Chapter 14 Chapter 13

There were also people like Rambert who wanted to escape this new atmosphere of panic, but they were more stubborn and more tactful, but not more successful.Rambert first continued to carry out activities through official channels.According to him, he always believed that persistence was the victory, and from a certain point of view, his profession required him to be able to deal with it well.He has interviewed many officials and other people whose qualifications have always been recognized.But this time, under special circumstances, this hope is useless.Most of these people have sharp and specialized insights into banking, exporting, citrus, and the liquor business, and they have unquestionable knowledge of litigation or insurance matters, not to mention their solid diplomas. And obvious helpful attitude.What stands out most about all of these people is their willingness to help.But on the subject of the plague, their knowledge was almost nil.

In front of each of them, Rambert presented his case at every opportunity.His basic argument was nothing more than that he was a foreigner and therefore his situation deserved special treatment.Generally speaking, the journalist's interlocutors strongly agree with him, but they always point out to him that this has happened to a lot of other people too, so that his situation is not as unique as he thinks.Rambert replied that this did no harm to his argument.The other side said it would create difficulties for the Administration, which was extremely reluctant to make exceptions for fear of creating a very unwelcome situation: setting a precedent.People who speak in this way can be classified as formalists according to the classification method that Rambert explained to Dr. Rieux.In addition, there were some talkative people who told the visitor that the situation was not going to last, and who did not hesitate to persuade the seeker with a lot of good words. They comforted Rambert by saying that the present situation was only a temporary trouble.There were also "big men" who asked the visitor to leave a note, briefly explaining the situation and telling him that a decision would be made later. Those frivolous people who took the opportunity to sell him housing securities or recommended cheap pensions; Let him fill out the card, and then categorize and file the work; those who are too busy raise their arms impatiently; those who find it troublesome simply turn their faces away; The old habit of doing things, they asked Rambert to contact another organization, or pointed him to another method of contact.

The reporter went from one place to another like this, exhausting himself.Since he often sat and waited on the oilcloth bench, facing large posters exhorting people to buy tax-free treasury securities and mobilizing people to join the colonial expeditionary force, and because he often walked into the office, what faces were there, what folders and documents were there? There is no need to look at the file rack, he can guess at a glance, so he already knows exactly what is a municipal government and what is a provincial government. As Rambert told Rieux with a bit of bitterness, all this is also beneficial, that is, to use He could not see the real situation, could not feel the spread of the plague.What's more, this can also make the days pass faster, and for everyone in the city today, as long as they don't die, one day is one day closer to the end of this test.Rieux could not deny this fact, but felt that this was a bit too general.

For once, Rambert had hoped.He had received a survey form issued by the provincial government, asking him to fill in the facts, including his identity, family situation, past and present source of life, and personal experience.It struck him as a survey of some of the people who might have been sent back.Some vague reports from one of the offices confirm this impression.But after several clear inquiries, they finally found the unit that sent the report, and they told him that the purpose of collecting these materials was "in case of emergencies." "In case of what?" Rambert asked.

They made it clear to him that they were preparing to notify his family members when he died of the plague, and on the other hand, they could study whether the city government should bear the medical expenses or wait for the relatives of the deceased to pay the bills.Of course, this proves that he is not completely separated from the people who are looking forward to reuniting with him, and that society still cares about them.However, this brings no consolation.What is more noteworthy - and Rambert certainly noticed - is the way in which a unit can continue to serve in the worst of the disaster, and not on the orders of the highest authorities, but on its own initiative for future work The only reason for doing it is because that is what it is called to do.

The period that followed was both the easiest and the hardest for Rambert.This is a time of insensitivity.He ran through all agencies, negotiated in various ways, and hit walls everywhere.He wandered from one cafe to the other.In the morning, he sat on the open-air seat in front of the cafe with a glass of unfrozen beer in front of him. He picked up the newspaper and hoped to see some signs that the epidemic was coming to an end; He turned his head in displeasure; he looked at the signboards of the shops opposite and the outdated advertisements for some famous aperitifs, and after seeing them for the hundredth time, he got up and walked aimlessly on the yellow streets of the city.In this way, from the secluded promenade to the cafe, and from the cafe to the restaurant, until evening.One night, Rieux happened to see a reporter at the door of a cafe trying to get in but not wanting to go in.Then he seemed to decide, and went and sat in the back of the room.It was during this time that the superiors ordered the café to delay turning on the lights as long as possible.The twilight flooded the room like a gray stream, the rose-colored afterglow of the setting sun was reflected on the glass windows, and the marble table top reflected faintly in the twilight.In this hall, where there were no other customers, Rambert sat alone in a corner like an abandoned ghost.Rieux thought to himself: this is the moment when he will experience the feeling of abandonment.However, this is also a time when all the imprisoned people in this city experience the feeling of exile, and something should be done to free them sooner.Rieux then turned and walked away.

Rambert sometimes remained in the station for long periods of time.It is not allowed to enter the platform of the station, but the waiting room connected to the outside is open, and beggars sometimes come here to use it in hot weather because it is shady.Rambert came here to look at the old timetable, the placard prohibiting spitting, and the regulations of the railway police, and sat down in a corner.The hall was dark, and an old cast iron stove that hadn't been fired for several months was still there, and the surrounding ground was full of water stains that had been sprinkled in a figure-eight shape.There were advertisements on the walls for free and blissful vacations to Bandol or Cannes.There Rambert experienced the abhorrence felt by a man in extremity when he sees freedom outside.He had told Rieux that it was the sights of Paris that made him the most unbearable: the ancient stones and flowing water, the pigeons of the Forbidden City, the Gare du Nord, the sparsely populated area around the sages' garden, and a place he hadn't realized in the past that made him suffer. Check out some of the other places to see in the city.All these images were now appearing in his mind one by one, making him feel like doing nothing.Rieux thought it was only because he associated these visions with his love.Then one day, when Rambert told the doctor that he liked to wake up at four o'clock in the morning and miss his hometown, the doctor could easily understand from his own experience that he was thinking of the woman he had left outside, because it was To really own her best moments in thought.Four o'clock in the morning is usually when people are doing nothing but sleeping, even after a night of infidelity in love.Yes, people are sleeping at this time, and the longing at this time can be reassuring, because an unrealized heart longs to possess his beloved forever, and when the sweetheart is not there, longs to put her into a dreamless sleep In the middle of the day, he didn't wake up until the day of reunion.