you didn’t understand quite correctly. Our visitors do not leave the establishment until their debt to the establishment is repaid. The cost of each drink is determined by days. The price of what you drank yesterday is one day per glass. Therefore, after 3 days you will no longer owe the establishment anything and will be able to leave these walls only if you do not want to buy another drink.
– What kind of nonsense is this? – Louis expressed dissatisfaction.
– It would look like nonsense if I told you from the very beginning that you will not be able to leave here and no matter where you go, all roads will still lead back. And so, you have convinced yourself of everything.
After some thought and silence, Louis said in a restrained tone, keeping a stony expression on his face:
– What did you give me yesterday?
– Louis, – Albert, leaning his elbows on the bar counter, began to explain, while the clients sitting on opposite sides of Louis looked at him deadly, – no one is mixing anything with anyone here. There is no place for deception and fraud here. You are sane and you are not sleeping. What happened is an absolute reality and in the next three days you will have to believe in it, whether you want it or not. So welcome to our establishment.
With these words Albert continued to wipe the glasses.
From the feeling that everyone was mocking him here, Louis got angry and ran out of the bar. He ran away as fast as he could, passing fallen leaves and tall tree trunks. And again. Barely noticing how the silhouette of the bar began to emerge before his eyes, he immediately changed direction, but each time his destination remained the same. For the thirteenth time already.
He ran inside, grabbed a glass half filled with beer from a nearby table and threw it straight at the bartender. The glass flew through Albert’s carefree face and crashed into the back shelves, breaking a couple of glass bottles.
Now Louis felt like he was in hell.
Welcome to “FREE DRINKS FOR YOUR SOULS” bar. Who knows, maybe people in this place really sold their souls for a glass of excellent alcohol?
Louis felt enormous powerlessness inside and, in despair, sank to his knees like a stone, covering his face with his palms.
3. STUPID DILEMMA
Overcoming the weakness in his legs, Louis lifted his back from the pine tree, where he had been sitting for five hours. All this time his mind against his own will listened to the drunken voices coming from the damned bar, filled with dozens of brainless drunks. They were not interested in anything other than drinking. They all drank themselves to such an extent that soon there would be nothing left in their appearance, as well as in their behavior, that could in any way resemble a person.
Louis reluctantly returned to… His steps stopped at the approaches to the terrace. The lady was still standing there, from whom Louis heard a bold answer to his question. He approached her again, but this time he had completely different questions in his head.
– Excuse me.
– Yes?
After a long pause, Louis said what he thought was most needed to ensure that this middle-aged woman did not refuse to communicate with him:
– I want to ask for forgiveness if I offended you in some way. I… I…
– No. It is I who should ask your forgiveness.
Louis was greatly surprised by this answer.
The stranger continued:
– I should have guessed right away that this was your first day here.
– By the way, my name is Louis.
The lady extended her hand, on which was a pearl bracelet.
– Justine.
Louis kissed her hand.
– Justine, do you mind if I talk to you about what’s going on here?
– I don’t mind. It is very rare to find a sober interlocutor here. So I will only be glad to have your company.
Louis thought for a long time where to start. Leaning against the railing, like Justine, he began to ask:
– Who’s the bartender?
– He serves visitors – Justine answered with a grin.
– No, no. Who is he…
Stuttering, Louis continued after a few seconds:
– …just, out of anger, I threw a glass at him, which went through him. Honestly. I saw it with my own eyes.
– I believe. You’re not the first to throw a glass at Albert. But everyone who tries to do this immediately gets scared when he sees all these mystical tricks.
– Fine. Where is he from?
– Nobody knows this. However, like where this bar is located.
– What do you mean? – Louis was surprised. -Aren’t we in France?
– Well, we are French. I guess Albert is also, well, somewhat French, and speaks the same language to all the clients so that over time all the visitors begin to understand each other. And in this sense, you and I are lucky. But there are many here who are from other lands. And they have never been to France. They also stumbled upon this establishment in some deserted place late in the evening, and the next morning they had already become guests of this establishment, which does not stand in one place. There are Italians, Spaniards, Portuguese, Greeks, Dutch, Flemings, Germans, Scandinavians, Persians. Guests from all over the world gathered here.
Immediately, Louis asked the following question:
– I noticed that no one orders food. Everyone drinks, but no one eats. What is the reason?
– This is another feature of the bar. Albert’s establishment is quite mysterious. There is something here that saves a person from hunger and disease. You can drink as much as you like and you won’t experience any problems. No one here even experiences a hangover in the morning.
Now Louis asked questions indiscriminately, one after another.
– Here all drinks are paid and increase… um…
– Credit – Justine suggested.
– Yes, credit. This is true?
– Yes.
– But if this deprives them of the opportunity to leave here, why do they drink more? Don’t they really want to see their home as soon as possible?
– You will soon learn something about this place. And then you might also want to increase your debt to the establishment.
– But I don’t need to.
– Well, at least because for some this place eventually turns into a real
