The Mask

Summary of the Stanisław Lem's novel

lojbo	glico
ni'o ni'o ni'o bau le lojbo	English version
ni'o le firgai	The Mask
ni'o la'e di'e tordu nu ciksi la'e noi lisri vau le firgai lu'u noi la .stanislav.lem. finti	Summary of the Stanisław Lem's novel
.i la gleki cu fanva fi le lojbo	English adaptation
.i ca le krasi cu manku gi'e lenku fagri gi'e ze'u cladu savru	In the beginning there was darkness and cold flame and lingering thunder.
.i mi kargau le kanla be mi gi'e ze'i cisma gi'e klama le crane .i je le taxfu pe le ninmu cu kansa mi le ka muvdu .i dansycu'u bu'u le zdani be le noltrunau	- I opened my eyes and smiled, and moved forward, and her dresses moved with me. - This was the court ball.
.i vi le jamfu be le ve'a marmaro pixra cu sanli fa le pa nanmu poi mleca le ro drata le ka clani .i ne'a ra mi de'a klama tai lo da'i nu mi djica le nu mi krorinsa ra i ra na zukte le ka catlu mi i ra du le noltrunau	- At the foot of a marble statue stood a man shorter than the rest. - Passing him I stopped as if I wished to curtsy low to him. - He did not deign to look upon me. - He was the King.
i ku'i ma jai se djica ra fai tu'a mi fa ma ke'u	But what could he want of me, what?
.i mi du ma	And who was I?
i crane fa le klaji noi da'i mi klama fo ke'a tai lo fu'e da'i nu mi noltruni'u da vau fo ke'a noi pluta fo lu'i le ro prenu fu'o .i ku'i ma stuzi gi'e se klama mi tai ku	- There opened up a corridor, that I might walk like some Queen down the path parted through humanity. - But to where was I walking thus?
i ma prenu gi'e se klama mi	To whom.
i le fange prenu cu catlu mi i ra dunli mi le ka se pendo no da	This stranger looked at me – just as utterly alone as I.
i ra co'a sanli gi'e klama fa'a mi i re roi stapa gi'e de'a muvdu i mi zukte fi lo nu ju'a fe le xancidni fa le clupa pe le falnu pe mi cu kluza ja'e lo nu ri farlu	- He rose and came towards me. - Two steps and he stopped. - I let slip from my wrist the little loop of my fan. - For it to fall.
i lu doi nolni'u to'i sa'a ra cusku toi y le falnu pe do li'u	‘Madam’, he said, ‘Your fan…’
i lu doi nolnau do'u ei pei zu'e mi za'u re'u farlu li'u i mi cisma	- ‘Sir’, I said, ‘must I drop it again?’ - And I smiled.
i ra pu fliba le ka facki fi lo se spusku	He was at a loss for what to say.
i ze'u nicte fau lo nu savru i ri'a tu'a lei prenu mi'a simxu le ka ta'e co'a sepli gi'e ku'i di'a kansa	The night was long and clamorous, the huge crowd constantly separated us, yet we kept finding each other.
i ca le midju be le nicte mi'a klama vi le noltrunau i je ri na zukte le ka klama fa'a mi'a i le noltrunau na zukte fi lo nu ri birti vau tai lo da'i nu ri lacri mi le ro co'e	- When in the late hours we passed by His Majesty, the ruler did not even bother to look in our direction. - He did not make sure, as though he knew that he could trust me completely.
i baziku mi'a co'a simxu le ka sepli	Not long afterwards we parted.
i mi klama le bartu fau lo nu mi djuno no da le zdani be mi a le ckaji be le ka mi klama fi ce'u a le jai se kanpe be fai le ka mi catlu ce'u i je mi djuno le du'u na vajni	I went out, not having the least idea of where I lived, whence I had arrived, whither I would turn my eyes, I only knew that these things did not rest with me.
i su'o da pu cpedu fi le carce seva'u mi i le nenri cu kunti i le manku pe le nenri se gusni no na'i da i sa'e kunti	- Someone called my carriage. - The body of the carriage was empty. - The darkness of the interior was no absence of light, it was a void.
