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o action at all。 There are situations in which people are condemned to playact。 Their struggle with mute power （the mute power across the river； a police transmogrified into mute microphones in the wall） is the struggle of a theater company that has attacked an army。
Franz watched his friend from the Sorbonne lift his fist and threaten the silence on the other side。
22
For the third time the interpreter shouted her challenge into the megaphone。
The silence she again received in response suddenly turned Franz's depression into rage。 Here he was； standing only a few steps from the bridge joining Thailand to Cambodia； and he felt an overwhelming desire to run out onto it； scream bloodcurdling curses to the skies； and die in a great clatter of gunfire。
That sudden desire of Franz's reminds us of something； yes； it reminds us of Stalin's son； who ran to electrocute himself on the barbed wire when he could no longer stand to watch the poles of human existence come so close to each other as to touch； when there was no longer any difference between sublime and squalid； angel and fly。 God and shit。
Franz could not accept the fact that the glory of the Grand March was equal to the comic vanity of its marchers； that the exquisite noise of European history was lost in an infinite silence and that there was no longer any difference between history and silence。 He felt like placing his own life on the scales； he wanted to prove that the Grand March weighed more than shit。
But man can prove nothing of the sort。 One pan of the scales held shit； on the other； Stalin's son put his entire body。 And the scales did not move。
Instead of getting himself shot； Franz merely hung his head and went back with the others； single file； to the buses。
23
We all need someone to look at us。 We can be divided into four categories according to the kind of look we wish to live under。
The first category longs for the look of an infinite number of anonymous eyes； in other words； for the look of the public。 That is the case with the German singer； the American actress； and even the tall； stooped editor with the big chin。 He was accustomed to his readers； and when one day the Russians banned his newspaper； he had the feeling that the atmosphere was suddenly a hundred times thinner。 Nothing could replace the look of unknown eyes。 He thought he would suffocate。 Then one day he realized that he was constantly being followed； bugged； and surreptitiously photographed in the street。 Suddenly he had anonymous eyes on him and he could breathe again！ He began making theatrical speeches to the microphones in his wall。 In the police； he had found his lost public。
The second category is made up of people who have a vital need to be looked at by many known eyes。 They are the tireless hosts of cocktail parties and dinners。 They are happier than the people in the first category； who； when they lose their public； have the feeling that the lights have gone out in the room of their lives。 This happens to nearly all of them sooner or later。 People in the second category； on the other hand； can always come up with the eyes they need。 Marie…Claude and her daughter belong in the second category。
Then there is the third category； the category of people who need to be constantly before the eyes of the person they love。 Their situation is as dangerous as the situation of people in the first category。 One day the eyes of their beloved will close； and the room will go dark。 Tereza and Tomas belong in the third category。
And finally there is the fourth category； the rarest； the category of people who live in the imaginary eyes of those who are not present。 They are the dreamers。 Franz； for example。 He traveled to the borders of Cambodia only for Sabina。 As the bus bumped along the Thai road； he could feel her eyes fixed on him in a long stare。
Tomas's son belongs in the same category。 Let me call him Simon。 （He will be glad to have a Biblical name； like his father's。） The eyes he longed for were Tomas's。 As a result of his embroilment in the petition campaign； he was expelled from the university。 The girl he had been going out with was the niece of a village priest。 He married her； became a tractor driver on a collective farm； a practicing Catholic； and a father。 When he learned that Tomas； too； was living in the country； he was thrilled： fate had made their lives symmetrical！ This encouraged him to write Tomas a letter。 He did not ask him to write back。 He only wanted him to focus his eyes on his life。
24
Franz and Simon are the dreamers of this novel。 Unlike Franz； Simon never liked his mother。 From childhood he searched for his father。 He was willing to believe his father the victim of some sort of injustice that predated and explained the injustice his father had perpetrated on him。 He never felt angry with his father； because he did not wish to ally himself with his mother； who continually maligned the man。
He lived with her until he was eighteen and had finished secondary school； then he went off to Prague and the university。 By that time Tomas was washing windows。 Often Simon would wait long hours to arrange an accidental encounter with Tomas。 But Tomas never stopped to talk to him。
The only reason he became involved with the big…chinned former editor was that the editor's fate reminded him of his father's。 The editor had never heard of Tomas。 The Oedipus article had been forgotten。 It was Simon who told him about it and asked him to persuade Tomas to sign the petition。 The only reason the editor agreed was that he wanted to do something nice for the boy； whom he liked。
Whenever Simon thought back to the day when they had met； he was ashamed of his stage fright。 His father couldn't have liked him。 He； on the other hand； liked his father。 He remembered his every word； and as time went on he saw how true they were。 The words that made the biggest impression on him were Punishing people who don't know what they've done is barbaric。 When his girlfriend's uncle put a Bible in his hands； he was particularly struck by Jesus' words Forgive them； for they know not what they do。 He knew that his father was a nonbeliever； but in the similarity of the two phrases he saw a secret