XVIII
вАЬLittle sisterвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶вАЭ
вАЬYes?вАЭ
вАЬI am so hungry, sisterвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶вАК!вАЭ
вАЬHungryвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶вАК!вАЭ echoed out of the depths.
вАЬDonвАЩt you want to hear the end of my story?вАЭ
вАЬYesвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ But sister, when youвАЩve finished, canвАЩt we go out and have dinner?вАЭ
вАЬOf courseвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ as soon as my storyвАЩs finishedвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ Just think: Foxy Fox went for a walkвБ†вАФwent for a walk through the beautiful flowery meadows; he had his Sunday coat on, and he held his bushy red tail bolt upright, and he was smoking his little pipe and singing all the whileвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ Do you know what Foxy Fox sang?вБ†вАФ
I am the cheerful FoxвБ†вАФHurray!
I am the cheerful foxвБ†вАФHurray!
вАЬAnd then he hopped for joy! And little Mr.¬†Hedgehog was sitting on his hillock and he was so glad that his radishes were coming on so nicely, and his wife was standing by the hedge, gossipping with Mrs.¬†Mole, who had just got a new fur for the AutumnвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶вАЭ
вАЬSisterвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶вАЭ
вАЬYes?вАЭ
вАЬCan the water from down there be coming up after us?вАЭ
вАЬWhy, little brother?вАЭ
вАЬI can hear it gurglingвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶вАЭ
вАЬDonвАЩt listen to the water, little brotherвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ just listen to what Mrs.¬†Hedgehog has to chatter about!вАЭ
вАЬYes, sister, but the water is chattering so loudвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ I think it chatters much louder than Mrs.¬†MoleвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶вАЭ
вАЬCome away from the stupid water, little brotherвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ Come here to me! You canвАЩt hear the water here!вАЭ
вАЬI canвАЩt come to you sister! I canвАЩt move, sisterвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ CanвАЩt you come and fetch me?вАЭ
вАЬMe too, sisterвБ†вАФyes, me too!вБ†вАФme too!вАЭ
вАЬI canвАЩt do that, little brothers, little sisters! Your youngest brothers and sisters are on my lap. They have gone to sleep and I mustnвАЩt wake them!вАЭ
вАЬOh sister, are we sure to get out?вАЭ
вАЬWhy do you ask as if you were frightened, little brother?вАЭ
вАЬThe floor is shaking so and stones are tumbling down from the ceiling!вАЭ
вАЬHave those silly stones hurt you?вАЭ
вАЬNo, but my little sisterвАЩs lying down and sheвАЩs not moving any more.вАЭ
вАЬDonвАЩt disturb her, little brother. Your sisterвАЩs asleep!вАЭ
вАЬYes, but she was crying just nowвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶вАК!вАЭ
вАЬDonвАЩt be sorry little brother that she had gone where she need not cry any moreвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶вАЭ
вАЬWhere has she gone to, then, sister?вАЭ
вАЬTo heaven, I think.вАЭ
вАЬIs heaven so near, then?вАЭ
вАЬOh yes, quite near. I can even see the door from here! And if IвАЩm not wrong, Saint Peter is standing there, in front of it, with a large golden key, waiting until he can let us inвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶вАЭ
вАЬOh, sisterвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ sister!! Now the waterвАЩs coming upвБ†вАФ! Now itвАЩs got hold of my feet! Now itвАЩs lifting me upвБ†вАФ!вАЭ
вАЬSister!! Help me, sister.вБ†вАФThe water has comeвБ†вАФ!!вАЭ
вАЬGod can help youвБ†вАФAlmighty God!вАЭ
вАЬSister, IвАЩm frightened!вАЭ
вАЬAre you frightened of going into the lovely heaven?вАЭ
вАЬIs it lovely in heaven?вАЭ
вАЬOhвБ†вАФgloriousвБ†вАФglorious!вАЭ
вАЬIs Foxy Fox in heaven, tooвБ†вАФand little Mr.¬†Hedgehog?вАЭ
вАЬI donвАЩt know! Shall I ask Saint Peter about it?вАЭ
вАЬYes, sisterвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ Are you crying?вАЭ
вАЬNo, why should I be crying?вБ†вАФSaint PeterвБ†вАФ! Saint PeterвБ†вАФ!вАЭ
вАЬDid he hear?вАЭ
вАЬDear God, how cold the water isвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶вАЭ
