#scythia paz

[cylixconspiracy-campaign]

Funeral For An Idiot // A Plot Is Hatched

"Dearly Beloved, we are gathered here today..."

The majority of the crew tuned out Karoleen's awkward, stumbling delivery as the blonde woman thumbed desperately through the pages of her Lecitio Divinatus, searching for some kind of ritual to guide the senior staff through now that she'd gone through the cliche's she remembered from vids. Zel yawned, the ship's Purser having somehow been corralled into wearing a shirt for once as they all stood at attention and stared solemnly at the casket containing Uriel Winterheart's dead body. 

Bloody idiot had charged off without warning anybody and gotten himself killed trying to fulfill a vendetta. Octavius leaned forwards and glanced at their captain's former bodyguard, eyeing the four 'senior' officers and grunting. Nicomedes seemed more irritated than anything else, and who knew what the damned tech-priest was thinking? Barbosa was all composure and military grit, while Titus-

Octavius swallowed as Titus' head snapped around, the psyker giving the aging Adept a sickeningly wide grin. He looked back at the coffin, deciding to pretend that he didn't hear Caradoc's snickering next to him. 

"...is there anyone who wants to say a few words?" Karoleen finished sheepishly. Zariel Eizen started to walk towards the stage, and as one the gathered crowd let out a despairing groan that, thankfully, the old man seemed not to hear. 

"I grew up knowing that Master Uriel would be my captain, and my captain he was for nearly two hunnnerd years! The stories he could tell, yessir, they don't make traders like him anymore..."

Octavius shuddered as the Master of Ordnance started to really ramble. He felt a slight surge of something to his left, followed by the temperature in the room dropping for a brief instant, and then heard an even longer groan than most of Zariel's speeches were met with.

"How long is this one going to go?" He heard Karoleen ask her best friend casually. Strange that the ship's Confessor should take to their astropath so well, but...well, they were the same age. And really, Karoleen wasn't much of a confessor. 

"Another twenty minutes, if somebody doesn't stop him." Verity replied glumly. That made Octavius close his eyes and grunt a slight curse under his breath. He wanted to get back to his damn cogitators already. 

"...a walking-bird. Yes, Uriel loved to hunt, and we'd have walking-bird whenever we visited a garden world that had them, with all the trimmings too: cranberries, fruits, whatever kind of amasec was there. Then we'd all watch scrumball, which in those days was called..."

"Yes, thank you for the kind words, Master Zariel." Eventually Barbosa took pity on the rest of the crew, getting a sigh of relief from the less professional members of staff. Which, distressingly, was most of them. The dignified former Navy officer said a few more words, and then with a press of a button they watched Uriel's casket shoot out into space. 

"Does anyone else have something they'd like to say before we leave for mourning?" Barbosa asked, the question clearly rhetorical, but Octavius cleared his throat. The man looked annoyed, but waved him on anyway. 

"With the death of Uriel Winterheart, ah..." Octavius glanced around, before shrugging. "The Winterheart dynasty is over. We're out of a job. I imagine the Administratum will be shutting us down as soon as they hear about this."

There was a brief pause, and then a sudden flurry of questions, shouts, and other arguments that Octavius couldn't be damned to deal with. Message delivered, he could head back to his office - and hope that his next posting would be with saner people. 

The first meeting to resolve the problem started chaotically. Eventually, at the ten minute mark, the ship's armorer Scythia fired her riot shotgun into the ceiling, and the meeting came to order. 

"...how long can we go without the pencil-pushers actually noticing something's wrong?" Was the first proposed plan - to just rely on the Administratum's notorious incompetence and delays. Unfortunately, while Zel's idea wasn't without its merits, it was shot down on the basis of being unsustainable. All a rival would have to do is report them, and they'd get a bounty placed on their heads. A dozen more ideas were presented, and shelved, until suddenly...someone struck on a good one. 

"What's the name of that child Uriel picked up from a Dark Eldar slave ship a few weeks ago?" Ivica asked slowly, the tech-priestess turning to the rest of the room. 

"...my name's Verity." Verity said slowly, flinching back as Elleantra tossed a piece of scrunched-up paper at her. 

