Read Online North by Louis-Ferdinand Céline - Free Book Online Page A

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    "First we feed . . . no, first the Photomaton . . . I've told you all about it, Ferd . . . our pleasure train! last one out of the Gare de l'Est . . . machine-gunned four times . . . Epernay . . . Mézières . . . and then in Belgium . . . both embankments full of guerrillas! take a look!"
    Repeat performance!
    "Look at my suitcase!"
    He opens it again . . . his shirts all over the sidewalk! . . . showing the people in line what that last train was like! . . . show them those weeping willows from Carcassonne hadn't seen a thing!
    "That's what France is today!"
    Ah! At last! Somebody's recognized him! . . . one! . . . ten!
    "Le Vigan! . . . Le Vigan! . . . It's him!"
    He thanks them . . . once . . . twice . . . he bows . . . he packs up his duds . . . his rags . . . in a hurry . . .
    "And now, son, let's go!"
    It's not far . . . the other side of the avenue, the "Basler Hof" . . . we finally decide to go there first . . . the pictures could wait . . . Lili's carrying Bébert in his bag . . .
    "You can't walk without canes?" he asks me.
    "Oh yes, I could, but I feel better with them."
    "They make you look older."
    Getting old! his obsession . . .
    "See here, son, you're ten years younger! . . . you'll see what it is in ten years . . ."
    Normal for me to totter, and him straight as a die . . .
    Here we are at the "Basler Hof" . . . a palace . . . oh, badly beat up . . . between two buildings completely in ruins . . . hollowed out . . . the "Basler" is still holding up, only one balcony hanging down the front . . . we go in . . . the reception desk . . . in the middle of an enormous lobby, all gold . . . I show our little permit: "one meal" . . .
    "Stimmt  . . . right! . . . and you wish to eat?"
    "Yes! . . . yes! . . . yes!"
    Le Vigan answers . . .
    "You desire a room?"
    "Two rooms . . . one for me and my wife . . . one for our friend here . . ."
    The receptionist is an old-timer . . . enormous tail coat with squiggly braid . . . vermicelli . . . cap like a super-admiral . . . but then he gets a load of Bébert! . . . the face on him! . . . Bébert gives him a mean look too . . .
    "You have a cat?"
    Damn! he's seen him! . . . bang!  . . . he slams his register shut . . . he's through with us.
    "Animals are not admitted!"
    "Well?"
    "Well?"
    Plenty of comebacks: flunkey, Boche, Fritz, etc.  . . . go get yourself . . . ! It wouldn't do us much good . . .
    "Show him your suitcase, sap!" I say to Le Vigan . . . He does . . . he shows him the holes . . . his underwear in rags . . . I show him my canes . . . a cripple . . . 
    "Wounded! wounded! verwundet! my wife too!"
    "This is the place for you . . . they take people with animals . . ."
    He writes the name on a card . . . "Steinbock Hotel" . . . Schinderstrasse . . .
    I don't want Le Vigan to shoot off his mouth any more, I take command
    "Thank you very much, well go there right away . . . would, you be kind enough to notify the Steinbock Hotel . . . to phone?"
    Only too glad to get rid of us!
    "Ja! . . . Ja! . . . Ja!"
    I fold a hundred mark note in four . . . in eight . . . I put it in his fist . . . and pump his hand, hard . . . he gets the Steinbock on the line . . . I hear their beautiful dialogue . . . "Fine . . . stimmt!" It's okay! They can take us! We're good tippers . . .
    I take out another hundred mark note to be ready when we get there . . . something to have the whole universe down on you! . . .
    "And now, Le Vigan, let's go!"
    No more fooling around! . . . if we get thrown out of the Steinbock Hotel, where'll we go then . . . and I tell them, Lili and our friend the illustrious artist . . . to ask me before they say anything . . . not to put their foot in it! . . .
    First thing is to find this Schinderstrasse! . . . the admiral-receptionist steps outside with us . . . he shows us . . . the fourth? . . . third? . . . on the left? . . . we can't go wrong! . . . so he says! . . . but I knew these stage sets . . . these house fronts . . . you think a street exists,