вАЬSaint PeterвБ†вАФ! Saint PeterвБ†вАФ!!вАЭ
вАЬSisterвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ I think he answered, just nowвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶вАЭ
вАЬReally, little brother?вАЭ
вАЬYesвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ somebody was callingвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶вАЭ
вАЬYes, I heard it, too!вАЭ
вАЬвА¶¬†So did IвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶вАЭ
вАЬвА¶¬†So did IвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶вАЭ
вАЬHush, children, hushвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶вАЭ
вАЬOh, sister, sisterвБ†вАФ!вАЭ
вАЬHush, pleaseвБ†вАФpleaseвБ†вАФ!вАЭ
вАЬвА¶¬†Maria!вАЭ
вАЬFrederвБ†вАФ!!!вАЭ
вАЬMariaвБ†вАФare you thereвБ†вАФ?вАЭ
вАЬFrederвБ†вАФFrederвБ†вАФhere I am! Here I am, FrederвБ†вАФ!!вАЭ
вАЬOn the stairs?вАЭ
вАЬYes!вАЭ
вАЬWhy donвАЩt you come up?вАЭ
вАЬI canвАЩt raise the door!вАЭ
вАЬTen trains have run togetherвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ I canвАЩt come to you! I must go and get help!вАЭ
вАЬOh, Freder, the waterвАЩs already close behind us!вАЭ
вАЬThe waterвБ†вАФ?вАЭ
вАЬYes!вБ†вАФAnd the walls are falling in!вАЭ
вАЬAre you hurtвБ†вАФ?вАЭ
вАЬNo, noвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ Oh, Freder, if you could only force open the door wide enough for me to push the little childrenвАЩs bodies throughвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶вАЭ
The man above her did not give her an answer.
When steeling his muscles and sinews in the вАЬClub of the Sons,вАЭ playfully wrestling with his friends, he surely never guessed that he would need them one day to force a path through ruined cables, upright pistons and outspread wheels of fallen machines to the woman he loved. He thrust the pistons aside like human arms, clutched into steel as into soft, yielding flesh. He worked his way nearer the door and threw himself on the ground.
вАЬMariaвБ†вАФ?вАЭ
вАЬFreder?вАЭ
вАЬWhere are you? Why does your voice sound so far away?вАЭ
вАЬI want to be the last whom you save, Freder! I am carrying the tiniest ones on my shoulders and armsвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶вАЭ
вАЬIs the water still rising?вАЭ
вАЬYes.вАЭ
вАЬIs it rising fast or slowly?вАЭ
вАЬFast.вАЭ
вАЬMy God, my GodвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ I canвАЩt get the door loose! The machines are piled up on top of it like mountains! I must explode the ruins, Maria!вАЭ
вАЬVery well.вАЭ MariaвАЩs voice sounded as though she were smiling. вАЬMeanwhile I can finish telling my storyвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶вАЭ
Freder dashed away. He did not know where his feet should carry him. He thought vaguely of GodвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ вАЬThy will be doneвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ Deliver us from evilвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ For Thine is theвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ powerвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶вАЭ
From the sooty black sky a frightful gleam, of the colour of spilt blood, fell upon the city, which appeared as a silhouette of tattered velvet in the painful scarcity of light. There was not a soul to be seen and yet the air throbbed under the unbearable knife-edge of shrieks of women from the vicinity of Yoshiwara, and, while the organ of the cathedral was shrilling and whistling, as though its mighty body were wounded unto death, the windows of the cathedral, lighted from within, began, phantomlike to glow.
Freder staggered along to the tower-house in which the heart of the great machine-city of Metropolis had lived, and which it had torn open from top to bottom, when racing itself to death, in the fever of the вАЬ12,вАЭ so that the house now looked like a ripped open, gaping gate.
A lump of humanity was crawling about the ruins, seeming, from the sounds it emitted, to be nothing but a single curse, on two legs. The horror which lay over Metropolis was Paradise compared with the last, cruel destruction which the lump of humanity was invoking from the lowest and hottest of hells upon the city and its inhabitants.
