XX + 

вАЬFrederвБ†вАФ!!! GrotвБ†вАФ!!! FrederвБ†вАФ!!!вАЭ + 

Josaphat shouted so that his voice cracked, and raced with the bounds of a harried wolf, through passages, across steps of the great pump-works. His shouts were not heard. In the machine rooms were wounded machines in agony, wanting to obey and not being able. The door was closed. Josaphat hammered against it with his fists, with his feet. It was Grot who opened it to him, revolver in hand. + 

вАЬWhat in the name of seething hellвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶вАЭ + 

вАЬGet out of the wayвБ†вАФ! WhereвАЩs FrederвБ†вАФ?вАЭ + 

вАЬHere! WhatвАЩs the matter?вАЭ + 

вАЬFreder, theyвАЩve taken Maria captiveвБ†вАФвАЭ + 

вАЬWhat?вАЭ + 

вАЬTheyвАЩve taken Maria captive and theyвАЩre killing herвБ†вАФ!вАЭ + 

Freder reeled. Josaphat dragged him towards the door. Like a log, Grot stood in his way, his lips mumbling, his eyes glaring. + 

вАЬThe woman who killed my machineвБ†вАФ!вАЭ + 

вАЬShut up, you foolвБ†вАФget out of the wayвБ†вАФ!вАЭ + 

вАЬGrot!вАЭ A sound born half of madnessвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ + 

вАЬYes, Mr.¬†Freder!вАЭ + 

вАЬYou stop with the machines!вАЭ + 

вАЬYes, Mr.¬†Freder!вАЭ + 

вАЬCome on, JosaphatвБ†вАФ!вАЭ + 

The sound of running, running, retreating, ghostlike. + 

Grot turned round. He saw the paralysed machines, He lifted his arm and struck the machine with the full of his fist, as one strikes a stubborn horse between the eyes. + 

вАЬThe woman,вАЭ he shouted with a howl, вАЬwho saved my little childrenвБ†вАФ!вАЭ + 

And he flung himself upon the machine with grinding teethвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ + 

вАЬTell meвБ†вАФ!вАЭ said Freder, almost softly. It was as if he did not want to waste an atom of strength. His face was a white stone in which his two eyes flamed like jewels. He jumped to the wheel of the little car in which Josaphat had come. For the pump-works lay at the extreme end of the great Metropolis. + 

It was still night. + 

The car started. + 

вАЬWe must go terribly out of our way,вАЭ said Josaphat, fixing the flashlight. вАЬMany bridges between the houseblocks are blown upвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶вАЭ + 

вАЬTell me,вАЭ said Freder. His teeth met, chattering, as if he were cold. + 

вАЬI donвАЩt know who found it outвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ Probably the women, who were thinking of their children and wanted to get home. You canвАЩt get anything out of the raving multitude. But anyway: When they saw the black water running towards them from the shafts of the underground railway, and when they realised that the pump-works, the safeguard of their city, had been destroyed by the stopping of the machines, then they went mad with despair. They say that some mothers, blind and deaf to all remonstrance, tried, as if possessed, to dive down through the flooded shafts, and just the terrible absoluteness of the futility of any attempt at rescue has turned them into beasts and they lust for revengeвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶вАЭ + 

вАЬRevengeвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ on whom?вАЭ + 

вАЬOn the girl who seduced themвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶вАЭ + 

вАЬOn the girlвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶вАК? + 

вАЬGo onвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶вАЭ + 

вАЬFreder, the engine canвАЩt keep up that speedвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶вАЭ + 

вАЬGo onвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶вАЭ + 

вАЬI do not know how it happened that the girl ran into their hands. I was on my way to you when I saw a woman running across the cathedral square, with her hair flying, the roaring rabble behind her. There has been the very hell of a night anyway. The Gothics are parading through the town scourging themselves, and they have put the monk Desertus on the cross. They are preaching: Doomsday had come, and it seems that they have converted a good many already, for September is crouching before the smoking ruins of Yoshiwara. A troop of torch dancers joined itself to the flagellants and, with frothing curses upon the Mother of Abominations, the great whore of Babylon, they burned Yoshiwara down to the groundвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶вАЭ + 

