reached the concierge's desk in the ground floor lobby of the Hotel du Palais, prepared to book a seat on the earliest plane to Lisbon. The bald concierge was busy with another tourist, arranging a dinner reservation for four at the Rdtisserie du Coq Hardi in Biarritz. Waiting his turn restlessly, Tikhanov glanced at the rack beside the second counter with its lineup of international newspapers for sale. One word in every bold headline, and recognizable in every language, assaulted him. The word was miracle . . . milagro
. . . MIRACOLO.
Curious, Tikhanov moved around the comer of the concierge's counter to the newsrack. The headlines all seemed to be shouting about the same thing. Obviously, a big event of some kind. Tikhanov tugged free a copy of France Soir, left some change on the counter, and scanned the headline, the bank of headlines, MIRACLE EXPECTED AT LOURDES. BERNADETTE'S LEGACY. Her lost journal reveals the secret Virgin Mary entrusted to her long ago. The Virgin will reappear at the grotto in Lourdes in three weeks, sometime during the week and day following August 14. Some fortunate pilgrim will see the Virgin. Some ailing pilgrim will enjoy a miraculous cure.
Normally, at another time when he was in full control of his senses, Sergei Tikhanov would have cast this typical Western nonsense, this fable for gullible readers, into the nearest waste basket.
But a phrase that Dr. Motta had used in concluding their conversation still rang in his ears. What could be done to save Tikhanov? Dr. Motta had replied: Nothing short of a miracle.
Thinking about the coincidence, newspaper held open before him, Tikhanov shambled across the brown carpet, with its imperial design, spread on the marble floor of the lobby. There was a narrow red couch resting near two towering marble pillars. Tikhanov lowered himself into it and carefully read the story in French from Paris, the cardinal's announcement at a press conference that the Pope had authorized word to go out to the world that the Virgin Mary, during the seventh of her eighteen appearances before Bernadette, had promised to reappear at the grotto in Lourdes and provide a miraculous cure for an ailing pilgrim.
Religion and its miracles, the opium of the people, as Lenin had stated. Actually, Karl Marx had stated it first. "Religion is the soul of soulless conditions, the heart of a heartless world, the opium of the people."' And Marx's collaborator, Friedrich Engels, had echoed, "Get rid of the Church, which permits working people to suffer silently in this world while awaiting their reward in the next." Lenin had preached this, Stalin had supported it, and the Communist Party had demanded that every member shed his belief in religion. And Tikhanov had become, was still, a loyal Party member, an unswerving atheist since adolescence. As a veteran Communist, Tikhanov knew that not for a minute could he take this ignorant rubbish about the Virgin Mary seriously.
No matter how deep his depression, no matter what weakness had afflicted his brain, no matter how desperate his need for hope, this Lourdes story was impossible. About to throw the newspaper aside, Tikhanov's eyes fell upon a second story from Lourdes. This was a feature about the almost seventy miracle cures that had already been attributed to the grotto or the water from its spring. His gaze fastened on the list of incurables and their potentially fatal illnesses, persons from France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland who had been saved by miracles. Sarcoma of the pelvis—cured. Multiple sclerosis—cured. Addison's disease—cured. Cancer of the uterine cervix—cured. And other diseases miraculously cured, several diseases that seemed to resemble muscular dystrophy.
Following this story was an interview with a Dr. Berryer, head of the Lourdes Medical Bureau. The cures, certified by priests, were first thoroughly investigated and attested to by the best medical men in the world. Tikhanov's eye held on another
. . . MIRACOLO.
Curious, Tikhanov moved around the comer of the concierge's counter to the newsrack. The headlines all seemed to be shouting about the same thing. Obviously, a big event of some kind. Tikhanov tugged free a copy of France Soir, left some change on the counter, and scanned the headline, the bank of headlines, MIRACLE EXPECTED AT LOURDES. BERNADETTE'S LEGACY. Her lost journal reveals the secret Virgin Mary entrusted to her long ago. The Virgin will reappear at the grotto in Lourdes in three weeks, sometime during the week and day following August 14. Some fortunate pilgrim will see the Virgin. Some ailing pilgrim will enjoy a miraculous cure.
Normally, at another time when he was in full control of his senses, Sergei Tikhanov would have cast this typical Western nonsense, this fable for gullible readers, into the nearest waste basket.
But a phrase that Dr. Motta had used in concluding their conversation still rang in his ears. What could be done to save Tikhanov? Dr. Motta had replied: Nothing short of a miracle.
Thinking about the coincidence, newspaper held open before him, Tikhanov shambled across the brown carpet, with its imperial design, spread on the marble floor of the lobby. There was a narrow red couch resting near two towering marble pillars. Tikhanov lowered himself into it and carefully read the story in French from Paris, the cardinal's announcement at a press conference that the Pope had authorized word to go out to the world that the Virgin Mary, during the seventh of her eighteen appearances before Bernadette, had promised to reappear at the grotto in Lourdes and provide a miraculous cure for an ailing pilgrim.
Religion and its miracles, the opium of the people, as Lenin had stated. Actually, Karl Marx had stated it first. "Religion is the soul of soulless conditions, the heart of a heartless world, the opium of the people."' And Marx's collaborator, Friedrich Engels, had echoed, "Get rid of the Church, which permits working people to suffer silently in this world while awaiting their reward in the next." Lenin had preached this, Stalin had supported it, and the Communist Party had demanded that every member shed his belief in religion. And Tikhanov had become, was still, a loyal Party member, an unswerving atheist since adolescence. As a veteran Communist, Tikhanov knew that not for a minute could he take this ignorant rubbish about the Virgin Mary seriously.
No matter how deep his depression, no matter what weakness had afflicted his brain, no matter how desperate his need for hope, this Lourdes story was impossible. About to throw the newspaper aside, Tikhanov's eyes fell upon a second story from Lourdes. This was a feature about the almost seventy miracle cures that had already been attributed to the grotto or the water from its spring. His gaze fastened on the list of incurables and their potentially fatal illnesses, persons from France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland who had been saved by miracles. Sarcoma of the pelvis—cured. Multiple sclerosis—cured. Addison's disease—cured. Cancer of the uterine cervix—cured. And other diseases miraculously cured, several diseases that seemed to resemble muscular dystrophy.
Following this story was an interview with a Dr. Berryer, head of the Lourdes Medical Bureau. The cures, certified by priests, were first thoroughly investigated and attested to by the best medical men in the world. Tikhanov's eye held on another
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