Deliquescence

By Pierre Matile

The novel discusses the situation of Ukraine as an ex-communist country, focusing on the hardships the people have and still are going through, and giving a general idea of the striking differences between Eastern and Western Europe.

Deliquescence: the property of some entities to segregate, to become liquid by absorbing the humidity in the atmosphere. Deliquescence, decadence, decomposition, degeneration, call it what you like; they are all resulting from the violation of moral rules. Perhaps it suffices for the moment to note that even empires are not immortal and therefore, like all living things, they are subject to decay.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BadPress
• Release date: Jan 27, 2021
• ISBN: 9781071567586

Book preview

Deliquescence

Pierre Matile

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Translated by Andreea Mirică 

Deliquescence

Written By Pierre Matile

Copyright © 2021 Pierre Matile

All rights reserved

Distributed by Babelcube, Inc.

www.babelcube.com

Translated by Andreea Mirică

Babelcube Books and Babelcube are trademarks of Babelcube Inc.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PROLOGUE

1 THE FLIGHT

2 THE ROAD

3 EARLY MORNING

4 THE OTHER EUROPE

5 WINTER

6 THE FUTURE IS A CERTAINTY

PROLOGUE

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Deliquescence: process by which a substance absorbs moisture from the atmosphere until it dissolves in the absorbed water and forms a solution. Deliquescence, decadence resulting from the violation of moral rules, degeneration. Perhaps is it enough for the moment to note that empires are not immortal and therefore, in a similar way to living creatures, are subject to decay.

Decomposition: the action of decaying or causing something to decay. Decomposition: the action of breaking, or separating something, into smaller parts.

Finite nature of empires, Ukraine, 2017; the heart barely beats, but refuses to give way to reason. And yet, 25 years have already passed. Entire generations of young adults remember nothing else but the constant struggle against this irremediable decomposition process. Nothing left; nothing left to do, nothing left to think about, nothing left to fight for, no future. In cities, man-made constructions are gradually giving up their prerogatives to nature. The stairs disintegrate and turn back to dust, trees and bushes take possession of the walls, roots shatter the asphalt, houses turn into ruins, ruins into stone mounds, and the mounds into particles swept by the wind.

Ukraine, 2017; society itself is shattered by the follies of the war with the powerful Russian neighbour, friend of yesteryear, by the separation from the European neighbours, and by the impact of the return of poverty and diseases that were thought to be gone forever. In "The Country of Last Things", Paul Auster tells us the story of an imaginary country, and yet so similar to this one; of a country in which, little by little, all landmarks disintegrate before human beings themselves disappear. Will this country follow a similar path? Or will an about-turn of the population prevent this decomposition? Gangrene is slowly eating the skin away; limbs are being amputated. Is there enough time and energy left for a successful transplantation of healthy skin material?

This is how it all begins.

1 THE FLIGHT

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Flight OS 675, Vienna, Dnipropetrovsk. Boarding without issues, the plane takes off and flies, from one side of Europe to the other, from west to east. As I will soon find out, a whole world separates these regions. The plane functions as a time machine that takes me over forty years into the past in the span of just a few hours. The transhumance starts under the direction of these flight attendants dressed in red who take care of our safety and, from quite recently, of the pulse of our mobile phones. Please reach out immediately if your device becomes passionate with you, heats up and under the influence of emotion gives off smoke, or if it is no longer within reach, having disappeared without your permission between two seats, propelled by a stroke of the battery.

For a safe passage it is necessary to shed many habits, to be able to put yourself out; otherwise, it is impossible to cross the time barrier. The guards are vigilant and reject the unrepentant. The currents are shaking the plane; have we come across turbulences? Are we pure enough, are we ready, or are we going to be rejected? Calmness returns.

I am interrupted in my meditative thoughts by another passenger of time, much more ambitious