i mi zukte le ka di'a morji fi mi i mi lifri le ka pu co'a cikna vi le vorme be fi le ve'u kumfa i ku'i mi ka'e morji fi le ba'e purci be le nu me ka bu	- I turned to myself. - I recollected waking at the door of the palace hall, and still I could reach back.
i ie purci i bu'u ma mi voi nolprenu to nolprenu xu toi pu la'e di'u i ma krasi mi	- Before that – yes, exactly. - Where was I – was it!? – before that? - Where did I come from?
i so'i danfu cu denpa pe'a i au da'i pa da go'i	A chorus of answers, ready, waiting; if only there had been a single chain of them!
i la .du,enas. zo'u clani dinju gi'e cripu gi'e krixa ca le nicte gi'e ciblu	The Duenna: a tower, a drawbridge, shouts in the night, blood.
i ku'i la .angelitas. zo'u blabi bitmu gi'e sudga palma gi'e cilce gerku	But as Angelita: white walls, withered palms, wild dogs.
i ku'i le cimoi be le le'i nu mi renvi kei zo'u purdi fi le jai te jensi i je valsi le ckaji be le ka nau na ku jai se jimpe be mi gi'e ju'o pu ja'a ku jai se jimpe	- But then my third existence: trimmed gardens, gardeners with clippers. - And these words; I did not know now what they meant, but surely I knew once.
i ku'i la'e do'i na cumki sei mi smusku be fi mi i le fatci na ka'e natfe le fatci i ga mi pu bilma gi mi ca ca'o bilma i le ci citri pu ca'o se lifri mi i mi ka'e cuxna tu'a pa le go'i ije ku'i mi ca'o senpi fi le te cuxna i ma du mi	- But such a thing was impossible, I told myself. - Truth cannot contradict itself. - Either I had been mad, I told myself, or I was mad still. - These genealogies revolved within me, each one could take on substance, but I remain irresolute among these possibilities. - Who was I?
i uo mi de'a lanli le fenra poi du mi gi'e na du mi i di'a lifri le pa fatci i pa da fasnu ije da du tu'a le noltrunau joi le vanci dansycu'u joi le nanmu i tirse pe'a dimna i no prenu ka'e ku fapro gi'a rivbi gi'a fanta gi'a cliva	- So I retreated from the abyss that was myself and not myself. - And now back to that which was one, only one. - The King, the evening ball, the court and that man. - The iron presence of destiny. - One would now no longer be able to refuse, evade, withdraw, escape.
i xu fasnu tai lo sarcu i da'i va'o lo nu mi se ponse le noltrunau vau ta'i ma mi djuno le se nundumu be nu bu i va'o lo da'i nu le noltrunau cu jai rinka le co'e vau ki'u ma mi pu ku audji le ka krorinsa ra kei gi'e ku'i ca le krasi na ku zukte ka bu i pei le platu e le nu zukte cu se cfila	- Had everything truly happened in the way it was supposed to? - If I was the property of the King, then how was I able to know this? - If he was behind everything, then why had I wished to make obeisance to him but had not done so at first? - Could it be that some flaw lay in the design and execution?
i mi plipe gi'e katna le kicne ije le sudga je rufsu cu se sance le savru vi le denci be mi i mi sputu le cilta i le dinko be mi co'a spofu i la'e di'u tadji tu'a mi a ju'o cu'i le bradi i i'a nai i'a nai i'a nai	- I jumped up, I tore the padding, dry, coarse material crackled in my teeth. - I spat out threads, my fingernails were snapping, good, that was it, that was the way, I didn't know whether against myself or someone else, but no, no, no, no, no, no.
i mi viska le gusni i mi pu'i se tunta i mutce be le ka ruble cortu i tunta gi'e ba bo kunti i kunti	- I saw a light. - I was pricked. - A tiny, barely noticeable pain, a prick and then nothing. - Nothing.
