iancaldwell&dustinthomason.theruleoffour-第24章

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harlie　sees　this。〃
　On　cue；　Charlie　appears　at　the　door　of　the　lecture　hall。　For　some　reason　he's　preparing　to　leave。
　〃Hey；　Chuck；〃　I　call　out　as　we　approach；　gesturing　at　the　courtyard。　〃How　do　you　like　all　this？〃
　But　Charlie　has　other　things　on　his　mind。
　〃How　was　I　supposed　to　get　into　the　auditorium？〃　he　snaps　at　Gil。　〃You　idiots　put　some　girl　at　the　entrance；　and　she　won't　let　me　through。〃
　Gil　holds　the　door　for　the　rest　of　us。　He　understands　by　〃idiots〃　that　Charlie　is　referring　to　Ivy。　As　cochairs　of　the　biggest　campus　Christian　group；　three　senior　women　at　the　club　are　coordinating　the　Easter　ceremonies。
　〃Loosen　up；〃　Gil　says。　〃They　just　thought　Cottage　might　try　some　kind　of　prank。　They're　trying　to　nip　it　in　the　bud。〃
　Charlie　grabs　himself　expressively。　〃Yeah；　well；　I　almost　told　them　to　nip　this　in　the　bud。〃
　〃Beautiful；〃　I　say；　heading　for　the　warmth　of　the　lecture　hall。　My　shoes　are　already　soaked。　〃Can　we　go　inside？〃
　At　the　landing；　a　sophomore　with　frosted　blond　hair　and　a　skier's　tan　is　sitting　behind　a　long　table；　already　shaking　her　head。　When　Gil　arrives　behind　us　at　the　top　of　the　stairs；　though；　everything　changes。
　The　sophomore　looks　sheepishly　at　Charlie。　〃I　didn't　know　you　were　with　Gil　。　。　。〃　she　begins。
　From　inside　I　can　hear　the　voice　of　Professor　Henderson　from　the　parative　literature　department；　introducing　Taft　to　the　audience。
　〃Forget　it；〃　Charlie　says；　walking　past　the　table　toward　the　entrance。　The　rest　of　us　follow。
　The　auditorium　is　filled　to　capacity。　All　along　the　walls　and　toward　the　back　of　the　hall　by　the　entrance；　those　who　couldn't　find　a　seat　are　on　their　feet。　I　catch　sight　of　Katie　in　a　back　row　with　another　pair　of　Ivy　sophomores；　but　before　I　can　get　her　attention；　Gil　nudges　me　forward；　searching　for　a　place　where　the　four　of　us　can　stand。　He　puts　a　finger　over　his　lips　and　points　toward　the　stage。　Taft　is　walking　to　the　podium。
　　
　The　Good　Friday　lecture　is　a　tradition　with　deep　roots　at　Princeton；　the　first　of　three　Easter　celebrations　that　have　bee　fixtures　in　the　social　lives　of　many　students；　Christian　and　non…Christian　alike。　By　legend　the　events　were　introduced　in　the　spring　of　1758　by　Jonathan　Edwards；　the　fiery　New　England　churchman　who　moonlighted　as　Princeton's　third　president。　Edwards　led　the　students　in　a　sermon　on　the　night　of　Good　Friday；　followed　by　a　religious　meal　on　Saturday　evening；　and　a　service　at　midnight　as　Easter　Sunday　began。　Somehow　these　rituals　were　then　transmitted　intact　down　to　the　present；　profiting　from　that　immunity　to　time　and　fortune　which　the　university；　like　an　ancient　tar　pit；　confers　on　everything　that　unwittingly　lumbers　into　it　and　dies。
　One　of　those　things；　as　it　happened；　was　Jonathan　Edwards　himself。　Soon　after　arriving　at　Princeton；　Edwards　was　given　a　potent　smallpox　inoculation；　and　within　three　months　the　old　man　had　died　from　it。　Notwithstanding　the　fact　that　he　was　probably　too　weak　to　have　invented　the　ceremonies　that　have　been　attributed　to　him；　though；　university　officials　re…create　all　three　of　them；　year　after　year；　in　what　is　euphemistically　called　〃a　modern　context。〃
　I　suspect　Jonathan　Edwards　was　never　much　for　euphemisms　or　modern　contexts。　Considering　that　his　most　famous　metaphor　for　human　life　involved　a　spider　dangling　above　the　pit　of　hell；　hung　there　by　a　wrathful　God；　the　old　man　must　turn　in　his　grave　every　spring。　The　Good　Friday　sermon　is　now　nothing　more　than　a　lecture　delivered　by　a　member　of　the　humanities　faculty；　the　only　thing　mentioned　less　often　than　God　in　the　lecture　is　hell。　The　original　religious　meal；　which　must　have　been　stark　and　Calvinist　in　its　conception；　is　now　a　banquet　in　the　most　beautiful　of　the　undergraduate　dining　halls。　And　the　midnight　service；　which　I'm　sure　once　made　the　walls　tremble；　is　now　a　nondenominational　celebration　of　faith；　where　not　even　the　atheists　and　agnostics　can　feel　out　of　place。　Maybe　for　that　reason；　students　of　every　background　attend　the　Easter　ceremonies；　each　for　a　different　reason；　and　all　of　them　depart　happily；　with　their　expectations　reinforced　and　their　sensitivities　respected。