"Not you. And the child's name is Yuliana, no last na-" Elleantra got as far as saying, before the religious woman's eyes narrowed and she looked at the rest of the crew. "We're not. That's just fraud. Uriel may have been a petty thief and a dozen other things, but surely we have better moral fortitude than that!"

The crew ignored her.

"Considering Uriel's reputation...a bastard child is certainly was his style." Zariel put forwards, even the old man following their train of thought. "Really, I'm surprised we haven't met an actual one sooner. Why, I remember this time-"

"Alright, thank you." Barbosa said firmly. Soon, and slowly, an idea started to hatch...one that they hoped wouldn't bite them in the ass. Octavius was most annoyed when they broke into his office, casually pressed Nicomedes' autogun against his head, and told him to forge the relevant documents. When he objected, there was a menacing click sound, and the Administratum agent found out exactly how fast he could type under pressure. 

Almost as annoyed and confused was Yuliana herself, the poor child having thought she'd return home - but without any way of knowing which planet she was from, she was stuck. 

So instead she found herself waddling onto the bridge in robes several sizes too big for her, Ivica trailing behind her and glaring at anyone who dared to start laughing. Fighting desperately to keep a straight face, Barbosa cleared his throat and nodded. 

"Orders, Lord Captain?"

Yuliana's brow furrowed, and she seemed to try and think of something - but failed, shoulders slumping in defeat before she shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe, uh...maybe find a way to get some more money?"

"Oh, trust me." Titus grinned, the psyker turning back to his own console and pulling up a message from an old friend of Uriel's. "We can do that. Got a job lined up already."

"Oh. Good." Yuliana still seemed lost, turning and slowly stumbling over towards the screen. "Uh...do it, then? And don't screw up or you're going out the airlock?"

"What have you been teaching this child?" Ivica hissed at Nicomedes, but the bodyguard ignored her - although he did smirk a little. Barbosa let out a short, biting laugh before turning and starting to punch in some coordinates. 

"Yes, Lord Captain. We obey."

[strategischwelt]

Super Glorious Ones

Note: This story has taken place before the event of Civilized All Stars Part 1.

Disclaimer: I don’t own these series (XCOM and Civilization).

Cast

Daniel "Dan" Roosevelt

Elizabeth "Elisa" Greenhill

Mary Alexandrina "Merlyn" Wilson

Alexander "Xander" Jackson (Alexander the Great of Macedon)

Carla Roosevelt

Dr. Raymond Shen

Dr. Moira Vahlen

The Spokesman (real name: unknown)

Gerry Roosevelt (Narrator/Teddy Roosevelt)

Raj Gandhi (Mahatma Gandhi)

Vicky Harrison (Victoria)

Sonia Zhaparova (Tomyris; mentioned)

Betty Thatcher (Nuclear-Beth/Elizabeth I)

Mary Thatcher-Lukeson (Mary Tudor; mentioned only)

Mark Romer (Trajan)

Rafael de La Cruz (Montezuma)

The Glorious Ones:

Phil Lukeson (Philip II)

Freddy Browns (Frederick Barbarossa)

Pete Cosgrave (Peter the Great)

Peter Alencar (Pedro II)

George Nzinga (Mvemba a Nzinga/Afonso I)

Gladys Cosgrave ("Master" Jadwiga)

Jane Lavigne (Catherine de Medici)

Elisa Castillo (Isabella the Catholic)

Prologue

Spokesman: Greeting, Commander. The civilization has been restored from the world. The Civilized Plasma can uses the power of the duty and wisdom. We build our own armada for the expedition. Good luck, Commander.

Philip II: We'll be back.

[The Glorious League]

Episode 1: Lettergiving

[Tuesday, August 11th, 2015]

Narrator: Once upon a time, there was an officer who attached to XCOM named Central Officer John Bradford. He was a charismatic man who reported to Daniel "Dan" Roosevelt and Elizabeth "Elisa" Greenhill (as the Young Commanders) and gave the Glorious Letter to their friends.

Central: Please give me your Glorious Letter to your friends.

