they showed us snapshots of
themselves on their knees around a catafalque, leaning on the probe they used to test
the wreaths for hidden bombs. Now they were industrialists in morning suits, and they
were going to kneel and work their way slowly toward the act of consecration so that
they could observe it from three angles, to make sure nothing happened to the
Bambino di Praga
. We drove through Prague, and when we arrived at the
Castle, the Bolivians were waiting for us, and Mr. Salamon took the suitcase and carried
it into the cathedral, and everything was splendid, just like a wedding. The organ
thundered and the prelates in their insignia of office bowed, and Mr. Salamon carried
the
Bambino
down the aisle, and the camera whirred away and captured it all.
The ceremony was like a High Mass, and Mr. Salamon knelt most devoutly of all, and we
slowly approached the altar on our knees, and everything was alive with flowers and gold
leaf and the choir sang the Missa Solemnis, and at the very climax the cameraman gave
the sign, the
Bambino
was consecrated, and an ordinary object became a
devotional article, because it was blessed by the Archbishop and now radiated
supernatural power and could bestow grace. When the Mass was over and the Archbishop had
retired to the sacristy, the vicar of the chapter led Mr. Salamon in after him. Mr.
Salamon was just slipping his wallet back into his coat as he came back out, so he must
have donated a large check in the name of the Bolivian government forrepairs to the church, or perhaps there had also been a fee for the consecration.
Then I saw the ambassador of the Bolivian Republic carrying the
Bambino
back up
the aisle of the cathedral while the organ played and the choir sang. Again the cars
arrived and the
Bambino
was put away, but this time we didn’t take
anything with us, and everyone, including the ambassador and the whole entourage, drove
off to the Hotel Steiner, while we went home to get everything ready for the farewell
banquet that night. When the Bolivians arrived at ten o’clock, it was the first
time they could really relax, and they began to drink champagne and brandy and eat
oysters and chicken, and at midnight three cars arrived with some dancers from the
operetta, and we had more work and more people that night than we ever had before. The
Chief of Police, who knew all about our place, left the counterfeit
Bambino
on
the mantelpiece of the men’s room, and he secretly took the real
Bambino
,
the consecrated
Bambino
, away to the playhouse, where he casually placed it
among the dolls, puppets, jump ropes, and toy drums. Then they all drank, and the naked
dancers danced around the counterfeit
Bambino
until dawn, when it was time for
the ambassador to go back to his residence and the representatives of Bolivia to go to
the airport and head home. The Chief of Police brought the real
Bambino
back to
the hotel, but luckily Mr. Salamon looked into the suitcase, because in all the fun and
confusion the Chief of Police had put a beautiful doll in a Moravian Slovak folk costume
in the suitcase by mistake. They all ran back to the playhouse, and there lay the
Bambino
among the toy drums and three other dolls, so they snatched up the
consecrated
Bambino
, put back the doll, and drove off toPrague. Three days later, we heard that the Bolivians had to delay their flight. To
mislead thieves, they left the counterfeit
Bambino
outside the entrance to the
airport. At first a cleaning lady stuck it among some box trees, but when the members of
the delegation, led by Mr. Salamon, were safely on board the plane, they opened the
suitcase and discovered that what they had with them was not the real golden
Bambino
blessed by the Archbishop but the gilded cast-iron one. They rushed
out to look for the real
Bambino
just as a porter was asking people whose
suitcase this was. When no one claimed it, he left
themselves on their knees around a catafalque, leaning on the probe they used to test
the wreaths for hidden bombs. Now they were industrialists in morning suits, and they
were going to kneel and work their way slowly toward the act of consecration so that
they could observe it from three angles, to make sure nothing happened to the
Bambino di Praga
. We drove through Prague, and when we arrived at the
Castle, the Bolivians were waiting for us, and Mr. Salamon took the suitcase and carried
it into the cathedral, and everything was splendid, just like a wedding. The organ
thundered and the prelates in their insignia of office bowed, and Mr. Salamon carried
the
Bambino
down the aisle, and the camera whirred away and captured it all.
The ceremony was like a High Mass, and Mr. Salamon knelt most devoutly of all, and we
slowly approached the altar on our knees, and everything was alive with flowers and gold
leaf and the choir sang the Missa Solemnis, and at the very climax the cameraman gave
the sign, the
Bambino
was consecrated, and an ordinary object became a
devotional article, because it was blessed by the Archbishop and now radiated
supernatural power and could bestow grace. When the Mass was over and the Archbishop had
retired to the sacristy, the vicar of the chapter led Mr. Salamon in after him. Mr.
Salamon was just slipping his wallet back into his coat as he came back out, so he must
have donated a large check in the name of the Bolivian government forrepairs to the church, or perhaps there had also been a fee for the consecration.
Then I saw the ambassador of the Bolivian Republic carrying the
Bambino
back up
the aisle of the cathedral while the organ played and the choir sang. Again the cars
arrived and the
Bambino
was put away, but this time we didn’t take
anything with us, and everyone, including the ambassador and the whole entourage, drove
off to the Hotel Steiner, while we went home to get everything ready for the farewell
banquet that night. When the Bolivians arrived at ten o’clock, it was the first
time they could really relax, and they began to drink champagne and brandy and eat
oysters and chicken, and at midnight three cars arrived with some dancers from the
operetta, and we had more work and more people that night than we ever had before. The
Chief of Police, who knew all about our place, left the counterfeit
Bambino
on
the mantelpiece of the men’s room, and he secretly took the real
Bambino
,
the consecrated
Bambino
, away to the playhouse, where he casually placed it
among the dolls, puppets, jump ropes, and toy drums. Then they all drank, and the naked
dancers danced around the counterfeit
Bambino
until dawn, when it was time for
the ambassador to go back to his residence and the representatives of Bolivia to go to
the airport and head home. The Chief of Police brought the real
Bambino
back to
the hotel, but luckily Mr. Salamon looked into the suitcase, because in all the fun and
confusion the Chief of Police had put a beautiful doll in a Moravian Slovak folk costume
in the suitcase by mistake. They all ran back to the playhouse, and there lay the
Bambino
among the toy drums and three other dolls, so they snatched up the
consecrated
Bambino
, put back the doll, and drove off toPrague. Three days later, we heard that the Bolivians had to delay their flight. To
mislead thieves, they left the counterfeit
Bambino
outside the entrance to the
airport. At first a cleaning lady stuck it among some box trees, but when the members of
the delegation, led by Mr. Salamon, were safely on board the plane, they opened the
suitcase and discovered that what they had with them was not the real golden
Bambino
blessed by the Archbishop but the gilded cast-iron one. They rushed
out to look for the real
Bambino
just as a porter was asking people whose
suitcase this was. When no one claimed it, he left
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