　Taft　stands　at　the　podium；　fat　and　shaggy　as　ever。　Seeing　him；　I　think　of　Procrustes；　the　mythological　highwayman　who　tortured　his　victims　by　stretching　them　on　a　bed　if　they　were　too　short；　or　cutting　them　down　to　size　if　they　were　too　tall。　Every　time　I　look　at　the　man　I　think　of　how　misshapen　he　is；　how　his　head　is　too　big　and　his　gut　is　too　round；　how　the　fat　dangles　from　his　arms　as　if　the　flesh　were　pulled　from　his　bones。　Still；　there　is　an　operatic　quality　to　the　figure　he　cuts　onstage。　In　his　wrinkled　white　dress　shirt　and　worn　tweed　coat；　he　is　larger　than　his　own　circumstances；　a　mind　bulging　at　its　human　seams。　Professor　Henderson　steps　toward　him；　trying　to　adjust　the　microphone　on　his　lapel；　and　Taft　remains　still；　like　a　crocodile　having　its　teeth　cleaned　by　a　bird。　This　is　the　giant　at　the　top　of　Paul's　beanstalk。　Remembering　the　story　of　Epp　Lang　and　the　dog；　I　feel　my　stomach　turn　again。
　By　the　time　we　find　a　pinch　of　standing　room　at　the　back　of　the　auditorium；　Taft　has　begun；　and　already　it's　far　from　the　usual　Good　Friday　drivel。　He's　delivering　a　slide　show；　and　over　the　broad　white　projection　screen　es　a　series　of　images；　each　more　terrible　than　the　last。　Saints　being　tortured。　Martyrs　being　slain。　Taft　is　saying　that　faith　is　easier　to　give　than　life；　but　harder　to　take　away。　He　has　brought　examples　to　make　his　point。
　〃Saint　Denis；〃　he　says；　voice　pulsing　through　the　speakers　mounted　high　overhead；　〃was　martyred　by　decapitation。　According　to　legend；　his　corpse　rose　and　carried　his　head　away。〃
　Above　the　lectern　is　a　painting　of　a　blindfolded　man　with　his　head　on　a　block。　The　executioner　is　wielding　an　enormous　ax。
　〃Saint　Quentin；〃　he　continues；　advancing　to　the　next　image。　〃Painted　by　Jacob　Jordaens；　1650。　He　was　stretched　on　the　rack；　then　flogged。　He　prayed　to　God　for　strength；　and　survived；　but　was　later　put　on　trial　as　a　sorcerer。　He　was　racked　and　beaten；　and　his　flesh　was　pierced　with　iron　wires　from　the　shoulders　to　the　thighs。　Iron　nails　were　forced　into　his　fingers；　skull；　and　body。　He　was　ultimately　decapitated。〃
　Charlie；　failing　to　see　the　point　of　all　this；　or　maybe　just　unimpressed　after　the　horrors　he's　seen　with　the　ambulance　team；　turns　to　me。
　〃So　what'd　Stein　want？〃　he　whispers。
　Across　the　screen　es　a　dark　image　of　a　man；　naked　but　for　a　loincloth；　being　forced　to　lie　across　a　metal　surface。　A　fire　is　being　lit　below　him。　〃Saint　Lawrence；〃　Taft　continues；　familiar　enough　with　the　details　not　to　need　cues。　〃Martyred　in　258。　Burned　alive　on　a　gridiron。〃
　〃He　found　a　book　Paul　needs　for　his　thesis；〃　I　say。
　Charlie　points　to　the　bundle　in　Paul's　hand。　〃Must　be　important；〃　he　says。
　I　expect　something　sharp　in　the　words；　a　reminder　of　how　Stein　cut　our　game　short；　but　Charlie　says　them　with　respect。　He　and　Gil　still　mispronounce　the　Hypnerotomachia's　title　five　times　out　of　ten；　but　Charlie；　at　least；　can　identify　with　how　hard　Paul　has　worked；　and　how　much　this　research　means　to　him。
　Taft　presses　a　button　behind　the　lectern　again；　and　an　even　stranger　image　appears。　A　man　lies　on　a　wooden　tablet；　with　a　hole　in　the　side　of　his　abdomen。　A　string　from　within　the　hole　is　gradually　being　turned　on　a　spit　by　two　men　on　either　side　of　him。
　〃Saint　Erasmus；〃　Taft　says；　〃also　known　as　Elmo。　He　was　tortured　by　Emperor　Diocletian。　Though　beaten　with　whips　and　clubs；　he　survived。　Though　rolled　in　tar　and　set　on　fire；　he　lived。　Though　thrown　into　prison；　he　escaped。　He　was　recaptured　and　forced　to　sit　in　a　burning　iron　chair。　Finally　he　was　killed　by　having　his　stomach　cut　open　and　his　intestines　wound　around　a　windlass。〃
　Gil　turns　to　me。　〃This　is　definitely　different。〃
　A　face　in　the　back　row　turns　to　shush　us；　but　seems　to　think　better　of　it　after　seeing　Charlie。
　〃The　proctors　wouldn't　even　listen　to　me　about　the　screen；〃　Charlie　whispers　to　Gil；　still　looking　for　conversation。
　Gil　turns　back　toward　the　stage；　not　wanting　to　resurrect　the　topic。
　〃Saint　Peter；〃　Taft　continues；　〃by　Michelangelo；　around　1550。　Peter　was　martyred　under　Nero；　crucified　upside…down　at　his　ow