Dan: What is this?

Elisa: The Glorious Ones in the Historical Civilization, including Philip II of Spain.

[Thursday, August 13th, 2015]

[In the Virgilian High School]

Master (?): Hello, Commander.

Merlyn: [waking up] Oooouuuuh... Who are you?

Master Jadwiga: I am Master Jadwiga Andegaweńska of Poland.

Merlyn: Master Jadwiga!?

Master Jadwiga: Commander, you must give reasons why Lettergivers should not know about Glorious Fleet.

Xander: Tell us about it!

Master Jadwiga: In the extraterrestrial, Gloria HQ was a main base for the anti-Reformer and anti-Scythian operation. It was called "Soul Inquisition" by the Leader of Spain, Philip Lukeson.

Carla: Who's Philip Lukeson?

Master Jadwiga: He was a descendant of Philip II who devout Catholic, focused to teach every student about history. He was married to Mary Thatcher in 2014. However, Elizabeth Thatcher sent an her own army to aid the (Protestant) Dutch, associate with Scythia, in rebellion against the Glorious Ones in 2015.

Merlyn: This year?!

Episode 2: Brotherhood

[41 days later]

[Incoming Transmission]

Central: Young Commander, the Glorious Ones have to prepare for war against England and Scythia during Invincible War. Please, you must use weapon for a mission of the Passive One.

[5 days later]

Central: Move, move, move!

Shen: Who's next?

[Dan and Elisa become the next soldiers]

[In the Rebellion (November 19, 2 days after Central's birthday)]

Merlyn: What the freak?

[Seeing the destroyer of the Glorious Fleets]

[In La Oficina de Gloria]

Vahlen: We show a book of war.

Dan: What is it?

Carla: The Book of the Glorious Armada.

Dan: Tell about it now.

Carla: In this rebellion, a woman named Elizabeth Thacher. She suffered her hunger for nuclear destruction trying to destroy the Glorious Armada.

Elisa: Wait a second!

Dan: Elisa?

Elisa: This gift from Central's birthday. This is a Book of the Avenger Fleet in the Glorious Wars.

Dan: The Avenger?

Elisa: Yes, a mobile base of XCOM to launch mission during the campaign to the Glorious Ones. This mobile is known as "ant farm" interior design to harbor.

Vahlen: What are facilities?

Dan: Bridge, research, engineering, armory, living quarters, restaurant, memorial, and the Office of Commander.

Carla: Oh my gosh! That's strategic!

Elisa: Yes, Carla. We have to prepare to the gran oficina for the mission.

Episode 3: Most Strategic

[In La Oficina de Gloria, main room]

Victoria: Please give us an alternative letter on the Avenger's Continent.

Shen: That continent has new... I mean the Glorious Continent. Isn't it?

[In the Avenger, bridge]

Central: Congratulations, young Commanders. You have succeed the mission of how Tomyris has to get arrested, but escapes from gran oficina in La Paz. Now, we have a strategic assignment to do! Gandhi provides the important prizes to you all.

Soldiers: Yeah!

Gandhi: Good job, young Commanders! We can't express how we appreciate your mission. Give the world best for you all. You get our prizes from Teddy and Vicky.

Central: As you wish.

Dan: Hey! I have something to do this one.

Merlyn: What are we doing?

Dan: The soldiers use the weapons, armours, and helmets to prepare into the fleet.

Xander: Ha ha! How outrageous.

Dan: Nope, Xander. That's hard working to get the promotion from Gandhi.

Carla: But he's going to invite us in Earth Channel Office tomorrow.

[next day]

[bell rang]

Elisa: ...; Excuse me. Where are you going to go?

Carla: Gandhi's invitation for the great promotion and greeting at office.

[3 days later]

[Dan and Elisa visit Trajan's home]

Dan: Peace upon you! Barrister. I am Dan Roosevelt, son of Gerry. And It's my friend Elisa Greenhill. We'd like to share our interest in Raj Gandhi and Vicky Harrison to you.