вАЬThe girl, JosaphatвБ†вАФвАЭ + 

вАЬShe did not reach the cathedral, Freder, where she wanted to take refuge. They overtook her on the steps because she fell on the stepsвБ†вАФher gown hung down in ribbons from her body. A woman, whose white eyes were glowing with insanity shrieked out, as one inspired with the gift of prophecy: + 

вАЬвАКвАШLookвБ†вАФ! LookвБ†вАФ! The saints have climbed down from their pedestals and will not let the witch into the cathedral.вАЩвАКвАЭ + 

вАЬAndвБ†вАФвАЭ + 

вАЬBefore the cathedral they are erecting a bonfire on which to burn the witchвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶вАЭ + 

Freder said nothing. He bent down lower. The car groaned and leapt. + 

Josaphat buried his hand in FrederвАЩs arm. + 

вАЬStopвБ†вАФfor GodвАЩs sake!!!вАЭ + 

The car stopped. + 

вАЬWe must go to the leftвБ†вАФdonвАЩt you see? The bridge has gone!вАЭ + 

вАЬThe next bridge?вАЭ + 

вАЬIs impassable!вАЭ + 

вАЬListenвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶вАЭ + 

вАЬWhat is there to hearвБ†вАФвАЭ + 

вАЬDonвАЩt you hear anything?вАЭ + 

вАЬNoвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶вАЭ + 

вАЬYou must hear itвБ†вАФ!вАЭ + 

вАЬBut what, FrederвБ†вАФ?вАЭ + 

вАЬShrieksвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ distant shrieksвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶вАЭ + 

вАЬI canвАЩt hear anythingвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶вАЭ + 

вАЬBut you must be able to hear itвБ†вАФ!!вАЭ + 

вАЬWonвАЩt you drive on, Freder?вАЭ + 

вАЬAnd donвАЩt you see that the air over there is getting bright red?вАЭ + 

вАЬFrom the torches, FrederвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶вАЭ + 

вАЬThey donвАЩt burn so brightlyвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶вАЭ + 

вАЬFreder, weвАЩre losing time hereвБ†вАФ!вАЭ + 

Freder did not answer. He was staring at the tatters of the iron bridge which were dangling down into the ravine of the street. He must cross over, yes, he must cross over, to get to the cathedral by a shortcutвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ + 

The frame-support of a ripped-open tower had fallen over from this side of the street to the other, gleaming metallically in the uncertain light of the fading night. + 

вАЬGet out,вАЭ said Freder. + 

вАЬWhy?вАЭ + 

вАЬGet out, I tell youвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶вАЭ + 

вАЬI want to know why?вАЭ + 

вАЬBecause IвАЩm going across thereвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶вАЭ + 

вАЬAcross where?вАЭ + 

вАЬAcross the frame-support.вАЭ + 

вАЬGoing to drive acrossвБ†вАФ?вАЭ + 

вАЬYes.вАЭ + 

вАЬItвАЩs suicide, Freder!вАЭ + 

вАЬI didnвАЩt ask you to accompany me. Get out!вАЭ + 

вАЬI wonвАЩt permit itвБ†вАФItвАЩs blazing lunacy!вАЭ + 

вАЬThe fire over there is blazing, manвБ†вАФ!вАЭ + 

The words seemed not to come from FrederвАЩs mouth. + 

Every wound of the dying city seemed to be roaring out of him. + 

вАЬDrive on!вАЭ said Josaphat through clenched teeth. + 

The car gave a jump. It climbed. The narrow irons received the sucking, skidding wheels, with an evil, maliciously hypocritical sound. + 

Blood was trickling from FrederвАЩs lips. + 

вАЬDonвАЩtвБ†вАФdonвАЩt put the brake onвБ†вАФfor GodвАЩs sake donвАЩt put the brake on!вАЭ shouted the man beside him making a clutch of madness at FrederвАЩs hand. The car, already half-slipping, shot forward again. A split in the frameworkвБ†вАФover, onwards. Behind them the dead framework crashed into space amid shrieks! + 

They reached the other side with an impetus which was no longer to be checked. The wheels rushed into blackness and nothing. The car overturned, Freder fell and got up again. The other remained lying. + 

вАЬJosaphatвБ†вАФ!!вАЭ + 

вАЬRun! ItвАЩs nothing!вБ†вАФI swear to God itвАЩs nothing,вАЭ a distorted smile upon the white face. вАЬThink of MariaвБ†вАФand run!вАЭ + 

