Deviation Actions
Description
"Alle Menschen müssen sterben. Auch der Kaiser stirbt." Und es war ihm zugleich, als stürbe irgendwo, weit von hier, jener Teil von ihm, der kaiserlich gewesen war. "Der Krieg ist auch eine Sünde!" sagte er laut. Aber der Priester hörte ihn nicht. Franz Joseph wunderte sich aufs Neue. Jeden Tag kamen die Verlustlisten, seit 1914 dauerte der Krieg. "Schluss machen!" sagte Franz Joseph. Man hörte ihn nicht. "Wär ich nur bei Solferino gefallen!" sagte er. Man hörte ihn nicht. Vielleicht, dachte er, bin ich schon tot und rede als ein Toter. Deshalb verstehen sie mich nicht. Und er schlief ein.
The Death of Emperor Franz Joseph from Joseph Roths "Radetzkymarsch"
You love Joseph Roth too!
"The old Emperor!" says Amphy the Amphibian Girl "Like I said elsewhere, he was a good man." The big green girl shakes her head "Me an' Joseph Roth, in that last year or so back in the nineteen-thirties before the roof fell in, we tried to work up a scheme to put his grandson Otto on a re-established Austrian throne! Might have had a chance - best solution all around! - but..." Amphy sighed "Poor Roth and I shared two things, one was faith in th' Hapburgs and the other, I am sorry to say...well, we both drank a bit. Well, a lot. Ain seen many humans could match me drink for drink but ol' Roth sure could! So I am afraid my memories of what exactly we did is a lil' hazy. I vaguely remember yellin' at Benes - or was it Schuschnigg? - that he needed to straighten up and fly right - couldn't exactly tell you what I meant by that - an' that's about it. Oh yeah, I also have a vague memory of punching Ribbentrop in the face at some fancy-dress reception or other - that was pretty satisfying an' then throwin' up on him."
"But we failed, an' I heard later that my ol' friend Roth died of drink - but that wasn't what did it. He died of a broken heart, I know..."