Free The Bridge on the Drina by Ivo Andrić

thought that always came back to him and several times a day forced the blood to beat painfully in his skull and his temples, but even at other times never completely left him but lay like a black cloud within him. That was what disgrace meant to him, and disgrace was possible every day, every hour, since everyone was working to bring it on him. Only he alone worked against it and defended himself; it was one man against everyone and everything. That had now lasted fifteen years, from the first time that the Vezir had entrusted him with
    a great and important task. Who could endure it? Who could sleep and be at peace?
    Although it was a cold damp autumn night, Abidaga opened the casement and looked into the darkness, for the closed room seemed stifling to him. Then he noticed that there were lights and movements on the scaffolding and along the banks. When he saw that there were more and more of them, he thought that something unusual must have happened, dressed and woke his servant. Thus he arrived at the lighted stable just at the moment when the man from Plevlje no longer knew what further insults to use, whom to order and what to do to shorten the time.
    The unexpected arrival of Abidaga completely bewildered him. So much had he longed for this moment, yet now that it had come he did not know how to profit from it as he had hoped. He stuttered in excitement and forgot all about the bound peasant. Abidaga only gazed through him disdainfully and went straight up to the prisoner.
    In the stable they had built up a big fire to which the guards kept adding fresh faggots so that even the most distant corner was lit up.
    Abidaga stood looking down at the bound peasant for he was much the taller man. He was calm and thoughtful. Everyone waited for him to speak, while he thought to himself; so this is the one with whom I have had to struggle and fight, this is what my position and my fate depended upon, this wretched half-witted renegade from Plevlje and the incomprehensible and obdurate opposition of this louse from the  rayah.  Then he shook himself and began to give orders and to question the peasant.
    The stable filled with guards, and outside could be heard the voices of the awakened overseers and workmen. Abidaga put his questions through the man from Plevlje.
    Radisav first said that he and another man had decided to run away and that therefore they had prepared a small raft and set off downstream. When they pointed out to him the senselessness of this story since it was impossible in the darkness to go down the turbulent river full of whirlpools, rocks and shoals, and that those who want to run away do not climb on the scaffolding and damage the works, he fell silent and only muttered sullenly:
    'Well, I am in your hands. Do what you like.'
    'You will soon find out what we like,' Abidaga retorted briskly.
    The guards took away the chains and stripped the peasant to the buff. They threw the chains into the heart of the fire and waited. As the chains were covered with soot, their hands were blackened and great patches were left on themselves and on the half-naked peasant. When the chains were almost red hot, Merdjan the Gipsy came up and took one end of them in a long pair of tongs, while one of the guards took the other end.
    The man from Plevlje translated Abidaga's words.
    'Perhaps now you will tell the whole truth.'
    'What have I got to tell you? You know everything and can do what you like.'
    The two men brought the chains and wrapped them round the the peasant's broad hairy chest. The scorched hair began to sizzle. His mouth contracted, the veins in his neck swelled, his ribs seemed to stand out and his stomach muscles to contract and relax as when a man vomits. He groaned from the pain, strained at the ropes which bound him and writhed and twisted in vain to lessen the contact of his body with the red hot iron. His eyes closed and the tears flowed down his cheeks. They took the chain away.
    'That was only a