Mark: Greeting, strangers! I am Mark Alexander Romer from Italy, a winner of Barrister of the Year 2015. So, you can call me Mark. But, Gandhi and Vicky warned me about Prizes of Glory in the World.

[note: Mark Alexander Romer is a descendant to Trajan, 13th Emperor of the Roman Empire]

Elisa: Despite they two invite us to explain about the Glorious Ones. The Glorious Ones are Philip Lukeson, Pete Cosgrave, Freddy Browns, George Nzinga, Peter Alencar, Jane Lavigne, and Gladys Cosgrave. So that's why Elisa Castillo is a wife of Ferdinand who joins the early-Glorious Ones.

Mark: That's a secret news, strangers!

Elisa: Of course, barrister. We are going to watch a news to meet the historical-themed members.

Dan: Wow! That's glorious.

Episode 4: The Secret Plan

[During the Nuke-free Movement for the World]

[protesting against Nuclear-Beth]

Gandhi: The announcement is propaganda! Elizabeth, the destroyer of armada who irritated the expedition of the Glorious Ones and used the nuclear weapons to destruct the fleet on the sky and also prepared for the early battle of the New Gravelines to launch the Scythian expedition. Reject her!

People: Reject Nuclear-Beth!

[5 days later]

Mark: Forward, strangers! We're going to go to the Glorious Avenger.

Elisa: Yes, barrister.

Dan: Mark, I don't know if you join the XCOM Attorney to report th-

[reaching to the harbour.]

Mark: Come with me!

[turning up the sky. They watch the protest, refugees, citizens, and some soldiers who process the weaponry. They reach La Oficina de Gloria.]

[15 minutes later]

[arriving to the front]

Mark: Hail, strangers! I am Mark Romer. And it's my friends Dan and Elisa. Can we go to the office?

[entering to the office.]

[Philip II, at 32]

Philip II: Greeting! I am Philip II of Spain, devout follower of the true Catholic. (Hmm... I don't know why Pete is an Orthodoxy.)

Mark: So miracle for the truth and loyal!

Dan: Phil, why did you lose your battle during the New Gravelines?

Philip II: I had a problem with the logistical expedition. Since Elizabeth focused her ocean nuclear to use the Storm Horror.

Elisa: Of course, not.

Philip II: But I prayed to our armada who were destructed by Nuclear-Beth and rebuild our armadas to prepare for the Glorious War.

Mark: That's outrageous, but miracle.

Elisa: Look! There are Philip's preferred foods.

Mark: Churros with hot chocolate and tomato spaghetti.

Philip II: How wonderful foods!

[In the Bridge]

[Pedro II, at 47; Catherine de Medici, at 33]

Announcer: Attention please! Our project will have Gloria Headquarters that will be held on February 15th, 2016.

Pedro II: Phew... that sounds good.

[Catherine reading her favorite josei manga (Flower and Sword)]

Catherine: Something I'll get perished in the Great Ball.

[Jadwiga, at 14]

Jadwiga: Look! It's Philip II.

Philip II: Ladies and gentlemen, we know that the Scythian army carries the invasion of Glorious Ones. Although Elizabeth gives the promise to Scythians and Netherlands.

[Frederick Barbarossa, at 34]

Frederick: There's no excuse to our people who mourn to our defeat.

[Mvemba a Nzinga/Afonso I, at 54]

Afonso: The destructor has failed us.

Frederick: We need to go, everyone. The rebellion has occured in this world.

Peter: The powerful army can't face our powerful one.

All: Peter the Great?

[Peter the Great, at 31]

Peter: The expedition problem has occured at the rebelion against Scythians, Dutch, Muslims, and English.

Jadwiga: The power has 90% for the English nukes to destruct our armadas.

[Isabella the Catholic, at 24]

Isabella: As you wish.

Episode 5: The Secret Battle

[The Hall of Glory, main room]

Mark: Alright, everyone. This is the League of Gloria in the HQ.

Philip II: In the headquarters?

Isabella: We have been working hard to do the most wonderful and most glorious.

Philip II: We are going to meet some members of the glory.

