The Absolute at Large/Chapter 6
Chapter VI
The Board-Meeting
"Gentlemen"—it was G. H. Bondy addressing the meeting of the Board of Directors of the M.E.C. (the Metallo-EIectrical Company) held on February 20th—"I have to inform you that one building of our new group of factories at Vysočany has been completed and began production yesterday. In a very few days the standardized production of Karburators will be in full swing, beginning with eighteen finished machines per day. In April we expect to turn out sixty-five per day; by the end of July two hundred per day. We have laid down fifteen kilometres of private line, chiefly for our coal supply. Twelve boiler furnaces are now being erected. We have begun the building of new quarters for our workmen."
"Twelve boiler furnaces?" Dr. Hubka, the leader of the opposition, asked at a venture.
"Yes, twelve for the time being," confirmed Bondy.
"That's strange," Dr. Hubka declared.
"I ask you, gentlemen," said Bondy, "what is there strange about having twelve boilers? For a huge group of factories like this . . ."
"Of course, of course," came from several quarters.
Dr. Hubka smiled ironically.
"And why the fifteen kilometres of railway line?"
"For the transport of coal and raw materials. We are reckoning on a daily consumption of eight truckloads of coal until we have things properly under way. I don't know what Dr. Hubka's objection to our getting coal in can be."
"I'll give you my objection," cried Dr. Hubka, leaping up. "It's that the whole business looks highly suspicious. Yes, gentlemen, extremely suspicious. Mr. Bondy has forced us to erect a factory for Karburators. The Karburator, he assured us, is the only power-supply of the future. The Karburator, as he expressly stated, can develop a thousand horse-power from a single bucket of coal. And now he is talking about twelve boiler furnaces and whole truckloads of coal for them. Gentlemen, I ask you, why then shouldn't a single bucket of coal give sufficient power for our whole factory? Why are we erecting boiler furnaces when we've got atomic motors? Gentlemen, if the Karburator is not an utter swindle, I don't see why our Chairman did not arrange for our own new factory to be equipped to be run by Karburator power. I don't see it, and no one else will see it. Why hasn't our Chairman sufficient confidence in these Karburators of his to install them in our establishment? Gentlemen, it's shockingly bad advertisement for our Karburators if their manufacturer himself will not or cannot use them. I beg you, gentlemen, to ask Mr. Bondy to give us his reasons. For my part, I have formed my own opinion. That is all I have to say, gentlemen."
Thereupon Dr. Hubka sat down resolutely, and victoriously blew his nose.
The members of the Board of Directors remained silent and dejected. Dr. Hubka's indictment was all too clear. Bondy did not raise his eyes from his papers; not a muscle of his face moved.
"M—m no," growled old Rosenthal, anxious for peace. "Our Chairman will explain. Yes, yes, it can all be explained, gentlemen, I think, m—m—er, yes—very satisfactorily. Dr. Hubka is surely mm—hm—hm—yes, yes—with regard to what he has told us."
The Chairman at last raised his eyes. "Gentlemen," he said quietly, "I have read you the expert report of our engineers on the Karburator. The facts are precisely as there stated. The Karburator is no swindle. We have already built ten of them for testing purposes. They all work perfectly. Here are the proofs. Karburator No. 1 drives the suction pump on the Sazava River, and has been running without attention for fourteen days. No. 2, the dredge on the Upper Vltava, is working spendidly. No. 3 is in the testing laboratory of the Brno Technical Institute. No. 4 was damaged in transport. No. 5 is supplying the city of Hradec Králové with light. That is the ten-kilo pattern. The five-kilo pattern, No. 6, is running a mill at Slany. No. 7 has been installed to provide central heating for a block of buildings in the New Town. Mr. Machat, the proprietor of that block, is with us to-day. Would you mind, Mr. Machat?"
The elderly gentleman of that name awoke as from a dream. "I beg your pardon?"
"We were asking how your new central-heating system is working."
"What? What heating do you mean?"
"In your new block of buildings," said Bondy gently.
"What block of buildings?"
"In your new houses."
"In my houses? I haven't any houses."
"Come, come, come!" Mr. Rosenthal exclaimed. "You put them up only last year."
"I did?" said Machat in tones of surprise. "Oh, yes, you're right, so I did. But, you see, I have given those houses away, now. I gave them all away."
Bondy looked at him very attentively. "And to whom did you give them, Mr. Machat?"
