Ivan Klíma - Judge On Trial

Having been advised of her right not to take the stand in view of her relationship with the defendant, by whom she was expecting a child, Alžběta Körnerová made the following statement:

I met Karel Kozlik a year ago at Krč Hospital where we both worked. He always behaved decently towards me and often talked about the books he had read. He didn’t say anything about his past and I didn’t know he had a record. On 3rd April, we both went to the evening show at a cinema in Žižkov. I cannot remember either the name of the cinema or the film. It was a colour film about somebody called Mrs Cambálová. After the show I went straight home as my parents insisted. The next day when I was still in bed as I was on the afternoon shift, Karel Kozlík came and asked me to lend him some money because he had the chance of a bargain. I lent him six hundred crowns, not having any more on me. He did not tell me he had done anything. He may have said something to me before about his landlady, but I cannot remember anything definite, except that sometimes she used to take out his light bulbs and did not allow me to visit him. He never told me anything about his friends.

Hana Obensdorfová testified that she had brought her daughter Lucie at around 18:00 on 3rd April to her mother-in-law, as she and her husband had cinema tickets for that evening and didn’t want to leave the child alone at home. She often used to leave her at her mother-in-law’s without any mishap. Concerning the saucepan of water discovered on the stove, she said that to her knowledge, her mother-in-law never made tea or coffee in the evening, as she was afraid of not being able to sleep. When she left her mother-in-law’s flat everything was all right. As far as Karel Kozlík was concerned, she had happened to meet him on about two occasions when visiting her mother-in-law. He had behaved politely towards her.

He picked up the phone and called Oldřich.

Oldřich did not seem surprised that he should want another favour. He said he knew several people who collected old books. If it was urgent he probably wouldn’t have time to contact them, but he’d tell his wife and she could take Adam to see them.

The prospect of her acting as the go-between cheered him.

4

Alexandra wanted him to wait for her at the Malá Strana end of the Charles Bridge. He arrived ten minutes early and half an hour passed before he caught sight of her in a crowd of pedestrians among the scaffolding on the bridge. At first she looked to him like a foreigner. Her imported clothes were in eye-catchingly bright colours; she wore a leather belt with metal trinkets dangling from it. ‘Your clothes are fantastic!’

She rewarded him with a smile. ‘Where have you got the books?’

She walked at his side and he became aware of the artificial scent that emanated from her. He had left the books in his car, along with a bottle of cognac for Oldřich and a bunch of gladioli for her.

‘But they’ll wilt!’ She insisted that he find a rag (the one for cleaning the windows was all he had) and go with her to soak it in the river. ‘Since when have you been dealing in books?’

‘It’s not for me.’

‘How sweet, you’re doing a good deed. I never guessed you were such a charitable soul.’

‘It’s for an old woman friend.’

‘Old? I don’t care if she’s a hag or a teenybopper. We’ll look in at the Tom Cat. Are you at all clued up about books?’

‘Not in the least. Not long ago I was supposed to try some receivers of stolen goods, but happily they took me off it. Anyway they dealt in pictures.’

‘Old pictures are in now, even the silliest ones, even things daubed by some house-painter in a workshop in Florence or Venice. Anything so long as it’s got patina.’ While she was wrapping the flower stems with the rag, which dripped dirty water, he unwrapped the books.

‘They’re very fine. How much does she want for them, your friend?’

‘At least ten thousand.’

‘You can get her her ten thousand and still return half of them. Mark my words: you’ll be very popular.’ She selected just a few volumes and gave them him to carry.

They entered the pub and she surveyed the tables that were occupied. A man called out to her and she gave him a wave. Then they walked through into the back room and at the furthest table three long-haired young men with their female companions shuffled their chairs together to make room for them. She tried to introduce them to him but their names slipped away immediately.

‘How are you, Alex?’

‘I’m looking for Tobruk. I’ve got something to flog him.’

‘He hasn’t shown yet today.’

‘What’ll you have?’

‘Here, have a sip from mine or you’ll die of thirst waiting.’

‘But I need to find him.’

‘Hey, Freak, any idea where Tobruk could be?’

‘Got something for him?’

‘He’s not been in the last three days. He’s got a new sweetie.’

‘Is that your new sweetie, Alex? Show us. Let’s see the size of you, smooth guy. Cheer up: you look like an ad for the Cremation Society. Have a drink instead.’

‘No, thank you.’

‘Don’t say thank you, say yes!’

‘I can’t, I’m driving.’

‘Hear that, Alex? He’s driving. What’s your angle, you creep? Ooh, I bet he’s runs a ministry. Come on, confess: you start your day the natural way with fresh, hygienic yoghurt, don’t you. Where did you find him?’

‘Look, I’ve got to find Tobruk.’

‘He’s broke anyhow. Go and see Yogi; he’s just sold out for mucho moolah. Didn’t you see that hit of his on the box?’

‘Hey, Alex, you’re not going? Oh, come on! With him ? He’s gaping at the natives like Dr Livingstone or something.’

Adam was surprised to find it was still light outside. He felt as if in the space of those few minutes he had been kidnapped in the smoke, bloated and yellowed, and cut a pretty poor figure by staying silent. He’d sooner pack it in and retreat home. But he was the one who needed to sell the books, not her.

They climbed the Castle Steps.

She seemed to sense his mood, because when they reached the house where the lad lived who might buy their books she suggested that he wait outside. He sat down on the stone parapet and watched as the first windows lit up. Then the invisible spotlights were switched on and the Castle glowed.

She suddenly reappeared at his side. ‘Why do you think they light up the Castle, seeing they’re sitting inside it?’ She opened her handbag and took out a wad of bank notes. ‘Five thousand,’ she announced. ‘That was all he had on him. He bitched about the Mathioli being a second edition, as if it made any difference to him. A year ago he didn’t even know when printing was invented. He’ll have the rest tomorrow. He’ll bring it to you at the courthouse. I gave him your address. It doesn’t matter, does it?’

‘No, of course not. Its awfully kind of you.’

‘But it isn’t for you anyway.’

‘No, but you did it for me.’

‘Maybe you’ll return me the favour. When I apply for a divorce, you can see they don’t take my little girl away.’

‘Are you intending to get divorced, then?’

‘Everyone gets divorced in the end. Or are you the exception?’

They were making their way back to the car. ‘He kept on trying to make me stay. He had some genuine Scotch,’ she added with regret. ‘But I didn’t want to keep you hanging around here.’

‘If you’ve the time, we could go and have a drink somewhere. I’ll try and make it up to you.’

‘I’ve always got the time for that.’ And it was she who led the way to a little wine bar where naturally he had never been before, and they managed to find a free table.