always following Rossum’s manuscript. You see, it was very complicated.

Busman Well, never mind, were those two materials really so important.

Hallemeier Well, somewhat... certainly they were.

Dr. Gall What he means is that it depended on them whether the robots lived at all. They were the actual secret.

Domin Gall, do you not think you could re-write Rossum’s formula from memory?

Dr. Gall Out of the question.

Domin Gall, try hard to remember! All our lives depend on it!

Dr. Gall I couldn’t do it. Without a lot of experimentation it just wouldn’t be possible.

Domin And what if you did some experiments?

Dr. Gall That could take years. And even then... I’m not old Rossum.

Domin (turning to fireplace) Down there, then, down there is the greatest triumph of the human spirit. That heap of ashes. (kicks it) So what do we do now?

Busman (in horror and despair) God almighty! God almighty!

Helena (standing) Harry! What... what have I done?!

Domin Calm down, Helena. Just tell me why! Why did you burn it?

Helena I’ve killed you all!

Busman God almighty, we’ve had it!

Domin Be quiet, Busman! Helena, tell me why you did it!

Helena I wanted.. I wanted us to get away from here, all of us! So that there wouldn’t be any more factory or anything else... so that everything would be... It was horrible!

Domin Helena, what was?

Helena Making... making people like sterile flowers!

Domin I don’t understand what you’re saying.

Helena People have stopped having children... Harry, that was so vile! If we continued making robots then no-one would have any children any more... Nana said it was a punishment... all of them, all of them said they can’t have children because there were so many robots... And that’s why..., that’s why,... do you hear me?

Domin Helena, what were you thinking of?

Helena Yes, oh, Harry, I only meant it for the best!

Domin (wiping sweat) We all only meant it for the best, too much for the best, all of mankind.

Fabry You were quite right, Helena. Now the robots won’t be able to increase. They’ll die out. In twenty years...

Hallemeier... not a one of them will be good for anything at all

Dr. Gall And mankind will remain. In twenty years’ time the world will belong to them once more; even if there’s nothing more than a few savages on a tiny island...

Fabry... that will be a beginning. And any beginning is better than nothing. In a thousand years they’ll have caught up with us again, and then go on further than we ever did...

Domin... and fulfill the dreams we’ve only ever talked about.

Busman Wait-how silly of me! Dear me, why didn’t I think of this before?

Hallemeier What is it?

Busman Five hundred and twenty million in cash and in cheques! Half a billion in the till! For half a billion they’ll sell... they’ll sell...

Dr. Gall Have you gone mad, Busman?

Busman I’m not a gentleman. But for half a billion (blunders left)

Domin Where are you going?

Busman Leave it, leave it! Mother of God, for half a billion you can buy anything! (exit)

Helena What does Busman want? Why can’t he stay here with us?

(pause)

Hallemeier Oh, it’s hot. It’s starting, the...

Dr. Gall The agony.

Fabry (looking out of window) They’re standing there like statues. It’s as if they were waiting for something to descend on them, or as if they thought their very silence would give rise to something terrible...

Dr. Gall Crowd mentality.

Fabry Maybe. It’s like a cloud all around them, they seem to quiver with it.

Helena (goes to window) Oh God! Fabry, it’s horrible!

Fabry There’s nothing more terrible than the crowd. That one in front-he’s their leader.

Helena Which one?

Hallemeier (goes to window) Point him out to me.

Fabry The one that’s looking down. He was giving the orders at the harbour this morning.

Hallemeier Ah, the one with the big bonce, you mean. He’s looking up now, see?

Helena Gall, that’s Radius!

Dr. Gall (goes to window) Yes.

Hallemeier (opens window) I don’t like the look of him. Fabry, think you could hit a barn door at a hundred paces?

Fabry I should hope so.

Hallemeier Give it a try then!

Fabry Alright. (takes out revolver and takes aim)

Helena Oh God, no! Fabry, don’t shoot him...

Fabry He’s their leader.

Helena Stop it! He’s even looking at us!

Dr. Gall Shoot him!

Helena Fabry, please...

Fabry (lowers revolver) As you say.

Hallemeier (shaking fist) You bastard!

(pause)

Fabry (leaning out of window) There goes Busman. For God’s sake, what’s Busman doing there out in front of the house?

Dr. Gall (leaning out of window) He’s got some kind of bundles with him, paper or something.

Hallemeier That’s money! Bundles of banknotes! What is he up to? Hey, Busman!

Domin He’s not trying to buy them off is he, to save his own life? (calling) Busman, have you gone mad?

Dr., Gall He’s pretending he can’t hear you, running over to the fence.

Fabry Busman!

Hallemeier (yelling) Bus-ma-n! Come back!

Dr. Gall He’s talking to the robots, showing them the money, pointing up at us...

Helena He wants to buy them off to save our lives.

Fabry As long as he doesn’t touch the fence...

Dr. Gall Ha, look at him throwing his arms about!

Fabry (shouting) For Heaven’s sake, Busman, get away from the fence! Don’t touch it! (turning) Quick, turn it off!

Dr.