[being shown when mentioned]

Philip II: Pedro II, the crest of leaf and jungle; Peter the Great, the crest of water and wood; Mvemba a Nzinga, the crest of feather and spear; Jadwiga, a low-pitched young girl who has two crests: flower and light; Catherine de Medici, the crest of darkness; Frederick, the crest of sword and shield; and Isabella, a wife of Ferdinand who has two crests: seed and bird.

Dan: Whoa! That's glorious!

Isabella: We believe in the crest of light and darkness. Except for Catherine who simply believes in the darkness for her espionage. Philip, come to the Spokesman's screen!

Catherine: Follow us to the bridge, Peddy!

[Catherine laughs]

[Pedro II getting shocked and insulted]

Pedro II: Screwing roguish queen! It's Pedro!

[the others laugh why Pedro II is called "Peddy" by Catherine]

Catherine: Oh, that's what to say, freaking Peddy.

Pedro II: Nope! You screwing roguish Catherine!

[Pedro II fighting to Catherine]

Philip II: Oh, man...

[In the armory]

Merlyn: Xander?

Xander: What's wrong?

Merlyn: The Radical Scythians had threaten the city of Paris.

[Xander reading the newspaper]

[shocked]

Xander: Tomyris?!

[Next day at the Hall of Glory]

Narrator: Meanwhile...

[Route video on the main screen]

Spokesman: Hello, the Glorious Ones. In the rise of the Glorious Project. You have to favor a main bases... and survive on the secret expedition. Good luck, the Glorious Ones.

Philip II: We have an SD Card.

Isabella: Have to take the SD to Spokesman. Scan the SD and copy the secret files.

Spokesman: Give me the secret informations for the war.

Elisa: Hey! It's Spokesman.

Pedro II: Tell about the armada.

Spokesman: Preparing 170 ships, 10.000 members, and 18.500 soldiers, and 3000 guns to take the warship.

Afonso: But why to get delayed?

Spokesman: That was a bad weather and water nuclear.

Peter, Jadwiga: Bad weather?

Catherine: Phew... the Murderous One was a cautious at the storm...

Frederick: At the storm? Just no more waves.

Episode 6: At the War

Narrator: Meanwhile, in the Earth Channel Office.

[1 hour later]

Teddy: Mr. Gandhi, we have to take a risk about the armadas.

Gandhi: Elizabeth's tribute?

[in the field]

[people protesting against Elizabeth]

Montezuma: Long time no see, freaking Pip.

Philip II: No so fast, Monte!

Montezuma: Freak you, Pip!

[in the front on the Earth Channel Office]

[people still protest against Elizabeth]

Philip II: But I am an Admiral of the Spain who has a crest of candle and paper: Philip II!

Isabella: Lieutenant Isabella of Castile!

Frederick: Admiral Frederick Barbarossa of Germany!

Afonso: Grand Admiral Afonso of Kongo!

Catherine: Rear Admiral Catherine de Medici of France!

Peter: Captain Peter of Russia!

Jadwiga: Lieutenant Jadwiga of Poland!

Pedro: Vice Admiral Pedro of Brazil!

Philip II: Mass screwed, Monte!

Montezuma: I have to freaking summon Elizabeth. No one cares!

[people screaming]

People: Help! Nuclear-Beth! AAAAAAAAAHHHH!

[screaming]

[emerging form the bridge]

[after Mark disappeared]

Dan: Mark, where are you?; Mark? MAAAAAARK!

Jadwiga: My turn, Monty!

Montezuma: My sentence is backed with... NUCLEAR-BETH!

[Elizabeth breaks free from the throne; using the nuclear weapons]

Elizabeth I: Hyaaaaagh!

[analyzing]

Catherine: Ah! That's like a "Nuclear Gandhi" from Civilization franchises!

Jadwiga: Help! I'm scared!

Peter: Don't be scared, Jadwiga. We have to finish this!

[Monty jumping onto a top of the roof of the hall; kidnapping Elisa]

Montezuma: So long, the freaking Glorious Ones!

[reaching Elisa]

Dan: Elisa!

Elisa: Help! Dan!

[Dan fails to save Elisa; Elisa goes to the prison]

Dan: I'm gonna save you, Elisa! Elisa? ELISAAAAAAA!