Machat flushed slightly. "Well, to poor people. I've let poor families occupy them. You see, I . . . I came to the conclusion that . . . well, in short, poor people have got them now, I mean."
Mr. Bondy kept his eyes on Machat like an examining magistrate. "Why, Mr. Machat?"
"I . . . I couldn't help it," Machat stammered. "It took me like that. Our lives should be holy, I mean."
The Chairman drummed nervously on the table. "And what about your family?"
Machat began to smile beatifically. "Oh, we're all of the same mind in that matter. Those poor people are such saints. Some of them are ill. My daughter is looking after them, you know. We've all changed so tremendously."
G. H. Bondy dropped his eyes. Machat's daughter Ellen, the fair-haired Ellen, with her seventy millions, tending the sick! Ellen, who was ready to be, who ought to be, who had half consented to be, Mrs. Bondy! Bondy bit his lip; things had turned out nicely!
"Mr. Machat," he began, in subdued tones, "I only wanted to know how the new Karburator was doing the heating on your premises."
"Oh, splendidly! It's so beautifully warm in every one of the houses! Just as though they were being warmed with eternal love! Do you know," said Machat rapturously, wiping his eyes, "whoever enters there becomes at one stroke a changed man. It is like Paradise there. We are all living as if we were in Heaven. Oh, come and join us!"
"You see, gentlemen," said Bondy, controlling himself with an effort, "that the Karburators work exactly as I promised you they would. I ask you to waive any further questions."
"We only want to know," cried Dr. Hubka pugnaciously, "why, in that case, you don't arrange for our new works to be run by Karburator power? Why should we use expensive coal for heating when we're supplying atomic energy to other people? Is Mr. Bondy disposed to let us have his reasons?"
"By no means," Bondy declared. "Our heating will be done with coal. For reasons known to myself, the Karburator system will not suit our purposes. Let that suffice, gentlemen. I regard the whole affair as a question of confidence in me."
Machat made himself heard. "If you only knew how wonderful it feels to be in a state of holiness! Gentlemen, take my sincere advice. Give away all that you possess! Become poor and holy! Deliver yourselves from Mammon, and glorify the one God!"
"Come, come," Mr. Rosenthal tried to calm him down. "We know you for a kind and upright man, Mr. Machat—yes, yes, extremely so. And I have every confidence in you, Mr. Bondy, you know. I tell you what, send me one of those Karburators for my own heating apparatus! I'll give it a trial, gentlemen. What's the use of all this talking? What about it, Mr. Bondy?"
"We are all brothers in God's sight!" continued the radiant Machat. "Gentlemen, let us give the factory to the poor! I move that we change the M.E.C. into a religious community of 'The Humble of Heart.' Let us be the seed from which the tree of God shall spring. The Kingdom of God on earth!"
"I demand a hearing," shouted Dr. Hubka.
"Come, now, Mr. Bondy," pleaded old Rosenthal in mollifying tones. "You see I am on your side! Lend me one of those Karburators, Mr. Bondy!"
"For God Himself is descending upon the earth," Machat continued in great excitement. "Hearken to His message: Be ye holy and simple; open your hearts to the infinite; let your love be unbounded. Let me tell you, gentlemen"
"I demand the floor," yelled Dr. Hubka hoarsely.
"Silence!" shouted Bondy, pale and with gleaming eyes, as he rose with the whole authority of his massive frame. "Gentlemen, if the factory for Karburators does not suit your fancy, I will take it over under my own personal charge. I will compensate you to the last penny for all the expenditure so far incurred. I resign my position, gentlemen. I beg to take my leave."
Dr. Hubka darted forward. "But, gentlemen, I protest! We all protest! We will not part with the manufacture of Karburators! A spendid line like that, gentlemen! No, thank you, we are not to be hoodwinked into handing over a valuable business. With your permission, gentlemen"
Bondy rang the bell. "Friends," he said gloomily, "we will leave this for the time being. It seems to me that our friend Machat is . . . er . . . slightly indisposed. As far as the Karburator is concerned, gentlemen, I guarantee you a dividend of one hundred and fifty per cent. I move that the discussion be now closed."
Dr. Hubka took the floor. "I move, gentlemen, that every member of the Board of Directors shall receive one Karburator for testing purposes, so to speak."
Bondy looked at all present. His features twitched. He tried to say something, but he only shrugged his shoulders and hissed between his teeth, "As you please."