He found something among the ruins, raised it to his face, recognised it and broke out into howls, similar to the howls of a kicked dog. He rubbed his sobbing mouth upon the little piece of steel.
вАЬMay the stinking plague gnaw you, you liceвБ†вАФ! May you sit in muck up to your eyesвБ†вАФ! May you swill gas instead of water and burst every dayвБ†вАФfor ten thousand yearsвБ†вАФover and over againвБ†вАФ!вАЭ
вАЬGrot!вАЭ
вАЬFilthвБ†вАФ!вАЭ
вАЬGrot!вБ†вАФThank GodвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ Grot, come here!вАЭ
вАЬWhoвАЩs thatвБ†вАФвАЭ
вАЬI am Joh FredersenвАЩs sonвБ†вАФвАЭ
вАЬAaahвБ†вАФHell and the devilвБ†вАФI wanted youвБ†вАФ! Come here, you toadвБ†вАФ! I must have you between my fists. IвАЩd much rather have had your father, but youвАЩre a bit of him and better than nothing! Come along here, if youвАЩve got the guts. AhвБ†вАФmy lad, wouldnвАЩt I like to get hold of you! IвАЩd like to smear you from top toe in mustard and eat you! DвАЩyou know what your fatherвАЩs doneвБ†вАФ?вАЭ
вАЬGrotвБ†вАФ!вАЭ
вАЬLet me finishвБ†вАФI tell you! Do you know what he didвБ†вАФ? He made me give upвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ he made me give up my machineвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶вАЭ
And once more the miserable howling of a kicked dog.
вАЬMy machineвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ myвБ†вАФmy machineвБ†вАФ! That devil up there! That Goddamned devil!вБ†вАКвБ†вА¶вАЭ
вАЬGrot, listen to meвБ†вАФвАЭ
вАЬI wonвАЩt listen to anything!вБ†вАФвАЭ
вАЬGrot, in the underground city, the water has broken inвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶вАЭ
Seconds of silence. ThenвБ†вАФroars of laughter, and, on the heap of ruins, the dance of a four-legged lump, which kicked its stumps amid wild yells, clapping its hands the while.
вАЬThatвАЩs rightвБ†вАФ! Hallelujah AmenвБ†вАФ!вАЭ
вАЬGrotвБ†вАФ!вАЭ Freder laid fast hold of the dancing lump and shook it so that its teeth rattled. вАЬThe water has flooded the city! The lights lie in ruins! The water has risen up the steps! And upon the doorвБ†вАФupon the only door, there lie tons upon tons of trains which collided with each other there!вАЭ
вАЬLet the rats drownвБ†вАФ!вАЭ
вАЬThe children, GrotвБ†вАФ!!вАЭ
Grot stood as if paralysed.
вАЬA girl,вАЭ continued Freder, clutching his hand into the manвАЩs shoulder, вАЬa girl,вАЭ he said sobbingly, bending his head as if to bury it in the manвАЩs breast, вАЬa girl has tried to save the children and is now shut in with them and canвАЩt get outвБ†вАФвАЭ
Grot began to run.
вАЬWe must explode the ruins, Grot!вАЭ
Grot stumbled, turned about and went on running, Freder behind him, closer than his shadowвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶
вАЬвА¶¬†But Foxy Fox knew very well that Mr.¬†Hedgehog would come to help him out of the trap, and he wasnвАЩt a bit frightened and waited quite cheerfully, although it was a good long time before Mr.¬†HedgehogвБ†вАФgallant Mr.¬†Hedgehog came backвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶вАЭ
вАЬMariaвБ†вАФ!вАЭ
вАЬOh ChristвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ Freder?вАЭ
вАЬDonвАЩt be startled, do you hear?вАЭ
вАЬFreder, youвАЩre not in danger?вАЭ
No answer. Silence. A crackling sound. Then a childish voice:
вАЬAnd did Mr.¬†Hedgehog come, sister?вАЭ
вАЬYesвБ†вАФвАЭ
But the вАЬyesвАЭ was drowned by the tearing of thousands of steel cables, the roar of tens of thousands of rocks which were hurled up to the dome of heaven, to burst the dome and to sink, to hurtle downwards, causing the earth to sway under their fall.