Elizabeth I: You can't beat me, screwers!

Pedro: Oh, how greedy!

[people screaming again]

Philip II: We're going to stop Elizabeth using the nuclear to destroy our armadas of the world! Isabella, go!

[Isabela rises into the air and uses her technique.]

Isabella: Bombas de la Granada!

[Note: "Bombas de la Granada" meanings "Bombs of pomegranate" to drop the bomb; blaming the Nuke-happy.]

[Elizabeth uses her technique to bash.]

Elizabeth I: Rose-bombed-cards!

[Isabella getting bashed by Elizabeth who uses the magic cards.]

Isabella: Hyaaaaah!

[Isabella falling into the ground]

Afonso: Nice shot!

Isabella: Phew... She's too strong, Phil!

Frederick: She also uses the stormy technique.

Pedro: Screw you, Elizabeth!

Philip II: (Before she uses the water nuclear to destroy our armadas.) Spokesman!

[The Hall of Glory, at the moment]

Narrator: Meanwhile, in the Bridge

Spokesman: What are you doing, Admiral?

Philip II: We need to know how to defeat the nuke-happy Elizabeth.

Spokesman: Nuke-happy Elizabeth?

Philip II: We've got to defeat the nuke-happy Elizabeth and build the Statue of Glory.

Frederick: Isa, use the culture card!

Isabella: What's this?

[opening the secret: Feuermacht]

Isabella: Feuermacht? Let me do this.

[Izzy pointing to Pedro]

Isabella: Pedro, use the Rousing Rocket Launcher.

[Pedro grabbing the Rousing Rocket Launcher]

Afonso: Penas do Relâmpago!

[Note: "Penas do Relâmpago" meanings "Lightning Feathers"]

Philip II: Ah! I got it!

Catherine: What's that?

Philip II: Beam Cannon! Beam Cannon is the most powerful weapon human forces can deploy.

Catherne: Can deploy?

Narrator: Philip II uses the Beam Cannon to prepare the attack on the armadas.

[bombing]

Elisa: Woah!

[Peter deactivates the stormy nuclear weapons; Philip II prepares the Statue of Glory to defeat Elizabeth I]

[Later, Philip II uses the Beam Cannon to beat Elizabeth I; Elizabeth I gets shot on her stomach]

Elizabeth I: NOOOOOOOOOO!

[Elizabeth I falls down; splashed into the water; disappeared]

[Elisa is saved from the prison]

Episode 7: The End of the Battle

Narrator: In the same place...

[Mark getting cough after fume]

Mark: Finally...

[before escaping]

Philip II: Your power is not enough to destruct our duty, Monte!

[Monty going into the nuclear vehicle]

Montezuma: I will be back, the Freaking Glorious Ones!

[taking into the sky]

Philip II: Screw you!

[people yell when Monty in the vehicle fly away to the sky]

[the decisive Glorious Ones victory]

[in the Bridge]

[in mic]

Dan: Listen, everyone! You don't want Elizabeth to bulid her own Counter-Armada. See, the nuclear-based spell weapon can destruct the peace. The history of the world has to build the new heritages and items. The glory, is a one of the greatest theories.

[next]

Merlyn: The Peacekeepers will rebuild the city, in order that the people keep calm. Mission accomplished!

People: Yeah! Long Live the Glorious Ones!

Elisa: Thank you for saving us, Dan. You're my best companion!

Dan: You, too.

Merlyn: Ha ha. The XCOM Avenger rebuilt!

[Dan kicks Merlyn]

Merlyn: Ouch! Stop kicking me!

[everyone laugh]

Narrator: Philip II and his allies leave the Bridge. In the Great Challenge of the Duty and Wisdom revealed in this world... and peace.

Epilogue: The Secret

Tomyris: I have conquered the Glorious Ones many times.

?: Why?

Tomyris: The ADVENT has the new propaganda, no humans can volunteer. And Sectoids threaten the true civilization.

?: How difficult.

[Tomyris open her eyes and endanger the citizens]

Tomyris: It's about time... to build the NUCLEAR INJECTION!