i bu'u le purdi cu ctino le dilnu i je panka le nobli i mi'a re mei i na'e banli gi'e no'e zabna fadni gi'e cinpa'i gi'e na pacna i iu carmi prami gi'e milxe gi'e ku'i ue fadni gi'e uo rinka lo nu mi desku gi'e zenba le ka ma kau se slilu le risna be mi i je ku'i cmalu gi'e na bancu gi'e tamsmi	- The garden was overcast. - The royal park and the two of us. - Cheap, ordinary, romantic, filled with despair. - Oh it was a passionate love, tender and altogether ordinary. - Very great, it caused me to tremble, it quickened my pulse. - And very small, being limited in me, subject to the style.
i ze'a le djedi be li re le ka prami cu ca'o cuntu tai lo drani i mi pu audji le ka dunda fi ra fe tu'a le xadni be mi ku e le kernelo be mi tai lo tre'endi va'o lo tcaci tai lo nu mi nobli tarti i mi pu zifre bai le se zukte be le nolraitru	- In two days the love affair had progressed in due form. - I wanted to give myself to him body and soul, in the manner of the fashion, according to custom, the etiquette of the court. - I was at Liberty within the confines of the Royal will.
i ca le vanci be le ci moi mi facki fi le sevzi be mi i mi de'a dasni le taxfu ne'a le ve'u minra gi'e lunbe sanli tai lo da'i nu mi ve'a rokci i ne'i le glare je ranti senta be fi le betfu su'o da noi mi ganse cu jdari	- On the evening of the third day I finally set about discovering who I was. - I stripped in front of the pier glass and stood naked in it like a statue. - Under the warm, soft outer layer of the belly I met with resistance, hard, unyielding.
i mi co'a jgari le jai rai cmalu dakfu i mi katna le pagbu be le xadni bei koi le dizlo be le betfu fi le'i re da fau lo nu gau mi trati fa le denci gi'e ganlo fa le kanla vau ji'e lo nu mi stali i le'i senta tai lo nu lu'a ri blabi skapi cu co'a simxu le ka sepli i je fo mi te minra fe mi voi skari le'e rijno kei gi'e simsa le'e tarbi poi ve'u se canlu i ti na du su'o fange a su'o drata i ti za'u re'u du mi i ii sai catlu le nei tai	- I picked up the smallest Lancet. - I cut the body in half practically to the groin, violently, clenching my teeth and shutting my eyes as tightly as I could. - Layers separated, like white leather, and in the mirror I saw a silver, nestled shape, as of an enormous fetus. - It was not it, a foreign thing, different another, it was again myself. What horror, terror, to look at oneself thus!
i ra smaji pagre gi'e tai mo'u klama le nenri i fau bo ra jgari to tai tu'a lo nu ciksi gi'a bandu toi le ve'u bakfu be le xunre rozgu i ra ganse gi'e na jundi gi'e nu'o jimpe i na ka'e jimpe	- He sneaked in, entered thus, holding out before him – as if in his justification and defense – a huge shield of red roses. - He saw, but did not notice, did not yet understand, could not.
i flira ra i smaji inmo li ii ca le nu vofli i co'u prami	- His face, his silent scream in flight. - Love died.
i mi catlu mi poi se minra i du mi to'i sa'a mi smaji cusku fi mi toi i ca'o du mi i ca bo le vrici lisri be mi co'u se lifri mi i mi co'a jimpe i le ka vimcu le canti cu se zukte fi le se kanpe be le finti be le cartu i kanpe lo nu mi pante gi'e ba bo co'u fanta	- I looked at myself in the glass. - This was I, I told myself wordlessly, I. Still I. - And at the same time the manyfold past dulled and died within me. - I began to realize. - The act of self-evisceration represented a foreseen part of the plan, designed for just such an eventuality, in order that my rebellion turn out to be, in the end, my total submission.
i mi bajra klama le manku purdi e le derxi i mi kakne lo ka zi jersi ra fau lo nu ra se cfipu gi'e badri i ku'i mi na zukte	- I ran out into a garden dark and dump. - I could have gone straight after him and run him down in his utter helplessness of confusion and despair, but I did not do this.
