Invitation to a Beheading

Cincinnatus spends a sleepless night in his cell. When morning arrives, he writes desperately at his desk. He expects to be taken to his execution at any moment. As well as fear, he feels “ashamed to be afraid” (192), as he has come to believe that there is nothing to fear about death. He even believes that death may free the soul. In his mind, he can see himself running headfirst toward a wall. In reality, he is sitting at his table, hoping for the right words to enter his mind. He pleads with anyone reading his writing in the future to “save these jottings” (194). As the morning goes by, however, no one arrives at his cell. He writes, trying to set down his disjointed thoughts. Breakfast arrives and still no one comes to take him away. Cincinnatus suspects that he has been tricked again and that there is no execution scheduled for that day.

Halfway through the afternoon, Marthe runs into Cincinnatus’s cell. She seems to be in a state of disarray but she hands him a bunch of flowers. Arranging to see him was difficult, she says, and she implies that she bribed Rodrig with sex. Marthe explains that the tired people who gathered in Thriller Square agreed to delay the execution because they “didn’t get enough sleep” (196). She doesn’t know how long the execution has been delayed. Marthe describes a visit from a woman claiming to be Cincinnatus’s mother. When Cincinnatus says that her description matches his mother, Marthe claims that the story is “not important.” He turns down her offer to have sex; she reveals that she received a marriage proposal but turned it down. Their conversation is interrupted by Rodion at the door, who summons Marthe. If she wants to continue the meeting, she must have sex with someone else. She agrees to do so, promising that she will return in five minutes. She comes back 45 minutes later, complaining that her attempted bribe was “all for nothing” (199). Cincinnatus wants to talk about his letter to Marthe, which she criticizes as a horrible letter. She claims that the letter implicates her in his crimes and begs him to tell the authorities that she does not agree with anything he has written. Cincinnatus ends the conversation. Rodion leads her away.

The following day, Cincinnatus reads his newspaper. While most of the article about his delayed execution is censored, he is able to determine that Pierre has fallen ill. As such, the execution is delayed until Pierre recovers. There is no timeframe given. Rodion enters the cell, bringing the spider a treat. A large moth slips out from the towel in Rodion’s hands. It lands on Rodion’s sleeve, then on the table, then flies away. Rodion cannot find the moth, so he gives a fly to the spider instead and leaves.

Cincinnatus begins to write again. He feels tricked by life and as though everything around him is false. If this is the case, he muses, then he does not know how he could be expected to pursue redemption. He is annoyed that he cannot convey his thoughts well enough in his writing. When he runs out of paper, he searches for another sheet. He reviews his words and strives for greater precision. Remembering where the moth fell, he searches for the insect. The natural perfection of the moth fascinates him and he reaches out to stroke it.

Before he can return to writing, Pierre enters with the Rodrig and Roman. The carriage is waiting, they say, to take Cincinnatus to the “chop-chop.” Cincinnatus says that he is not ready but Pierre dismisses him, asking him to select from a “prepared menu of last wishes” (208). Rodrig has added to the list an option to write a thank-you note to the director of the prison, and Pierre is so offended that he refuses to perform the execution. Eventually he agrees to continue. Cincinnatus asks for a three-minute recess. While they wait, Rodion begins to sweep the cell. He sweeps away the spider. Cincinnatus seems to see the entire cell disintegrate, then Pierre calls out that the three minutes have ended. Cincinnatus stays silent, thinking about his fear. He leaves the cell, which seems as though it is “no longer there” (211).

Pierre, Rodrig, and Roman lead a procession to take Cincinnatus to his execution. Behind them, the fortress seems to crumble. The laws of physics are inversed and stairs that should lead down, lead up, and vice versa. Fear overwhelms Cincinnatus. He knows that the crumbling fortress is a figment of his imagination but he cannot overcome his “choking, wrenching, implacable fear” (213). A carriage takes the men to Thriller Square, where a crowd watches them pass by. Women hurl flowers toward the carriage. The carriage passes the house where Cincinnatus lived. He cannot help but look, and sees Marthe, waving to him while “sitting in the branches of the barren apple tree” (217). Pierre criticizes Cincinnatus for being heartless.

The carriage pulls into Thriller Square. The scaffold has been set up for the execution. It is positioned so that it is “not quite in the center” of the square (218). Cincinnatus refuses any help as he exits the carriage and walks toward the scaffold. A large block is waiting for him. Cincinnatus surveys the scene; the lighting seems somehow wrong and the sky seems to be shaking. Pierre removes his jacket, revealing his tattooed skin. Cincinnatus recognizes people in the crowd. The deputy city director leaps up onto the scaffolding to make a series of minor public announcements. Pierre drapes himself in a white apron and tells Cincinnatus to remove his shirt, which he does.

Cincinnatus lies face down with his head on the executioner’s block. He begins to count but he feels as though he is splitting in two. As one Cincinnatus continues to count, the other stands and looks around. He walks away, through the crowd of horrified and disgusted people. Rodrig, who is becoming Roman, chases after him and complains about his behavior. The crowd disperses as everything in the square seems to be ripping apart. Cincinnatus walks through the silent square toward the sound of voices, which seem to belong to “beings akin to him” (223).