Collected Shorter Fiction, Volume 2

‘ “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory. And before him shall be gathered all nations; and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats, and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, ‘Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in; naked, and ye clothed me; I was sick, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came unto me.’ Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?’ And the King shall answer and say unto them: ‘Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.’ Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand: ‘Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me not in; naked, and ye clothed me not; sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.’ Then shall they also answer him, saying: ‘Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?’ Then shall he answer them, saying: ‘Verily I say unto you: inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.’ And these shall go away into the everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal.” ’ (Matthew XXV, 31–46)

Vasily, who had been sitting on the floor opposite Chuyev and listening to him reading, nodded his handsome head approvingly.

‘That’s right,’ he declared firmly, ‘ “Go,” he says, “ye accursed ones into everlasting punishment, you never fed anyone, you just stuffed your own bellies.” That’s just what they deserve. Here, let me have the book and I’ll read some myself,’ he added, wanting to show off his reading skills.

‘But does it say there won’t be any forgiveness?’ asked Stepan, lowering his shaggy head and waiting quietly to listen to the reading.

‘Just you wait a bit and hold your noise,’ said Chuyev to Vasily, who was still going on about the rich not feeding the poor stranger and not visiting anybody in prison. ‘Just wait, will you,’ repeated Chuyev, leafing through the Gospels. Finding the place he was looking for, Chuyev smoothed out the pages with his large, powerful hand, grown quite white from his time in prison.

‘ “And there were also two other, malefactors, led with him” – with Christ, that is,’ began Chuyev, ‘ “to be put to death. And when they were come to the place, which is called the Skull, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left.

‘ “Then said Jesus: ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do’ … And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying: ‘He saved others, let him save himself, if he be the Christ, the chosen of God.’ And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him and offering him vinegar, and saying: ‘If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself.’ And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew: ‘This is the king of the Jews.’ And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying: ‘If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.’ But the other answering, rebuked him, saying: ‘Dost thou not fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward for our deeds; but this man hath done nothing amiss.’ And he said unto Jesus: ‘Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.’ And Jesus said unto him: ‘Verily I say unto thee: today shalt thou be with me in paradise.’ ” ’(Luke XXIII, 32–43)

Stepan said nothing, but sat deep in thought as though listening, although in fact he heard nothing more of what Chuyev was reading.