i mi lanli le jai se kakne be mi i fau lo nu mi ca'o pensi tai le jai purci kei mi tarti le ka sazri le cnino xadni be mi ku noi se finti fo le te gusni jinme fi le ckaji le ka ei ju'a mi co'a zukte fi ce'u	- What occupied me now was the extraordinary subtlety of distinction which I possessed. - Still able to think with my former skill and ease, I yielded at the same time to this new body, its shining metal had written into it movements which I began to execute.
i le zunle fepri be mi cu lenku i le pritu fepri be mi cu glare i le se selci je nenri kanla be mi i mi ganse le panci be le ba'o se prami ja'e le nu mi ka'e jersi ri i mi re roi carna gi'e bajra fa'a le crane ce'e fau le nu mi ganse le panci .i ei klama fo le mi pluta	- My cold left lung; right lung, hot. - My faceted internal eye. - I took in the smell of my unsuitor, unlover, so I could follow in his track. - I circled once and twice, then sped straight ahead, having caught the scent and thus hit upon the right course, which would be mine now until the end.
i mi ca'a bajra ca le nu carvi e le nu glare ce'e pa'o le foldi e le fenra e le bakfu be lo spati	I run through rains and scorching suns, fields, ravines and thickets.
i mi na'o na ku sipna i se ki'u bo ca le'e nicte mi bajra si'a pa'o le so'i ve'i tcadu	I did not require sleep, thus in the night too I ran through villages, settlements, small towns.
i mi culno le panci be ra tai lo nu ri jai se nupre i mi ta'e no'e sanji ri'a lo nu mi na jimpe le du'u mi jersi ma kau kei gi'e djuno no drata be lo nu mi zukte fi lo nu mi ca'o bajra ja'e lo nu le fulta pulce ca'o se ganse mi	- His odor filled me with completely, like a promise. - My mind, particularly during the night runs, drew into itself till I did not know whom I was tracking, I knew only that my will was to rush on, in order that this poor of airborne motes singled out for me.
i ku'i co'i cabdei lo nu mi co'u ganse le panci ge le mi dizlo gi le mi galtu i je mi cinmo lo ka se funca lo mabla gi'e ckaji le ka no da prali fi tu'a ce'u noi ti'e prane	But the day came when my lower sense of smell went idle, in vain too I sought the scent with my upper smell, and I experienced a feeling of misfortune, of the uselessness of all my perfection.
i mi co'a ku zvati le rotsu korbi be lei canre gi'e sanli ca lo nu mi desku i le tuple remei poi pamoi cu pencu le dargu noi se cpana lei bogjinme i je le tuple re mei poi re moi cu pu'o to'o cadzu fa'a le za'u bitmu le noi carmi blabi vau ve'i barda zdani be le se lijda	- I found the crossroads where the sand had gradually disappeared, and stood quivering. - One pair of legs pulled blindly down the road covered with lime dust, while the other pair drew me in the opposite direction, where the walls of a small monastery gleamed whitely.
i ca lo nu mi lanli mi vau mi cpare fi le vorme be fo le zdani be'o noi ne'a ke'a le pa se ljida cu sanli i mi cpedu fi sondu bu fe lo nu ri lanli le pa tcila be mi be'o poi mi se nandu lo ka jitro ke'a	- Studying myself, I crawled heavily towards the monastery gate, under which stood a monk. - I asked if he would permit me to confess to him a certain matter, which I had difficulty dealing with on my own.
i mi skicu fi sondu bu fe la'e di'e i mi pu du le pa citno ninmu poi gau le nolraitru cu se dimna tu'a le pa nanmu noi mi penmi fi le dansycu'u i je ba bo mi co'a prami ra i je mi co'u prami ca le nicte be ca le nu tunta i je bo mi co'a sanji le du'u mi se va'u ra mo kau la'a i je ca lo nu mi kanpe no drata vau gau mi le dakfu mi katna i je ku'i se ba'i lo nu morsi vau mi cenba i je mi co'a jersi be ra ke mabla crida	I told him that first, I had been a young woman destined by the King's will for with a man whom I met at the court bowl, and that I had loved him till from the puncture in the night I realized what I might be for him, and seeing no other salvation I had stabbed myself with a knife, but instead of death and metamorphosis befell me, and I became to him a persecuting Fury.
