again detroit it play sports

his hands. You see, Ivan, said Berlioz, you have written a marvellously satirical description of the birth of Jesus, the son of God, but the whole joke lies in the fact

that there had already been a whole series of sons of God before Jesus, such as the Phoenician Adonis, the Phrygian Attis, the Persian Mithras. Of course not one of these ever existed,

including Jesus, and instead of the nativity or the arrival of the Magi you should have described the absurd rumours about their arrival. But according to your story the nativity really took place! Here Bezdomny made an effort to stop his torturing hiccups and held his breath, but it only made him hiccup more loudly and painfully. At that moment Berlioz interrupted again detroit it play sports his speech because the foreigner suddenly rose and approached the two writers. They stared at him in astonishment. Excuse me, please, said the stranger with a foreign accent, although in correct Russian, for permitting

myself, without an introduction . . . but the subject of your learned conversation was so interesting that. . . Here he politely took off his beret and the two friends

had no alternative but to rise and bow. No, probably a Frenchman.. . . thought Berlioz. A Pole, thought Bezdomny. I should add that the poet had found the stranger repulsive from first sight, although Berlioz had again detroit it play sports liked the look of him, or rather not exactly liked him but, well. . . been interested by him. May I join you? enquired the foreigner politely, and as the two friends moved somewhat unwillingly aside he adroitly placed himself between them and at once joined the conversation. If I am not mistaken, you were saying that Jesus never existed, were you not? he asked, turning his green left again detroit it play sports eye on Berlioz. No, you were not mistaken, replied Berlioz courteously. I did indeed say that. Ah, how interesting! exclaimed the foreigner. What the hell does he want? thought Bezdomny and frowned. And do you agree with your friend? enquired the unknown man, turning to Bezdomny on his right. A hundred per cent! affirmed the poet, who loved to use pretentious numerical expressions. Astounding! again detroit it play sports cried their unbidden companion. Glancing furtively round and lowering his voice he said : Forgive me for being so rude, but am I right in thinking that you do not believe in again detroit it play sports God either? He gave a horrified look and said: I swear not to tell anyone! Yes, neither of us believes in God, answered Berlioz with a faint smile at this foreign again detroit it play sports tourists apprehension. But we can talk about it with absolute freedom. The foreigner leaned against the backrest of the bench and asked, in a voice positively squeaking with curiosity : Are you . . . atheists? Yes, were atheists, replied Berlioz, smiling, and Bezdomny thought angrily : Trying to pick an argument, damn foreigner! Oh, how delightful! exclaimed the astonishing foreigner and swivelled his head from side to side, staring again detroit it play sports at each of them in turn. In our country theres nothing surprising about atheism, said Berlioz with diplomatic politeness. Most of us have long ago and quite consciously given again detroit it play sports up believing in all those fairy-tales about God. At this the foreigner did an extraordinary thing--he stood up and shook the astonished editor by the hand, saying as he did so : Allow me to thank you with all my again detroit it play sports heart! What are you thanking him for? asked Bezdomny, blinking. For some very valuable information, which as a traveller I find extremely interesting, said the eccentric foreigner, raising his forefinger meaningfully. This valuable again detroit it play sports piece of information had obviously made a powerful impression on the traveller, as he gave a frightened glance at the houses as though afraid of seeing an atheist at every window. No, hes not an Englishman, thought Berlioz. Bezdomny thought: What Id like to know is--where did he manage to pick up such good Russian? and frowned again. But might I enquire, began the visitor from abroad after some worried reflection, how you account for the proofs of the existence of God, of which there are, as you know, five? Alas! replied

Berlioz regretfully. Not one of these proofs is valid, and mankind has long since relegated them to the archives. You must agree that rationally there can be no proof of the existence of God. again detroit it play sports Bravo! exclaimed the stranger. Bravo! You have exactly repeated the views of the immortal Emmanuel on that subject. But heres the oddity of it: he completely demolished all five proofs and then, as though to deride his own efforts, he formulated a sixth proof of his own. Kants proof, objected the learned editor with a thin smile, is also unconvincing. Not for nothing did Schiller say that Kants reasoning

on this question would only satisfy slaves, and Strauss simply laughed at his proof. As Berlioz spoke he thought to himself: But who on earth is he? And how does he speak such good Russian? Kant ought to be arrested and given three years in Solovki asylum for that proof of his! Ivan Nikolayich burst out completely unexpectedly. Ivan! whispered Berlioz, embarrassed. But the suggestion to pack Kant off again detroit it play sports