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Part IV
Theywerenolongertheforgottenoneswhomonevisitedinself-justificationonedayayear.Theyweretheintrudersaboutwhomonewouldratherforget.ThisiswhytheFeastoftheDeadthatyearwassomewhatbrushedaside.TarrounoticedthatCottard’slanguagewasbecomingmoreandmoreironic:accordingtohim,everydaywasaFeastoftheDead.
Indeed,thebonfiresoftheplagueburnedevermorecheerfullyinthecrematorium.Admittedlythenumberofdeadfromonedaytothenextwasnotrising.Butitseemedthattheplaguehadsettledcomfortablyintoitspeakandwascarryingoutitsdailymurderswiththeprecisionandregularityofagoodcivilservant.Intheory,intheopinionofexperts,thiswasagoodsign.Thegraphoftheprogressoftheplague,startingwithitsconstantrise,followedbythislongplateau,seemedquitereassuring—toDrRichard,forexample."Good,good,anexcellentgraph,"hesaid.Hereckonedthatthediseasehadreachedwhathecalledaceiling.Fromhereon,itcouldonlydecrease.HeascribedthistoCastel’snewserumwhichhad,indeed,achievedsomeunexpectedsuccesses.OldCasteldidnotcontradicthim,butfeltthatonecouldnotpredictanythingforcertain,sincethehistoryofepidemicsshowedthattheycouldflareupagainunexpectedly.
