere is it?â
âDeep within Staadt,â says the Jew.
She isnât crying anymore. She looks at the Jews once more. Her gaze has become somber again, somber and blue.
âThe forest is in Davidâs mind as well,â says the Jew.
She looks over at him slumbering.
âIn Davidâs head,â she says.
They fall silent.
âYou are in the forest,â says the Jew. âYou are in the head of David.â
âFar away,â says Abahn. âYou see something.â
She searches for a long time.
âI donât see another David,â she says. âI see a Jew.â
âThere are Jews in the forest,â says Abahn.
A sob, sudden, brief, stifled, all at once.
âThey know it, just like David.â
âYou know it for David,â says the Jew.
She is silent. For a long while she looks at the bare walls of the house of the Jew.
âThe forest is in the house of the Jew,â she says.
âYes.â
âIn the body of the Jew, in his dogs,â says Abahn.
Sabanaâs gaze unfocuses.
âIn Prague, in the fields of the dead.â
âYes, like that. Prague is also Staadt,â says Abahn.
âAnd the fields of the dead are in the house of the Jew.â
âYes.â
âIn an adjoining forest.â
âIn the forest,â says the Jew.
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T hey are all silent, separate from one another.
She is listening to the noise of Staadt. Everything is quiet.
She listens again, this time her eyes closed.
âYou said something?â she asks the Jew.
âNo.â
âI heard. Someone speak.â
He doesnât answer. She speaks to Abahn: âSomeone said: treason. The treason of Jews.â
âNo,â says the Jew. âNo one said anything.â
âNobody spoke,â says Abahn.
Suddenly a cacophony of barking from the dogs outside.
âIn the barking of dogs I hear voices,â says Sabana.
The dogs fall silent.
âTheyâre quiet now,â says the Jew.
âListen,â says Abahn. âNo one is talking, thereâs no noise.â
She listens: all is quiet.
âThere was no betrayal by Jews,â