[End of the Glorious League]

[dietariovienes]

CARTA DE VIENA DESDE O HOTEL REGINA

“En Viena tense a impresión de que se vive e sempre se viviu no pasado, cuxas enrugas ocultan e protexen mesmo a alegría...”

 (Claudio Magris)

Cando un 25 de xuño de 1940 Stefan Zweig parte definitivamente, xunto á súa querida esposa Lotte, no barco de pasaxeiros “Scythia” con rumbo ao Brasil, deixando así atrás Europa cunha dor e unha lembranza incurables –e que o vencerían de vez tempo despois-, quizais pronunciou o seu nome como un conxuro: Hotel Regina.

Viena, Hotel Regina, estación término. Hotel Regina, un predio algo illado que contorna o espazo ao carón da Igrexa Votiva, alzándose de xeito rotundo, elegante e algo escuro, no inicio da Währingerstraße. O vello Hotel Regina, alí pasou Zweig as súas horas derradeiras nesta capital antes de partir para un exilio sen volta; alí estivo, nunha daquelas estancias cos drapeados e os aromas distantes a vello Imperio e a pasado contundente.

Confuso polo desespero da perda e pola violencia dun tempo que non daba tregua, un tempo asolagando os acenos e as rúas daquela Viena tan amada das súas vixilias e os seus soños, o escritor perseguido (lembremos que os seus libros xa estaban a ser queimados e que sufrira denuncias infames) tentaría tal vez, desde a soidade sórdida da súa última noite vienesa, regresar a algunha páxina dos mestres que o guiaran.

Porque, como nos lembra George Steiner en Leccións dos mestres, “cando homes e mulleres se afanan descalzos en procurar un Mestre, a forza vital do espíritu está salvagardada”. Iso procurara Zweig toda a súa vida, desde os tempos mozos de estudante apaixonado polas Letras. Neles, neses “antigos mestres” buscara el os materiais de vida e de escrita para ir axeitando unha casa firme, feita desde a liberdade de pensamento, o civismo e a procura xenerosa da beleza estética. A cifra exacta da mellor Europa, ao fin. Unha sorte de novo Humanismo.

Se lermos a correspondencia que Zweig trocou con Schnitzler ou Rilke, por citarmos apenas dous nomes centrais dese xeito de aprendizaxe literaria e humana que tanto practicou o austríaco, veremos con claridade como era algo fundamental para el, como procuraba comprender mellor o seu tempo, as mudanzas do pensamento, os desafíos estéticos, etc...sentindo as voces que mellor o podían guiar por eses vieiros.

Así, escríbelle con data do 29.11.14 a Arthur Schnitzler: “Nada é máis axeitado nestes días do que a veracidade, que non se deixa intimidar polas arengas do mercado: creo que debemos seguir dicindo que Tolstoi é un dos seres máis auténticos de tódolos tempos e que temos que manifestar sen vacilar o noso respeto pola obra de Anatole France.”A figura do novelista ruso será case totémica para Zweig, no moral, no humano, no literario...Precisamente, porque o vello Lev foi quizais un dos primeiros en intuír o desastre que se larvaba entre nós.

Ou tamén, en carta a Rilke (do 04.05.14), unhas palabras que, dalgunha maneira, describen aqueles “derradeiros días de felicidade de Europa”, como o propio Zweig os denominara, e que el vira e vivira precisamente en Viena: “Ao meu regreso (que sempre temo) encheume de ledicia atopar Viena indescriptiblemente fermosa, de verde claro e cos seus numerosos xardíns radiantes.”

E novamente a Schnitzler, cunha aseveración que denota o seu espírito tendente á fraternidade, case como se dunha tarefa cívica se tratar, para tentar salvar así a paz e a convivencia europeas: “Nada me parece máis necesario que facer que as poucas persoas esenciais do noso tempo diseminado se coñezan...”