i ku'i le nu jersi cu djedi li du'e i ja'e bo mi zenba lo ka djica lo nu gau mi ra morsi i ki'u bo mi co'u ka'e prami ra i mi djica lo nu mi co'u jersi gi'e co'u gasnu lo nu lei cecmu cu kanpe lo nu morsi ri'a tu'a mi i ie mi djica lo nu co'u palci i je ku'i mi na djuno fi le tadji	- However the chase had lasted, and lasted so long, that a liking for this man rose up in me, for I saw that I wanted desperately to kill him, for the reason that I could not any longer love him. - Therefore I wished now to discontinue the chase, and to cease arousing mortal fear around me, yes, I wished to remedy the evil, yet knew not how.
i sondu bu retsku lu ga nai do zvafa'i ra gi do zukte ma i xu do djuno le du'u va'o ku do zukte ma kau li'u	- He said: And what if you should find the one you seek? - Do you know what you will do then?
i mi spusku lu doi patfu mi djuno no drata be le du'u mi na djica lo nu zukte le ka jai gau morsi i ku'i mi na kanpe lo nu mi na jai gau morsi li'u	I replied: Father, I only know what I do not wish to do, but I cannot say that I would not be made to murder.
i sondu bu zenba lo ka pensi kei gi'e ba bo cusku lu i ga nai sei do pu zi skicu be fi mi do se nandu le ka bradi le bapli doi le minji gi ga nai do co'u bilga le ka jai gau morsi gi sei do xusra do cinmo le ka mulno gi'e mo sa'e li'u	- He grew thoughtful , and said: If, as you indeed tell me, you struggle with this compulsion, O machine, and furthermore state that you would feel yourself delivered if the will to murder were to be taken from you, tell me then, just how does this will feel? - How is it with you?
i mi spusku lu doi patfu le ka kalte gi'e facki fi lo'e prina gi'e sivni zgana gi'e denpa gi'e smaji muvdu gi'e vimcu lo'e prina be fi mi gi'e carna muvdu cu se certu be mi i le ka zukte le simsa cu mansa mi li'u	I replied: Father, maybe it is not well with me, but concerning how to hunt, track , detect, ferret out , lie in wait, stalk , sneak and lurk, cover traces, backtrack , double back and circle, concerning all of this I am extremely knowledgeable and to perform such operations with unfailing skill gives me satisfaction.
i lu mi za'u re'u retsku fi do to'i sa'a sondu bu cusku toi i sei ko skicu do ba cinmo ma ca lo nu do zgana ra li'u	‘I ask you once again’, he said, ‘tell me, what will you do when you see him?’
i lu ke'u doi patfu mi na djuno i to'eki'unai lo nu mi na djica le xlali be ra vau le proga voi se ciska fi mi kei ka'e za'u rau va'e vlipa li'u	‘Father, I tell you once again that I do not know, for though I wish him no evil, that which is written within me may prove more powerful than what I wish’.
i le sondu cu spusku lu do mensi mi i la'e di'u se smuni le nu mi na cinmo le ka zmadu do le ka vajni gi'a na vajni i le du'u do na djuno vau noi do stace mi zi'e noi mi jinvi le du'u ke'a fatci cu nibli le du'u mi do dunli ca'i le cevni i ja'o e'u kansa mi i je mi jai gau zgana fai do li'u	- He said: ‘You are my sister. - And it means I neither raise myself above you nor humble myself before you. - Your ignorance, which you have confessed to me and which I believe, makes us equals in the face of Providence. - That being so, come with me and I shall show you something’.
