Termush

by Sven Holm

What is less understandable is the way the rest of us keep such an inflexibly stiff upper lip without relaxing in argument or giving way to laughter and irritation. Her outburst seems to me more natural than our self-control. It means that neither her imagination nor her sensibility is gagged and bound, as ours are.

I am opposed to the management’s decision to suppress the news of the four dead bodies. By doing this the management has assumed the role of a superior authority to which it has no right.

The varied implications of the question became apparent to us. Concern for the injured, consideration of their chances of survival—then more strongly, primitive fear lest Termush should become infested with sick people.

We expected to find a world completely annihilated. This was what we insured ourselves against when we enrolled at Termush. No one thought about protecting himself against the survivors or their demands on us. We paid money to go on living in the same way that one once paid health insurance; we bought the commodity called survival, and according to all existing contracts no one has the right to take it from us or make demands upon it.

“I do have some faith in democracy,” I replied, “but I don’t think that this vote can be regarded as a matter of course as democratic. The voters knew too little about the alternatives.”

“but democracy does depend on certain principles of freedom and these are often more essential than demonstrations of freedom. That vote was a simple demonstration of freedom, but it went against the principle of freedom. It restricted the freedom of the injured, their free right to be helped.

But his powerful obstinacy, his primitive blend of cunning and stupidity attracts supporters to rally round behind him.

I think that staying in the shelters takes more out of us than anything else. I see a bewilderment and despair in the waiting faces that during those hours threatens to wipe out all natural expression.

Life in our rooms can be confused with the protected, unambiguous life of before the disaster.

He had not wished to or had not been in a position to resume the interrupted game of make-believe that nothing had happened.

I have always been interested in my environment, but I have wanted to reach my conclusions about it in peace.

“They are scared lest the guests should take legal action against them,” he replied. “In what court?” I asked.

every single day the hotel guests were exposed to this invisible radiation, while the management neglected to call them down to the shelters for fear of spreading panic.