Produto dunha rica correspondencia levada ao longo de dezasete anos, nunhas páxinas fondamente fermosas sobre a vida do seu benquerido amigo Rainer Maria Rilke, Maria von Thurn und Taxis afirma que “moitos dos poemas de Rilke eran (...) froito de visións...”. Tal vez, aquela vontade firme de Zweig fose tamén apenas froito dunha visión, dunha visión que nos pode parecer agora inocente demais. Pero glosemos isto cunha reflexión do propio Rilke e posiblemente entenderemos mellor o alento de Zweig: “..aconteza o que acontecer, o peor de todo será a desaparición para todos nós dunha certa inocencia vital na que nos criamos. Os anos que nos quedan por diante, por moitos que sexan, han de nos ver baixando cos xeonllos tremendo, desta montaña de dor por cuxa ladeira nos están facendo subir cada vez máis.”

  Porque aquela Europa non volvería ser a mesma desde a Grande Guerra e Zweig intuíao tamén como un agoiro doentío, constante... Sobre eses feitos (que marcarían definitivamente a existencia do autor e que significaron un abalo total para este territorio, mental e xeográfico) hai unha coincidencia biografía curiosa cun outro escritor -indispensable para comprender mellor todo este relato centroeuropeo- e que non é coñecida abondo. Ese outro escritor é Elias Canetti.

Pois ben, cando a I Guerra Mundial foi proclamada, un 28 de xullo de 1914, pasaban o día no frescor de Baden -a pequena e fermosa vila balnearia ás aforas de Viena, a onde Beethoven se retirara para compor, parcialmente, a Novena Sinfonía- o mozo Zweig e un cativiño chamado Elias Canetti, que andaba por alí a enredar co seu irmán, baixo a ollada severa da nai Mathilde. Evidentemente, non sabían o un do outro e non había tampouco vencellos familiares ou de amizade entre os Zweig e os Canetti. Mais, andando o tempo, esa escena, que transcorre diante do azulado e elegante pavillón de música de Baden, será relatada cun significado moi especial por ámbolos dous autores.   

A orquestra, que estaba a amenizar aquel día de estío, un día despreocupado e mundano, con valses e melodías de operetas no medio dun parque ateigado de paseantes e turistas, esa orquestra deixa pois, de súpeto, de tocar e anúnciase o estouro da I Guerra Mundial. Nas palabras escritas por Zweig sobre aqueles momentos tan tensos transloce xa unha decepción fondísima, o naufraxio persoal que viría logo. Pola súa banda, Canetti lembra o estupor perante  aquela noticia inesperada e como a súa nai os ten que protexer doutros paseantes, moi airados estes por escoitaren os nenos falar en inglés (comezaran os cativos tamén a cantaruxar de maneira inocente o“God save the King” no medio daqueles austrohúngaros).

  Mais os días dos paseos entre os mirtos e as fontes románticas de Baden estaban lonxe demais da Petrópolis vizosa de luz, de flores e de celmes feros onde Zweig se refuxia para esquecer....Algo que non logra: esquecer. Nunha carta do 15.4.1933 ao seu grande amigo, o artista belga Frans Masserel, escribira xa o vienés cunha intuición opaca: “Teño a máis forte aversión a converterme nun emigrante, (...) porque sei que a condición do emigrante é sempre perigosa; a causa dela, os que fican convértense en reféns e a vida se lles complica...”    

A Viena que el coñecera, e que chegaría a ser realmente unha sorte de Atenas da Europa contemporánea -no pensamento, na arte, no cosmopolitismo...- ata aquel anuncio fatal en Baden, pode ser algo tanxible se seguirmos os pasos de Zweig, as súas olladas...Porque as súas son páxinas onde a xenerosidade e a confianza nos europeos semellan algo posible; porque nelas, como en Roman Rollain, como en Tolstoi, como no poeta Émile Verhaeren, poño por caso, o individuo e a súa liberdade están a salvo da maquinaria de perversas burocracias, das violencias goradas, das demagoxias letais. Porque houbo días anteriores a aquelas horas esgazadas no vello Hotel Regina. Por iso. 

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Nota:  O presente texto foi publicado por vez primeira vez na revista "Grial", n° 205. Nesta versión foron engadidas imaxes que non apareceron nesa publicación.

(Carlos Penela)

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