And Freder raced off. + 

Josaphat turned his head. He saw the blackness of the street flashing bright red. He heard the screams of the thousands. He thought dully, with a thrust of his fist in the air: вАЬShouldnвАЩt I like to be Grot now, to be able to swear properlyвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶вАЭ + 

Then his head fell back into the filth of the street, and every consciousness faded but that of painвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ + 

But Freder ran as he had never run. It was not his feet which carried him. It was his wild heartвБ†вАФIt was his thoughts. + 

Streets and stairs and streets and at last the cathedral square. Black in the background, the cathedral, ungodded, unlighted, the place before the broad steps swarming with human beingsвБ†вАФand amid them, surrounded by gasps of madly despairing laughter, the howling of songs of fury, the smouldering of torches and brands, high up on the pyreвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ + 

вАЬMariaвБ†вАФ!вАЭ + 

Freder fell on his knees as though his sinews were sawn through. + 

вАЬMariaвБ†вАФ!вАЭ + 

The girl whom he took to be Maria raised her head. She sought him. Her glance found him. She smiledвБ†вАФlaughed. + 

вАЬDance with me, my dearestвБ†вАФ!вАЭ flew her voice, sharp as a flashing knife, through uproar. + 

Freder got up. The mob recognised him. The mob lurched towards him, shrieking and yelling. + 

вАЬJoooooвБ†вАФoh! Joh FredersenвАЩs sonвБ†вАФ! Joh FredersenвАЩs sonвБ†вАФвАЭ + 

They made to seize him. He dodged them wildly. He threw himself with his back against the parapet of the street. + 

вАЬWhy do you want to kill her, you devilsвБ†вАФ? She has saved your children!вАЭ + 

Roars of laughter answered him. Women sobbed with laughter, biting into their own hands. + 

вАЬYesвБ†вАФyesвБ†вАФshe has saved our childrenвБ†вАФ! She saved our children with the song of the dead machines! She saved our children with the ice cold waterвБ†вАФ! High let her liveвБ†вАФhigh and three time high!вАЭ + 

вАЬGo to the вАШHouse of the SonsвАЩвБ†вАФ! Your children are there!вАЭ + 

вАЬOur children are not in the вАШHouse of the Sons!вАЩ There lives the brood, hatched out by money. Sons of your kind, you dog in white-silken skin!вАЭ + 

вАЬListen, for GodвАЩs sakeвБ†вАФdo listen to meвБ†вАФ!!!вАЭ + 

вАЬWe donвАЩt want to hear anythingвБ†вАФ!вАЭ + 

вАЬMariaвБ†вАФbeloved!!!вБ†вАФBeloved!!!вАЭ + 

вАЬDonвАЩt bawl so, son of Joh Fredersen! Or weвАЩll stop your mouth!вАЭ + 

вАЬKill me, if you must killвБ†вАФbut let her liveвБ†вАФ!вАЭ + 

вАЬEach in his turn, son of Joh Fredersen! First you shall see how your beloved dies a beautiful, hot magnificent death!вАЭ + 

A womanвБ†вАФGrotвАЩs womanвБ†вАФtore a strip off her skirt and bound FrederвАЩs hands. He was bound fast to the parapet with cords. He struggled like a wild beast, shouting that the veins of this throat were in danger of bursting. Bound, impotent, he threw back his head and saw the sky over Metropolis, pure, tender, greenish-blue, for morning would soon follow after this night. + 

вАЬGodвБ†вАФ!вАЭ he shouted, trying to throw himself on his knees, in his bonds. вАЬGodвБ†вАФ! Where art thouвБ†вАФ?вАЭ + 

A wild, red gleam caught his eyes. The pyre flamed up in long flames. The men, the women, seized hands and tore around the bonfire, faster, faster and faster, in rings growing ever wider and wider, laughing, screaming with stamping feet, вАЬWitchвБ†вАФ! Witch!вАЭ + 

FrederвАЩs bonds broke. He fell over on his face among the feet of the dancers. + 

And the last he saw of the girl, while her gown and hair stood blazing around her as a mantle of fire, was the loving smile and the wonder of her eyesвБ†вАФand her mouth of deadly sin, which lured among the flames: + 

вАЬDance with me, my dearest! Dance with meвБ†вАФ!вАЭ + 