i mi'a mo'u klama le pa mudri marbi i le fepri be mi co'a te panci le ru'i se jersi be mi fi le carmi i ja'e bo le tunta balre be mi co'a ku muvdu gi'e punli le betfu	- We went to an old woodshed. - A smell entered my lungs through my nostrils , a smell I had pursued incessantly, and so strong here, that I felt my sting stir of its own accord and emerge from its ventral sheath.
i le sondu cu cusku lu je'u i ra pu zvati ti i ra pu sivni xabju le mi'a dinju i je ku'i la'u le djedi be li re le re co'u pendo cu bevri ra fo ti	- The monk said: Yes, he was here. - He hid in our monastery, but two traitors carried him off five days ago.
i mi bajra klama le bartu fo lu'i le xadba kalri vorme gi'e traji sutra bajra fa'a le cmana voi jai se skicu sondu bu gi'e ga'a jbini le tankoi	I ran out through the half-open gate and, according to the monk’s directions, headed full speed for the mountains visible on the horizon.
mi cpare le cmana fau le nu mi se gidva le klina panci be bu'u le milxe glare sefta be le rokci i mi bajra ca le nu ruble pencu le rokci i je mi zgana je curmi le nu le ne'i nu slilu cu co'a carmi	- I climbed, following the clear spoor, the odor on the warm surface of the stone. - I raced up barely touching the rock and I felt my pulse strengthening within, felt it play and sing in magnificent pursuit.
le dizlo be le fenra noi se gacri le snime cu se stuzi le dinju noi ge nai jai bandu gi nai ze'u zdani i mi co'a jimpe le du'u du le marbi	At the bottom of the gorge, which was white with snow, stood a building, not a house, not a castle, and I realized that it had to be the retreat.
i ne'i smaji i mi zukte le ka ganse fi tu'a le nicte kanla be mi i je gau mi le stedu cu nenri le rokci kumfa	- Inside silence reigned. - To see better, I activated my night vision and, putting my head inside the stone chamber, opened the luminous eyes of my antennae.
i mi tirna le suksa je tordu savru e ba bo le na'e klina voksa vu'o noi dizlo i ba ku sance le nu su'o tilju co'i farlu i ba ku smaji	A sudden, short noise, followed by a babbling voice, reached me from below – one more sound, a hollow thud, as of a heavy object falling, then silence.
i mi viska le xadni noi cnita le jubme i le prenu cu fange mi i ja'o ri pu damba i le nu mi e ri e no drata cu zvati le kunti dinju cu manci mi	- I saw beneath the table a body. - This man was a stranger to me, therefore a struggle had taken place. - The fact that I was alone with him, and he alive, in this empty house, that there were now only the two of us, hit me like a thunderbolt.
le serti cu ragve le vorme i cpana le serti fa ra	Across the threshold were winding stairs and on them, on his back, he.
i ra savru vasxu i mi zgana le nu ra troci tu'a le kalri kanla i mi noi le betfu be ke'a cu se kruvi cu catlu le noi cnita vau flira be ra i mi na darsi le ka pencu ra gi'a cliva ra i ki'u bo ca le nu ra jmive vau mi na birti tu'a mi	He gave a rattle, I watched as he tried to lift his lids, and I, raring, with a bent abdomen, I gazed down into his upturned face, not daring to touch him nor retreat, for while he lived I could not be certain of myself.
i ku'i ra nu'o ku cikna gi'a jai gau kalri fai le kanla i ca le cerni murse be fi mi'a ra za'u re'u cmoni gi'e co'u vasxu i ba'e ca bo le menli be mi co'a surla .i je mi co'a vreta ne'a ra gi'e birjai ra i mi vreta ze'a le djedi be li re ca le snime vilti'a poi ri'a ke'a le ckana co'a se gacri le snime poi na runme	- But he did not open his eyes in consciousness. - When dawn entered between us he groaned once more and seized to breathe, and only then, my mind at rest, did I lie down beside him, and wrapped him tightly in my arms, and I lay thus in the light and in the darkness through two days of snow storm, which covered our bed with a sheet that did not melt.
i ca le cimoi detydei cu viska le solri	And on the third day the sun came up.