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2
Stalin's son had a hard time of it。 All evidence points to the conclusion that his father killed the woman by whom he had the boy。 Young Stalin was therefore both the Son of God （because his father was revered like God） and His cast…off。 People feared him twofold： he could injure them by both his wrath （he was； after all； Stalin's son） and his favor （his father might punish his cast…off son's friends in order to punish him）。
Rejection and privilege； happiness and woe—no one felt more concretely than Yakov how interchangeable opposites are； how short the step from one pole of human existence to the other。
Then； at the very outset of the war； he fell prisoner to the Germans； and other prisoners； belonging to an incomprehensible； standoffish nation that had always been intrinsically repulsive to him； accused him of being dirty。 Was he； who bore on his shoulders a drama of the highest order （as fallen angel and Son of God）； to undergo judgment not for something sublime （in the realm of God and the angels） but for shit？ Were the very highest of drama and the very lowest so vertiginously close？
Vertiginously close？ Can proximity cause vertigo？
It can。 When the north pole comes so close as to touch the south pole； the earth disappears and man finds himself in a void that makes his head spin and beckons him to fall。
If rejection and privilege are one and the same； if there is no difference between the sublime and the paltry； if the Son of God can undergo judgment for shit； then human existence loses its dimensions and becomes unbearably light。 When Stalin's son ran up to the electrified wire and hurled his body at it； the fence was like the pan of a scales sticking pitifully up in the air； lifted by the infinite lightness of a world that has lost its dimensions。
Stalin's son laid down his life for shit。 But a death for shit is not a senseless death。 The Germans who sacrificed their lives to expand their country's territory to the east； the Russians who died to extend their country's power to the west—yes； they died for something idiotic； and their deaths have no meaning or general validity。 Amid the general idiocy of the war； the death of Stalin's son stands out as the sole metaphysical death。
3
When I was small and would leaf through the Old Testament retold for children and illustrated in engravings by Gustave Dore； I saw the Lord God standing on a cloud。 He was an old man with eyes； nose； and a long beard； and I would say to myself that if He had a mouth； He had to eat。 And if He ate； He had intestines。 But that thought always gave me a fright； because even though I come from a family that was not particularly religious； I felt the idea of a divine intestine to be sacrilegious。
Spontaneously； without any theological training； I； a child； grasped the incompatibility of God and shit and thus came to question the basic thesis of Christian anthropology； namely； that man was created in God's image。 Either/or： either man was created in God's image—and God has intestines！—or God lacks intestines and man is not like Him。
The ancient Gnostics felt as I did at the age of five。 In the second century； the great Gnostic master Valentinus resolved the damnable dilemma by claiming that Jesus ate and drank； but did not defecate。
Shit is a more onerous theological problem than is evil。 Since God gave man freedom； we can； if need be； accept the idea that He is not responsible for man's crimes。 The responsibility for shit； however； rests entirely with Him； the Creator of man。
4
In the fourth century； Saint Jerome completely rejected the notion that Adam and Eve had sexual intercourse in Paradise。 On the other hand； Johannes Scotus Erigena； the great ninth…century theologian； accepted the idea。 He believed； moreover； that Adam's virile member could be made to rise like an arm or a leg； when and as its owner wished。 We must not dismiss this fancy as the recurrent dream of a man obsessed with the threat of impotence。 Erigena's idea has a different meaning。 If it were possible to raise the penis by means of a simple command； then sexual excitement would have no place in the world。 The penis would rise not because we are excited but because we order it to do so。 What the great theologian found incompatible with Paradise was not sexual intercourse and the attendant pleasure； what he found incompatible with Paradise was excitement。 Bear in mind： There was pleasure in Paradise； but no excitement。
Erigena's argument holds the key to a theological justification （in other words； a theodicy） of shit。 As long as man was allowed to remain in Paradise； either （like Valentinus' Jesus） he did not defecate at all； or （as would seem more likely） he did not look upon shit as something repellent。 Not until after God expelled man from Paradise did He make him feel disgust。 Man began to hide what shamed him； and by the time he removed the veil； he was blinded by a great light。 Thus； immediately after his introduction to disgust； he was introduced to excitement。 Without shit （in both the literal and figurative senses of the word）； there would be no sexual love as we know it； accompanied by pounding heart and blinded senses。
In Part Three of this novel I told the tale of Sabina standing half…naked with a bowler hat on her head and the fully dressed Tomas at her side。 There is something I failed to mention at the time。 While she was looking at herself in the mirror； excited by her self…denigration； she had a fantasy of Tomas seating her on the toilet in her bowler hat and watching her void her bowels。 Suddenly her heart began to pound and； on the verge of fainting； she pulled Tomas down to the rug and immediately let out an orgasmic shout。
5
The dispute between those who believe that the world was created by God and those who think it came into being of its own accord deals with phenomena that go beyond our reason and experience。 Much more real is the line separating those who doubt being as it is granted to man （no matter how or by whom） from those who accept it without reservation。
Behind all the European faiths； religious and political； we find the first chapter of Genesis； which tells us that the world was created properly； that human existence