Supplementary crackling. Grey, leisurely clouds. Distant rumbling. And steps. Childish crying. And, up above, the door which was hauled upwards:
вАЬMariaвБ†вАФ!вАЭ
A blackened face bent downwards; filthy hands stretched out, gropingly.
вАЬMariaвБ†вАФ!вАЭ
вАЬHere I am, Freder!вАЭ
вАЬI can hardly hear youвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶вАЭ
вАЬGet the children out first, FrederвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ The wallвАЩs sinkingвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶вАЭ
Grot came lumbering along and threw himself on the ground by FrederвАЩs side, clutching down into the pit from which the children were scrambling out, screaming. He grabbed the children by the hair, by the neck, by the head, and hauled them up, as one pulls up radishes. His eyes were popping out of his head with fear. He hurled the children over his body, so that they tumbled over, shrieking miserably. He cursed like a hundred devils.
вАЬIsnвАЩt that nearly all of themвБ†вАФ?вАЭ
He bawled down two namesвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶
вАЬFather, fatherвБ†вАФ!вАЭ sobbed two little voices in the depths.
вАЬThe devil take you, you couple of Jackanapes!вАЭ roared the man. He rummaged the children aside with his fists, as if he were shovelling rubbish on the dustheap. Then he gulped, snorted, clutched out, and had two children hanging around his neck, wet and shivering piteously, but aliveвБ†вАФand their limbs stood more in danger of his fumbling fists than previously of the water and the tumbling stones.
With the children in both arms, Grot rolled over on his side. He sat up and planted the couple before him.
вАЬYou Goddamned pair of ragamuffins!вАЭ he said, amidst sobs. He wiped the tears from his eyes. And sprang up, hurling the children aside, like two little hay-stooks. With the furious roar of a lion, he ran to the door, from the depths of which Maria was emerging, with closed eyes, supported by FrederвАЩs arm.
вАЬYou bloodyвБ†вАФ!вАЭ he howled out. He dragged Freder aside, shoved the girl back into the depths, slammed the trapdoor to, and slung his entire weight upon it, drumming the rhythm of his laughter upon it with clenched fists.
A grim effort had kept Freder on his feet. Beside himself, he fell upon the maniac to tug him from the trapdoor, fell over him and rolled with him, in furious embrace, among the ruins of the machines.
вАЬLet me go, you dog, you mangy dog!вАЭ howled Gort, trying to bite at the angry fist which held him. вАЬThat woman murdered my machineвБ†вАФThat damn woman led the rabbleвБ†вАФ!! That woman alone turned the lever to вАШ12вАЩвБ†вАФ! I saw it when they were trampling on meвБ†вАФ! The woman can drown down thereвБ†вАФ! IвАЩm going to kill that womanвБ†вАФ!вАЭ
With marvellous tension of all his muscles Grot drew himself up and heaved himself, with a jerk, away from the raving manвБ†вАФwith such infuriated strength that he, Grot, shot, describing a curve, amidst the children.
Cursing ardently, he gathered himself up again; but, though he was uninjured, he could not move a limb. He stuck, an impotent spoon, in a porridge of children, which adhered to his arms, legs and fists. No steel fetters could have condemned him so effectually to helplessness, as did the little cold, wet hands, which were defending her who had rescued them all. Yes, his own children were standing before him, pommelling angrily upon his clenched fists, unscared by the blot-shot eyes with which the giant glared at the dwarves, cudgelling him.
вАЬThat woman murdered my machineвБ†вАФ!вАЭ he howled out at last, more complainingly than angrily, looking at the girl, who was resting upon FrederвАЩs arm, as though expecting her to bear him out.
вАЬWhat does he mean?вАЭ asked Maria. вАЬAnd what has happened?вАЭ
And she looked with eyes, the horror in which was only modified by the deepest of exhaustion, at the destruction round about, and at the snorting Grot.
Freder did not answer.
вАЬCome,вАЭ he said. And he raised her up in his arms and carried her out. The children followed them like a flock of little lambs, and Grot had no alternative than to run along in the tracks of the tiny feet, whither the little, tugging hands drew him.